Chapter Eight
Great God, she’d never seen anything as beautiful as Aiden. His body could’ve been carved by Michelangelo, all long, lean lines and powerful muscle beneath golden skin. And the tracery that danced along broad shoulders, arms, and down a sculpted chest lightly dusted with dusky blond hair? She couldn’t wait to chase those lines with fingers and tongue, to explore every inch of his body.
Below his chest and gorgeous abdominal muscles rested her one of her favorite parts of a man’s body, particularly defined on her dragon man. The iliac furrow, better known as a Aphrodite's Saddle, Hercules' Girdles, the Adonis Belt, and the sinfully delicious bit of male anatomy with the power to make smart girls stupid with lust certainly had a magnetic effect on her.
Beyond all that, not to mention the very impressive landscape between his legs, her gaze kept traveling to his face. Framed with dark blond hair that fell over his shoulders and a light stubble of beard growth, he had the face of an angel—a reclusive, wounded angel who’d had the courage to come out of the shadows of his self-imposed exile and into the light where he belonged.
She’d never let him leave the light again.
Honoring his request, she stood on her toes and kissed him, brushing her lips over his sultry mouth before slanting them over his for a deeper, more sensual exploration. But he pulled back, his gaze alight with mischief. Instead of complying, he kept gently brushing his lips over hers, teasing and tempting.
Two could play that game.
When his mouth met hers again, she ducked and ran her tongue over his stubbly jaw and down his neck, planting soft kisses as she made her way to his collarbone and lower until she grazed his nipples with her teeth.
He sucked in a breath and muttered something in a dialect she didn’t quite recognize.
“What was that?” she asked, letting her fingertips replace her mouth.
“You threaten to undo me, my fair one, my dearest, with your kisses and caresses,” he said. He closed his eyes and groaned in pleasure as her fingertips slid along his hard length.
She wasn’t normally moved by flowers and poetry, but something about the soft, romantic words spilling from this powerful man’s lips set her on fire. More accustomed to the standard dirty talk of men in her dimension, she found his gallant speech charming. And hot.
“Hmm,” she said, sliding to her knees and inhaling the musky scent of his arousal. “You certainly know how to sweet talk a girl, Mr. Silver. Is this how men from Tarakona woo their women, because it’s working.”
Before he could answer, she ran her tongue over his straining length all the way to the tip, swallowing a pearly drop of his excitement. He tasted of salt and man and sex, and he wanted her. This wild, wonderful creature had chosen her. She’d have to show him how much she wanted him, too, and adored him. Starting now.
She took him into her mouth and caressed him with her lips and tongue, earning another deep groan of pleasure. He placed shaking hands on her head and threaded his fingers through her hair. Instead of holding her head still and thrusting, a habit she found both annoying and decidedly mood-killing, he caressed her scalp and as he praised her with more sexy, old-world language.
“You play upon my instrument like a true virtuoso,” he said between gasps. “Your lips coax the sweetest notes from my body, and your tongue brings a symphony of aching delight.” After a few moments, he lifted her to her feet and plundered her mouth with a passion to match her own. Pausing only to pull the blanket from her backpack and spread it on the soft sand, he grabbed her, kissed her thoroughly, and lowered her to the blanket.
Holding his body above hers, he worshiped her breasts with lips and tongue before taking one hard, aching peak into his mouth. When he switched to pay the other nipple equal attention, she moaned and pressed her hips against his, seeking friction. Each caress, nip, and suckle sent ripples of pleasure straight to her clit and had her wet and ready for him.
She cried out when his fingers dipped between her folds and stroked her heated flesh. He moved lower, planting kisses down her belly and along her thighs. Then he flashed her a wicked grim from between her legs and arched a brow. “Shall I tip the velvet, my lady? With your permission, of course.”
He licked his lips in anticipation. She could guess what “tipping the velvet” involved, but wanted to hear his deep, sexy voice utter sultry promises while stroking her to the brink of climax. “I-I’m not familiar with that particular turn of phrase, sir,” she said, gasping when he slid one finger inside her, and then another, searching for the sweet spot.
He found it in short order and left her shaking and breathless in the wake of orgasm.
When she recovered, he held her gaze as he placed fingers covered with her essence into his mouth. He moaned as if savoring a rare vintage of fine wine and said, “Let me sip nectar from this most sacred well, my beloved. Let me taste you properly.”
She barely had time to relish being called his beloved before succumbing to fresh waves of delicious pleasure as he made love to her with his tongue. Light flutters followed by just the right amount of pressure and attention to her clit and he and had her crying out and nearly spent from pleasure.
And he hadn’t even been inside her yet.
“Aiden,” she sighed. “That was incredible.”
