Even dinner was quiet, their conversation focused completely on ways to find their tiger shifter. The article would help. It gave them a starting point and in a modern setting where they might find people who had seen the incident, perhaps noted a man nearby before it happened. The likelihood of an actual tiger being in Ireland and taking its time to rescue a woman in distress was more far-fetched than it being a shifter.
“We just talk to everyone. The fact that it happened so close to our village tells me at least one thing about it,” he told her.
“What is that?” she asked.
“I just can’t think it’s a coincidence. Perhaps he was there looking for his mother when it happened. I mean, he grew up not knowing her. It would make sense that he wanted to know who she was.”
“Then why not tell her? If he made the trip, why not go the extra mile?”
“I don’t know. Maybe the incident with the thief spooked him, and he was afraid he’d be found out. Maybe it was just too much for him to deal with once he found her. People can be very fickle.”
“Yes, you don’t have to tell me that,” she replied, looking down at her hands for a moment before reaching for her drink, looking off into the distance as she sipped from the glass.
There was no doubt in Thomas’s mind that she meant him, but there was nothing he could say. Instead, he called over the waiter to get their check. Dropping some cash on the table, he asked if she was ready to go, and she nodded. Perhaps he was making too much of it, but it seemed like she might be near tears. They rode back to the inn in complete silence.
The air in the room was thick with unspoken thoughts and feelings as he sat scanning the computer for any additional information, and she sat reading a book she had brought for the trip. When bedtime finally rolled around, he closed the computer, looking anxiously at the bed.
“I’ll sleep on the floor,” he told her.
“Okay,” she replied, sounding disinterested, though the expression on her face said otherwise.
Gathering up the extra pillow and blanket from the top of a nearby bureau, he began to make himself a place on the floor between the bed and the open doors that led to the balcony. It was hot in the room, and they had opened them to let some fresh air in. He was about to close them when she appeared beside him, solemn and naked. Before he could ask what she was doing, he watched her run out onto the balcony and jump, shifting to take flight mid-air.
Quickly stripping off his clothes, he followed her, soaring behind her through the night to wherever she was intent upon going. He had never seen her dragon form before. She was slight in build and uniquely colored with brilliant metallic-orange streaks set against black scales. He struggled to keep up with her, his larger size more powerful, but also slower against the gusts of wind that inhibited his flight. His dark green color was almost invisible in the night sky behind her, but he had no doubt she knew he was there.
Finally, she began to descend, and he followed suit, suddenly understanding where it was she was going. She landed in the hollow behind the abandoned castle they had seen on the way down and stood looking up at the dark, ravaged walls. There was little left of it beyond its outer walls, now standing abandoned in a farmer’s field. Unlike many of the castles that had been restored for tours and weddings, this one had seen better days and was now little more than a shell of itself.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” she said as he landed on the ground behind her, both of them now shifted back into human form.
The moonlight caressed her naked frame as she stood looking up at the castle walls. He wasn’t sure what to say to her. He knew she was hurt. Perhaps he should have given her this time alone rather than pursuing her, but he was here now. He walked toward her, forgetting his own nudity as he approached her.
“Yes, it is. Why did you come here in the middle of the night, though?”
“I needed some fresh air. I was in the air and remembered this place, so I thought I might as well take a look at it while I have a chance.”
“I would have brought you here in the daylight, when you could have seen it better.”
“I wasn’t sure if we had time, and you seemed to have other things on your mind.”
“I’m sorry, Kara. I don’t know what to say to that.”
“You don’t need to say anything. You got caught up in the moment and kissed me, held me. Perhaps you thought it was something but realized it wasn’t.”
“That’s not true,” he replied, taking a step closer to her.
“It’s okay, Thomas,” she replied.
He couldn’t help but notice that she had reverted to his full name. As silly as it might seem, he had enjoyed having someone call him something a bit more personal. He looked down at his feet, but only for a moment. Without another word, he reached for her, turning her around to face him, her face lit softly by the moonlight above.
“It’s not you, Kara. It’s just me. I felt something that frightened me.”
“It frightens me, too, Tom. Too much, too soon – all that. But surely, it is worth taking a chance.”
“Yes, I think you are right.”
With that, he pulled her to him. Her bare skin pressed against his as he kissed her in a way that he hoped would convey every feeling that he wasn’t sure he was quite ready to say aloud, but was all too aware was real.
Chapter 9
Their bodies moved slowly toward the wall that stood behind her, his weight pushing against it as his fingers tangled in her hair and his lips caressing her delicate skin. She tasted like a mixture of coconut and vanilla, sweet and creamy against his tongue. He heard her gasp as he nibbled his way slowly down her shoulder to take one of her nipples in his mouth, suckling at it with abandon.
She writhed beneath him, her body quaking in small convulsions against him as he took his time to linger on her skin, enjoying the way she felt against him. A yelp escaped her throat as he bit into her shoulder, and she thrust her hips forward toward him.
