Kiss of the Dragon

by Christina James

  When Bianca realized that her voice had risen to a shout she glanced around to find several stable boys who happened to be walking by had stopped to stare at them. But the glare that the great dragon aimed in their direction sent them on their way. Bianca tried to pull free but Draco was not ready to let her go. He pulled her resisting body close once again. In a lowered voice, Bianca challenged Draco. “What do you know of me to make such assumptions?”

  “I know your passion is new to you and that you are uncertain of how to handle it.” His soft words were low and hummed over her nerves like warm honey causing her traitorous body to respond even if she wanted to deny it. His gaze dropped to her breasts and her nipples responded by pushing wantonly through the soft fabric of her gown. “Your heart and body want me, even as your words deny it.” As she noticed where his gaze had dropped, Bianca quickly covered her breasts with her arm and lifted her chin in defiance.

  His understanding shook Bianca. To have this large, war-hardened man know exactly how his desire affected her was very disconcerting. She vowed then and there that he would never know just how much, at least not until she was sure of him.

  “I will admit that you have awakened my desire. But perhaps I have a passionate nature, and who is to say if you are the only man who can satisfy my needs?” She couldn’t believe she had actually spoken so wantonly, but the words were out and she had to back them up with a look of confidence.

  Formidable was the only word to describe Draco as her words sank in. His massive shoulders squared, his broad chest expanded as his body moved into a menacing stance, his strong, muscular legs braced apart, his thick, corded arms bent as his fist balled against his hips. He looked to be a man on a dangerous mission and he meant to see it done and nothing would dissuade him from it.

  “Is that so, Bianca?” His words were soft and menacing.

  Unable to find her voice at that moment, she could do no more than nod her head.

  “Then perhaps you would be willing to accept a small challenge.” His voice was silky smooth as he approached her, moving like a huge cat, stalking its small prey. He stopped not a breath’s distance from her, almost touching her. She had to tilt her head back to look up into his gleaming black eyes and she nearly swallowed her tongue at the hot desire she saw there. No matter that she had momentarily angered him, he still wanted her. A deep red flush covered her face and neck and her heartbeat galloped as she stood there barely breathing while he stared down at her as if she were the only woman in the world.

  “What would you have me do?” Her body betrayed her even as she asked the question in a voice that was a mere whisper. Her gaze settled on his mouth and the tip of her tongue flickered out to wet her suddenly dry lips. She hoped he would kiss her. She wanted him to kiss her in that totally possessive manner that left her breathless and dizzy.

  Ever so slowly, Draco dipped his head lower as if he sought the same thing she did. But when he stopped just short of touching his lips to hers, he spoke the words she would never have expected to hear from him. “You…must…kiss…the next man who comes into the stables.”

  Pulling abruptly back, her mouth dropped open in a very unladylike manner, Bianca stared at him incredulously. “What do you mean, kiss the next man to come in here? Are you mad?”

  “No, Bianca, I am just trying to make a point. You claimed only moments ago that, although I was the one who had awakened your passion, any man could do the same. Now I am giving you the chance to prove it. You have merely to kiss the next man to come through that door and we will see if your reaction to him is the same as it is to me.”

  “This is foolishness. I do not need to prove anything to you or to myself.”

  “You are afraid.”

  Bianca bristled at his accusation. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, that was where she suddenly found herself. With her impetuous boast, she had gotten herself into this mess and now she found herself facing this challenge. And he knew she would not back down, that was obvious by his derisive smile.

  “Oh, very well,” she conceded ungraciously. “I will kiss the first man who walks through the door.” She thrust her chin out in defiance.

  “How long are we going to wait?” Bianca ventured after a while when no one appeared at the door. She was getting fidgety and restless and began to pace the small space of the stall.

  “As long as it takes.” Draco leaned back against the stall gate and grinned.

  “Don’t you dare find humor in my dilemma, you great oaf,” she muttered just out of his hearing. She finally stopped in front of him. “This is a very important issue.”

