Breaking off the kiss, Dash slid his hot gaze in his brother’s direction. “Come anywhere near the bedroom and you’re dead.”
“Fine, guess I’ll occupy myself with the merca-loving sprite.” Jerrick grimaced. “I didn’t mean that in any sexual way, of course. I like my females bigger than six inches.”
Piper was too busy counting her merca to stick out her tongue in the usual fashion.
Lightheaded from Dash’s intoxicating taste and smell, Mara held on tight as he carried her down the hall to the bedroom. She gasped when he stepped inside. Flickering flames danced shadows on the walls, provided by the dozens of candles scattered about the room.
“Where…? How…?”
Dash chuckled and shut the door behind them. “I wish I could say my grandfather was a hopeless romantic, but I’m afraid the candles were originally intended for more practical uses. Like if the energy generator broke down. As for the how…” He set her on her feet and reached for the flame laser sitting on the nightstand. “This little contraption helped me out there.”
“It’s beautiful.” Emotion thick in her throat, she looked at Dash. “This is the sweetest thing anyone’s done for me.”
He smoothed her hair back and cupped her face. “You deserve nothing but sweetness. And I’m going to give it to you. In every…” Leaning down, he pressed his lips near the corners of hers. “…single…” He inched over a fraction, wetting the bow of her lip with the tip of his tongue. “…way.”
She opened her mouth, inviting him in. He accepted with a hot sweep of his tongue that liquefied her insides. Desire, thick and heady, throbbed between her legs. She slicked her hands over his bare chest and he nudged his impressive erection against her belly. Kneading his shoulders, she sucked on his bottom lip and earned his husky groan in return. Her hands continued caressing upward until she felt the coolness of metal. The collar.
Her conversation with Jerrick broke through the sensual haze shrouding her brain. Jerking back, she stared at Dash.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Holding firm to the collar, she stepped around him. Fingers shaking, she reached up with the other hand and punched in the code that would disable the system. The lights flashed one last time before blinking off. She clicked the tiny button above the hasp and the collar’s interlocking teeth sprang open. With a small tug, she freed it from Dash’s neck and placed it on the nightstand.
She stepped back around him and his dark eyes locked on her. Her palm still carried the chill from the collar and she pressed it against his breastbone. His heat seeped into her skin. Beneath it stirred his other energy—the potent source of his magic.
“I might lose control of my powers, if I get too…excited,” he said, as if reading her thoughts.
“Is that your way of warning me I might become your sex slave?”
“Good gods, no.” Dash shook his head furiously. “If anyone’s in danger far as that goes, it’s me. In fact, I’m already your willing slave.” He threaded his fingers through her hair, holding her steady, his stare compelling. “But my magic is interwoven with my emotions. The more I feel, the more my magic will demand to express itself.”
“Your magic is a part of you.” She moved her hand to cup his jaw. “And I know you would never hurt me.”
The joy sparkling in his eyes nearly made her breathless. Until that moment, she hadn’t realized how much he’d longed for the simple handing over of her trust. And until that moment, she didn’t know she was even capable of the act.
His hands circled her waist and lifted her for his kiss. She drank him in, reveling in the dark pleasure of his mouth. The sounds rumbling from his chest inflamed her, spurred her questing hands to fumble at the waistband of his trousers. He stepped away, but rather than aid her with the removal of his clothes, he reached for hers. Warm fingers brushed her midriff before tugging the sweater over her head. Ignoring the hair streaming in her face, she tried freeing the button of his fly. He squatted in front of her and she gave the top of his head a frustrated look.
“Hey, I’m trying to remove your pants here.”
“Patience, babe.”
She lifted a hand to swat him but stopped when he sucked her nipple inside his mouth. Releasing a shaky breath, she cupped her hovering hand around the back of his head.
He flicked her with his tongue. “You’re like candy. One taste is never enough.” Working strictly by touch, he rucked her pants down and helped her out of them. He groaned in appreciation when his fingers encountered the slick wetness between her legs. “I like you without panties. Easier access.”
