Hip Deep in Dragons (11 page)

Her friends were right, she did
need
it.

When she cried out, he gave her what she wanted. He suckled, nibbled, licked, and swirled her sensitive flesh. When her first orgasm rocked through her, he held her hips in place until her breaths calmed. When she released her death grip on his hair, he chuckled, masking his satisfaction. “Still in a hurry?”

He didn’t give her a chance to answer; he started right back in on her, learning her, memorizing her preferences, enjoying himself. Sara came to life in his bed, and for the first time ever at The Palace, so did he.

The agreement he had with Jake was based on the vampire just working. No feelings, no real enjoyment, just fulfilling fantasies for clients.
What the hell am I going to do now?
How would Jacob react when he found out?

Could this just be a freak occurrence?

I need to finish her sessions and decline any future visits she may want beyond the package. There’s something off about this woman.

•●•

Vasily drove home with thoughts of his lion floating through his head. The shifter wasn’t the only thing on his mind. The events of the evening played through his thoughts. His last client caught him off guard, made him want to help her.

But he was home now, and work was over. Right?

When he walked in, Jacob was in the kitchen. As soon as the shifter spotted him, he pulled the vampire close and kissed all rational thought from his brain. Vasily leaned into his lover, more than happy to let things progress over the nearby island. That is, until Jacob’s body went rigid.

The lion pulled back, eyes glimmering, canines extended, and breaths short. “Who were you with?”

“What?” In fifty years, Jacob had never asked such a thing. “Clients, you know that.”
What spooked him?

“Why do you have that smell?” Jacob sniffed at Vasily’s chest and all but jumped backward before covering his eyes. “No. No. No!”

The only time he’d seen Jacob so upset was when his coworker died. He understood paramedics had a special bond, but this distress wasn’t work-related. “What’s wrong,
durak
? Talk to me.”

“This can’t be happening.” Jacob’s golden gaze bored into Vasily before he closed the distance between them and gripped his shirt. “Tell me who you were with. I need the names.”

Vasily stepped back, more than a little confused at this cross-examination. “No. That’s confidential, you know that. What’s going on? Why are you freaking out?”

Jacob took a deep breath and dropped his gaze to the floor. “I need the names because— He hesitated. “Shit, why the hell is this happening?”

“Why is what happening? Jake, you need to tell me what’s wrong.”

“One of your clients is my mate.”

She wrapped her large beach towel around her and came above deck to find Dante had already changed into a pair of white swimming trunks. She held her breath when she saw his tanned, trim body. He had a smattering of black hair on his chest and looked very muscular. His chest was broad and she longed to run her fingers over its contours and lay her head on it. She inhaled, exhaled and tried to keep her composure.

“Come on, Joanne,” he teased. “Drop the towel….” His chocolate brown eyes glinted devilishly.

She let her towel fall to the floor and watched as his eyes widened, with desire she presumed.

“Mamma Mia. Why do you fear showing your body to me? You are beautiful…and that gold chain around your stomach, it makes you look very sexy…”

No one had ever called her sexy before, ever. Her mouth dry, she licked her lips. “I haven’t let a man see me in a bikini for years, Dante. I’m not as slim as I used to be.”

“No, no, Joanne. To me you look fabulous. I love your curves. They suit you. A man needs somewhere comfortable to land.” He laughed, making her laugh too and it helped to ease her heightened nerves. He pecked her quickly on the cheek and then, much to her astonishment, he turned, walked to the side of the boat, climbed on the edge and dived into the water, sending up a huge splash of sea spray.

She stood and peered over board but couldn’t see him for a few seconds and her heart beat wildly. Where had he gone? Then there was a splash as he emerged and wiped the water out of his eyes, laughing and bobbing up and down in the water. “Come on in here, join me please, Joanne…” he urged. She hadn’t been expecting this at all.

Gingerly she sat on the side of the boat. “Will you help me into the water?” She bit her lip.

“Of course, amore mio…jump to me, I will catch you.”

She closed her eyes and with blind faith threw herself into his arms, for a moment the combined weight made them dip under water and she began to panic a little, but then they became fully submerged, and eventually, returned to the surface, bobbing up and down. She noticed a small ladder at the side of the boat she could cling to if she wanted to and that reassured her somehow. Who could fail to feel safe with Dante around?

“But…but…where are we?” she spluttered.

“Joanne, we are only just off the coastline of Sicily. Over there are the Aeolian Islands, he pointed and she made out some dark shapes in the distance. We shall have a little swim here, rest later and eat too, and then I am going to sail the boat over to one of them. It’s called Lipari and it’s the largest island, it’s volcanic. The food there is out of this world.”

“You are full of surprises, Dante…”

“I know.” He smiled and drew her close to him and stroked her face, and then pressed his lips down on hers, stealing her breath away as his tongue danced with hers. “Like that you mean?” he asked, drawing away.

She nodded. “Yes.”

“And like this…?” He wrapped his arms around her and untied her bikini top. She gasped at his cheek and watched as he spun it around his head and tossed it aboard the boat.

“What did you do that for?” She blinked furiously.

“Because you have a beauty Joanne that needs to be admired.” He cupped a breast in his hand and lowered his head to suckle. She groaned as she felt a tingle of desire course around her body. “Please do not worry, there is no one to see us here like this.”

