“Sarah?” He was waiting on word from her whether to keep going or to stop.
Death was a possibility, and the unknown crouched outside the bedroom door, waiting for them. In here, they were a man and a woman who wanted each other. For now, that was enough.
Sarah used her hold on him to pull herself to a seated position. She shrugged out of the oversize shirt and reached behind to unhook her bra. She had a slight moment of panic when she slid the garment down her arms and tossed it aside.
A low growl rippled through the air, and the fine hair on her arms stood on end. Then he touched her. It was the lightest of strokes, just the pad of his thumb over one distended nipple. She gasped and sucked in a breath when he did the same thing to her other breast.
He leaned over her, slowly driving her back until she fell against the pillows. His lips found hers as one of his hands covered a firm mound. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on. The entire world might be upended, but Darius was strong enough to anchor her in the storm.
She gave herself up to the passion that had been bubbling between them since they’d first laid eyes on each other. No regrets, she promised herself. This was a gift for both of them, a respite in an otherwise crazy situation.
Sarah raked her nails lightly over his back, and Darius growled again. Instead of frightening her, the sound was a complete turn-on. It meant he wanted her.
Their tongues tangled as his hand continued to shape and mold her breasts. He broke away and peppered her face, jaw, and neck with kisses. He nibbled at her shoulder and lapped at her collarbone.
Her fingernails made half-circles on his back where she dug into it. His jaw was smooth, no stubble to abrade her skin as he nuzzled the valley between her breasts. He hadn’t shaved, either. She was about to ask him about it when he dragged his tongue over the pebbled tip of her nipple before capturing it between his lips.
Any thought of asking questions melted under the sensual onslaught. She arched upward, seeking more of his touch, threading her fingers through his silky black hair and dragging him closer. His rumble of pleasure vibrated through her and set every nerve ending in her body on fire.
“Darius.” She didn’t know what she wanted to say to him, if anything. She just wanted to hear the sound of his name.
He plumped her breast in his large hand and went back and forth between them, licking and sucking, teasing and pleasuring until she was unable to think. Need pooled low in her belly. Her panties were wet with desire, and she ached to feel him inside her.
With Darius sitting between her thighs, she couldn’t even close her legs to try to ease the vast pressure growing inside her. She groaned and arched up in vain, unable to rub herself against him.
“What do you want?” he asked.
Sarah licked her lips and gasped as another blast of sexual heat flowed through her. “You. I want you.”
…
Darius silently gave thanks to every deity he’d ever heard named over the course of human history. Sarah was warm and willing in his arms. More than that, she wanted him.
He could smell her sweet arousal, could feel the swell of heat rising from her.
He scooted lower on the mattress and let his hands flow down from her breasts and over her slender torso. She was almost too thin, but her hips were curved and her breasts a firm handful. To him, she was perfect because she was Sarah.
He skimmed one finger over the band of her panties, loving the sound of her breath as it caught in her throat. Her hips bucked upward as if seeking his touch.
He wanted to savor the moment and make it last. He wanted to touch and kiss and lick every inch of her creamy skin. That would have to wait for another day. With his cock straining against the zipper of his pants, and his patience hanging by a thread, Darius knew he could hold out no longer.
He hooked his fingers under the waistband of her panties and dragged them down her legs and off. He would have ripped them away if she’d had another pair to wear. He’d buy her dozens of pairs, colorful and silky, just so he could tear them off her.
He lowered his head and buried his nose against her mound. Her sweet and spicy scent filled his nostrils and wrapped around him in a loving embrace. Darius caught her thighs in his hands and pushed her legs open. With his preternatural sight, he could see every delectable pink inch of her.
She gave a strangled sound. Not quite a groan or a gasp, but something in between. He gave an answering growl and lifted her as he lowered his head.
