Dragon's Lair (17 page)

He reached out and pinched open the front hook of her bra. As he pushed the straps down her arms, he shook his head. “There's nothing more important than this.”

Braeden caressed her breasts, alternately stroking and teasing the already hardening nipples. More starved for his touch that she'd realized, she arched into his hands and closed her eyes.

His mouth closed over one tip, and she grasped his shoulder for support as her legs threatened to buckle. His lips trailed fire across her breast, over her collarbone and up her neck.

“It's been too long.”

She agreed. The heat pooling between her legs begged for his touch. Alexia slid her hand down his chest and stomach to rest against the length of his erection. “Yes, it has.”

She tugged at the hem of his T-shirt, pulling it free from his jeans and up his chest. “Braeden, stand up.”

When he leaned away from her, she stripped it over his head in a flash before sliding her fingers into the top of his jeans and flicking the metal button free.

He brushed her hands away. Slowly trailing his fingertips along her collarbone, he paused to gently trace the outline of her breasts before chasing the shivers down her torso.

His touch drew her forward. “Braeden.”

With a low, seductive chuckle, he only pushed her back and continued his slow exploration. He skimmed the top of her jeans, thumbing open the snap.

Anxious and wanting to feel his flesh beneath her fingers, Alexia reached out and tugged his zipper down. She pushed his jeans partway down his hips and slid a hand beneath the waistband of his briefs.

He was hot and hard beneath her touch. She whispered, “I want you now.”

Her back hit the mattress before she fully comprehended that they were moving. Like a whirlwind with a single purpose in mind, Braeden had them on the bed, naked.

The first ragged sigh of anticipation hadn't even fully left her lips, making her wonder if she'd been that distracted or if magic had been involved.

But his seeking hand skating along her leg, parting her thighs, made her wonder if any magic could feel as sensual or exciting as his fingers stroking her heated center, slipping between the slick folds.

No mystical powers could be as warm and alive as the body stretched alongside hers.

Nothing borne of the elements could possibly melt her bones and make her shiver the same way his lips against her neck did.

She gasped at how quickly her body responded to his caress. It had been too long. Far too long. She'd slept alone too many nights with only memories, which often awakened her from her dreams, feverish with need.

His kisses, his exquisite caresses, were torture. As enjoyable as she knew it could be, right now, she wanted him on her, in her, wrapped around her senses and body, filling the lonely spaces she'd come to accept.

Alexia grasped at his shoulder, breathlessly begging, “Braeden, please.”

He rolled atop her, supporting his body on his elbows and forearms. She moaned with pleasure at the familiar weight of hard muscles cushioned by softer flesh.

Unwilling to wait any longer, she spread her legs wider and tilted her hips against him. “Braeden, love me.”

He came into her with one sure, fluid stroke that drew a cry from her lips.

While his hands on her body were gentle, his thrusts and kisses were not. They were demanding and possessive. Alexia clutched him tightly to her, savoring the shared possession.

She broke their kiss, gasping his name, desperate for fulfillment. He reached between them, finding and stroking the pulsing bud at her core.

“Look at me, Alexia.”

His hoarse command left her no option. She stared into the shimmering amethyst gaze of her dragon.

In the twin mirrors to his soul she saw the dragon rise up from his nest, step out of his lair, unfurl his mighty wings and take flight. He soared, strong and free, seeking the one thing that would fill the void in his life.

His mate.

Alexia's breath hitched when the beast found her. They circled each other midair, necks arched, tails whipping back and forth, nostrils flaring as they took in the other's scent.

Soon, in a move born of lust, love and need, the dragon captured his mate, held her fast with steely talons, cloaking her protectively within the safety of his wings.

As the beasts came together, Alexia's stomach clenched, her toes curled. She cried out his name while falling into the spiraling vortex of her orgasm.

Braeden covered her lips with his and answered her cry with a deep, ragged one of his own.

Spent, he fell atop her, breathing hard. He gathered her into his arms and rolled onto his side.

Alexia pressed her forehead into his shoulder and gasped for breath. “The next time I think of leaving, remind me of this.”

He tightened his embrace and kissed the top of her head. “There won't be a next time.”

She snuggled against him, taking advantage of the content, quiet intimacy. It wouldn't last, it never did. Before she was ready to move, Braeden would be heading for the shower, and she'd do her best to drag her limp body in to join him.

Too soon, he eased his hold and rolled onto his back. She propped herself up on an elbow and drew circles with her finger on his damp chest.

He covered her hand with his. “I—”

She finished his sentence. “Need a shower.”

“Yes.” His laugh filled the room. Some things never changed.

A
lexia tapped a pencil on the worktable Braeden had requested be brought up to their bedroom. It was no wonder Nathan was angry. His father had been killed in this castle while trying to nab the first Dragonierre's Manual from a fire.

“Anything new?”

She turned and lifted her face toward Braeden for a quick kiss, then told him what she'd discovered, adding, “Nathan had been groomed to step into the role of High Druid after his uncle Aelthed died. But because of his father's deceit, he'd been set aside—for a Drake.”

