He moved in a daze, inundated by Melody’s scent and her pulsing aura. She was hovering on the very edge of orgasm, shivering under the gauzy fabric of the gown as he helped her dress. Beneath the gown she wore only a spare blue lace thong, just visible through the sheer, flowing fabric. The bodice had lace accents that emphasized the curves of her full breasts.
Once she was dressed he turned her around before her mirror. She smiled up at his reflection behind her.
“You’re good at this,” she said in a breathy voice.
“It’s time,” he said softly. His stomach fluttered with anxiety over how Skye might react to her. Garen would find out soon enough—Skye’s familiar threads of energy that bound him to his friend became more vivid the closer he got. He must be in the elevator on the way up now.
Melody nodded and slipped on the pair of low-heeled shoes Garen had set out for her to match the gown. She smiled up at him and took his hand.
Just as he started to lead her out the door of her room, she tugged at his arm, forcing him to stop.
“What is it?” he asked.
She said nothing but was abruptly in his arms, her lips pressed to his, soft and warm, for an instant. Just as swiftly she pulled away, leaving him breathless from her kiss and his cock rock hard again from the pressure of her body against his.
“All right, let’s go,” she said, pulling him blinking toward the door.
Chapter Twenty
Pain shot through Skye’s palm and he opened it with a wince, releasing the puzzle box and pulling his hand from his pocket. He hadn’t realized how nervous he was about spending the night with Melody until staring down at the deep marks in his flesh where the corners of the box had cut into it. He’d been wondering whether he should test it on her tonight or wait.
He still barely knew her, but he’d been able to think of little else for the last twenty-four hours. Her willingness to submit to the necessary “interview” and sign his ridiculous contract spoke volumes as to how open minded she might be. While it may have simply been the brief dragon bond she had to Kol affecting her decision, the fact that her Blessed state was enough to sense their more-than-human nature meant she possessed one of the most crucial qualities desired in a mate—the ability to recognize and accept their nature so easily wasn’t something every human was capable of. The hiring process at Magnus was designed to identify and foster the loyalty of humans who had similar qualities. That’s not to say humans with her qualities didn’t exist outside of dragon-controlled organizations, but it was more difficult to find them.
Blessed humans like Melody were exceedingly rare, no matter where he chose to look. His first glimpse of her had been enough for him to know she was something sublime. Their first kiss had been the most profound kiss he’d ever experienced with a human woman. “I like your mouth. I want … it on me.” Her words still echoed in his head. She’d been awash in a cloud of lust when she said it, with only the tiniest apprehension that had disappeared entirely once his lips met hers and her soft curves pressed against him.
His own anxiety had ramped up, however. He wasn’t used to meeting women he wanted so much. On his frequent quests for energy, he tended to look for low-hanging fruit—women he could pick up and satisfy without hassle or a desire to lose himself in their charms. All he really wanted from them was to please them enough to take what he needed and leave without looking back. But he wanted more from Melody. She’d tried to touch him and the briefest stroke of her hand over his cock had nearly undone his plan for the interview.
“Taste her and decide,” he had forced himself to think, though he had already known deep in the marrow of his bones that there was no way he would say no to her.
Now that he was headed up to his own apartment to spend the evening with her, his biggest worry was that she might somehow find him lacking. He had no idea how to approach a woman whose opinion of him actually mattered. Even though he kept trying to remind himself that he’d hired her for this and he was technically her boss.
“You never prepared me for this, Mother,” he said to the empty elevator. Had his mother expected his potential mates in this new world to be the same as they were in the world he’d left behind five centuries ago? Surely she’d have known better by the end. She had lived through the last five hundred years, after all, while he languished in a stone prison.
Throughout the centuries of hibernation, he’d had time between dreams to wonder what would await him in the world when he awoke. His parents’ relationship had been his only example, however, and not a very good one. His father had died before Skye had even begun his centuries-long sleep and his mother’s accounts of the intervening years hadn’t included any new mates. She’d fulfilled her responsibility to procreate and the only human man she’d developed any affection for during that entire period had been too young at the end for her to mate.
Skye wondered if Trevor had any inkling of how treasured he’d been to have a dragon like Skye’s mother so concerned with his well-being after her death.
“My wish is for you to find a love to last you through the centuries, something I was unable to do until the end. Don’t let yourself wait until it’s too late, my son.”
Somehow the small box must be imbued with that wish as much as with her dying wish to see Trevor happily mated to a dragon.
So Skye was understandably apprehensive about Melody. He wanted to believe that Fate had led her to him but feared hoping that she would be the one. Connecting on a deeper level with a human woman had been a challenge, in spite of his efforts since coming out of hibernation.
Yet the closer the elevator came to reaching the top floor of his building, the more he could sense the tendrils of her energy and her rising excitement. The glowing threads stretched out from her aura, tentative still, yet undeniably reaching for him. Her emotions tickled at his mind, not the least bit anxious as he might have expected, but curious.
Garen’s presence lingered close by, his emotions more guarded. Skye was only aware of the swell of pride Garen had, that no doubt was in response to Melody. Garen had surely outdone himself today, taking care to prepare Melody for this evening.
