by Lauren Smith
God, she was rambling, wasn’t she? Cringing, she tried to flash what she hoped was a seductive smile. She never had much luck with that sort of thing, but she was trying her best. If she had the chance to spend one night in this man’s bed, it was a risk she wanted to take.
Mikhail feathered his lips over hers in a final lingering ghost of a kiss before he whispered in her ear, “Wait for me here tonight.” Then he gently shifted her away from the door and opened it, slipping back into the hall and down to the main room, where someone was giving a speech. Piper stayed put, counting the seconds and the steady but rapid beat of her heart.
When she finally entered the ballroom, she went unnoticed by the crowds. Prospective bidders were focused on the collection of amethysts and lapis lazuli that were gathered on a display table, arranged with purple mums to bring out the natural colors of the gems. Piper looked over the tops of the heads in the crowd, trying to see where Mikhail had gone, but there was no trace of him. Her heart sank with disappointment. She’d hoped he would stay.
“Ms. Linwood!” a reedy voice greeted her, and her shoulders tensed. She forced herself to turn and face Bartholomew Winston. He had been the curator of the jewel exhibit while the hoard had been at the Victoria and Albert Museum. He was a pudgy little man of thirty-four years with a thinning patch of hair and thick black glasses with harsh frames that slightly magnified his eyes.
“Hello, Mr. Winston.” After spending just a few breathless moments with a man like Mikhail, she didn’t want someone like Bartholomew to ruin her memories.
“Barty, please.” He gave a conspiratorial wink that made her feel claustrophobic. In the last week, he’d made it more than clear he wanted to date her, even suggesting that he might be able to further her career with his extensive contacts, and she’d had to turn him down every time. But he still didn’t take the hint.
“Right.” She slid a step to the side, still searching for Mikhail.
Barty reached out and caught her hand, jerking her to a halt. “I was hoping to talk with you about your evaluation process.”
“My evaluation process?” she asked, only half listening.
“Yes. You see, I’m most fascinated by it. I’m a student of history and have long researched the history of Cheapside in London. The process and the presence of goldsmiths in Cheapside—”
“You’ll have to excuse me, Barty. I really need to speak with my colleague.” She offered him a hasty smile and rushed toward Jodie and the man who’d arrived with Mikhail.
“Jodie!” She greeted her friend in relief.
“Hey! Piper, this is Randolph Belishaw. He’s one of the biggest patrons of the Victoria and Albert Museum.”
“Hi.” She smiled at the handsome Englishman. There was something about him, a hint of danger that felt familiar.
“It’s a pleasure, Ms. Linwood. Jodie has been telling me all about you.” Belishaw’s cultured English tones were almost as enticing as the rough and foreign edge of Mikhail’s Russian accent.
“You came here with Mr. Barinov, didn’t you?” she asked.
“I did.” Belishaw glanced around, his extra height affording him a view she didn’t have.
“Is he still here?” Piper asked.
“It does not appear so.” He focused on her again. “Did you…?” His voice trailed off, and he shared a knowing glance with Jodie. The exchange made her blush.
“No, we didn’t plan to meet up again.” Not true, but she wasn’t going to make herself sound desperate. It wouldn’t be the first time a guy had sworn to call and didn’t. Mikhail bailing on her and not coming back later was definitely within the realm of possibility.
“Ms. Linwood?” Mr. Thorne joined her, passing her the glass of champagne she’d asked for. The older man smiled at her expectantly. “I have a few prospective bidders who are most curious about the collection of toadstones in lot seventeen, and I was wondering if you could talk to them.”
“Of course.” She followed him, ready to explain that toadstones weren’t actually stones but fossilized and polished fish teeth. The Elizabethans loved to wear the teeth as rings to ward off contagions. It was little facts like that which made her job as a gemologist fascinating.
As Piper trailed behind Mr. Thorne, she sighed. The party would go for another two hours at least. She had a long time to wait to see if Mikhail was going to come back tonight after the guests had gone. She prayed he would, or else she’d spend the rest of her life dreaming about where that amazing kiss might’ve led.