“I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?” he asked, full of concern that perhaps he had bitten her too hard or in a tender spot.
“Not exactly. There was a rock cutting into my backside,” she said with a laugh.
Thomas smiled at her, though he could barely see her in the darkness now. They were not only secluded behind the walls where no one could see them, but the moon had gone behind the clouds, blocking out any light that had previously shined down upon them.
“Should we go back to the room?” he asked.
“No, not yet. Don’t stop what you were doing,” she told him.
Thomas was all too happy to oblige, resuming his slow tour of her skin with his hands and mouth. The darkness only made feeling his way all the more exciting, as they moved away from the wall and down into the soft grass that now grew within the castle walls. At one time, this place would have most likely been adorned with large, tiled floors, but those were long gone, the Earth slowly reclaiming them into the soil beneath.
His hand roamed down her lean legs. They were smooth and delicate, but he knew that, as a dragon, they possessed a power greater than their diminutive size. The thought of it only made him want her more as he began kissing his way upward across her calf and along her inner thigh as she moaned beneath him.
Their passion carried them away as they became entangled within one another, their bodies taking over while the stars came out and the moon reappeared from behind the clouds. Kara panted beneath him, begging him for more as he continued to tease her with his mouth and his hands. He wanted her in the worst way, his urges primal, his inner dragon begging for release.
Apparently, he wasn’t alone in this thought as she pushed him away and stood up, shifting and taking flight in air. As fast as she was, he was on her within moments, fueled by passion as he overtook her lithe figure and mounted her mid-air. Their heavy bodies shimmered against the moonlight as they twisted into an epic dance of pleasure beyond imagination.
They bounced back and forth against one another, swan di
ving mid-coitus as he filled her with his massive girth over and over, the air around them charged with their grunts and growls as they gave in to the forbidden act of mating in their dragon forms. There was no one out here to see them, no one to know, so they ignored the laws that threatened to take away what might have been the most pleasure either of them had ever known.
Thomas could feel himself reaching the edge, his body pumping against hers as they continued their incredible union, locked together in their animal forms as they copulated almost violently in continued animal form. Unable to hold back any longer, Thomas could feel himself slipping over the edge, exploding inside her womb with a force that pushed them apart and sent them spiraling into separate flight patterns.
Rather than returning to the ground below, Kara shot off toward the hotel, and he followed, struggling to keep up in his weakened state with her incredible speed. He watched as she shifted, dropping lightly onto the balcony and slipping inside the doors that led back into the room. He followed, slipping inside to join her.
They both stood there panting to catch their breath before either of them spoke. Kara could scarcely get her words out as she struggled to string together a sentence.
“That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever felt in my life. I think I may be dying now, though,” she laughed.
“I know. I’m sore all over. It feels like someone beat me with a stick,” he chuckled.
“I wonder how many people have died trying to pull that off,” she said, in all seriousness.
“I don’t know, but I think we might now understand why it is forbidden. I was afraid I might get too lightheaded and collapse a couple of times, and since you were locked to me, I thought we’d both fall to our deaths.”
“Can you imagine? Being found, possibly still in dragon form, locked together like common dogs?”
“There’s a eulogy for you!” he laughed, adding, “but man, what a way to go!”
“I agree. How about a hot shower? I think we’re going to need some warmth if we are going to be able to get out of bed and even walk around tomorrow.”
“Sounds like a good idea,” he replied.
She was right, of course. The hot water helped to soothe their muscles. Then, with their healing abilities as dragons setting in, they were as good as new in another hour. Thomas reached for her in the night, finding himself wanting her again, but his time, he wanted to take his time and enjoy every inch of her skin against him.
“What are you after?” she asked sleepily, her tone playful.
“You,” he replied flatly.
“Oh, okay. Well, you have me,” she told him.
“Good. I like the sound of that,” he told her, his words muffled against her skin as he planted kisses down the small of her back.
“Mmmm,” she mumbled sleepily as he wandered across her skin, nuzzling against her gently.
“I know what you need,” he said, leaving the bed to retrieve something from the small tray of amenities provided by the inn.
He returned with a small bottle of massage oil, having earlier realized that they were staying in what was usually reserved for honeymoons. Under the circumstances, he had decided not to mention it, but now, there was a use for at least one of the items provided.
“Let’s see if we can restore some circulation,” he told her as he rubbed her back, buttocks, and thighs. She squirmed beneath his touch, enjoying the way he was rubbing it into her skin. His hands grew firmer, really working the muscles until she was writhing around on the bed. “I know, I know,” he told her. “You will thank me later, though. Under his vigorous rubbing, her flesh seemed to spring to life, feeling soft and subtle in his warm hands.
Her buttocks clenched together as he reached between her thighs, teasing her clit with a finger as he slid his hand beneath her. Her legs squeezed together. He poured out more of the massage oil and moved upward, leaving her to miss how it had felt for him to touch her clit. He began to knead her neck, shoulders, and back. Her thighs and calves and the soles of her feet were next as he made sure he attended to every inch of her perfect body.
