caused quite a spectacle when they glided in for a landing on the island where Lady Aine kept court. Rowan could hear shouting, and as they came closer, she saw plenty of upturned faces and pointing fingers. “You’d think they’d never seen a dragon before,” she murmured wonderingly.
She wasn’t sure he would hear her over the wind, even lying low over his neck as she was, but she felt the soft rumble of his laughter. “They wouldn’t have. It’s somewhat of a speciality of the Court of the Heavens,” he answered.
“That’s why you insisted on flying,” she said, not sure whether to be amused or exasperated. “You wanted to impress them with your draconic magnificence.”
“You shouldn’t underestimate the power of a dramatic entrance,” he replied, his voice tinged with amusement. “But that wasn’t the only reason. I find flying more enjoyable than travel by gate. And,” he said, his voice in her mind dropping so low she thought she could feel it vibrating in her bones, “I’m certainly not going to complain about spending an hour between your legs.”
She found herself incapable of formulating an intelligent reply, her face an indelicate shade of mauve as Aidan’s claws finally touched down on a sort of veranda paved with glittering stones. People kept a respectful distance as she dismounted, which gave her a chance to recover her composure. She smoothed down her clothes, and then wished she hadn’t bothered, as she was caught in the whirlpool of feathers and magic that was Aidan dispersing his dragon form.
Despite the disarrangement of her outfit, it was even more enchanting to be watching the transformation from such a close vantage point.
His face materialized from a storm of scales, and his eyes caught hers in an intense stare as she watched the horns retreating into his head. His hand grasped hers, the last of the feathers blew away, and there he stood, dressed in an outfit that made Rowan unsure where to look.
His hair was tied at the top of his head, cascading down his back in what seemed like hundreds of tiny braids, exposing the graceful points of his ears and accentuating the sharp angle of his cheekbones. But more importantly, he was wearing nothing on his torso but a dark leather vest, baring the sculpted expanse of his chest and abdomen for the world to see.
Not that Rowan didn’t see them every morning, but there was something different about viewing him so unclothed in the presence of others. It made the desire to touch him into something almost unbearably sharp.
He flashed her a feline smile. “I take it you approve?” he said, gesturing to his outfit. Like her, his trousers ended just below the knee, and his feet were bare.
“You look very nice,” she said in a high voice, and his smile widened. He might have said something more, but then a strong female voice rang out, ending their playful banter.
“Prince Aidan, it is my pleasure to welcome you back to my Court. And this must be Lady Rowan, whom I’ve heard so much about.” They both swept into low bows, as was appropriate for visitors to the Court.
“You're looking stunning as ever, Lady Aine,” Aidan replied smoothly as he raised his head. When Rowan looked at the approaching woman, she couldn't help but feel intimidated. Aine was tall and strong with broad shoulders, brown skin, and a wide, smiling mouth. She was somehow both young and old, and her green-gold eyes regarded them sharply even as they were crinkled with humor.
“I think that's enough formalities, don't you? After all, half of the reason I invited you here was to give you a break from your cold and stuffy Court.”
“Very well, Lady Aine. I will try to enjoy myself rather than be insulted by your opinion of my home,” Aidan said, smiling and slipping his arm around Rowan's waist as Aine led the way into the Palace. It wasn't much like any palace she’d either seen or imagined, considering it was on stilts and almost completely open to the air, but it was certainly both beautiful and comfortable.
After a leisurely tour, they went to the feast. Long tables were set directly on the beach just out of reach of the waves. Rowan sat between Aidan, who was on Aine’s right side, and a young lady of the Court who turned out to be the Lady’s half-fae great-granddaughter, Seren. She was a much more enjoyable dinner companion than Rowan had come to expect from Court functions -- cheerful, talkative, and not particularly shrewd.
The food was mostly fish-based and all delicious, and the wine tasted like a rich summer night. Rowan had learned by now to be cautious of it, but still felt her nerves tingling by the time the meal was over.
The evening seemed to progress naturally to music and dancing, but it was more vigorous than the usual entertainment at the Court of the Heavens, and Rowan was soon out of breath. She sat down on a bench at the edge of the courtyard, watching orbs of light of every color serving for torches floating in the air and feeling the warm ocean breeze on her face. “So, girl, how do you like it here in the Otherworld so far?”
