Kiss of the Dragon (28 page)

“Then by all means, we must certainly take him some apples.”

* * * * *

Through long days, and even longer nights,

So close they became that they could no longer fight

The attraction that grew between them.

As the two lovers came together in blissful heaven,

There were secrets that had to be told.

But the answer he sought was destined

To keep them together as their future did unfold.

The Maid would keep the Knight and he would take her.

“Way up. Yes, that one. The beautiful, delicious-looking
one.”

Draco reached high to retrieve the fruit that Bianca pointed
out and dropped two plump apples down into her waiting hands. He had agreed to
climb into the upper boughs of the fruit tree just to please her whim. At her
urging, he plucked fat, juicy apples and dropped them into her hands as she
waited below on the ground.

They had spent several hours roaming about the orchard
picking apples, talking, laughing and eating some of the fruit. They were so
distracted that they had at first not noticed the sky covering over with dark
clouds. It was not until a particularly dark-looking one opened up and let down
a torrent of rain that they mounted Inferno and rode pell-mell for home.

By the time they reached the castle they were both drenched
and Bianca had taken a slight chill. After housing Inferno in the stable, Draco
escorted Bianca back to the great hall where he left her in the capable hands
of her maid with instructions that she have a hot bath to chase the chill from
her bones. Without argument, Bianca allowed Leia to lead her away but as she
was about to turn the corner of the sweeping staircase she glanced back and
found that he was still watching her. She raised one hand and gave him a wave
before continuing out of his sight.

As she climbed the rest of the stairs the loud pounding of
boots followed close behind her. She had just reached the upper corridor when
Draco caught her. She was startled to find that he followed her. His expression
was intense and the look he sent Leia sent the maid fleeing on ahead to prepare
her lady’s bath.

When the little maid was out of sight, Draco took Bianca’s
arm and escorted her a little farther down the hall and into one of the many
small, darkened alcoves that had been built into the outer wall of the keep. When
she hesitated about following him, he merely used his very large, very muscular
body to crowd her into the small space.

The heat that emanated from his great bulk so close to hers
felt wonderful against her chilled form. Bianca moved close seeking his warmth,
boldly splaying her hands over the wide expanse of his chest. A groan rumbled
deep within his chest and before she realized what he was about, Draco abruptly
sat down on the stone bench and pulled her on to his lap without giving her a
chance to protest. Even if she had voiced such a protest, it would have been
cut off as he lowered his head and his mouth captured her parted lips in a
passionate kiss. Fortunately, she was not of a mind to set up any kind of
resistance when she knew with all her heart that this was right where she
wanted to be.

She welcomed his kisses, returning them in kind as she wound
her arms about his neck, thrusting her fingers into the silky hair at the nape
of his neck to hold him captive. His lips moved over hers slanting, trying to
find the perfect fit drawing a whimper of pleasure from her. When the wet tip
of his tongue swept across the seal of her mouth, she opened for him relishing
the taste of him.

Draco cupped her face and rained small kisses over her eyes
and cheeks, returning to her mouth.

She relaxed farther into his embrace as he nipped at her
lips with his teeth, teasing her, and then lapping the small sting with his
tongue to comfort her. “You have no idea what you do to me, my beautiful
Bianca.”

His mouth slanted over hers again and again searching for a
perfect fit as he whispered words of encouragement. “Yes, this is the way a man
kisses a woman, sweeting. The lips are one on the most sensitive areas of the
human body. What a man and a woman do with their mouths can heighten the carnal
pleasure between them.” Even in her arousal, the exotic meaning of his words
made her blush. It was evident that Lord Draco had had his share of intimate
encounters over the years. Jealousy nipped at her for a moment before she pushed
it away. The number of lovers he had taken in the past should be of no concern
to her. At the moment he was hers, held tightly in her arms, his lips on hers.

With a sigh, she relaxed in his arms and gave herself over
to his loving. Encouraged, she tentatively rubbed her tongue against his,
learning his taste and finding that she very much enjoyed this kind of kissing.
It was so sensuous and arousing that she felt a sudden wetness between her legs
and her breasts seemed to swell and peak, aching for his touch. Like a wanton,
she writhed in his arms trying to find some relief for her condition.

