All for a Rose (21 page)

She glared in the direction he’d vanished.

You’re not going to get away that easily.

Chapter Nine

Daman dove into the lake, cutting through the water like a blade through the heart of an imaginary enemy. He could still feel Maribel’s delicate wrist in his grip, the frantic beat of her pulse beneath the pads of his fingers. He pushed his hands, open-palmed—through the water, trying to rid them of the memory of Maribel’s warmth. To think he’d been so close to…

“Are you happy here?”

His own words mocked him, ringing in his ears no matter how deep he dove into the lake, no matter how hard he tried to lose himself in the frigid water, the caress of the currents. What had he been thinking? What sort of question was that? What had he expected her to say?

So what if she was happy? What would that mean? Did he think it would be some sort of sign that he wasn’t too scary to continue his duties, to start seeking out changelings in need again? Or was he truly so foolish, so deluded, so reckless…as to think it would mean more? What had he been thinking grabbing her, letting himself be overcome by the taste of her excitement in the air?

Where could it have gone?

He fought through the water, swimming deeper and deeper into the blackness at the bottom of the lake. The icy chill hardly touched him through his scales, but his upper body felt the bite. The sensation was a welcome distraction—a
needed
distraction.

I am a damn fool.

Spending the past few weeks with Maribel, playing in the dirt, basking in her laughter. He hadn’t even tried to maintain the pretense with himself that he was trying to find her a new home, get her away from her witch of a sister. Every day it was easier to pretend she would stay here forever with him. That they would sit down together every night to eat a meal she’d prepared from herbs and vegetables she’d gathered right here on his land, with meat he brought her, he killed for her. It had been a pleasing and dangerous dream.

She dreamed of me as a human. Dreamed of the dragon as something separate, something terrifying—a nightmare.

What a fool he’d been to think she could be attracted to him in his current form. What woman would willingly come into the arms of a man more reptile than human?

Screams echoed in his memories, the screams of changelings he’d tried to help after the witch’s curse—changelings he’d very nearly frightened to death. What had led him to believe Maribel would be any different?

Anger scalded his veins. Anger at himself for daring to dream of a life he had no business dreaming of. Anger at Maribel for putting that dream into his head. He’d been resigned to his fate until she’d come along.

His temper spiked again and not even the chill of the lake bottom could ease the burn. He cursed and shot up to the surface, breaking into the air in a surge of falling water. The sunlight seared his eyes and he blinked away the pain.

“Are you going to talk to me like a logical human being, or are you going to run away again like a sulking child?”

Daman spun in the water, sending a wave cascading outward to the edge of the lake. Maribel stood there with her hands on her hips, glaring at him. Her blue eyes crackled with magic that he was more and more certain she had no idea she possessed and for a moment, he thought she might actually leap into the lake after him. A pleasant warmth curled up in his belly.

No!

“Go away.” He sent another arc of icy water in her direction, spattering the edges of her skirt. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I’m here because you’re forcing me to be here,” Maribel shot back, her chin jutting out in defiance. “
You’re
the one who sent for me,
you’re
the one who forced me to stay. And if you think I’m going to be ignored—”

“Go home, then. I release you.”

He snapped his teeth shut, but it was too late. The words were out, the offer hanging between them, her freedom hers for the taking. A sharp pain in his chest caught him off guard, but he fiercely ignored it. He glared at the woman who’d given him false hope, part of him hoping she’d take his offer and leave, even as he realized how much he wanted her to stay.

Maribel looked as though he’d slapped her. Contrary to what he’d expected, there was no relief in her eyes, no joy. Her face fell as she dropped her arms to her sides.

“You’re throwing me out?”

“Throwing you out? I’m setting you free.” He crossed his arms, his tail swirling in furious circles to keep him afloat. “You’re no longer my prisoner. Go home to your family.”

“So you want me to leave.”

