She loved him so much she ached with it, could not have closed herself off from him, refused to respond to him, if she’d wanted to. Everything she was, was his, always had been. She hadn’t just grieved for the loss of him, she’d been diminished--less, as if she’d lost a critical part of herself and when she was with him, every sense seemed electrified, every reaction magnified until it was as close to glory, she knew, as any human being could ever feel.
“Simon,” she sighed in praise, in supplication, in acknowledgment that no one else could make her feel as he did, as he lifted his mouth from hers and anointed her face with the blessing of his touch, kissed her throat, and then returned to her lips to make her weak with want, hungry for more. He excited her as no one else, thrilled her, made her hunger for each new touch as if she would die with the waiting.
Her head swam dizzily as he reached down to slip an arm beneath her knees and lift her into his arms, turned with her, and strode quickly to his bed. She roused from her blissful stupor as she felt the cool softness against her back, the weight of his body as he settled against her and, briefly, doubts flickered through her mind. They were gone too swiftly for her to capture the fleeting warnings, though, banished by the heat and taste of his lips on hers, the feel of them on her throat and breasts as he unveiled her body to his touch with shaking hands, stripping her with an eagerness that left her quaking and wet and needful.
She gasped as he captured a sensitive, aching nipple in his mouth, threading her fingers through his silken hair as he suckled her, teased her until she could scarcely catch her breath. The trace of his hands over her body as he explored her with his palms and fingers, disrobed her, left shivers of excruciating awareness in their passing, heightened the expectation until she was nearly sobbing for him to take her, to carry her to the heaven he promised with every touch. “Love me, Simon,” she gasped out on a shaky, sobbing breath. “Come inside of me. It’s been so long, baby. I thought you’d never touch me again.”
He kissed her deeply, almost savagely, silencing her and plunging her into a chasm of dark delight as he sucked and nipped at her lips, possessed her mouth with fierce, desperate thrusts of his tongue. He tore his mouth from hers almost as abruptly as he’d seized possession of it, rearing upward to rip his shirt off and then unfastened his pants, shoving them down his hips.
Through dreamy, half closed eyes, she peered at him, admiring his beautifully sculpted chest and belly--and felt a jolt go through her as her gaze dropped and the white mound of Olympus came into view. Embarrassment filled her cheeks, but he seemed oblivious to both the mountain that rose between them and her dismay. Taking her hands in his, he pulled her upright. Dragging her onto his lap, he positioned her for entry and drew her down to envelope his turgid flesh. She caught her breath on a frisson of delight as she felt him entering her, stretching her, sinking deeply inside of her.
“Rainie,” he murmured hoarsely, praise and triumph and shaking need in voice as he began to move inside of her, lifting and settling her hips over him to guide her until she caught the rhythm he needed, until she felt the delicious thrusts of his cock wafting her upward to skim the crest of the tidal wave carrying her toward the rapture he’d promised her. She groaned, throwing her head back as she felt the tension building rapidly inside of her. He slipped an arm upward around her shoulders, bending toward her to trace opened mouthed kisses along her throat, cupping and massaging one of her breasts.
She lost her rhythm as she felt a tremor quake along her passage, moved halting until she felt the tremor explode into fiery sensation. And then her climax hit her, rocked her, rolled over her, tearing choked, gusty cries of ecstasy from her. He caught her tightly against him as she began to quake with release, moving inside of her in short, deep thrusts until he was shaking all over from his own release, uttering rasping groans as his cock jerked and spilled his hot seed inside of her.
They stilled as their delight in one another slowly dissipated into a warm glow of satisfaction, panting for breath as their heartbeats slowed, until they finally caught their breath. He shifted after a time, carrying her down onto the bed so that they lay side by side, face to face.
“You are mine, Rainie,” he murmured with lazy satisfaction. “You will always be mine.”
Raina opened her eyes with an effort and stared at him. Oh god! She thought in dawning dismay. What have I done?
She’d just gotten through assuring Audric that she’d be with him.
Guilt welled inside of her, threatening to swallow her whole until she remembered abruptly that he’d acted as if he didn’t even remember asking her. She frowned, trying to remember his expression, but he’d seemed as if he didn’t remember, not as if he was trying to backstroke, and she didn’t know what the hell to make of that. Had it meant that little to him? Had it ‘slipped’ his mind because he’d been so sick? Or was it just that he hadn’t really meant it any of the time?
Or maybe he’d changed his mind because she looked like a cow now and was carrying Simon’s baby?
Judiciously, she had to admit that was probably a big turn off all the way around.
Maybe he’d just pretended he didn’t remember because he’d thought she would have better sense, or better taste, than to expect to hold him to a ‘sort of’ commitment he’d made when he didn’t know she was pregnant?
The thought deflated her and she was already depressed.
She’d never thought she was especially gullible, but she must be. She’d thought Simon cared for her--at least something about her--and he’d discarded her like yesterday’s newspaper. She’d thought Audric did, but obviously she’d mistaken good old fashioned lust for caring--with both of them.
She didn’t know why Simon was suddenly interested in her again, except that he seemed damned possessive about her baby and she supposed he figured he had to keep her if he was going to keep the baby.