Her breath sawing in sharp pants, she leaned against the bed. He widened her stance and knelt before her. His mouth settled between her legs and began a slow, thorough worshipping that made her head spin and her fingers claw into the velvet bedspread.
Dash’s mouth disappeared, leaving behind a frustrated ache. He stood and she swallowed hard when he shucked his trousers and tossed them towards the foot of the bed. No matter how many times she saw his body in its full, unclothed glory, it still managed to leach her brain of coherent thought.
He brushed a whisper-soft line from the crook of her elbows to her wrists. “Wrap your arms around my neck.”
Her body trembled with anticipation at the gentle command. Standing on tiptoe, she pressed into him. The air surrounding them crackled with invisible energy and she waited, breathless.
His fingertips smoothed down her back, tickling over each vertebrae of her spine. Warm breath puffed against her ear. “Hold me tight.”
She linked her fingers behind his nape and he dragged her legs up, anchoring them around his hips. He reached for one of the silk bed panels and wrapped it several times around their waists, binding them together. The symbolism wasn’t lost on her and it brought a flood of tears. They spilled over, running down her cheeks.
Dash’s lips soothed over the tears. He lifted his head and stared at her. She was exposed—vulnerable—but she didn’t look away.
His heart pounded against her breast. “Sher ’tian, do you feel my love?”
“Yes.”
“Do you love me?” He cupped her face. The naked emotions blazing in his caramel irises were an exact twin to the ones thudding in her heart. She wanted to give herself completely to him and not worry about the consequences.
This one night, she would love Dash with her heart unlocked.
“Do you?” he prodded, relentless.
“Yes.” She gave a low moan when he thrust deep in a powerful stroke.
“Say it.”
The tears leaked endlessly down her face. “I love you.”
His eyes shuttered and he pressed his face into her neck, gusting a harsh breath against her collarbone. Hugging her tight, he began moving in short, smooth strokes that stole her breath. Crimson sparkles glittered around them, audibly popping and throwing off waves of heat. Instead of scaring her, this tangible proof of Dash’s fiery love amazed her.
She clasped his shoulders, hugging him back with equal fervor. The tendon at the side of his neck beckoned and she gave it a gentle nip. He groaned and tumbled them onto the mattress before sinking impossibly deep inside her.
“Don’t you…dare stop.” Panting, she surged upward to meet his thrusts. Pleasure spiraled fast and furious. The world was shaking, crumbling down on them. Literally.
A small chunk of plaster bounced off the back of Dash’s head and plunked onto the bedspread, followed by another chunk.
“I won’t stop,” Dash gasped. “I promise.”
It took a second to realize he’d mistaken the raining plaster pieces for her hand. Before she could correct him, he gave a mighty thrust that scooted them halfway across the bed and whirled stars inside her head. It also loosened the canopy frame bolted to the ceiling. Shrieking, she rolled to the side, taking Dash with her, as the frame plummeted to the mattress.
“What the—?” Whipping his head around, Dash stared at the frame and the giant chunk of
ceiling wobbling on top of it. Both rested within the indent where her backside had been moments ago. The silk panels, including the one still wound tight around them, puddled across the bed and surrounding floor.
She bit her lip, trying to stop a fit of giggles. Dash turned his head and gazed up at her. Unable to hold it in, she laughed. She buried her face in his chest and he chuckled, tugging the panel loose. When she started to roll off him, he grabbed her hips, holding her firmly in place as he pumped inside her. A low moan tore from her throat and she dug the heels of her palms into his shoulders in an effort to keep her balance.
“I imagined us like this the night you kidnapped me. But this is far better than the fantasy.” His hips undulated beneath her, stealing a gasp from her. Desire and love flamed bright in his eyes. “You’re better than a fantasy.”
She pitched forward, sprawling across his chest. He made a sharp inhalation. Too late, she remembered his battered ribs. “Are you okay?”
His arms gathering her tight, he rumbled a laugh against her neck. “You’re the sweetest torture, Sher ’tian, but I fear you’ll be the death of me yet.”