…
Oh, God. Sarah grabbed the sheet beneath her, fisting it in her hands as Darius delved between her thighs. Then his lips touched her slick folds and she lost it. She moaned and bucked her hips as he licked and teased the hot flesh between her legs. He tried to hold her legs open, but she fought him until he let go. Then she twined them around his head.
He laughed and sucked on her clit in such a delicious way that stars exploded behind her eyes. He probed her opening with one thick finger, testing her natural resistance before forging inward. Her inner muscles contracted around him, squeezing, but she was so aroused, so wet, there was nothing to stop him until his finger was buried inside.
Sarah arched her neck as he slowly withdrew his finger and plunged it deep. She bit her lip to keep from crying out, but when he did it again, she couldn’t hold back her whimper of need. What he was doing felt incredible. She’d had lovers over the years, but no man had ever touched her like this. It went beyond the physical and into another realm entirely. She felt her soul reaching for his.
That scared her, but there was no stopping it. And truthfully, she didn’t want to, no matter what the outcome.
He dragged his tongue over her clit before circling the small nub of pleasure. “Come for me,” he demanded. And when he caught it between his lips and growled, it was like having a warm vibrator stimulate her.
Sarah cried out as her orgasm exploded. He said something in a language she didn’t understand. All she knew was the pleasure rushing through her veins. Her slick channel clutched at his finger. She wanted him to move, to slide it in and out, but he kept it steady.
She slumped back on the bed. Every muscle in her body had turned to mush. She’d climaxed, but she wasn’t satisfied, not like she should be. A want, a need grew inside her with each passing second.
“Darius.” She couldn’t wait for him any longer. She lunged upward and attacked the opening of his pants. He tried to help her, but she slapped his hands away. His cock was large and hard against the zipper, making it difficult to undo.
“Let me.” Darius simply yanked on the material, splitting it wide open. His cock fell out into her waiting hand. Like the rest of him, it was big and firm.
Even though she was wet and aroused, and intellectually she knew he should fit, she had concerns. She’d never had a lover quite like Darius before. But her body knew what it wanted. One look at his cock and it spasmed with delight.
“I’ll go slow,” he promised. Once again, he seemed to know what she was thinking. It was more likely this wasn’t the first time he’d had a lover worry about them fitting together.
He wrapped one large palm around the back of her neck, supporting her as he slowly lowered her so her head was resting on the pillow. All the while, he kissed her until there were no worries, no other thought than joining with him.
He continued to kiss her as he reached between their bodies and guided the head of his cock to her opening. The blunt tip nudged inward, momentarily stopped by the hard clutch of her inner muscles.
Darius was patient, not trying to batter down her natural defenses. No, he kissed her senseless, tangling their tongues, pressing lips together in a dance of desperation. Every time she relaxed, he flexed his hips, pushing his hard length deeper into her slick channel.
He teased one of her nipples before covering the entire mound of her breast with his palm. His large body blanketed hers, but she felt cherished, not crushed. He was only partway inside her and she wanted all of him.
“Do it.” She couldn’t wait any longer. Didn’t want to. When he hesitated, she lifted her hips. At the same time, she locked her ankles around his butt and pulled him closer.
The blunt thickness pressed against the inside of her channel, stretching it. Both of them were gasping as though they’d sprinted a mile, but he was completely inside her. He stilled and buried his face in the curve of her neck, not moving a muscle as he gave her body time to adjust, to accept him.
The slight pinch of discomfort dissolved and was replaced by a pleasure so deep she thought she’d drown in it. With her legs wrapped around his flanks and her arms twined around his neck, Sarah held on tightly, sensing he needed that connection as much as she did.
He nuzzled her neck and worked his way up to the sensitive curve of her ear. He licked at the swirls and gently tugged on the lobe. “Promise me you’ll tell me if I’m hurting you.”
Even now, with his cock throbbing deep in her core, he was worried about her. Her heart softened and her entire body seemed to sigh and relax, trusting him to keep her safe. “I promise,” she told him, even though she wasn’t the least bit worried. So far, he’d given her nothing but the most exquisite pleasure.