  “Is it?”

  “Yes, it is. After all, it is essential that we know if you will be filled with desire for your future husband.”

  Bianca’s head whipped around at his caustic words, but his attention seemed to be riveted on the doorway. It was impossible for her to discern whether or not his words held any hidden meaning. Was he reminding her that they had found great passion and, therefore, would make a good match? Or was he threatening to give her up to another?

  “Ah, I think someone comes.” Draco smiled boldly as she fought back an attack of panic. Bianca glared at him and squelched the urge to stick her sharp elbow in his side.

  She watched the doorway, waiting breathlessly, listening to approaching footsteps. Bianca wanted to flee down the center aisle of the stable and disappear out the back entrance before she was forced to go through with this ridiculous charade. They both knew with a certainty that she had lost her heart to Draco.

  Laughter filtered through the doorway and to her dismay the sound resembled the croaking of a large bull-frog. “Oh, no! I could not be so cursed!” She moaned beneath her breath drawing her companion’s attention. She turned a sickly shade of green and covered her mouth with her hand as if she were suddenly ill. Draco’s smile widened at her less than pleased reaction to the man who was about to make his appearance.

  “For a fact, Franz, a finer fertile female I have ne’er fixed eyes on. I feel we should focus forthwith on the fall when she feels freer and more flexible to her fate of becoming Frau Froschfuerst.” At the conclusion of his declaration, the German nobleman and his herald, Franz, stepped through the stable doorway. Unfortunately, the toady little count was in the lead.

  Muttering profanities under her breath, Bianca gathered her reckless courage about her. She gave Draco a defiant look before she started toward her target.

  Count Friedrich’s bulging eyes protruded even farther when he noticed who was standing before an empty stall. “Gut tag. Good day, mein fraulein.” He did a stiff bow before he looked questioningly at Lord Draco. “I have not had the fulfillment of making friends of the famous Black Dragon.”

  “Ah, Count Friedrich, I heard that you had arrived just this morning. I hope you have had a pleasant day so far.”

  Bianca was sure Draco had heard about the incident in the garden and, as he glanced at her, she glared back at him. Draco’s lips twitched uncontrollably. It was obvious that the fat little German count had changed his clothes after his drenching in the pond.

  As Bianca turned to face the German count, Draco put his hand at the small of her back and gave her a slight nudge. She could not believe she had agreed to go to such lengths just to prove herself wrong. Pursing her lips resolutely, she approached the Count. As if reading her intention in her expression, the frogman composed his seemingly lip-less mouth into a semblance of a pucker.

  Her determined steps faltered as she reached him. Her stomach heaved as she caught sight of his perspiring brow over mossy eyes, large, twitching nostrils and wide-mouthed pucker, and she turned around.

  I cannot do this.

  Even if the German count had been the handsomest of men, she could not bring herself to kiss him. She loved only one man. Bianca turned away from the expectant man to look at Draco. She walked slowly up to him, searching his face for something, anything that would give her hope that he cared. The ferocious look of possession s
he found there seared right through her, leaving her breathless. The look of hunger and apprehension in those warm, dark eyes told her what she wanted to know. Draco did not want her to kiss the German and if she had, her Dragon would most likely have run the man through with his mighty sword.

  How could he not know how much she loved him? She had been so obvious in her seduction. A blind man would have known that she wanted only him.

  “You win, my lord. You have made your point. I desire no other,” she conceded to put an end to this farce. Ignoring the audience behind her she stepped close and raised her face to his, offering her lips for a kiss. His gaze warmed even more and she knew he understood. “You are the only man I desire, my lord.”

  Her acknowledgment was offered in a low murmur as she grasped the back of his neck and forced his head down so she could place a soft, warm kiss on his slightly parted lips. Before he could pursue the matter, she stepped back and walked out of the stable as regal as a queen, her back straight, her chin held high. Draco smiled and then laughed aloud with true pleasure over her admission. Yea, he had known all along, but it was nice to have her voice the words.

