The smile Llyr turned on her made Nineva’s heart ache, it reminded her so much of her father’s. “You have the gratitude of the Two Kingdoms, Princess Nineva. Anything in my power to give you, you need only ask.”
“I…,” she began, only to discover speaking was beyond her. Finally she choked out, “Thank you.”
The queen reached out and took Guinevere’s hand. “And thank you, Gwen. I know it couldn’t have been easy cutting me like that, but if you hadn’t, I don’t know how long I would have been able to keep from transforming.” Her eyes went bleak. “And if I’d transformed, we’d have lost Dearg Andrew.”
“You wouldn’t have transformed. Even if you’d died.” Llyr’s voice cracked on the last word. Clearing his throat, he looked around at Arthur, Morgana, Kel, Guinevere, and Nineva. “We owe you everything. And we will not forget.”
But the spirit of delighted relief shattered ten minutes later when Llyr suddenly remembered his final bodyguard. The man wasn’t with them, nor was he among the fallen.
When Llyr and Arthur hurried back to the Round Table chamber, they found that the man had disappeared.
Worse, so had Merlin’s Grimoire. Arthur summoned Grim over and over, but the book didn’t respond. In desperation, he called on every vampire and witch in Avalon to search by eye and magic, but the book was nowhere to be found.
There was only one possible conclusion.
“We were suckered!” Arthur said grimly. “They diverted us with the attack while the bastard took Grim.”
He assigned a complement of Knights of the Round Table and a pair of witches to guard Diana, Llyr, and their son as they returned to their kingdom. Morgana volunteered to go along and help with the investigation into how the rebels had gotten to the palace guard.
Nineva suspected it must have galled Llyr to accept outside help, but he didn’t hesitate. His family obviously meant far more to him than his pride.
Llyr told them he planned another deep and ruthless magical scan on the guards of all his palaces to ensure there were no more traitors among them. Once that was taken care of, he planned to help the Magekind conduct another search for both the Sword of Semira and Merlin’s Grimoire.
Nineva’s role in all this, everyone agreed, was to do whatever was necessary to strengthen Semira. It was obvious that wherever the sword was, Grim wouldn’t be far.
“We’ve got to find that book,” Arthur told Kel and Nineva. “I don’t know what those bastards intend to do with him, but I’d just as soon not find out.”
Kel glanced at Nineva. “We’ll do our best.”
“You’d better,” Arthur said.
Exhausted, Nineva and Kel trudged back to his hillside home. “I really need a long, hot soak,” she told him, rolling her aching shoulders. Even after removing the blood and sweat of combat with a spell, she felt grimy and dispirited.
The enemy had won yet again.
Quiet compassion lit Kel’s eyes as he studied her face. “I think we can manage a bath.”
He was as good as his word. As soon as they walked into the house, he guided her down a hallway that led to a set of winding stairs.
Emerging through an arched stone doorway, Nineva gazed around, her brows lifted. “You bathe in here?” The sprawling stone chamber was big enough to echo, easily five stories of arching limestone walls supported by thick pillars carved with dragons.
“Well, yeah.” Kel shrugged his shoulders. “I use it in dragon form, too, so it has to be big.”
In the center of the space lay a vast pool, surrounded by a jungle’s worth of plants—ferns, orchids, and towering palms that thrived in the humid, magical air. Tendrils of steam curled from the water’s surface, which danced and roiled from the waterfall that spilled into the pool’s center from somewhere overhead.
Glancing up the length of tumbling water, Nineva spotted the first blue light of dawn streaming through a cavernous skylight. Probably the entrance Kel used in dragon form. “Damn. You never do anything halfway, do you?”
“Now, what would be the fun in that?” He gave her a wicked little smile, all teeth and dishonorable intentions. “Want to get naked?”
“Actually, yeah.” The steaming water looked like just the thing for her aching muscles and sweaty flesh.
Warm air brushed her nipples. Nineva looked down and realized her armor had vanished, leaving her body pale and naked. Her blond hair caressed her bare shoulders as she turned to look at him. “Thanks.” Her glance became an appreciative stare.
