Sea Dragon (Dragon Knights Book 9) (16 page)

He might not be a knight, but Seth was built like one of those mighty warriors. He had strong muscles and was tall and extremely well put together. Like some artist’s ideal of what a man’s body should look like. A living sculpture of male perfection, though he seemed not at all aware of his almost magnetic appeal.

Livia hadn’t been the only girl in town sighing over him when they were younger. He didn’t come down from the Lair often, but all the young girls had made it their business to know who he was. When he hadn’t been chosen as a knight, but had taken the healer’s path, some of the more fickle girls discarded him from their daydreams, but Livia never had. No, Seth was as attractive now as he had ever been, and her longing for him had never waned.

She’d given up, eventually, on the dream of having him notice her, but once he did, the infatuation flared back to life. And it was more than mere infatuation now. Now, it was genuine liking based on respect and shared thoughts and ideals.

Now that she had spent quality time in his company, she liked him even more.

When he was naked, she pushed at his shoulders until he allowed her to roll him over onto his back on the wide bed. Straddling his hips, she removed the last few bits of her own clothing, watching him watch her. It was exciting to see the fire in his eyes as he gazed on her breasts.

“You can touch, you know,” she invited with a smile, reaching for his hands.

“I like looking at you. I’ve dreamed of this many times,” he admitted. His words thrilled her. Had he really been thinking of her as long as she’d been dreaming about him? She’d have to ask him…later. Now it was time for action, not so many words.

When his hands cupped her breasts and started playing with her nipples, all thought fled her head except for those connected to pleasure. Seth’s touch was warm and strong, gentle in a way that spoke of his inner nature and his respect for her as well. It was a heady combination.

Seth was proving to be a considerate lover, but Livia didn’t want to take it slow. Not right now. Maybe later, but not now.

She slid lower on his body, rubbing her wet pussy over his hard cock while lowering her torso so that his hands never lost their connection with her breasts. She craved his touch and didn’t want to lose it. Not for a second.

Yet, she wanted more. She wanted him inside her. Later, she would take time to examine him, touch him and lick him the way she wanted, but at the moment, she wanted nothing more than to know what it would feel like to finally have him inside her.

Rubbing her slick opening over him, she grasped him in one hand, guiding him into her core. He was long and thick, and clearly ready, judging by the hardness of him. She felt him slip inside, and then, she slowed her motions. Almost perversely, she wanted to savor this moment. She wanted to feel every inch of him as he joined with her for the first time.

The first of many, she hoped, deep in her heart. She realized she had never completely let go of the dream of being with Seth. The thought warred with her recent time spent in Gowan’s company, but she was too involved with Seth right now to give that much thought. Later. Later, she would try to figure out what in the world she was going to do about all of this.

But for right now, taking Seth into her welcoming sheath was like coming home to a place she had never been but had dreamed of often. She had spent many an hour dreaming more innocent girlhood dreams of kissing Seth and spending time with him. As she’d aged, her dreams had turned more carnal.

Being on top and riding him like a pony was a fond daydream that was now coming true. If she had her way, they both would be coming in short—well, not
too
short, she hoped—order.

She slid down him until he was fully seated within her and then began to move, rocking back and forth, up and down, in the riding motion she had dreamed about. His hands left her breasts and went to her hips, helping her rise and fall, aiding her trembling muscles.

He was so strong. She hadn’t expected that, but she probably should have realized after all they’d been through that night. He was built like any knight, even if he didn’t have a dragon. He had the muscles. And the body.

And my-oh-my, what a body it was. He was long and lean. Golden all over, from his rich hair to his lovingly bronzed skin. She wanted to cover him like a blanket and never let him go. After, that is, she had wrung every last bit of pleasure out of their joining humanly possible.

She began to move faster, her instincts guiding her to places she had never gone before. Oh, she’d been with other men—at least one, very recently too—but the experience of sharing her body with Seth was unlike her other encounters. Seth was unique.

