Summer and the Dragon (Redwood Dragons Book 2)

by Sloane Meyers

  Vance was silent again for a long time. The sun was directly above them now, beating down its bright rays on their skin. Finally, Vance let out a long sigh.

  “You’re right,” he said. “I need to focus on the good life I have here, and not worry about what I might have missed out on. Sometimes that’s easier said than done, though. I guess you could say that I’m a work in progress.”

  Lily smiled. “We all are,” she said.

  Vance pushed himself up into a sitting position, and looked down at Lily with an unreadable expression in his eyes.

  “So, are we cool?” he asked. “Can we move past the stupid acrobatic flight the other day?”

  Lily sat up herself, and gave him a long hard look. He waited patiently for her to answer, but she took her time. She was lost for a moment in admiring how his tanned, chiseled face glowed in the sunlight.

  “Yeah. We’re cool,” she finally said.

  And she had a feeling as she spoke that her summer’s adventures were only just now getting started.

  Chapter Nine

  “Magicae effusorium,” Lily cried out, pointing her onyx ring at the spot in the water right in front of Vance. Instantly, the water rose in a powerful, quick wave and hit him square in the face. When it had passed, and he had rubbed it from his eyes enough to actually see her, he let out a roar of feigned anger. She only laughed as he began swimming toward her, rapidly covering the distance between them with powerful strokes of his arm.

  “Using spells is cheating,” Vance said right before he fell on her and dunked her under. She dragged him under with her, and he let her. The cool water felt good after all the time they had spent in the hot sunshine this morning, watching the peregrines chirp hungrily in their nest. This was the third day in a row that Lily had asked to come see the birds, and Vance was happy to oblige her request. He loved watching the birds himself, and the hike up there was long, which meant he had plenty of time to spend talking to Lily. Now that he was getting to know her, he was certain that he would never grow tired of talking to her.

  She was wickedly smart. He’d always thought Bree was smart, but Lily was even a step above her. Vance had soon realized that the wizards didn’t mess around when choosing the wizards who would become their Advocates. They only wanted the best and the brightest, and Lily was indeed the best and the brightest. Her intelligence blew Vance away, and she didn’t even realize it. He winced at least a dozen times a day when he thought about how he had almost missed out on this chance to get to know her due to his stupid pride.

  The other dragons had been shocked the day that Vance and Lily had walked hand-in-hand into the middle of camp, acting as though they’d been in love for years. Noah and Myles had laughed it off and given Vance a good deal of teasing, but Owen had been in a somewhat pissy mood ever since then.

  “You always get whatever you want,” Owen complained, storming off to his cabin in frustration.

  Not always, Vance thought. There were plenty of things he wanted that he didn’t have. But, he had to admit, that everything else paled in comparison to Lily. As long as he had her, what else could he really ask for? Besides, Owen would get over it eventually. Vance and Owen were always trying to one-up each other in everything, and Owen was just angry that he’d lost out this time.

  Vance hadn’t spent too much time worrying about Owen, though. He’d spent every spare second thinking about Lily. After taking her to see the peregrines each day, he’d shown her several of his other favorite spots in the forest. He’d taken her to see the largest redwood he’d ever found, with its massive trunk that had to have been several thousand years old. He’d shown her the hiking trail that went down the edge of one of the cliffs, offering breathtaking views of the redwoods similar to the views up near the peregrines. And, now, he was showing her his favorite swimming spot. The small waterfall here wasn’t as impressive as the waterfall at the other swimming hole, which the other dragons liked better. But the water in this pool was luxuriously warm, thanks to a perfectly spaced break in the trees that allowed a good deal of sunshine to stream through to the water’s surface. Besides, this small pool was deeper and more secluded, and Vance liked that. He especially liked the seclusion since he was here alone with Lily.

