Fire Pearl (Beyond Ontariese 5) (15 page)

Had Drakkin left Aria in the temporal bubble?
If he had, there was nothing Noll could do until Aria emerged.

Noll had been frustrated enough to consider
returning to Quentin and admitting she needed assistance when
Drakkin flashed out of the palace and returned with Aria in his
arms. Drakkin shoved Aria against the wall and kissed her wildly.
Noll used her psychic sight to watch the enamored couple, but she
still had no way to approach them. They spoke briefly then Drakkin
led his guest into the ballroom. Noll sighed. The ballroom was more
densely shielded. She could still sense them, but she could no
longer
see
them.

So what should she do now? She had to find a
way inside that palace. Quentin dealt harshly with anyone who
failed him. Faujer was proof of that.

Drakkin and Aria had both been dressed in
formal finery, which didn’t surprise her. She’d watched countless
skimmers pull up in front of the palace and offload similarly
dressed passengers. The party was well underway and as guests
drifted in and out of the ballroom, it was likely the guards would
stop checking invitations.

Seeing no other option, she drew energy into
the center of her body and transformed her Mystic robes into a
sleek, shiny evening gown. Next she subtly changed the shape of her
face and the appearance of her eyes. The gentle rotation stopped
and she carefully formed red rings within the natural gray. She
wasn’t considered a shapeshifter by other Mystics because she
couldn’t transform completely into another form. Still, being able
to alter her appearance frequently came in handy.

She had no idea what she’d do even if she
made it beyond the front door. All she knew for certain was she had
to try. Reinforcing her determination with necessity, she started
along the stone promenade leading up to the palace.

Aria touched her lips, still processing what
had just happened. Indric was handsome, charming, and undeniably
skilled, yet she’d felt nothing as he kissed her. It wasn’t
unpleasant, but there had been no curl of heat or aching need. All
Drakkin had to do was brush his fingers against her arm and her
body hummed with anticipation.

“Did it backfire on me? Are you now
hopelessly enamored with my best friend?” The triumphant gleam in
Drakkin eyes told her he knew damn well he’d made his point.

“Maybe you’re just a better kisser.” She
tilted her head and smiled. “Why don’t you kiss me so I can
complete the comparison?”

She was in his arms before she finished the
question. He crushed her against his chest and held the back of her
head, not caring that he was destroying her fancy hairstyle. After
the initial aggression, however, he slowed, easing the pressure as
his fingers sank into her upswept hair.

His lips caressed hers, the kiss soft and
slow. He held back with steely determination, the effort apparent
in his tense muscles and stance. A stray wisp of emotion seeped
past his shields and flowed into her mind. Achingly tender yet
consumed with need. How could the two exist simultaneously?

I want to do more than kiss. Where can we
go
? She wasn’t sure if he’d hear her. Their link was
closed.

He tore his mouth away from hers, panting
softly. “Each time we make love the connection is reinforced. If
you still want the option of severing the link, we should probably
wait until after.”

She closed her eyes, unable to think
rationally while she looked at him. “Will you still want me if I
ask you to sever the bond?” She had to know that he was willing,
that her insecurity wouldn’t cost her his love.

“Aria.” He waited until she opened her eyes.
“Nothing will ever change the way I feel about you. If you want the
link severed, I will do it, but it will hurt like hell.”

“And it’s likely to happen again.” She
allowed herself to smile.

“Exactly.” He sounded just a bit cautious,
but a sudden leap of heat erupted in his eyes.

“Then I suppose we’ll leave well enough alone
and I’ll have to get used to the idea of having a mate.”

He pulled her back into his arms, his kiss
hot and hungry. She parted her lips and slid her tongue along his,
feeling weightless and dizzy with joy. Gradually he lowered the
shield blocking his end of their link. Emotions trickled into her
mind, a tingling vibration that slowly built into a pulse strong
enough to shake her soul. She clutched his back, trembling
helplessly as his need surged through her in staggering waves.

His arms tightened around her and a rush of
acceleration blended with the other sensations. She broke away,
gasping for air as they materialized in a shadowy bedroom. The
lavish furniture and elegant décor indicated that they were still
in the palace.

He lowered his mouth to the sensitive spot
below her ear as his hands moved over her torso with frantic
urgency. Ravenous desire burned into her mind. He needed her and
needed her
now
.

Exhilarated by his frenzy, she sank to her
knees before him and quickly worked the fastenings at the front of
his pants. She’d had no idea what a toll her indecision was
exacting from him. He’d ached for days, unable to sleep, barely
able to breathe. His frustration and fear echoed through her mind.
He’d been terrified that he would lose her, yet willing to let her
go if her freedom was the only thing that would make her happy.

She reached inside his pants and drew out his
engorged cock. He trembled as her fingers curved around the thick
shaft and moaned when she stroked him from base to tip. His eyes
were tightly closed, features contorted by the desperation of his
need.

Her lips parted and she leaned in, guiding
him to her mouth. His flared tip brushed against her lips then
slipped inside. His skin was velvety soft, yet the flesh beneath
could have been carved from stone. She took him deeper and his warm
woodsy scent filled her nose.