5
That was the deep uncanny mine of souls,
Like veins of silver ore, they silently
Moved through its massive darkness. Blood welled up among the roots, on its way to the world of men, and in the dark it looked as hard as stone.
Nothing else was red.
—Rainer Maria Rilke
Barty Winston seethed as Piper Linwood walked away from him.
Little American bitch thinks she’s something special. Too good to talk to me—that much is obvious.
But not for long. He’d made a deal with the devil tonight, and soon he’d be rich enough to take whatever he wanted, including her.
“Is that the woman?” a deep voice asked behind him. Barty jumped, startling a passing footman who barely avoided dropping his tray of empty champagne flutes before continuing on his way. Barty gave a short nod, afraid to look over his shoulder at the man lurking behind him.
Conrad Sinclair was a tall, imposing man of six foot three, with jet-black hair and eyes just as dark. But Barty never liked to look at him directly; there was something almost serpentine in the way Conrad never blinked, not even once. And there was something unnerving about a man in his thirties who behaved in such an old-fashioned way, yet he didn’t seem to be posing or pretending to be something he wasn’t. That was part of the reason why Barty was afraid of him. Nothing about him made sense.
It didn’t help that he was also one of the most powerful men in the country by virtue of his office as a member of the British Parliament. And if the rumors were true, soon he’d be the most powerful when he became the prime minister during the next election.
Ever since the jewels had been uncovered, Conrad had been keeping discreet tabs on their location and condition. He had donated a hefty sum to the museum to obtain a donor’s opportunity to see the exhibit privately and attend the auction and presale party.
“You did not tell me she was so beautiful.” Conrad stood beside him and placed a hand on Barty’s shoulder, forcing Barty to turn sideways to look at him.
After a panicked gulp, Barty nodded. “Y-yes, Ms. Linwood is very pretty. If you enjoy that sort of dumpy look.” Which he did, although he would’ve preferred her tall, leggy brunette friend instead. But she was clearly out of his league. Piper seemed more like an achievable conquest, which made her rejection sting all the more.
Conrad inhaled deeply, and his eyes seemed to redden in color, like blood mixed in oil.
“She’s pure…” The word escaped his lips in a low growl that sent shivers stabbing down Barty’s spine.
“Pure?” Barty’s gaze darted to Piper, who stood next to Mr. Thorne, the owner of the auction house, and a couple who were admiring a display of toadstones.
Conrad inhaled again and closed his eyes. “Yes. Untouched.”
“What? You mean you think she’s a…”
“A virgin.” Conrad’s eyes opened, and his smile was cold and almost vicious as he flashed white teeth. “And I do not think. I know.”
“Really?” Barty’s mouth fell open. Untouched. The thought made his cock harden in his slacks.
“I will take her, in addition to the jewels,” Conrad announced.
“What?” Barty sputtered. “But I—”
“She will be mine if you wish to receive the money I promised you.” Conrad continued to watch Piper, who was smiling and then laughing at something the couple she was with had said. The sound was light and sweet. Barty scowled. He’d wanted her far
longer than Conrad. But there was no way he could go against the man’s wishes. His very tone conveyed a steadfast certainty of this being his right.
“The auction takes place in three days. I suggest we move up our date to tomorrow evening,” Barty said. “Both Piper and her colleague will have access to the jewels while they are here in the auction house. They plan to do some last-minute examinations.”
Conrad twisted a thick gold-banded signet ring on his pinky finger as he gazed hungrily at Piper.
“Tomorrow is acceptable. I will send men to collect the jewels and the girl. Once I have them, you will receive payment.” Conrad grabbed a champagne glass from a young footman who’d paused beside them. The moment Conrad had his glass, the young man darted away.
“What do you plan to do with Ms. Linwood…after?” Barty held his breath.
Conrad’s dark chuckle made Barty’s skin crawl. “After? I suppose if there is anything left, I could give her to you.”
Barty wasn’t interested in taking a man’s seconds, but Piper was attractive enough that he would take what he could get. Conrad shot him a quick imperious glance.
