by Anna Lowe
Marco rolled his shoulders and looked up with a sigh. “It helped.”
Her heart ached at the weariness in his voice. A week ago, she would never have felt sorry for a person of such wealth and privilege. But Marco had shown her the other side of that coin. All those expectations, all those suffocating traditions. No wonder Marco had turned his back on it all.
When he stepped forward, coming fully into the moonlight, Laura’s breath caught. Was that a man or a god stepping toward her from the night?
A shifter, her dragon chuckled. A mighty fine specimen too.
He stood at the far end of the pool, unabashed by his bare body.
“May I come in?” His words were soft and yearning, as if he assumed the answer would be no.
“It is your pool.”
His lips curled ever so slightly. “I suppose it is. But seeing as you’re in it…”
She motioned, sending ripples over the surface. “Be my guest.”
Again, her heart cried at how tired he appeared. Someone like Finn might have entered with a showy dive, but Marco simply sat at the edge, swirled his feet in the water a few times, and slipped quietly in.
His strokes were smooth and powerful, though, taking him swiftly across the pool. In no time, he glided to the wall, only inches from her side. Then he tipped his head back and surfaced. Water ran off his body, first in a flood, then tiny rivers, and finally, mere drops that glinted under the moon.
Laura gulped. A good thing Marco had his eyes closed. Otherwise, he would catch her gawking.
“Feel better?” she asked as casually as she could.
He ran both hands over his hair, sloughing more water away, then shook his head. “Goddamn Olivia. Goddamn Council.”
She touched his hand. “Try another lap.”
His hard lips broke into a faint smile. Then, in one smooth motion, he submerged, shot away, and stroked toward the far end of the pool.
Laura shook her head. Did he have to make everything look so goddamn effortless? Flying…swimming…even dancing?
Especially dancing, her dragon breathed, swept away by the memories.
Marco headed back her way, and not long after, he popped up again.
“Better now?”
Marco blinked the water out of his eyes. “I’d love to say yes, but…” His eyes met hers, and for a minute, all Laura saw were anger and frustration. But when she placed her hand over his, his irises warmed from Arctic blue to that fresh, clean sky color she loved.
“Maybe a little,” he whispered.
She held her breath. Every time they connected, she felt it too — a steady, peaceful force that calmed her soul.
“Maybe you need to try something different,” she whispered.
The weary tilt of Marco’s shoulders vanished, and his eyes dropped to her lips. “You have any ideas?”
Oh, she had lots of ideas, but most weren’t the kind of thing a nice girl said out loud. So, she went with, “It could be your aim.”
“My aim?”
She motioned across the pool. “Your swimming is fine, but you’re ending up in the wrong place.”
The corner of his mouth quirked up. “I see. How do I find the right place?”
She shrugged as casually as she could. “Don’t worry. I’ll guide you in.”
He studied her face in a way that asked, Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
Laura let some of her dragon’s steamier visions drift to the front of her mind. Just the briefest of glimpses she hoped he could sense.
I am definitely thinking what you’re thinking.
Chapter Fourteen
“Give it a try.” Laura pointed to the far edge of the pool. “One more lap.”
And off Marco went, slicing through the water like a champion. When he flip-turned at the far end and headed back toward her, she took a deep breath. Marco had done so much for her. The least she could do was help him unwind. And if that brought her a few side benefits, well, she would call that a win-win.
She kneeled, submerging up to her neck, and opened her arms. No reason to be nervous, right?
Still, her hands shook a little as Marco coasted into her arms and surfaced, coming face-to-face. His blue eyes shone brightly, and drops of water silently streamed from his skin.
“How was that?” he murmured.
He was so close, she had no choice but to run her hands over his huge shoulders. And, yikes. Her nipples were peaking, and her cheeks had to be red. But, hey. Marco looked a little dazzled himself.
“Your aim was better,” she whispered as Marco reached for the pool’s edge on either side of her body. “But now I have a problem.”
Marco frowned. “Problem?”
