Rising Dragons Omnibus (7 page)

She stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her torso. Swiping the steam away from the mirror, she scowled at her reflection. A few years for her to regain her balance after the last six months. That shouldn’t be unreasonable to ask. With that thought she forced herself to stop thinking about it.

She had a tricky meeting in store for her and was determined to make it productive, which meant looking the part of someone who recognized not only the power she had, but the power of the person she’d be talking to. Even if Corey generally answered to her in the world of jungle treks and ancient digs, in the dragon world he was technically her superior now. The shift in hierarchy definitely wasn’t lost on her.

Finding Geva’s sister had to be a priority now. The girl’s existence was a fresh mystery for her to solve and the prospect excited her as much as learning what this Verdanith artifact could really do once whole again. She wondered if the rest of her team even had the thing on their radar or if they were too busy enjoying the lull after submitting their paper to even think about it.

Hair and makeup done, she donned a low-cut red blouse and gray pencil skirt. Red flattered her, she decided, looking at the whole package in the full-length mirror. It never hurt to give Corey a little visual candy either. He may be a gentleman when it came to talking to women, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a red-blooded man who appreciated beauty and sensuality. If anything, he’d been even more overt in his appreciation since becoming the Queen’s consort, as if he’d needed permission from a strong woman to let himself out of that reserved shell of his.

Geva was already standing by the office window when she made it down. She paused in the doorway for a second, taking him in. “Wow, you really aren’t screwing around, are you? Did Benjamin help?”

“I can dress myself, you know,” he said with mock offense, but lowered his eyes and then smiled and nodded. “I called him when you abandoned me to my own devices. The suit was Warik’s—father’s would be too small and the one I bought last week was…not suitable for wearing after this morning.”

“And the hair…?” Erika gestured wide-eyed at the now short-cropped russet hair on his head. It was a far cry from the tousled red mane she was used to.

Geva self-consciously ran a hand through his gelled hair, causing it to rise into spikes. He grimaced at his hand and tugged a handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe off the sticky residue. “I want to look professional. Serious. This is important.
Rowan
is important.”

Erika smiled and stepped closer to comb her fingers through his hair, straightening it with a few swipes. “And green eyes, too,” she said, peering up into his eyes that were normally a dull brown. “Be still my heart.”

“Mother’s color. It seemed right to honor her in some way when I’m about to appeal to her successor for help.” His gaze lingered on hers, perhaps seeking approval.

Even in high heels she still had to stand on tip-toe to kiss him. She caressed his cheek and gave him a swift peck, pulling away before she could get sucked into the passionate whirlwind that was their sex life. She had work to do. Not her favorite kind of work, but perhaps even more important.

She took a deep breath and turned back to the desk, mentally preparing herself for the posturing and competitive volley she knew would happen once she was face-to-face with Corey.

Too big for his britches,
she thought before reprimanding herself. If anything, her old friend’s new role seemed to agree with him. He was finally in charge of a group of people who
had
to do what he told them. A rather large group, at that, comprising the entire tech team of the Aris Technical Corporation the new Queen was CEO of.

With a swipe of the mouse, the wide, flat monitor of her computer came to life, the camera scanning her features and logging her in via facial recognition. The video conference app activated from her vocal command, transferring her desktop along with her figure to one half of the massive flatscreen on the office wall. The outline of an anonymous avatar was displayed in the inactive half of the call.

“Jesus, your parents didn’t fuck around with tech,” Erika commented.

“Mother was always ahead of the trends, particularly if she could make money with them, but it was Benjamin who did all this. Part of Mother’s final instructions to him.”

“Dial Aris Tech,” Erika said out loud. Geva came around to her side of the desk and stood within the camera’s wide frame just behind her. Her skin tingled at the brief, delicate warmth of his fingertips through the thin fabric of her blouse when he brushed her hip. She caught a glimpse in the widescreen of both of his hands starting to reach for her then clench into fists before he shoved them deep into the pockets of his trousers.

A terse, female voice answered. “Good morning, Aris Technical Corporation. How may I direct your call?”