Daman slammed a fist into the surface of the water, splattering more of his sensitive flesh with the frigid lake. “Why do you say it like that? As though I’ve hurt you in some way?” He shoved a hand through his hair, tugging on it in frustration. “You didn’t want to come here, didn’t want to stay here. Even in your sleep you know that this is not what you want.”

Maribel straightened at his last sentence and Daman swore under his breath.

“What isn’t what I want?” Her voice was barely loud enough to reach him.

“So like a female,” Daman ground out, the sharp claws on his fingertips drawing warm beads of blood from his palms under the water. “Searching for praise, needing to be told how wonderful she is. Wanting to hear a man beg her to stay.”

“You want me to stay?”
            “I will not play these games with you. Leave!”

“I’m not leaving until you hear me out!”

Maribel set her shoulders, planting her feet more firmly on the ground. Daman clenched his hands into fists.

“What is there to hear? Your nightmares couldn’t be any clearer. You dream of the man without the beast. Well, I’m sorry I cannot accommodate you. I am trapped this way. But even if I weren’t, I would never be fully one or the other. The monster is as much a part of who I am as the man, and if that concept bothers you so, then leave.”

“The only person here who has a problem with your form is you.” Maribel suddenly dropped to the ground long enough to grab a pebble. She threw it at him, managing to bounce it off his shoulder before he could recover from his shock enough to move. “I don’t care how much of you is snake and how much is man,” she snarled.

The flicker of hope that flared to life at her words upset him more than anything else so far. Daman shot through the water, lashing against the bank until he stood only inches from Maribel. Her body tensed, but to her credit she refused to back down. The hope inside him flared brighter and he viciously threw it off. He grabbed her arm, digging his fingers into her flesh as he pulled her closer. She lost her balance and fell against his chest, her body falling flush with his.

He looked deep into her eyes as the scales of his lower body pressed against her, searching for the telltale fear or disgust he was sure he’d find. A muscle ticked in Maribel’s jaw, but she didn’t break eye contact. Water from his body soaked into her skirts.

“It would appear you have nerves of steel. But your mask won’t do you any good against someone who can taste your fear.”

Hating himself even as he did it, Daman opened his mouth enough to slide his tongue out, tasting the air. His forked tongue had scared her once, he was counting on the same reaction now. He was
praying
for that reaction now.

He didn’t get it.

The air between them heated and a slight hint of musk coated his tongue. Daman closed his mouth abruptly. Pink tinged Maribel’s cheeks, but her blue eyes were fierce, unwavering as they bored into his. Holding his gaze, she leaned more heavily against him.

Without giving him time to react, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down, standing on her tiptoes at the same time. Shock reverberated through Daman’s system as she pressed her mouth to his.

It had been a long time since Daman had kissed someone. And he’d never kissed anyone while in this form. Bestial forms were for fighting, not…anything else. It was a disorienting feeling, like sitting in a bathtub fully dressed.

But not unpleasant.

Raspberries. She tasted of raspberries and…strawberries. Fruit that had ripened on the vine, warmed by the sun until they nearly burst. Sweet, and so very satisfying.

Maribel took advantage of his surprise and snaked her tongue into his mouth. Panic flared inside of him at the thought of her cutting her tongue on his fangs, chasing back the fuzzy cloud of desire that had eaten his good sense. He could imagine their mouths filling with blood, the horror that would cover her face, extinguishing whatever heat she was feeling now.

Scrambling to back away, Daman grunted as Maribel refused to loosen her hold. As he tried to retreat, she leaned closer, clinging to him like a stubborn coil of ivy. His balance wavered and they both fell backwards. Daman twisted his body, muscles straining as he fought to lower them gently to the ground. It was an acrobatic feat no human form could have managed, but was possible with the sinewy flexibility of his half-dragon form. Maribel didn’t appear to mind the commotion in the least. Her legs slid to either side of his serpentine lower body and she pulled back to lick gently at his bottom lip.

Dear gods…

Without meaning to, Daman closed his hands around Maribel’s hips, barely managing to keep his claws from pressing into her skin. He held his breath, giving in to the urge to kiss her back, if only a little. He chased that sweet flavor, rumbling deep in his chest at the wonder of it.

