Kiss of the Dragon (7 page)

At her cousin’s outrageously honest statement, Modesta
giggled. Bianca’s smile widened and then she giggled. After a moment, when she
caught her breath, Modesta looked at her cousin with a sober expression, “I am
afraid Baron Charles Sevais and Baron Draco d’Ensoleille may not appreciate our
boldness.” She suddenly looked worried.

“I do not think it will make any difference to Baron
Charles,” Bianca assured her. “From what I observed, the good man has already
fallen for you, dear cousin.” Bianca watched the blush creep up Modesta’s
cheeks, giving her a lovely glow that was apparent even from where she sat at
her dressing table, removing her kerchief from her head.

“I wish that it were so, Bianca. Though we only just met,
and I spoke not at all to him, I must admit that he is a very handsome man and
most kind. But he must think me to be a complete bumpkin, an idiot, a moron and
without manners.”

“Trust me, Modesta. You are no moron and he did not even
notice that you did not open your mouth. I saw it all from a very objective
point of view and, he, my dear cousin, is very taken with you just as you are.”

“I can at least feel relieved that it was Lord Charles and
not his dreadfully dark friend who came seeking a wife. In truth, one look at
the Black Dragon’s horribly scarred face and dark countenance, and I nearly
lost all my courage.” Modesta started to unlace the beautiful gown that Bianca
had insisted that she wear.

Turning a startled face to look at her cousin, Bianca
pondered her thoughtfully. “I saw but one pale scar on the man’s face and it
was barely noticeable, Modesta. And I was on his lap, for God’s sake, face to
face with him. You are exaggerating a bit.”

“No, Bianca, he is a horribly menacing looking man. So large
and intimidating. No wonder he is a successful warlord. One look at his dark
personage and black scowl and the enemy would think the devil himself had taken
the battlefield and they would flee to save their souls.”

He was dark that was true, with his blue-black hair and
sun-darkened skin. The man was a giant among men as well. She could not dispute
that fact. But when he caught her in his arms as she fell and held her close,
she could not for a moment say that she noticed him to be all that fearsome or
menacing. Rather, she had felt safe and comforted. Bianca glanced over her
shoulder at Modesta. Strange that she and her cousin should come away with such
two very different opinions of Lord Draco. Perhaps it was as Modesta said.
Perhaps the dark lord was the devil himself.

After donning her own gown and giving her cousin a kiss on
the cheek, Modesta opened the chamber door to take her leave, only to come face
to face with the Duchess Heloise.

“Good morning, Your Grace,” Modesta murmured, moving aside.
The duchess ignored her and advanced upon Bianca.

“Good morning, Your Grace,” Bianca offered, knowing that
common pleasantries were not what the older woman had come to her chambers to
exchange. Blue eyes flashed coldly as the duchess grabbed Bianca’s wrist in a
painfully bruising grip, but the younger woman knew better than to fight her.
So she clenched her teeth against the pain and kept silent.

“What do you mean by sending your cousin in your stead to
the Great Hall to greet the man who came to woo you as his intended? Do you
know what you have done?” She stopped long enough to catch her breath,
releasing her hold on Bianca’s wrist and then she waved her hand toward
Modesta. “The man is now infatuated with her. He mistakenly thought that she
was you and was fool enough to fall in love with her.” She paced the room until
she stopped and stared at Bianca as if she were seeing her for the first time.

“Where have you been all morning while your cousin took over
your duties? And what is this? What are you wearing?” she asked. “You will
change immediately. No decent noblewoman would be caught wearing such rags.”

“I wear these only to ride in, Madame. I would never appear
in the Great Hall in less than my best.” She had no intention of giving the
woman any more reasons to reprimand her. She was well aware of the pain that
her stepmother’s long, slender fingers could deal out in a hard slap on the cheek
or a vicious pinch on the arm.

“See that you do!” She turned to leave, her delicate
nostrils flaring as if the room stank. As she reached the doorway, she turned
to Modesta, remembering the reason for her visit to her stepdaughter’s room.

“The maidservant who accompanied you to the Great Hall this
morn has been summoned to help bathe Lord Draco. Then she is to be punished for
her clumsiness. A peasant girl should know better than to ruin a nobleman’s
clothes with her incompetence.” Her words echoed around the room just before
she slammed the door.

Modesta stepped toward her cousin and let out a loud sigh of
relief that the witch of Castle Neige was gone.

Biance rubbed the bruise on her wrist caused by the horrible
woman who had married her father just the year before. It was the Duchess
Heloise who pushed so relentlessly for Bianca to marry and she had gone so far
as to import suitors from every province of France and beyond. As for the Duke
de Neige, he might as well be dead for all the time he spent with his only
daughter. So preoccupied tending to his new wife’s demands and threats, he had
no time left for his daughter.

