by Erin Bedford
Blorder glared at me. “My wife and child.”
My mouth dropped open and then I promptly snapped it shut. After a moment of silence, I crossed my arms over my chest and said, “Look, I’m sorry about your family, but you have to understand something. Firestar and I aren’t anything. I’m not trying to seduce him or add him to my group. I just want him and his father to get together so I can get this damned treaty signed. So, will you please… please just let me talk to him?”
The guard’s face morphed from anger to delight as he informed me, “He’s not here.”
Anger rushed through me and before I knew it, I had Blorder by the collar of his shirt and was screaming in his face, “Why didn’t you say that in the first place?”
“Get off me woman!” His hands grabbed at me, trying to shove me off, but I held on tight. I was tired of being the butt of everyone’s joke. I didn’t want any of this. I didn’t ask to have my whole world turned upside down so I could be someone’s breeding mare. I hadn’t sacrificed everything for my kingdom just so this guy could screw with me?
Not on my watch.
Just as I used my magic to search around the earth for something to strangle this idiot with, two sets of hands grabbed me. I clawed out, my hands catching air as the hands pulled me away from Blorder.
“No, let me go.” I struggled against them. My fist shot out, and there was a satisfying smack. The grunt that came out sounded like Raiden, but I couldn’t be certain because my attention was focused on escaping from them so I could clobber Blorder. My eyes stayed on Blorder who had a shit-eating grin I wanted to rip off his face.
Eventually, Blorder went into Firestar’s tent, laughing the whole way and then I couldn’t even see it as the hands holding me back shoved me into a tent. My back hit a familiar makeshift bed as Raiden’s and Jack’s faces appeared above me. My seething cooled a bit, and I closed my eyes with a deep breath.
Letting the breath out, I opened my eyes.
“Better?” Raiden asked with a grin.
I sighed. “You can let me go now, I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?” Jack asked, exchanging a look with Raiden. “We do not wish you to come to any harm.”
“Yeah, I’m sure.” My eyes slid over to Raiden’s face where a bruise began to form. “Sorry about that.”
Raiden smirked and rubbed the side of his face. “Don’t worry about it. It was a love tap.”
“Ha. Hardly,” I scoffed.
Since Raiden had all but let me go, Jack also released me. I sat up and crossed my legs, I glared at the ground. “I don’t know what came over me. I went to look for Firestar so we could discuss what to do but that jerk wouldn’t let me by, and I just snapped.” I ran a hand over my face and groaned. “I must have looked like an idiot.”
“Never.” Jack placed a hand on my shoulder with a gentle crinkle of his eyes.
“You’re just saying that to be nice.” I pouted. “But thank you.”
“Since we are no longer trying to restrain you,” Jack glanced to Raiden briefly. “What did the man say to upset you so?”
“Nothing really,” I huffed. “He just forgot to mention Firestar had left before I stood there like a fool begging him to let me by.”
“Firestar’s gone?” Raiden’s brow shot up to his hairline. “Where did he go?”
“Beats me.” I shrugged and stood from the tent floor causing Raiden and Jack to stand as well.
“He didn’t mention anything to you about leaving last night?” Jack lifted the flap of the tent open, allowing me to go first before he and Raiden followed after. My eyes went to the main tent. Blorder still hadn’t come back out, or if he did, it had been while we were in our tent. However, I didn’t really care about Blorder’s whereabouts. I wanted to know where the hell Firestar had gone.
“No. He didn’t say anything about leaving.” I shook my head, a bit peeved Firestar had taken the time to stick his tongue down my throat but not to tell me his plans when we had an appointment today. I didn’t have time to be waiting around for him to show back up. I also didn’t want to spend too much time with a bunch of would-be bandits who obviously didn’t respect any authority other than Firestar.
“What are we going to do?” Raiden asked, his attention on the fighting arena across the camp. “Are we going to wait for him? Or go back to Lord Amun and tell him to shove it?”