She nodded gravely. “Yes. I keep getting the urge to kiss you.”
His eyes flared, and his legs brushed against hers. “Is that a bad thing?”
She shrugged, which only brought their torsos closer. “I’m not sure you want to be kissed.”
Marco inched closer, making the water ripple around her body. “Oh, I wouldn’t mind.”
She slid a hand down his chest. “You wouldn’t mind, or you want it?”
His lips parted, and he weighed his answer for a moment. Like it was a momentous decision and not just a kiss.
Of course, what was happening between them would carry way beyond one kiss, and Laura knew it.
“I want it,” Marco breathed. “Desperately.”
Her chest rose on a huge, steadying inhale. He wanted her. Her! Desperately.
Still, she held back. “One more problem.”
He touched her lips. “Another one?”
She nodded gravely. “I’m afraid if I start, I might not be able to stop.”
His smile was like the sunrise, though it was still deep in the night. “I might not be able to stop either.”
Sparks tickled her veins. Slowly, she pulled him closer and tilted her head, coming in for a kiss.
Her movements unwound in regular time, though it felt like slow motion. Deliciously slowly, like one of those stretched-out moments that happened when honey dripped from a spoon. And when the honey touched down…
She sighed, closing her eyes.
It was only their second kiss, but she felt like an expert in what Marco liked, what he wanted, and what she wanted too.
He likes me, her dragon murmured as their lips met. He wants me.
I want him too, her human side agreed.
At first, Marco barely moved. But inside, she could feel his dragon stirring like one of those powerful forces of nature that gathered itself and slowly, inexorably, revealed its full glory to the world. Like the sun preparing to rush out from behind a cloud and flood the world with light, or a turquoise wave pulling back before breaking into green, frothy surf.
Slowly, gently, Marco’s lips rippled across hers.
Was she humming? Laura couldn’t tell. All she knew was how good it felt. All her worries faded until she barely remembered how she’d spent the evening. Instead, part of her mind raced ahead to how she’d like to spend the remainder of the night. Namely, wrapped around Marco’s hard body, crying her ecstasy into the darkness.
Another part of her mind, though, relished the moment exactly as it was. The perfect way their lips slotted against each other. The tantalizing, pine-and-laurel scent of her man. The sensual touch of water rippling against her breasts.
“How was my aim on that one?” Marco whispered when they eased apart.
She tightened her arms around his neck. “Better, but you’re still too far.”
Marco edged closer, pressing his body against hers in a gradual wave. First, his chest squeezed her breasts. Then he nestled closer, bringing her midsection against his. Finally, he rolled his hips against hers.
“Too close?” he whispered in her ear.
Laura tipped her head back, moving her lips. Did he mean the unmistakable prod of his cock? The way her nipples poked his pecs?
“Not close enough,” she breathed, runnin
g her leg along his.
Which was pretty much the moment when that gathering wave she’d pictured exploded into surf. One moment, she was perfectly in control, and the next—
Blinding desire flashed through her veins. She swept her tongue over his, making hungry little noises. And instead of slowly caressing Marco’s thick arms, she clutched them, desperate for more.
The well-heeled, gentlemanly restraint Marco had shown all evening vanished too. He furrowed his fingers through her hair, then dropped both hands to her waist without breaking his hungry kiss. Sweeping his hands upward, he traced her curves until her breasts filled his hands.
Tired of holding back, she swore his dragon murmured.
“Then don’t hold back,” she whispered. “Not with me.”
Marco kneaded her soft flesh, making her hum in need.
“Only if you don’t hold back with me,” he whispered in her ear.
Laura nearly laughed. Frolicking naked in a pool hardly counted as holding back. But slowly, she realized what he meant. Her hands were clinging to his shoulders, and her body, while welcoming, was stiff.
So, relax, her dragon murmured. Let go. Don’t hold back.
She slid her hands down his chest, then reversed to spend an extra second teasing the tiny points of his nipples in the middle of those huge plates of his chest. When she swept her thumb over his left nipple, Marco did the same to her, and she nearly groaned. God, did that feel good.
