WickedBeast (21 page)

Kelly draped a blanket over Minuet and came back to him. She
stretched out with her legs in her seat and her torso settled naturally into
his embrace. Cord pulled a blanket over her as well.

“How confident are you that this Harrison is in Scotland?”
Kelly wanted to know.

“It doesn’t matter if he’s there, he’ll show up. He has a
castle overlooking Loch Ness. People think it’s a dilapidated shell, but
actually it’s a den. As soon as we enter the property, he’ll know. He’s got it
protected so it alerts him to trespassers. Here’s what has never made sense to
me. He’s a water creature and the only one of us with a permanent home on land
that he actually lives in occasionally. You’ll see what I mean when you meet
him, he’s different.”

“I wouldn’t be throwing around phrases calling someone else
different if I were you,” Kelly laughed softly.

Cord grinned and found her teasing made him feel good in a
weird way. It was unlike the rude insults the three dragons often addressed
each other with. Not that they spent much time together, but when they did,
communication was correspondingly arrogant. Having spent no time in conversation
with the other type of dragon because he’d always been busy killing them, who
knew what their interaction was like.

Conversation with Marelda had been personal, but it still
wasn’t even close to the relationship developing with Kelly. It wasn’t as if he
hadn’t spoken to millions of women, he just never done it for long periods of
time. That had to be his problem. He wasn’t used to it.

“You’ll see,” he assured her with a raise eyebrow. “Dragons
are never wrong, you know.”

“I see,” she said. “Apparently humble is one of the things
they never are either.”

“If we’re never wrong, how can we be humble? It would only
confuse the humans, and we like to be clear when giving direction or stating
facts.” He baited her with the attitude and enjoyed the hell out of it as his
little Wind Witch looked at him with female amusement written all over her
face.

“I’m guessing there are no female dragons, right?” she
asked.

Cord frowned. “Why would anyone make a female dragon?”

“Seriously?” Kelly asked her face registering disbelief. “I
didn’t realize I wasn’t joking.”

As the conversation turned to a subject she was curious
about, Kelly asked, “All dragons were created? There are no dragon eggs?”

“No such thing,” Cord confirmed. “Procreation is strictly a
God-given ability. Even though we have the equipment, there has never been a
dragon baby.”

“Wow,” Kelly marveled. “You were created an adult?”

“Yes. We had an adult body though some development is
required to gain experience. Our instincts are fully functional, which was the
original problem. We are predators from the moment of consciousness. The longer
we live, the better we get at it. That’s the only growth correlation we have
with humans. Experience breeds skill. However, innate predatory skills from the
start far exceed an adult human male’s abilities. You can see how this would
not work out well for creators.”

“Sounds like male thinking to me. From what you say, they
were building an army, not interested in raising children. Still it’s
stunningly stupid,” Kelly observed. “How did they expect loyalty?”

“The wizards realized that, but it was a little late. They
attempted to make adolescent dragons, but that created a whole new set of
problems. Childlike killers are vicious and totally out of control. They have
to grow up to access some of the skills required to control their abilities.
They would prey on people but could only control the very weak ones. That was
children, the sick or old. The one we found in the desert was a juvenile. I’ve
always assumed that dragons not captured at the poles were these adolescent
creatures.”

“How sad,” Kelly murmured.

Cord regarded his softhearted Wind Witch and marveled at her
capacity to feel sad for child killers. “You think a house for wayward dragon
children would’ve helped?”

“I can feel bad about something without having any idea how
to fix it,” Kelly informed him from his chest.

Kelly was completely relaxed, her body turned into his arms
and her head on his shoulder as they talked. Her eyes closed, though he could
feel her interest in the subject. A little tired, Kelly was unable to sleep, so
he continued as his hands moved up and down her back. The gentle massage
started because she needed to relax but continued because he needed to soothe
her. Her feelings of safety and contentment were a sweet reward.

This desire to be the source of her every comfort was
growing. It pleased him to supply whatever she or Minuet needed. Examining the
source of pleasure might not be a wise use of his time at the moment. As they
drew closer to the British Isles, the next problem was looming.

