Sleeping Beauty and the Demon (13 page)

Still, shouldn’t Drago take the lead in this forbidden encounter?

When he guided her into the main auditorium, the empty stage loomed before them at the end of the sweeping aisle. The sight caused the hair on Rose’s arms to stand on end.

“Is anybody here?” she whispered in a quiver.

“We’re completely alone.” He gave her a wry smile. “Go ahead. Yell if you like.”

“Hello!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. Smiling in spite of herself, she said, “Your turn.”

He let go of her hand. Raising his arms to shoulder-height, Drago spun in circles. “I love this woman!”

She laughed. The sound of his booming voice made her relax a bit. “Do you have a key to the theater?”

He nodded. “I enjoy perfecting my illusions here late at night.”

His cyan eyes glittered at her while his dark skin glowed in the gaslight. His looks and his sensuality surpassed Rose’s wildest desires. It felt amoral to be here alone with him, but it also felt right.

“I’d love to watch you practice your magic sometime,” she said softly.

“I have a better idea.” He drew her close. “Perhaps you’d like to be my new assistant.”

“Assistant? What about Katherine?”

Drago frowned. “I fired her.”

“Why?”

“As my shows get more and more sophisticated, I need someone I can trust. Tonight Katherine questioned one of my tricks. She’s never done that before.”

“She doesn’t know about your genuine abilities?” Rose asked.

“No. But I’m afraid she’s getting dangerously close to finding out.”

Rose drew her brows together. “I don’t know, Drago. I just got my dream job at the newspaper.”

He stepped back. “I don’t doubt your writing talents, Rose. And I commend you for your ambition. But your boss is a bastard.”

“All the more reason to prove myself.”

“An admirable goal, I admit. But I’ve said it before: this Richard Bellum is a thorn in my side.”

“He wants me to give him information about you. He said my job depends on it.”

“He’s holding that over your head?” Drago thundered. A moment later, his sour expression softened. “I know you won’t divulge anything scandalous about me because you promised not to.”

“Even if people thought you were a warlock, or whatever you call yourself,” she said, “they wouldn’t know how to respond.”

“I know how they’d respond,” he said darkly. “They’d have me arrested or killed.”

Rose cringed at the thought. She was under the spell of the amulet and being without him wasn’t a viable possibility.

“What do you think about being my assistant?” He offered her a grin. “Keep your position at the paper if you like and work with me at night.”

She studied his face. He never smiled fully, only quirked his lips in a sideways tug. But those mystifying grins made her knees wobble. “Do I have time to think about it?”

“I fired Katherine, remember? I need you.”

When she continued to hesitate, he said, “Rose. I’ve been offered full billing at the Herndon Hippodrome.”

“The Hippodrome?”

“Yes.”

Drago was on his way to becoming the greatest magician who ever lived. But if the rest of the world discovered his sinister secret, his career would be ruined and he wouldn’t be able to protect her from Morvina.

She supposed she could maintain both jobs, like he’d suggested, as long as she delayed Richard’s exposé by pretending to be digging up dirt on Drago.

“Consider me hired,” she said.

“Let me show you how much I appreciate it,” Drago purred.

Prickles of delight raced over her as he flicked his tongue along her neck. And when a trail of heat spiraled up her spine, she nearly exploded with lust. “I’m ready to be yours, Drago.”

“Are you sure?” he asked in a husky tone.

She remembered how it felt to have his hard body lying on top of hers. And she desperately wanted to experience it again. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.”

His heart beat anxiously against her chest. When she pulled away, he was grinning again. “Then tonight I’ll be the luckiest man on earth.”

Slowly, Drago inclined his head and brought his lips to hers. Sweeping his tongue forward, he prompted her mouth open with it. The hot contact escalated Rose’s excitement. And while their tongues collided, soft moans of pleasure floated out from somewhere deep inside her. Here she was with a man who intrigued, baffled, and comforted her, all at the same time. She knew she’d never meet anyone else remotely like him.