  They were both dripping wet now, soaked from their splashing and dunking. Lily’s long, dark brown hair hung in wet sections around her face, landing in the water and floating on the surface like a mermaid’s hair. Her swimsuit was a bright turquoise color, and Vance loved the way the color brought out the deepening tan of her skin. He felt himself growing hard as he looked at her perfect curves, which were distorted artfully by the water.

  He took a step forward, and pulled her into his arms, relishing the way her body pressed against his. He wondered if perhaps today was the day he would finally make love to Lily. He would have loved to have made love to her over and over since the first day they’d gone to see the peregrines together. But Vance had held back, wanting to be a gentleman and unsure of what the proper protocol was. He didn’t want her to think he was the kind of guy that was only after one thing, but, surely by now she was realizing that he wasn’t. He wanted to spend all of his time with her, and he had for the last several days. But it was getting harder and harder to kiss her goodnight on the door of her cabin and leave it at that. And now, in this moment, with the sun shining brightly in her hair, and the water swirling around her and making her look like some sort of river goddess, he wanted to show her just how badly he wanted her.

  She did not seem to notice his hesitation. She leaned into his embrace, letting her head rest against his bare chest and sighing happily. A deep warmth filled Vance’s body at the sound, and he wondered yet again whether it was actually possible that she was his lifemate. He’d been told his whole life that there was someone out there for everyone, and that each shifter had a fated lifemate that destiny would bring across their path at the perfect time. But he’d laughed off the notion, thinking that if lifemates did actually exist, destiny had probably overlooked him when pairing people off. After all, he was an orphan, a loner, and admittedly a bit of an ass. He’d never thought that any woman could fit in well with his fast-paced, wild lifestyle. And, in all honesty, he never would have pegged Lily as the type to take a second look at a rebel dragon like him. Yet she had, and they seemed more drawn to each other with every passing second. Was it possible that destiny knew better than him who to send him as a lifemate?

  Was it possible that Lily actually was his lifemate?

  Vance knew there was only one way to find out. If he made love to Lily and she was indeed his lifemate, the lifemate bond would be formed. They would be inseparable until death. Vance couldn’t keep a smile off his face at the thought. Nothing in the world could have sounded more wonderful than knowing that Lily might be his for the rest of his life. Who would have thought that he would fall in love with anyone, let alone a beautiful wizard? But here he was, admittedly falling head over heels. And there in that pool, with the sun flickering down beautifully and the breeze tickling the leaves of the ancient trees, Vance decided it was time to show Lily just how much he cared for her.

  He started with a kiss, turning Lily’s face gently toward his own and meeting her lips with his. He’d been kissing her as often as he could over the last few days, and her taste was familiar to him now. He could not get enough of it. He slipped his tongue past her lips and drank her in, pulling her body close against his. He let his tongue dance with hers, then ran it over her teeth and the roof of her mouth. He wanted to feel and taste every part of her. She was like a craving he knew he could never fully satisfy. He would always want more, more, more.

  She moaned softly as he kissed her, a happy sound that instantly caused him to go even harder. He was quickly becoming rock hard, and he knew she knew it. She pushed her hips against his, pressing her body against his erection. Vance felt a rush of heat in his body. She was inviting him to go further, and he knew it. And suddenly, he didn’t care anymore whether th
ey were ready, or whether the timing was right. He was overcome by a deep, primal desire. He wanted her now. He must have her. She was his, and he knew it. His love, his lifemate, his sun and stars. She was everything. She was the family he had always craved. The home he’d never known.

  He reached behind her to untie the strings of her bright turquoise bikini, his large fingers fumbling with the delicate strings. She did not pull back or protest. Instead, she looked up at him with wide, hungry eyes. That’s when he knew for sure that she wanted him, too. He knew in that moment that they were not leaving this pool until they had made love and become one with each other.

  But despite the overwhelming desire filling Vance, he told himself not to rush. He wanted to take his time and savor the moment. He had never felt so desperate to please a woman before. He wanted to show her just how wonderful he could make her feel. He wanted her to beg for more.