So, she tweaked his nipple. Would he get the hint?
Marco’s lips quirked, and when he twisted his fingers, she gasped in elation.
Do that again, she nearly cried.
Marco watched her with hawklike eyes, waiting.
She rolled her fingers around his nipple, bracing herself. His nipples were tiny little nubs and nowhere near as sensitive as hers. But knowing that didn’t prepare her for the shock wave Marco set off when he echoed her movement.
Throwing her head back, she moaned. “Yes…”
Still, Marco didn’t seem satisfied. “What do you want? What do you really want?”
Raging sex pretty much topped her list, but what exactly did that mean?
Laura closed her eyes and pictured the specifics. Something she almost didn’t dare think, let alone utter aloud. But the moment her mind worked out the details, Marco growled. In one splashing burst, he lifted her to the edge of the pool. He remained chest-deep in water, but she was perched on the edge, totally exposed to his gaze.
“Lie back,” he rasped, holding her arms.
Laura’s eyes went wide. It was one thing to imagine hot, raging sex, and another thing to actually go through with it.
Tiny rivulets of water ran down her body, daring her to stop. You know you want this.
She did. Desperately. But she’d never done anything that bold in her life. Then again, she’d never been able to shift into dragon form either, and she’d certainly never made out in a pool.
Slowly, she leaned back, keeping firm hold of Marco’s hands.
I’ve got you, his eyes swore. I promise, I’ve got you.
Between the darkness and the stars above, it felt like toppling backward into an abyss. But Marco’s powerful hands held her until her back touched down on the cool tiles at the pool’s edge. She held her head up, maintaining eye contact to the very last moment. Then, after one last, lingering look, she lay all the way back.
“Tão linda,” Marco breathed, running his hands along her legs.
He lifted one, then the other until her feet rested on the edge of the pool with her knees bent and wide. Wide enough for him to lean closer. When he planted a kiss to her inner thigh, she jolted. The next kiss was higher, and the one after that, a nip. Then Marco tugged her body a little closer, let one electrifying moment pass, and—
Laura arched off the tiles, crying out. Was that his tongue?
Yes, it is, her dragon hummed. And damn, is it good.
Marco nestled closer, parting her folds, and flicked his tongue again and again.
Again, she nearly cried, gyrating against the exquisite touch. Her toes curled at the edge of the pool, desperate for a grip. Not that she was moving — not with Marco keeping her hips firmly in place. But the universe seemed to heave and spin around her. Even the stars were a blur.
“So good,” she whimpered. No, moaned.
She was being loud — too loud, really. But she couldn’t bring herself to care. Especially when Marco started stroking his thumb against her sensitive flesh, moving in time with his tongue. Soon, the bonfire inside her built to an inferno, and Laura could barely see, hear, or think. A roar filled her ears — the rush of her blood. The ruby glowed, heating her chest.
Yes… Yes… she cried inside.
She’d never had a man taste her and, hot damn. What had she been missing out on all along?
Missing out on our mate, her dragon grumbled.
Her mind was hazy, but one thing made sense. She had never opened herself to any other man that way because no one but Marco was capable of elevating her to such a high.
And boy, did he elevate. Levitate, almost, given the way she arched off the patio tiles. Then, with a final flick of his tongue, Marco pushed her over the edge of ecstasy. She let out a long, keening moan, jerking wildly. He held her, drawing out her pleasure to a crescendo that roared in her ears.
Gradually, the tension in her body eased, and she went limp, panting and murmuring his name.
Vaguely, she sensed water splashing as Marco heaved himself out of the pool and to her side. He nestled alongside her body, murmuring softly in Portuguese. Something about his heart…his soul, and…magic?
Well, what she’d just experienced sure counted as magic in her book.
When she finally blinked and looked, his eyes searched hers, begging to know, Was that all right?
