by M Carter
The chill of the night air on her naked skin caused her to press herself against Damian’s scales, drawing any heat he produced. She was, after all, a being of fire. Being cold simply wasn’t an option. The sound of other wings pulled her attention to the side where she saw two large shapes in the sky.
“Damian… we are being followed.” Her panicked voice almost vanished as soon as it left her mouth. Anxiety crawled up her throat.
Shhhh, little one. They are blacks like me…all is well.
His calm voice pulled Sula back from the edge and calmed her nerves as she watched the two other dragons. They flew side by side with Damian for a short while before they banked to the side and flew back in the direction of the car accident.
“Where are they going?” she called out.
To deal with the mess and to gather any evidence about those men. I swear, Sula, no one will ever take you again.
His promise filled Sula’s heart with hope and love. Closing her eyes, she settled into his embrace, happy in the knowledge she was protected.
Chapter 9
Damian flew fast and true. Rather than head to his apartment, he headed right for the court. The assholes had already broken into his home to take Sula and he wasn’t going to risk that again. No, the safest place for her was surrounded by other blacks. No one would touch a hair on her head with his fellow blacks around. Each one of them would lay down their lives to protect those they were charged with guarding. The only time the ladies didn’t have a black with them was during the queen’s court, and he’d dearly love to see any of those assholes take on the White Queen herself. Small and delicate she might appear, but she was far more dangerous than any black.
The palace came into view and he suppressed the shiver of relief that rolled through him. Almost home. Almost safe. Strong wingbeats brought them over the wide rooftops. He banked, wheeling to bring them about, and glided to touch down gently on the long battlement that ran along the north side of the Royal wing. The upper floors housed the queen’s apartments, but the floor below, easily accessible from the battlement, housed the blacks.
“Oh hell, you too?” a deep voice growled as Damian folded his dragon back within his human form neatly, coming out of the shift carrying Sula wrapped up in his arms.
He turned to find Victor, one of the bigger blacks, glaring at them… at him. But as he looked, the big dragon’s fierce expression faded and he smiled, his attention on Sula.
“Welcome to court, little…” he paused and took a sniff. His bronze eyes widened in surprise as he clocked the distinctive note in her scent. It hadn’t been there before, but now her phoenix was awake, there was no mistaking what she was. “Little firebird. I wish you and your mate happiness and long life.”
Damian felt Sula turn her head to look at the other dragon. He couldn’t help but tighten his arms around her. He hadn’t forgotten that she was naked, and the idea of someone else seeing what was his boiled his blood. Thankfully, Vik made sure to keep his eyes at eye level.
“Thank you,” he heard her whisper in response, but then she buried her head back into his chest. Her hands gripped his shirt tightly and he felt her shiver.
“Come, let’s get you inside and warm, shall we?” He grinned down at her when she peeked an eye to look at him. Welcome home.
“But I thought your apartment was your home?” she questioned, her words muffled by his shirt.
“True, yes, but this is where I also live, where you will also live,” he responded as he pushed through the large doors that signaled the entrance to the blacks’ wing.
The long corridor ran the length of the wing, a large window at the other end big enough for a dragon to fly through, should the need arise. There were doors either side of them as they walked, all numbered and closed at the moment. If he listened hard enough, he’d be able to tell which ones were occupied.
“Most of us have apartments here as well,” he explained, pausing at a door halfway down the corridor. There were no locks, no need for them in the palace, so he simply shouldered it open. “The Queen likes us close in case we have duty shifts back to back. I think it had far more to do with the fact she had the hots for Sawyer…” He grinned. “They’re married now, so he moved upstairs.”
Sula nodded but her eyes were now focused on his room. It was simple just like his apartment, except for the gilded walls and elegant medieval style windows. Damian released his hold on Sula’s legs, letting her stand before he moved to shut his door. Her head tipped back as she looked at the high ceilings. With her arms folded across her chest and her long hair covering her back, she was a sight that he would happily have seared into his eyes.
“Come,” he said and held out a hand. He held his breath as he waited for her to take it, and only when he felt the slide of her soft skin against his callused one did he breathe again. He couldn’t take in everything that had happened. That she’d died, he’d died, but they were still here. It boggled both his and his dragon’s minds, so they did the only thing that mattered… focused on her.
Pulling on her hand, he eased her into his arms and lifted a hand to tuck under her chin, meaning to lift her lips for his kiss. His own quirked into a smile as he realized she’d already done it for him, a smile in her beautiful golden eyes as she looked up at him in expectation.
“You…” he said in a rough, deep rumble. “Are my life, my treasure and my soul.”
Then he kissed her.
When Damian had kissed her before it had been hot, hard, and intense. But now, this was a slow burn, one that started from her toes and swept through her body like a hurricane. She welcomed the storm with open arms. Every moment of her captured life she had dreaded the moment her owners would find out she was of age. She didn’t feel that dread now, only excitement and longing.
She longed to be claimed by this male, her mate, and she longed to claim him in return. Reaching up, Sula wrapped her arms around his neck and gave herself to his kiss, opening for him. His taste as before was addictive and she couldn’t get enough. She would never get enough of him.
