Kiss of the Dragon (24 page)

“Oh, my!” Her breathy exclamation after the long, passionate
kiss brought a satisfied grin to Draco’s lips. Bianca opened her eyes and gazed
down at his handsome face, flushed with desire and his eyes hot with hunger for
her and she wondered at this passion that flared between them.

Bianca had been attracted to the great Black Dragon from
that moment in the Great Hall when she had first laid eyes on him. She made the
decision then that there would be no other man for her. Bianca wanted Draco for
her husband and she had set out to seduce him in any way she could.

But now as she lay draped across his broad chest, his hands
wandering over her body at will, she came to understand what physical love was.
Bianca had believed herself in love with this great man from the beginning, but
it was not until this moment that she understood that there were two kinds of
love.

One was a young girl’s first fantasy love that she creates
in her childish dreams before she matures into a woman. As a young woman, she
soon begins to aspire for a husband and perhaps lover, and a woman’s love,
physical and spiritual, fulfilled only when she finds the one and only true
love great enough to fulfill all her dreams and more. Bianca had experienced
both. As she gazed down at this great warrior with his battle scars and lonely,
hungry eyes, she realized that she loved him with her whole heart and soul.
Nothing would change her feelings not in this lifetime.

And then suddenly she was more afraid than she had ever been.
How could she hope to hold fast to such a worldly man, her being so naïve and
innocent? Perhaps this night would be just one more in a long procession of
passion-filled nights for him. She had witnessed the looks that the gypsy
dancer gave him. The thought scared her to death.

It was a fact that passion was something that could flare
between any man and woman if the circumstances proved to be right. Even as much
as she loved him, Bianca wondered if she could every hold a man like Draco?
Could she force him to love her back?

If there was one thing Bianca had learned since Draco had
set foot in Castle Neige, it was that love was not make-believe. Love was
definitely real and at times, it could hurt. She loved Draco with all her heart
and she wanted to believe that he would someday return that love. But until he
said the words aloud, she accepted that she would have to be satisfied with the
great passion that flared between them.

Bianca carefully studied his handsome, rugged features, her
slender fingers moving over his strong jaw, wide cheekbones. She traced one
fingertip down over the long scar that divided his face. Then she lowered her
head and pressed her soft lips to his cheek and kissed it tenderly, drawing a
low groan from him that rumbled deep in his chest. He cupped the back of her
head and held her while his mouth captured hers in a passionate kiss.

Did Bianca ache for his touch, as he did hers? Draco could
no long deny that her touch affected him. He had tried to do just that, but it
had all been a lie he made up to convince himself and her, but no longer. He
wanted Bianca more than life and now that she was here in his arms, there was
no way he could pretend to be even a little chivalrous. She was his, at least
for the moment. Tomorrow would take care of itself.

Even as those thoughts flew through his mind his mouth moved
over hers in an uninhibited, ardent kiss that left her moaning her need into
his mouth. Ravenously, he deepened the kiss, plunging his tongue into her
warmth again and again. And without reservation, Bianca moved restlessly
against him. She returned his kiss with unconcealed passion.

Without breaking their kiss, Draco rolled Bianca beneath
him, wedging his large body between her soft white thighs, nestling the ridge
of his throbbing, male hardness against her moist curls guarding her womanhood.
The only thing separating them was the soft wool of his breeches.

Shocked at the feelings that swept through her at the
intimacy of their position, Bianca drew back from his kiss and stared up at him
in wonderment. The intensity of his gaze held her as he reached down between
their bodies. The feel of his hand caressing down over the bare skin of her
abdomen and lower into the tight black curls of her mons left her breathless
with anticipation. And then his fingers found the delicate folds of her nether
lips and the sensitive nub hidden there.

“Oh, oh!” The soft sigh of feeling that escaped her lips was
little more than a soft puff of breath. As he manipulated the delicate, swollen
bud, Draco watched Bianca’s passion-flushed face as her eyelids drifted closed
and she worried her bottom lips with her teeth.

“Oh, God! Do not stop!” she begged as he removed his hand.

“Do not worry, dearling, I have no intention of stopping. We
have not even begun yet.” He adjusted his position to give himself a better
view of her lovely secrets.

“Open your legs, sweetheart. Oh yes, wider. There. God, you
are so beautiful!”

