Firebreather 1: Firebreather (6 page)

Anything and everything with him was right.

“Why aren’t I the least bit messy this morning? You guys did a number on me last night.” She leaned down to nibble his racing pulse.

He groaned and reached down to unbutton his fly, freeing himself.

“Dracon seed saturates the skin. We leave no mess behind.”

“Only a marker, a possessive sign to other Dracon,” she realized.

“Hmm. Yes,” he rasped, surging up inside her in one smooth pull on her hips. “Fuck me, Lea. Take me home.” She fused her mouth to his, battling his tongue while feeling his cock grow harder and harder within her. Leaning up, she stared down at him, completely enthralled by the Dracon watching her with open lust and affection. Slowly sliding up and down over his steely cock, she savored his every expression. The color-changing glitter of his eyes, the harsh breaths, the pulse she could see pounding under the open collar of his shirt.

“So beautiful,” she murmured. “Almost better than dragon flight.” He laughed harshly and caught her hips, urging her to increase her pace. “That’s just what I was thinking last night. But sex with you is better than anything in this world.” His skin rippled and she stared, captivated. “Ah, Lea. You’re so perfect. Your pussy is so hot.” He bucked up, almost unseating her, driving harder into her. The feel of him inside her was making her crazy. And then he began throwing images at her. Of how she’d looked last night when they’d come all over her. Of his cock in her mouth, in her ass. Of her on her knees as he and his brothers filled her every orifice at once.

The pressure against her clit, in addition to his pictures, sent her careening into climax. As she tensed around him, he jerked and shot, filling her with his essence.

The little death seemed to last forever, yet he managed to sit up and hug her while still joined.

“You undo me,” he murmured. “Each time is better than the last.”

“I know.” But something about his lovemaking niggled at the back of her mind. To feel so incredibly linked with him, yet he didn’t act at all jealous about his brothers and Lucas, made her wonder. He rotated his shaft inside her, rubbing against her clit and her womb clenched again. And all was right with the world.

* * *

“So you still haven’t told her you’re king.” Speaking in Drac, Lucas grinned around a turkey leg and took a large bite.

“Scared of your new queen, eh, brother?” Adrian teased.

“Not scared. I just don’t want to ruin the mood.” Ferin frowned.

Little did they know of women and relationships. And with his Draka, his queen, now found, his brothers had little to worry about mating.

They could mate, or they could not, but the pressure to continue the line had lifted from the family with Lea’s presence.

“You just had her not a half hour ago. She feels good in here.” Matthias tapped his head. “As well as in here,” he said, pointing to his groin. “You got lucky with this one.”

“Hell, all of the Dracon did.” Lucas grunted. “She knows as much about the Dracon as most of us. She’s sexy, intelligent, and real easy on the eyes. But if you don’t soon tell her who you are before she finds out, shit is going to seriously hit the fan. Females hate when you keep things from them.”

Adrian rolled his eyes. “This coming from the Dracon with three girlfriends. I swear, Lucas. If Moira and Sherel find out you’re also bedding Emmaline, you’re a dead man.” Lucas shrugged. “I never promised any of them exclusivity. And my appetites are more than any one woman can handle.”

“But not one man?” Matthias gave him a speculative glance.

“Well, since Adrian’s never seen fit to give me decent head…”

“Shut up, asshole. Just last night you were crying my name.”

“Yeah, crying.” Lucas snickered and the others laughed.

“Seems to me you ought to give Matthias a try,” Ferin offered, needling Adrian’s jealousy.

Predictably, Adrian frowned. “Don’t you have enough to worry about having bonded to S. M. Ryans?”

“Keep it down, Adrian.” Matthias scowled. “We’re the only ones who know about Lea’s other identity. It’ll be hard enough making the others accept a human, especially since she’s a Venlay.”

“Not once she’s carrying,” Lucas added. “Then all will be right as rain. And you did say you wanted to try right away.”

“Not until she’s ready.” Ferin pushed away a half-eaten apple. “I just wish I knew how to tell her. I think she knows our joining last night wasn’t the norm. Any other red-blooded Dracon would have torn the three of you apart for even looking on her the wrong way.”

“Good thing we’re not any other Dracon.” Matthias swiped his fruit. “I want her, Ferin. More than I thought I would.” Ferin shook his head, bemused. “I know this bothers me, but damned if I can drum up any jealousy. And that’s just not normal.”

