Rylin's Fire (3 page)

Chapter 4

Dara tried to mask the hitch in her breath. A quick glance down assured her a tumble over the edge would pretty much end her chances of finding a husband. What with dying a horrible death on the rocks below and all. “What’d you have in mind, Rylin of the Black Dracol?”

Rylin removed his black shirt and folded it in even squares before laying it on the ground by his booted feet. His position revealed a fine row of glittering black scales that trailed down the center of his spine, following the path of his vertebrae from his nape to the waist of his pants.

Dara reacted without thought and stroked them. They were beautiful and cool to the touch. He glanced at her over his shoulder as her fingers swept over him. The sharp gaze he focused on her was predatory. Frightening.

“In Dracol culture, touching the King’s mantle is an intimacy reserved for a special lover or his
lira
.”

“Oh, sh—. Sorry.” Dara snatched her hand back, fingers tingling from the contact. 

“No apology needed. I enjoyed it.” Rylin stared a moment longer, his eyes flickering from dark to light. After a pulsing silence where the air stalled in her chest, he leaned down and removed his black leather footwear.

Freed from the magnetic pull of his gaze, Dara released a soft breath. Standing in just his pants, Rylin arched a winged brow in her direction. “Fly with me?”

Dara choked, sure her eyes had doubled in size. He couldn’t be serious. “What?”

Rylin’s lips curved upward and Dara’s heart skipped a beat. She resisted the urge to fan her face. “How long have you been here?”

Unsure why he asked, Dara mumbled, “A month.”

A month in which she seriously worried if Vovin was the world for her or not. Until now.

Rylin hummed under his breath then asked, “Has anyone taken you out yet? To fly?”

Stunned at the possibility, she could only shake her head. As scared as she was, Dara had the sudden, crazy urge to follow this man anywhere.

He backed a small step away from the edge as his gaze strayed up toward the strips of color banding the planet’s purple-clouded night sky. Then he faced Dara. “Allow me to give you something to improve your evening. A piece of Vovin.”

Without waiting for her answer, Rylin hooked his thumbs in the waist of his pants and slid them down, revealing a brief glimpse of his nude backside. Dara wasn’t sure that was what he planned to give her, but she enjoyed the show nonetheless. Now she wished he’d turn around and give her a thrill with the frontal view. She didn’t get her wish because of what happened next.

Rylin shifted.

No other word described what happened. One minute she spoke with a handsome man and the next she stood beside a coal-black dragon who took up a large portion of the wraparound balcony. No wonder it extended the length of the building. It was like a dragon runway.

“Holy sh- ” Dara broke off the curse and stumbled back. So much for her pledge to stop using profanity.

The long, sinuous neck craned about the large body to peer at her with jewel-like eyes. Familiar gold eyes. The top lids lifted to reveal a second set and blinked as he waited. Waited for her, Dara realized. On the heels of her shock, humor bubbled up and she laughed. Joy filled her at the opportunity to fly on the back of a real live dragon. Or Dracol rather, but still. A freaking dragon.

Dara inched closer, until her hips bumped the lower part of brawny legs, arms or whatever he called them. This close she could pick out each rippling muscle flexing beneath her gaze. Layers of intricately woven, glittering scales covered his body. Folded along his back rested two powerful wings bent in accordion folds. Tiny black claws tipped the edges. His triangular head lifted, placing his face far above her own as he shifty his bulky frame.

Dara swallowed and pinched her fingers together to keep from reaching out. His scaled skin shimmered, shades of silver and metallic purple intermixed with the black sheen. “This isn’t payback for all the tacky Earth women before me, right? I mean you don’t have plans to lean far to the left and dump me mid-flight?”

The rounded nostrils flared and a gusty exhale stirred her hair. Dara caught the short strands that fluttered in her face, smiling all the while. She had the sense it was an exasperated sound. “Good enough for me.”

She hiked the bottom of her gown to mid-thigh, revealing plenty of leg, and kicked off her heels. Dara stretched her arms up to place a hand on his bumpy elbow close to where the joint met the crook of his forearm. The dragon issued a low growl. Show a man some leg and they were all the same. “Yeah, yeah. No comments from the peanut gallery.”

A deep bass rumbled from his chest, vibrations tickling her palm as she scrabbled to get a seat. Her bare toes slid along the rough hide. Another curse slipped free as Dara lost her handhold. Before she could fall to the ground, a firm claw cupped her butt and pushed upward.

Dara squealed and grabbed a handhold around his neck as she swung her leg over with the helpful push. Seated, her legs barely straddled his neck. The skirt of her dress tightened around her thighs and Dara tried to find a firm handle to latch on to. Four small notches protruded down the lower column of his neck.