Draco wanted to rip off his breeches and thrust into her
right then, but instead, he tore his eyes from the lovely sight of her and
moved up to cover her body with his. His mouth took hers in a passionate kiss,
leaving her whimpering in her need. Again, his lips slanted over hers as he
cupped her breasts, kneading them, his thumb rolling her nipple until it
pearled beneath his touch. Then his hot, hungry mouth was there, taking one
hard nipple into his mouth, lapping its peak with his hot, wet tongue and then
drawing on it, suckling her long and hard. The result was a writhing lush body
beneath his.

“Oh, Draco, please. Please!”

Her plea brought him close to the end of his endurance and
he knew that he had to bring her closer to the edge before he could take her
completely. His fingers found her wet and swollen and he knew that it would not
take much to bring her to climax. He manipulated her nub with his thumb as he
lowered his mouth over her other breast and suckled it until she was wild in
his arms. He raised his head to nip her kiss-swollen lips once again and then
grazed across her cheek to her ear.

“It will be all right, Bianca. Relax. Enjoy your release.”

Leaving her ear, Draco moved to her glorious breasts once
again, paying homage to them with thoroughness that left her breathless and
moaning. She was so lost in her need that he was sure she did not realize he
had lifted her legs to wrap them around his waist so that she was fully open to
him.

“Feel how much I want you.” Draco’s hands clutched Bianca’s
bare buttocks to hold her tight as he gently rocked with her, the ridge of his
arousal pressed against her. He thrust against her, becoming more demanding in
a tormented search for release. As she writhed beneath him, it was apparent
that Bianca was close and with one last undulation, Draco pressed himself tight
against her. As he felt her stiffen and her cry of release echoed off the
walls, he let his own fantasies carry him over the edge and he threw back his
head as he gripped her hips and shuddered as he spilled his seed within his
breeches. It took several moments for him to relax enough to ease his hold on
her, and then he collapsed beside her, all strength ebbing from his muscles.

Draco rolled to his back taking Bianca with him draping her
wantonly across his broad chest. Her body still shuddered from the aftereffects
of her climax. He was amused by the stunned expression on her face, as Bianca
fought to regain control over her overwhelmed emotions.

Her composure was in tatters. Despite all the new and
breathtaking sensations that she had just experienced, the one thing that lay
utmost on her mind was that Draco had brought her such pleasure and fulfillment
and yet he had not actually penetrated her. It had been caressing and rubbing
and she had enjoyed every moment of it, but she was also bewildered and
somewhat embarrassed that she had been naked all the while and Draco had never
removed his breeches. She had no notion that people could find gratification in
such a manner.

As if reading her thoughts, Draco pulled her tense body
close and kissed her hot cheeks. “There is no shame in what we have just
enjoyed together, my sweet. This way I could give you carnal pleasure without
breaching your maidenhead.” But his words did not stanch the furious blush and
as her eyes welled up with hot tears, Bianca turned her face to his neck and
wept quietly.

“Hush, my love. You break my heart with these tears. What
can I do to reassure you on this point?” Bianca raised her head and looked at
him through her blinding tears.

“Say that you do not think less of me for what we have just
done. I could not bear it if I lost you because I could not give you the same
pleasure you gave me.” Even with tears wetting her face, Bianca still blushed
at what she insinuated. She found great pleasure in their lovemaking, but if he
had not even removed his clothing how could he have felt anything? Of a sudden,
a distant rumbling sounded beneath her hands, splayed across his chest. She
glanced at Draco and when the corners of his mouth tilted up, she realized that
he was laughing at her. She fisted her hands and began to beat his chest in
fury at his rudeness.

“How could you? How could you be so callous? I am only
thinking of your comfort and you laugh at me.”

Her wrath was precious. Draco captured her flailing hands in
his to still them before she bruised them and raised them to his lips.

“Who said that I received no pleasure in what just happened?
Did you not notice my high agitation or hear my bellow of release? I assure you
that even with my clothes still covering my body, I could feel every move you
made. Just looking at your lovely body gives me more pleasure than I have ever
experienced previously. Yea, you, Bianca de Neige are more than just beautiful.
You are passionate, arousing, exciting, magnificent. Do not underestimate
yourself. You are all woman.”

