“I never said I wasn’t interested in the riddle. I said it’s the one aspect of the legend that has no basis in fact.” Turned into his caress, she lowered her lashes. A slow, churning heat washed over him. “Lady Fiona is real. Her marriage to Tyrus is well documented.”
“And according to historical fact, what happened to her?”
She released her sleeves and placed her hands on his chest. It was such a simple gesture, but Dominic’s entire body came alive. His heart hammered, his skin tingled, his respiration raced.
“She disappeared shortly after she found Lord Tyrus with his lover—or lovers by some accounts. His reputation for infidelity is as well documented as their marriage.”
Dominic chuckled and lightly placed his hands on her hips. Slowly. Gently. “After her disappearance, what became of Tyrus?”
“He went mad. He became a recluse in this very monastery. When he took his own life in one of the cells, the other monks declared the monastery desecrated and abandoned it.”
“And all this can be proven?”
“If written history is to be believed.” She stared up at him, her eyes wide and luminous. “I suppose historians can record falsehoods as well as fact. But the author of the journal had no reason to lie.”
Silence descended. Dominic wanted nothing more than to kiss her, to end the conversation, and avoid another conflict. But she must understand the foolishness of her actions. He must have her vow not to intentionally put herself in harm’s way.
Or they could talk after…
“If you were dead, Edwin would inherit Pendragon Castle.”
She averted her gaze with a stiff nod. “I know. But Edwin doesn’t want me dead. Thora insists he’s terrified of the curse, and I tend to believe her. Edwin could have killed me long ago if that was his want.”
“The curse may have kept you alive thus far, but that could change in an instant. He wants Pendragon and he won’t stop until he has it.”
“Or until he is dead.” She glanced up at him.
“Is that an invitation?”
“Would you kill Edwin if I asked it of you?” She searched his gaze, waiting for his answer.
“Not without provocation. I’m not a murderer. But should he be foolish enough to attempt you harm, I’ll not hesitate to take his life.”
“I don’t think Edwin is desperate enough to kill me just yet. Besides, he’s the only one to directly benefit from my death, so suspicion would immediately fall upon him.”
“I agree, and William Marshal is well aware of that fact. But accidents can be arranged. The world is filled with criminals who would turn a robbery into a murder and then slink away into the night.”
“You are such a comfort to me.” Pushing away from him, she dislodged his hands. She snatched one of the candles from the floor in the monk’s cell and moved deeper into the outer room.
“It’s not my intention to frighten you.” His boot heels rang against the stone floor. “But you must understand that the danger is real. Coming here alone, going anywhere alone, is a luxury you can no longer afford. You must be on your guard, and you must do as I say if I’m to protect you.”
“I’m not helpless. I can protect myself.”
“Nay, you cannot. Not against Edwin. And I cannot protect you from him if you continue to be reckless. Don’t leave the castle unescorted. Let me know where you’re going if you venture beyond the castle walls. Are we agreed?”
She set the candle on the mantel and turned to face him. “I’m tired of being afraid. I’m just beginning to feel secure, and you’re asking me to become a prisoner in my own life.”
“That’s not what I’m asking. I’m asking that you take certain measures to ensure your safety.”
She squared her shoulders and glared into his eyes. “I suppose I must do as you say. After all, you are the captain of my private guard.”
He moved slowly, never breaking contact with her gaze. “I’m more than that, and we both know it.”
“I know what you think you are. I know what you want to be. But there is no place in my life for you.”
She faced him squarely, her expression defiant. If he pushed, she’d push back. Under the bluster he sensed her fear. She fought his authority, rebelled against control, but how would she battle tenderness?
“No place in your life for a friend, a lover?” He ran the backs of his fingers across her cheek. “That’s what I want to be. You have been alone for so long, Rowena. Why—”
“You want more than that, Sir Liar.” She twisted away, her voice choked and tremulous.
He caught her arm and drew her toward him. “You’re not ready to give me what I want.”
