“Your parents…?”
Guinevere nodded and looked over at the fireplace. She wondered what her parents looked like, both as dragons and in human form. She wondered if they had ever come to this town and if they had, what for? One thing Guinevere had never asked her Elder was how she was found and why she was taken in. It never mattered. The only thing that had ever mattered was how much her Elder truly loved her and how well she was cared for.
“I have a lot now thanks to my parents,” he told her, “The house and the land. I can run my business thanks to them. Even though they died when I was a child, I owe my wealth and comfort entirely to them.”
“Being wealthy is good?”
“It is but it has its drawbacks,” he admitted. “Some people dislike me. I have a certain reputation around here, and if you stay long enough you will see how people act with me because of it. Most don’t seem to think I’m as kind as you do.”
“But you are very kind!” Guinevere did not know why but it upset her to think that people in town did not like Doran.
"Thank you," he said, "But many would disagree. To be honest, sometimes I give them a reason to think I'm not very nice. Sometimes I take advantage of my reputation."
Guinevere looked down at the table and thought about Doran’s words. Even if others could not see it, she could tell he was soft at his core. He was not a bad man. Perhaps he was truly the only human she had interacted with at length, but she did not think many would go out of their way to help her like he did. He had a beautiful smile and she wondered why more people did not feel captivated by it.
“Anyway,” he said as he stood up abruptly, “It is getting late and you must be tired.”
Guinevere did not know what came over her but she followed him to the door. A part of her did not want him to leave. She liked the sound of his voice and the energy he gave off. He made her feel things she never knew were possible. He turned to look at her, the fire reflected in his deep brown eyes just like on the previous night. She felt that deep, warm stirring in her once again. It made her want to be close to him but she willed herself to stay still and not do anything rash or strange.
But Doran continued to look into her eyes and it made the warmth and stirring grow stronger and stronger. He leaned in, closer and closer until she could feel his warm breath on her skin. It made a tingling sensation run down her spine and she swallowed hard, holding her breath. He moved in closer until his lips touched hers. She felt a new type of warmth spread from her lips to her whole face and then down her neck. Her heart began to race and she felt like the ground would start to spin beneath her feet at any moment.
Doran moved his head back just so that their lips were no longer pressed against each other. He looked deep into her eyes and she felt like he was trying to reach inside her and learn all her secrets. Guinevere felt more overwhelmed than ever. She quickly looked away from him and leaned into the door, tumbling sideways as it moved to open wider. He grabbed her arm and kept her from falling but immediately let go when she stood up straight and looked at him with a concerned look on her face. Everything he did and all she felt made her think this was all far too much for her. She did not know what to make of any of it or how to deal with it, much less how to act in front of him.
He must have noticed how overwhelmed she was because he stepped back until he was outside and said, “Sleep well.” There was an apologetic look in his eyes and she could hear the sentiment in his voice.
She nodded and closed the door, pressing both hands flat against the wood. She wondered why he had done that and, more importantly, why she wished he would do it again.
Chapter Seven
The following morning, Guinevere felt nervous to step outside to meet Doran. After what had happened the night before it was uncertain how the mood would be. Thankfully, he did a great job at behaving normally. The two of them walked to the same place for breakfast and this time he ordered her extra sausage, which made her very happy. He pulled out the list of items and started planning out their day to make the most use of their time.
“These next three,” he pointed them out, “Are not very easy but I know where to look. It is a bit far and will take most of the day.”
Guinevere nodded as she munched on her last piece of sausage. She poked at the thin, round bread and sighed. It was edible enough just once but maybe not to continue eating it. She cut a small piece and stuck it in her mouth, failing to hide a grimace.
“You don’t have to eat the pancake if you don’t like it,” he told her.
“I don’t like the pancake,” she told him, committing that word to memory as she had done with so many others.
She pushed the plate to the side and pulled the list toward her. His letters curled in an ornate sort of way and as she stared at the paper, she realized her Elder had actually taught her to read human writing when she was little. She wondered if humans learned as quickly as dragons did.
“Where can we find these?”
“We have to travel to the other end of town and a little out of it,” he told her. He explained they were three items needing to be foraged.
The two of them walked through town and she noticed many people still stared at them, but now it was not openly like before. They tried to look from behind papers or stands, peek through curtains, and hide behind their hands to whisper. She wondered what they thought of Doran and her together. She wished to know what was being said. She hoped none of it would put her in any danger. They were reaching the end of town when he turned into a place with high walls and big, red building in the middle.
“You should wait here,” he muttered before marching off to speak to a man standing in front of the building.
She looked around and noticed there were many different kinds of animals, all trapped behind fences. Doran came back a couple minutes later and led her around the back of the red building so they could go inside. He grabbed hay from a large bale and placed some in a bag before pulling the list out from his pocket and looking at it. He frowned.
“You never told me how much hay you needed,” he said.
“I… I don’t know how much I need,” she told him.
“How is that possible?”
“I wasn’t told–”
She gasped and placed her hand over her mouth. This entire time she had managed to keep secret what her mission was, even down to the detail that she had been sent on it. She curled her hand into a fist and gritted her teeth. Surely this would invite questions she simply could not answer.