He pushed upward until his forearms were flat on the bed on either side of her. His biceps bulged as his arms supported his weight. Then he slowly withdrew his shaft until only the tip was still inside her. He paused and flexed his hips, pushing inward once again. The rhythm of advance and retreat became more rapid and ragged as he did it again and again.
Sarah gripped his biceps and drove her hips up on his downward stroke. Every time he filled her, the emptiness inside her disappeared only to reappear when he withdrew. Her blood hummed through her veins and sweat beaded on her brow. She was close. So close.
Darius’s eyes were wide open, and his gaze never left her face as he took her harder and faster. His lips were pulled back in a snarl of pain as he plunged inward over and over. She rode the wave with him, fearing she might expire before it crested.
Pressure built within her, burning her from the inside out. Darius supported himself with one arm and shoved the other one under her, angling her body so her clit brushed against his pelvis. She moaned and ground her groin against his. He drove deep and her entire body clenched, poised on the precipice for one glorious second before tumbling over. She cried out his name. Her body spasmed and clutched his cock.
Darius roared, and his shaft seemed to grow larger, filling her even more. Warmth flooded her, and she knew he’d found his release. He pumped his hips several more times before collapsing on top of her. Before his weight could crush her, he rolled so she was lying on top of him, their bodies still joined.
She kissed his chest and nestled against him. He wrapped her in his embrace and pulled the covers over them once again. She was sticky and sweaty and promised herself she’d get cleaned up as soon as she got her strength back.
She yawned and snuggled closer to his warmth. Darius was better than an electric blanket. His heat and the solid beat of his heart lulled her. She yawned again and closed her eyes. She’d rest for a minute more.
Chapter Seventeen
Darius knew when Sarah finally dropped off to sleep. Her entire body went boneless against his, and her breath deepened and slowed. He adjusted her position slightly so she wouldn’t end up with a crick in her neck and then simply basked in her trust and the afterglow of their lovemaking.
His cock was still buried in her slick warmth. Even now her body gave the occasional jerk, her sheath rippling up and down his length. He should be spent after such a wild ride, but he was hard and ready to go again. As much as it pained him to do so, he eased his shaft from her slick warmth. Sarah needed rest.
He couldn’t help but smile as he remembered the insistent way she’d wrapped her legs around him and bucked her hips against him. The way she’d called his name and gasped with pleasure.
She’d enjoyed their joining just as much as he had. He’d made certain of that. He was old enough and smart enough to know that a physical connection could help bind Sarah to him.
He stilled as the idea took form. He wanted to bind Sarah to him forever. Such a thought had never occurred to him. As much as he needed rest and wanted to stay with Sarah, he needed some space to think.
He also knew Tarrant would be waiting for him to return.
It was harder than he expected to ease Sarah down onto the mattress. She moaned and frowned when her body hit the cooler sheet. He bent over her, inhaled deeply, and breathed warm air over and around her. As if comforted by it, she snuggled down, sighed, and drifted back into a deep sleep. He waited several minutes to make sure she was fully asleep before sliding out of bed. Before he stood, he reached over to the bedside table and hit the manual switch to control the lights. The last thing he wanted was the light to come on and wake her.
He left his clothes on the floor and strode naked to the door. It opened with no sound, and he stepped into the hallway and closed it quietly behind him. Tarrant’s room was just down the hall. He’d find a shower and clean clothes there. They were close enough in size that his brother’s clothes would fit.
Tarrant’s bedroom was the same size as the one he’d just left. There were no mementos lying around, no works of art on the walls. There were, however, several electronic gadgets dumped on the dresser and nightstand.
Darius shook his head and opened his brother’s closet. He chose a plain black T-shirt and a pair of jeans and then headed to the ensuite. A large tiled shower beckoned. He set the clothes on the vanity and stepped into the enclosure. He cranked the water and it immediately cascaded over him. Once he adjusted the temperature, he grabbed the soap from the built-in shelf.
