Rise of the Phoenix (Return To Avalore #2) (29 page)

She grinned. “I think I’ve seen all of your
somethings,
but I don’t mind having another look.”

“I’ll be sure to remind you of that often.” His grip tightened around her.

Before she could protest, he stepped off the edge of the rocky basin at the base of the waterfall. She only had time to do as he’d instructed before they were both submerged, going down deep below the surface. Her entire body seized and she had to fight to keep from struggling against him.

“Don’t be afraid. I’d never let anything happen to you.”
He kept his arms around her as his feet kicked hard to get them to where he wanted to go.

The air she’d captured burned in her lungs.
“I don’t suppose now is a good time to tell you I’m a little claustrophobic?”

“We’re almost there.”
In an instant, his energy surrounded her, soothing her.

They’d been submerged only a short time, yet when they broke the surface again, she gasped and coughed as though she’d been without air for far too long. Brienne clung to him, eyes shut tight. The water had been cool, not frigid; still, she couldn’t stop her chattering teeth.

Evan’s hand stroked up and down her spine while he murmured softly in her ear. “Had I known you were so afraid, I wouldn’t have brought you. I’m sorry.”

A shudder broke free. “I’ll be all right in a moment. I don’t generally shy away from my fear, but maybe next time, give me a bit more warning.” She took several calming breaths before releasing her grip around him and opening her eyes. He’d taken them from the water to stand on dry land once more.

She spun in a slow circle taking in the view. Behind Evan, the clear pool lapped at the sandy shore. The warm sand stretched for at least a quarter mile around the basin. Lush vegetation with flowers of every color, shape and size made it a secluded paradise. She took several steps away from him, extending her hand to the heat of the sun’s rays as it peeked in through numerous holes in the cavern’s high ceiling. “Evan. It’s gorgeous. How did you ever find this place?”

“I found it as a child when I was exploring one day. I’ve never shared it with anyone until today.”

When she looked over to where he still stood, his sheepish smile had her melting. “I don’t know what to say. It’s amazing.”

Evan closed the distance between them again, taking her into his arms. “You’re amazing.” His lips, cooled by the water, skated across hers, the soft caress all too fleeting.

A small shiver raced over her, but she couldn’t tell if it was from the chill in the air or the man holding her so close.

“Here.”
He took a few steps forward, taking her into the brightness of the sun’s beam. “I’ll be right back.”

Evan sprinted from her into the deeper vegetation, rooting until he found a crate similar to those in the cave in the Dark Lands.

The warmth of the sun, glorious against her skin, made her want to stretch and put herself on display for Evan’s hungry gaze. The cavern was perfect. Tomorrow would come soon enough. Today, she’d enjoy every second she had with him and love him as a mate should—like he deserved.

When he spun back toward her with the crate in his arms, he stopped. The smile dropped from his lips and even across the distance, she could see him swallow hard. He took his time coming back to her, his gaze drifting down from her face to her toes and back up again.

The fiery hunger in his eyes had her nipples pebbling, and warm moisture pooling between her legs. He looked as though he wanted to feast on her body, and Goddess only knew she wanted him to.

“You look like an angel standing in the sunlight.”
His husky voice slid into her mind, making her shiver and tremble.

She expected him to come to her, take her mouth in an explosive kiss, bring her body to a fevered pitch, but he didn’t. He just looked at her, taking her in until she should have been uncomfortable. Her heart raced, and all she could think about was getting the crate away from him so she could see him as he was seeing her.

When he finally did put it down, to her consternation he crouched to pry it open. It wasn’t long before he stood again with a dark blue blanket in his grip. Spreading it across the warm sand, he turned to her again, holding his hand out for her to join him.

Placing her hand in his was the most natural thing in the world. The setting could not have been more perfect. When he tugged at her hand and sat, she followed. Sighing, she melted against him as he took her mouth in a sweet, gentle kiss. She’d taken what she’d needed from him a short while before. Now she’d let him set the pace. Whatever he wanted, whatever he needed, she’d give that to him.

When his hands came to her shoulders and pressed her back onto the soft blanket, she went without resisting. His hand skimmed down her shoulder and over her hip with the lightest touch, making her muscles clench and a fresh wash of moisture gather between her legs. His gaze caught and held hers as he followed her down. His lips brushed back and forth, barely touching until she moaned and lifted her head to deepen the kiss, tracing his lips with her tongue, begging for more.

When he finally opened up for her, she couldn’t stop. She wanted to let him do things his way, but her body was already going up in flames, rousing the dragon.

“Evan,”
she pleaded with a garbled voice.

The hard muscles in his back and shoulders bunched beneath her every touch. She couldn’t keep her hands from moving, touching and feeling every part of him.

“Let her loose.”
Little blue flames raced up and down his back, luring her beast closer with the male display.

“I can’t.”
Brienne didn’t have to ask who he meant. He knew the passion erupting beneath the surface. Each breath she took brought his scent deeper, making her want him more.

“You can. Let her come to me.”
He nipped at her neck in just the right spot, making her half scream, half roar.

His hand found her breast, kneading the soft flesh before tweaking at her already sensitive nipple. Pleasure and pain shot through her body, electrifying every cell and going straight for the throbbing flesh clenching and releasing at her core.

“Evan…”
She didn’t even know what she was begging for, only that he would provide it.

“I said…”
he brought his mouth to her aching nipple.
“Let her come to me—now.”
His teeth clamped down on the hard peak before he drew it into his mouth and sucked hard, punctuating his command.