“Have everything ready by tomorrow night. Do not disappoint me.”
Barty nodded. “Consider it done, Mr. Sinclair.”
Without another glance, Conrad stalked from the room. People scrambled out of his way instinctively. Barty snatched a champagne glass of his own and hastily downed the fizzy liquid. He knew how they felt.
There was something scary as hell about Conrad Sinclair. Maybe he wouldn’t worry about getting Piper afterward. Whatever Conrad wanted to do with her was his business. With a sigh, he smoothed his shirt and tie with shaky hands and headed toward the table of appetizers, putting as much distance between himself and Piper Linwood as possible.
Conrad Sinclair stepped into his private car waiting outside the Thorne Auction House, his nostrils still filled with the scent of Piper Linwood. A virgin, of childbearing age no less. It was so rare to find them in these modern days. Hundreds of years ago, there had been an abundance of sweet-smelling creatures he could pluck like ripe fruit, but now? It was almost impossible.
Conrad’s skin burned at the thought of stripping the woman’s clothes and shoving her onto her back so he could take her. He would enjoy her cries of pain and the feel of her nails clawing at him. He loved it when females fought him. He was a male dragon, after all, and enjoyed being dominant in bed and in life. Dragons did not breed with weak creatures. He would prefer a dragoness, of course, but they were increasingly rare and more resistant to the advances of dragon males than ever.
He watched the streets with their bright flashing lights and immense video advertisements and growled. The modern age was a dreadful thing. A hint of smoke escaped his nostrils as his body responded to his mood. His dragon was just beneath his skin, clawing to get out. It’d been two weeks since he’d allowed himself the luxury of changing form and taking to the air.
The dangers were too great here, so close to London. The Brotherhood of the Blood Moon had a large hub in London. The last thing Conrad wanted was to be on their radar. He’d worked too hard to erase the evidence of his family lineage, as the last of the Sinclair dragons. The Brotherhood shouldn’t know he was a dragon, which meant that if his plans went accordingly, when he became prime minister they would never see the threat coming. But he couldn’t resist going after the jewels. He would just have to risk being recognized by the Brotherhood as a dragon if they came sniffing around. It would be worth it, though, to have the Cheapside hoard in his possession.
He needed those jewels. Both for practical reasons and out of spite. They had once belonged to Mikhail Barinov, given in exchange for a treaty with the Belishaws. It was because of Mikhail that he had been robbed of the power that should have been his.
And it had gone so well for so long. Being immortal, dragons could be patient creatures. He thought nothing of spending a decade slowly becoming a trusted assistant and confidant to the man who would someday be the queen’s court magician, John Dee. Teaching him a little of his people—not much, but enough to put him on the right paths of investigation.
He had planned to use the queen to rid himself of his greatest rivals at the time, the Belishaws. Dee learned much of the dragons’ nature, including what plants and minerals could quiet their inner beast, to the point of making as them weak and vulnerable as any human. Finding a potion to bring out the words of truth in his kind had been an unexpected but not unwelcome bonus.
Conrad knew that once he used Dee to poison Elizabeth against the Belishaws, those potions would ensure their destruction and secure his place and power over all of England, queen or no queen.
Then Mikhail Barinov had arrived and ruined everything. As soon as he had begun making secret overtures to Elizabeth, Conrad knew his plans were in peril. If Mikhail were to bond with her, claim her as his true mate, she would never turn on the Belishaws. In the end, Conrad had not only been forced to speed up his plans, but to change his target as well.
It had worked well enough. Barinov had been locked up in a dungeon, kept weak and helpless, and his treasures taken. But then Conrad had to wait years before he could move on the Belishaws. Too soon and he risked exposure. Time. He had all the time in the world.
Or so he’d thought.
He buried the memories of the past deep, ignoring the flare of his dragon’s rage.
“Soon we will have all that we are owed. Soon,” he promised the beast pacing inside him.
I trusted her, that human witch, but she betrayed me. I will have the hoard at last and will stand laughing over her tomb.