She barely managed to hold in a startled scream as she found herself face to face with Lady Aine again. The Lady of the Court laughed, a rich earthy sound, and her copper curls shimmered in the dim light. Rowan wasn’t sure how to respond but decided that the truth was easier than trying to make something up. “It’s nothing like I thought it would be, but I’m actually enjoying myself.”
Aine nodded in understanding. “The Courts are generally unfriendly to outsiders. There was certainly a time when my people were intentionally malicious to mortals. Some still are. They’re afraid if mortals find out what the Otherworld is really like, more of them will start trying to come here. And that would throw everything out of balance.”
“Prince Aidan told me that magic comes from the life and belief of the mortal world,” Rowan said, and as if on instinct, her eyes found him in the crowd, weaving his way through the other dancers with skill.
“He’s right. Some of us who were alive during the bad old days can be a little sensitive about the issue,” she said with a wry smile, and then, as her eyes followed Rowan’s gaze, her smile widened. “Aidan is one of the best of us. You’d better make sure he doesn’t get away.”
“What?” Rowan said, blinking in surprise. But Lady Aine had already started walking away, waving cheerfully as she went back up to her throne on the dais. The dance ended, and Aidan returned a moment later, his face flushed with exertion.
“Did I see Lady Aine over here a minute ago?” he asked, sitting down on the bench beside her. Rowan found herself leaning into him unconsciously, hyperaware of the warmth of his arm when it draped around her.
“She just wanted to know if I was enjoying my time here,” Rowan answered, looking up into his eyes. He smiled, and the music slowed to something low and sweet, like the roll of gentle waves.
“Are you recovered enough for another dance, my Lady?”
“I would love to.” He pulled her by the hand back into the middle of the other dancers, and then swept her into his arms. His scent washed over her, and every time they made a turn, their hips brushed. She looked up at him, and his eyes seemed to drink her in like he was dying of thirst. Fenella’s words flashed through her mind. She had no idea what she was doing, but she pressed herself closer to him, and his arm tightened around her waist.
Now, she felt every movement of his body as they swayed and twirled through the night air until she was sure every particle of her being was attuned to his presence. As the song died away, they came to a stop, but he did not release her, and she did not want him to.
Feeling emboldened, she let the hand on his shoulder drift up to brush his cheek and then trail up to the point of one ear. His eyes closed, and she felt a silent shiver run through his body as the hand that had been holding hers slid slowly up her arm until it caressed the side of her neck.
For a moment, she almost forgot that they weren’t alone, and she leaned into him, finding his skin almost hot to the touch against her bare stomach. “Rowan,” he said, his voice a rough whisper. “You don’t know what you do to me.”
She smiled up at him, knowing that she would not get a better opening. “You could show me.” He did not hesitate, his lips claiming hers with a ferocity he’d never shown before. His teeth pulled at her lower lip, and she gasped, feeling her body turn to liquid in his arms.
“Should we retire for the evening?” he whispered against her mouth. She didn’t think she could speak, so she only nodded. He scooped her into his arms and walked off the dance floor. Through the haze of her excitement and desire, she saw everyone pretending not to be interested in where they were going.
“I can walk,” she protested, though she was giddy enough to laugh. He grinned down at her, but his eyes were smouldering.
“I know, but this is faster. And I like doing it,” he said, bending down to kiss her again. It was a miracle they didn't run into anything, but a moment later, Aidan carried her into a bedroom flooded with moonlight. She felt a pulse of magic as the door shut behind them, and then he laid her on the bed, leaning over her so that she felt his breath on her face. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
She slipped her arms around his neck, letting her fingers tangle in his hair. “I’m ready. I want to be with you.” He drew in a deep breath, and she could see his eyes gleaming in the semi-darkness. Then, his mouth met hers, tasting her like she was a rare delicacy he had waited his whole life to sample.
His weight settled next to her on the bed, and his hand went to her waist, tracing down to the curve of her hip and back up to her ribs. She shivered, unsure what to do except to kiss him because she liked doing that very much, and she didn’t want to do the wrong thing.
But Aidan reached up and took her hand, bringing it to his mouth and kissing her fingertips before speaking in a low voice. “You can touch me, Rowan. I want you to touch me.” He pressed her hand against his chest, and she could feel his heart beating nearly as wildly as her own. His skin was warm and smooth, and as he watched her with hooded eyes, she slid her fingers over his chest and pushed the vest from his shoulder.