Not that it made Nathan's evilness right, but it explained why the man sought to harm the Drakes.

Braeden hooked another chair with his foot, dragged it over, then sat down. “A tale of revenge. The best kind.”

“Unfortunately this tale is most likely steeped in truth.”

She could tell from his unconcerned expression that he didn't share her worry. He nodded toward the pages. “Anything else?”

“Not a lot.” While she could decode the multiple languages used to create the piece of work, it was time-consuming. “Aelthed had a workroom here in the castle. I don't suppose you'd know where?”

“With the amount of construction and remodeling done through the centuries, it could be anywhere—or not exist at all anymore.”

She looked around the room. “If the original building had been done in the twelfth century, there should be at least one hidden room or hallway.”

Braeden reached into his pocket and handed her a necklace. A silver dragon pendant with a ruby mounted on its belly hung from a thin lace of leather. “Before you go snooping around, put this on.”

“Snooping?” Had her intent been that obvious?

“You know you will.”

She slid the necklace over her head. “I take it this is the charm you asked your aunt to make?”

“Yes. She had to wait for the right phase of the moon for the spell casting, so I just got them today.” He slid a finger beneath the strip of leather around his neck.

“She made one for everyone?” Alexia studied the dragon. “What's it supposed to do?”

“It won't come to life, if that's what you're thinking. It's for protection against Nathan and his family.”

She dropped it beneath her blouse, letting it settle between her breasts. “He's your family, too.”

Braeden groaned. “Don't remind me.”

“Don't you have a couple of meetings at the Lair today?”

“Anxious to start looking for that workroom?”

“Now that you mention it—” she pointed at the far wall “—those bricks look lighter than the others.”

Braeden's eyes widened. “I don't want to come home later tonight and find a pile of rubble, instead of Mirabilus.”

Alexia heaved an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. If it upsets you so much, I won't bring in the cranes until you're home.”

“Agreed.” He checked his watch. “I need to get going.”

“Hurry back.” She shot him what she hoped was a look of disappointment, then sighed. “Since I can't dismantle the castle, I'll get bored quickly.”

“Work.” He rose and tapped the table. “You have plenty of work to do. If that gets too boring, go read or daydream or something equally safe.”

She laughed. “I'll do that.” She pushed at his shoulder. “Now get out of here.”

“If you need me—”

“I'll call.” She finished his sentence.

He was gone before she could turn to look at him. But the warmth of his presence and the spiced scent of his aftershave lingered in the room.

Alexia turned back to the manual. The last thing she wanted to do right now was to dwell on the way Braeden's warmth made her feel safe. She drew in a deep breath. Nor did she want to admit how the scent of his aftershave made her pulse race.

If he knew how much those little things affected her, he'd laugh. At the moment, light and teasing defined the depth of their relationship. While it was better than glaring at each other with rage simmering near the surface, she wondered how long they'd walk on eggshells around each other.

There was nothing unusual about marriage having its ups and downs. Certainly no husband and wife agreed on everything all the time—at least, she and Braeden never
had. Arguing had been a common activity. But would they ever be able to trust each other again?

It was a question she didn't have an answer to. But right now, at this moment, she had work to do.

She stared blindly down at the page she'd been deciphering. Considering how much she enjoyed history and truly loved her job, she felt doubly guilty that she found the manual so exceedingly boring.

This Aelthed droned on and on about daily life. To be honest, she'd hoped that eventually the writing would turn out to be something more than the diary of a man who seemingly had no life.

The entry she'd translated this morning told all about an outing to gather nuts. Nuts, of all things. And this is what Nathan was willing to kill for?

She was tempted to make him a deal. She'd do the translation for him if he'd just go away afterward. But she knew that wouldn't happen. For one thing it was doubtful he'd ever give up trying to rid the world of Drakes, and for another, he'd never believe the book was nothing more than the ramblings of an old man.

Braeden insisted there had to be something more here, something she just hadn't found yet. She hoped so, otherwise, she'd brought danger to him and his family for nothing.

 

A few hours later, after learning how to tell which nut would have good meat and which would be rotten, which apples would make the best pies or which ones to feed to the horses, Alexia stretched and turned off the computer.

She wasn't hungry and didn't feel much like taking a walk. Since Braeden didn't have a television she couldn't relax in front of that.

Alexia grabbed her notes, plumped up the pillows on
the bed and got comfortable. Maybe Braeden was right. Maybe she had missed something.

She sighed and closed her eyes. It was a little disconcerting to realize her boredom was because Braeden wasn't here. She'd fallen back into the new-love syndrome a little too quickly for her own good.

To constantly wonder what he was doing or what he was thinking rubbed on her nerves. She wasn't some young girl completely infatuated with a new lover.

Oh, but he was such a good lover. A shiver raced down her body. She snickered at herself.

Were Aelthed still alive, he'd say she was besotted. The sad thing was—he'd be right.

For all her confusion about their relationship and worries about being hurt, she couldn't deny that the physical attraction was still there. If anything, it had become stronger.