“Do not let her upset you, so, Bianca.” Modesta went to her
and placed a comforting arm around her cousin’s shoulder.

“I’m fine, Modesta. You worry needlessly.” She sat down in
front of her mirror and fixed the old kerchief back on her head.

At Modesta’s questioning look, she winked and smiled. “Did
you not hear what my stepmother said? Lord Draco has requested assistance with
his bath. And it seems that he has specifically requested me.”

Modesta’s emerald eyes grew wide in her paling face. “No,
you cannot mean to actually go to his chambers and help him bathe?”

“Of course, I do. Why should I not?”

The furious blush lit up Modesta’s face. “He will
be…completely…naked.”

“That is generally how one bathes, unless they do things
differently in the north. I would think all his manly secrets will be revealed
to me, yea.”

A shocked gasp permeated the air, and Modesta’s face grew
even hotter with her maidenly embarrassment. Bianca feared she would have to
dunk her cousin in the chilly water of the River Garonne to cool her blush.

“Do not worry, Modesta. I will avert my eyes at the
appropriate moments.”

“You should not be doing this, Bianca,” Modesta warned.

“Trust me, Modesta. This is for the best. I have been
summoned, and if I do not make an appearance, the duchess will become
suspicious and she could possibly discover what we have done.”

Modesta put her arms about Bianca’s shoulders and kissed her
cheek before reluctantly making her way to the door. “I will go and find
Jabulani and send him to you. If the Black Dragon tries anything inappropriate,
you need only call out and he will brave the Dragon’s den to your rescue.”

“Do you think I will need rescuing from the Dragon?”

“He is a dangerous man, Bianca. I don’t want to take any
chances.”

Bianca stood in front of the heavy wooden door of the
Dragon’s lair. Her purpose for coming was to confront the great man in his own territory.
But now doubts plagued her about the scheme she had come up with. What in the
world had she been thinking? Or perhaps that was her problem. Had she been
thinking at all? That she even considered coming here proved just how much the
dark knight fascinated her. The memory of his hard body pressed against her
soft bottom as she lay across his lap in the Great Hall left her breathless
even now. His large hands had been gentle as he handled her in her moment of
embarrassing clumsiness.

She had never felt desire before but she was certain that
what she felt in that moment had sparked a need in her. A need she could not
ignore. Still, as she stood in the dark hallway chewing on her lip, she
remained uncertain how to proceed. If her stepmother or her father ever found
out she had come here, they would be shocked at best, disappointed and shamed
at worst, by her actions. She was a gentle born lady, after all. Not some
light-skirted woman looking to spend time in a stranger’s bed. The thought that
she could be so wanton brought a fierce blush to her cheeks. Her hand trembled
with excitement and dread as she raised it to rap on the door. She hesitated.
No matter how bold and liberal she pretended to be, she knew she was not quite
free-spirited enough to deliberately seek out a naked man in his chambers and
help him bathe. She wasn’t certain that she could do it.

She stood in the corridor outside Lord Draco’s door shaking
like a leaf caught in a brisk fall wind, rethinking the wisdom of her scheme.
Her nerves coiled, her stomach clenched in a painful knot. It was not the harsh
reputation of the Black Dragon that worried her. She was about to see a naked
man! The realization had not hit her until she was halfway to the west tower
where Lord Draco was lodged.

Now that she was finally here, she could not bring herself
to knock on the last barrier that stood between them. Her hand poised, frozen
in its course, but she had no courage left to make the final endeavor. Perhaps
it would be best if she just returned to her chambers and sent Leia to attend
to the Black Dragon’s needs. Her maid was known to have a hardy appetite for
carnal pleasures when it came to mighty knights. It was from that quarter that
Bianca had gleaned much of what she knew on the subject. Yes, sending Leia to
Lord Draco would be the intelligent thing to do.

But even as she made her resolve, the door opened, taking
the decision completely out of her hands. A young man with piercing gray eyes
stood in the open doorway, looking at her expectantly. From his black attire,
she recognized him as one of the young soldiers in Baron d’Ensoleille’s
entourage. A hot blush of embarrassment stole up her neck and over her cheeks
as he leaned against the doorframe, staring at her with open admiration. A slow
smile spread across his face causing the delicate blush to flare to a hot flush
over her skin.

Bianca took a step back, retreating slightly, discomfited by
his blatant admiration. It seemed that she had been misinformed as to which
chamber Lord Draco occupied. But when she opened her mouth to apologize for
intruding, a strange expression crossed the young man’s face and suddenly he
sneezed and then reddened in humiliation at his uncouth action. Bianca could
not stop the smile that tilted up the corners of her lovely mouth and her
anxiety immediately melted away with the young man’s misplaced shame.

