by Tessa Adams
“Come on, Cecily.” He sighed in exhaustion. “This is stupid. Is it really so much easier to fight with me than it is to just tell me what’s got you so upset? Please? How am I supposed to fix it if I don’t have a clue what I did to piss you off this badly?”
The fight suddenly went out of her, the light inside her dying at the same time her shoulders slumped. It made him feel like an even bigger asshole than he already did. “Or not. If you want to leave, I won’t try to stop you again.”
Unsure what else to do, he turned around and started back across the clearing toward his stuff, more than aware that if she flew away, she took his best access to the Wyvernmoons with her. It took a minute, but she followed him, the sleeping bag once again wrapped around her.
“Why did you stop?” she asked his back.
He turned around. “What?”
She was bright red again, and he was filled with a strange and dangerous tenderness for her, one that he couldn’t afford to feel but somehow couldn’t stop. Before he knew what he was doing, he held out an arm to her. She walked straight into it and he pulled her against his body. She was so short that her head nestled against his chest, and he brought a hand up to stroke her hair.
“You stopped when you found out I was a virgin,” she repeated, and though her words were muffled against his chest, he heard her perfectly. “Why?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” He pulled away, tilted her chin up so that he could look at her beautiful face. “What kind of an asshole do you think I am?”
“One who left me more aroused and sexually frustrated than I’ve ever been in my life,” she retorted.
“Is that what this is all about? Your sexual frustration?”
“You just left me like that!”
“How the hell did you think I felt?” He gestured to his still-blatant arousal.
“That’s your own fault. I was more than willing—”
“We were going way too fast. I was going to hurt you, and I didn’t want to do that. If you’d told me sooner, I would have done things completely different.”
“Oh.” She paused. “It didn’t hurt. I kept expecting it to, but it didn’t.”
“That’s because we hadn’t gotten very far. I promise you, if you’d given it a couple more minutes—or a couple more inches—it would have hurt like hell.”
Her lips twitched. “So you weren’t stopping completely?”
He laughed. “Are you kidding me? We’ve been fighting for twenty minutes, and still the only thing I can think about is getting you back on top of that damn sleeping bag. There was no way I was going to stop for good. I just needed to take a breather, to calm down a little bit.”
“Oh,” she said again. “Well, then, I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry, too. I probably could have explained a little better, but between the shock and the fact that I was about two seconds from slamming myself inside you, I wasn’t exactly at my most coherent.” It was his turn to pause, and then—because he couldn’t help himself—he asked, “Why are you still a virgin?”
“In case you haven’t noticed, it’s a lot harder to get rid of it than one might imagine.”
“Bullshit.” He pulled her into his arms. “My reaction notwithstanding . . .”
She shrugged, looked away like it was too hard to say what she needed to if she could see his face. “My dad liked to use me as an enticement so others would see things his way. He’d promise me to one of his business allies or his factionnaires, pitting them against each other to get what he wanted. But it only worked if I never actually had a chance to be with any of them.”
Shock kept him quiet for long seconds. When he was finally able to wrap his mind around what she was saying, he asked, “Your father used you as a bargaining chip? What the hell is this, the Middle Ages?”
“Don’t look so shocked. It happens to rich young women all the time.”
“Yeah, but not to dragons—at least none that I’ve heard of before this. I thought we were more civilized.” But as soon as he spoke, bloody images flashed through his mind of Dragonstar clan members dying of the virus manufactured on the Wyvernmoon compound, a virus he was pretty damn sure had been invented—or at least heavily invested in—by her father. If a man was willing to kill his own species in such a horrible manner, why should Logan be surprised that he had no compunction about using his daughter any way he could to get what he wanted?
Her thoughts must have been running along similar lines, because she whispered, “You’d be surprised what one dragon will do to another.”
Obviously. The whole Dragonstar clan had been blindsided. But would she be surprised? That was the fifty-million-dollar question.
Not that he had any room to be talking, he supposed. He was about to take a woman’s virginity, knowing even as he did so that he was actively working to betray her. So what did that make him? Somehow, he didn’t think the fact that she seemed eager to get rid of it would absolve him of guilt.
Disgusted with himself and the whole situation, Logan still knew himself well enough to figure out that he wasn’t going to walk away. Not when he wanted Cecily so badly that he could barely keep himself from grabbing on to her and dragging her to the ground. And not when having an in with her might be able to save Dragonstar lives.
He was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t, so he might as well enjoy himself on the way down. As long as he made sure that she enjoyed herself, as well.
Bending down, he started to smooth the sleeping bag back into place. But then he got a look at her face, and realized what had seemed so natural earlier had suddenly become awkward.
Determined not to lose this chance to have Cecily, but also determined to make her first time as easy and good for her as he possibly could, he forced a grin he was far from feeling. Then said, “How about I race you to the lake?”