“You weren’t told how much hay,” he mumbled. She looked up at him and he asked, “Who sent you to get this… Well, quite frankly this is an odd assortment of items.”
“I know,” she muttered softly, looking down at the ground.
Her tone of voice and reluctance to maintain eye contact must have clued Doran in. He stopped asking questions, at least in that moment. He grabbed a few more handfuls of hay and to place in the bag before knotting up the opening. They walked silently out and left that plot of enclosed land until they were right outside the town. There was a large plot of land with many different types of plants. Without saying a word, Doran took charge to find the leaves and seeds of the two plants listed. Neither of those grew in the forest where she lived and she did not know if they grew in any other dragon clan’s area of the forest.
By the time they were finished and making their way back to the cottage, the sun was starting to set. It seemed like it was moving faster than usual but maybe it was just because Guinevere’s mind was filled with too many thoughts. When they arrived at the cottage, she did not even feel hungry. She turned to look at Doran to ask what now or if they should plan for the following morning.
But when she turned around, her breath was taken away. He was standing incredibly close to her, just as close as he had been the previous night. Her heart began to race again and this time when he pressed his lips to hers, she closed her eyes to truly savor the moment. It was unlike anything she had every experi
enced but she knew it was something she could want to do forever. It made her move her body closer to his. She felt his big, strong hands wrap around her small waist and pull her in. Her body pressed into his. She wondered if he could feel her heart rattling in her chest. He ran one hand up her waist and kissed her deeper, making her entire body tremble.
When he pulled away and looked into her eyes, still holding her body, she drew in a long breath but it did not feel like it reached her lungs. The sun moved down past the horizon and the sky began to grow dark. The stars started to twinkle and she could see the reflection of them in his eyes. His long, dark hair looked glossy under the moonlight and she felt her breath taken away once more. He was undeniably beautiful. He leaned in and kissed her again. Her lips moved intuitively like she'd been taught her entire life how to do this. He pressed her body impossibly close to his and she felt his warmth on her. He pushed his tongue past her lips and into her mouth. His flavor was different than anything she had ever taste. It was exquisite and made the warm stirring in her stomach sink deeper.
He pulled back and breathed heavily against her lips before asking, “Is this okay?”
She was not sure how to answer. She could not tell him if it was right or wrong to be doing this; all she knew was that she liked it, and she liked it a lot. She bit her lower lip and stared at his, trying to think of what to respond. He loosened his hold on her and she could feel him starting to retreat. Without thinking, she reached out and grabbed hold of his arms to stop him from moving away. The rush of feelings overtook her completely and she pressed her lips to his, opening her mouth at once so that she could taste his tongue again. He kisses her deeply and hungrily, making her feel like he enjoyed this as much as she did. Her heart beat faster than before and warmth spread over her entire body. He kissed her cheek and then pressed his lips to her jawline. She instinctively dropped her head back, baring her neck to him.
He kissed her lip and the warmth coursing through her body turned into heat. The coiling in the pit of her stomach dropped lower and tightened, making her feel a surge of pleasure between her legs that caused her to gasp out loud.
“Is there something wrong?”
His husky voice was slightly coarse and it made her skin tingle. She gulped and pressed her hand to her chest, trying to catch her breath.
“I… I don’t know what is going on,” she confessed, “My body…”
“Your body,” he whispered against her cheek. He kissed her face until he reached her ear and asked, “Are you feeling pleasure in your body? Excitement?”
“Yes,” she panted out.
He pulled back and looked into her eyes. His expression was one she had never seen before. His eyes displayed a type of hunger she had never seen in a dragon’s eyes or any other beast. He had never even looked like that after a long day when his stomach was growling. His pupils were dilated and eyelids heavy. She could not figure out why he looked so different now but she assumed it was not something bad. It dawned on her that perhaps she looked similar to him. Maybe this was just a human response to what they’d been doing outside the door of the cottage.
He reached behind her and pushed the door open, walking her backward until they were both inside. He turned her and slammed her back against the door and kissed her deeply, swallowing the yelp that had escaped her lips. His tongue wound around hers more aggressively than before. The kiss went from deep to fueled with a fiery passion in a matter of minutes. Guinevere was having trouble keeping up but she did not want to stop. She placed her hands on his face and held him as if that were the only way to keep up with him. It felt like he was rushing to some sort of destination even though they were just standing inside his cottage.
She felt his hand move slowly up her side and over her breasts. She gasped. It felt very intimate and she knew right away that was not a part humans touched casually. He kissed her neck and began to massage one of her breasts over the dress, making her breathe heavily. The tight, hot sensation between her legs had not disappeared. Instead, it had grown so strong it felt like it was spreading through her legs and hips and she was sure there was moisture between her legs now as well. She squirmed against him and felt something very big and hard press against her.
She jumped and a small squawk escaped her lips. He pulled back and looked into her eyes, his even darker than they had been outside. He took one of her hands and guided her to rub the hard bulge under his pants. He groaned against her neck and breathed more heavily than before. She did not know what it was about it but rubbing him and hearing the sounds he made as a result of it made her want to keep doing it.