“I wish it were that simple, but knowing my father if we come back without the treaty signed none of us will be getting any dessert.”
“Is that some kind of Earth analogy?” Jack asked from my side, his face scrunched up in confusion. I kept forgetting myself, letting little things from Earth creep in. I’d only been there five years. You’d think it wouldn’t have such an impact on me, but then again, I would kill for some rocky road ice cream right now.
“Yeah, it is.” I left it at that and started for the fighting arena. If we were going to be stuck there waiting until Mister High and Mighty decided to grace us with his presence we might as well get some training in.
17
Firestar didn’t return until the sky had turned a dark pink, and my patience had reached its breaking point.
I tapped on Raiden’s arm and pointed toward Firestar’s tent, letting him know I was heading over there. He nodded before turning his attention back to the arena where Jack fought against three different guys at once. I smiled at how easily they had proved themselves to the bandits. Raiden and Jack had not only demolished every single opponent, but now the men were taking bets on the fights. I had no doubt they’d be fine. Me? Not so much.
I tried to keep my rage at a low simmer as I made my way to Firestar’s tent. Thankfully, Blorder wasn’t guarding the door, so there wouldn’t be any repeats of my humiliation. Now, if I could just keep my head enough to figure this whole thing out before I ripped Firestar’s off.
All my plans to keep my temper flew out the window when I spot Firestar sprawled out on his bed mat snoring like a... well… dragon!
Stomping across the room, I grabbed the pitcher sitting on the table and dumped it over his head. Firestar jerked awake, his hands went up into a fist, his eyes wide as they darted around the room. When his eyes landed on me, they narrowed, and before I could react, his hand shot out and grabbed me, pulling me down onto the bed mat.
“What do you think you are doing? Let me go.” I growled, shoving against his lean, bare chest.
“What was I doing? What were you thinking?” He frowned. “You should know better than to wake up a dragon like that.” His hands pinned me to the bed, the heat of his body warming mine in a delectable way, and I had to force back the moan threatening to escape.
I shook the feeling off and glared at him. “Well, I wouldn’t have to wake you up if you weren’t sleeping when you should be discussing our next move.”
Firestar’s lips quirked up at the edges. “I know what my next move will be.” His hands slid down my arms and settled right below my breasts. The need to arch into his hand needled at me, but as his fingers brushed the underside of my aching chest, I shoved his chest and jumped off the mat.
“You know that wasn’t what I meant.” I pointed a finger in his direction as I backed away from Firestar and his wandering hands.
“I know.” He nodded slightly and then smirked. “You can’t blame me for trying.”
“Yes, I can.” Crossing my hands over my chest, I stared him down.
Firestar stood from the mat and grabbed his shirt from the floor. Dragging it over his head, I watched sadly as his magnificent body disappeared from view. When it was gone, I remembered why I was there in the first place.
“Where have you been this whole time?” I snapped, irritated at my lack of self-control.
“I had an errand to run.” His answer only angered me more.
“And you just thought I’d hang around and wait for you to come back?” My hands waved in the air. “I’m not here on holiday!”
Firestar wiggled a finger in his ear,
wincing. “I didn’t think you were, and I wasn’t exactly messing around all day.”
“Oh, really?” I placed my hands on my hips, leaning forward slightly. I didn’t believe him for one minute.
“Really.” He offered me a genuine smile, but I only frowned.
“Then, where were you?”
Firestar sighed and headed for the table where a plate of cold food waited. “What happened to you? You never used to be this suspicious.”
My eyes narrowed at his statement. “Experience.”
When your family suddenly turns on you, it wasn’t unreasonable to expect your trust level to be virtually nonexistent. It took months before I could really trust Ryan and Bianca, and even then, I never trusted them completely. Otherwise, I’d have told them Waesigar was real, and I was, in fact, a dragon myself. As it were, I only had a limited amount of trust left, and none of it told me Firestar wouldn’t pull a fast one over me if I let him.
“Well, your experience sucks.” The dragon in question pointed out as he stuffed a hunk of bread into his face. “For your information, I was meeting with my father.”