Cord had been mildly worried about Legion before he knew the
big earth dragon was already there. Mildly worried because he had Molly handy
to introduce to Legion. That situation, while possibly dangerous, had been one
he was sure would work out with Legion realizing he could not kill Molly.

They were going to find Harrison, the water dragon, but had
no idea where the Water Witch was. Explaining the new plan to Harrison would be
tricky if Harrison was in the middle of trying to execute the old plan by
killing Kelly and Minuet. Cord didn’t want to kill Harrison. For the new plan
to work, they needed the water dragon and his lady.

His eyes on Minuet, Cord considered the options. She could
be the key. Apparently Minuet had been the power that attracted Legion to the
area she lived in. Legion had worked out the imperative that he must protect
Minuet, even if he had to do it from a distance. Cord was still pissed that the
bastard hadn’t contacted him as soon as he encountered Kelly and Minuet.

Kelly distracted Cord from his thoughts as her head turned
into his body and her lips glided over his neck. Exploring him with lips and
tongue she ate her way up under his chin, nibbling along his jawbone. He gave
her about two minutes to explore then he’d had enough.

Intoxicating witch had no idea what she did to him. He’d
been as gentle as he knew how to be so far. Trying to ease her into accepting
what he was. Last night’s restraint had cost him more than he cared to think
about. Her tongue licked through his control with the same destructive power of
a wildfire wind walking a California forest.

Hard lips captured her mouth, punishing the little explorer
for lighting the fuse on his libido. He loomed over her as his mouth demanded
she open for him. Her melting acceptance only slightly mollified the beast. One
of his hands moved from her back to cup her head, holding her under his mouth
as he plundered the sweet interior.

The kiss was hot, urgent and a drawn-out journey into
sexuality. He thrust into her with leashed power, letting her know exactly how
he’d like to be thrusting into another part of her body. His firm hand palming
the back of her head demonstrated the control he would take of her pleasure.
Ruthlessly extending the kiss into an endless demand showed her that next time
would last a long time.

Kelly moaned, her body shifting under the blanket as heat
bloomed between them. Her breasts suddenly felt heavy, the nipples aching. His
mouth would not release her so she pressed into the hard ridges of muscle and
tried to relieve the ache by rubbing over him. And still he plundered her. Her
hips rolled as she rubbed her legs together. A firm hand grasped her hip bone,
holding her still.

As he lifted from her mouth at last, holding her immobile at
head and hip, Kelly sucked in a sharp breath. His eyes were shielded by lowered
lids but they were molten smoke. Yesterday she had thought steam was the color
of his eyes. Today he looked at her through the gray warning of fire within.

He let her see the sparks rising in him as the hand on her
hip moved around to cup her core.

“Remain perfectly still,” he directed in low tones that were
not quite a whisper but definitely a command. His eyes flicked up over her to
Minuet’s sleeping form and back to her gaze. The reason for his direction was
perfectly clear. Under the blanket with her body turned facing his, any
movement of his arm was hidden from Minuet if she should wake up.

The hand cupping her crotch lifted to unsnap her jeans. His
eyes holding her gaze captive, his large hand pulled down the zipper and palmed
her trembling belly. Sliding down under her panties, his fingers curved around
her body to invade damp folds.

His fingers were hard and firm but moved slowly. They
explored, caressed down to her entrance. Still his gaze burned into hers as two
fingers pushed into her body. The invasion was thick and slow, deliberately
taking her. He pulled out as slowly as he had entered. His hand left her to
firmly drag her jeans and panties down her legs by using the strength of that
arm straightening.

“Lift up,” he commanded softly so the material would slide
down her thighs. He left them at her knees and returned to the juncture of her
legs. Pushing between her constricted limbs, he again boldly caressed the
petals of flesh guarding her entrance.

Kelly’s mouth opened in a soft pant.

“Hush,” he demanded in that soft rumbling tone.