“I’m just going to hold on here.” She gripped one of the knobby shapes and was rewarded with a steady huff from the man/dracol beneath her. “Ready when you are, Rylin.”

He took her at her word and crouched on his haunches before launching them over the edge. Her stomach dropped with the freefall and Dara screamed as wind whipped about her face. She leaned forward, burying her head close to his neck. The bare skin on her legs and arms pebbled as his giant wings flared out and flapped behind her.

“You’re crazy,” she yelled, then laughed for the sheer hell of it.

Tears stung her eyes, but nothing could dispel the feeling of euphoria. Dara tipped her head up and enjoyed the exhilarating ride.

***

Rylin’s nature submerged beneath his Dracol’s when in this form, but he still enjoyed the Earth woman’s scream of pleasure. He flared his wings, diving low under the cloud cover. Dara’s fingers curled tight on his spinal nodules as she leaned over and pressed her face to his neck.

“You’re crazy!”

 Smoke snorted from Ry’s nose and he leveled out as they flew over the land. Familiar landscape arrowed below. He decided on the scenic route, determined to give her a rare glimpse of Vovin from above. The longer trip also allowed him a chance to enjoy the clasp of her legs about his neck.

The breeze whistled over his scales, cooling his higher temperature. Taking his time, Ry luxuriated in the tranquility of his region and the calming influence of the night. There were no worries or settling disputes. Nothing but the company of a woman who intrigued him. Attracted him. If nothing else it made for a good night and Ry could use one of simple pleasure.

From the moment he met the Earth woman his concerns seemed to fall by the wayside. His mind filled with the flashes of her winsome smile, the humor she made no attempts to hide and the acceptance she viewed him as something magical. 

“This is amazing,” Dara said, palms caressing him.

Ry disagreed. Her touch on his sensitive scales felt better than amazing. He glided down and flew across one of the many small lakes in Black territory. Vovin boasted beautiful oceans with waves that crashed upon the land, but to get to those Ry would have to cross boundary lines, and he didn’t need the other Dracol sects looking for a reason to revive old wars for a minor infraction such as that.

He took them down low enough to skim over the surface of the lake and flapped his wings with added vigor, splashing water upward. The spray rippled over him and his passenger. Dara squealed, fingers clenching. Ry rumbled in amusement and did it again.

“Yuk it up, buddy. I know draaa-gon laughter when I hear it.”

Heart lightened and his Dracol in the mood to play, Ry leaned far to the side. Enough to make her hips lift in the seat she maintained.

“Rylin!” Her arms clamped tight around his neck as she laughed in husky bursts. “Dracol, not dragon. Dracol already.”

He straightened his flight, swishing more water on her until her laughter sputtered to chuckles. Ry aimed for the side of the lake where lush grass created a private oasis and landed in a running stop. He held up a clawed hand and Dara clung to his grip as he helped her down in his cupped palm.

Eyes bright, her lips spread in a wide smile, she found her balance and brushed back her hair from her face. Damp patches darkened sections of her blue dress, water drops dotting her beaming face, and Ry reappraised his initial assessment. Her inner beauty outshined the physical beauty of any Dracol female in his acquaintance.

“That was fun.” Laughter left her out of breath and her rising chest drew his gaze.

Her nipples puckered against the garment. The fabric clung to the outline of her legs. Arousal stirred, the sensation foreign in this form. He forced his Dracol nature to retreat and shifted to two feet.

Unmindful of his nudity, Ry approached Dara and placed his hand at the back of her neck, tipping her face up. “I’m dying to kiss you right now.”

Chapter 5

Dara’s lashes fluttered as she swallowed. “I think…I’m on board with that.”

It was all the approval Ry needed. He used his hold to tug her closer, his other arm hooking about her waist. He leaned down and kissed her pert mouth.

Soft lips greeted him, parting when he made contact. Not tentative at all, her tongue slid into the recesses of his mouth, gliding along his. Ry groaned and widened his stance so his thickening length rubbed her middle.

They kissed for several moments, reveling in the quiet around them. Hands touched,  stroked above the waist, and a few times hips bumped one another. When he could take no more of the delicious torment, Ry broke the kiss and placed his face at the crook of Dara’s neck. He inhaled deeply, storing her scent in his memory to recall on lonely nights.

She shivered and leaned into him. “Rylin.”

Most of his friends and those close to him called him Ry, but hearing the Earthling use his full name touched something in him he thought long buried. Something he thought Sana had destroyed. Hope.

