by G. A. Aiken
“All right. All right. Calm yourself. You barely notice when I’m gone and then you’re all over me when I’m here.”
“It’s how I get through our time apart. It’s worked so far. Now kiss me again.”
She did, melting at the way his tongue delved deeper, his fingers stroking her shoulders and back. He’d do the same when he got her naked, but then he’d be slower. Lingering over every part of her. It made it worth coming back to a bloody castle rather than a cave.
“We’re hungry.”
Ghleanna glared across the table at her youngest male offspring and the rest of the brats standing beside him. “Then go get a cow.”
“You’re not going to feed us? What kind of mother are you?”
“One that can separate your legs from the rest of ya!”
“Or,” Bram cut in, “you can go to the pub. We’ll meet you there later.”
Her youngest daughter shrugged. “Ain’t got no money, do we?”
“I don’t understand. Why aren’t you pillaging like the rest of your kin?”
“It was the Northlands, Da. Ain’t nothin’ to pillage but the crows in the trees.”
“And snow,” their eldest added. “Lots and lots of snow.”
Bram motioned to his study. “You know where I keep the gold coin.”
As if on fire, their offspring made a desperate run for their father’s study, climbing over the table and fighting each other through the door. It wasn’t pretty.
“Ghleanna—”
“You tolerate them because you love me,” she quickly reminded him.
“Gods, I do love you. I even love that lot. Crazed, murdering scum that they are.”
“They are cute. And already making their names. And . . .”
“And?” Bram pushed.
“I was promoted to General.”
Bram’s smile was real and so very warm.
He hugged her tight. “My beautiful, beautiful mate. I’m so proud of you.”
She knew that. Reveled in it. “And believe it or not—I got my rank directly from Bercelak.”
“How the hells did you manage that?”
“No idea. And you know how he is. If we’re Cadwaladrs, we gotta kill twice as many as other Dragonwarriors before that tight-lipped bastard will even grunt in our direction.”
“Still a ray of sunshine, is he?”
Ghleanna laughed until their brats tore past them again on their way out the castle doors.
“Off to the ale,” she muttered.
“And leaving us alone.”
“Aye. That they have.” She pressed her forehead against her mate’s. “Gods, I’ve missed you, peacemaker. Those bloody cold nights fighting those damn Lightnings. And all I wanted was to get home to you.”
“You are, Ghleanna. You are home. And I’ve never been happier.”
Coming next month,
Feel the Burn,
the newest in G.A. Aiken’s
outrageously funny Dragon Kin series!
War makes strange bedfellows.
I, Gaius Domitus, one-eyed rebel dragon king of the Provinces, know that better than most, since I have to fight off half my ungrateful family on a regular basis to keep law and order here in my lands. But I never expected to have to consort with a barbarian human woman.
Kachka is beautiful, if you like them fierce—and of course I do. But she keeps complaining about how spoiled and decadent I am, and how a feared Daughter of the Steppes has no time for foolish dragons. I think she likes my eye patch, though. It is quite dashing. With death always at our tails, we take our passion like we take our allies. As they say, love the barbarian you’re with . . .
Praise for the novels of G.A. Aiken
“A chest-thumping, mead-hall rocking, enemy-slaying
brawl of a good book.”
—All Things Urban Fantasy
“Aiken aces another one.”—RT Book Reviews, 4 stars
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Originally from Long Island, New York Times bestselling author G.A. Aiken has resigned herself to West Coast living, which involves healthy food, mostly sunny days, and lots of guys not wearing shirts when they really should be. Writing as Shelly Laurenston, she is also the creator of the wickedly funny Pride series for Brava. For more info about G.A. Aiken’s dangerously and arrogantly sexy dragons, go to www.gaaiken.com.
ZEBRA BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2011 by G.A. Aiken
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.
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First Electronic Edition: November 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4201-3898-6