He smiled as he moved to lay beside her, placing a series of light, worshipful kisses over her face before slanting his mouth over hers to stoke fresh flames of desire with their mingled tastes. His rock hard erection pressed against her leg as he kissed her, reminding her that they weren’t done yet, not by a long shot.
She quivered in anticipation and put her arms around him, urging him to roll on top of her so they could share the next orgasm. He resisted, leaving her confused and more than a little frustrated. “Come here,” she said. “Let me please you, too.”
Hunger warred with restraint in his dark blue gaze. “You need not feel obligated, Gillian. I’ll happily spend the rest of the night content in your arms.”
Gah! She’d enjoyed his gentlemanly seduction, but right now she wanted the beast he kept on a tight leash. He was probably afraid to unbridle it. He clearly had hang-ups about his nature and had been shy about revealing himself to her and to the people of Magic. She wanted to shake him until his teeth rattled and tell him to get over it. She wanted to climb on top of him and ride him until they both screamed in shared ecstasy. She wanted to take him in her arms and never, ever let him go.
For now, however, it seemed option number two was the best course of action for both their sakes. But first, she had to find out what was holding him back.
With great reluctance, she rolled away. Maybe she was reading too much into the situation. Maybe he was worried about not being prepared. Fortunately, she was.
After finding the foil package in her backpack, she pushed him flat on his back, climbed on top of him, and tore open the package. “I have protection, if that’s what you’re worried about,” she said, preparing to roll the condom over his considerable length. “I’m clean, but I’m not on the pill. I’ll fix that soon, but in the meantime, we can be safe with this.”
Then again, maybe he wasn’t ready for more than touching and tasting. After all, things had moved pretty fast between them. She paused and said, “Or if you’re not comfortable with that, I can return the favor by ‘tipping the velvet’ with you, or whatever the equivalent is in the parlance of Tarakona.”
She suppressed the urge to chuckle and failed. Not that she was alone. Aiden laughed, too, apparently amused by her attempt at Tarakonan-style pillow talk.
“We call it piping,” he said, laughing again. “And while I’d be delighted for you to finish the song, so to speak, I don’t want you to do so out of obligation. It isn’t my intent to pressure you or to unleash my baser instincts upon you.”
Oh, yeah, she was definitely done with the gentleman thing, not to mention the whole I-must-protect-the-delicate-female-from-my-big-bad-self nonsense. She rolled the condom over his length slowly, deliberately, fondling his balls when she’d finished and giving them a light squeeze.
“Does this feel like obligation to you?” she asked. “I’m not going to break, Aiden. I promise. I want you. All of you. If you want me, too, then give me everything you’ve got.”
Something flashed in his gaze, something wild, feral, and absolutely mesmerizing. She’d been right when she’d first caught sight of him coming through the portal. He’d had the bearing of both predator and prey. But now he was all predator, and she was more than willing to be held captive by his inner beast.
“Be sure,” he said through gritted teeth, struggling for control.
“Give me everything, and don’t you dare hold back,” she said before rising to take him inside her.
Before she could blink, he sat up and grabbed her hips with a growl, meeting her thrusts as she rode him harder than she’d ever dared with any other man. God, but he had stamina. She pushed against his body, grinding her hips and locking her body to his as each delicious slide of his cock caressed her in all the right places. She gripped his shoulders and marveled at how the magical tracery danced beneath his skin and kept pace with their coupling. It seemed to feed off their mutual pleasure.
He caught her staring and faltered as he dropped his gaze. She gripped his shoulders tighter and until he looked back at her through his thick lashes. She caught a flash of uncertainty and her heart ached for him. How could he have any doubts about what she felt for him? His previous lovers must’ve been wary, or perhaps he’d never shown any of them his true form.
Though she teetered on the brink of release and her body screamed in protest, she stilled and raised a shaking hand to touch his face, bending to plant a gentle kiss on his lips. Gathering her courage, she said, “Don’t hide from me, Aiden. You are magnificent, you are incredible, and I…I think I’m falling for you.”
She held her breath and waited for him to respond. She hadn’t been lying—she’d never met anyone like Aiden, an incredible, powerful creature with the gentlest of souls. And she was falling for him. But confessing her feelings so soon was a risky move. Plenty of men in this day and age spooked at the first sign of any emotional connection.
Aiden wasn’t like most men, though. He was his own man, otherworldly and enigmatic. And he’d shown her more of himself than she suspected he’d shown to anyone else on Earth. He’d risked much for her and with her. A man like that was worth taking a chance.
He searched her face and she resisted the urge to look away, or the stronger urge to push him flat on his back and ride him until she exploded in ecstasy. She wanted release and wanted to watch him as he found completion, but more than that, she wanted his trust.
And his heart.
Then he smiled at her and glowed as if illuminated from within.