“Oh, Guin-ev-ev-ere,” he grunted into her ear.
He ran his fingers through the long locks of her light blonde hair, which looked silver from the moonlight entering through the main room’s window. He tugged at it gently and she looked up, baring her neck again so he could freely close his lips over it. She felt him suck on it and a sharp mix of pain and pleasure ran through her. Quite suddenly, he dropped into a crouch and started to pull her dress up slowly as he stood up. Guinevere stood very still, heart thumping in her chest, wondering what he was planning to do now. He ran his fingers over the inside of her thigh and over the covering her wings had made, right at her center.
“Oh!” she cried out with a heavy exhale, her entire body quivering.
If she had thought anything else gave her a great pleasure she had never known before, this topped it all. Just the one gentle touch of Doran’s made her yearn for more.
“More,” she breathed out pleadingly, “More. More.”
He rubbed his hand against her center and she moaned loudly, the quivering of her body intensifying. She felt heat pump through her veins and she shut her eyes. It felt like she was starting to grow so hot she could even burn from the inside out. He kissed her deeply, hungrily, and continued to rub her. The pleasure became so intense she grabbed his hand and stopped the movement. It had become too much. She rested back against the door and panted, looking up at the ceiling hoping cool air would soon fill her lungs. She wished the cool night breeze could enter her body and help calm her.
“So you don’t want more now?”
“I don’t know,” she told him breathily.
She wanted to experience and enjoy the immense pleasure he was giving her but did not know how to physically handle it. Not once had her Elder mentioned such a thing was possible. What was she supposed to do now? This was her own decision to make. Guinevere looked deep into his eyes and kissed him. She rubbed the hard bulge in his pants and he soon whispered gruffly, “I need to release.”
“Release,” Guinevere repeated, not sure what he meant.
Doran nodded and unbuttoned his pants. He took a few steps back and she saw him pull something very long and thick out of his pants. She knew it must have been the hard bulge she had just been rubbing. The sight of him rubbing the long shaft with the palm of his hand made the wetness at her center increase and her mouth salivate. He reached out and she took his hand, walking forward slowly without looking away from it.
“This,” he muttered against her lips.
He took her hand and had her wrap it around the shaft. It was hard and warm and she could feel the blood pulsing through it. She started to stroke up and down like she'd just seen him do and the groans from deep in his throat were louder and needier than before. She stroked a little faster, holding it tight and he grabbed her hair tightly.
“Yes,” he panted against her ear, “It feels so good.”
“What else,” she breathed, “What else can I do?”
“With my cock?”
“Cock,” she breathed out, yet another word to commit to memory. She was holding his cock and it made him feel really good. She liked it. She liked it a lot. That was precisely why she wanted to know what else to do to pleasure him.
He ran his thumb over his lips and looked at her meaningfully. It took her a moment but then she realized he was telling her to press her lips to his cock the way they
’d pressed their lips together. She got down on her knees in front of her and gasped; it looked even bigger now that it was staring her in the face. The moisture between her legs had started to stick on her thighs and the desire to have him touch her again grew stronger. Still, she wanted to remain focused on his cock. She kept repeating the word silently in her mind, almost as if in awe. She wrapped her hand around the shaft and moved forward, pressing her lips onto the tip. Doran shook and groaned again. She looked up at him and then something came over her– she opened her mouth and wrapped it around him. She moved her head forward, taking more of his length into her mouth.
“Oh fuck!” he choked out.
She pulled her head back and looked up at him, not knowing if what she had just done was good or bad. His eyes were closed and he opened them to look down at her. They were still dark and hungry like before. There was sweat on his forehead, making the front of his otherwise sleek hair become damp.
“That was good,” he reassured her, “So good.”
Guinevere smiled and nodded before opening her mouth and taking his cock inside it again. She moved her head forward and held it there. She was not sure how long he wanted it in her mouth and he soon picked up on that.
“You’ve never done this before, have you?”
Guinevere pulled back and looked up at him. She shook her head to indicate she had not and felt her cheeks burning as they blushed. He smiled and crouched down to be at the same level as her. He ran his thumb sweetly over her cheek and then cupped her face between his hands.
“You don’t have to do this. You should only do this if you really want to.”
Guinevere looked deep into his eyes and assured him, “I want to do this.”
“You’re sure?”
Guinevere nodded and reached down to wrap her hand around his cock. She wanted to show him how much she really wanted to keep this going. He kissed her and they tumbled back onto the floor, Guinevere on her back and Doran on top of her. She felt his cock poke against her center and she gasped. He quickly moved over and got on his back. Guinevere followed her instincts and sat up to move down and wrap her mouth around his cock again. This time, since he knew she was new at this, he wrapped a chunk of her hair around his hand and guided her. He moved her head up and down his shaft, sometimes slow and other times fast. Sometimes he moved her head further down until she felt the tip of his cock poking her throat.
Romance: The College Bad Boy: A Young Adult Romance Page 63