“A thousand pardons, mademoiselle,” he mumbled, ducking his
dark head so that she could no longer see his intense gray eyes.

“But of course, monsieur. Are you unwell? If you are, Galen,
our healer, can most likely find some concoction or other to help you. He is
very good at what he does.” She smiled when he looked at her again, seemingly
amazed by her concern.

“I thank you, mademoiselle. But I am afraid my sneezing has
nothing to do with an ailment, it is just something that I always do. I am
sensitive to many things, especially a lady’s fine perfumes. Potent scents
irritate my nose, thus I sneeze.”

Bianca grew very still as her mind registered his words.
Then she silently cursed her absentmindedness. How could she forget such an
obvious thing? Her favorite perfume was made from the oils of myrrh and
jasmine. If she had thought about it earlier, she would have bathed to remove
it. Now all she could do was hope that Lord Draco would not notice the
expensive scent. She was, after all, playing the part of a lady’s maid.

“You should see Galen; he is quite helpful, really.”

“Maybe I shall. I thank you, mademoiselle. You are too
kind.”

“Perhaps you could return the favor. I seem to have been
misinformed as to which chambers belong to Lord Draco d’Ensoleille. Do you
know?”

“But, of course, mademoiselle. These are, in fact, Lord
Draco’s chambers, and I am Cynric.” He bowed at his introduction. “I am his
brother, as well as his squire.”

“Oh.” His identity surprised her. “I do see some
resemblance.” In truth, Bianca was startled to find that the great Dragon had a
younger brother. It had never occurred to her that the mighty knight had kith
or kin. This young man had the same blue-black hair but his eyes were a soft
gray whereas his older brother’s eyes were so dark, they looked to be black.
Cynric was tall and slender, showing the promise of maturing into a strong,
muscular man, just like his brother. He would perhaps follow Draco’s footsteps
and become a great knight and warrior.

At that thought, Bianca anxiously glanced over his shoulder
into the darkened chamber behind him, but she could see nothing. “I am pleased
to meet you, Cynric. I am here to aid his lordship with his bath. Is he
within?”

“Yes, he is waiting inside for you. I was just on my way
out.” He winked at her. “Do take your time.” His gray eyes held a hint of
laughter as he passed her and moved down the corridor. Another fit of sneezing
took hold of him even as he turned the far corner of the corridor.

Craning her neck, Bianca peered into the Dragon’s darkened
chamber, uncertain she had the courage to cross the threshold. Tapestries on
the windows had not been pulled back and the only source of light came solely
from the blazing fire in the large hearth. The chamber was cast in pale gold
glitter of light that flickered unsteadily, not quite reaching the shadowy
corners.

It took her a moment or two to put one foot inside and a
great deal of courage to push the door firmly closed behind her. The sound of
the metal latch catching echoed throughout the chamber, causing her to jump
nervously and she took an involuntary step backward. But the closed door
brought her up short, stopping her escape and she found her back pressed against
it as she took several deep breaths, fighting to control her stampeding heart.

As her eyes adjusted to the dimness, she gazed cautiously
about the room. In the flickering light, she saw the large canopy bed, which
took up a better part of one wall, its hangings made of deep blue velvet with
gold roping and tassels decorating the corners. A coverlet of the same velvet
covered the bed while fat pillows sat high against the rich cherry headboard.
Set into the far wall was a small shadowy alcove containing a wide window seat
beneath the tall, covered windows. But it was the large hearth set into the
third wall that drew her attention. The fire blazed high, giving the room
warmth and what little light there was. Before it sat a large bathtub filled
with steaming water, waiting to be used. Her breath caught in her throat at the
sight of it and she had to force herself to move to the center of the room, her
eyes roaming everywhere as she tried not to look at it.

“My lord?”

Her voice was a whisper of sound but it seemed to echo in
the large room.

Bianca had been in the chamber many times when she had been
assigned to housekeeping duties by her new stepmother. But viewing it in the
faint light of the fire, she appreciated the well-furnished apartment.
Absently, she considered that Sir Draco should have no complaints about his
accommodations. It was a room worthy of a king. Thinking of the man, she
remembered she was not alone and she searched the room for the illusive Dragon.

“My Lord Draco?”

“I did not think that you would actually come, little one.”
His deep voice permeated the darkened room as a low rumble, nearly causing
Bianca to jump. She whirled around to face him.

“Why would I not come? Her Grace sent me, my lord.”

“Her Grace or the young Lady de Neige? Which one sent you?”