“That’s good, Gillian Hohenwald,” he said. Then he flipped her over, reversing their positions. “Because I’ve already fallen for you.”
He thrust deep and moved within her in long, sure strokes that had her clawing at his back and raking her nails from the nape of his neck down to his delicious ass. He filled her body, heart, and soul and she came in an explosion of pleasure that dwarfed any sensation she’d ever experienced. He soon followed, pressing his forehead against hers and whispering her name over and over again.
After several moments of blissful recovery in his arms, she caught a flash of blue light flickering around them. She shifted to get a better look at the source and, once again, nearly screamed in shock. Would she ever get used to the strange and magical world now that she’d been thrust into it?
Then again, these creatures didn’t appear particularly dangerous. Roughly the size of dragonflies and with a similar wing structure, the small flying creatures were shaped like miniature humanoids with blue skin seemingly illuminated from within. They smiled and gave thumbs-up signals and winks.
“Oh, my God,” Gillian groaned. “Were they watching us the whole time?”
Aiden chuckled, head still buried in her neck. “Probably not the whole time,” he said. “Then again, desert pixies aren’t particularly prudish.”
“So I see,” she murmured. The little imps flying circles around them were naked as jaybirds, from pointy ears to pointy other things. “Friends of yours?”
He lifted his head and grinned down at her. “They were my first friends when I landed on Earth—my only friends until Rocky found me.”
Nearly panicking when he started to roll off her, Aiden wrapped the blanket around her as he left her body. She missed his presence but was grateful for his gallant effort to preserve her modesty. He hadn’t bothered covering himself. Not that she minded, since the view was mouthwatering. A few pixies landed next to him on the blanket and began chirping and clicking. Aiden appeared to understand their strange language and surprised her by answering.
“What are they saying?” she asked, fascinated. When she sat up, a small female pixie settled near her shoulder and began stroking her hair. She was soon joined by a fleet of others who began to weave her hair into a series of braids threaded with desert flowers.
Aiden didn’t need any enhancements. He was simply beautiful, with the glow of firelight framing his golden hair and face. Wait, they hadn’t built a fire, but over his shoulder, she spotted a small, neat fire pit blazing away. Must’ve been the pixies. Fluttering blue lights twinkled around it, presumably more pixies. They may be small, but they certainly had impressive organizational skills, not to mention hospitality.
“They’re, ah, pleased to see that I’ve…taken a mate,” he muttered as the blush deepened. Poor man. He’d look like a sundried tomato soon if he couldn’t put a lid on his obvious embarrassment.
She smiled and reached out to touch his cheek. “For what it’s worth, I’m pleased, too. Though I doubt I’m the first Earth girl you’ve been with,” she teased. “Not that it matters. I get to benefit from your experience.”
“And I yours,” he said, smiling. “But you’re the first person, the first woman, I’ve brought here. The only woman.”
His words stopped her heart. She gazed up at the night sky filled with stars brighter than she’d ever seen in a city. Pixies fluttered around and added their strange, delightful blue glow to illuminate sand and rock and desert life as resilient as the man beside her. This place had been his refuge and his sanctuary, and he’d shared it with her.
“I…I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you’ll stay,” he said, his gaze direct, open, and filled with longing. “For a day, for a week, forever?” The corners of his lips curled into a smile at the end. No pressure—just an invitation to see where the connection growing between them could lead.
She laughed. “I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon. In fact, I have some plans for you.”
His gaze turned molten and he pulled her on top of him to cover her mouth with a searing kiss. Not that she minded. She was more than ready for round two, though she’d have to ask Aiden to shoo away the pixies. They were cute and had no doubt done wonders with her unruly mass of hair, but she wasn’t an exhibitionist.
“I like where you’re going, but those weren’t the plans I mean,” she said. “I have some surprises for you when we get back to your workshop.” She couldn’t wait to show him what she’d engineered for him.
“I look forward to seeing them. Later,” he said, reaching beneath the blanket to find her center. His tracery swirled and he allowed a bit of the dragon to surge beneath his skin. “The night is still young, and I’m hungry.”
***
“I’ve never seen such lights, Your Honor,” Katia said. Her red tracery swirled beneath her skin as she stared at the glowing city. “How do they enchant candles and gaslights to glow with such brilliance?”
“They do not enchant them, pet,” Torren said, admiring the graceful shape of the fine battle dragon in her human form. “Though I suppose some inhabitants of this city could. They appear to use mechanical devices. You’ll likely notice the stench of their machines when we venture into the town.”
“Have they no dragons?” she asked, apparently stunned.
“No, and very few wizards from what I’ve observed,” he replied. “Our silver is no doubt lost and quite lonely with no wizard to guide him and none of his kind with whom to commune.”