Gradually, she relaxed, the aches he had left behind from their earlier mating replaced with soft caresses, showing her how gentle his human side could be. He continued to rub the oil into her skin until her body found its own natural elasticity restored without discomfort. Her hair lay disheveled against the pillow, partially covering her face.
“Turn over for me,” he told her as she obliged him, watching him intently as he began to rub the oil into the other side of her body. Her eyes closed, enjoying his manipulations, and her lips stretched into a soft smile as he massaged her breasts and her stomach before once again moving his hand between her legs and teasing her clit.
Her back arched toward him and a moan floated from her lips. He watched as she put her own hands on her breasts and rotated the nipples between her fingers. Her hands fluttered down along her legs and lingered there, waiting for what might come next. Thomas pressed into her, penetrating her tender folds with his oil-covered fingers.
Her feet pointed like a ballerina as he sought her depths; her toes curled into a representation of the tension in her dance. Her pelvis rose from the bed as if seeking something in the air. His fingers searched deeper, looking for the precise spot that would send her over the edge and, finding it, he massaged it deeply as her body began to ripple on the bed like an ocean wave during a tsunami.
She uttered a loud cry of pleasure that sounded almost unnatural. It was hoarse, not of this Earth but came from some place that must have existed in the medieval castle where they had previously begun this lustful ritual. His movements increased, enjoying the way she had cast herself aside and become something new, a creature that existed only to receive his pleasures.
Bringing more friction against her hot, pink walls, he watched her face, which contorted as she rode wave after wave of pleasure.
“Please, Tom, please. I can’t take much more,” she begged breathlessly.
He didn’t stop, not right away, milking her for everything she could give to him as she convulsed against the bed, no longer in control of her own body. He could feel his own hardness pressing against her leg as he leaned above her. He wanted her in the worst way. Pulling his hand free from his manipulations, he entered her, filling her to the core with his massive erection as she let out a gasp beneath him.
Her fingers found their way to his back and dug in as he pumped into her slowly and deeply, enjoying her hot, wet center as it tugged at his girth. It was amazing how different things felt when they were in human form, the animal instincts that took over, now replaced with subtle nuances of pleasure that were more emotionally charged. As incredible as their previous mating had been, this was on a completely different level.
Her fingers dug deeper into his back, his body gliding against hers as he reached the peak and filled her with his desires. It felt amazing to come inside of her, to feel how the warmth of his fluids gushed along her pink folds and dripped back down his cock. It was perfect. It was something that he wanted to do over and over for as long as he lived.
Falling onto his back, he pulled her to him, cradling her head in the crook of his shoulder as she moaned and settled against him, falling into a sound sleep. The way he felt in that moment was new to him. He had never loved a woman. There had always been other things that were more important to him, and he had never really tried to be with anyone special, but he knew now that it was only because he hadn’t met the right person.
A fear settled into him as he lay there in the darkness, lightly stroking her hair with one hand. What if this was the only night they ever shared? What if it was just a moment in time that came and then passed away without it really meaning anything? He could only speak for his own feelings, and even those he couldn’t be sure of. He had only known her a few days. How could he possibly be so far gone for her so quickly?
Glancing down at her, he knew the answer to that. At least, he hoped he did. She was easy
to be with, easy to want to know better. She was everything he could ask for in a woman: beautiful, intelligent, funny, and adventurous. He could see a forever with a woman like her. He could only hope that she could see one, too. He was in no hurry, but he wanted to know that they were on the same page before he began reading a book that he might never be able to finish.
“You’re turning into a girl,” he said aloud, not thinking.
“What?” she asked sleepily.
“Nothing,” he told her. “Go back to sleep.”
Her response was something akin to a grunt as she snuggled closer and fell back asleep in his arms. He lay awake for a while longer, still obsessing about what he was getting himself into, debating if he could fit something so powerful into his busy life. Finally, he drifted off to sleep, Kara still curled up against him and very much alive in the dreams that came once he closed his eyes.
Chapter 10
The following morning, they awoke wrapped in one another’s arms as the sunlight spilled in through the window of their room. Thomas pulled free of her, stretching as he prepared to climb out of bed and get a start on the day ahead of them. It was going to be a long drive and then a lot of digging to find their elusive tiger.
Kara rolled over, planted a kiss on his bare chest, and snuggled back up to him. He lay back, enjoying the way she felt against him for a little longer as he kissed her on top of the head and stroked her arm with his hand.
“I don’t want to leave here – this place, you,” she said.
“Well, I can’t help you with here and this place, but I’ll be going with you, unless there is something I don’t know,” he replied.
“You know what I mean,” she told him.
“This is just the first of many memories we can have together if you play your cards right,” he told her.
“Play my cards right? Getting a little cocky now, are we?” she asked, raising up on one arm to look at him with an amused expression.
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