It was Draco who put an end to their tender tryst when he
raised his head, effectively ending the kiss. “I want you more than you know,
sweet lady.” His voice was low and hoarse as if he was in pain. His admission
made so low that she nearly missed it as he touched his forehead to hers,
cupping her cheek gently. “But this is neither the time nor the place to show
you just how much.” He gently eased her off his lap and on to her feet as he
rose to face her.

“Draco?” Bianca sounded breathless and swayed dizzily on her
feet. Her physical desires were riding her hard, her emotions in complete
shambles. She took several deep breaths to steady herself as she realized what
he had just admitted.

He wanted her!

But did that signify that he loved her? Mentally, Bianca
shrugged. Obviously only time could give her the answer. Unfortunately, time
was a fleeting commodity of which she had too little. Her father had given her
until week’s end to get the great baron-knight to pledge his troth and the week
was nearly over.

Draco edged her out into the corridor, his large hand at the
small of her back. “Come, sweet, before your maid returns to find out what has
become of you.”

Bianca placed her hand on his sleeve, hesitating to let him
leave. She stole a quick glance at his face and discovered he watched her with
a curious, arrogant expression on his face. It was obvious that he was well
pleased with what had just transpired between them. Before she could object to
his hasty dismissal, he gave her a quick peck on the lips and turned her in the
direction her maid had disappeared and gave her a little push.

“Go enjoy your hot bath, Bianca. I will see you at dinner.”

But Bianca had not made it down to dinner.

The drenching she had taken in the sudden thunderstorm left
her with more than just a mere chill; it had bloomed into a case of grippe.
Still she refused to take to her bed and have her maid fuss over her. It would
have been only a matter of time before her stepmother found out she was ill.
And then the woman would have accused her of trying to shirk her duties to the
multitude of suitors who continued to arrive at the castle.

That was the principle reason Bianca sluggishly made her way
up the narrow staircase that led up to Galen’s sanctuary. A succession of
dainty sneezes escaped her and echoed up around the spiraling granite walls as
she slowly climbed the stairs. The jarring action caused shooting pain behind
her eyes like a hammer striking a blacksmith’s anvil inside her head.

Stopping for a brief moment, Bianca placed one fever-flushed
cheek against the cool stone wall trying to suppress a moan of pain. She was
now paying the consequence of being caught in the cold rain, but she would have
endured worse for the enjoyment of Draco’s company. Perhaps it was God’s way of
reminding her that she walked a very fine line between morality and sinfulness.
But she considered Draco worth the suffering.

Pushing herself away from the wall, Bianca trudged wearily
on until she reached Galen’s door. There she knocked faintly, wincing once
again as the pounding reverberated throughout her head.

“Come in.”

She found Galen sitting at his small desk, writing in his
journals. It was his habit to keep a journal of every patient he treated,
writing down the signs and symptoms of each ailment, and his prescribed cure.
He was very particular about this and scoffed at by other healers who did not
take the time to do so. His journals were a means to educate himself and others
who came looking for answers.

“I feel like death, Galen.”

Bianca spoke low as she eased herself into a chair cradling
her aching head in her hands. The healer turned his head to look at her and he
was on his feet at once, coming to kneel beside her. He pushed the mass of
black silky hair that had fallen forward over her face. He placed his cool palm
on her forehead and then her heated cheeks. Tsking, he stood back and peered
down at her through his narrow spectacles.

“You do have a decidedly morbid look about you. A bit pale
with but a tinge of green about the gills, but hot to the touch.”

“Are you laughing at me?” She tried to muster up enough
force in her voice to give her words some heat, but she merely sounded nasal
and drained.

“No, my lady. What kind of doctor would I be if I mocked my
patients?”

“Now you’re just being condescending.”

“What would you like me to be?”

“How about being a little more sympathetic?” She looked at
him with red-rimmed eyes.

“If I give you too much sympathy, you would be more inclined
to wallow in self-pity and that would not be at all good for your health.”

Her unladylike snort was his only response.