Like she had that day by the refrigerator, Sula steeled her courage and acted. In one move, she bounced up, wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed her chest against his in a bid to get closer. Her nakedness was completely forgotten. All that mattered was Damian.
“Fuck,” he growled, every line of his body tense. Sula giggled at the surprised look on his face. Right up to the point his dark eyes flared with heat and large hands covered her bottom.
She whimpered as he pressed her harder against him, his arousal evident. Her whimper became a mewl of need.
Emotions raced through her. She needed something, was desperate for it, but she didn’t know what it was.
“Damian,” she whimpered against his lips, her nails digging into the back of his neck where she held him.
“I feel…” she admitted. “What is wrong with me?” she asked, no longer embarrassed of her innocence in front if this male.
His lips curved into a smile, more felt than seen, and he nipped softly at her lower lip. “You’ve never done this before?” he asked, turning to walk into the bedroom she’d glimpsed through the open door earlier.
She shook her head, too intent on kissing him to talk, but he pulled back to look down at her when they reached the side of the bed. His expression was both soft and fierce at the same time, and she sensed the control he held over himself as he nodded.
“I’ll be gentle… I promise,” he murmured as he lay her on the bed, easing himself over her.
“I trust you,” Sula answered with a smile, reaching up to stroke his face before she tugged it down. Sula wanted his lips on her. She wanted to be claimed by this man.
“Make… me… yours, Damian. Please,” she pleaded in between kisses. Her voice was a breathy moan. His hands moved down her body, heating her from every touch. Although she had already risen, she felt the same fire shoot through her, and her breath caught in her throat. Panic assailed her that she
would rise again and turn to ash before Damian had a chance to claim her.
“Shhh… it’s okay, little dot,” he murmured against her lips. “I got you. We’ll burn together. I promise.”
His lips moved away from hers, the loss pulling a whimper from her throat. But he wasn’t leaving her as she’d feared. Instead he started a slow line of kisses and nips down her throat and over her collarbone. But this time he moved their position slightly, sliding a hand under her shoulders to arch her body up to him. She was a shivering mess. Then he reached her breast. The slight scrape of his stubble over the delicate skin made her moan and quiver, her small hands clinging to the broad width of his shoulders as he gave into her wordless plea and flicked his tongue over her nipple.
Pleasure washed through her, intensifying the ache between her legs, and she arched her back in response. Damian growled in the back of his throat, the deep sound sending shivers through her blood. He moved, taking control of her nipple. Its peaked nub was hypersensitive as he flicked his tongue back and forth, shooting bursts of pleasure straight to her core.
“Oh god,” she cried out, completely unprepared for the pleasure that coursed through her as thick and fast as her rising fire had.
Damian, he corrected, his voice in her mind. The deep sound was rough with need and so sexy it should have been illegal. The things it did to her, the reaction it wrought from her body, certainly should have been. You can call me god if you like. I’d much rather you scream my name, though.
She nodded, even though he couldn’t really see her, willing to do anything as long as he continued doing what he was doing. Her breath caught in anticipation as his hand slid down her side, flirting with the curve of her waist before sliding over a hip rounded nicely from being in his care and the chocolate cake he kept in his fridge.
His fingertips teased the crease between her leg and body, moving inward. She bit her lip, reaching up to find a pillow—something, anything—to hold on to. Without prompting, she parted her legs further, feminine instincts ruling her as he slipped a big hand between her thighs. She whimpered as his fingers brushed her there, a soft caress before becoming firmer and parting her lower lips to stroke between them.
Pleasure, hard and overwhelming, burst through her and she gasped. Sula’s hand gripped Damian’s shoulders until her nails dug into his flesh. Sounds she had never heard herself make before escaped her lips as her body flushed with heat. Whatever magic he was doing, it was too much and not enough all at the same time. It was mind-blowing. And through it all, she clung to him, knowing he would bring her through it.
Would she survive the onslaught of pleasure? She didn’t think so, but one thing she did know. It would be worth it.
He smiled, his lips curving against her skin as he flicked his tongue over her nipple again. His teeth grazed her in a gentle nip that made her jump and then moan with pleasure. But her reprieve was temporary as his clever fingers moved down to circle the entrance to her body.
“What are you doing to me? I—I feel…” Her voiced broke off as his fingers circled her entrance before one slowly entered her. Her thighs tightened in response as her hands gripped his biceps. Moments passed as his finger moved in and out. She wanted more but didn’t know how to say it.
You want more…hold on.
Sula’s breath caught as another finger joined the first, filling her like nothing she had ever experienced before. Sparks ignited behind her eyelids as she cried out.
“Ooh, Damian.”
“That’s it, dot. Go with it.”
“I can’t…oh god,” Sula repeated only to have Damian whisper in her ear.
“Yes, you can…” he murmured, kissing her again. Soft caresses worshiped her lips. “It’s only going to get better… I promise.”
She nodded, unable to frame an answer as he stroked her. Strong fingers slid in and out in a toe-curling, mind-blowing tsunami of pleasure. She clung to him, her hips rocking as she gasped and whimpered, the sounds lost under his lips.
