Kiss of the Dragon (26 page)

Pulling abruptly back, her mouth dropped open in a very
unladylike manner, Bianca stared at him incredulously. “What do you mean, kiss
the next man to come in here? Are you mad?”

“No, Bianca, I am just trying to make a point. You claimed
only moments ago that, although I was the one who had awakened your passion,
any man could do the same. Now I am giving you the chance to prove it. You have
merely to kiss the next man to come through that door and we will see if your
reaction to him is the same as it is to me.”

“This is foolishness. I do not need to prove anything to you
or to myself.”

“You are afraid.”

Bianca bristled at his accusation. Stuck between a rock and
a hard place, that was where she suddenly found herself. With her impetuous
boast, she had gotten herself into this mess and now she found herself facing
this challenge. And he knew she would not back down, that was obvious by his
derisive smile.

“Oh, very well,” she conceded ungraciously. “I will kiss the
first man who walks through the door.” She thrust her chin out in defiance.

“How long are we going to wait?” Bianca ventured after a
while when no one appeared at the door. She was getting fidgety and restless
and began to pace the small space of the stall.

“As long as it takes.” Draco leaned back against the stall
gate and grinned.

“Don’t you dare find humor in my dilemma, you great oaf,”
she muttered just out of his hearing. She finally stopped in front of him.
“This is a very important issue.”

“Is it?”

“Yes, it is. After all, it is essential that we know if you
will be filled with desire for your future husband.”

Bianca’s head whipped around at his caustic words, but his
attention seemed to be riveted on the doorway. It was impossible for her to
discern whether or not his words held any hidden meaning. Was he reminding her
that they had found great passion and, therefore, would make a good match? Or
was he threatening to give her up to another?

“Ah, I think someone comes.” Draco smiled boldly as she
fought back an attack of panic. Bianca glared at him and squelched the urge to
stick her sharp elbow in his side.

She watched the doorway, waiting breathlessly, listening to
approaching footsteps. Bianca wanted to flee down the center aisle of the
stable and disappear out the back entrance before she was forced to go through
with this ridiculous charade. They both knew with a certainty that she had lost
her heart to Draco.

Laughter filtered through the doorway and to her dismay the
sound resembled the croaking of a large bull-frog. “Oh, no! I could not be so
cursed!” She moaned beneath her breath drawing her companion’s attention. She
turned a sickly shade of green and covered her mouth with her hand as if she
were suddenly ill. Draco’s smile widened at her less than pleased reaction to
the man who was about to make his appearance.

“For a fact, Franz, a finer fertile female I have ne’er
fixed eyes on. I feel we should focus forthwith on the fall when she feels
freer and more flexible to her fate of becoming Frau Froschfuerst.” At the
conclusion of his declaration, the German nobleman and his herald, Franz, stepped
through the stable doorway. Unfortunately, the toady little count was in the
lead.

Muttering profanities under her breath, Bianca gathered her
reckless courage about her. She gave Draco a defiant look before she started
toward her target.

Count Friedrich’s bulging eyes protruded even farther when
he noticed who was standing before an empty stall. “
Gut tag
. Good day,
mein
fraulein
.” He did a stiff bow before he looked questioningly at Lord Draco.
“I have not had the fulfillment of making friends of the famous Black Dragon.”

“Ah, Count Friedrich, I heard that you had arrived just this
morning. I hope you have had a pleasant day so far.”

Bianca was sure Draco had heard about the incident in the
garden and, as he glanced at her, she glared back at him. Draco’s lips twitched
uncontrollably. It was obvious that the fat little German count had changed his
clothes after his drenching in the pond.

As Bianca turned to face the German count, Draco put his
hand at the small of her back and gave her a slight nudge. She could not
believe she had agreed to go to such lengths just to prove herself wrong.
Pursing her lips resolutely, she approached the Count. As if reading her
intention in her expression, the frogman composed his seemingly lip-less mouth
into a semblance of a pucker.

Her determined steps faltered as she reached him. Her
stomach heaved as she caught sight of his perspiring brow over mossy eyes,
large, twitching nostrils and wide-mouthed pucker, and she turned around.

I cannot do this.