  He finally managed to slip the bikini top off her. He tossed it aside and let it float away in the water. The pool was small and it would not go far. Right now, he could only think about her perfect breasts, which were full and beautiful as they dipped slightly into the water. Her nipples were hard and alert, pointing toward him and rising and falling gently with her deep breaths. This was the first time he had seen them, and Vance could scarcely believe how perfect and beautiful they were. He let out a low moan of his own as he reached to cup her breasts, one in each palm, feeling their soft fullness in his hands.

  She closed her eyes with pleasure right before he dipped his head to find her nipples with his mouth. He ran his tongue over the hard nubs, and then pulled them between his teeth. He moved from left breast to right breast, giving each nipple equal attention. If the sound of Lily’s moans was any indication, his actions were driving her wild. He chewed and twisted and pulled, eliciting louder and louder moans from Lily, along with an occasional plea of “Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop.”

  Each time she moaned, Vance felt a fresh rush of heat run through his own body. His dick was now a solid rod between his legs, filled with heat and desire and pointing straight toward Lily’s body, begging to be let in. But Vance did not give in to its demands just yet. First, he wanted to make sure that Lily was taken care of. He pulled his mouth away from her breasts for just a moment to look into her eyes. He pushed a strand of hair back from her face, kissed her nose, and then dipped his mouth back to her nipples. This time, though, he added his hands to the action. He reached below the surface of the water, slipped his fingers between her skin and the smooth fabric of her swimsuit bottom, and found her soft entrance. He pushed his fingers into her as the clear water of the pool swirled around them. Even though the water here was warm, Lily was hot inside compared to the water temperature. Vance closed his own eyes as he relished her soft warmth. She was softer inside than anything he had ever felt before in his life.

  He drove his fingers deeper into her, massaging her inner walls and searching for her most sensitive spots. He knew when he found the perfect place. She shivered as his fingers moved, then whimpered out his name as she writhed in his arms, squirming against the pressure and pleasure of his touch.

  He did not give her a reprieve. With his mouth, he continued to twist the hard nubs of her nipples. With one hand, he reached up and held the back of her head, grasping tightly against the slick wetness of her hair. With the other hand, he reached his fingers deep into her and massaged in firm circles, drawing moans from her that were increasingly louder until, finally, she could take no more.

  She screamed out, throwing her head back and letting loose all of the pent up passion inside of her. Her inner muscles began to spasm, clenching hungrily around Vance’s fingers. He smiled as he felt tremors of delight passing over her body, and he continued to hold her and massage her until her body slowly calmed. He pulled his fingers out of her and stood to his full height. Lily fell against him, limp in his arms but sighing happily.

  Vance kissed the top of her head and held her tighter. He would have let her stay there resting for as long as she wanted, but she was not content with just a taste of what he could offer. Not even a full minute had passed before she tilted her head up to look at him and whispered, “More.”

  Vance grinned at her, and took a small step back so he could bow. “Your wish is my command, my lady,” he said.

  Then he reached down and pushed off his swimming trunks, slipping out of them and tossing them aside before reaching for the bottom of Lily’s swimsuit. She helped him along as he pushed it down and off, and soon, they were both completely naked in front of each other in the sparkling pool of water. Vance reached up to caress Lily’s face, and she looked up at him with eyes so full of desire that he felt like her eyes alone could consume him.

  “More,” she said again, her voice louder and more urgent this time.

  He was happy to oblige. He stepped toward her, wrapping his arms around her and positioning his rock hard member right in front of her soft entrance. With one firm, purposeful movement, he slipped inside her.

  He saw her eyes fly open as he filled her. He was large inside of her, pushing against her inner walls, reaching deeper into her than he knew she had even thought possible. For a moment, they stood there, looking into each other’s eyes while their bodies were connected in the most intimate way. So many things were spoken between them without either of them ever uttering a word. And then, she closed her eyes with a soft moan.