“I’m not willing to give you what you want.”
Possessive desire expanded within Dominic and he smiled. “You will be.”
He wrapped her in his arms, trapping her against his chest. She immediately arched her back and shoved with her hands. This only ground her pelvis against his hardening erection.
“I will not wed with you,” she cried. “I will not—”
“I’ve not asked you to wed with me.” Holding her tightly with one arm, he cupped her face with his other hand. Fierce desire clawed through his determination to go slowly. He wanted her now. He needed to be inside her so badly he shook. “I want you in my arms, Rowena. I want to feel the pleasure we shared before. Not just for one night. I want to be your lover.”
She went perfectly still, her breathing the only movement in her body. Her wide green eyes spoke to him, revealing far more than she realized. He saw her desire, but it was not just passion burning within her gaze. She wanted—him.
“You want to be my husband.” Fear flared through the passion. It was all there in her eyes. “I’m not a fool. You intend to…each time we make love it increases your chances that I will conceive.”
He pressed his lips to her temple, heating her skin with his breath. He was so close to breaching her defenses, to touching her carefully guarded heart. Dominic felt a moment of doubt. Could he go through with this? Could he seduce her, knowing she expected love? Knowing how badly she would resent him if he couldn’t love her in return? He wanted her. God how he wanted her, but love? He wasn’t sure he was capable of the emotion. He had seen so much, done so much that required emotional detachment.
“I’ll be more careful this time,” he whispered.
Rearing back stubbornly, she punched him in the chest. “I haven’t forgiven you for last time. Why would I trust you again?”
She argued with everything he said, so Dominic molded her body to his and shifted the back of her head into the cradle of his elbow. “Enough,” he growled, and kissed her.
Rowena clung to his thick upper arms as his mouth moved over and against hers. His lips were warm and firm, and her head began to swim. She wanted this man, wanted the mind-numbing pleasure she had known in his arms. Yet uncertainty shadowed the passion. This could compromise her freedom and any chance there might be of breaking the curse.
She resisted the bold thrust of his tongue, but his mouth tasted of apple and wine, and she felt the slow melting begin deep inside her.
Maybe just a kiss.
Parting her lips, she stroked his tongue with her own and heard him groan. He dipped her farther back, forcing her to cling to him or fall. His tongue moved in and out of her mouth, stealing her breath, stealing her sanity. She wanted more. Her mouth became as aggressive as his, stroking, tasting, until they were both wild.
She dragged her mouth from his, panting and shaken. “Brother Leland,” she whispered.
The heat of his lips moved to her throat. “He’ll not stir ’til morning.”
He shrugged out of his thick mantle and spread it atop the fur already on the floor. Yanking his tunic over his head, he stood before her bare to the waist.
Rowena felt her body clench and tingle. Candlelight played upon skin stretched smooth over sculpted muscles. She wanted to touch him, needed to touch him, and she didn’t hesitate
. She stroked and caressed each contour and plane. Her palms absorbed the heat and contrasting textures.
He snatched her cloak from her shoulders. She hardly noticed as she continued her exploration of his torso. His body was strong, his skin hot. She couldn’t get enough of the feel of him.
His fingers jerked the cords binding the front of her gown then he tugged it off over her head. Her chemise soon followed, and Rowena shivered. Cold night air whispered across her heated flesh before he pressed them together, skin against skin.
Rowena moaned and closed her eyes. Her heart pounded within her chest. His big hands cupped her bottom, dragging her forward. She kicked off her leather slippers and buried her face against his chest, wrapping her arms around his back. “I must have your vow, Dominic. Promise you will not….”
She couldn’t bring herself to say the words, but she knew he understood her expectation. The last thing she wanted was to end this here, but she couldn’t compromise on this point. Easing away from him, she looked into his eyes.
His gaze was bright, his eyes dilated. Predatory.
“Promise.”
“I will not spill my seed inside your body.”