“Then we must rescue him with all haste,” said Alliah. She was yet another red dragon he’d gathered into his stable. While as fierce in battle as Katia, Alliah also possessed the gift of persuasion, though it was completely natural. She would want to speak with the silver first and convince him to come willingly. Torren doubted the silver would listen, let alone cooperate, being without a master for long. But perhaps Alliah could distract him while he and Katia moved in to subdue him.
“Patience, my dear,” Torren said, placing a comforting hand on Alliah’s shoulder. “We do not yet know the ways of this strange world. Better to learn more of the dragon’s…situation before we act. Perhaps he’s being held here against his will, or perhaps he’s forged ties to this community. We must not disrupt the normal course of events in this place by our presence.”
Not yet.
Their first priority was acquiring the silver without interference from any allies he may have gathered in this realm. Discretion was key. Once secure, he could explore this place at his leisure and determine if “interference” might prove advantageous.
“That is wise, Your Honor,” Alliah said, offering a reverent bow.
Torren surveyed the town from a distance. It was near where he’d spotted the silver and likely where the rogue dragon made his home, or at the very least sought goods and services. He hadn’t the magical reserves to follow the beast on the previous night, but this time he’d brought two of his dragons along to assist in acquiring the silver. He hated to drain his precious magical reservoir of talismans, for they weren’t simple to create or cheap to purchase, but he couldn’t very well ask anyone for aid. Implanting a thrall crystal into the rogue would make the entire operation more efficient, but alas, he could not trust another wizard with the location of this coveted creature.
And he would need another wizard, a specially trained one, to implant the thrall crystal that would allow him command over the silver dragon.
Blast the Guild of Thrall Masters! They guarded their secrets well. No matter. Once he subdued the silver and brought him back to Tarakona, he’d have the means to bargain with The Guild. By law they could not deprive him of an unaffiliated dragon he’d fairly claimed, but they’d be eager to accept a bit of prophecy in exchange for placing the silver under his control.
And then the silver would be his, and perhaps even more. This strange land upon which he stood seemed vast and largely devoid of habitation, but he’d surveyed the terrain enough to know that other citadels and villages lay beyond the borders of the silver’s town. Who knew how many? This world seemed ripe for the picking. Perhaps once he mastered the silver’s gift of prophecy he could learn how best to conquer this world as well as his own.
The thought filled him with elation. Such power, such riches, such prestige. He’d no longer be simply His Honor Torren Transom, an insignificant wizard with no province—he’d become a His Grace Torren Transom, Governor of many Provinces, a Supreme Ruler to Rival Her Grace Victoria of Valiant Province.
Perhaps he would even become Emperor.
“Your Honor? Are you certain you have the magic you need to liberate our new brother?” Alliah asked, stroking the half dozen talismans dangling from his neck.
He certainly hoped so. He’d invested most of his assets in this venture, gathering magic from all manner of dragons under the dominion of other wizards for a hefty price. Whenever a dragon was not available, a talisman stored dragon magic for a wizard’s future spellcasting. The purpose of each talisman depended on the type of dragon who had been tapped to fill it. The enchanted stones, gems, bits of iron, and intricate gearboxes would aid him and his battle dragons in acquisition of the silver.
Torren placed his hand over Alliah’s. “Yes, my darling one, but I cannot do it alone. With your help and Katia’s we shall see him safely home. You must take care, however. This realm may have poisoned his mind against us. He may not see reason right away and he may lash out, but we mustn’t harm him.”
“Oh, no, Your Honor! We would never harm a fellow dragon unless he threatened you, and only then if you commanded it.”
She was so delicate in this form with her small bones and slight curves, such a contrast to the ferocity of her dragon form. He’d seen few fighting dragons as skilled in battle as Alliah, especially when paired with Katia. The key was to capture the silver with minimal injury. He hoped it would be enough.
His dragons could outfight, outflank, and outfly the silver if he attempted to escape by air, and he could overpower the dragon with one of his talismans once they had him stationary. It should be simple.
“You may rely upon us, Your Honor,” said Katia. She was much taller than Alliah in her human form, lean and muscular, capable of combat in either shape. And they were both loyal. True, the thrall crystals ensured their loyalty, but he treated his pets well. He’d shower them with gifts and a proper palace when he gained his power, place them above all other dragons he’d acquire, and set them to guarding the silver.
And once the silver was under his control, he would be unstoppable.
“Come, my dears. Let us venture into the village and learn what we can of the silver’s whereabouts. Discreetly, of course. Follow my lead, if you please.”
The pair bowed in unison to him and said, “Yes, Your Honor. We trust you in all things and swear our allegiance, fealty, and obedience.”
Most excellent. Soon, he’d hear those words from his silver, and then he’d finally have the means to assume his rightful place as a ruling wizard.