His armor had disappeared, too. He stood in the streaming dawn light like a dream of a god, shadows pooling beneath firm muscle, his cock hardening under her gaze. His eyes gleamed like a pair of rubies caught in a spotlight as his smile flashed white. “My pleasure.”
Nineva was contemplating that luscious cock when he caught her by the hand and gently tugged her toward the water. “Come on. There’s some stairs down into the pool over here.”
The stone floor felt surprisingly warm and smooth underfoot as they crossed to the pool, and the humid air smelled of orchids and even more exotic Mageverse flora. Beneath that was a trace of something faintly musky and magical that struck her as oddly familiar. After a moment, Nineva identified it: the lingering scent of Kel’s dragon form.
He eyed her as he guided her down the steps into the pool. “You’re frowning.”
Water closed around her ankles, frothing gently from the waterfall. “It’s nothing.” But it was disconcerting to realize that no matter what he looked like, he wasn’t really human.
It was equally disconcerting to realize she cared. After all, his Draconian nature was the reason they were together. It wasn’t as if there could be anything more between them than magical sex.
Nineva thought of the love in Llyr’s eyes as he gazed at his wife and baby. Something about the memory sent a little jab of pain through her. She pulled her hand from Kel’s. “I’m going to swim.”
He watched Nineva throw herself forward in a long, flat dive. His cock twitched in appreciation as her lithe little body disappeared underwater with a neat splash. She surfaced a moment later, long legs kicking, smooth, pale backside working as her graceful arms cut through the water in fast, hard strokes.
Kel’s mind flashed back to the instant he’d seen her surrounded by warriors, her expression grim and determined as she fought to save the queen. If he and Llyr had been a moment later, they’d have lost them both.
His heart squeezed painfully at the thought—and not because the Dark One invasion would have become a virtual certainty. The idea of Nineva, helpless and surrounded by enemies…
The intensity of his reaction was vaguely alarming. Get a grip, Kel. You’re not having a romance here. This is business.
Nineva picked up the pace, swimming even faster. As if she was trying to get away from him.
And dammit, that hurt, too.
With an impatient growl at himself, he dove into the water and began to swim for the opposite side of the pool.
What the hell was he getting wrapped around the axle about? She was only using him for sex to power her precious goddess. It was very good sex, true—maybe the best he’d ever had, though only Cachamwri knew why. He’d certainly had more experienced lovers.
Though none of them had ever touched him the way she had. Why else had he panicked when he’d realized she was under attack?
Yeah, she’d gotten to him, all right.
You’re setting yourself up for a fall, Kel thought grimly, lengthening his strokes, propelling himself through the warm water with hard kicks. You’re going to convince yourself you’re in love with that girl, and she’s going to dump your scaly ass the minute she gets her goddess out of that sword. Then she’s going to marry some Sidhe prince and live happily ever after while you eat your heart out.
Anyway, the whole thing was ridiculous. Dragons didn’t mate for life. Hell, they barely mated for a single season—just long enough to fertilize the female’s eggs.
True, a dra
gon couple could get pretty passionate for that season, but it didn’t last. Unlike with humans, love wasn’t a survival mechanism for dragons, since a Draconian female was fully capable of providing for her fledglings by herself. She didn’t need a male to do the hunting for her while she devoted all her time to rearing their young.
Up until Gawain had fallen for Lark, Kel had half-suspected love was a mass human delusion—an invention of poets and romance novelists. Then his best friend had formed a Truebond with the woman he loved, and for one shining moment, Kel had shared their psychic link.
And it had been incredible. Far more intense than the comfortable link he and Gawain had shared for so many centuries.
The two had Truebonded so Lark could keep Gawain alive while another knight ran him through with Kel’s sword form. At the time, it had been the only way to free Kel from the blade and rescue Arthur.
Kel had experienced their love in all its pure, shining intensity, but there’d been no place for him in it. He’d had to leave the link while Lark fought to save her lover.