Cecily was running full-out, but she could hear Logan gaining on her. He’d given her a ten-second head start, which she’d used to her advantage, but she had a feeling that in a couple of seconds any progress she’d made was going to be moot. Sure enough, she had barely taken another step when she felt his warm breath on the back of her neck.
Not willing to give in so easily, she didn’t bother to waste precious seconds looking back. Instead, she ran another few yards, waiting for him to pass her. He did, and a few seconds after that, she veered off the main path onto a shortcut she often took. By the time he figured out what had happened, she’d be almost to the lake.
When she ran the rest of the way without pursuit, she figured she was right, and when she came out of the trees right next to the waterfall, she was feeling pretty smug. At least until she glanced across the lake and saw Logan lounging on a large, flat rock.
“Hey!” she exclaimed. “How’d you get here so fast?” She knew he was faster than she was, but her shortcut had shaved at least four minutes off her time. There was no way he was fast enough to have beaten that.
He just wiggled his eyebrows and pretended to twirl a fake mustache. “I have my ways.”
“You cheated!”
“That sounds like the pot calling the kettle black,” he said with a laugh. “Where did you go, anyway?”
“This is my mountain. I know all the shortcuts.”
“Maybe not all of them.”
She considered that. “Maybe not.”
He’d risen and circled the small lake as they talked so that he was standing only a few feet away from her by the time she conceded defeat. He was still naked and more aroused than ever. She couldn’t help looking her fill, but then what red-blooded woman would blame her? Even with the scar on his cheek, the man was closer to perfect than she had ever imagined possible.
He interrupted her perusal to ask, “So, do you like what you see?”
“Don’t even go there. You know exactly how good-looking you are. There’s no way I’m going to pander to your swollen ego.”
“There’s only one thing about me that’s swollen right now, and I was kin
d of hoping you would pander to it.”
“Seriously?” she asked. “That’s the best you’ve got?”
“Hey, cut a guy some slack. All the blood in my brain has drained about three and a half feet south.”
She pretended to think over his dilemma. “I can see where that might be a problem.”
“It is a problem. A big problem.”
“Looks more medium-sized to me, but, then again, my whole life I’ve been told my standards are too exacting.”
“Hey! That’s not very nice.”
“I’m sorry. I thought you wanted honesty.”
His eyes narrowed as he started toward her. “You’re going to pay for that.”
She retreated quickly, but within seconds he had her cornered between his big body and the lake. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry.” She held up a hand. “I was just joking.”
“That didn’t sound very sincere.”
“It’s hard to sound sincere when you’re threatening to toss me in an ice-cold lake! Besides, it’s not like you could possibly be insecure in that area.”
“No, but it’s nice to hear that occasionally.” He stepped closer.
“Hey, what are you doing? I already admitted I was wrong.”
“Yeah, but I thought we’d already established that I don’t play fair.”
“Logan, no!” She backed up right to the edge of the rocks. “The water’s freezing right now.”
“Then I hope you’re a fast swimmer.” He moved to grab her, and she feinted left before moving right. But he was ready for her, and within seconds she found herself cradled in his arms.
He started to swing her. “One, two, three.”
“No!” She grabbed on to his neck, determined to take him with her, but he stopped just shy of dangling her out over the water. She looked at him curiously.
He winked. “You didn’t think I was actually going to throw you in, did you?”
“Of course I did!”
“I wouldn’t do that to a lady.”
“Oh, well. Thank you, then. I appreciate that.” She loosened her arms from where she’d been clutching on to him, feeling strangely disappointed that he hadn’t carried through with the threat. Which was stupid, considering how cold the water was around here in October. But after the intensity of the past half an hour, she’d really been enjoying this playful side of him.
But the second her arms released his neck completely, she was soaring through the air, straight at the deepest part of the lake.
She had a second to process the shock of being double-crossed, and then she was shifting. By the time her toes touched the water, she was dragon, and she used her wings to propel her straight back into the air before she had gotten more than her ankles damp.
She landed right next to him, back in human form, a superior smile on her face. Logan gaped at her in shock, and she couldn’t resist rubbing it in. “Nice try, Slick.” She reached out and playfully punched his shoulder. “Let me know when you’re ready to play with the big girls.”
“Believe me, I’m ready.” He grabbed her arm and gave it one sharp tug. She tumbled against his chest, which was exactly what he’d intended. “How did you do that?”
She didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “I’ve always been able to do it. It’s a gift.”
“I’ll say. I like it.”
“That’s what all the guys say.”
He growled, low and deep. “What guys?”
She laughed, spun around in a quick, delighted circle. How had she gone through her whole life without realizing how much fun it was to tease and play? Now that she’d discovered it, she had no desire to ever go back to the joyless existence she’d been living for so long.
“Chill out, Logan. I was joking. God, you’re easy.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. I’m incredibly easy.” He paused. “Speaking of which, are you going to take advantage of my easiness anytime soon?”