Laura nearly laughed. Marco had just given her the wildest, hardest, most amazing orgasm of her life. Did he have to ask?
“Not obvious?” she finally managed.
He grinned, then covered her mouth in a long, deep kiss.
A moment later, Laura’s eyes went wide. Whoa. Was that tangy taste…her?
Marco’s eyes sparkled and danced like never before, telling her, Yes, it is. And it’s so, so good.
He swept his tongue around, sharing the flavor, then settled on his side and smoothed a hand over her hair.
“Tão linda,” he murmured again. So beautiful.
She blushed. It wasn’t often that she thought of herself as beautiful, but at the moment, she agreed. She felt beautiful, inside and out.
Slowly, she registered the surrounding nighttime sounds. The crickets were still singing, the surf still crashing in the distance. More importantly, she noticed the details of her partner all over again. The broad shelf of Marco’s chest. The boxy muscles of his abs. And above all, those blue, blue eyes. They wandered over her body, soaking her in like a painting before settling on the ruby between her breasts.
His lips moved, though she didn’t catch the words. Something about fire and a maid — or was that maiden?
She shook the thought away. Clearly, her mind was still in a haze.
When she ran a hand down his side, his eyes glittered in need, though he didn’t voice a demand or even a wish. He just lay there, letting her bathe in her own pleasure.
The man was a keeper, for sure.
But it was high time to return the favor, so she slid her hand a little lower, brushing his stiff shaft.
My, my, her dragon side murmured.
Slowly, she closed her fingers around him and stroked up and down. Marco’s breath caught, and he closed his eyes.
“Is that okay?” she asked.
“You could say that,” he rasped.
She grinned and came up on one elbow. Now it was her turn to witness his pleasure. But watching stoked her inner fire all over again, and she found herself burning for more.
She released him slowly, leaned over, and kissed him on the lips. “As much a
s I’m enjoying this, I think it’s time for a bed.”
Marco’s eyes fluttered open, and for a minute, she thought he might pull her hand back to his groin. But a moment later, he jumped to his feet and helped her up.
“We definitely need a bed,” he rasped, leading her to the house.
She chuckled. “A big bed.”
Marco shook his head. “A strong one.”
A lick of fire went through her veins as she pictured him moving over her in hard, hot thrusts.
“You have one up to the job?” she asked as they hurried inside.
Marco’s eyes glowed as he led her upstairs. “We’ll have to see, won’t we?”
Laura licked her lips. She was up for that.
Her dragon nodded enthusiastically. She was definitely up for that.
Chapter Fifteen
Marco had never had any emotional attachment to the massive bed that took up most of his room, but he sure loved it now. It was a dark, heavy thing made of tough wood harvested from the deepest forests of Madeira over a hundred years ago. Four posts carved into spirals marked each corner, and curly patterns decorated the head and footboards.
He kicked the door open and studied the bed. Yes, that ought to hold up under what he had planned. He was on fire like never before, and it was hard to hold back.
Laura must have read his mind, because she whispered, “Like I said. Don’t hold back.”
He ran his hand down her side, marveling at her all over again.
“You’re amazing, you know that?” he whispered, nuzzling her chin.
She chuckled. “Just ridiculously horny. Is that a dragon thing? Because ever since I met you…”
His soul soared. He’d felt the same way. Deep down, they’d both recognized each other as theirs from the very start. And now, he was through fighting it.
“It’s destiny,” he whispered.
“Mmm,” she murmured, sliding a hand down his back. “Something you really, really have to explain to me — later. Much later. Right now…” She pulled him closer, making his cock jut against her belly.
His blood flared, and it took everything he had not to push her back onto the bed. He was going to savor this moment, even if it killed him.
So, he kissed her, hard and deep, losing himself in her flavor all over again. At the same time, he slid his hand up her side until her breast filled his palm. He kneaded it for a moment before flicking a thumb over the tight, pink bud, making Laura surge. Then he closed his eyes because, Christ. Was there anything about her that wasn’t perfect?