Even if the German count had been the handsomest of men, she
could not bring herself to kiss him. She loved only one man. Bianca turned away
from the expectant man to look at Draco. She walked slowly up to him, searching
his face for something, anything that would give her hope that he cared. The
ferocious look of possession she found there seared right through her, leaving
her breathless. The look of hunger and apprehension in those warm, dark eyes
told her what she wanted to know. Draco did not want her to kiss the German and
if she had, her Dragon would most likely have run the man through with his
mighty sword.

How could he not know how much she loved him? She had been
so obvious in her seduction. A blind man would have known that she wanted only
him.

“You win, my lord. You have made your point. I desire no
other,” she conceded to put an end to this farce. Ignoring the audience behind
her she stepped close and raised her face to his, offering her lips for a kiss.
His gaze warmed even more and she knew he understood. “You are the only man I
desire, my lord.”

Her acknowledgment was offered in a low murmur as she
grasped the back of his neck and forced his head down so she could place a
soft, warm kiss on his slightly parted lips. Before he could pursue the matter,
she stepped back and walked out of the stable as regal as a queen, her back
straight, her chin held high. Draco smiled and then laughed aloud with true
pleasure over her admission. Yea, he had known all along, but it was nice to
have her voice the words.

“There is no cause for you to stay, Count. The lady is
already spoken for.”

“Forgive me, Lord d’Ensoleille, but the fair fraulein is far
from being affianced.”

“She may not be wedded yet, but she is not available for
your wife.”

“The future is not yet foretold, friend.”

Draco gave up the infuriating conversation with the
thickheaded German count and walked away, mumbling a choice F-word about the
wart-covered Prince of Frogs.

The loud rumble of thunder brought Bianca’s head up as she
scanned the sky in consternation. In her present mood, the promise of a good
rain shower could not have come at a better time. But even as she searched the
afternoon sky for storm clouds, the ground beneath her feet trembled and rolled
in an alarming manner. She whirled around and found a large black charger
bearing down on her at a horrifying pace. She had only a quick glimpse of the
giant man in a flowing black cloak atop the beast before she found the world
tilting alarmingly as she was grasped about the waist by a large, muscular arm.
Bianca found herself deposited on Draco’s lap, the impact leaving her
breathless as his black-as-sin stallion, Inferno, thundered across the inner
bailey at full gallop carrying them with ease. It was not until they had left
the bailey behind and crossed the drawbridge that she found the breath to
protest.

“What do you think you are doing?” She squirmed about in his
iron grasp so she sat face to chest with Draco. She had to tip her head back to
look him in the face.

“I am giving you your heart’s desire, my lady. You wanted to
go riding. Therefore, I am here to accommodate your wishes.”

“Are you mad? What will people say about this bold display?
We cannot just ride away from the castle without an escort. It is not done.”

“Let them think what they will. You are in my protection for
the day. Trust me.” He smiled when she glared at him, not amused that he had
used her favored phrase.

“Hold on.” The words were barely out of his mouth when he
urged Inferno to a faster pace. Bianca clutched his arm and held tight as they
raced down the road away from the castle, her long hair streaming out around
them, blending with his dark cloak like a banner.

With her soft buttocks resting on his hard thighs, her silky
hair caressing his face, Draco was reminded of the night before when he had
shared her bed. The motion of the galloping horse moved her round bottom
against his groin in a familiar rhythm and he had to grit his teeth and shift
slightly in his saddle to accommodate his rising desire. The pleasure-pain of
it was exquisite.

“Where are you taking me?” Bianca asked as she squirmed in
his lap. A groan nearly escaped his lips as the friction between their bodies
only added to his already rising ardor. He clamped his arm tighter around her
to prevent her from moving about so dangerously.

“Did you hear me, Draco? Where are we going?”

“To the Rom encampment.”

At his announcement, Bianca went very still in his arms. If
he had expected to impress her by giving her this adventure, he had failed
miserably. He glanced down to find her face ashen, her lips tight with
displeasure as she silently stared ahead of them. Had he made a mistake in
bringing her along?

“You do not care for the Rom?”

“I like them well enough.”

“Ha, your lack of enthusiasm tells a truer tale than you
would admit. It is plain that you have no like for gypsies. Why does your
father allow them to camp on his land if they are not welcomed here?”

“I have no grievance against the Rom as a whole. It is just
that…I am apprehensive of being around them. As for why my father puts up with
them, that is his affair.” She was not going to give him a satisfactory answer.

“Why are you apprehensive of the Rom, Bianca?”