  Vance closed his eyes, too. He began to rock his hips back and forth, thrusting gently in and out of her as he took in every wonderful sensation. He never wanted to forget this moment. The music of the birds and the rustling treetops. The sun, warm on his skin. The water, cooling him. And Lily, so soft and so warm, drawing more and more heat from his member as he moved in her. The pressure built until he could hardly bear it. He scrunched up his face, waiting for her to come, and letting the unbelievable heat and electricity of desire flood through him.

  She did not make him wait long. With another scream, louder than the one before, she let go. He felt her inner muscles once again, this time clenching over his dick and sending ripples of tingling pleasure across every fiber of his being. As she continued to moan and pulse, he found his own release. He let out a roar, shooting himself into her in a hot stream and letting tremors of pleasure rush across his own body.

  He could not have said how long they stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms as their passion overtook them. All he knew was that he had never felt anything this wonderful, and his heart had never been so full of peace. As his breathing slowly returned to normal, he felt a comforting heat spreading across his body. It started in his core, and kept going until it reached to even his fingertips and toes. He knew what that heat meant. Lily was his lifemate, and they had formed the lifemate bond. Even as he felt it, he could hardly believe it. How had he, an orphaned dragon shifter, been lucky enough to end up with the smartest, most beautiful woman in the world? Lily was a truly spectacular wizard, whose magic extended beyond just the spells she could cast. She was special, with the rare ability to light up everything around her with something as simple as her laugh. Vance had no idea how they were going to meld their lives into one, but he knew that he would find a way for them to be together, whatever it took.

  “I feel so warm,” Lily murmured against his chest. “Almost like there’s an actual fire burning in my stomach. It’s the strangest sensation.”

  “It’s the lifemate bond,” Vance said, stroking his fingers through her wet hair. “It means that we are destined to be with each other, and we’re bonded together for life.”

  Lily pulled back to look at him, her eyes wide and shining. “I’ve heard of that before, but I wasn’t sure if it was actually true or if it was just some sort of shifter lore.”

  “I wasn’t sure either if it was true,” Vance said. “I thought it wasn’t possible for someone like me, with such a wild life, to have a lifemate. But I see now that destiny looks out for everyone. Love really is out there, if you�
�re willing to let it find you.”

  Lily smiled up at him as he spoke, and the expression in her eyes was so sweet that it made his heart hurt. He wasn’t sure what he had done right to deserve someone so wonderful, but now that he’d found Lily, he was never letting her go.

  Vance chuckled slightly to himself as he thought of their rocky start. Maybe one of these days, he could convince her to actually enjoy a flight through the treetops with him. But for now, he was still having a damn good time with both of their feet firmly on the ground.

  Chapter Ten

  Lily would not have minded spending the whole day in the water with Vance, making love in between breaks to nibble on the lunches they had packed. But Knox and Bree were finally due back tonight, and Zeke was supposed to finally show up as well. An extra big barbecue had been planned, and the Redwood Dragons were all excited for the party.

  Despite her wish to spend more alone time with Vance, Lily was excited, too. She could hardly wait to see the look on Bree’s face when she told her that Vance had gone from being her hated enemy to being her love and lifemate. Bree was going to be shocked—hopefully in a good way. Lily knew that Bree had been harboring not-so-secret hopes that Lily would fall for one of the Redwood Dragons, but Bree was going to be shocked when Vance turned out to be the dragon Lily chose.

  As Lily followed Vance back to base camp on the winding forest trail, she tried not to worry about where she and Vance were going to live long term. Lily loved it here in the forest, but she hated to give up her job as an Advocate. And she had a feeling that Vance would not want to give up his work with the Redwood Dragons either. But they had a few months to figure things out. Lily didn’t want to spoil this perfect day by thinking about logistical details right now. There would be plenty of time for worry at a later time.