Emma (Dark Fire) (14 page)

Emma awakened early the next morning. Color tinted the night sky as the sun touched the horizon. There was no point trying to go back to sleep, not when she was wide-awake.

She sat up and touched the base of the bedside lamp. The dragons - and their non-technology - continued surprising her. Half awake, she snorted, no doubt, it was fairy dust at work.

The light flickered on, revealing hundreds of dark red rose petals scattered over the bed. She gently touched one. It’s velvety surface impossible to resist.

Her heart clenched.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she swung her legs off the bed and froze. Sitting less than two feet from the bed was a small wooden stand, a stand that hadn’t been there the night before.

On the stand laid a single blood red rose. With a shaking hand, she picked up the rose and rubbed it against her face, inhaling its dark, rich scent.

Her eyes remained glued to the note still lying on the table. She tried to crush her growing excitement, but it was impossible.

A few scrawled lines covered the heavy paper adorned with a flying dragon.

Emma,

I beg your forgiveness. It is a sorry excuse, but I was not myself this evening. Food was the farthest thought from my mind and I skipped dinner. Not until I was lying in bed did I remember that I didn’t provide you with dinner. As you skipped lunch, you must be starved by now. Please, if your faerie has not provided you with breakfast then come to my room and I’ll send for food.

Until I see you,

Tyler

She released a pent up sigh. Slightly tracing his name with the tip of her finger, she grinned. Now, that was worth waking up to.

Last night had been awful. She’d been hungry and wound tighter than a spring after eavesdropping. She groaned, half embarrassed, half relieved. The relief outweighed her embarrassment. Maybe, just maybe, Tyler wanted her after all.

She headed straight for the bathroom.

Things didn’t seem quite so dismal in the light of day, especially after the note and flower. She was the first to admit, she tended to overreact when too tired. Being tired and having an empty stomach had only made things seem worse than what they truly were.

After brushing her hair and teeth, she glared at the tub, begrudgingly accepting the inevitable bath when she really wanted a long, hot shower.

The large tub had gold faucets at each end, but no knobs. She frowned. The water at the sink came on as soon as she put her hand under the faucet, which was eerie. She knew dragons didn’t have motion-sensing technology.

She brushed her fingers under the faucet and shook her head, not understanding the lack of water. She turned her inspection to the midnight colored marble around the gold spigot. Ready to give-up and go without a bath, she noticed several shallow, thumb-size indentions. She touched one and water trickled out in a thin stream. She pressed harder, but nothing happened. She tapped the sunken spot. Hot water poured out. She grinned.

A wide ledge circled the tub, a partially sunken bathtub that was deep enough for five people. Along the ledge, crystal jars displayed various colored granules. They smelled heavenly. Forced to suffer through a bath, she’d make it worth her while. Grabbing a scoopful of one flowery smelling mixture, she sprinkled it into the water. Blue bubbles bloomed across the water, a brilliant color of blue that sparkled. Literally, the bubbles flashed with tiny, glimmering sparks of light. She softly laughed in delight. The smell was incredible, like a mixture of berries and vanilla. She could get used to living in luxury.

Slipping into the water, she sighed with pleasure. She tapped the indention under the faucet. Water gushed out of the faucet at the opposite end of the deep marble tub.

As the bubbles started growing, her heart raced. She scrambled to her feet and quickly tapped again. Jets of air burst through the water.

Startled, she jumped and let out a loud cry of surprise.

Jumping in a tub full of slick bubbles was not a good idea. Her feet slipped out from under her and she dunked herself.

^___________

Tyler stepped from his bath and rapidly dried off, struggling with his anger, with the dragon part of his soul, the part that demanded to fly free. The lack of sleep from the last few days was finally catching up with him and not in a good way. Controlling the fury within a dark scaled dragon was never easy, but it became a constant fight during a stressful period.

Noting the smudges under his eyes, he snarled at the mirror’s reflection. He looked like crap. Dark fire, he cursed to himself. That was just great. He ground his teeth together, knowing if Emma saw him with the dragon lurking behind his eyes, she would never agree to his hastily made plans.

