Dragon Wish

by Judith Leger

  Her hands smoothed down his chest to his abdomen.

  Slick skin over hard muscles tensed beneath her palms. He

  rolled over, his hands under her hips, lifting them. One

  heartbeat later, he thrust deep inside her, sliding with ease

  into her slick entrance.

  A moan escaped her. Yes, she needed this, no one but he

  would do. Her angel. Freeing her lips, she begged, “Please,

  please.”

  “Always,” he groaned, capturing her mouth with his once

  more.

  Seren slid her fingertips over the sleek muscles of his

  back to the curve of his buttocks. She grasped them, pulling

  him harder, faster into her. She wanted him to...

  White streaks flared behind her eyelids. Her entire body

  jerked with her climax, followed by warm lassitude, numbing

  her limbs. He stiffened and emptied himself into her womb.

  She cried out, unable to hold the sound in. Gasping, she

  kissed his shoulder, his neck, her tongue tasting the saltiness

  she found there. He lifted her chin, claiming her lips again.

  “Sweet,” she whispered. He shifted off her and pulled her

  close to him. Wrapping a leg over his hip, she dozed.

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  Dragon Wish

  Twice more before sunrise, she dreamed of her angel.

  Each time, he brought her pleasure the likes of which she’d

  never before experienced. No foreplay, no sex toys, all she

  needed was his kiss, his heavenly touch, and the hard length

  of him buried inside her. Each climax burned her like a

  Roman candle exploding on the fourth of July.

  He remained silent during their lovemaking. She liked

  that. She’d tried to discuss the dragon with friends and

  associates, but their responses failed to solve the puzzle of

  the vision. Helpful advice and assumed suggestions hadn’t

  worked to eliminate the problem. The vision continued. So

  she’d had enough of talk.

  Right now, she wanted someone to give her peace, and

  for a short time, allow her to rest. He succeeded.

  * * * *

  Warmth and the orange glow of light beat against her

  closed eyelids. He shifted away. She groaned. Her body felt

  weighed down, yet nothing but the covers were on top of her.

  She cracked open her eyes. Across the room, past where he

  sat on the edge of the mattress, angled sunbeams came

  through the windows. The golden light struck him in a

  framed picture, branding it into her memory for life. For a

  moment, broad shoulders slumped as his chin rested against

  his chest. He inhaled deep, and then pushed up off the bed.

  Her breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t imagined it.

  He was beautiful. Every muscled curve, each firm line

  rippled with perfection.

  Her thoughts whirled with memories of last night. She’d

  dreamed of him. She straightened to a more comfortable

  position. Soreness pulled between her legs. Her gaze,

  widened. Shocked, she stared at the back of his head.

  Oh, God, what had she done? She’d let him make love to

  her during the night. She tried to remember if he’d worn any

  protection.

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  Dragon Wish

  She bit her bottom lip. Her palm covered the base of her

  belly. She might, even now, carry his child. She released a

  shaky breath, hoping that never happened.

  Memories of long sweltering summer days playing in the

  park, laughing while wet, tiny arms embraced her after a

  warm bath, the first day of school, and then...Seren squeezed

  her eyes shut in an attempt to stop the images of her

  daughter’s death and the days—no, years which followed.

  She attempted to quell the familiar resentment of her

  psychic ability as it was now compared to before she lost

  Mandy, but failed. The anger never left her. She should have

  known and somehow saved her daughter from the drunk

  driver. Because of this, she’d decided never to have any more

  children, a fact her ex-husband, Lance, hadn’t been able to

  understand.

  Lance had assumed she’d change her mind, but this was a

  decision she’d stood by. Seren refused to chance losing

  another child. He’d filed for divorce two years later.

  Sunlight streamed through the windows and cast a glow,

  surrounding the stranger’s body. Golden hair rippled over

  his shoulders. The beauty of his hair captured her attention.

  The strands shifted to one side, revealing muscled buttocks.

  Seren’s turbulent thoughts ended with a rush of intense

  desire flooding her body. She gritted her teeth, confused at

  her reaction and tried hard to fight her own passion.

  Every movement was slow, almost lazy, yet she sensed a

  layer of steel beneath the quiet veneer. She stared at him,

  unable to tear her focus away while he poured water from a

  pitcher into a bowl.

  Droplets, sparkling in the light, flung wide while he

  washed. Her gaze wandered over his lean legs, up his

  sculptured back, and across broad shoulders. She stopped at

  the strange mark on his left arm. A raised tattoo in the shape

  of a white dragon spiraled from his wrist to end just above

  his left breast.

  Her breath caught in her throat. Sore muscles in her back

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  Dragon Wish

  stiffened. He was the dragon. The mark was proof. She met

  his stare in the small mirror on the upright chest where the

  wash bowl sat. She froze, heart thudding against her chest at

  being caught studying him.

  He lifted the pitcher.