“I love you,” he whispered as his fingers got lost in her hair. Knocking her hairpins loose, he tugged at her curls until her mane slipped down in heavy locks. He took a tiny step back. “God almighty. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

Rose barely registered the compliment. She was too busy trying to memorize everything about Drago—from the spectacular hue of his eyes to how his arousal felt against her skirt. Her soul stirred in his embrace and if God ever chose to part them, at least she would have these things to remember him by.

“Please,” she said. “Make love to me now.”

“Come with me,” he commanded.

Grasping her hand, he led her backstage. They ascended a spiral staircase which took them up to the balcony level of the theater. Drago guided her along a shadowed corridor and opened a door at its very end.

Rose stared into a plush box. Draped in green and gold curtains, the small room boasted a pair of high-backed silk chairs and a long damask-covered bench. She surmised that this was the most expensive box in the theater.

“It’s lovely,” she murmured as they stepped inside.

“Only the best for you.” Drago drew the curtains that overlooked the stage, then twisted a gas sconce up to a low glow. Without saying another word, he took her hands, lifted them above her head, and pinned her against the wall. Rose’s eyes fluttered shut as his mouth crushed hers. She thrust the top half of her body forward when his free hand dropped from her face to the fullness of her bosom.

“Open your eyes, Rose,” he whispered against her lips, “I want you to really look at me.”

Their stares locked for an intense moment before he kissed her again—wildly, deeply. The way it provoked her stripped away the last shred of reserve she had. Her tongue tangled with his in a kiss that drew out a groan from Drago and whetted her hunger for him.

Drago was wonderfully complex, strong, and unyielding, and she wanted him to be the first man she gave herself to. The
only
man.

Standing this close to him, Rose realized she was almost as tall as he was. In school, she’d always towered over most boys—and her height had stolen some of her confidence away. But Drago didn’t seem to mind it. His hips moved against hers and when his rock-hard arousal pressed closer, heat rolled through her with the force of a bonfire.

Cheeks flushed, she returned his hot, breathless kisses. Suddenly, she had the urge to feel his sex. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but it was too tight.

“Yes,” Drago broke contact with her mouth. As if he read her mind, he said, “Touch me.”

He released her hands from over her head. Then he directed one to his groin. “There.” With his hand covering hers, he showed her how to massage his shaft through the fabric of his trousers. Thick and erect, his penis became even stiffer. In fact, it felt like a cement pole against her palm.

“God, yes,” he moaned.

Rich and low, his voice excited her.

Next, Drago rocked into Rose and found her breast again. Although she was inexperienced, she began to move in tune with his body, reacting to the way he caressed her curves.

He seemed to enjoy fondling her through her dress, until an impatient growl escaped his throat. Quickly, he peeled off her jacket and unhooked the tiny buttons of her blouse. Left in nothing but her corset and skirt, Rose gave a little cry as he dipped a hand inside the corset’s boning and searched for her nipple. Bowing his head, Drago lapped at it in scalding circles.

She never knew anything could feel so amazing.

When Drago lifted the bulk of her breast higher, then took its bud into his mouth, she inhaled sharply. To her delight, he sucked it until moisture saturated her undergarments. She was dying for him to touch her
there.
She said breathlessly, “I’m so wet.”

Rose’s admission fueled Drago’s desire even more. “Christ,” he said. “Let me feel you.”

His hand found its way under her skirt. Hooking a finger around the edge of her panties, he pulled them aside. Then, looking up at her with a lustful expression, he spread her sex apart and located her hidden pearl. His fingers, slick with her wetness, stroked her as gracefully as a delicate doe moves through the forest.

Rose’s core was so sensitive and Drago’s fingers were so experienced and manly that she couldn’t help but whimper like a child. As he dipped his fingers in and out of her, she pressed against them. But when he encountered her female barrier, he stopped.

“Should I break your chastity, Rose?”

“Yes,” she pleaded hoarsely.

He did. Searing pain raked her body at first, but then pleasure replaced it. She reached for his shaft again. This time Drago heaved against her hand while her petals swelled around his fingers. A pressure and a rhythm built like a wave raging toward the shore. Finally, her clitoris beat and throbbed.

“My God,” she whispered when the intense vibration stopped. “Did you feel that?”

“It was your first climax, my darling. But it won’t be your last.”

