The Dragon Claims His Treasure (Starcrossed Dating Agency)

by Georgette St. Clair

  He rubbed his face against her breast, the scruff of his beard abrading her nipple and sending shivers of sensation through her as he zeroed in on her clit, pinching it gently between his thumb and forefinger and drawing a gasp and a curse from her.

  He thrust his finger inside her with agonizing slowness, then withdrew it just as deliberately, curling it against her G-spot as he pulled out. Strumming her clit with his thumb, he worked his finger in and out of her tight channel, making her even wetter.

  He added a second digit and finger-fucked her, harder and faster now, driving her towards the precipice of orgasm…and then he stopped. He stopped, leaving her trembling and breathless and mindless with desire.

  He kissed down over her ribs and the soft swell of her belly, then pushed her thighs apart. His hot breath against her core was almost enough to push her the rest of the way to bliss…almost. But then it was gone.

  He moved all the way down to the end of the bed and licked the sole of her foot, the ticklish feeling another note in the symphony of sensations he was playing on her body. Then he kissed her ankle, trailed kisses up her calf, lapped at the sensitive hollow behind her knee. Each touch and taste whispered over her skin, every nerve ending alive to the things he was doing to her.

  He pushed her thighs further apart so he could kiss and lick the plump flesh, lapping away the sticky evidence of her arousal from her skin.

  “Your desire for me tastes so sweet,” he murmured against her thigh.

  And then his mouth was where she wanted it – needed it.

  He lapped eagerly at her pussy, dragging his tongue between the slick lips then suckling on her clit, making her arch up from the bed, rolling her hips against his face as he feasted on her intimate flesh. Zigzag bolts of wild electricity crackled through her body, and the erotic charge between her thighs built and hummed until an explosion rocked her core, sending shockwaves through every muscle of her trembling body.

  Kodran kissed his way back up her body, soothing her with his tongue, just as patient and thorough as he’d been before he’d made her come so hard she could barely think.

  When he reached her throat, he set his teeth into the flesh. Rosamund moaned her approval, and he bit down, the slight, piercing pain a punctuation mark to their lovemaking. There was a faint, coppery tang on the air.

  He licked the blood away from her skin with slow, lazy swipes of his tongue. It stung, but she didn’t care.

  “Now you are mine, heart’s fire,” he said. “Truly mine. And everyone will know it.”

  Yes. She was his.

  She sat bolt upright. She was still in her own room, alone. She was dressed in pajamas.

  Had it been a dream? It must have. But it had felt shockingly, deliciously real – and she could feel the ache where Kodran had bitten her.

  She shot out of bed and looked around the room. Dot-R was standing in the corner, eyes closed; she was in standby mode, recharging remotely via the ship’s engines. Dot-R wouldn’t have slept through Kodran coming into their room and having sleep-sex with Rosamund – would she?

  Rosamund ran to the small bathroom and looked in the mirror over the sink. There was no bite mark. She caressed the spot with her fingers. She could still feel it…but it wasn’t there.

  Thoroughly rattled, she took a quick shower and pulled on one of the dresses she’d purchased, the first that came to hand. It was made of a clingy blue fabric that skimmed her ample curves, nipping in at the waist then flaring over her broad hips. It had flirty little cap sleeves and a border print of white flowers around the hem. She never would have bought it except on Darfan’s dime – it was far too pretty for day-to-day wear. It did make her feel like a million bucks, though. Or maybe she should say a million creds, since she was zipping between planets in a spaceship piloted by shapeshifting alien dragons.

  One of whom had a lot of explaining to do.

  She left Dot-R sleeping and headed out of her room to find Kodran and demand an explanation. However, the ship was huge, and she found herself wandering the hallways. There were glowing panels on the walls that she could touch and ask any question, including how to find her way around the ship – Kodran had pointed them out to her the day before – but instead she began exploring, fascinated.

  She travelled to the lower levels, which were dimly lit and hummed with the sounds of alien machinery. Apparently this was where the ship’s engines were housed.