He was pulling on his socks when he heard Emma cry out. All rooms in the Fortress were soundproof; the swirling pattern of dorcha energy embedded within the walls, floors, and even ceilings kept conversations private among its inhabitant’s sharp hearing. Thankfully, that didn’t include the balcony or a mate’s connecting chamber.

He didn’t hesitate. In his mind, he could see all of his plans collapsing around him. Could someone breach the floor’s security? Had someone attacked her? His thoughts raced as he ran through the doors, sliding to a stunned halt immediately inside her bathing chamber.

His mind froze in mid-thought. His body had an opposite reaction, burning with sudden desire.
Mine, want her
, demanded his dragon.

Emma stood, gloriously naked, amid rich foaming bubbles. Chest heaving, her eyes grew wide as she glanced down his body. She seemed as stunned as he felt.

She flushed a deep crimson red. Dropping below the bubbles, her face grew even brighter as water gushed over the edge of the bath unit, rolling across the floor in a wave of water and blue bubbles.

Groaning with embarrassment, she crouched below the bubbles. Her face flushed ever brighter. Shoving a hand above the thick bubbles, she anxiously waved toward the gushing water. “Don’t just stand there! I can’t get the water off!” she wailed.

Dark fire! He’d never forget the image of her standing buck naked amid foaming, faerie enhanced bubbles.

Grinning, he hurried across the wet floor and sat on the wide marble frame. Leaning forward, he tapped a small, nearly invisible, swelling above the start indention.

She glowered at the little raised bump. “Why would anyone, in their right mind, not make a single on/off button or whatever it is?” she asked with an irritated huff.

He gulped back a chuckle. “Um,” her glare stopped his words. Unable to think of anything harmless to say, he grinned and shrugged his shoulders, knowing he’d be better off keeping his mouth firmly shut.

“Whatever. Thanks for your help,” she said with a hesitant smile. “I could just see water flooding off the balcony.”

He unsuccessfully tried to smother his laughter. “And blue bubbles.”

Bubbles up to her chin, she grimaced and sheepishly laughed, agreeing with him.

Her laughter caught him off guard, stroking his soul, soothing the dragon that raged within him. Startled, he realized his dragon, had calmed the moment he stepped into the bathroom, the exact moment he laid eyes on Emma.

“At least it was you and not those scary faced thugs in the other room who came running in,” she said, another flush brightening her face. She shuddered. “I don’t think they would’ve laughed at the mess I made.”

He stared at her in complete shock. Most people considered him the scary faced thug, not the highly trained enforcers. His lips twitched. “Anytime. The view was very…”

She splashed him with water. “You’ll never let me forget that. Will you?” she groaned.

“It was an image of perfection. Why would I ever want to forget?”

Smiling, he leaned closer to her. He stopped less than an inch from her bow-curved mouth. Sweet and pink, her lips parted and her tongue darted out to lick them. He could hear her heart race. He hesitated, hoping her heart raced in anticipation, not dread. Holding her soft brown eyes, he slowly closed the gap between them, giving her adequate time to pull away.

His lips covered hers. Teasingly, he kissed her. After the first caress, he had every intention of stopping. That was his plan, a way to get her to trust him. He groaned. She was nothing less than addictive. Slipping his hand behind her neck, he pulled her closer.

She came toward him with willing enthusiasm.

He feathered kisses along her neck until he reached her mouth once more. Caressing her lips with his, he flicked his tongue out, teasing her lips open. He groaned and began drowning in fire-drenched honeysuckle. Her special aroma was intoxicating, her taste even more so. Her scent had driven him insane through the eternally long night, drifting from her room into his.

Now, he sat enveloped within it. The hot water and small room intensified her distinctiveness, her mouthwatering scent.

His desire for her, already burning at the edge of his consciousness, exploded within him. Lighting a fire, that grew and doubled with every millisecond that passed between them.

He leaned closer to her, over the bubbles, intent on slipping his other arm around her waist, and pull her delicate body closer to his own.

Hot water touched his knuckles, snapping him out of his uncontrolled actions.