Excitement rained to every part of her body as he guided her to the damask bench. Once he’d splayed her across the bench’s length, he gazed down at her as if she were a nymph offering herself to the Gods. Strangely, that’s what she felt like. She was willing to do anything Drago suggested and do it wholeheartedly. Not only did she sympathize with his lonely existence, she related to it. It was as if neither of them had ever belonged to anyone in particular, and now they’d found one another.

Drago was dressed in a loose linen shirt and dark trousers. Rose’s heart galloped as he yanked his shirt out of his beltline and unbuttoned it to reveal the sight she’d beheld in his bedroom. Bulging biceps. An abdomen cut with muscle upon muscle. And a small, concave belly button that topped a remarkable line of tendons that streamlined into his trousers.

Could anything be more delicious?

As he leaned one hand on the edge of the bench, he removed his pants and undergarments. That’s when Rose glimpsed his jutting erection for the first time. Gulping, she watched his thick, vein-wrapped penis grow longer, in the moment. The tip of it—which was covered in smooth foreskin—glimmered in the gaslight.

Smiling, he dropped forward on both hands. And while his massive forearms framed Rose’s head, she received a whiff of his scent. He smelled of fresh soap and spice—like the most delectable man on earth.

“I’m going to take you slowly,” he whispered against her collarbone. “So that we can revel in every minute.”

She clasped his head in her hands and directed him to look up at her. Their eyes locked. Gliding her hands through his hair, she smiled, too. Several strands fell loose over one eye, free of hair tonic and stiff balms. Rose preferred it this way. The casual style made him far less fearsome and more boyish.

“I’m ready,” she whispered.

Drago dropped his stare to her bare breasts. As his tongue slid past his full lips, it led the way to her nipples. He spent a long time swirling them into sharp peaks. The sensation built her passion even more. Squeaking out moans of ecstasy, Rose noticed that Drago’s cock was still as hard as stone.

While he removed all of her clothes and peeled away her panties, she felt her blood rushing through her veins. But now that she was naked, she was embarrassed enough to close her eyes.

“No need to be shy,” he murmured. “You’re radiant.”

Flicking her eyes open, she managed a smile. He returned it, then pushed her legs apart gently. “Stay open for me,” he instructed. Shifting, he moved lower so that he could see her dampened folds. “Christ, Rose. You’re pink and wet and perfect.”

Sliding a finger into her moisture, he caught a drop on his fingertip, then tasted it. Inflamed, Rose thought she’d go mad. Warm and moist, his shaft brushed her thigh. Considering that he was ready— and that he’d completely readied
her
—this was going to be a magical moment.

Drago guided his penis into her folds. He was large and she was tight and at first, the discomfort made her wince. But because Rose was so ripe, a blinding wave of lust banished all the pain. He thrust deeper. Her legs trembled—and as his weight flattened her breasts, sounds of their mutual desire mingled in the air.

Her folds undulated around his erection. She let out a gasp. He grasped her buttocks and thrust harder.

While she clutched Drago’s bare back, Rose pinched her eyes shut and clung to him. The way their bodies molded together relayed feelings without speaking a word.

Drago gave her pumps as deep as his kisses. The theater box rang with grunts of delight. “Damn it.” He tore his lips from hers. “I can’t hold out any longer!”

She wanted to say, “I’m reaching that place again, too,” but the words caught in her throat.

He plunged furiously now, and when he arched his back, his torso rippled enticingly. While his chest glistened with sweat, he cried out loudly and spilled his semen deep inside her.

When he slumped forward, she blinked against the stillness of the moment. He gathered her to him and stroked her tousled hair. “That was the best moment of my entire life.”

“It was mine, too,” she said.

Joy raced through Rose and she couldn’t help but smile. Drago made it sound as if he’d been alive for hundreds of years, but he was only thirty.

They lay still for a long time, their harried breathing pronounced in the silence. Once Rose’s breathing calmed, she inhaled remnants of cigars and heavy perfume that lingered inside the box. From this perch, patrons of the theater watched with fascination as Drago performed his complex illusions. He was creating quite a name for himself and she felt privileged to be here with him.