She hesitated to respond.

“I must confess that after meeting the young Lady de Neige
in the hall this morning, I was a bit disappointed.” He moved closer to her.

“What do you mean, my lord?”

“Oh, I found the Beauty de Neige lovely enough, with her
golden hair and emerald eyes, but she is naught at all what I had expected. The
tales we heard throughout our journey praised her exquisite beauty, and Baron
Servais is more than pleased that they were true. But I expected
something…more.”

“More, my lord? Perhaps it is the color of a maiden’s eyes
or the curve of her hip that attracts a man such as you?” Her voice rose. “I
find that men are very fickle when it comes to the fairness of a maiden, not
her intelligence or the sweetness of her disposition.” She challenged him, her
chin held high, looking him squarely in the eye. She believed that the true
points of beauty were more than skin deep; that beauty of the heart and soul
were what counted, and they lasted a lifetime.

It was at that point when she remembered her position. She
lowered her eyes. She expected him to rebuke her for her outspokenness. But as
she waited for him to bodily eject her from the chamber for her impertinent
words, she became aware of where her gaze had fallen. She found herself staring
at his bare, furred chest and heat immediately suffused her face. She was not
accustomed to seeing a man’s bare skin. Not knowing where to look, she glanced
toward the large canopy bed, but that brought about all kinds of images of him
lying on it, naked, and she had to quickly look away. She was relieved when he
turned away.

“Certainly a woman’s looks cannot be held against her, but
to answer your question honestly, if I were the one looking to marry, I would
want a maiden with fire in her blood and spirit in her soul. Someone who would
not faint away at her first examination of my scarred body. It would take a
courageous maiden to face down the Dragon and tame him, if she dared.”

His words stunned Bianca and she could only stare as he
moved toward the tub. She was so engrossed watching his every movement that she
forgot to avert her gaze when he slipped the black velvet robe he wore from his
shoulders and dropped it to pool at his feet.

Bianca stared in wonder at his broad bare back. All of it! A
truly magnificent back! He was solid, rippling muscle from his wide, massive
shoulders, down his back, tapering down to his sculptured buttocks and muscular
thighs. A gasp of shock and wonder escaped her lips. He was sculpted like a
magnificent Roman statue! His body all hard planes of muscle that danced in the
firelight; shadow and light played across his body, like a caress, leaving
little to her imagination. Scars marked the bronzed skin of his wide back. A
particularly ragged one ran over his left shoulder, across his chest and
disappeared under his right arm. He looked so masculine, so inviting that
Bianca had to tamp down the urge to reach out and touch him, to see if he was
as cool as marble or if his skin was warmed by the fire in his blood.

His movement into the tub disturbed her bold stare and
Bianca nearly protested in her disappointment when he slid his large body down
into the steaming water.

“Come and scrub my back,” he commanded, glancing over his
shoulder. Mindful that she was about to touch this man’s splendid body and
knowing that that was exactly what she wanted to do, Bianca felt hot and
bothered. It was fortunate that the chamber was dimly lit or she feared he
might have noticed the excitement in her eyes and the high color on her cheeks.

Bianca walked slowly toward the tub and the large, naked man
who sat in it. She rolled her sleeves to above her elbows as she approached and
reached for the linen cloth he offered her. At the contact between their
fingers, a bolt of lightning jumped from his fingertips to her and ripped
through her body, leaving her stunned and breathless.

Draco looked questioningly at her startled expression.

Feeling suddenly fainthearted, Bianca lowered her gaze and
focused on the cloth in her hand and his broad, naked back before her.
Tentatively, she dipped the cloth in the bath water before smoothing it over
his skin. His muscle felt like granite beneath her fingers as she slid the wet
cloth gently between his shoulder blades and up his neck then out over his shoulders
and back. She took the ball of scented soap from the stool and wiped the cloth
over it, building a great lather before applying it to his back and lower. She
scrubbed most vigorously, splashing water over the side of the tub, wetting the
front of her gown in her movements. Silently cursing her clumsiness, Bianca
prayed that in the dimness of the chamber and her nearness to the tub, Lord
Draco would not notice her now soaked bodice.

Draco noted that she worked diligently, in a rhythm that had
her hands moving over him in a sensual manner of which he was very
appreciative. It disturbed him somewhat that he had started this. It was
apparent that he had not put enough thought into the results of his
manipulations. But now he wondered if he had not perchance made a great error
commanding her presence here. At the touch of her delicate fingers, he
experienced a feeling so unforeseen, so amazing and for a moment, he could do
little more than keep breathing. Though her hair was still covered with that
ugly kerchief, and she wore that threadbare gray gown, even those deterrents
would not have fooled a blind man.