She did not answer right away and Draco wondered if she
would just ignore his question, hoping that he would talk of other things. But
he was not about to ignore this apprehension of hers. She needed to talk to
someone about her fears. He’d learned long ago that fear is best dealt with
straight on instead of waiting for it to bring you low.

Draco tightened his hold, dropping his head protectively.
“Tell me,” he whispered into her ear. The gentle entreaty in his voice was
backed by a velvet-covered iron will. She could tell that he would not let the
matter drop until she gave him a plausible explanation.

“When I was a young child the gypsies stole me away from my
home.”

Of all the responses Draco had expected to hear, that Bianca
had been abducted by the traveling Rom had never entered his mind.

He slowed Inferno to a sedate walk so he could devote more
attention to her distressing words. They left the road and meandered through
the thick green foliage of the woods just north of Castle Neige. The gypsy
encampment lay an hour’s ride from the castle itself, giving the camp privacy.

“Why did they take you? Were you ransomed?” Draco found it
hard to believe that the Rom would do such a thing. Many benevolent nobles
allowed roaming gypsy bands to set up camp indefinitely on their land. While
there, they sold their potions and spells to anyone in the community who
visited their camp and who could afford the price. They were always careful to
stay on good terms with their temporary landlord so that they would be invited
to return every year or so.

“I can understand your dislike for the gypsies after your
experiences. But why would a poor band of gypsies take a noble’s child? Did
they demand ransom for your father?”

“No. They did not want any ransom. They took me because of
my mother. The Rom arrived shortly after she died in childbirth and they blamed
my father for her death.” She watched his face, wanting to see his expression
when she made her final admission. At his look of puzzlement, she hesitated,
afraid that what she was about to tell him would disgust him and he would turn
his back on her.

“Bianca?”

“Because my mother was Rom.” She spoke defiantly, waiting to
see if the revelation repulsed him. When he raised not a brow in surprise, she
went on, “When she died, my grandfather, who was the leader of the band, blamed
my father and demanded that I be given to the Rom to be raised. My father
refused of course and demanded that they leave his land. It was then that my
grandfather abducted me.”

Bianca shuddered at the memory of being dragged from her bed
in the middle of the night by strangers, to be kept locked in the back of a
wagon for days.

Draco drew her trembling body tight against his powerful
chest and placed a light kiss on her hair. Whatever had happened to that small
child was forever imprinted in her mind and would probably remain there for the
rest of her days.

“Your grandfather must have finally seen reason. You are
here now, living with your father and stepmother. It is apparent that the Rom
did not keep you.”

“Oh, he fully intended to, but with some help from others in
his band who did not agree with what he had done, I was smuggled back to my
father.”

“And that is why you mistrust gypsies so?”

“Yes, I lived in dread for years that he would return and
attempt to carry me off again. It was only after I heard that he had died that
I could finally sleep through a whole night without having my maid sleeping on
a pallet next to my bed.” Unwanted tears glistened in her eyes and she turned
her head to hide them. “Even though I am half Rom myself and I know some of
them very well and realize they are not all like my grandfather, I find I am
still uncomfortable in their company. Occasionally one of the dark dreams I
have had since I was a small child takes me unaware. I awake at night shaking
in fright hoping that my screams have not woken my maid who now sleeps in the
next room.”

Draco moved his hand to her chin and tilted her head so that
he had better access to her sweet mouth. Even as he lowered his mouth to cover
hers, he whispered a promise, “Forget the past, sweet Bianca. You are forever
safe with me.” His lips moved over hers in tender exploration, testing,
tasting, tempting. “Let me be your white knight, the hero of your daydreams.”
At his fervent request, his mouth fastened over her parted lips and with a low
groan of pleasure, he thrust his tongue into her hot, sweet mouth and proceeded
to lose himself in the passion of the melding of their lips.

As the kiss ended, Bianca’s eyelids fluttered open and she
stared in wonder into the dark, warm eyes of this large warrior whose
reputation as the Great Black Dragon left many a man shaking in his shoes. No
matter that he was reputed to be the most fierce warrior in the kingdom, he
held her with great care and his kisses showed her that he had a tender and
loving side to him that he showed to no one else. At that realization, her
heart swelled with love and Bianca silently vowed that no matter how long it
took or how difficult it proved to be, she would make this man understand that
her love for him was never-ending and steadfast.