When she opened her mouth, Draco cut off her words by
leaning over her and covering her mouth with his. He kissed her until she was
nearly senseless. And then he lay back on the bed and drew her into the crook
of his shoulder before pulling a light blanket over them.

“Sleep, my love. Sleep and dream sweet dreams.”

* * * * *

With pertinacity best attributed to a courageous knight,

The Maid de Neige vowed she would be this man’s wife,

Even if it took her all of this lifetime and into eternity.

She vowed to concoct a scheme to keep him in close
proximity,

Pretending to peruse the canaille out to claim her
inheritance,

Whether the man looked like a mouse, a cat, or a frog, for
instance.

Alas none were good enough, her sweet Knight decreed,

Still he stubbornly denied her the choice that was he.

It was wonderfully peaceful in the rose garden. Small yellow
songbirds twittered above her head as they jumped from twig to twig among the
white blooms of the dogwood tree Bianca sat beneath, the unopened book on her
lap forgotten as she took in the early morning beauty around her.

This secluded rose arbor was a favorite hiding place to
which Bianca sometimes escaped when she wanted to avoid the resident witch when
that lady went on one of her tiresome tirades, as she did so this morning.

Bianca had managed to keep out of Heloise’s way by slipping
out of the castle by way of the kitchen and with a little help from Cook who
intercepted the duchess on the pretext of looking at the evening menus. Bianca
fled unnoticed out the back door and into the fragrant herb garden. From there
she skirted around the outer wall of the hall, quickly losing herself in the
formal gardens. This morning Bianca had more important things to contemplate
than the trivial reason for her stepmother’s latest tantrum.

Even as a young girl, Bianca had loved this quiet, peaceful
arbor. It was her haven when she needed privacy to cry out her childish pains
and girlish woes. The solitude of this fresh green place with the wonderful
perfumes of the many flowers that grew around it had been a sanctuary in which
she had hidden many times as a child until her father came looking for her. At
those times, he had gathered her close and whispered words of comfort against
her silky black hair as he sat on this very seat, rocking her in his arms until
her tears dried. The memory of those special moments brought mist to her eyes
and she took a deep breath to keep the tears at bay.

“He has asked me to marry him.”

At her cousin’s sudden appearance, Bianca quickly swiped the
telltale trace of tears from the corner of her eyes and pasted on a bright
smile before lifting her head and peeking up at her from beneath the
wide-brimmed hat she wore. It was a moment before the significance of what
Modesta announced touched her. And then envy raised its vicious head for an
instant, coloring her thoughts. Ashamed of her jealousy, Bianca quickly swept
it aside to give her full attention to her cousin’s wonderful tidings.

Modesta collapsed gracefully on the stone bench and wrapped
her slender arms about Bianca hugging her close, kissing her warmly on the
cheek. Her happiness was undeniable as her lovely blue eyes sparked with joy.

“So the great handsome baron has finally decided to accept
his fate, has he?” Bianca teased Modesta, watching the rosy color wash over her
lovely features. “This is wonderful, dear cousin. It is what I wished for you.
You deserve the best of fortune.”

“Thank you for your good wishes, Bianca. I still find it
hard to believe that Lord Charles wants me, that he finds me acceptable even in
my present circumstances.”

“Do not slight yourself, dear Modesta. You are young and
beautiful with a kind heart and pleasant manners. He should consider himself
the fortunate one. I can think of one or two other men who have lost their
hearts to your beauty.” At her look of disbelief, Bianca almost laughed out
loud.

“Who?”

“Why, Sir Dominic for one,” Bianca announced with a straight
face. “And then there is Sir Raphael, Sir Gunthry and…” At the incredulous
expression on Modesta’s face, Bianca could not hold back her delighted
laughter. It pealed loud and joyously from her lips. She slapped a hand over
her mouth when she realized that she was attracting the attention of several of
the gardeners.

When she realized that her cousin but teased her, Modesta
joined in the laughter. The thought of any one of those foolish knights
traipsing after her with their tongues hanging out was hilarious.

It was true that all the older knights in the Duke’s service
were good, honorable men, but several of them were so tongue-tied that they
stammered when either Bianca or Modesta, or any fair maiden for that matter,
happened to speak to them. They were great, strong men-at-arms who had pledged
their lives to protect the Neige family, but they were also very bashful when
it came to a pretty maiden.