Over her dead body he was keeping her baby!
Almost as if he’d read her thoughts, he dropped a hand to her belly and began to rub it gently. She was tempted to slap his hand away, but the baby kicked at that moment and he jerked his hand back as if he’d been scalded.
He sat up and pushed her hands away to study her belly when she tried to cover it.
Almost as if the baby realized he had an audience, he began to perform gymnastics--bend, stretch, turn, roll. Simon watched his antics with fascination and finally placed his hand on her belly again. “He is strong,” he murmured, lifting his head to look at her.
The look on his face made her catch her breath.
She was such a fool! Even after he’d left her with no intention, she knew, of coming back, she still loved him, loved him so much she didn’t have a bit of sense--no sense of self-preservation at all. Anxiety descended upon her, though, not for herself, for Simon. She’d been trying very hard to convince herself everything was fine, but no matter how hard she tried, worry ate at the back of her mind.
Simon wanted the baby, desperately. She could see that and even while she resented the fact that he hadn’t wanted it before, and hadn’t wanted her, she couldn’t help but be gratified that he seemed to want it now--and more worried. It was going to break her heart if the baby wasn’t strong and healthy. What would it do to Simon when he’d already lost his wife and child?
Simon slipped out of the bed after a moment to remove the clothing he still wore--his boots! And pants.
She reddened, but she felt warmed, too, that he’d been in such a hurry that he hadn’t spared the time to completely undress, even though she looked like a blimp.
When he settled on the bed again, he settled near ‘the baby’, stroking her stomach. It felt good. She didn’t just look ready to pop. She felt like she was ready to explode like an overripe piece of fruit and the counter pressure of his massaging hand felt wonderful.
“If it is a male child, we will name him for my father.”
Raina dragged a pillow beneath her head to watch him. “I was sort of thinking about nami
ng him after his father.”
He looked surprised but pleased. Then he frowned. “This would be confusing. I would not know if you were calling to me or to him.”
Raina swallowed against an uncomfortable knot in her throat, trying to ignore the surge of hopefulness that went through her at that comment. “I didn’t think his father would be around.”
He studied her for a long moment and then slipped up the bed, kissing her lightly on the lips before he settled on his side facing her. She could see from his expression that he was wrestling for words. It surprised her. Simon wasn’t the sort of man who usually had trouble speaking his mind or making a decision. “Whatever you believe, Raina, it was not easy for me to make the decision to leave you,” he said finally. “And it was far more difficult to send Audric with you. I sent him because I knew that he would guard you with his life and I thought you might be in danger.
“Unfortunately, I did not realize that the spy everyone was searching for was one of my own men, but I did not trust them completely--which is why I sent Audric. My mistake was in believing the danger to you would be removed once we had left.”
His eyes filled with anger. “I am not usually so easily duped. It is still hard to accept that a man I had trusted for so many years would betray me, and worse, threaten your life. I still can not believe that not one of us ever suspected that he had had the audacity to take you captive and bring you here on my ship! But I am certain, now, that he did. There is no other way he could have gotten you here so quickly.” He fell silent, reflecting over his carelessness that had almost cost him Raina and his child--that had cost Rama his life, he knew. He had not had the chance to discover if his suspicions were true, but, unless Rama was also involved, Haig would have had to have killed him when he altered the plans so that he could deliver Raina to Jaelen.
It occurred to Raina to ask him if he thought the drug, or the sleep, might have harmed the baby, but he might not know anyway, and she didn’t see any sense in making him worry, too, about something that couldn’t be changed.
The baby seemed to be none the worse for it. She was just going to have to trust that it was.
Which only left her with the anxiety of what the results of their cross breeding might be.
He slipped an arm beneath her shoulders, drawing her closer. “I have a suspicion that Devlyn would not approve if I were to sheathe my sword in your beautiful scabbard again, beloved, but I must confess I am vastly tempted to test his wrath. That was a very nice appetizer, but I am still hungry. I have fasted far too long.”
Raina stared at him a moment while that sank in and finally chuckled. “He did seem a little disturbed that you’d decided to joust with him--but you do realize he may actually be a she?”
He gave her a mock haughty look. “I am Simon Pater-Draken, master of all I survey--even my seed. They would not dare to present me with a female--not for our first born.”
Raina might have taken exception if she hadn’t seen the gleam of amusement in his eyes. It helped that he’d said ‘our first born’ as if he had every intention of being around for a second. Pathetic fool that she was for him, that small encouragement sent a thrill of hopefulness through her. “Oh really?”
He shrugged. “Mayhap it would be wise to choose a female name, as well, just in case there is treachery afoot.”
“What’ve you decided to name her?”
His brows rose. “I thought I would allow you to choose the female name.”
“You are so magnanimous!”
“So I am told,” he retorted, his eyes gleaming with suppressed laughter. “Simon the Magnanimous--that is what I am called I am told.”
“Not Simon the Magnificent?” she asked teasingly.