“I already tried that. You ran away like a scared little girl.”
“I promise to do better this time.”
“I don’t know. You look pretty wimpy. I’m not sure you could handle me.”
It was his turn to laugh. “Try me.”
She pretended to think about it. “I’ll tell you what. I will have my wicked, wicked, wicked way with you if you put your money where your mouth is.”
His eyes darkened, and when he spoke, he sounded like he’d swallowed about ten pounds of gravel. “What do I have to do?”
“I thought that was obvious. You’ve got to catch me.”
She shifted in an instant, then launched herself straight into the sky.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Logan stood by the edge of the lake, staring up at Cecily in awe as she streaked through the skies in dragon form. She’d told him that she had always been able to shift that quickly, but he figured a part of him disbelieved his eyes—at least until she’d done it again.
Still, he wasn’t one to let his shock and marveling keep him on the ground, not when catching her meant he’d finally be able to get rid of this hard-on he’d been sporting for what felt like forever. Besides, two could play her game.
Throwing every ounce of mental acuity he had behind it, he shifted as fast as he could. It was nowhere near as fast as what Cecily could do, but he was up and flying in a little under two minutes, which was pretty much a record for him. And then the chase was on.
She had a hell of a head start, and in dragon form they were a lot more evenly matched than they were as humans. Which meant that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t quite catch up to her as she streaked and rolled and zoomed through the sky around him.
He almost got her when she flew extra close, but right before they collided, she somersaulted away and then went into a steep dive that was beautiful to watch even as it gave him a little bit of a heart attack.
Pull up, Cecily! he sent to her mentally. When she didn’t immediately obey, just turned to stare at him with wide dragon eyes, he yelled it at her again, even as he raced toward her. Damn it, Cecily, pull the fuck up.
She did and narrowly avoided crashing into a sheer wall of rock. He shuddered at her close escape, then took off after her, determined that playtime was over. That’s it, he projected into her mind again. Let’s land.
But you haven’t caught me . . .
She spoke back to him, and the second he heard her voice in his head, he nearly fell out of the sky. It was like that sometimes, albeit rarely. But it did happen that he was completely overwhelmed from the feel of someone’s mind brushing against his own. He’d lived long enough to know that it usually only happened with people who were going to be important to him. Which was the last thing he wanted to think about right now, but there it was.
For one brief second, Cecily’s mind completely opened to him—spreading out before him like a beautiful, golden map. She shimmered with light and incandescent joy, determination and a conviction that was rare to find. At the same time, there were hints of fear and resignation—he could see the darkness of the emotions marring the purity of the rest of her mind. She was at a crossroads and desperately afraid of taking the wrong path.
He raced to get closer to her—mentally and physically. Tried to throw himself into the psychological chart of her mental processes laid out in front of him, so that he could have a better idea of what was going on inside her and the Wyvernmoon clan. But the second he tried to touch it, to touch her, the map disappeared.
Desperate to get his hands on her now that he’d seen what was inside her, Logan sped up, arrowing straight at Cecily. Using every ounce of speed and strength and concentration he had, he tackled her in midair, sent her sprawling. And then the two of them were rolling and spinning through the air, their bodies winding around each other.
Hi, there, she told him as she stopped trying to flee and simply surrendered her body into his keeping.
Hi there, yourself. His beast reveled in the feel of hers wrapped around it, and so did he.
The trust implicit in the act, the way she’d left both her jugular and her underbelly open to him, got to him in a way little had in a very long time. Dragons rarely let themselves be that vulnerable, and the fact that she’d made the conscious decision to leave herself that way with him stunned him.
It also shamed him. How could it not? Oh, he would never go for her jugular, never physically hurt her—he couldn’t after everything they’d already shared. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to destroy her in the end. After all, he couldn’t let anything stand in the way of bringing down the Wyvernmoons—even the best, most exciting sex of his life.
His dragon guided hers safely to the ground, then watched as she shifted—once again in the blink of an eye. As she turned human, he marveled at her, at the absolute control and impossible amount of talent it took to be able to do that, especially since she’d already shifted from one form to the other multiple times that day. Usually, the more a dragon shifted, the more exhausted he or she became and the longer it took to complete the change.
Which boggled the mind, if he really let himself think about it. If this was how fast she shifted after having done it so many times, what the hell was she like when she was fresh? Both man and beast were dying to find out.
Then he was shifting and it was nowhere near the quick, sparkly process her transformation had been. This was his sixth shift of the day, and his body let him know in no uncertain terms that he was overdoing it. Slow and clumsy and much more painful than usual, he was practically on his knees by the time it was over.
He looked up to see Cecily staring at him with worry and guilt in her eyes. His heart pounded a little heavier as he wondered just what was making her look like that. Did she know more about who he was than she had originally let on? His blood ran cold at the thought, and he automatically reached for his dagger, only to remember that he had taken it off earlier so as not to scare her.