Bianca reached up to caress the side of his face with her
fingertips as she looked deeply into his dark, burning eyes. “I have no doubt I
would always be safe in your arms, my lord Draco.” A mischievous gleam suddenly
lit her eyes as she added, “But who will safeguard me from you?”

Waggling his sinister eyebrows roguishly, Draco grinned down
at her. “Now that, milady, is an entirely different matter.” He bent his head
and nuzzled her neck in the sensitive spot just below her ear.

The temptation was too great to resist. Draco opened his mouth
and laved the soft skin of her neck even as his hand came to rest intimately at
her waist where his fingers caressed the underside of her breasts. His hot,
moist mouth moved slowly down the side of her slender neck to the curvature of
her shoulder sending delicious chills skittering over her skin and bringing a
sigh to her lush, full lips. Encouraged by the soft sound, he became a little
more daring. Dropping his head lower, his teeth grazed over her satiny skin
where her breast swelled just above the edge of her bodice. A gasp escaped her
lips at his boldness, but it was quickly followed by a moan of pleasure as her
head dropped back to give him better access.

It was the childish giggles emanating from the underbrush
that brought them back to earth with an emotional thud. They turned to look in
the direction from which the sounds emanated but caught only a glimpse of
bright clothing disappearing into the thick woods.

It was at that point that Draco realized just how distracted
he had become and cursed himself for his weakness and for putting Bianca in
danger because he could not control his lust. He let his desire for the fair
maiden cloud his mind when he should have been on guard, especially out of the
safety of the castle walls. They were very close to the gypsy encampment.
Though they could not see who hid beneath the shrubbery, the receding sound of
running feet gave them a clue that it was a couple of young rascals who had
been spying on them.

“It seems that our presence here will shortly be known to
everyone in the camp.” He glanced down and thought a look of disappointment
flickered in her eyes before she straightened around in his arms. She
rearranged her clothing before they left the privacy of the shaded woods and
rode into the sunny, open glade where the band of Rom had made their temporary
home.

The flurry of activity that ensued just before they made
their appearance ceased as everyone turned to watch their approach. As they
made their way through the camp, a crowd of children and curious adults
followed them. Several called out a greeting and waved but along with the ones
who were openly friendly there were those who held back, afraid of strangers,
remembering the persecution that had at one time followed the nomadic gypsies.
It was not until they came to a stop in the middle of the camp that the crowd
parted leaving only an old woman facing them.

“I knew you would come.” Veryalda cackled, a smile splitting
her wrinkled face as she beamed up at the couple mounted on the great black
warhorse. She made the announcement, giving the impression that they were there
only by her divine intervention.

“Of course you did, and you can read my mind also,” Draco
replied drolly as he moved to dismount and then turned to help Bianca to the
ground. When he tried to step away to give her room to adjust her gown, she
captured his hand and clung to it even as she held her head high and pretended
to be unaffected by her surroundings. He knew she was trying to be brave, but
he detected the slight tremble in her body as she attempted to control the
deeply imbedded fear she had lived with since she was a small child.

Draco draped a protective arm around her slender shoulders
and hauled her up tight against his side to let her know that she was secure in
his powerful embrace. She raised violet eyes to his black ones and gave him a
small nod to let him know that she was grateful for his support.

“Do not mock me, boy. I have expected your return because I
know what happened yesterday. I knew you would not leave any rock unturned in
your quest to find out the truth of the matter. You want to know if we have
seen or heard anything that might help.”

“All right, Veryalda, I will give you that.”

“And you, young lady? I am amazed, and at the same time
pleased, to see you here. I know how you feel about the Rom. I would have
thought your man would come alone.”

Bianca blushed hotly at the insinuation her grandmother
made. Hot words of denial rose to her lips, but when she noticed Draco watching
her with those dark, mysterious eyes, she lost her train of thought for a
moment. Someone snickered in the crowd and her face flamed red as she answered
her grandmother.

“Lord Draco is a good friend of mine, nothing more.” His
sharp intake of breath was not lost on her but she refused to discuss their
relationship at this time and especially not in the middle of the Rom camp. “I
am looking for another friend of mine.”

Veryalda stared at her, a piercing look that spoke more than
mere words could communicate. She was not fooled by Bianca’s attempt to turn
the direction of conversation away from her. The old gypsy merely shrugged her
shoulders and smiled a secret little smile before turning her attention to
Draco.