“Your father!” I sat down at the table across from him surprised at his words. “What were you doing there? I thought you said you were banished.” My suspicion started to rear its ugly head again.
“Now, hold on a minute.” He held his hand up between us. “Don’t go jumping to conclusions.”
“Then enlighten me.” Impatience filled me as he tried to appease me.
“I went to speak to my father about what we talked about. He needs to come clean to the people and stop stealing from them.”
“What did he say?” I sat on the edge of my seat, hoping the words he would say next would make everything easier.
“Well, he said no, as I thought he would.”
My hopes sank, and I flopped back in my seat.
“But!” Firestar held a finger up. “I mentioned to him, an alternate solution.”
“Oh, really?” I raised a brow. “And what exactly would this alternate solution look like?”
Firestar smiled.
“What?” I asked again, that ugly head wiggly up again.
Firestar’s grin widened.
“Seriously, Firestar what’s going on?” My frown couldn’t get any deeper, nor my anxiety any higher.
“You,” he said, getting to his feet. He walked the short distance around the table and stood before me. Hand out to me, I hesitated before taking it. He drew me to him, my hands landing on his chest. Firestar cupped my face, and for a moment, it was like we were back in my father’s palace. I was that young, naive girl who had butterflies in her stomach because the guy she liked was about to kiss her.
“What about me?” My voice came out a low murmur, and my eyelids fluttered.
“If we became mated, you could help my father pay back his debts.”
My eyes snapped open as those butterflies promptly died. “What?”
Firestar smiled fondly down at me. “We can be together like we always wanted.”
While his words were tempting. I couldn’t forget about the men I came here with. My body and heart wanted him, wanted all that he promised. But two men were waiting for me outside this tent.
“No, we can’t.”
His expression wilted, and confusion took its place. “Why not? I thought you would be happy.”
Pushing away from him, I wrapped my arms around my stomach as nausea set in. I had wanted to be with him, and a part of me still wanted to but not like this. And not now. There were too many other factors to consider. Others who would get hurt. Raiden and Jack’s faces blinded my vision, and I had to shake my head to clear it.
“No.”
“What do you mean no?” Firestar tried to pull me back into his embrace, but I held my hands up, standing my ground. Before I could answer, Firestar’s eyes narrowed, and his lips curled down. “This is because of them, isn’t it?”
“What if it is?” I snapped, throwing my hands in the air. “You can’t just assume I would drop them because you said so.”
“But what about us?” he asked, his tone dangerous. “Don’t we matter anymore? Or are you telling me you don’t feel the connection I feel?”
“I do, but it’s not that simple. There are other people involved. Don’t forget this is all to get an heir for my father.” I pleaded for him to understand.
“So, we give him one.” Firestar came up to me, placing his hands on my waist. “We can help each other. If we mate, your father’s money will help my kingdom, and we have a baby, and that helps your father. It’s a win-win.”
I pushed his hands away with a sigh. “You still don’t get it. I cannot just have a baby with you! The competition is already in play. There are two men out there who have dropped everything just for the chance to be with me, and I can’t just send them away to be with you.”
“And what? You don’t think I would drop everything too?” His eyebrows rose, and incredulous look came over his face.
A flashback of how I’d found out he’d left filled my mind. Shaking my head, I turned away from him. “You didn’t do it back then. Why would you do it now?”
“Is that what it takes?” Firestar’s hands landed on my shoulders. When I didn’t respond, his grip tightened. “Fine. I accept.” He released me with a sigh.
“What?” I turned around my face scrunched up in confusion. “What do you accept?”
“I’ll be part of your little competition.”
“No,” I said so shocked I could barely breathe. “That’s not what I said at all.”
“Then what?” he practically shouted anger coloring his face. “I don’t have a chance with you unless I play your game. So, consider myself in the running and believe me when I say, I won’t be losing.” Firestar pulled me toward him, his hand tangling in my hair as his mouth crashed down on mine. All my repressed emotions rushed through me, and I wanted nothing more than to sink into his embrace.