“Your Draka, our Draka,” Matthias said quietly. “Until the bonding is completed, we must cement her ties. She belongs to us, until she belongs solely to you, brother. But have no fear. We’ll all respect your rights to The Treasure.”

“A true mate.” Adrian nodded, satisfied. “She’ll bear strong young.

And she’ll stay true to you, to us. Already I feel the emotional connection strongly, something I wouldn’t have expected from a human.”

“She’s more than human where it counts.” Matthias smiled. “She has the heart of a Dracon. The mind of a wizard. And the body of a goddess.” He glanced behind him and his grin widened. “Good morning, Lea,” he switched back to English. “Join us, please.” Ferin watched hungrily as Lea walked with her usual grace to his side. Wearing simple jeans and a soft sweater, she appeared as sexy as she had in green silk. She sat with them, his brothers and royal guard, and looked as if she belonged.

“How was your bath, Lea?”

“Oh, great.” She sounded distracted, and Ferin had a moment’s unease that she might suspect more than what he’d told her.

“Is something amiss?” Lucas asked, amusement in his tone.

Ferin glared, and Lucas glanced down, chastised if not repentant.

“Actually,” she paused, blushing, before staring each brother in the eye. “I just can’t figure it out, and I’ve got to know. I’ve studied the Dracon extensively, and last night doesn’t figure into anything I know about you guys. What really happened last night, aside from the, uh, sex that is? You mentioned bonding. But what does that really mean?

And all that ‘belonging’ stuff.” Her face was a fiery rose, a becoming blush that had Ferin harder than stone. Hell, he wanted to take her back into that room and mark her again. And by the look on his brothers’ and Lucas’ faces, they wanted the same.

She swallowed loudly. “It almost sounded like a passage out of the mating chapter I’d read in
Reem’s Lost Arts
.” Ferin choked on the water he’d been sipping, glaring at Lucas when he slapped him on the back.

“I’d say this is the opening you’ve been waiting for.” Lucas raised a brow, Adrian smiled smugly, and Matthias shrugged.

“Hell.” Ferin stared Lea in the eyes, feeling again that contact that told him he’d found his queen. Such purity, such strength, and in such a winsome package. Except for her family name, the woman had no drawbacks as far as he could tell. Although…she was a bit stubborn.

Would she take the news well, or try to run for it? S. M. Ryans would stay, more out of curiosity and to further academic pursuit. But would Lea Venlay, the passionate woman he was growing to love, give him a chance when it would mean going against everything she’d ever been taught?

* * *

Lea stared. “Well?”

“How much do you know about the royal line?” Lucas asked.

“The royal line?” She was baffled at the change of subject, but she easily followed. “Only that the Dracon are a secretive clan. No one knows who actually rules the Dracon, no one human, that is.”

“And what would the Venlays do with such information?” Matthias asked.

Lea frowned. “I suppose my brothers would exploit the situation, keeping the Dracon in line with threats to the royal family.” Adrian and Lucas exchanged glances. “I thought she’d at least try to lie on that one.”

“Why should I? My brothers are hotheads. I love them, but I’m not blind when it comes to them. They have issues with the Dracon, for no other reason than a tradition of hostility. My uncles want to roast you all over the coals, and my sister wants….”

“Wants what?” Ferin wanted to know.

“Never mind.” She flushed, disturbed that she felt so possessive of Ferin. Glancing at the men around her, she forced herself to admit her growing affection. And how the hell did a normal human go from a staid, predictable life to having feelings for four Dracon? “Ferin, can I talk to you, in private?”

His brows drew close but he nodded. The others left without being asked, and Ferin watched her without blinking.

Lea didn’t want to say it, but felt she had to. She believed in honesty and made it a practice to start with herself. “Ferin, I don’t know how to say this without sounding, ah, kind of weird.”

“Go on.” He caressed the back of her hand, soothing her nerves while his dark eyes swam with compassion. Why had she never before seen how caring he could be?

“It’s just that last night was so out of character for me. I’ve never had sex with more than one person at a time.” Her face felt on fire.

“And I can’t explain it, but I have these odd feelings stirring inside me.

Feelings for you…and the others,” she ended on a whisper.

“The Dracon?”

“Not all the Dracon. Just you, your brothers and Lucas. It’s as if last night cast a spell over me. It sounds stupid, I know. But I can’t—”

“Relax, Lea. It’s not stupid at all. And you’re the most honest, open woman I’ve ever known. That’s what I lo—” He coughed. “Like about you.” He smiled and she smiled with him, relieved he wouldn’t be judgmental.