“That, too,” he murmured, dipping down to nuzzle his face against her throat and suck a love bit on the tender flesh. Leaning away after a moment, he studied her face. Desire gleamed in his eyes, but teasing amusement, as well. “Ah! I sense doubt.” He slipped a hand down to capture one of hers and drew it to him, curling her fingers around his erection. “Behold! Is that not magnificent?”
Raina burst out laughing, but she made a sound of appreciation in her throat as she explored his length with her hand. “All this for little old me?”
The teasing light went out of his eyes. “Only for you, beloved,” he murmured, and set out to prove to her the sobriquet ‘magnificent’ was no exaggeration. Afterward, he spooned with her, dragging her back against his chest and stroking a hand over her swollen belly until she drifted to sleep.
She was surprised to discover he was still with her in the morning, but apparently he was bent on staking his claim as her lover and making it abundantly clear to everyone. Either that or he was just horny as hell because it had been months since they’d been together because they spent the better part of a week reacquainting themselves in his apartments while servants ferried trays of food to them. When they talked, they confined themselves primarily to ‘light’ conversation, which suited Raina. She’d been more than half afraid he’d bring up the pact they’d had before, and when he didn’t, that worried her even more. Something, even so weak a commitment from him as that, was better than having nothing to hold on to.
He poked and prodded until he’d gotten her to tell him all she could remember about her ‘adventure’ and then about herself. She wasn’t comfortable talking about her life after she’d run away. She supposed it didn’t really matter. She was pretty sure he already had a fair grasp on it from what she’d told him already. He didn’t know about her run-ins with the cops, though, or the times she’d been locked up and charged with soliciting, and she didn’t want to have to try to convince him she hadn’t been guilty to start with. It was easier just to avoid talking about it at all.
Unfortunately, the things she didn’t want to tell about herself made it hard to piece together a whole picture for him.
He surprised her by telling her about his life, regaling her mostly with amusing anecdotes--many of which included Audric, although he seemed reluctant to talk much about Audric--but he still told her enough to give her a grasp of what his life had been like when he was growing up, and what life in general was like on his world. Apart from the entertaining aspects, she enjoyed listening. She’d been hungry to know everything about him, and yet the vast differences between his life and hers seemed to her to make the chasm between them wider, more impossible to breach.
She supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised that he seemed willing to talk to her about it when he hadn’t before. She knew, now, why he’d been so reticent before, but she had always sensed that he was a very private man anyway--and cautious about revealing too much about himself.
She was sorry when it ended, but all good things came to an end--eventually, and she admitted, to herself, at least, that she was more surprised that he’d seemed to have no interest in the outside world for as long as he had. She was not only not sexy when she could barely sit up without help and wallowed around the bed like a walrus, but despite his efforts not to show it she was pretty sure he didn’t think so either. He spent far more time cuddling with her and stroking her fat belly than he did trying to think up inventive ways to navigate his way around mount Olympus and even when he did have sex with her, he was either very careful to restrain his passion and use great care or the mountain had severely dampened his passion.
It was still good. The pleasure she felt only from his touch was better than the pleasure she’d known before climaxing from sex--and when he made her come, it was the closest to heaven she ever expected to come.
He woke her tickling her nose with a lock of her hair. She thought it was a bug and slapped at it, whereupon he uttered a husky chuckle.
Cracking one eye a slit, she glared at his grinning face. “Very funny, you ass,” she muttered, struggling to roll onto her side and put her back to him.
He promptly scooted up behind her and shoved his cock between her thighs, pushing slowly in and out while he nuzzled her neck and n
ibbled at her shoulder. “Are you referring to the long eared animal known as a jackass? Or this?” he queried with mock indignation as he squeezed one of her buttocks.
Raina smiled in spite of the fact that she was far more interested in going back to sleep than bantering with him. “Both,” she said promptly. “And you can stop that. I’m not interested … right now.”
He nipped at her ear. “Just go back to sleep, sweeting. I will attend to this. You will not even know that I am here.”
Raina uttered a snorting chuckle. “As if I could sleep with that … log of yours sawing back and forth along the crack of my ass!”
He cupped a breast, massaging it. “Does it not distress you at all to waste such a magnificent erection?”
She chuckled. “It might … if I didn’t know there’s lots more where that came from!”
He lifted his head. “Do you hear that, soldier? I told you you might as well go back to sleep. The lady has spurned you!”
She grinned. “Simon! You are impossible!”
“Nay. I am magnificent,” he retorted with a chuckle.
Shifting her shoulders so that she could see him, she smiled up at him. “Yes, you are.”
He met her gaze for a long moment and finally dipped to kiss her on the tip of the nose. “Now that you are awake, you must get up and dress. Duty calls,” he ended wryly.
Raina frowned at him. “Duty?”
He grunted, popping her buttocks lightly before he rolled away. “Alas, yes. The council is convened and I must go and speak with them.”
Raina pushed herself up on her elbows. “You want me to go with you?” she asked in surprise and not a little dismay.
Correctly interpreting her alarm, he smiled at her reassuringly. “It will not take long to say what I have to say and then I will take you to show you the beautiful side of my homeland. I know that you have seen nothing but the ugliness.”
Dragon Lord Page 29