Page 59 of Of Steel and Scale

He didn’t answer, just dove at me. Surprise tore a gasp from my lips as his arms wrapped around me and he took us both down, somehow twisting in the air so that his body took the brunt of the heavy fall. He grunted, a sound filled with pain, but rolled the two of us toward the base of the tunnel wall. My shoulder hit it hard enough to split open my cauterized wounds, but any sound I might have made was lost to a wave of rock and heat so loud, so fierce, it felt like we’d briefly stepped into Vahree’s hellish domain.

For too many seconds, we simply huddled together, our hearts beating in terrified unison as the air burned and chunks of rock thudded all around us. Nothing hit us, though, which made me suspect he was using a shield to protect us. It would certainly explain his miraculous avoidance of being crushed in the cavern.

The rain of heat and stone gradually eased, and though dust still swirled, it was nevertheless easier to breathe. I sent a sliver of fire across to my shoulder to seal the wound again, and then moved my face away from his chest and looked up. “Did you intend for all that to happen?”

He laughed, though it was a rough, somewhat wry sound. “Would you be very surprised if I said no?”

“Then what did happen? Was that the backlash you mentioned?”

“No. One of their containers must have had a leak, though I didn’t notice its presence until I’d finished and activated the spell. A spell spark hit the thin stream, and that’s when it all went south.”

“Meaning the acidic stuff is also explosive? That is not good news.”

“No.” He shifted slightly and skimmed his hand from my waist to my hip. Awareness flared in his eyes and echoed through me. “Are you hurt?”

“I daresay I’ll have a charming array of bruises happening tomorrow, but otherwise, no.” I raised a hand and lightly traced a finger around the shallow wound slicing his cheek. Desire deepened, both in his eyes and within me. “If this is your only wound, then you were damnably lucky.”

“I think my luck changed the moment I stepped off a boat and met my reluctant bride. Túxn was definitely in a playful mood that day.”

“Given everything that has happened since, it might be more accurate to say she was in a foul mood.”

He laughed, pulled me closer, and kissed me. He tasted of dust and sweat, of blood and desire, and heated promises of a future longed for but never expected. A future I might not get if the winged riders— I pushed the thought away, not wanting to consider the possibility.

I slipped a leg over his hips and pressed against his muscular body and the glorious length of his erection. This was neither the perfect time nor place for any sort of consummation, but rational thought wasn’t having much luck against the almost violent need to finally give in to the desire that burned between us.

The kiss deepened, intensified. I rubbed against him, the throbbing heat of his cock pressing against my mound, the leathers that lay between us little barrier to the fierceness of desire. It wasn’t skin on skin, but it nevertheless set me alight. His lips left my mouth and trailed down my chin, my neck. I gasped, shuddering in delight at each tiny press of his lips against my skin. Then he shifted and, with one hand, began to undo my jacket’s clasps. I should have objected. Should have told him the last thing I wanted was to make love on the cold, hard cavern floor. But that would be a lie because, right now, I didn’t care. I wanted him, all of him. Any damn way, any damn where.

The last clasp came away, and he pushed the jacket aside, his fingers brushing the aching tip of one nipple. I jerked, even as desire speared my entire body. He laughed softly, his breath warm on my skin even through the silk of my undergarment. His lips slowly followed the path of his hand, then he caught the aching nipple gently in his mouth and lightly sucked on it. I gasped again and rocked against him more urgently, rubbing his thick length against me, feeling the pooling heat, and increasing wetness. I wanted him. Lord how I wanted him....

“Bryn?” came a distant call. “Damon? You out there?”

Kele.

Túxn was no doubt laughing in delight right now.

“Here,” I replied, then groaned softly and rested my forehead against his. “I’m not sure whether to laugh or scream.”

“Scream. Definitely scream.” He tucked a finger under my chin and gently raised it, kissing me deeply and unhurriedly. “But perhaps it is for the best, given where we are.”

I moved my leg from his hip but remained pressed against him. “There’s definitely one part of your body disagreeing with that statement.”

“And it would definitely have overridden common sense if we’d not been interrupted.” He brushed a hand down my cheek, then across well-kissed lips. It felt like I was being branded. Felt like heaven. “But what we started here deserves more comfort and time.”

If we had it, that inner voice whispered again. I swallowed the trepidation that rose and simply said, “Agreed.”

“Then we fix your drakkon and retire to more comfortable quarters?”

“Perhaps a bath should be our first stop. We’re both a little... grimy.”

“Grime neither of us were worried about only a few seconds ago.”

“True, but imagine the fun that could be had in a bath?—”

“I’ve been doing nothing else ever since I sat by said bath and watched you only a night ago.”

It was wryly said, and I smiled. “The same night I threatened your balls with my knee? I’m pleased to inform you such a threat is no longer on the table.”

“I’m relieved to hear that, wife.” He paused, wickedness flickering through his eyes. “Though there is great delight to be had on a table, I can assure you.”

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