“Lea, when we talked before, you told me you knew about the Dracons’ greatest vulnerability, its monarchy.” She nodded.

“We hide our king and his family from humanity for that reason.

Didn’t it strike you as odd that our history is so muted, so obviously lacking concerning our leadership?”

“I did think it strange. But it was just one more mystery on top of so many. Like the fact that very few of the clan are firebreathers. And then I saw you do it at my house. You breathed fire, and you took me for a ride in the sky.” A memory she would never in her life forget.

“Lea.” Ferin sounded tentative, and his lack of assurance alerted her to pay attention. “The Dracon are a fiercely possessive and, at times, territorial race. We enjoy life’s pleasures, sex being a major part of our enjoyment. But a Dracon doesn’t share his female the way I shared you last night.”

“I know I’m different. I’m human.” She couldn’t help the stiffness of her reply. Damn it, did he have to rub in their differences?

“No, no. What I’m trying to say is that you’re special. You, Lea…” He paused, seeming troubled.

Did he regret last night? Much as she should have, she couldn’t.

“You bonded with us, in a relationship that will know an emotion deeper and greater than any human or common Dracon will ever know.”

“But how is that possible? I’m human. And the bond you’re talking about sounds awfully like a mating bond.” Shaking her head, she tried to make sense of it all. “With you and your brothers? Does that include Lucas too?” This was unreal. What the hell was Ferin saying?

“No, it doesn’t include Lucas, or my brothers.” His mouth flattened in irritation. “It does now, but not…Never mind, Lea. We can talk about specifics later. I’m just trying to tell you that you’re special, and it has nothing to do with your being human. It’s about who you are inside.”

Lea stared, her heart bursting, her mind filled with confusion and an absurd hope. For months Ferin Dekker had been following her, trying to know more about her. And while she’d passed off his interest as something more devious, the dreamer inside her had spun visions of happily ever after with a Dracon “prince,” a world of love and affection and magic all rolled into one.

And now Ferin was telling her exactly what she wanted to hear.
And
won’t your family be thrilled for you? That same family who only a
week ago jailed a Dracon without due process, and all for stealing a
treasure rightfully belonging to his family.
She paled, remembering all that she’d left behind.
And what about S. M. Ryans? Don’t forget, they
want “him” silenced.

She stared at Ferin, trying to figure the truth.

He sighed, as if sensing her bewilderment. “Lea, just try to keep an open mind, hmm? No one here wants to harm you, far from it. You’re my guest, under my protection, and I’d like to spend some time just getting to know you. Like I said before. Will you allow me that?”

“Okay,” she said slowly, wondering just what he wasn’t telling her.

This enigmatic Dracon, the one who owned several corporations and who lived in a freaking castle, had a reputation as a ladies’ man and as a ruthless opponent who never shied from, or lost, a challenge. But this
man
staring at her so earnestly seemed a far cry from the cold-blooded dragon of rumor and speculation.

His warm smile lit up the room, and he lifted her to her feet for a crushing hug.

“Ferin, I can’t breathe,” she gasped, chuckling.

“Sorry.” He quickly unhanded her and piled a plate with food. “Eat, Draka, and we’ll have that tour I know you’ll want to see. Imagine having such access to the Dracon, twenty-four seven.” She smiled wryly. “My inner Ryans is all abuzz. I admit I’m more than curious, but how long do you think you can keep me here?” His eyes glittered, and she felt a strange rush of emotion both foreign and oddly, masculine. A dragon cried in the distance, and then all was quiet. “Eat, Draka, and I’ll think on your question. After all, how powerful is the dragon who cannot hold onto his treasure?” Lea sipped some orange juice and stared at him. “Draka? Why do you keep calling me that? It means ‘my queen,’ doesn’t it?”

“I thought you didn’t speak Drac.”

“I don’t. But I’ve caught a few phrases, here and there, from translations.”

“Oh, yes, from your relative’s journals. I’m sure she mentioned we’re an affectionate people. And we love pet names as much as humans do.” He pursed his lips, thoughtful, but as she stared at him, she could too easily recall the feel of such velvety steel on her body, her mouth, her neck. She rubbed absently at the small bruise marking her flesh, and noted his satisfied nod.