The irony of his words elicited a fresh sheen of tears. She would do whatever it took to ensure his blood wouldn’t be on her hands.
Even if it meant leaving him.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Mara listened to the heavy, even breaths sawing from Dash. The candles had long ago been snuffed out, leaving the room shrouded in dense shadows and the lingering earthy scent of beeswax and paraffin. Sitting up, she studied him, branding each square inch of his beautiful face into her memory.
I’ll love you. Always. A painful ache spiraled in her chest and she pushed out of the bed. Hot tears blurred her vision. Stepping over the canopy frame, she padded to the footboard and pulled on her discarded clothes, trying to be quiet as possible. She hefted up her valise before drifting towards the nightstand and looping the collar around her elbow. Pain intensified in her heart when she sent a final glance towards the bed. Beating it back, she slipped into the hall and closed the door on a soft click.
The main room held more shadows. An indistinct lump swaddled by thick blankets occupied the chair—Jerrick. Piper’s muffled snores came from elsewhere in the cavernous space. The rune box sat unguarded on one of the mahogany end tables. Stuffing it inside her sweater pocket, she wasted precious seconds hunting for the Cloud Chaser’s key. It turned up inside a small bowl chiseled from rose quartz, and she palmed it before rushing towards the rock doors. Piper would have to stay behind. She couldn’t risk waking the sprite and alerting Dash to their hurried departure.
Night air misty with fog embraced her when she darted from the cave’s entrance. The moon still rode high, providing enough illumination to save her from taking a nasty spill on the pathway. She reached the Cloud Chaser with nary a scrape. After throwing her valise inside, she dropped behind the wheel. Tension and heartache blanketed her all at once and she dropped her head against the steering wheel. Her shoulders shook with the force of her silent tears.
A hand settled on her back and she jerked. “Dash.” The word came out a panicked gurgle.
“No.” Jerrick hunkered in the doorframe, his gaze dark with sympathy.
“But…the chair…how…”
“That wasn’t me. Just a pile of blankets designed to throw you off.”
She swallowed down the lump of misery congealed in her throat. “You knew I would leave?”
“I suspected after the conversation we shared earlier.”
Her hand fell from the wheel and slumped to her lap. “This is the only way. He won’t let me leave. I know that now. But I don’t have a choice. I have to go back.”
“Blondie, I don’t envy your choice. That’s why you don’t have to worry about me judging what you’re doing.” His hand moved from her back and squeezed her elbow. “I know you love my brother.”
Though it embarrassed her to break down in front of Jerrick, she couldn’t stop the tears spilling down her cheeks. Thankfully he averted his eyes, giving her some much-needed privacy.
“I, uh, found something that should prove useful when you approach Nalia.” He dug inside his jacket and pulled out a slip of paper. “It’s the contract Baggins signed with Finian.”
Wiping her cheeks, Mara snatched the paper and skimmed over it. “Where in the world did you find this?”
“The steel box in the Range Hover. Lucky for us, Baggins is apparently paranoid about keeping everything with him at all times.”
Hope whittled away a little corner of her misery. “This is exactly the proof we needed. Finian can’t lie his way out of the hot seat now.”
“No, but he’ll probably try.” Jerrick’s mouth quirked into a half smile. “Almost wish I could be a fly on the wall during that confrontation.”
“Funny, I’d give anything not to be.”
Compassion flickered across Jerrick’s face again. He glanced to the indigo sky. “You better leave. Dash is a late sleeper, but I still wouldn’t take my chances.”
She grabbed the tail of his jacket before he could fully stand. “Don’t let him come after me. You have to promise me that much. Make Dash see how it’d only mean the death of him.”
“You’ve seen how stubborn my brother is. It won’t be that easy.”
Her grip fisted on the supple leather of his jacket. “Whatever it takes, do it. He can’t step foot within Zalan’s borders, ever.”
Jerrick stood, forcing her hands to drop. “I’ll do my best.”
She could ask for no more than that. “Thank you.”