The memory of the red-faced Sir Dominic requesting a dance
at the ball the evening before sobered Modesta. She considered that they were
being unkind by finding humor in that poor knight’s social ineptness.

“Sir Dominic is a good and honorable knight, but I would
never encourage a man for whom I held no tendre. I find myself very much in
love with Lord Charles. I want no other. I truly believe that he could
eventually come to love me just as well. Even now, I think he holds me in high
regard.”

At Modesta’s obvious uncertainty over whether Lord Charles
actually loved her or not, Bianca decided to gently move the conversation
toward the happier aspects of the marriage proposal. “When did he offer for
you?”

As she made the query, Bianca stood and pulled Modesta to
her feet. She hooked her arm with her cousin thinking that a walk through the
garden would be just the thing as they continued their conversation. They made
their way through the maze of flower beds and hedges, Bianca listened to
Modesta’s exciting chatter about the evening before and the ball and all the
guests and their magnificent costumes. She was relieved to have something to
fill her thoughts so that she could push the memory of what had happened between
herself and Draco the previous night to the back of her mind for a while.

Bianca wished she had the courage to talk of such matters
with her cousin. But she did not want to shock Modesta by admitting to her just
how brazen she had become. No, it was impossible. The whole situation
disconcerted her and she found that what she really wanted was a conversation
with Draco, himself. When she awoke this morning, he had already gone from her
bed. She had been disappointed but at the same time relieved. Bianca feared
that she would have found the situation very embarrassing, being completely
naked in the broad daylight in bed with a nearly naked man.

Even now, the memory of his dark, hungry eyes roaming over
her body left her aching and needy. Beneath her morning gown, her nipples
hardened. She slowed her steps as they neared another stone bench among the
roses and sat down abruptly because her legs had suddenly turned weak as she
remembered the pleasure she had experienced beneath her dragon’s hands, beneath
his body. A moan came close to slipping past her lips and a fine sheen of
perspiration covered her brow. If Bianca had thought to bring her fan, she
would have definitely used it at that moment.

“Last night after you left, we danced for a while and then
Charles asked me to accompany him for a walk out in the gardens. There was a
glorious moon and the stars were so bright in the heavens. A maiden could not
ask for a more perfect setting in which to be proposed to. Charles drew me into
his embrace and kissed my lips so tenderly.” She lowered her lashes to hide the
excitement she felt. Modesta did not want her beautiful cousin to guess just
how thoroughly she had allowed Charles to kiss her. Even now, she tingled at
the memory. The way his hands had moved over her shoulders and down to her
waist as he pulled her close against the hardness of his body. At first, she
had been shocked to feel the evidence of his sexual arousal that prodded her
belly. But then he tilted her face up and her embarrassment disappeared as his
mouth covered hers in a kiss so passionate that every other thought was pushed
from her mind.

When the kiss ended, Charles had smiled so tenderly at her
that she thought her heart would stop. He reached for her hand and dropping to
his knees, he looked deep into her eyes as he asked her to be his wife. Her
reaction had been shock and then wonder. A whimper of disbelief squeaked past
her lips and she trembled so violently that he drew her into the comfort of his
arms and held her fast against his heart and repeated his question against her
hair.

It was only after several moments that Modesta managed to
get herself together enough to accept him. The kiss of peace he then gave her
was so sweet that she thought that she had died and gone to heaven. When he finally
released his hold on her and stepped back, she had felt bereft. She let him
lead her back to the ballroom where he had not left her side for the rest of
the evening. He treated her as if she was the most precious thing in the world.

All in all, it had been the most wonderful night of her life
and Modesta would treasure the memory forever. Even now as she walked and
talked to Bianca in the beauty of the gardens, she knew that Charles had gone
to seek out the Duke de Neige to ask for her hand in marriage. He had promised
her that they would marry whether her uncle agreed to it or not. If need be,
they would elope. The thought of the scandal that might ensue after such an
action did frighten her somewhat, but she was certain that it would not come
down to anything that drastic. Her uncle would have no objection to his niece
marrying a baron after all.

Bianca was happy for her cousin but she was distracted with
her own thoughts and nearly missed the secret smile that flickered over
Modesta’s lips. It was obvious she had been kissed and very thoroughly and she
had enjoyed the experience.