  “There is no cause for you to stay, Count. The lady is already spoken for.”

  “Forgive me, Lord d’Ensoleille, but the fair fraulein is far from being affianced.”

  “She may not be wedded yet, but she is not available for your wife.”

  “The future is not yet foretold, friend.”

  Draco gave up the infuriating conversation with the thickheaded German count and walked away, mumbling a choice F-word about the wart-covered Prince of Frogs.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The loud rumble of thunder brought Bianca’s head up as she scanned the sky in consternation. In her present mood, the promise of a good rain shower could not have come at a better time. But even as she searched the afternoon sky for storm clouds, the ground beneath her feet trembled and rolled in an alarming manner. She whirled around and found a large black charger bearing down on her at a horrifying pace. She had only a quick glimpse of the giant man in a flowing black cloak atop the beast before she found the world tilting alarmingly as she was grasped about the waist by a large, muscular arm. Bianca found herself deposited on Draco’s lap, the impact leaving her breathless as his black-as-sin stallion, Inferno, thundered across the inner bailey at full gallop carrying them with ease. It was not until they had left the bailey behind and crossed the drawbridge that she found the breath to protest.

  “What do you think you are doing?” She squirmed about in his iron grasp so she sat face to chest with Draco. She had to tip her head back to look him in the face.

  “I am giving you your heart’s desire, my lady. You wanted to go riding. Therefore, I am here to accommodate your wishes.”

  “Are you mad? What will people say about this bold display? We cannot just ride away from the castle without an escort. It is not done.”

  “Let them think what they will. You are in my protection for the day. Trust me.” He smiled when she glared at him, not amused that he had used her favored phrase.

  “Hold on.” The words were barely out of his mouth when he urged Inferno to a faster pace. Bianca clutched his arm and held tight as they raced down the road away from the castle, her long hair streaming out around them, blending with his dark cloak like a banner.

  With her soft buttocks resting on his hard thighs, her silky hair caressing his face, Draco was reminded of the night before when he had shared her bed. The motion of the galloping horse moved her round bottom against his groin in a familiar rhythm and he had to grit his teeth and shift slightly in his saddle to accommodate his rising desire. The pleasure-pain of it was exquisite.

  “Where are you taking me?” Bianca asked as she squirmed in his lap. A groan nearly escaped his lips as the friction between their bodies only added to his already rising ardor. He clamped his arm tighter around her to prevent her from moving about so dangerously.

  “Did you hear me, Draco? Where are we going?”

  “To the Rom encampment.”

  At his announcement, Bianca went very still in his arms. If he had expected to impress her by giving her this adventure, he had failed miserably. He glanced down to find her face ashen, her lips tight with displeasure as she silently stared ahead of them. Had he made a mistake in bringing her along?

  “You do not care for the Rom?”

  “I like them well enough.”

  “Ha, your lack of enthusiasm tells a truer tale than you would admit. It is plain that you have no like for gypsies. Why does your father allow them to camp on his land if they are not welcomed here?”

  “I have no grievance against the Rom as a whole. It is just that…I am apprehensive of being around them. As for why my father puts up with them, that is his affair.” She was not going to give him a satisfactory answer.

  “Why are you apprehensive of the Rom, Bianca?”

  She did not answer right away and Draco wondered if she would just ignore his question, hoping that he would talk of other things. But he was not about to ignore this apprehension of hers. She needed to talk to someone about her fears. He’d learned long ago that fear is best dealt with straight on instead of waiting for it to bring you low.

  Draco tightened his hold, dropping his head protectively. “Tell me,” he whispered into her ear. The gentle entreaty in his voice was backed by a velvet-covered iron will. She could tell that he would not let the matter drop until she gave him a plausible explanation.

  “When I was a young child the gypsies stole me away from my home.”