He closed his eyes, imagining the gleam of the rubies in the firelight of his treasure room and the sweet scent of a virgin in his bed.
Some days it was good to be a dragon.
Mikhail waited in the shadows of the mews outside Thorne Auction House, counting each heartbeat as he watched the lights in the windows being extinguished one by one. It reminded him of times long ago, with dark nights and firelight, eagerly waiting for any hint that Elizabeth wished to see him.
I was such a fool then to wait for a queen’s command. For one who knew so little of lovemaking, the Virgin Queen had known exactly how to master and manipulate men. But that was long ago, centuries away from this moment and the woman he wanted to see now.
Piper Linwood. His true mate. The moment he’d kissed her, he’d caught flickering visions of a little girl chasing a fat white rabbit in a backyard before stopping to pick up some brightly colored eggs. The vision had changed to a young woman bent over a desk, staring at gems gleaming on a black velvet cloth, her focus intense as she studied them.
A dragon knew his true mate by the bonding that began with a first kiss. Invisible threads would slowly bind his heart and hers together over time, until they could share thoughts and emotions almost telepathically. But it all started with a shared memory during a kiss.
When he’d recognized Elizabeth as his true mate, he’d thought that losing her would mean he’d never get a second chance. But fate had sent him Piper. His dragon was hesitant, though, and didn’t want to risk mating a woman if she would only betray him as Elizabeth had. It would kill him. He tried to send encouraging thoughts to his dragon.
She’s a virgin. Something a dragon couldn’t resist, it was like his own personal brand of drug. Her scent had haunted him from the moment he’d met her, and he couldn’t resist luring her to the firelight earlier tonight. It was an old trick his father had once spoken of. A male dragon could use a fire’s glow to draw a female dragoness to him. She wouldn’t be able to resist the gleam, crackle, and spark. And once she was close, a kiss to claim and keep her. And it had worked with Piper, though not in the same way.
He smiled at the memory of glimpsing her at the top of the stairs, wearing that beautiful red gown. The dress had demanded to be touched, as did her body. The flush in her cheeks, the lips parted in surprise, and those eyes, an ever-changing blue-gray that fascinated him
. Tonight he’d watch them change like a gem held up to candlelight, watching shadows darken and transform the facets of the jewel.
It had been impossible not to lure her closer, separate her from the crowd, and draw her into a dark world of hot, slow kisses and exploring hands. It had taken every ounce of restraint he possessed to go slow and simply taste her lips tonight. She had tasted like perfection, a sinfully ripe fruit that made him dizzy.
Now that he’d had a chance to kiss her and had seen the answering gleam in her eyes, he wasn’t going to back down. She was his mate, and he would find a way to claim her…once he had stolen back his jewels.
She agreed to wait for me. He didn’t plan to let her get cold feet, not when everything between them had burned hot enough to set the room ablaze.
The last light in the auction house went dark, and Mikhail slunk along the mews until he reached the back door that led to the kitchens. Belishaw had mesmerized the guards earlier that evening. As a longtime acquaintance of Thorne’s, he had the run of the auction house and had used the last hour before the party ended to take care of the security detail. They all manned their posts, but they wouldn’t see Mikhail or anything else unless he wished it.
A dragon’s ability to mesmerize could be very useful.
He retrieved an old set of picks from his pocket and crouched by the keyhole. He made quick work of the lock and slipped inside. The alarm beeped his entry, and he turned to the small white keypad and entered the code a helpful female servant had provided him. It was always amusing to see a female lose her senses when a dragon turned on his charm. At least he was not as rusty in his ability to seduce as Belishaw had led him to believe.
Mikhail moved silently through the house. She had to be upstairs, and once he had her under his command, he’d take the jewels. His heart beat wildly as he eased open the first few doors on the upper landing and checked. No Piper.
The last door opened with a creak, and every muscle in him tensed. After a moment he pulled the door all the way open and froze. In the center of a large four-poster bed, he saw Piper. She was stretched out on her side, her curves on full display. The way her dress draped down her hips and her shapely legs peeked out from the skirts made Mikhail swallow down a sudden flare of desire.