Maribel moaned in approval as he returned her kiss and he was careful to keep it shallow enough that his fangs didn’t threaten her. He slid his lips against hers, their breaths mingling as they tasted each other. Slowly, Maribel teased the crease of his lips with her tongue, probing for entrance. He sucked in a shuddering breath, but pushed gently against her hips.

“My fangs,” he warned, his voice hoarse.

“I’ll be careful,” Maribel promised softly.

There was a lazy weight to her voice that was nearly Daman’s undoing. He groaned in surrender, parting his lips to let Maribel explore as she would. She traced her tongue lightly over his, carefully avoiding his teeth. He returned her passion with his own, chasing her tongue back into her mouth and exploring the silky depths. A new heat seeped through him, clouding his thoughts until he could think of nothing but the feel of her body in his arms, the press of her mouth against his.

The kiss lasted for an eternity that ended all too soon when Maribel pulled back slightly, her labored breaths a match for his own.

“Now that we’ve established that you were wrong about your interpretation of my dream,” she said, her voice breathy and uneven, “perhaps we could put our heads together and figure out what it really means?”

The mention of her dream popped the fantasy bubble that had been glittering around them, plunging Daman back into harsh reality. Fury singed his veins, a voice in his head mocking him with a phantasmal rolling laugh for so quickly falling under Maribel’s charms. Whatever her kiss had tried to make him believe, the woman still dreamed of a human man. She held on to him only because she thought he would be human someday, that she could salvage a rich husband without having to live with a monster.

“I know you need someone to fall in love with you to break your curse.”

He started to push Maribel away and lever himself up off the ground, only barely resisting the urge to throw her off of him with all the fury surging through his veins.
Is there no end to my gullibility?
The voice screamed in his head, so loud it hurt.

Maribel’s legs slid around him as he rose, locking in place behind him. Startled, Daman gaped, too slow to stop her from locking her arms in a similar fashion around his neck.

“What are you doing?”

“You’re not running away from me again.” Maribel tightened her grip. “I’m telling you, I think the dreams mean something. And I want to know what it is.”

Daman tried to extricate himself, holding his temper like a fiery shield around him, refusing to think about how her body felt against his, or the defiant tone ringing in her voice. Maribel responded by tightening her hold. There was no way to get her off of him without hurting her.

“I already told you what they mean.” He looked down where her body was wrapped around his, trying to ascertain the best way to pry her off of him. “There’s no point in talking about it.”

Maribel twisted against him as he rose and he bit back a groan as her body pressed harder against his. He was suddenly painfully aware of the fact that he was once again naked—not having planned on having a visitor during his swim. If Maribel didn’t let go and let him get some space between their bodies, she was going to get a lot more than she’d bargained for. That thought inspired an interesting image and he half-choked as he shoved it away.

“They don’t have to mean anything,” he added, hating the tinge of desperation creeping into his voice.

“My sister is a witch, and I have some abilities too.” Maribel tightened her grip stubbornly. “The dreams might mean something.”

“Your kind are not known for prophecy.” Daman groped behind himself, trying to get a grip on Maribel’s legs so he could peel her off of him.

“Witches are human.” Maribel pressed closer against him, fighting his attempts to lever her away. “If my sister is a witch, what makes you so sure I’m not?”

“You’re not a witch,” he huffed, “you’re a—”

Daman cut himself off just in time. Maribel stared at him, the sharp look in her eyes telling him she’d caught what he’d said. He groped for some way to distract her, something that would cover his slip.

“What were you going to—”

“Didn’t your parents ever teach you not to wrestle with a naked man?”

Maribel’s muscles went slack, allowing Daman to wiggle free. He set her on the ground and hurriedly retreated to a safe distance, far enough away that she couldn’t grab him again, but not so far that she accused him of running away. His words had apparently had the desired effect. Maribel stood there brushing at her skirt, her eyes firmly on the ground, on her dress, anywhere but on him.