He'd become so skilled that for a minute she wondered how. But only for a brief minute. Because once the world shattered around them, she really didn't care how.

They'd made love this morning and she could still feel the touch of his hands and mouth on her skin. Could feel his heart pounding against hers. Hear his ragged groan. Taste the saltiness of his flesh on her lips and tongue.

She was amazed at the softness of the hair on his muscular chest, and at the fine line trailing down to the coarser hair on his groin.

Her lips twitched. It wasn't the hair that held her attention. She was far more fascinated by the silky-soft flesh covering the length of his hard erection…

 

Braeden shifted in his seat and clenched his jaw against the growing fire in his groin. He stared at the Lair's new chef, chef's assistant and kitchen manager seated across
the conference table, hoping they hadn't noticed his sudden discomfort.

If he didn't know better, he'd swear someone was making love to him.

From the expert touches of the soft hands finding all the right places and the eager lips roaming freely, he'd say it was his wife.

Impossible.

Yet fingertips trailed across his chest to circle his nipples before stroking down his abdomen. The sensation made him sweat. He could feel the perspiration on his forehead and wiped his palm across the sudden dampness.

Her hand closed around his erection mere seconds before her warm moist mouth covered the tip. Braeden inhaled sharply, drawing everyone's attention to him.

He quickly coughed and cleared his throat. “Sorry. Sinuses are acting up. Please…” He coughed again as her mouth slowly moved down the hard length. “Please, continue.”

Cameron leaned forward in the seat next to him and met his gaze. Braeden shook his head slightly, hoping to convince his brother nothing was wrong. But Cam wasn't buying it. Eyebrows raised, he mouthed, “Sinuses?”

Cameron was well aware that Braeden didn't have sinus problems.

When she tightened her lips and eased back up toward the tip, Braeden fought to control his now ragged breathing.

To make matters worse, if that were possible, Cam chose that instant to poke inside his mind.
“What the hell is going on with—”

Cameron leaned an elbow on the conference table and tried to hide his smirk with his hand while mentally laughing.
“TMI, brother. Way too much information.”

Unable to focus his mind on anything other than the feel of Alexia's hot mouth and swirling tongue, Braeden tore a sheet of paper from the pad before him and wrote, “I have to go. You got this?” then shoved it in front of Cam.

His brother nodded. Now all he had to do was get out of here without anyone else noticing his…condition. Fortunately he hadn't removed his suit jacket.

Not wanting to insult the new staff, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket as if he'd just received a call, then rose. “Excuse me, gentlemen, it's an emergency. Cameron has all the data and can handle this from here.”

Before anyone could respond, he forced himself to leave the conference room without sprinting.

However, once the door closed behind him, he dashed for his office. Leaning against the door, Braeden wiped the sweat from his forehead.

His pounding heart lurched when he felt her legs straddle his hips. He couldn't have stopped his groan from escaping if his life had depended on it.

Forcing his concentration on Mirabilus, Braeden closed his eyes and swore that if she made him ruin this brand-new suit, he was going to be really annoyed.

“Stop it!”

Alexia jumped and opened her eyes to stare at Braeden. “What? I'm not doing anything.”

“Like hell you aren't.” He nearly ripped off his suit jacket and tossed it toward the chair. To her utter surprise he ignored the fact that he'd missed. Fear slinked down her spine. Something really had to be wrong for Braeden to leave a tailor-made suit jacket on the floor.

She came up to her knees and stared at him. A sheen of perspiration on his flushed face prompted her to ask, “What's wrong?”

“Wrong?”

She took in the blazing eyes and ragged breathing. “Obviously something is.”

“What were you just doing?”

At least he'd said
doing
and not
thinking.
“Nothing. I was just sitting here.”

“Right.” He wiped a shaking hand down his face. “What were you just thinking?”

Alexia bit her lip to hold back a groan, but the action did nothing to stop the hot flush from covering her face. “I…was…thinking about nothing.”

“Really?” He leaned against the door and crossed his arms over his chest. “Let me show you how to think about…nothing.”

“What?” Alexia shook her head. What was he up to? What had she done?

“Relax, Lexi.” A smile curved his lips. “Sit down and just breathe.”

“All right.” She did as he suggested. “I'm sitting.” Although his demeanor did little to help her relax.

“Comfortable?”

“Sure.” Something wasn't right. His smile was far too smug. His tone bordered on sarcastic. Her pulse kicked up a notch.

But a notch was nothing compared to what her heart did when an unseen hand caressed her breast. A callused thumb stroked across the hardening tip only to be replaced by the moist warmth of a tongue.

This was totally different from when he spelled lust into her blood. This felt more as if someone invisible were making love to her. And she didn't like it.

Her eyes widened. “What are you doing?”

“If you're going to play, Alexia, you need to know how it's done.”

“But I didn't…” She gasped as his hand slid between her legs, stroking, caressing, edging steadily higher. Brushing past curls, slipping between soft folds of flesh.

“Braeden, don't.”

“What? I'm not doing anything. I'm just standing here.” His voice was ragged. “Tell me you weren't thinking of us making love.”