For the first time in centuries, he’d been truly alone. Ever since, he’d been haunted by that taste of perfect love. Love he knew he’d never experience firsthand.
Reaching the shallows on the opposite side of the pool, Kel braced his feet on the bottom and stood, swiping strands of wet cobalt hair from his face.
When he turned, he saw Nineva floating on her back at the other end of the pool. Her lovely bare breasts broke the surface, nipples pink and beaded by the cool air. He stared, watching the slow, lazy kick of her long legs. His cock hardened again in a fierce rush.
He could have her now. He could swim over there, and she’d let him take that lush, tempting body of hers in the name of her goddess. He could fuck her in every way he wanted.
But that was the most he’d get from her. There’d be no Truebond union of hearts and souls, no end to the loneliness that had dogged him. There never would be.
His lips tightened, and he hit the water again, stroking hard toward her. If all he could have of her—of anyone—was sex…Well, so be it. He’d take what he could get.
Nineva heard the pool churning with his approach. She lowered her feet to tread water and started to pivot to face him.
Big hands caught her arms before she could turn, pulling her around and into those brawny arms. His body felt deliciously hard, his cock rigid against her belly as his mouth came down over hers, wet and hungry and demanding.
It was a ravishing kiss, a kiss that took and gave no quarter. A kiss that stole the breath from her lungs in one ruthless draw. Her heart leaped in her chest as he pumped his tongue deep into her mouth in long, suggestive strokes.
One hand cupped her bare ass, pulling her tight against the beefy rigidity of his cock. The long fingers of the other sought out her breast, thumbing and teasing her nipple until sweet fire ran through her blood.
Nineva gasped against his possessive lips. He made a low growling sound and angled his head to press slow, burning kisses along her jaw and down her throat. It felt so deliciously overwhelming, her wary heart whispered a protest. Surely some quick, anonymous sex would be so much safer. “Kel! What’re you…what are you doing?”
“What do you think?” He lifted her, bending her backward over his arm as he nibbled and bit his way lower and lower. “Feeding your goddess.”
Gasping, Nineva wrapped both hands in the wet silk of his hair. His teeth scraped skillfully over her nipple. Pleasure curled through her in such luscious throbs, she lost the will to protest. “Sweet Semira…,” she moaned, as he licked and swirled and tasted.
“Like that?”
She could only moan.
He laughed, throaty and deep. “Yeah, you like it.” The hand under her ass shifted, probed; slipped between her soft lips and into her rapidly dampening core. A finger circled her clit, then eased deep into her sex. “You like that, too?”
“God, yeah!” Nineva threw back her head and gasped as he pumped the finger in, then out. Slow and teasing.
“Of course you do—I’m good.” A hard note entered Kel’s deep voice. “Remember that. I may not be human, or Sidhe, or whatever the hell it is you think you want, but I know what you need.”
Then, as if she weighed no more than a rag doll in his arms, he started toward the edge of the pool. He stepped out of the water like Neptune rising from the sea, as water streamed from them. Panting, Nineva clung to his shoulders, looking into those crimson eyes of his. They looked feral, hungry, maybe a little pissed. What the hell did I do to set him off?
And can I do it more often?
Kel lowered her to her bare feet, then grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her roughly around. One hand closed over the back of her neck and started pushing her down to her knees. “What now?”
“Guess.” It was a rumbling growl. Turning her head, she saw him hit his knees behind her even as he forced her head lower.
Angling her ass in the air.
Nineva shivered as helpless arousal pulsed deep in her sex. Semira help her, she’d never been so turned on in her life. She knew she shouldn’t be—she should be outraged at the way he was handling her—but her body didn’t care. It craved this—his rough, demanding hands, his big hard body, the urgent upward curve of that big cock.
His hands closed around her hips and lifted her butt, forcing her to brace her hands on the ground. The grass felt cool under her fingers.
Then his mouth covered her cunt from behind. Nineva jerked with a startled cry as his tongue thrust between her lips and licked in one long swipe that made her writhe at the instant kick of pleasure. She felt him settle back on his heels, dragging her up and back, supporting her in a way no human could have as she hung head-down.
