Page 36 of Bride of the Black Dragon
“Why…why did you do that?” he asks, his deep voice coming out unsteady.
“To show you how I feel,” I murmur, looking him in the eyes. “Yes, I came tonight because I fear the Queen’s wrath. But also…I want to be with you. You’ve been protecting me from the moment I came here.”
“So you came to me out of gratitude.” His voice has turned bitter again. “That’s not much better than fear as a motive, little dove.”
“Gratitude is part of it,” I admit calmly. “The start of it, maybe. But all emotions must start somewhere.” I stroke my hand through his hair, pushing it back from the scarred side of his face. “I enjoyed spending time with you today,” I tell him. “And I rather thought you enjoyed my company as well. I hope so, anyway.”
“You are…not too difficult to be with,” he admits gruffly. Which is as good as I’ll get, I sense.
“Thank you,” I say, smiling and I kiss his cheek again.
“You only want me to take you in order to get you pregnant, though,” he says, frowning.
“Two things can be true at once,” I point out. “Yes, I need to get a baby in my belly, but also, I want you to be the one to do it. Even if Dorian was not…as he is…I would still choose you.”
He laughs bitterly.
“You’d prefer the dark, scarred brother over the golden boy—the favored son?”
“Dorian is favored by your mother because the two of them are cut from the same cloth,” I tell him. “There’s something wrong with them—something lacking. Their hearts are dead.” I put a hand on his bare chest. “Yours is alive—though scarred, it still beats. You felt for me—cared what happened to me. You’ve saved me over and over. Can you blame me for having feelings for you?”
“Feelings?” He cocks an eyebrow at me. “Don’t tell me you’re falling in love with me, little dove.”
“Heavens no,” I say dryly, though his words make my heart beat harder. “But I no longer fear you as I did. And I like your company. Also…” I press my face to the side of his throat daringly and inhale deeply, taking in his dark, spicy scent. “You smell amazing.”
He gives a short, gruff laugh but I feel a tremor go through his big body as I drop a gentle kiss on his throat.
“Gods, little dove…your lips are so soft.”
“Other parts of me are soft too.” I lift one of his big hands and press it to my breast. He cups me instinctively and I feel his thumb sweep across my nipple, which makes me moan and shiver with pleasure.
Then, abruptly, he pulls away.
“I can’t take you—not tonight. Maybe not ever,” he blurts out and I see something in his eyes—perhaps shadows of his past. Pain that is too difficult to bear, coming to the surface to torment him. Goddess of Mercy, what those kidnappers must have done to him…it doesn’t bear thinking of.
“Can you at least kiss me?” I ask gently, stroking his cheek. “And maybe touch me again, as you were doing earlier? You…left me wanting, you know.”
I let a faint edge of longing enter my voice. The sharp little pain of losing my maidenhead is gone completely now but I still feel the throbbing need that was building before he took it.
Xaren looks at me, searching my eyes and face as though looking to be sure I’m being sincere.
“Truly—that’s what you want?”
“I want you,” I say softly. “Or as much of you as you feel you can let me have.”
I kiss him again—his mouth this time. I dare to slip my tongue between his lips and taste him.
Xaren groans—a low, needy sound. Then he wraps an arm around me and takes me down to the mattress, his mouth covering mine to deepen the kiss.
I arch up to him, moaning into his mouth as our tongues meet. He tastes like hot cinnamon—a flavor I love. I tangle my fingers in his long hair and pull him closer, arching up to meet him.
His big hands are suddenly everywhere—roaming over my body, cupping my breasts…teasing and tugging my nipples…tracing the curves of my waist and hips…then, finally, I feel one palm settle between my legs.
I moan and buck my hips, letting him know that yes, I want this—I want him.
Xaren groans in return and I feel his long fingers parting my outer lips. Then he’s tracing around and around my clit again, stroking the aching little button until my hips buck with uncontrollable pleasure.
“That’s right, little dove,” he growls, breaking the kiss at last to look into my eyes. “Let me feel how wet you get for me. Let me feel your soft little pussy when you come.”