He frowned as he sniffed the fragrant bar. It didn’t smell like the earth and woods, as his soap did, but like the crisp autumn air. It would have to do.
Darius scrubbed from head to toe, doing his best to ignore his hard-on. But try as he might, he couldn’t stop his thoughts from wandering back to Sarah, so snug and warm in the bed down the hall. His beast was restless and wanted to go back and guard her. Darius knew the best way to do that was to eliminate the threat stalking them.
He rinsed the remaining soap away and turned off the water. Steam rose around him and quickly dissipated. He grabbed a towel from a nearby stack and quickly dried himself off.
It only took moments for him to dress. He was more eager than ever to find out if Tarrant had discovered anything that would help. He might tease and torment his brother about his fixation on and fascination with the electronic world, but he was damn grateful for his skills.
Leaving the bedroom behind, Darius headed back to the door at the end of the hallway. He glanced up at the camera, knowing Tarrant would be watching. Sure enough, there was a series of clicks, the sound of metal sliding over metal, and then the door opened. He stepped into the elevator and it went down. When he finally stepped into his brother’s workspace, he was growing impatient.
“Well?”
“These things take time.” Tarrant’s fingers flew over the keyboard in front of him. “And I’m dealing with several problems at once. I want to know who is currently running the Knights of the Dragon. And I’m trying to figure out what to do with that damn book.”
Darius pulled up a chair next to Tarrant. “Find anything interesting?”
Tarrant swiveled his seat around so he was facing Darius. “Yes and no. Herman Temple is a lot older than the sixty years it states on his birth certificate. I told you about the photos I dug up.” He reached back to the console and hit several buttons. Four pictures popped up onto the screen. “I can’t be sure, but I take him to be at least two hundred, maybe older.”
Darius studied the images. His brother was right. They were of the same man. “That’s what I was afraid of.” The older ones were the most dangerous. They were the ones with a taste for
drakon’s blood and the strength and health it gave them.
“As far as I can tell, his son is around seventy, even though he looks in his thirties.” Tarrant paused. “I’ve actually done business with several companies they hold an interest in.”
Darius leaned back and mulled over what his brother had told him. “No escaping the fact that our paths are going to cross with the Knights at some point or another. They’re into business and power, and so are we.”
The corners of Tarrant’s mouth turned up in a sly grin. “Yes, it is inevitable. What’s also inevitable is that I am no longer a shareholder in a certain company. As of a few minutes ago, they have satellite problems that only I can fix. Unfortunately, it may take me a long time to get to them.”
“Is that so?” He loved the way his brother’s mind worked. Darius was more direct when dealing with problems, but Tarrant treated it all like a game of chess. And he was a grand master.
“It is. Sad really. When their shareholders start abandoning ship, I’ll scoop up the shares for cheap and bring the company back from the depths.”
“Then why did you sell your shares if you only plan to buy them back?”
“I try to teach you about business, but you refuse to learn.”
He thought about taking a swipe at his brother. He could use a good fight to work off some of his tension. But this was no place for a brawl. Tarrant would lose his mind if any of his valuable equipment was damaged. “Explain it to me, wise one. I know you make money on the deal, but why would you buy back stock in a company owned by the Knights?”
Tarrant’s smile widened. “Shares are at all all-time high right now. I sell. I make a ton of money. Stocks plummet when there are problems. I buy them cheap, fix the problem, and then they’re worth a lot once again. I make money on both ends of the deal. But even better, I’ll gain control of the company. It will no longer belong to the Knights. It will be mine.”
Darius laughed. “I do love the way you think.”
One of the many computers made a beeping sound, and Tarrant pushed his chair toward it, the wheels gliding over the floor. “Hmm.”
Drakon's Promise (Blood of the Drakon) Page 17