His features softened. “I hope your brother appreciates the sacrifice you’re making for him.”
Before she could respond, he swiveled and disappeared into the growing fog.
~ * ~
Dash stretched out an arm, seeking the warmth of Mara’s soft curves, and instead encountered a lumpy pillow. Raising his head, he frowned at the vacant side of the bed. The dark of the room returned his thoughts to the absence of the slave collar and its flashing lights. A prickle of alarm tickled the back of his neck and he jerked around, seeking out the nightstand.
When he saw the collar was missing, foreboding knifed him in the chest. Throwing the covers off, he jumped out of bed and raced to the door. He grasped the knob and shoved. The lock clicked in the housing, but the door wouldn’t budge. He knew better than to credit Mara with that inconvenient piece of luck. His suspicions became confirmed when he shot a volt of magic at the lock and the counterspell shielding the door knocked him on his ass. He sprang to his feet with a growl.
“Jerrick!” He followed up his bellow with a vicious pounding on the door.
His brother’s response came quicker than anticipated. “What?”
The fact solid oak separated them didn’t keep Dash from drawing his lips back in a menacing snarl. “Let me out of here, you little shit.”
“Sorry, but no can do. I promised Mara I’d try talking sense into that dense brain of yours.”
“By trapping me inside this room? Brilliant plan—except the pesky problem of me keeling over dead after a few days without food or water.”
A sigh sounded on the other side of the door. “I’m not going to let you starve. And this is only temporary. I’ll let you out of there once you see the idiocy in running after Mara half-cocked and with no logical plan in sight.”
He leaned his weight into the wood, testing the magic shield for weaknesses. There were none. He’d have to rely on his wits instead.
“Are you still there?”
Dash glared at the door. “Where the bloody hell else would I be?”
“Thought maybe you’d found some corner to pout in.”
I’m really going to enjoy kicking his ass when I escape this room. Stalking to the trousers strewn on the floor, he yanked them on and settled on the bed’s edge. “How long ago did Mara leave?”
Jerrick’s silence stoked the fury brewing inside Dash’s chest. With some effort, he corralled
his ire. “Answer the question. It’s not like I can chase her down at this point.”
“Almost four hours.”
He smothered his curse. “Tell me you at least accomplished the thing I asked of you last night.”
“You mean with Astor’s project?”
Dash waited lightheaded for his brother to continue. If Jerrick hadn’t managed that integral step of the plan, they’d all be—
“Yes, I did it.”
The breath escaped Dash’s lungs in a relieved rush. “So what story is she planning to give Nalia for my disappearance?”
“The most obvious—that Baggins succeeded in killing you. I found his contract with Finian and gave it to Mara. Don’t think she’ll have too tough a time putting on a convincing act with that damning piece of evidence in her possession.”
The news eased the tight ball of worry in his chest a fraction. If the gods looked over them, maybe Nalia wouldn’t immediately see through the elaborate ruse.
“I know you’re not happy about any of this. But you won’t do Mara any favors running after her while your head and heart are tied up in knots. Once you calm down, we’ll put our heads together and figure a way to spring her from those sonsofbitches.”
Dash made a face and prepared to utter the two most appalling words in any known language. “You’re right.” The depths he’d stoop to in order to go after the woman he loved amazed even him. He leaned across the mattress and clicked the lamp on. Blinking, he took a moment to adjust to the light. “If you’re serious about not starving me, how about fixing some breakfast? I haven’t eaten since yesterday afternoon.”
“Okay. Give me a few minutes to scrounge something up.”
“Don’t have much choice, do I?” Dash decided the surly approach was a nice improvisation when a responding grunt leaked through the door. Good, meant his brother might be less prone to suspicion when he returned with the food. Pushing from the bed, he prowled the room, looking for something he could knock Jerrick out with. It had to be something easily concealed. He might have eased Jerrick’s suspicions, but it didn’t mean his brother wouldn’t be on the lookout for the old lamp-upside-the-noggin trick.
Lover Enslaved: Thieves of Aurion, Book 1 Page 27