Dragon Fever: A Dark Kings Novella (7 page)

In the millions of years he’d been on the realm, he’d had many women. But not a single one was anything like Rae. He saw the desire in her eyes, but there was hesitancy as well. As if she wasn’t sure what to do.

The fact she was so confident in their conversations and flirting—this stunned him. She needed to know she could do whatever she wanted.

He saw the way she gripped his shirt at his throat with both hands. He gave her a smile. “I’m yours, lass. Do what you will.”

Her gaze lowered to her hands, and a slow smile pulled at her lips. Then, with a yank, she tore open his shirt.

He had to fist his hands not to grab her as she gazed at his bare chest with blatant pleasure. Her touch was soft as her fingers glided over his chest and stomach. She grew bolder and flattened both hands on him as she caressed over his torso. It wasn’t long before he yanked off the shirt so she could touch more of him.

The pleased look on her face made it even harder for him not to undress her as he longed to do. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of her hands on him, learning him.

All of a sudden, her caresses stopped. He opened his eyes to find her gaze locked on his tattoo. It had been a part of him for so long that he sometimes forgot it was there.

Her eyes were fastened on his left arm where the dragon sat perched between his shoulder and elbow with the appearance of its long talons sunk into Asher’s skin, with its wings tucked against him. The dragon had a snarl, his head facing Asher.

He wondered how Rae saw the tattoo. Would she question the mix of black and red ink that couldn’t be duplicated? Would she wonder why the dragon was on that arm?

Remaining still, he waited as she ran her finger down the tail of the dragon, from his elbow to the point of his wrist and back up again. Then she let those same fingers glide over the dragon’s wings and body before stopping at the head, which was at his shoulder.

After a moment, her gaze shifted to his. There was something altogether different in her eyes. He didn’t know what it was, but he didn’t like it. There was no way he was going to lose what had flared to life so effortlessly between them. He cupped her face with both hands and kissed her.

It wasn’t a slow, sedate kiss like earlier. It was carnal and erotic. He shamelessly seized her lips in an attempt to once more reveal the woman who so eagerly tore open his shirt and touched him.

There was a heartbeat of panic when she didn’t respond, then with a sigh, her arms wrapped around his neck. She returned his kiss with wanton abandon that made his balls tighten.

He then slowly walked her backward to his bedroom, never breaking the kiss. Rae’s passion matched his own. He’d never encountered a woman who could make him ache as she did.

In the bedroom, he broke the kiss long enough to pull her sweater over her head and toss it aside. Beneath it she wore a silvery strapless bra that he found insanely arousing. It was Rae who removed her shoes and unzipped her pants. His mouth went dry. The flaps fell open, revealing her naval and the lacy edge of her panties.

No longer could he hold back. He grasped Rae, yanking her against him and kissing her savagely. Her hands plunged into his hair, nails scraping his scalp as she clutched handfuls of hair.

A frenzy took them as they continued to kiss and remove the remainder of each other’s clothes. In a matter of moments, they were skin to skin. He ran his hand down her spine and over her hip. He loved the feel of her silken skin and the way her body reacted to his touch.

He sucked in a breath when her long fingers wrapped around his cock. The kiss ended as he looked down at her. She stroked him as if it was the only thing she wanted to do. A bead of pre-cum formed and she smeared it over the crown of his rod before she brought her thumb to her mouth and wrapped her lips around her finger, sucking.

Something inside him snapped. He had to be inside her, right then or die. His arms lashed around her before lifting her and laying her on the bed. Her long dark tresses fanned around her as she reached for him. He knelt between her open legs and leaned down to kiss her once more.

He reached between them and cupped her breast, feeling the weight of it as her nipple hardened in his palm. With a shift of his body, he groaned before taking the peak into his mouth and teasing it with his tongue.

She moaned loudly, her back arching off the bed as her nails dug into his shoulders. He suckled the nipple harder to hear her cries of pleasure.