The raw emotion also caused a bit of fear. Ry ruthlessly crushed the weakness. Fear had no place between them. He straightened and cupped her cheeks in the palms of his hands. Her dazed green eyes stared up at him. “Do you want me to stop, Dara?”

She caressed his hair, fingertips lingering along the edge of the mantle at his nape. “I want you.”

Ry closed his eyes and exhaled. He should step away. Do the right thing. But his essence rose and his Dracol roused. His dual nature wanted her as well, and Ry was no match against the weight of the strong desires overwhelming him.

He murmured a quick thanks to the Fates for bringing her into his life, then opened his eyes. “Are you sure?”

Dara licked her lips, and the sight of her pink tongue inflamed him further. Ry groaned and dropped his hands from her face to give them both needed distance. But apparently Dara had other ideas.

She unhooked the strap of her dress from around her neck and the ankle length gown he’d admired slid to the forest floor, leaving her clad in a pair of miniscule blue panties. Plump breasts sat high on her chest, berry colored nipples teasing him by their hardened presence.

Ry growled and closed the small gap between them. Forget distance. He cursed for good measure and pulled her to him. Dara laughed as he kissed her and eagerly wrapped her arms about his waist. The delicious scent of her arousal rose between them. His shaft bumped against her soft middle.

Ry groaned and eased back from her tempting mouth. He gazed down at her face and traced her nose, the outer shell of her ear. He should warn her of what to expect next if they moved forward. “I’m not sure how men on your word bond sexually, but don’t be afraid if I growl.”

Dara stared, then her lips quirked up. “I plan to make a lot of noise, too.”

His heart lightened. Ry ran his finger over her mouth. He couldn’t stop touching her. “I might bite, but I won’t hurt you.”

Her smile widened and she snapped her teeth at his finger. “I might bite, too.”

Ry barked out a laugh. Enchanting alien. He leaned down and kissed her once more. Dara moaned and lifted her knees to bracket his hips with a slight hop, leaving Ry to catch her. The move pressed her firm breasts and hard nipples into his chest. His Dracol roared with the need to possess.

Nothing had ever felt as good as Dara’s warm body against his. Ry’s head lifted. Her moist mouth taunted, the plush redness evidence of his desire. “I promise not to complain if you bite.”

She smiled. “Mmmm.”

Ry leaned forward and glided his tongue over Dara’s lips. Her head strained toward him. One palm cupped the back of her neck, the other her round bottom, supporting her as he devoured her mouth with kisses and nips to her tender skin. It wasn’t enough. He needed more. Wanted more.

Ry kissed her with reckless abandon and Dara responded with a wild burst of unmatched passion. Soon they both moaned and rocked together, her sparse underwear a thin barrier keeping him from plunging deep.

“Dara.”

“Rylin,” she mimicked, then nipped his bottom lip, leaving behind a stinging sensation.

Ry paused and gazed down at her. The power of the mantle mixed with the essence of his Dracol surged forth. Claws sprung from his fingertips and black scales shimmered along the outside of his arms from shoulders to wrists.

“You’re courting trouble,” he warned.

Shiny, green eyes stared back at him, black locks tousled about her head. With each inhale, he pulled in the scent of her growing passion. She was ready. Wet. But not afraid.

Dara licked her lips and nudged his back with her fingers, undaunted. “I’ve never been like this with another guy. I think you bring it out in me.”

As much as Ry disliked hearing her speak of another male, he preened from the rest of her statement. He wanted to stand out. Wanted to be the one who took her breath away. If she kept staring at him like this, he’d set her ablaze within his flame.

His Dracol agreed.

Dara’s hand continued to slide up and down his back and a deep growl rumbled from his chest. Her eyes narrowed and Ry worried his dual nature would be a problem after all until she spoke. “Mmm, I like that.”

He should
really
do the right thing—step away and take her back, but Ry hated following rules. Another reason he still didn’t understand why the mantle chose him. There were so many others more deserving. Unwilling to let his thoughts turn down a dark path, Ry kissed her again and lost himself.

Dara’s fingers wandered and once again touched his mantle. The sensation aroused him beyond reason. His exposed scales acted as an erogenous zone that he rarely let anyone near. But he wanted Dara’s caresses over his body. Her touch brought out his long dormant desire.

“Sexy,” she murmured when they broke apart on a gasp.

Ry didn’t care that his voice came out a rough rasp when he commanded, “Harder. Touch me harder, Dara.”

She increased the pressure of her fingers and Ry arched into her strokes as he and his Dracol took pleasure in every graze of her hands over his sensitized flesh. His shaft thickened, the head nudging at her silk covered entrance. She continued to brush her hands over his scales, smoothing her palms down until they rested above his buttocks where the mantle ended.