Skye shoved the puzzle box into his jacket pocket, deciding to leave it be for now. He would rather enjoy tonight and Melody without worrying about how his mother’s magic would respond. There would be time enough for that as the contract period progressed. It would also give him time to find out Garen’s opinion of the girl. If the emotional impressions Skye could sense now were any indication, Garen approved of her, and his friend’s acceptance was even more important to Skye than his mother’s.
The elevator dinged as it reached his destination, and the doors slid open onto the exterior foyer of the apartment. He sent a mental announcement to Garen just before opening the double doors and walking through.
Garen waited for him just inside, his cheeks flushed and his hair a mess.
“Busy day?” Skye asked, trying to cover up his nerves with wry humor. He met Garen’s eyes.
“You have no idea. She’s quite amazing.”
“Where is she now?” Skye asked, darting his gaze around the high-ceilinged room until he finally caught sight of her. Melody’s blue-clad figure stood on the far side of the room, by the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing out at the sunset.
Her aura was a steadily pulsing red-gold cloud around her that blended almost perfectly with the warm light streaming through the windows. Skye worried irrationally that too much build up would only result in disappointment, but he’d never yet met a human woman who possessed that intense of an aura.
“I should have had you taste her energy first,” he said to Garen. “So I’d know if I’m wasting my time or not.”
Garen gave him a scrutinizing look. “You’d have voided her contract. And you’ve already sampled her anyway. What would my opinion matter now?”
“You’ve always had a diff
erent insight than I have about the quality of a woman’s energy when we’ve shared. I’d love to know if you think my energy will mesh well with hers. And if it doesn’t, perhaps she would be able to satisfy you.”
Garen’s expression turned rueful. “Unlikely, but what I’ve learned about her so far today will please you. I’m sure she’ll bond easily if you don’t screw this up.” He glanced over his shoulder to where Melody stood by the window, his expression softening.
Skye smiled and gripped Garen’s shoulder, squeezing. “If you like her that much I’m sure I will, too.” As an afterthought, he pulled Garen close and kissed him full-lipped and open mouthed. Garen’s energy spiked as he kissed back, then pulled away with a surprised look. “Thank you,” Skye said. “Take care of yourself tonight, all right? Maybe tomorrow I’ll have time to see to you …”
Garen cut him off with a sharp shake of his head. “You shouldn’t if you’re going to succeed in mating her. It should just be the two of you from now on. My energy in the mix would just confuse things for her.”
Skye frowned at his friend. “I didn’t think it mattered so much to you.” He was surprised at Garen’s shift in outlook. Until the previous day, every time they’d discussed the possibility of Skye finding a suitable mate, Garen had always been less than enthusiastic.
“All I mean is that she deserves your undivided attention. Nothing more. I’ll be back at dawn.” With that, Garen turned and strode out the door, his shoulders sagging as though from weariness.
Skye had the impression that they had left something important unsaid between them, but Garen had learned long ago to shield his emotions from Skye. That ability wasn’t uncommon in a Guardian dragon. The lowest ranking dragons, they were expected to serve their superiors with unwavering loyalty. It had never stopped Garen from offering his opinion, but he rarely sought to fulfill his own needs, a habit Skye believed he needed to discourage.
He turned back to Melody, whose emotions by contrast were vivid in his mind. Even if he didn’t have the impression of her emotions prodding at his mind, he’d be able to discern her mood by the state of her aura. She remained facing the window when he started toward her, but her posture straightened in response to the sound of his footsteps moving across the bare wood floor.
The closer he got to her, the more those tiny impressions twisted and transformed. Anticipation mixed with fear and arousal created a confusing combination that he would have to make sure to calm. If only he could calm his own mind, because what he read in her was precisely how he was feeling himself as he closed the distance between them.
The sight of her through the golden haze of her aura took some of the edge off his anxiety. The long, sheer robe she wore clung to her hips and the round swell of her ass. Even through the two layers of the robe and the gown beneath, he could make out the wide band of blue lace panties that hugged her hips and the thinner stripe that bisected her ass cheeks and disappeared between those luscious mounds. His mouth watered at the memory of clutching her ample flesh in both hands while he plunged his tongue between. Today he would have more of her. All of her. His cock roused and his groin tightened at the thought.
“Melody,” he said, stopping just a step behind her. He inhaled, awash in the scents of the sweet oils Garen had used. They weren’t a surprise to him—his friend had been covered in all those aromas when they met at the door. It was Melody’s own sweet scent that rose above the rest and made him suddenly hopeful. He craved to touch her, to brush his fingers through the silken gold waves and taste the creamy skin of her throat, but he waited, sensing her need to acclimate to the moment of their second meeting. He would let her set the pace this time.
She seemed to brace herself, taking a deep breath and turning to face him. Her eyes remained closed, her face cast down for a moment before she raised her chin up and lifted her eyelids to look at him.