When he moved to her other breast, he tweaked the turgid peak with his fingers before wrapping his lips around it. Her cries grew louder by the moment while her hips rocked against him seeking release to the growing passion.

He wanted to spend hours loving her––and he would. But at that moment, they were both too worked up for a lengthy session of lovemaking. He flattened his palm on her stomach and moved his hand downward until he reached her sex.

Her legs fell open and her breath locked in her lungs. He lifted his head to look at her while he lightly ran his fingers over her swollen sex. He helplessly thrust his hips when he found her wet. How he wanted to plunge inside her right that instant, but somehow he held back. He slid a finger inside her, then added a second before thrusting.

Her breath released in a rush. He couldn’t take his eyes from her face as surprise and pleasure washed over her in varying degrees. Her hips began moving in time with his fingers, silently urging him on.

He let his thumb swirl over her clit. Her entire body tensed for a second before she cried out, wanting more. He pumped his fingers faster, teasing her clit with every other thrust.

Sweat broke out over his body as he fought to keep control over his need. Asher then moved between her legs and replaced his fingers with his tongue.

“Asher,” she moaned.

He held her hips in place as he flicked his tongue over her swollen clit. With her cries filling the room, he teased her until her body began to tighten.

Only then did he rise up. She opened her eyes, their gazes meeting. He guided himself to her entrance. Then he watched her eyes widen as the head of his cock slid inside her. Her hands twisted the covers when he slowly pushed himself forward until half of him was inside her. Then he pulled out and thrust hard, seating himself fully.

She screamed his name and reached for him. He placed his hands on either side of her head as he began to drive into her. Soon, they were clinging to each other as the passion rose high.

He rocked his hips faster, plunged deeper, and when he felt the walls of her tight sex clamp around him a second before she screamed his name, he lost all control and climaxed with her.

As her body milked him, he found himself floating high from the exquisite pleasure.

Minute by minute, they came down from the euphoria but remained locked in each other’s arms. For the first time in more years than Asher could remember, he felt as if fortune had finally smiled upon him.

Because in his arms was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Chapter Seven

Rachel knew it was wrong to stay with Asher, but every time she tried to talk herself into leaving, she couldn’t manage it. She was comfortable with his strong arms around her. He made her feel sheltered and secure.

Odd since he was the thing she was supposed to be afraid of.

How had it happened? How had she found herself in his bed? There had been a brief second when she saw his dragon tattoo where she recalled what her goal was. Then she promptly forgot all about it when he kissed her again.

She didn’t want to admit it, especially not to herself, but she had a feeling she experienced her first run-in with desire. And it had been glorious.

That could be the only reason. Why else couldn’t she keep her hands off him or her clothes on? What other reason was there for her to keep kissing him? Or for her to want him to make love to her? Or to forget about protection?

It wasn’t just the desire, it was the absolute pleasure she found in his arms. The man––dragon––must be a master. Then again, if she’d been around since the beginning of time, she’d be a master at sex too.

The suite was quiet as Asher slept. A part of her had actually wondered if the Dragon Kings did sleep, but she had her answer. She turned onto her back and stared at the ceiling.

She was up to her neck in this shit. And that’s what it was. Shit.

Not once had she ever used her body for a story. Though, technically, she hadn’t actually used her body. It had been freely given because there had been no way she was walking away from such amazing kisses.

He wasn’t supposed to be this wonderful. He was gallant and charming and a true gentleman. It was an act. She needed to remember that. It was all just an act so that the Dragon Kings could continue on as they always had.

But what was their end goal? Surely they didn’t want to hide forever. That made her stop. Why had they been hiding? If they were as powerful as she’d seen in that video, why hadn’t they taken over the world? Why were they doing everything in their power to turn attention away from that leaked video?

And why hadn’t she asked herself this before?

She admonished herself. She was a better journalist than this. Was she so blinded by what Sam told her and making a name for herself by going after a company as big as Dreagan that she had forgotten basic rules of her trade?