  Of all the responses Draco had expected to hear, that Bianca had been abducted by the traveling Rom had never entered his mind.

  He slowed Inferno to a sedate walk so he could devote more attention to her distressing words. They left the road and meandered through the thick green foliage of the woods just north of Castle Neige. The gypsy encampment lay an hour’s ride from the castle itself, giving the camp privacy.

  “Why did they take you? Were you ransomed?” Draco found it hard to believe that the Rom would do such a thing. Many benevolent nobles allowed roaming gypsy bands to set up camp indefinitely on their land. While there, they sold their potions and spells to anyone in the community who visited their camp and who could afford the price. They were always careful to stay on good terms with their temporary landlord so that they would be invited to return every year or so.

  “I can understand your dislike for the gypsies after your experiences. But why would a poor band of gypsies take a noble’s child? Did they demand ransom for your father?”

  “No. They did not want any ransom. They took me because of my mother. The Rom arrived shortly after she died in childbirth and they blamed my father for her death.” She watched his face, wanting to see his expression when she made her final admission. At his look of puzzlement, she hesitated, afraid that what she was about to tell him would disgust him and he would turn his back on her.

  “Bianca?”

  “Because my mother was Rom.” She spoke defiantly, waiting to see if the revelation repulsed him. When he raised not a brow in surprise, she went on, “When she died, my grandfather, who was the leader of the band, blamed my father and demanded that I be given to the Rom to be raised. My father refused of course and demanded that they leave his land. It was then that my grandfather abducted me.”

  Bianca shuddered at the memory of being dragged from her bed in the middle of the night by strangers, to be kept locked in the back of a wagon for days.

  Draco drew her trembling body tight against his powerful chest and placed a light kiss on her hair. Whatever had happened to that small child was forever imprinted in her mind and would probably remain there for the rest of her days.

  “Your grandfather must have finally seen reason. You are here now, living with your father and stepmother. It is apparent that the Rom did not keep you.”

  “Oh, he fully intended to, but with some help from others in his band who did not agree
with what he had done, I was smuggled back to my father.”

  “And that is why you mistrust gypsies so?”

  “Yes, I lived in dread for years that he would return and attempt to carry me off again. It was only after I heard that he had died that I could finally sleep through a whole night without having my maid sleeping on a pallet next to my bed.” Unwanted tears glistened in her eyes and she turned her head to hide them. “Even though I am half Rom myself and I know some of them very well and realize they are not all like my grandfather, I find I am still uncomfortable in their company. Occasionally one of the dark dreams I have had since I was a small child takes me unaware. I awake at night shaking in fright hoping that my screams have not woken my maid who now sleeps in the next room.”

  Draco moved his hand to her chin and tilted her head so that he had better access to her sweet mouth. Even as he lowered his mouth to cover hers, he whispered a promise, “Forget the past, sweet Bianca. You are forever safe with me.” His lips moved over hers in tender exploration, testing, tasting, tempting. “Let me be your white knight, the hero of your daydreams.” At his fervent request, his mouth fastened over her parted lips and with a low groan of pleasure, he thrust his tongue into her hot, sweet mouth and proceeded to lose himself in the passion of the melding of their lips.

  As the kiss ended, Bianca’s eyelids fluttered open and she stared in wonder into the dark, warm eyes of this large warrior whose reputation as the Great Black Dragon left many a man shaking in his shoes. No matter that he was reputed to be the most fierce warrior in the kingdom, he held her with great care and his kisses showed her that he had a tender and loving side to him that he showed to no one else. At that realization, her heart swelled with love and Bianca silently vowed that no matter how long it took or how difficult it proved to be, she would make this man understand that her love for him was never-ending and steadfast.

  Bianca reached up to caress the side of his face with her fingertips as she looked deeply into his dark, burning eyes. “I have no doubt I would always be safe in your arms, my lord Draco.” A mischievous gleam suddenly lit her eyes as she added, “But who will safeguard me from you?”