His mouth ground against hers, a momentary punishment. Had she angered him with her persistence?
Her concern eroded as sensations erupted all over her body. The slick heat of his mouth intoxicated, but she wasn’t satisfied with the possessive press of his mouth over hers. She parted her lips and angled her head, silently beckoning a more intimate contact. She met the thrust of his tongue with a deep moan and an eager response.
She melted into his embrace, thrilled by the obvious strength in his arms. Arching her back, Rowena pressed her breasts against his naked chest, splaying her hands across the thick muscles of his shoulders. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pressing her more tightly against him. All the while their mouths played, nipped and licked, communicating in a language older than the spoken word.
They sank to their knees together. Rowena knew she was trembling. Her head spun with the sensations surging through her body. She wanted him, needed him inside her, filling her, overwhelming her.
His hands descended along her sides, settling against her hips. He pulled her forward until her belly cradled his hard length. Rowena released a shaky breath. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. An explosion of heat accompanied the thought. She felt giddy and restless. Wiggling closer, she looped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.
“This feels like heaven,” she whispered against his lips.
He chuckled, a deep rumbling sound. “Not yet, but soon. Lie back. Let me look at you.”
She lay on his cloak and spread her hair out in shining waves all around her. His gaze moved slowly over her, lingering on her breasts and the dark red curls at the juncture of her thighs. Her skin tingled, anticipating a caress more tangible than his heated gaze.
Suddenly frantic, Dominic tore off his boots and discarded the remainder of his clothing. His obvious need thrilled Rowena. She felt heat roll through her, leaving her tingling and anxious.
He joined her on their makeshift bed. Lying at her side, he propped himself up on his elbow. “You are extraordinary.”
Warm and firm, his palm enveloped her breast. She quivered at his touch, savoring his tense, needy expression, amazed that she had inspired it. He bent toward her, his mouth opening over her nipple. She sighed as his lips brushed her skin and his tongue teased her flesh into a hard, throbbing peak.
He moved on top of her, nudging her legs apart with his knees. She opened for him, eager for the fullness of his body inside her. Dominic held back. His practiced mouth moved from one breast to the other, suckling, licking, driving her mad.
Shifting position, he knelt between her legs. Rowena was shocked by the carnality of the arrangement. Her thighs were spread wide, her knees bent, her body brazenly offered for his pleasure. She tried to draw her legs together, but he wouldn’t allow it. He stared at her feminine slit, his expression ravenous, intense. Uncertainty and anticipation warred within her, making her head spin.
The first touch of his fingers made Rowena gasp. He traced her crease with just his fingertips, forward and back, forward and back. She shuddered and caught his wrist.
“Relax,” he coaxed. “You’ll enjoy this. I promise.”
This was Dominic. He would never hurt her. She released his wrist, and his fingers continued their sensual dance. He explored her folds and circled her opening. Rowena moaned, tossing her head, her eyes drifting shut. The sensations were somehow intensified with her eyes closed. She could feel each stroke, each caress more distinctly.
He pushed his fingers into her passage then retreated despite her murmur of protest. His hot breath wafted across her inner thigh, and his lips touched her skin. Heat radiated out from the simple contact, and she stiffened. Did he mean to kiss her—there? His lips drifted nearer, confirming her suspicion. She should be shocked, mortified by the erotic act, but she wasn’t. Licking her lips, she waited for the first brush of his lips.
He parted her folds and pressed his lips against the knot of nerves at the top of her slit. The kiss was an innocent foreshadowing of what he intended to do. His tongue passed over her nub, and pleasure darted through her abdomen. She clutched the cloak beneath her as he caressed her, excited her, worshiped her. On and on he swirled his tongue against her, curled it around her, becoming ever bolder.
Rowena bit back a scream. Her body throbbed with unbearable need. She arched into his torrid kiss, not caring that she was brazen, lost completely in the sensations he unleashed within her. He pushed his tongue into her core, shocking her with the ultimate intimacy. His mouth moved, demanding all she had to give. His tongue swept back to the top of her slit. She cried out, her hands balled into fists. Her entire body trembled with the force of her release.