Skye’s stomach somersaulted when their gazes locked. Far from the anxious girl he expected to greet him, her blue eyes were full of pure intent. He had anticipated needing to spend some time talking to her—getting her used to the idea of sharing an even deeper intimacy with him than they had the day before. Human women were generally more guarded around men they barely knew. But he’d never met a woman who’d been Dragon Blessed from birth.
Melody had the look of one of his fellow Magnus executives, preparing to begin a presentation in which they knew precisely how to capture the audience’s attention. She certainly had his attention in that moment, and he eagerly awaited her next move.
“Skye,” she said, her lips curling into a nervous smile. “It’s good to see you again.”
The contrast between her outward show of confidence and her inner uncertainty was endearing. She had thought this through, clearly. So he simply waited to watch how things unfolded, oddly grateful for the excuse to let her take the reins.
She stepped closer to him, leaving the tiniest gap, and peered up at him. He let his gaze drift down over her, admiring the contour of her collarbone and the dip at the base of her throat accented by the blue medallion that rested just beneath, glowing faintly with power.
“It’s a pleasure,” he said. “It seems Garen’s helped you settle in well enough.”
Her lips pressed together for a second when she nodded. Her emotions shifted to irritation for a split second before resuming her avid interest. She raised both hands and rested them tentatively on his chest.
“I think I’ll like it here,” she said, sliding her hands up his chest while her gaze shifted up, following her own movements.
Skye could hear the pace of her heartbeat increase as her hands moved. He held perfectly still, fascinated by the changes in both her aura and the pleasant wash of emotions he could sense flooding through her.
“You’re curious about me,” he said, lowering his head slightly so she could reach his hair and thread her fingers through. He dipped his head a little lower, opening his mouth slightly and inhaling a full breath of her, savoring as it flowed over his tongue.
“I’m curious how in the world you can have hair so soft.” Her fingernails lightly raked along his scalp, sending pleasant tingles through him.
“Magic,” he said, half joking, though his pulse raced when her hands slid back down, her knuckles warm against the skin of his neck where she paused to unbutton the top button of his shirt. She shifted again, closing the distance between them and he lifted his hands to rest them on her hips. Her aura swelled in response to his touch and he squeezed her hips, pulling her tighter against him.
“Skye …” she began, her voice almost plaintive against his ear.
“Hm?” He loosened his grip, worried that he’d been a little too abrupt with his touch, but he hoped she wouldn’t pull away.
Her lips grazed his cheek, their silken warmth teasing at his ear when she said in a deep, desperate tone, “I really need you to fuck me. Now.”
Chapter Twenty-One
She hadn’t meant to sound so needy, but goddammit she was going to go insane if she didn’t find some relief soon. Garen’s last touch had nearly sent her over the edge, but true to his word, he’d stopped just shy of making her come. The moments since had seemed like an eternity, the delicate fabric of her gown like an erotic cocoon against her sensitive skin, every slide of it over her body arousing her even more.
The uncertainty of how she would feel in Skye’s presence again had only caused her need to subside for a moment. Then he was there, the intensity of his proximity overwhelming her even more than it had the day before.
He didn’t touch her at first, and her body seemed to scream in protest at the distance he kept. Another true gentleman like Garen? At least he didn’t object this time when she began to unfasten the buttons of his shirt, but the soft warmth of his breath against her neck and the press of his erection into her belly were even more maddeningly arousing than her confining gown.
The words fl
ew out before she could censor herself. After the mundane exchange of greetings, how had her mind managed to get to “I need you to fuck me”? She’d managed to restrain herself from begging with Garen so far. With Skye, her only real plan was to do what Garen had suggested—get him undressed and then play it by ear whether she was still comfortable enough to do more than what they’d done the day before. That part was her choice, at least, as far as her contract was concerned. Her biggest concern had been whether her aching desire for Garen to follow through would inhibit her following through with Skye when she needed to. Apparently she didn’t need to worry about that.
Comfort was the last thing on her mind at the moment, however. Her nerve endings all sparked at once when the words came out and Skye’s grip on her hips tightened again, so firmly this time that he lifted her off the floor far enough for her shoes to slip off her feet.
“Oh God,” she gasped when he lifted her even higher, slipping his hands around to her ass and tightening his hold on her. He stole the words from her lips with his kiss. His rigid length pressed right at her core, just barely above the apex of her cleft and her throbbing clit. He turned them both around and started walking, somehow finding his way in spite of the fact that his mouth was on hers, his tongue urgently exploring between her lips.
She fumbled at his shirt again, searching for buttons and finding them, tugging frantically to get at his skin. He tilted slightly and she realized he’d only carried her as far as the sofa and was trying to set her down. She bent her knees and sank down onto the soft cushions, then reached up to push his jacket off his shoulders before she resumed unbuttoning his shirt.
Skye’s hands gripped hers, forcing her to stop. “You first, love.”
“Huh uh,” she said with a shake of her head. “I’m not letting you put this off another second.” It was a ridiculous thing to want, really. As much as she needed to have his hands on her, she didn’t want any barriers between them before he touched her.
Dragon's Melody Page 14