If only Draco had asked her to marry him, Bianca would not
be experiencing these conflicting emotions. What if he never asked her? Would
she be prepared to sit back and watch him walk away? Nay, it would be
impossible. She loved Draco far too much not to fight for him. She would find a
way to make him understand that he could not declare his feelings for her one
moment and then deny them in the next.

“So when do you plan to marry?” Bianca brought her thoughts
back to the conversation at hand.

“It is undecided as of yet. We have not spoken of it in so
much detail as of yet. We were preoccupied with…other things.” She hesitated
slightly and her face became even redder, if that were possible. “But I hope it
will be as soon as possible. Charles seems very impatient. I only worry that….”
Her face fell into a mask of uncertainty.

“What is it, Modesta?”

“It is my dowry, or the lack of it. Charles has a sizable
estate and enough money for us to live there comfortably, but I cannot help but
think that he might come to resent taking a wife who brought only an adequate
dowry to the marriage.”

“If he truly loves you and wants you for his wife, it will
not matter to him. And it is obvious that he does love you. Trust me. Your
dowry will not be an issue. You are not poor, Modesta. In truth, you have a
sizable inheritance from your mother’s estates.” If it happened that this was
not enough to satisfy Lord Charles, Bianca would talk to her father about
adding a large amount of coin and goods to the dowry. But she had no intention
of mentioning it to Modesta, at least not at the moment. Lord Charles would not
be sorry he fell in love with a woman even though he had no notion of her
worth. In Bianca’s opinion, he was a true knight in shining armor for her
cousin, Modesta.

The cheerful expression on Bianca’s face had Modesta
returning her smile. This day was turning out to be good in every way. Nothing
could depress their mood.

“My lady?” Leia came around the hedges behind them panting
to catch her breath. Her appearance interrupted their conversation, effectively
ending the cousins’ private moment together.

“Slow down, Leia. Stop and catch your breath before you
proceed.” After a moment or two, and deciding that her maid had enough breath
to relate her message, Bianca bid her to continue.

“Another suitor has arrived, my lady.” Leia paused to take a
deep breath. “This one is a little different from any of the others.” A giggle
burst from her lips and she slapped her hand over her mouth as she fought
valiantly to regain her composure

“Yea, milady, this lord only just arrived and he immediately
demanded to be presented to the famed Beauty de Neige.” It was the most she
could get out before she doubled over in a fit of laughter. Bianca and Modesta
stared at her antics with censure and hard contained amusement.

When Leia noticed the disapproving looks of the two young
noblewomen, she immediately sobered long enough to apologize. “Excuse me, my
ladies, I don’t know what came over me. Shall I make your excuses?” As Leia
waited for permission, the corners of her mouth twitched several times and her
eyes watered as she fought to hold back her hilarity.

Bianca looked questioningly at her maid, trying to understand
what was wrong with the woman. She let Leia wait for her answer as her thoughts
came back to the issue at hand. Bianca was not pleased to hear that yet another
nobleman had arrived seeking her hand in marriage. This courtship affair had to
stop as far as she was concerned. It was like pushing a small snowball down a
steep snowy slope; it got bigger and bigger causing it to roll faster and
faster until it was completely out of control.

Bianca looked at her cousin and rolled her eyes in vexation,
wrinkling her nose in her disgust. “I wish that I could send this one on his
way, but I cannot disgrace my father by refusing to see the man.” Suddenly an
unholy gleam lit her eyes. “Of course, if the duke knew nothing of this new
suitor’s arrival, I could send him away immediately. Yes, that is what I will
do. Leia, return to the newcomer and tell him I am ill or something.”

“Nay, my lady I am sorry but that is impossible! It was the
duke who received him and he has requested that you meet this nobleman. I understand
that this one is the son of an old acquaintance of the Duke de Neige.” Leia
winked at Modesta. “You will find the young lordling a little…odd.” Her
description left Bianca staring at her suspiciously while Modesta put her hand
to her lips to stifle the giggle that threatened to escape. It was Leia rolling
her eyes that brought forth the burst of laughter from Modesta. Bianca could
not believe that both her cousin and her maid were openly laughing at her
vexation over this situation.