I didn’t struggle against him, too surprised to even know where to start. Then when his hands moved beneath my top, I ripped my mouth from his, doubt suddenly surfacing. “Wait, wait.” I breathed my chest heaving.
“No, no more waiting. I’ve waited long enough to be with you again, and this time I’m not letting you go.” The beast inside of him caused his voice to come out a low growl, and my dragon resonated in response. She’d missed him and his dragon. Not that I could blame her, but it had taken all I had to fight against the pull Firestar had on me before. Now that our beasts wanted to play, keeping a hold on my need was virtually impossible.
And the thing was, I didn’t want to fight it. Not really, not anymore, and not with him. What I wanted, more than anything, was to give in.
“All right,” I murmured below lowered lashes
“All right?” Firestar brushed my hair away from my face his own eyes going soft.
Was this a good idea? Probably not. Would it come back a to bite me in the butt? Most likely. But could I find a good enough reason to tell him no? Could my heart tell him no? Not when Firestar looked at me like that, as if he wanted to devour me whole, leaving no part of me untouched.
My beast and I agreed for once. Even if Firestar didn’t end up being the one I picked, I owed it to my younger self to try, to see if we could be something. To get what we never could before. I’d also be lying if it didn’t admit I wanted him probably just as much, if not more, now than I did the first time around.
I licked my lips and swallowed hard as I said the words which would either save or condemn us, “All right, you can be in the competition.”
“Good.” The single word set my body on fire as he captured my mouth with his once more. His hand angling my head just so to drive me into oblivion. I gripped his shirt in my hands until it balled up, pressing up on my tiptoes to get as close to him as possible.
Pulling on his shirt, Firestar released my mouth long enough for me to remove it, and then his lips attacked once more. He was everywhere. On
my mouth, on my neck, and when my shirt came off, his tongue and mouth were teasing and sucking on my breasts. I gasped and arched my back as his teeth scraped against my nipples before Firestar moved on from my chest.
Hands tangled in his head of flaming hair, the background noise of the camp drowned out beneath the rush of heat in my veins. Each lick of his tongue along my skin caused my body to ignite, and I feared before we were done, the flame would consume me.
Too caught up in the feelings Firestar had created, I didn’t even realize we had moved to the mat on the floor until my hands reached out and grabbed the blankets beneath me. My pants had been removed at some point baring me to the cool air of the room. Soon the cold wasn’t a problem anymore because Firestar was there, quickly driving me higher and higher. We weren’t even having sex yet, and already I felt close to exploding.
“God, I’ve missed you,” Firestar growled against my skin as he breathed between my thighs. “I’ve missed this.” His fingers stroked along my folds, causing me to groan as pressure built inside of me. My eyes rolled in the back of my head as Firestar quickly brought me to my release. He still knew just how to play my body, and with my luck, my heart wouldn’t be too far behind.
He moved back up my body until his eyes locked with mine. The desire there matched my own, and I knew I wasn’t the only one who had craved this. I wasn’t the only one who wanted to pick up where we left off all those years ago, before my father broke us up. Now we had that chance.
When he slipped inside of me, nothing mattered anymore. Not my father or the mission he had given me. All that mattered was the press of his body against mine, the pleasure that rippled through me with each stroke as we reached for our release. My hands grabbed at him, nails biting into his shoulders. When he hit a spot deep inside of me, causing me to cry out, the scent of blood tinged the air from where I held on to him, afraid I would fall apart if I didn’t have something to hold me together.
“That’s it, Maya,” Firestar growled in my ear his body still thrusting against mine, forcing me to climb to my release again and again. Each one more intense than the last as they left me gasping for breath and begging for relief. But it was in vain. Once Firestar started, he wouldn’t stop until my legs become jelly and nothing but him filled my very soul. It was that very aspect of him I fell in love with, and the one which made me hold onto him tighter as he finally found his own pleasure.