  “The water is from yesterday, but it is still clean if you

  choose to freshen up,” he told her, lowering his eyelids,

  hiding the blue. “I am going below to break my fast. I will let

  the Innkeeper know you are here and to bring some clothing.

  Once you dress, you are welcome to join me.”

  “Where is this place?” She sat up, pulling the covers to

  her neck. “What is the meaning of the dragon?”

  “Gilliesport.”

  She frowned in confusion. The unfamiliar name hung in

  the air between them. She swallowed before asking, “Where

  is that?”

  The left side of his mouth curved up. “Where are you

  from?”

  She hesitated. He’d been in her home last night, yet he

  acted like he didn’t know where she lived. She narrowed her

  eyes, trying to see into his mind without any results. Did he

  think she was stupid? His expression never changed. “New

  Orleans.”

  A vee formed between his brows. He appeared to not

  understand what she meant. He was silent as he dragged on

  his pants.

  “Louisiana,” she added, frustrated with his lack of

  response. What game was he playing?

  Tugging on his boots, he stopped and glanced at her. “I

  have never heard of loueezzeeaannah.”

  “It’s in the U.S. You have to know the United States.” She

  looked at him and rolled her eyes. “Of America.” With no

  recognition evident in his eyes, her heart thumped harder, its

  beats increasing, pounding an erratic rhyth
m in her chest.

  Her blood surged through her veins, and her head throbbed.

  She spoke low, the words edged with anger. “North America.

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  Dragon Wish

  It’s on Earth.”

  He nodded with a slight smile on his lips. “Ah, Earth.

  Now, I have heard that before. Sister planet to Avaris.”

  Dressed in his shirt and pants, he fastened the wide black

  belt at his lean middle. After he slipped his coat on, he slid

  the two scabbards through the belt, one on each side of his

  waist.

  Seren stared at the weapons. He’d worn them last night.

  Now, she wondered why. The black handles reflected the

  sun’s light, and each was tipped with a clear, round, gold-

  encased stone. Once he finished, his gaze met hers. “There is

  a man in Dene. He claims he, too, is from Earth. Perhaps,

  you should speak with him.”

  “You’re nuts, aren’t you? There’s no way I could have

  traveled from one planet to another. Tell me the truth, where

  am I?” The news of someone else who knew the places she

  mentioned had little if any impact on her. The sudden rise of

  her fear threatened to turn into panic. “How can we talk to

  each other if we come from separate planets?”

  “You are, indeed, on Avaris. Both Earth and Avaris are

  connected to one another by the dragons’ magic. The portal

  can only be opened at the gathering of the great ones, or

  perhaps, by combining the powers of several talented

  wizards.” He stopped and shrugged before his stare met hers.

  “We have magic so powerful we are able to understand what

  anyone says at any time. It is a common spell placed on all

  babes at the time of their births. The one I placed on you

  when I found you enables me to understand you and to

  speak in your language. You now also have the ability to

  speak and understand my language.”

  Unable to fully believe him, she stared wide-eyed at him.

  The door rattled under a heavy fist. A rasping voice

  sounded from the other side. “Ready to depart in an hour,

  Cap’an.”

  She twitched and tightened her hold on the blanket.

  He glanced from the door to her. Their eyes locked. His

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  Dragon Wish

  voice remained soft, gentle, and calming. “Only the cosmos

  knows how the two planets became connected. No one that I

  know of has ever questioned it.”

  Her voice trembled with unshed tears, frustration, and

  the hot embers of her anger. “Well, I do. I want to go home. I

  want to know what the dragon means. What do you intend to

  do with me? Last night, we—oh, God, I just want to go

  home.”

  With a slow gait, he walked to the door. He lifted one

  hand and grasped the knob. Without looking at her, he said,

  “I cannot send you home.”

  “Why not?” Frightened, overwhelmed with what had

  happened to her, Seren gripped the covers, her knuckles

  white. Tears scalded the lids of her eyes, shame and despair

  built in her mind.

  “The only way I know of is to have the great dragon clan

  leaders open a portal.”

  “Then tell them to do it.”

  He shook his head, a sad smile forming on his lips. “One

  does not go to the dragons to demand something. It is by

  their will that peace is possible on Avaris, therefore, we are

  obligated to them.”

  “They have to send me home. I don’t want to be here!”

  “I suppose I shouldn’t have brought you through the

  portal. It seemed right to do so.”

  “For who? You?” Furious and more than a little

  frightened for the future, she lashed out at him. “We had sex

  last night. There might be complications I don’t want.”

  His response followed on the heels of her statement. “I

  agree. Even now, I travel to return my beloved wife to her

  family. She bled to death trying to rid her body of my child. If

  I had a choice between a willing and an unwilling mother to a

  babe of mine, I would much prefer to do without either.”

  Horrified, Seren’s eyes widened. She started to speak, but

  he opened the door and left, shutting it with gentle care

  behind him.