Tingling echoes reverberated through her body as he slid up along her body and thrust home. She cried out again, both pleasured and surprised. Her body stretched around his, grasping him, welcoming him. She hugged his back, pulling her legs up high against his sides as he pulled back and pushed in again. She moved with him, yielded to him, surrendering everything.
He drove into her forcefully. She opened her mouth against his neck, tasting the salt of his skin. The fullness of their joining thrilled her. The elemental connection forced rational thoughts away. She had been empty and he filled her. She was no longer alone.
Tingling heat quivered in time to his rhythmic movements. Each thrust, each forceful penetration intensified the burning ache. She arched, clinging to him, tightening her body around his shaft.
He pulled out suddenly and crushed her to his chest. Rowena cried out sharply at the loss. The sensations flowed on in brilliant waves, bathing her entire body in pleasure, but the pulsing in her core was somehow hollow. The warmth of his seed erupted against her belly. He had kept his vow.
As the sensual haze receded, Rowena found tears tightening her throat and burning her eyes. He’d honored his vow. So why was she so sad? Twin tears escaped the corners of her eyes as she acknowledged her own irrationality.
She could hardly move, didn’t want to move, but Dominic was heavy. It felt wonderful to be wrapped around him, but she longed for the fullness he created deep inside. The realization brought more tears, and she strangled a sob.
His lips lingered on her forehead, his hair tickling her face. “Why are you crying?” he whispered against her damp skin.
“I cannot breathe.”
Adjusting his position to rest his weight more fully on his knees, he looked down into her face. “Why are you crying?”
He was so beautiful in the candlelight. Rowena felt her heart clench painfully. The ragged sob escaped along with more tears. “I will not love you, Dominic. I will not love you!”
She shoved him sideways and scrambled out from underneath him. Grabbing as many of her discarded clothes as she could in her haste, she scampered into the darkened cell across the cor
ridor from Brother Leland.
Shaken by the rush of emotions still churning within her, Rowena began to dress. She had pulled her chemise on over her head when she heard the familiar tinkle of Fair Fiona’s laughter.
“I’m so glad you’re amused.” She tugged the chemise into place and reached for her tunic. The Fairy danced in the corner of the room, diving and spinning, creating golden patterns in the darkness. “Will you ever speak to me? I need your guidance badly.”
Approaching in a slow, steady arc, the golden light hovered near Rowena’s face. She felt the faint brush of wings against her cheek, and her entire face tingled. Her tears disappeared. Rowena smiled.
“All right. No more weeping. Any more sage advice?”
Laughter made the Fairy glimmer. She circled Rowena twice then darted behind her. Rowena turned—and screamed. Fair Fiona perched between the sparkling eyes of a shadowy beast.
Dominic rushed into the room, a candle in one hand, his sword in the other. “What? Why did you scream?”
She pointed to the creature now alone above the doorway. Where had the Fairy gone?
Rising his candle toward the masonry dragon, Dominic lowered his sword. Intricately carved with vicious-looking fangs and multi-faceted glass eyes, the dragon snarled at them. “He doesn’t look happy, does he?”
“What is that thing doing in a monastery?”
Dominic offered a nonchalant shrug. “There are many dragons decorating your castle. I didn’t realize you were frightened by them.”
“I’m not. I simply didn’t expect to find one staring down at me in a monastery.” She was far more embarrassed than annoyed. Why did Fiona continue to tease? Why wouldn’t she reveal her presence to others? Did she want people to think she was only a figment of Lady Pendragon’s imagination? It was so frustrating.
“Didn’t you say the first ill-fated Lord of Pendragon lived in this monastery?”
“Lived and died here,” she corrected. “Do you think he had the dragon put there?”
Tears of the Dragon Page 16