As was the pleasure she got from riding him. A dream come true.

She quaked as her climax hit, losing rhythm and coordination as the pleasure overtook her with almost alarming urgency. She lost track of where Seth ended and she began as he rolled her over, taking charge as she pretty much lost her mind.

She didn’t care. Seth began pumping in a fast rhythm that set her alight and kept her orgasm rolling in waves of pleasure. It went on and on until, finally, he joined her in ecstasy, calling her name as he came within her, clutching her close to his body as he possessed her fully.

It was beautiful.
He
was beautiful, though she would never use that word aloud with him, knowing most men would object to such a thing. But he was. Inside and out. And he made love even better than all the daydreams she’d ever had about them together.

They made love again and again, throughout the night, catching sleep here and there, between encounters. They laughed at times and at others were serious and without words. Their bodies did the communicating, and their hearts seemed to be on the same page of an account they seemed to be writing together.

It was an idyllic night for Livia, where fantasies were fulfilled and thoughts of the past became reality in the present. The future? Well, she preferred not to think too much about it, because it was just too confusing at the moment.

She’d figure it all out tomorrow. Tonight was for loving. And Seth. And loving Seth…

And on that rather surprising thought, she fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The next morning, Livia woke to the feeling of motion. The bed was moving as Seth slid out of it and began to dress. Memories of the night before came back in a rush, and she could feel a huge grin spreading over her face as she stretched.

“Good morning,” she said to Seth between yawns.

He paused, looking up from tying his trews. “Morning.” He looked panicked for a moment, but then, his gaze softened. “I have to go. If we don’t get back to the Lair before the sun rises, everyone will know that Hrardorr wasn’t there last night. Much as I’d prefer to stay here with you…” He prowled forward, stalking her playfully as he boxed her in with his arms, pushing her back into the bed slightly. He kissed her then, a lingering kiss that was all about joy and tenderness, with a bit of rekindling passion thrown in for good measure.

And then, it was over. He looked deep into her eyes.

“You will never know how much last night meant to me, Livia. I would very much like to see you again. That is…” He trailed off, looking a bit insecure, which puzzled her. “If you want it too. I know I’m not your social equal. And I’m not anywhere near good enough for you, but after last night, it will be hell to keep my distance from you, Livia. I’m not sure I can.”

She was so very confused by her feelings for both Gowan and now Seth. She didn’t know what to say or how to handle the situation. But she did know she didn’t want to let him go. She didn’t want to give him up that easily.

“I want to see you again too,” she whispered. “You’ve always been the man of my dreams, Seth. Since we were both youngsters. I’ve wanted to be close to you for a very long time, and I don’t want it to end with just one night.”

He smiled as if she’d handed him the world and dipped forward to kiss her again.

A door closing rather loudly out in the hall broke them apart before they could get sidetracked into making love again, though it was a close thing.

“Rosie,” Livia whispered when Seth’s head rose and he looked over his shoulder toward the door. “That’s her version of being discreet. That was her letting me know she knows I didn’t sleep in my own bed last night.” Livia smiled at his confusion. “It means I’ll owe her a bit extra before Father comes home, or she’ll go telling tales. Father likes to believe I’m still a child when it comes to sex, and if he had his way, he’d probably want me to join some awful religious sect that makes you promise to be celibate for the rest of your life.”

Her words sparked a laugh out of Seth as he rose and finished dressing. When he was done, he paused by the door and just looked at her.

“I hate to leave,” he said in a quiet voice that touched her deeply. There was something in his eyes that spoke directly to her heart.

“But Hrardorr is waiting,” she finished for him, reminding them both of their friend and his promise to help the dragon.

Livia loved Hrardorr, but just at that moment, she wished he’d been able to fly up to the Lair on his own. Ultimately, though, she cared a lot about the dragon and wanted him safe. Today, that meant parting with her new lover long before she was ready to let him go, but it had to be done.