Hissing, he jerked to a halt. The steaming water was a hot reminder that he played a dangerous game. He had to stop while he still could. He didn’t want to screw-up his careful plan. There was too much riding on gaining her trust, on getting her alone.

She’d never go with him if she didn’t trust him.

Groaning, he pulled his lips away from hers. At her look of disappointment, he shuddered, wanting to recapture her lips and forget how dangerous giving into his desires would be.

^___________

Emma’s heart raced. His touch filled her with excitement and hope.

He wanted her. Not the way Lydia wanted Keith, but it had possibility. Her mind flashed to her first memory of him, standing below her in the creek bed smiling at her. She’d never forget that first sweet smile. His lips curved in pleasure and his bold blue eyes twinkled with excitement, she had lost her heart at that moment.

Breathing deeply, she shivered as his warm breath caressed her face with hot pepper spice and a hint of sunshine. He rubbed his forehead against hers. Pulling back, he gazed into her eyes. His lips twitched. Kissing her forehead, he pulled completely away from her with a loud sigh.

“You are dangerous,” he said with a grin.

“I was thinking the same about you,” she said breathlessly, sinking deeper under the bubbles. Water lapped at the edge, smacking onto the floor.

She groaned. “I’ve got to get this cleaned-up before anyone sees it.”

“No,” he shook his head, “your faerie will clean it.” He held up a hand, hushing her. “House faeries live their life to serve and protect others. Consider them a cross between a servant and warrior. The ones who chose to serve the great houses take even more pleasure and honor. They receive their social standing among their own people by what family or person they take care of.”

“That sounds archaic. Don’t they have a choice? What if they don’t want to serve?”

His lips twisted into a smile that made her heart race. “I swear faeries don’t see it that way. We’ve tried doing things differently and they just ignore our attempts. You’ll find they are very possessive of
their
person. They tend to be reclusive, almost shy, until they know someone so you might not see your faerie for several days.” He chuckled. “My faerie is Hugh. He told me your faerie, Mitzi, arrived at the castle about midnight and was inconsolable that you had to get ready for bed without assistance.”

“Oh,” she bit her lip, “I don’t really need a maid or anyone.” She shook her head. “On Earth, only rich people have maids and stuff.”

“Emma,” he said, tucking a strand of wet hair behind her ear. “My dad is overlord of all dragons and a member of the high council. I am his heir. As part of the Wér-Dragon’s household, you’re now among the most elite of families.”

“Isn’t it too soon to be sure I’m your mate? Maybe I should move to another room or something. This is going way overboard for a
maybe
mate.”

Pulling back, he sighed, all but ignoring her words, he said, “You’ll get used to Mitzi.” Abruptly changing the subject, he continued, “One of my school instructors has me scheduled to take his pre-term test this morning. Even with everything going on, he refused to reschedule it. I should be finished with the test by noon or so. Would you like to explore Fortress or even go into town with me?”

“Sure,” she said with a brilliant smile.

“Great. See you later.” Without a backward glance, he swiftly left the bathroom.

She sighed, not sure, if she should celebrate just yet or not. He’d left in such a hurry her head was still swimming.

By the time she finished her bath and washed her hair, her stomach was growling nearly constantly. She grimaced. Tyler had her in so many knots she totally forgot to ask about food. One kiss and her entire thought process shut down. She had to get past that ridiculous reaction.

She put on a short blue robe, which lay folded on a small table beside the tub. It hadn’t been there yesterday, so she assumed Mitzi left it for her sometime during the night.

The aroma of food hit her the minute she walked through the bedroom door. Grinning, she headed toward the table and chairs. A light breeze swirled, blowing through the open windows, hinting of summer sunshine.

Lifting several gold domes, she found a large assortment of food. She didn’t have a clue what some of it was. There was a greenish-yellow fluffy mixture sprinkled with grated cheese. Her first bite confirmed it was some kind of scrambled eggs. Not pausing, she inhaled a buttered biscuit, gravy, eggs, a bowl of mixed fruit, and a glass of juice.

She eyed the pastries, really wanting to try one of them. The flaky crust and oozing filling looked to die for, but she was beyond stuffed. She gave the pastries one last wistful look before entering the dressing room.