  She passed several crew members who bowed their heads respectfully to her.

  As if she were already officially mated to their leader.

  Shaking her head, she hurried off down a long, narrow corridor. The air smelled faintly of oil and warm metal.

  Something shot out of a side corridor and ran right into her, then let out a small squeak of fright.

  She looked down.

  It was a little Draell girl, maybe five or six years old. She was thin and pale, and she wore a shapeless gray dress that was too big for her. She seemed to be a different kind of Draell from Kodran and his clan, because the delicate scales on her forehead were blue rather than red.

  Then again, maybe Draell children started out with different scale colors and changed as they got older?

  “Are you here to kill me?” the little girl asked fearfully, shrinking back.

  “Of course not!” Rosamund stared at her, mortified. This child was terrified – of her!

  “I got lost.” The little girl’s voice wavered as she looked around. “I don’t know where my mother is.”

  “I’ll help you find her.” Rosamund held out her hand.

  The child took a step back, her eyes wide with fright.

  Suddenly a woman rushed around the corner. She also had blue scales. So they were probably a different kind of Draell. Maybe a different clan.

  Like the little girl, she was thin and frightened, with circles under her eyes. Her brown hair was tangled, and she had odd shapeless scars scattered across her face and arms. She grabbed up the little girl.

  Her eyes were frantic. “Did you come to take us?”

  “Take you where? I mean, no. I’m just a guest on this ship.” Rosamund held up her hands placatingly. What were these two so afraid of? And why were they hiding in the bowels of the ship?

  The woman stared at her with a burning intensity. “Don’t tell anyone you saw us. Please. Promise me.”

  Rosamund looked at her in confusion. “Is everything all right? Who’s making you so scared? My name is Rosamund, and I’m going back to Agora soon. I can send help if you want.”

  The woman shook her head wildly. “No. If you want to help us, just forget that you saw us and don’t say anything to anyone.”

  “But I can help—”

  “Promise!” the woman said desperately. “Promise you won’t tell anyone you saw us!”

  “All right,” Rosamund said, feeling uneasy. “Honestly, though—”

  She was speaking to the woman’s retreating back. The woman vanished around the corner, leaving Rosamund standing there in confusion.

  Thoroughly rattled, she headed back up to the main deck of the ship. As she walked out of the elevator, she saw Kodran.

  “There you are,” he said, smiling at her. “We will be landing soon. Did you sleep well?”

  She looked at him, narrow-eyed. “Did you come into my room last night?”

  “Only in your dreams.”

  At her gasp of outrage, he added, “This is what happens when you meet your heart’s fire. Were your dreams not pleasant?”

  “They were… I… I’m going to go to the common area and get some breakfast. By myself.”

  Kodran looked hurt, following her as she headed towards the common area. “You do not wish me to be with you? After everything we shared last night?”

  “You have my brains all scrambled!”

  Kodran shook his head as he followed her over to the food counter. “That must be an Earth expression. It makes no sense to me. I have done nothing to your brains. I wish only to earn y
our heart.”

  The robot behind the counter served them up trays of food, and when Kodran sat down at a table, she deliberately chose a different one.

  He sat there eating and watching her with a smile.

  “Why are you smiling?” she asked him suspiciously.

  Suddenly, a memory of her dream flooded her vision. She could not only see it, she could feel it – him running his tongue over her most intimate parts, and the hot rush of pleasure that washed over her. She shivered in her seat and stifled a moan of pleasure.

  “That is why,” he said, grinning. “Now I know how you taste. Sweeter than the juiciest berries.”

  Rosamund felt her face flaming with embarrassment. She glanced around frantically. A few Draell crewmembers were watching them with looks of amusement on their faces.

  Argh! Everybody knew!

  “Don’t worry,” Kodran called out to her. “Nobody else can see or feel what we share. It is only for mates who share the heart’s fire connection.”