He pushed her up against the boat; the water was so clear, so aquamarine and warmer than she thought, though that might have been because he had switched on her button of desire. She noticed some fish swimming down below in amongst the fronds and rocks, and gasped.

“Yes, this is a good place to catch fish, Joanne. I have been scuba diving here. You should join me some time.”

She laughed. “I think this is as much of the ocean I can stand, Dante. I can swim but I’m not a strong swimmer.”

He ran a wet finger along her cheek. “Ah, you are frightened, I can see that, but you need not be when you are with me. I can teach you about so many things.”

She shivered involuntary, absolutely sure, there were many things Dante Alphonso could teach her about, not least of all love making. He was her tutor and she was about to become a very willing student.

From the darkened protection of the corner of the room, Flynn watched the curvy little brunette with the bubbly hair bounce around, microphone in hand, wailing her heart out with obvious enjoyment. The sight of her large rounded breasts as they jiggled merrily along with the tune heated his stomach and threatened to move lower. She’d flicked several glances in his direction and each time she did, he sank further into the protective shadows by the wall, conscious she couldn’t see the left side of his face too clearly in the blue-hued lighting. Cute and friendly she might seem, but he knew from experience she would change her tune once she got a load of his scars. Women always did.

At the age of eighteen he’d considered himself a lady-killer—as most guys did—but he had been full of himself, knowing he was a good-looking son-of-a-bitch. Never had a single problem, or gave a second thought. If he wanted, he took, with great enjoyment and relish. With his unusually pale blue, bold eyes, dark brown hair and chiseled features, he’d caught the attention of women of all ages. The fact he’d been brought up riding rodeo and working a ranch since he was born just added into the long, lean tone of his body. What nature hadn’t given him naturally, hard work and a tough upbringing had molded his body to perfection. When he’d joined the Special Forces, he’d honed it beyond perfection. He wasn’t overly tall, just under six feet, but his entire physique gave him presence. As a young man, he’d known it and reveled in it. Ego had driven him hard.

A golden boy, given the gift of a beautiful face, a bright mind and a naturally lean body. He’d been destined to marry the glamour girl, crowned king and queen of the prom…everyone in town believed he had a long and happy marriage ahead of him with Rachel. Personally, he’d had a few qualms about the woman’s intelligence, but at the time and with the shallowness of youth, he had wallowed in her perfect beauty and the envy of the other boys. Celebrations had been wild at their engagement party before he went off to training camp. Faithful, he had returned to her time and again after each assignment. He’d had ambition, she’d had plans. The pair were well suited.

It didn’t matter. It all changed with the slash of a knife. His looks were destroyed, his mind rebelled and the glamour girl ran screaming for the hills. He’d had the same reaction from women ever since.

He tipped the bottle of beer up to his mouth and stared down the length of it at the pretty brunette. Her breasts were interesting—got a nice little heat going in the pit of his belly—but his preference was her pert little ass as she swayed in perfect rhythm to the song she was murdering. She caught his eye again, gave a broad smile and a twitch of her eyebrows. A definite invitation.

He drew further into the shadows.

“Hey.” Deputy Sherriff Ethan Swann, long-time friend and school companion, slid into the booth opposite and placed another bottle of beer on the table in front of him. Lifting his own bottle to his lips to take a swig, Ethan’s eyes gave a swift perusal of the room, typical of any law enforcement officer. He dipped his head in the brunette’s direction. “Cute. I saw her give you the eye, Flynn. First time I’ve seen Lady Liberty interested in anyone.”

“Lady Liberty.” Flynn snorted. She was no lady, not the way she was putting it about, letting all the cowboys in the room get an eyeful while she performed for them all. Short skirt hugging her bootilicious butt. He took another good look at her while she shimmied her entire body, her back to the audience, her ass looking as though it were trying to fight its way out of the tiny strip of fabric covering it. Aware he was showing too much interest, he tutted in disgust.

He rolled his eyes for effect. Jesus, some women.

“No, really. The boys call her Lady Liberty. She’s a real sweetheart, everyone likes her. Bubbly little thing. She’s a friend of Kate’s from England.”

Flynn’s chest gave a rapid knock as he glanced back up to see her wide violet eyes staring in his direction again. He gave an irritated shake of his head, not sure whether he meant it for her benefit or for his hormones to acknowledge his brain. He took a last slug of his beer and stood. He needed to get out of there. The woman was an unfair temptation that wasn’t going to happen. He was damned confident he could make her scream, but not for the right reason.

He scoured the room, narrowed his eyes at the laughing, flirting people and wondered what the hell had possessed him to come out. He hated goddamned crowds, didn’t like hanging around people, except sometimes he thought he needed the company. Then when he had company, he wanted to be alone.

He drew his attention back to the deputy, deliberately kept his eyes from the bundle of caterwauling temptation, sucked air through his teeth.

“I’ll see you around.”

Ethan leaned back with a look of regret and raised his beer bottle to his lips, pausing for a moment to smile up at Flynn, he tipped the bottle in salute. “There’s a missed opportunity.”

A small fizzle of indignation rumbled through Flynn.

“If she’s so hot why don’t you give her a go?”

But his friend was unmoved by the hard eyed stare.