Chapter 6

But, I didn’t wake up. As crazy as this all was, I wasn’t dreaming. Taking a deep breath, I tried to steady my shaking hands, but this was becoming too much to accept.

Where was I? Why was everything so strange? Who was Lord Titus?

I didn’t have to wonder very long because just as I was about to sit down, the doors opened, a tall, handsome man stepping out of the darkness.

It was him. The man from my dream!

My heart skipped a beat as I saw his piercing blue eyes. He was real. My breath caught in my throat, making it hard to breathe.

His gaze fell on me and a wide smile painted his face. “You have joined me at last.” With long, powerful strides, he crossed the room, standing before me in an instant. Without hesitation, he pinned a strand of my hair behind my ear. “And even more beautiful than I could’ve imagined…” His hand cupped my cheek, his thumb rubbing against my skin like I was a lover he hadn’t seen in a very long time.

“I –”

“Shh, don’t speak. We mustn’t ruin the moment.” He flashed a set of pearly white teeth, causing my legs to tremble. “Tell me, what is your name?”

I gazed into his gorgeous blue eyes, my mind in a jumble. I knew I should be demanding answers, but in his presence, I could do little more than stare at him, mesmerized by his unbelievably good looks. He truly did look like a prince out of a fairy tale.

“P-Pearl…”

“Pearl?” He asked, raising a well-groomed eyebrow in question. Fine lines appeared on his forehead, half-hidden by the sea of hair toppling his head. “A fitting name for a jewel of a woman.” He grabbed my hand in that moment, clasping it in his before he brought it to his lips, kissing it ever so softly.

My heart was racing at his intimacy, my cheeks turning rosy in color. “I… I don’t understand.”

“There’s nothing to understand. You have been brought here to be my lover. Don’t you see, dear Pearl? We were destined to be.” His finger trailed along my neck, outlining the necklace I was wearing. His finger followed the chain all the way down to the pendant, making me shiver with desire.

I wanted nothing more than to feel his hand caress one of my breasts.

What was I thinking?

This man had kidnapped me. I was supposed to be looking for a way to escape, rather than surrendering to his little game.

But, I just couldn’t help myself.

“W-What do you mean?”

“Come. There’s something I must show you before we can have our fun.” He squeezed my hand and turned on his heels, dragging me out of the room.

My dress flowed behind me as I struggled to keep up with his rapid pace. He seemed to be in a hurry. My heart started to thunder even louder, a million crazy possibilities rushing through my head.

Where was he taking me?

What would he do with me?

Soon enough, we arrived at the end of a hall. “Here we are.” He breathed, his voice low and suggestive. He pushed open the heavy wooden door, revealing a large bedchamber, decorated with gothic style furniture and a massive four-poster bed, each one adorned with the head of a dragon. The sheets were made of a fine black satin.

I stood in the doorway, gaping at the luxury of it. I had no doubt this was his bedroom.

Were we really going to have sex?

The thought both excited and terrified me. I knew I shouldn’t be doing this, but at the same time, I couldn’t forget the sheer bliss I had experienced in my dream. If he could make me feel that good in the dream world, I could only imagine what he would be capable of in reality.

“Now, before we can begin, I must make sure that you’re the one.”

I tilted my head, wondering what he was talking about. “The one?”

“The one I’ve been waiting for these past hundred years.” His eyes took in my body, roaming over it, almost like a hungry predator. A shiver ran through my spine as I saw the lust dancing behind his bright blue irises.

To my confusion, he stepped toward a large window. It was open, the wind playing with the curtains, causing them to sway back and forth. He drew them back, tying them off so they wouldn’t get in the way before he climbed up, tottering on the edge.

“What are you doing?” I rushed forward, about to grab him and pull him back inside, but before I could even reach him, he jumped.

My heart stopped, thinking the worst. It took me a minute to edge toward the window, looking out.

I expected to see his splattered body on the ground, but to my surprise, there was no sign of him. It was like he had disappeared.

Craning my neck further out the window, I looked all over, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Where did he go?

I was just about to climb back inside when I spotted something high up in the nighttime sky. At first, it was nothing more than a shadow, but then, it flew across the moonlight, its silhouette coming into view.

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

It was a dragon!

The creature swept down, its wings beating with such force that it caused tree branches to crack and fall. Its belly nearly touched the forest floor before it shot into the air once again, its enormous body defying the laws of physics.

I had to be dreaming.

But I didn’t bother to pinch myself this time around. Deep down, I knew this was real.

The dragon approached, colliding with the castle, its talons digging into the stonework, causing large chunks of rock to fall off. It lowered its head, its giant eye nearly as big as the window I was desperately holding on to.

As this large eye locked with my own, I knew, almost instinctually that this beast was in fact, Lord Titus.

This was the mysterious man of my dreams.

I had fallen for a dragon.