  “That’s it. I’m out of here.” Rosamund, utterly mortified, quickly drained the last of the coffee-like beverage, leaped to her feet, and ran out of the room without looking back.

  She headed to the bridge. She needed to check in on Talia anyway.

  When she arrived, however, Prenzal looked even less pleased to see her than he had the last time. He did not want to put the call through.

  “It’s not a good time,” he insisted. “You already told them where you were, and you will be returned to your planet in a very short time.”

  Kodran walked onto the bridge just in time to prevent Rosamund from throwing an extremely loud fit on the spot.

  “Kodran. I need to speak to my best friend, who just gave birth to two children.” Rosamund glowered at him. “Why won’t Prenzal let me call her? What’s going on around here?”

  “All right. I just need you to keep the conversation brief,” Kodran said. “We are preparing to land shortly, and you will need to return to your quarters for that.”

  Prenzal scowled. “Sir, this is not a good idea.”

  Kodran’s eyes glowed red, and the air around him began to shimmer with heat. “Disobeying my direct command is a much worse idea.”

  “As you command,” Prenzal said with a stiff nod. “But I expect this will end in disaster,”

  “You expect everything will end in disaster. It’s your nature. Put the call through, unless you wish to be relieved of duty and clapped in irons.”

  His expression mutinous, Prenzal put a call through to the birthing center. Unfortunately, all they would tell her was that Talia was indisposed and unavailable to speak to her.

  Damn privacy laws.

  She had Prenzal put in a call to Darfan instead.

  “This is Rosamund,” she said. “Is Talia back home yet? How are the babies?”

  Darfan’s face appeared on the screen. “I have been trying to contact you. We need you to return at once,” he snapped. “Tell the Draell commander to give us your coordinates. We will send a ship to fetch you.”

  “Absolutely not,” Prenzal said quickly. “The human female will return to Agora in five solar circles.”

  “Maybe,” Kodran coughed into his hand. Rosamund shot him a look of annoyance, then returned her attention to the screen.

  “Talia is not well,” Darfan said, looking at Rosamund. “She had complications with the birth, and she is asking for you, Rosamund.”

  Rosamund felt a flare of panic. “What? How could that be?” she cried.

  How could she have been so selfish as to leave Talia alone at a time like this? She should have ordered Kodran to turn around and return her at once, while they were still close enough.

  “She may not have much time left.” An expression of deep sorrow puckered Darfan’s face.

  Rosamund thought she might faint.

  “That doesn’t make sense,” she protested desperately “The birthing center has the most advanced technology in the galaxy. They’ve literally never lost a mother or baby. Talia told me that.”

  Darfan shrugged. “Well, she is from Earth, so her biology is different.”

  This just made no sense. What about all the other Earth women Starcrossed had brought to Ilyria?

  “There have been several hundred Earth women who’ve given birth there, and not one of them had a problem.”

  Rosamund’s eyes filled with tears. Maybe Talia was the rare exception. She felt horrible. She was the worst friend ever. The only reason she’d left Ilyria for work was that Talia had reassured her there were no health risks to her whatsoever.

  “Are you going to keep arguing with me while your friend’s life slips away?” Darfan said ominously.

  She spun around to grab Kodran’s arm.

  “Listen,” she said, frantic. “You’ve got to get me back there right away. Or let a ship come for me. Please!”

  Before she could say anything else, Dot-R came running onto the bridge.

  “What is wrong? What did you reptiles do to her?” she demanded angrily. “Don’t force me to insult you. My sarcasm drive is first rate!”

  “It’s Talia.” Rosamund choked back a sob. “Darfan said there was a problem with the birth and she might be dying.” Tears ran down her face and she frantically wiped at them.

  Kodran seized her hand, enfolding it in his. “It will be all right,” he told her. “We will return you immediately if that is your wish.”