“Hayden Antiquities calling for Mr. Monaghan.”

“Thank you. One moment.”

A split second later, Corey’s handsome, smirking face appeared, filling the void in the other half of the screen. “Somehow I knew it would be you, Erika. Geva. And judging from the getup, this is a business call, am I right?” He eyed them both from the top down.

Erika hadn’t known quite what to expect, but the last thing on her list was the sight of Corey in a suit and tie, seated comfortably in what looked like the corner office of a skyscraper. The late afternoon vista of the Boston Harbor out Corey’s expansive windows caused a fresh pang of homesickness to twist in her belly. She quickly gathered her wits.

“You in a tie. Wow, Racha’s really turned you around, hasn’t she? Nice view.”

Corey chuckled. “It’s my job to look the part for clients, but since it’s just you…” He stood and slipped out of his jacket, loosened his tie, and rolled up his shirt sleeves. “That better?” His bright smile caused the corners of his eyes to crinkle attractively, the only remnant that showed his age. All in all he actually looked younger and more at ease than usual. He leaned forward onto the desk, an expectant look on his face. Somehow he still looked slightly amused at receiving the call.

“Spit it out,” he said.

“Geva and I would like to formally submit our petition to—ah—assemble the Verdanith.”

Corey nodded solemnly. “Geva probably knows that as the Queen’s proxy I have to ask you a few questions. But we can save some time if you just answer one. Why?””

“Jesus, Corey. What do you think? I’ve been in the field for years. My time’s running out. I want to carry on my father’s legacy.”

“Hunting for things that don’t exist? No offense, Geva.”

“No! I want to…” She swallowed. She’d never had issues lying to get what she wanted, but this particular excuse lodged in her throat. “I want a… a daughter to carry on Dad’s legacy.”

“I knew it!” Corey sat back in his chair, then pointed at her. “But I don’t believe you. The others I believed. Hallie was obvious. Would you believe Camille wants to see if it’ll give her twins? One from each of them. Dimitri made the best case—honoring his brother, of course.”

Erika blinked in surprise that bordered on humiliation. They had all called already? “What about Kris and Issa?” she asked dumbly.

Corey waved his hand dismissively. “They don’t really need it, as much magic as they have between them. Kris still called as a courtesy.”

Geva’s voice broke through behind her. “Prismatics have never had the same fertility issues as the rest of us.”

“Ah, is that it?” Corey asked. “I wondered. But as much as I love you two, Racha—the Queen, I mean—well, she doesn’t trust you, Geva. I think she irrationally mistrusts Reds in general and there’s no talking her out of it.”

“Her father was a Red,” Geva grumbled.

“Does she trust me?” Erika asked, irritated.

“Alone, yes. But as a couple she naturally assumes Geva’s the one in control. I tried to convince her otherwise, but...” He shrugged.

“So, convince her! You have her trust, and you trust me, don’t you, Corey?” Erika asked, growing agitated at his flippant attitude.

He grabbed a baseball off his desk and started tossing it into the air and catching it. Erika got the feeling he enjoyed having the upper hand for a change and wondered if he’d secretly hated having to answer to her since working together. But he still had to answer to Racha.

Corey caught the ball and held it. His expression grew more serious when he looked at her. “I won’t lie to you, Erika. I know you and I think it’s a huge stretch asking me to believe that you ever wanted kids. If Geva really
was
the alpha in your relationship I might, but look at the two of you.” He gestured toward them.

Shit. He was right. They hadn’t thought this through very well at all, had they? Given Geva’s intense personality, he might have been able to convince Corey if they’d spoken one-on-one. But Erika had already blown it merely by taking the initiative, something that was second nature to her.

Geva seemed to sense her agitation and shifted closer. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and smoothed one palm up her back. The touch calmed her, but she was out of ideas.

Corey’s smirk returned, mischievous now and entirely infuriating. “I’ll throw you a bone. Convince
me
you want it and I’ll tell the Queen.”

“How the fuck am I supposed to do that if you know me so well already?” Erika snapped. “Jesus, Corey, after everything we’ve been through, do you have to hold out on me like this?”