Kelly swallowed and nodded, unable to come up with any other
response as again thick fingers pushed into her body. He had effectively bound
her legs together with her jeans and panties at her knees and yet still pushed
into her, all the while holding her gaze. If she had had any doubt that he
could take her any time it was thoroughly erased.

His fingers moved over her boldly. The strength in that
single arm could have lifted her above his head, she was sure of it. Knowing
all that and feeling him enter her as he wished was fiercely erotic. The blaze
behind his eyes burned her alive.

His thumb stroked over pussy lips with relentless rhythm,
each pass grazing the top of her clit but not lingering. The finger-fucking
continued, heating her from the inside out. His fingers pulled out of her and
burrowed up between her outer pussy lips to capture her clit in a sawing grip.
Pushing and pulling in long strokes.

In her mind, his deep voice rumbled.
“Tempting the
beast?”
he asked.
“Do you not know I hunger for you? Not to feed, little
witch, something much more dangerous than that.”

Two fingers pressed into her body as he continued.
“What
I want is to ride this portal to heaven’s gate then show you how delicious the
fires on Hell’s shores taste. Deep and fast, the animal will take this cunt.
Hard and long, the demon will ride his witch. I have yet to show you what truly
enters your body, tastes this nectar.”
His fingers pulled out of her and he
brought them to his mouth, licking her taste off them with slow enjoyment as
she panted in his lap, staring up at him.

“Nothing to say?” he questioned in softly savage tones. “No
begging for mercy? No pleas for gentle love and lighted candles? Say something,
Kelly.”

“What should I beg for? I want more. You’re licking the
proof of what I want,” Kelly replied.

“Damn it, I have to stop,”
he hissed in her mind.
“Don’t
push me to be the dragon.”

“I didn’t push. I kissed the one who watches over us. That’s
not pushing,” Kelly insisted as his hand grasped her pants and panties, firmly
pulling them up her body. Swiftly the zipper rose and the button were fastened.

Cord’s eye sparkled and the irises elongated to slits as he
glared down at her. Kelly didn’t recoil as she stared into the eyes of a beast.

“Now you’re showing off and it doesn’t scare me,” she stated
firmly. “No matter what skin you’re in, you are Cord.”

“I’m trying to warn you. Restraint is not my best thing
where you’re concerned,” he confessed, closing his eyes as his head dropped
back on the high seatback. “I’m sorry. These feelings are unfamiliar. Please do
not kiss me, nibble on me or lick me until I get a better handle on controlling
them.”

“What?” she asked softly.

“Which part didn’t you understand?” he wanted to know. His
eyes opened and they were normal human orbs again.

“The ‘don’t touch’ directive,” she replied dumbly.

“I’m trying to protect you. What happens when you reach for
me is different. I need to analyze it to understand why I react this way.”

The fire licking around his eyes contradicted the normal
tone of his words. There certainly was an inferno roaring in Kelly’s womb and
her entire body was trembling as he looked into her eyes. His calm was a mask,
the rock-hard body beneath hers gave him away. Every muscle tensed, rippling
with the blaze he was containing.

“You don’t understand your response to me?” she asked
cautiously.

Cord raised a brow as he regarded her. “It has unusual
elements that quickly get out of control. I do not wish to harm you or
embarrass you.”

“You’ve never felt this way before?” she pressed.

“I am a creature of control. That is the only responsible
way to handle power. If control is eliminated, I become the abominations we
must kill,” he corrected. “My response to you initiating intimate contact is
dangerous. You must refrain.”

Kelly smiled and glanced down to hide her eyes. He didn’t
have a clue what to do with being emotionally involved. He was used to being
desired, but feeling the rush of validation when someone he desired wanted him
back seemed to have completely unbalanced the big beast.

He was in love and had no idea what that meant. The heat of
that knowledge would not let her off the physical high they’d just reached. She
saw no reason to give him a pass on it if she was going to suffer until they
could be together in private.

“I want you, Cord,”
she said softly in his mind to
ensure privacy. Her eyes looked directly into his as she said it.