Like investigating everything and everyone.

It was the first time she’d made such a mistake, and she wasn’t proud of it. Sam had been so convincing, as had that video. The research on Dreagan had been damning as well, with the lack of documents, signatures, names, and even photos of those running Dreagan Industries. In her eyes, there hadn’t been a need to dig deeper.

But there was always a need––because there was always another side to the story.

She turned her head on the pillow and looked at Asher, who lay on his side facing her. The window behind him had the curtains open but the sheers pulled closed. Moonlight poured into the room, spilling onto the bed and his magnificent body.

She recalled how it felt to run her hands over every wonderfully hard muscle of his body from his shoulders to his chiseled abs to his long legs and amazing butt. A man shouldn’t have such a fine ass, but that was just one of his assets. She licked her lips and rolled toward him once more.

Unable to help herself, she placed her palm on his shoulder and slowly ran it down his arm to his hand that lay between them. He had long, thick fingers. His nails were trimmed neatly without even a single hangnail. She stroked down each of his fingers, remembering how those hands had awoken the desire inside her.

Why did it have to be Asher? Why couldn’t it have been someone else? What did he have that others didn’t?

She smiled ruefully because the answer was very clear––he was a dragon, but not just any dragon. He was an
immortal
Dragon King.

Sam told her of their immortality, but it had been something she’d witnessed in Asher’s eyes that confirmed that fact for her.
Endlessness
.

Of all the men all over the world, it had to be Asher. Just thinking of how he’d roused her carnal side, her blood heated. Her gaze ran down his body to see his arousal thick and hard.

Her gaze jerked to his face to find those stunning green eyes open and watching her. She physically ached for his touch, to have his lips on hers once more.

To feel him deep inside her.

He was the enemy. Wasn’t he? It scared the hell out of her that it didn’t matter who he was. She knew the truth of Asher, knew he was a man second only to being a dragon. It should jar her out of her desire-soaked mind and remind her what she set out to do. Instead, she was drowning in his eyes.

“I hope you were no’ thinking of leaving.”

She swallowed. “No.”

“Good. I’m no’ nearly finished with you yet.”

Her heart skipped a beat when he pulled her close. His large hand rested on her hip before sliding over and down her ass cheek to her leg. A knowing grin pulled at his lips when his hand stopped behind her knee. Then he tugged her leg up so that it rested on his hip.

The air hit her sex and chills raced over her skin. Asher had yet to do anything and already the anticipation was too much to handle. She was a ball of nerves, anxious and hungry for more of what he so willingly gave.

“What do you want,
a ghràidh
?”

His brogue was enough to make her swoon, but when he spoke the other language, she melted. She thought it might be Gaelic, but she didn’t ask. Just as she didn’t ask what it meant. How could she when his hand was moving slowly up and down her leg so that his fingers were coming so close to touching her sex?

A shuddering breath passed her parted lips when a thick digit sank inside her. With just a look, he restrained her, locking her gaze with his.

Slowly, his finger began to pump in and out of her. He had complete control over her body, her soul, and even her thoughts. He deftly and deliberately stroked her body to a fever pitch with one finger.

 Each time she moved her hips, his finger stilled. It was maddening, this driving need to move and add friction, only to have him stop. His smile said he knew exactly what he did to her. And, God help her, she craved more. His touch was becoming like oxygen. She needed it in order to live.

“The first time was too quick,” he murmured as he nipped at her lips. “I’m going to brand myself on you so that whenever you dress, wash, or even think of being with someone else, all you’ll feel, see, and want is me.”

Dear God. She was in deeper than she realized because she knew without a doubt he could do exactly as his words promised.

“What do you think of that?”

She had a hard time remembering his question as a second finger joined the first and moved deep within her. “I…I want that.”

What? Did those words just come out of her mouth? But it was the truth. No amount of excuses could change that. She couldn’t even blame him, because he hadn’t seduced her. The blame for that lay squarely on her shoulders.