“Let me see what I have for your malady.” He riffled through
his cupboard of herbs and potions, picking up first one bottle and then another
until he found what he was looking for, and brought out a small pouch. “A
little of this and you will feel more like yourself by this evening.” He opened
the pouch and dropped a few pinches of the herbal concoction into a cup of wine,
which he then handed to her. “Drink.”

“What is it?” she asked scrunching up her face in distaste
as she took a whiff of the vile-smelling redolence. The odor hit her even
through her stuffed-up nose. It was definitely a potent brew.

Galen had his back to her as he reorganized his cupboard.
“It is best that you do not know. Just drink it down and you will begin feeling
better in no time.”

“I hope this works.” Bianca grumbled as she pinched her nose
between the thumb and forefinger of one hand and tipped up the cup and quickly
downed the medication nearly choking on the repulsive remedy. She gagged and
fought to gain control of her stomach. She thought for a moment that Galen’s
shoulders shook. Was he laughing at her? Surely not. But at that point, she was
not in any condition to care.

“I think I will return to my bed for the rest of the day. I
need a little rest.”

“That would probably be best. Take a long nap and you will
feel more like yourself by evening.”

“I truly hope so. I have matters to take care of that cannot
wait any longer. Thank you, for your kindness, Galen.” Bianca smiled wanly at
the old healer before making her way back down the tower stairs making for her
room. She decided to take his advice and take a good long nap.

* * * * *

“Take that and that, villain.” The wooden sword thwacked
against trees and slashed through shrubs as the aggressor pushed his imaginary
foe farther and farther into the overgrown rose garden at the back of the
curtain wall behind the keep.

The only witnesses to his heroic battle were a couple of
chattering squirrels and several outraged blue jays that scolded him fiercely
for invading their quiet sanctuary. Theron ignored them as he clambered on
until he had thoroughly vanquished his foe, finally driving the villain to the
ground where he lay wounded, begging for mercy.

It was while he stood debating on whether to grant the
pretend scoundrel a pardon or not that he heard rustling in the bushes near the
curtain wall behind him. His head came up as several startled birds above in
the trees took to wing at the first sign of an intruder, shrieking a warning.

Thinking that one of the maids had been sent to find him and
feeling guilty about sneaking away from his assigned chores to play
make-believe in the back garden, he ducked behind a large lilac tree and
flattened himself to the ground.

From there he watched as a strange man moved stealthily into
the middle of the garden. He had an ominous appearance about him with his tall,
broad-shouldered form covered in a long black cape, his face hidden beneath the
cowl, which he had pulled up over his head to hide his identity.

When the man suddenly stopped and glanced around in his
direction, Theron thought he had been discovered and he held his breath as he
waited, expecting to be called forth from his hiding place. But when nothing
happened, he raised his head and peeked up over the tall grass to find that the
mysterious stranger made his way along the side of the keep to disappear
through the kitchen door.

How odd. Perhaps it would be best if he followed the
stranger just to keep an eye on him. By the looks of the fellow, he could very
well be a spy! Or worse. A slow smile split Theron’s face. This could be his
chance to repay the Dragon for his generosity. He would follow the man and
determine what he was up to and then report his find to his master.

Theron glanced back in the direction the man had come and
hurried through the overgrown garden to the wall to discover how he had gained
entry to the garden since there was only high curtain wall surrounding it. That
was when he found the small gate hidden behind a gardener’s shed, old, with
rusty hinges, little used, and forgotten until now.

Sensing a good adventure, Theron ran across the garden and
into the kitchen door. As he moved through the large room crowded with servants
carrying about trays and tubs. He did not see the black cloaked man.

“Here what are you doing in the kitchen, you little
scoundrel? Get out to the stables and do your master’s bidding.” Theron ducked
just before the hand of the cook’s assistant would have cuffed him alongside
the head. He could have told the woman that he had very little to do until his
wounds were healed but he noticed the doorway that led up the back stairs and
he dodged the blow and ran for it. He nearly laughed out loud at the crash of a
pot hitting the floor and the cook’s loud voice scolding her assistant for
being so clumsy.