“I’ll be in touch. I want to see you again, but I don’t know when I’ll be free. I’ll find out today and send word to see if you’re available.” He said it in a rush, as if he was somehow worried that she would say no.

“I’ll find time. I want to be with you, Seth.”

He gave her a huge smile on his way out the door, and she realized what she’d said sounded a bit more committed than she’d meant to be. Not that she had lied. She wanted to be with Seth.

But the problem remained: she wanted to be with Gowan too.

How in the world could that work?

The stark reality was that, if Seth had also been a knight, it might have been possible, though Livia wasn’t completely sure how that all worked among Lair families. She supposed the dragons might have some say in the matter.

Regardless, the fact was Seth wasn’t a knight. So she couldn’t have them both—strange as it was to admit to herself that she wanted exactly that.

What was she going to do?

Genlitha had had just about enough of Hrardorr avoiding her. So on her very next free morning, she decided to stalk him. She loitered in the hallway outside his suite, planning to ambush him on his way out. She didn’t want to be too obvious about it, but she definitely wasn’t going to stand around waiting any longer. It was clear to her by now that the male dragon was avoiding her, and if she didn’t do something proactive, they would never have a chance to be reacquainted.

She remembered him as a dashing dragon, with the most attractive coloration she had ever seen. He was unlike the rest, both in color and temperament. Sure, he was as brash as the other males of their generation, but his bravado had been tempered by compassion. Genlitha hadn’t blossomed fully until her wings came in completely. That happened a little later for her than for the other dragons of her age because her wings were so very long.

They made her a fierce flyer, but while she was growing, she had been clumsy. Some of the others had been mean to her about it, but not Hrardorr. Even though he was right there at the top of all their classes, he had found time to speak kindly to her. and she had never forgotten it…or him.

They’d gone off to different assignments after their training days were over, and they hadn’t crossed paths again. Until now.

She knew he’d been badly injured. She knew he was blind. It didn’t matter to her. The dragon she remembered had a big heart, and no crippling injury would have stopped him.

Maybe Hrardorr had just forgotten that for a while. Maybe Genlitha could help remind him. At least, she hoped she could help him in some way.

When they were younger, she’d always felt at a distinct disadvantage because he was such a fierce fighter and had skills from his sea dragon heritage that most of the rest of them had not. She’d felt like a bit of a failure next to him—at least until she gained her full wingspan. Over the years, she had come into her own in a way that gave her much greater confidence in who she was as a dragon and as a warrioress. She thought maybe she could face Hrardorr on equal footing now, where she never had when they were younger.

She wanted that chance. But he’d been avoiding her.

Well, no longer.

She paced in the hallway, trying to stage an
accidental
meeting with the male dragon she remembered so fondly. She spun on her tail when she heard the large door down the hall creak open. She looked, and yes…it was Hrardorr’s suite.

She saw him pause in the doorway as if testing to see if the hall was empty. She saw his head crane out, his nostrils flaring as he sniffed. He was using his other senses to help him discover if the way was clear.

He shuffled out slowly, spreading his wings slightly in the confines of the hall so that they just brushed the walls on either side. His sensitive wingtips were telling him through touch where he was situated in the hall.

Every hesitant step he took toward the nearby ledge broke her heart a little more. He was a shadow of the confident dragon she’d once known, but at least he was moving on his own, allowing his other senses to compensate for the loss of his eyesight. At least he was doing that much.

He sniffed in her direction as he neared and came to a halt. He looked so unsure she spoke first.

“Hrardorr?”

He let out a long, smoky sigh.
“Genlitha.”

He didn’t sound happy, but she didn’t let that deter her.

“I have been looking for you, my old friend. It has been a long time.”
She measured her words carefully, not knowing precisely how to approach him.

“You have found me, despite my best efforts to avoid exactly this situation,”
he stated rather rudely. His tone, though, said he was weary. Maybe even embarrassed. She tried not to take offense.