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  Dragon Wish

  His words still echoing in her ears, Seren huddled under

  the blankets. The shock of what had happened to him

  surprised her enough to forget her own troubles for a

  moment. Guilt at her callous manner toward him came over

  her. She shook her head then clenched her fists, fighting the

  need to call out to him, begging him to return. He didn’t

  appear the type to accept an apology. She bit her lips,

  sucking them between her teeth.

  Who was this man? Where was Avaris? What kind of

  world was it where dragons ruled? For a second, she stilled.

  The warmth of the sun fell across her face and upper body.

  She hadn’t even asked his name.

  She shifted on the over-soft mattress. Muscles, unfamiliar

  with the type of exertion she had asked of them last night,

  pulled and tightened. No, she was alive. Vivid memories

  from the last few hours spread fiery heat up her chest to fill

  her face. Sex. No other word described what had occurred

  between them the night before. Hot, lurid sex with a

  complete stranger.

  She tried to pull in a deep breath, but her lungs refused to

  expand far. With just the physical act, he had accomplished

  what her husband hadn’t been able to achieve even after

  hours of foreplay. She had climaxed every time. Once, she’d

  reached her peak twice, her body tightening around the

  entire length of him stronger than the first instance. He’d

  reached his also.

  After a shuddering breath, she waited for the appearance

  of the vision. Nothing happened. The terrifying image

  seemed to be gone. She still felt the remnants of the pressing

  weight the vision put on her, but the bone-deep fear

  remained absent.

  Scratching came from the door. She glanced at the

  wooden barrier. Her voice cracked when she spoke, “Who’s

  there?”

  “Be Alice, mum. The cap’an sent me ’ere to give ye these

  clothes.”

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  Dragon Wish

  Seren’s gaze bounced from one spot to another around

  the room. What now? Should she let this woman in? The

  news of the clothes tempted her. Knowing she had to get out

  of bed sometime, she tightened her hold on the covers and

  called, “Come in.”

  The door opened, revealing a full-bosomed woman. She

  swept in, her long black curls bobbed about her head,

  swirling over her shoulders. Her wide brown eyes scanned

  the room. When she spied Seren, she stopped and grinned,

  showing off a mouth full of white teeth.

  A narrow scarf held the mass of hair away from round,

  rosy cheeks and a broad forehead. The yellow peasant shirt

  with a low scooped neck and a brown, ruffled, long skirt

  clung to the generous curves of her body. The sandals she

&n
bsp; wore revealed bright red painted toenails.

  “So, you’re the one keeping the cap’an up most of the

  night. I sleep right above ’ere. I could ’ear that bed a movin’

  all night. W’at a man, the cap’an is.” A dreamy expression

  covered the woman’s face as she sashayed across the room, a

  bundle clutched in one hand. She plopped on the bed at

  Seren’s feet. Her skirts floated up then settled over well-

  rounded legs.

  This woman had heard them. Seren’s face flamed hotter.

  She pressed her hands over her cheeks. Oh, please let me live

  through this.

  Observant eyes flickered over Seren, a mischievous glint

  in them. “I brung ye some clothes, though from the looks of

  ye, they won’t fit. Dinna know the cap’an liked ’em so young.”

  Seren reached out, clasping the offered bundle. Untying

  the dull brown sleeves crisscrossed over the folded cloth, she

  lifted a blouse. Much too large, the oval neckline would fall

  low on her chest, revealing more than she wanted. The

  woman may be outspoken, but she was a good judge of size.

  Letting her hands drop to her lap, the shirt wadded on

  the bedcovers, Seren lifted her gaze to the woman. “Do you

  have some men’s clothes, maybe boy’s pants and shirt?”

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  Dragon Wish

  “Well, I might be able to find ye somethin’. Cap’an says he

  brun’ ye ’ere. Couldn’t ’elp wonderin’ w’at ’appened to yer

  clothes.” Eyes bright with curiosity, the woman leaned

  closer, anticipation heavy in her husky voice. “Tell me, w’at’s

  it like, bein’ with him?”

  Amazed that this woman, a complete stranger, dared to

  question her concerning something so personal, Seren

  swallowed and leaned back, putting distance between them.

  Did this woman believe she had such loose morals? The

  answer showed in the bright look angled at her. Embarrassed

  by what had occurred last night, Seren shook her head. “I

  don’t think the captain would appreciate me talking about

  him.”

  The woman straightened, her mouth twisted into a pout

  before she huffed out a sigh. “So ye know ’im well, do ye? Of

  course, ye right. The cap’an ’s a secretive man. A real gent, ’e

  is. But when ’e’s around us common folk, ’e don’t put no airs

  on. Right favorite ’e is to us. So be careful ’ow ye treat ’im.”

  In a flurry of flying skirts, the woman jumped up and hurried

  to the door. “I’ll be back in a blink. Wash up, mum, ye still