Sliding his fingers between her moist folds, he found her clit and circled it over and over until she couldn’t catch her breath. Surging forward, the dragon’s passion swamped her. With each spiral motion of his finger and each draw on her nipple, the fire consumed her.

Unwilling to be thrown over the edge without her mate, the beast drew its strength and shoved Evan back as hard as she could, but he was ready for her, holding her still while he continued his onslaught. Her heart raced, and her body trembled with the effort it took to keep from exploding into a million pieces.

“Not. Like. This.”
Using her fingernails, she raked at his back before sliding her hand to his neck and scraping more tenderly against her mark.

When he lifted his head from her breast, fire danced in the depths of his eyes and leapt when a low growl rumbled in her chest.

She shoved against his shoulders again, smiling when he allowed her to push him back this time. His finger, still between her damp folds, flicked at the aching bud, reminding her he could still take her over the edge if he chose.

Fire churned in her chest, burning hot and wild as she gazed upon the body of her mate. His cock, hard and long, begged for attention. She moved so that his hand slid to her inner thigh. If he kept touching her, she’d be lost, and they both needed so much more.

The prize was hers. She deserved it after all those years without him. Her gaze didn’t waver. Her lips parted and her tongue darted out to wet them, getting ready to take him.

Her tongue slid over the head first, swirling in the pool of warm liquid waiting for her at its tip. The spicy, salty taste of him drove her to the brink, and this time she let go. Heart, body and soul merged.

His strangled moan had her gaze shooting up to his, watching as ecstasy etched his features. She took his cock deep into her mouth, stretching and opening up to take him all in. Once she had him fully seated, she swallowed, giving him that extra little pull before allowing her growl to rumble up from her chest. The vibration resonated up her throat to encompass him.

His hands came to rest on the back of her head, holding her where she was as he threw his head back and moaned. His chest rose and fell with his quick breaths. She’d brought him to the brink just as quickly as he’d done to her. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself the pleasure of tasting him, feeling every vein throbbing against her tongue as she suckled.

His fingers fisted in her hair. His shudder tingled through her as surely as if it had been hers, and maybe it had. One moment, she was relishing the power she had over her mate, and the next, he pulled her away from him.

She resisted the urge to growl to have her way. He’d not allow it this time. His hands circled her waist, and with what seemed little effort, he pulled her up onto all fours and placed her where he wanted her. There was no preamble, no soft words or tender touches as he came behind her and in one long, hard stroke filled the void he’d created.

Her body shuddered and convulsed around him, not wanting to let him go for even one second, but her strength was no match for his. With one hand between her shoulder blades, he pushed her head down lower as he slammed his cock into her over and over. She didn’t have time to breathe, or think, only feel. When she didn’t think she could take anything more, he reached beneath her and pinched both her nipples. The pleasure pain zinged through her in a hot wave, leaving her helpless. Try as she might, she couldn’t hold on. Her cries echoed through the cavern as spasm after spasm rocked her to her core.

Had it not been for Evan’s arms supporting her, she couldn’t have held herself up while he continued the same hard pace. His cock bumped at her womb with each fiery stroke.

Blue flames licked at her skin like millions of little tongues, enflaming her, taking away all reason.

“Again.”
Evan’s garbled voice told her his beast had risen to meet hers, and her body responded with a fresh wave of moisture for him to slide through.

She couldn’t speak, not even in her mind. The pleasure overwhelmed her, taking her senses into overdrive. His scent filled her lungs and his taste coated her tongue as he claimed her. The sound of skin slapping against skin was loud in the peaceful quiet of the cavern.

She didn’t know when his hand had slipped between her legs, but his fingers found her pulsing clit and circled it as he pounded into her. The friction against her sensitive flesh combined with the long, hard strokes had her throwing her head back and tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Come for me—now.”
He quivered against her, and then with one last long plunge, he pinched her tender clit.

Her body shattered, splintering into so many pieces she wasn’t sure she’d ever be whole without him again. Long, hot jets of his release coated inside her, making her contract and spasm to catch every drop.

The dragon purred and settled to rest, sapping the last bit of energy Brienne had left. Just as she drifted off to an exhausted sleep, Evan’s voice slid into her mind.

“You think to leave me, but know this, wherever you go, I
will
follow.”

Brienne woke slowly. The combined scents of her and Evan’s lovemaking clung to her skin. When she’d recovered from the initial wild mating, Evan had been there waiting for her. She didn’t know how long she’d slept, but he’d had time to take a dip in the basin and come back to her looking refreshed and clean with only his damp hair as evidence that he’d moved away from her while she’d dozed.

Even before her eyes had opened, his hands had been on her body, stroking and teasing until she woke hot and needy. They’d spent the day chasing the sunlight on the beach, nibbling on the dried rations he’d pulled from the crate and making love until neither could do more than breathe. Evan had suggested taking her back through the water and to the palace when the sun had sunk low in the sky. Deep shadows had crept in where the sun had kissed the earth, but she hadn’t been ready for the day, too perfect to be anything other than fantasy, to end.

Every muscle in her body ached. Their lovemaking had been soft and sweet at times and then wild and untamed the next. She wouldn’t change a single second of their time together.

Careful not to jostle Evan, she sat up. Small particles of dust or pollen floated lazily down to the ground in the early morning sun. Birds chirped their happy song somewhere beyond the cavern, and if she listened carefully enough, she could hear them.

A week ago, hearing the songbirds wake the world and watching the pollen in the rays of the sun would have made her heart soar. A fist-sized lump formed in her throat, and she had to fight to keep the sobs welling up inside her from escaping. She’d gotten what she’d most desired—Evan. It had been amazing.
He
was amazing—more than amazing, perfect.