Nineva planted her palms on his muscled thighs to support her torso as he ate her like a plum. Gentle bites and nibbles, long licks, teasing circles of his tongue around her clit. She could feel the orgasm pulsing as it built like a storm, low in her tensing belly.
Bite. Nibble. Lick. A sudden hard thrust of his tongue went right into her core. She shuddered and clamped her eyes closed against the tight, merciless spiral of pleasure. “Kel! God, Kel…”
He growled back at her, feral as a tiger at a meal. His teeth scraped gently over the hard nubbin of her clit.
She screamed and convulsed, her body lashing in his arms as he held her against his mouth. Still licking.
The hot fire of her orgasm pulsed on, wave after wave as he ate her.
Nineva’s long blond hair whipped Kel’s thighs as she tossed her head, writhing in his hold. He held her still anyway, enjoying her helpless, high-pitched cries of pleasure.
His cock throbbed and jerked. He ignored it, intent on dragging one more delighted scream out of her mouth. Intent on the sea-foam taste of her sex. Bathing in her.
Finally she collapsed in his arms, limp and panting in the aftermath. He lowered her to the grass with a raw grin of conquest, then flipped her faceup.
Let’s see your fairy prince give you that.
Kel surveyed her pale beauty as she sprawled on the ground, dazed and panting. A smile of satisfaction curled his mouth even as his cock jerked in demand. He thought about spreading those pretty legs wide and driving inside, then decided, reluctantly, against it.
He wasn’t done with her yet. He wanted more. He wanted to stamp himself on her soul and her body. He wanted to make damn sure she never forgot him.
His gaze locked on the round, lovely globes of her breasts. Her nipples looked deliciously pink and hard, like little cherry gumdrops.
Kel instantly decided he wanted a bite.
Grabbing her hips, he pulled her closer, then covered her body with his. She moaned, half in protest, half in anticipation. Kel smiled a pirate’s smile and lowered his head.
The nipple he’d targeted hardened even more against his tongue as he suckled her. She tasted of magic and springwater and lush, helpless arousal. He suckled more deeply, loving the taste.
Her hands came up weakly and tangled in his hair. She moaned. “Kel, oh, Goddess—you’re driving me insane.”
“Good.” He swirled his tongue around the hard little peak, then gave it a taunting nibble.
He loved the way her small, lithe body felt against his, all satin skin and velvet curves. He loved the way she tasted, loved the lush scent of her arousal. Loved her complete boneless surrender. She was his.
At least for the moment.
Later…
The thought of what would happen in that “later” made his temper heat again. He growled against the satin slope of her breast and pulled away.
So maybe he wasn’t her kind. So maybe she saw him as an animal. He’d show her what an animal could do.
He flipped her onto her belly again and dragged her butt up, high into the air.
“Kel…,” she whimpered.
He ignored the pleading sound, aiming his cock at the tempting rosy entrance to her cunt. One hard, deep thrust seated him to the balls. Kel gasped at the tight, liquid delight. For a moment, he didn’t dare move, knowing he’d come if he did.
Finally, carefully, he began to thrust.
Kel felt huge inside her, a thick, rock-hard velvet club. He should have hurt, yet he’d done such a good job arousing her that all she felt was staggering delight.
Every thrust seemed edged in sweet fire. Panting, Nineva could only grab fistfuls of grass in her hands and hang on for dear life as he lunged against her. Each long dig coiled her building orgasm tighter.
She felt his wet hips slapping hers, jolting her forward. Her nipples dragged back and forth across the cool grass, adding another fillip of delight to an already searing moment.
Then he started circling his hips, pressing hard, screwing into her. Grinding. Incapable of speech, she could only throw back her head and keen.
Her climax was abrupt, blinding—and endless.
Kel growled in satisfaction as he felt her coming around him, her tight little cunt pulsing, milking his long shaft with every thrust. He let go and began to drive hard, jolting her forward with every ruthless thrust. His balls drew into tight, hot knots between his thighs as his climax began to claw for release.
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