  Dot-R shook her head. “No, that’s not right,” she said. “I received a subspace communication from my mother a few minutes ago. She recorded a message from Talia, showing her and the babies. They were delivered with no problem and are in perfect health. They are scheduled to return home today.” Her metal forehead wrinkled. “She also had many choice words for me about my leaving the solar system without asking her permission,” she added glumly. “Apparently I fried her worry circuits and I can expect to have a GPS installed in me as soon as I return home.” Her lower lip stuck out in a pout.

  “What the hell?” Rosamund yelled at the vid-screen. “Darfan, you lying son of a bitch! You nearly gave me a heart attack! Why would you lie to me like that?”

  Darfan looked at her haughtily. “It is for your own good. The Draell are the ones who are lying to you. They did not purchase any medical equipment on Agora. They purchased—”

  Suddenly his face winked out and the screen vanished.

  Chapter Seven

  She glanced over at Prenzal, who was fingering the screen on his console.

  “Did you just hang up on him?” she asked.

  “I am not familiar with that term,” he said coldly. He got up and walked away.

  “Kodran?” she said angrily.

  He sighed. “Rosamund, I cannot discuss it with you at this time. This involves clan business. I am sorry. But I did not lie to you. The equipment we purchased will be used for medicinal purposes.”

  Rosamund felt a surge of frustration. Darfan was lying, Kodran was either lying or wasn’t telling her the whole truth, Prenzal was standing across the bridge glaring at her as if he’d like to jettison her into outer space…

  “Fine.” She scowled. “I’m going back to my room. Let me know when we’ve landed. Dot-R, I want you to play me that message.”

  Once they were back in her room, Dot-R pointed her fingers at the wall and broadcast Talia’s message, which showed a happy, exhausted Talia, sitting up in bed and holding two adorable little babies. The babies had pointy, fur-tipped ears. Lukan sat on the bed next to Talia, his normally ferocious expression melted away into an enormous grin.

  “I would like to introduce Verona and Laruk, the most beautiful babies in the galaxy,” Talia said.

  Rosamund felt a wave of relief wash over her. As long as Talia and the babies were okay, she felt as if she could handle anything the galaxy threw at her.

  She had Dot-R record a message from her.

  “Congratulations on giving birth to the most gorgeous babies ever!” she said. “I don’t want y
ou to worry about me. Don’t listen to anything that Darfan says, either. I’m hanging out with dragons! It’s awesome, everything is going well, and I’ll be back home in about one Earth week to give you more details. You just rest up and enjoy your little furballs.”

  Dot-R nodded when she was done. “The message will take several hours to arrive,” she informed Rosamund. “Oh, and also my parental units wanted me to let you know that you are responsible for my physical safety, I may associate with any male sentient bots I wish to, without supervision, I have no curfew, and they will disassemble you if you return me with so much as a dent.”

  “Is any of what you just said actually true?” Rosamund raised an eyebrow and stared at Dot-R with a challenging look.

  “Parts of it,” Dot-R grumbled, avoiding her gaze.

  A voice boomed through the air. “Attention. The ship is preparing for landing. Please take your seat or lie down in your bunk immediately.”

  They hurried over the bunks and lay down, and the webbing restraints shot out and held them in place while the ship settled down with a thud.

  After a couple of minutes, the webbing retracted, and Rosamund went to open her door. It stayed stubbornly shut.

  She slapped her hand on the glowing square to the right of the door.

  “Hello, this is Rosamund, my door is stuck,” she said.

  Kodran’s voice came on. “We’re not at our final destination yet,” he said. “We’re going to take off again. We will arrive shortly, don’t worry. It’s safer if you just stay in place. Please return to your bunk or one of the chairs for now – you need to be strapped down for the landing.”

  “Why did we have to make the extra stop?” she asked.

  There was no answer.

  Was it really safer for her to be in her room, or was he hiding something from her? What had Kodran really purchased on Agora? She somehow felt that she would know if he was lying to her…but if they really had purchased medical equipment, why were he and Prenzal being so cagey?

  They remained in place for about half an hour. Then the door opened and Kodran led her and Dot-R through the ship to a skimmer. His men were piling into skimmers as well.