“Let go, Sula,” he whispered again. “I’ll catch you.”
His simple words pushed her over the edge and into a crescendo of pleasure. Screams ripped from her throat as she lost herself to her first orgasm ever. Damian played her body, stringing it out until she was nothing but a quivering mess of muscle and whimpers.
She clung to him through it, opening her eyes when he moved. Catching her gaze, he moved slowly, easing himself above her. Her breathing caught as one of his legs pressed between hers, a hard knee parting her thighs. He paused for a second, his gaze searching hers, and she found herself biting her lip. Whatever he was looking for, he found it in her expression because he smiled and leaned down to whisper his lips over hers again. She moved with him, needing to feel his weight over her, parting her thighs wider so he could settle between them.
His large hands framed her face, his thumbs stroking her cheeks as he gazed into her eyes. Sula couldn’t help but smile. It was one of love and belonging. Damian’s dark eyes sparkled with the same emotions and Sula was lost. Lost to feeling, lost to love, lost to the pleasure that this male had given her.
This is just the start. His voice purred in her mind, and she felt him move again, positioning himself at her entrance. Nerves fluttered in her belly but excitement pushed them away.
“Close your eyes,” he coaxed, and she immediately did as he asked, letting her other senses take over.
Lips caressed hers before they moved, garnering another whimper from her. That whimper turned into a moan as she felt his large arousal press against her entrance. Her eyes snapped open as her breathing caught. He was huge. There was no way he’d fit. She whimpered again, a note of panic in the sound.
“Shhhhh,” he whispered against her peaked nipple, his warm breath stroking the sensitive nub. “It’s okay, just let go and feel me…”
He bit down gently on her nipple, making her cry out in pleasure, and at the same time thrust home. Her eyes flew open as pleasure mixed with pain overtook her. A scream of pleasure escaped her, the sound smothered by his hot lips as he took control, rocking his hips against hers. He never left her fully, just rocking back and forth until she began to move with him. The pain became a fleeting moment as he replaced it with pleasure… bone deep, mind numbing pleasure.
In her mind she heard his roar as well as the one that erupted from his lips… stating one word.
MINE!
The roar touched something primal within her, something she hadn’t realized was there. His words, the possession and need behind them, made her entire body tense. A new, yet oh-so-familiar fire raced through her. Her eyes snapped open as her body tensed, clenching around him, and she sought his gaze.
“Mine,” he repeated, his expression tight as he drove into her again. His thrusts sped up, her gasps becoming needier. Closing her eyes, she gave herself up to it. Trusting him to take them where they both needed to be. With a soft shiver, her release hit her again, washing over her, taking her over.
Above her, Damian roared. His movements became shorter, sharper, less coordinated. Pleasure rolled through her as he gathered her closer, his lips brushing over her skin where her neck met her shoulder.
She shuddered, some instinct making her turn her head, offering the long slender length of her throat to him. He growled, hips bucking against hers once, and buried himself deep inside her.
Then he bit her.
A different kind of pleasure ripped through her, boiling her blood. Her phoenix responded instantly, almost forcing a shift. Its own shrieks of pleasure filled her mind. Colors erupted behind her eyelids. Golds, reds, and oranges spiraled as they mixed with a black so dark blues and silvers could be seen in the depths.
Then she felt it, like a lock clicking into place, but this time it wasn’t the fleeting feeling she felt out by the road. This time she felt it cement. The bond that would seal her with Damian was complete, her phoenix had accepted his dragon, had accepted her mate.
They lay together, wrapped aroun
d each other as his cock jerked and pulsed deep within her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, stroking the back of his neck until he lifted his head to look down at her. The soft look on his face and the love in his eyes made her breath catch again.
“I love you, little dot,” he said softly, kissing the end of her nose. “And I will until the day I die… “
Sula smiled softly, unable to answer as the emotions caught in her throat. Instead she did what she had done since that first day she had slept by his side. Cupping his face in her hands she leaned in and kissed his lips tenderly before she pulled back again. She then turned her head, poking her tongue out to lick his shoulder and leaving a long wet line behind. As she backed away slightly she saw only confusion in his eyes.
“Why did you lick me?”
Sula grinned. “I licked you. Now you are mine.”
Damian grinned back and moved to take her lips. “Always, little dot. Always.”
* * *
The End
* * *
If you enjoyed the book, please consider leaving a review, even if it's only a line or two; it would make all the difference and would be very much appreciated!
Also by J Thompson
Excerpt from Ebony
The loud drip of water hitting ceramic echoed throughout the small bathroom. The tiles were aged, the grout no longer a bright white but instead a sickly, dull grey. Most played host to a myriad of cracks, many of the corners completely broken away. The linoleum floor was also cracked, the edges raised, peeling from the concrete below.
Out of the six cubicles, only three had functioning doors, but the people that used these facilities took no notice—too drunk to care about strangers seeing them do their business. The bathroom had a constant smell of urine, which someone had attempted to mask with the sweet scent of potpourri. Ebony had grown accustomed to the odour. Although, at first, it had made her gag.