She ran her hand over the muscles of his arm, down and up, before starting to explore the planes of his back. He continued to kiss her, her mouth, the curve of her jaw, the hollow of her throat, until she felt the scrape of his teeth just above her collarbone. It was like a bolt of lightning down her spine, and her back arched as a soft moan spilled from her lips.
He rolled over, pressing her into the bed. She felt magic tingle against her skin and found herself, quite suddenly, without a stitch of clothing on her body. Aidan’s hair, freed from its braids, flowed over them like a curtain of shadow. Now exposed before his eyes, she felt shame well up within her, but he placed a warm kiss between her breasts, right over her heart.
“You have nothing to be ashamed of, Rowan. You have a beautiful body, and it is not even the best part of you.”
She looked up at him, bewildered, and he kissed her again on the stomach. “You are clever.” He kissed lower. “And brave.” His mouth was just below her navel. “And honest and stubborn.” He paused, and she could feel his breath between her legs. She tensed, her eyes wide, but he ran his fingers gently, teasingly over her breasts and stomach. “There is nothing to fear,” he said, his thumbs making slow circles around her nipples. She felt a tightening warmth inside her, a want that went beyond the vague desire to touch and be touched.
When the heat of his lips caressed her inner thigh, her legs fell open without her conscious decision, and then she felt him there, hot and wet, his tongue slipping inside her most secret places.
It was a pleasure she had never imagined. She was afraid she would lose herself, her mind obliterated by the heat spiralling through her as whimpering moans poured from her mouth. All her muscles contracted in a brilliant burst of ecstasy, and then she sank, limp and drained, back to the mattress. Aidan moved over her, and when she finally felt able to open her eyes, she could see him smiling in the moonlight, obviously pleased with himself.
She reached up to embrace him, her arms draping languidly over his neck, and when he kissed her, she tasted something sharp and faintly sweet that she belatedly realized was herself. Her face was hot, but it didn’t seem to matter all that much.
“Did my lady enjoy herself?” he purred, his fingers reaching up to stroke her hair.
It was difficult for Rowan to put it into words, but she wanted to. “I…yes. I never imagined…I had no idea it would be…well, like that.”
Aidan laughed, joyful rather than derisive, and kissed her again, gently at first, but growing in passion until their tongues danced together. They pulled apart, breathless, and he whispered against her ear. “Do you still want more?” Her awareness centred on the hardness pressing against her hip, and her breath caught in her throat as she nodded.
He leaned back, kneeling between her legs and gliding his long, slender fingers down her body. She felt a twinge of nervousness because what little she had learned about sexual relations had led her to expect some pain. But he stroked her thighs and kissed her neck until she was shivering with eager anticipation again, and when he finally entered her, she felt a slow, stinging pressure.
He stilled, and she could see him almost panting with the effort of holding back his desire. She ran her hands over his shoulders and up to his cheeks, and he turned his head to press a moist kiss to her palm. Then, he began to move, his hips rolling slowly against her, and she could feel the heat building in her core again.
She pulled him close, savoring the warmth of his skin, wanting his kiss, wanting his everything. Her hands trailed down his back, her legs wrapped around his thighs, and as the pleasure soared higher, she pulled his lower lip between her teeth.
He groaned, and his pace quickened. Every time they came together, she felt the edge of bliss grow closer. All her inhibitions had fallen away, and she called his name unashamedly. It seemed to drive him frantic. His teeth found her neck, and once again, she came undone, her back arching, her insides quivering around his last wild thrust.
His cry of pleasure was only partly muffled by her shoulder, and she felt him shaking as he spilled himself inside her. His head came to rest on her chest; she ran her fingers through his midnight hair, and everything was perfect and wonderful.
After a long moment, he let out a languorous sigh and raised himself on his elbows to look at her. His expression was almost adoring, and her heart felt so full she didn’t think she’d be able to speak around it. Aidan shook his head, seeming equally unable to say anything.
He rolled to lie beside her, pulling her into his arms so that she nestled in the curve of his body. Something about the feeling of his skin against hers was almost heavenly. She never wanted to stop touching him, and for one blissful moment, she allowed herself to know the thing she was most afraid of.
She did not want to leave. Because she was in love with Aidan. The thought rolled around in her mind, making her restless, but then his arm draped over her waist and his fingers entwined with hers. It was enough to relax her into sleep.