Pure ecstasy.

She had no idea. A puff of smoke curled from his nose as Ry forced back the fire raging in his belly.

Dara’s eyes widened and her fingers tensed on his skin. Then a beautiful smile spread across her face. “Biting, growling, and now smoke. I like a guy not afraid to show I make him hot. Literally.”

His heart clenched. Sincerity blazed back from her green eyes. In that very moment, as unexpected as he found it, Ry fell a little bit in love with Dara Fletcher from Earth.

He gripped her hips and tugged. She caught his hint and lowered her legs from his waist, her feet touching the ground.

***

Dara didn’t bother pretending not to enjoy the view. Lean but ripped described Rylin best. Knotted calves shifted as he balanced his weight, bare feet sinking into the grass. Thick and heavily veined, his cock bobbed along his thigh, but it was the frilled line of skin beneath his shaft pulling at her curiosity.

“Dara?”

She yanked her gaze up and peered into his gold eyes. “I’m not changing my mind after seeing that.”

Dara squealed when they tumbled to the ground. Ry caught her in his arms and rolled her beneath him then rolled to the side, keeping her close.

“Touch me,” Rylin invited, seeing where her gaze strayed.

Dara rubbed her thumb along the spongy bumps on the underside and he hissed. She glanced up, worried she’d hurt him. More smoke curled from his left nostril and his heavy lidded stare glowed with passion, not pain.

“Is that okay?” She did it again to be sure, enjoying the satiny texture.

“More than,” he groaned, rocking his hips forward in a subtle demand.

Dara grinned. “Some things are different and some things never change.”

His mouth tipped up on the side as he moved toward her. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“What about protection?” She managed as he tumbled her backward on the grass.

“Controlled by my essence,” he muttered, trailing kisses across her face.

Shivers rolled up Dara’s spine, distracting her from questioning the odd answer. Rylin leaned up above her, the heat of his gaze burning through her. Dara gripped his shoulders, afraid he planned to pull away.

“Can I touch you here?” he whispered, rubbing the front panel of her underwear with a blunt finger.

Dara hummed her agreement. The light stroke had her shivering.

“What about here?” His finger shifted lower about a half an inch.

 She thought he planned to slip the material down her legs in order to caress and fondle.

He didn’t.

Rylin teased his finger beneath one of the leg openings and brushed lightly down her seam. Dara cried out, hips pumping. He continued the addicting touch until she thought the pleasure would destroy her. Sensations bubbled to the surface, preparing to send her on a full-blown orgasm. Before the building climax could sweep her away, he withdrew the lone digit and adjusted his weight.

Rylin placed a line of kisses down her torso and over her belly, then paused at the curve of her hips. Goosebumps pimpled her flesh. His teeth nipped at her panties, tugging at the blue material. “Take these off. Now.”

She jolted from the sharp order. With a hip shimmy that required him to move slightly, they managed to get her as bare as he was. Rylin relaxed into her once more and Dara moaned when he nuzzled her mound. Her thighs parted in restless abandon and he accepted the invitation, his tongue licking along her crease.

Dara’s hips jerked, her hands seeking and finding a hold in his black hair. He nibbled, sucked and licked until Dara couldn’t control the sounds she made. Harsh breaths escaped as she bordered on the edge of climax again.

“Rylin, I’m going to come.”

“Not yet,” he growled, sliding up and over her body. “Wait until I’m deep inside of you.”

 His shaft brushed her center before sinking into her core on a smooth glide. Dara cried out and jerked as Rylin filled her. Stretched. Full. The feeling was hard to describe, yet she craved more, needed more. On that thought, Dara pushed up with her lower half to grind against him. She clamped her legs around his waist, eager to lull in the ecstasy.

“Dara.”

She opened her eyes as the deep vibration rolled from his chest like an engine gaining speed. His eyes glowed. At the least, Dara should have been frightened, maybe worried that such a fierce man lay over her, but need and her aching arousal dragged her down to her primitive self.

When her gaze met Rylin’s, he murmured, “Stay with me, Dara. Wait until I say let go.”

His palms fondled her breasts, talented fingers tweaking her nipples.

Inhaling sharply, she leaned closer to increase the pressure. “That feels damn good, Rylin.”

His chuckle contained the universal arrogance of men everywhere. “I hope to make it feel better.”

Then his teeth scraped along her collarbone. Dara ditched rational thought and drowned in the sensations. Below, she clenched on the intrusion between her legs. “Don’t stop, Rylin.”