With a raised eyebrow, Corey glanced past Erika at Geva, his expression seemed to ask,
“Is this is what you have to deal with?”

“He can’t lie to the Queen, you know that,” Geva said. “If he doesn’t believe what he tells her, she’ll know.” His hand had drifted down her hip and squeezed comfortingly. The firm touch was just enough to send a pleasant warmth into her core.

Erika sighed. “I know. What do you suggest, Corey?”

“Well, you could tell me what you really want with it. You always have an ulterior motive when it comes to hunting for ancient treasures, after all. Or…Convince me you want the pieces reunited for the stated reason, the same reason all the others want it to happen. To help you get pregnant.”

“I can’t do that. Not if my word isn’t good enough.” She knew better than to try, even. He was so good at reading her, if he even caught her in a lie…

“Oh, I think you should at least try. You know I’m from a big family. You’ve even met some of them. I have…” He held up a hand, counting his fingers. “Six nieces and six nephews. Kids are amazing. Believe me, Racha and I want this to happen as much as the rest, but it has to be unanimous among the Court before it has a chance of being approved by the Council. Tell me you never even
thought
about it. Not once when that huge Red’s cock was buried inside you. Tell me it never crossed your mind to share something that profound with him in the last six months.”

Geva’s touch had grown distracting, the heat of his caress against her back sinking into her skin as deeply as Corey’s words into her mind.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying
show me
how much you want it. Let me see the intent for myself.” He began unbuttoning his shirt.

When it was halfway open, displaying the dark hair on his muscular chest, he pulled it apart. The large, green emblem etched into his left pectoral glowed slightly.

He leaned forward and touched the glowing dragon mark, his expression fierce and intimidating. “
This
is what it looks like when you’re trying like hell to make it happen. When you’re primed and willing. Show me yours.”

“Show you my mark?
Now?
” Hers never glowed except right as she orgasmed. The glow never lingered.

“Yeah,” he said with a devious smile. “I showed you mine…”

Geva’s lips nuzzled against her ear. “Show him, love.” He had one hand gripping her hip, the other splayed across her stomach with his thumb casually caressing the side of her breast. “If I tease you enough, we can make him believe it,” Geva whispered. When he pressed his steel-hard length against her backside she was done for.

“Oh, God. Alright,
alright.
”

Corey sat back with a self-satisfied smirk. “And go slow, if you don’t mind.”

She glared at him. “Am I looking at the same man who refused to believe, or even participate in the ritual until he had no other choice?”

“Call me a convert. Either way, I guess I just have a thing for getting spun up just before I go see my girl. Not that I need the incentive of course… Racha just likes it if I’m especially needy. Come on, I’ve seen you two going at it a few times already. Make it worth my time. And trust me, I
will
know if you’re faking it.”

“Christ,” Erika muttered, but she’d already begun to glaze over from Geva’s attentive touch that had moved from teasing caresses below her breast, to a hand slipping inside her blouse and fingers squeezing her nipple.

He pushed her hair aside and nipped at the column of her throat. He tugged the hem of her skirt up and slipped one hand beneath it from behind, rumbled a deep sound of interest at the sparse strip of lace he encountered before sliding his fingers between her legs.

“You and your panties. I wish I could see you in these and nothing else,” he murmured behind her.

Erika moaned as he deftly worked her clit between his fingertips. She bent forward, bracing her hands on the surface of her desk. She met Corey’s eyes in the video.

“Fuck you, Corey.”

“Oh, you must hate this, but trust me I’m doing you a favor. All it takes is wanting it just enough.”

She caught a glimpse of her own captured video feed, as it displayed her flushed cheeks and her teeth biting hard against her lower lip while Geva attended her from behind. He still watched over her shoulder with his hand between her legs.

He stopped stroking her abruptly and grinned, then reached around her waist and yanked at the front of her shirt. The tiny red buttons flew off and her blouse hung open. He grasped the edges of her lacy bra and tugged down, letting her full breasts spill over the top.