He stroked her face, his thumbs teasing the
corners of her mouth as he slid in and out. She swirled her tongue
over his tip and absorbed his salty-sharp taste. Each time Faujer
made her do this—

“Look at me.” His tone was harsh and urgent,
but his hands remained gentle. She shifted the angle of her head so
she could meet his gaze. “The past has no place in this room.”

She stared into his eyes and tightened her
lips around his shaft. He was right. All that unpleasantness was
behind her. Drakkin was her future. He hesitated a moment longer
then drove slowly inward, filling her mouth with his taste and
heat. She savored the steady slide and the tenderness blazing into
her mind.

He sped the rhythm of his hips and the rings
in his eyes began to glow. Beyond the tempering affection, she felt
his inner savage stir. Possessive and demanding, this was Drakkin
at his most elemental.

Heat erupted deep within her, spreading
through her body and filling her mouth. Drakkin gasped then
shuddered and finally surrendered to his inner self. Fire pearl and
inner savage fused together in a burst of flame.

He cried out sharply as he thrust to the back
of her mouth and came in violent shudders. Consumed by the heat and
lost in his pleasure, she swallowed his essence with greedy
abandon.

He staggered back and collapsed across the
bed, too shaken even to right his pants.

The heat inside Aria smoldered as she looked
at her mate. His chest heaved and his arms were flung out to the
sides.

“You might have robbed yourself of your
pleasure,” he warned in between pants. “I’m not sure when, or if,
I’ll be able to move again.”

She sauntered up to the bed and lifted one of
his legs, tugging off his boot. “Then I’ll climb on top of you and
ride you like a horse.”

He laughed. “Pour me a glass of wine and I’ll
see if I can make it worth your while.”

After taking off his other boot, she crossed
to the small square table near the door. A silver tray had been
placed there with an arrangement of fruits and cheeses, as well as
a decanter of red wine. She filled two wineglasses then returned to
the bed.

Drakkin had roused enough to refasten his
pants and take off his jacket. She sat beside him and passed him
one of the glasses then raised the other to her lips. “Can I ask a
question?”

“You don’t need permission to ask me a
question. I will tell you anything you want to know.” He took a
drink of wine and waited for her to speak again.

“We’ve only been apart for five days, why
were you so…eager?”

He paused for another drink before he
explained. “Bonding is a powerful instinct for Bilarrian males.
When you rejected the link, I closed off the connection so you
wouldn’t be pressured by my emotions.”

“And that compounded what you were feeling.”
It hadn’t really been a question, but he nodded. She took another
sip of wine as guilt welled within her. This is what she’d sensed
while she pleasured him, but she wanted to be sure she’d correctly
interpreted his emotions. He’d selflessly protected her every step
of the way, made sure she had peace and safety so she could analyze
her feelings, while his body burned.

His fingertip glided down the side of her
neck, drawing her gaze back to him. “It was damage control, nothing
more. I was responsible for the bond, so it was my duty to keep you
from being overwhelmed by what I’d done. Don’t make me sound so
noble.”

But he was noble. She sensed it in his mind,
had seen it demonstrated in countless images during her ten months
on Earth. She hadn’t told him about the visions, knew he’d use it
as further evidence that they were mates. If they were to have no
secrets between them, she needed to tell him about the dreams. Even
the erotic incident that had triggered her teleportation.

He took the wineglass from her hand and set
them both aside. Then he stood and drew her to her feet. “This
dress is a work of art. Let’s get you out of it before it’s
ruined.”

She chuckled. “That’s a novel approach to
getting me naked.” Desire rose within her, eclipsing her need for
full disclosure. They had the rest of their lives to analyze all
the forces that had brought them together. Tonight she just wanted
to feel.

His fingers brushed against her skin as he
worked the fastenings that ran down the back of the gown. The
bodice loosened and then the dress pooled around her legs. She
stepped out of the shimmering cloud and he picked up the gown,
reverently laying it over the back of a nearby chair.

Support and shaping had been built into the
bodice so Aria was now naked to the waist. Drakkin’s gaze dipped to
her breast for just a moment then returned to her face. “This is
what you want?”

She wasn’t sure why he felt compelled to ask,
but seeing Lord Drakkin of Hautell, director of the Symposium
uncertain about anything filled her with a sense of power. Emotions
only trickled into her mind as if he was still hesitant to use
their link. She closed her eyes and found the connection then
pushed her desire into his mind. She let him feel the bleak
loneliness that had been her life before she met him and then the
soul-deep ache he ignited in her.

“I want nothing more,” she whispered, her
eyes still closed.

His warm hands moved from her elbows to her
shoulders in a slow, sweeping caress. He leaned down and pressed
his lips against her temple, lingering as one of his hands slid up
her neck. Then his lips covered hers and he pulled her against his
body. Her breasts pressed against bare skin and she gasped, opening
her eyes.

He was naked and so was she. Had he willed
their clothing out of existence or moved faster than she could
perceive? But wouldn’t she have felt her panties slide down and her
stockings—

He nipped her lower lip with an impatient
growl. “Don’t let every detail distract you.” Sweeping her up in
his arms, he placed her in the middle of the bed. “Feel my hands,
my lips, my tongue, and know your mate adores you.” Heat and
intimacy flowed into her mind, reinforcing his words.

The bed dipped slightly as he lay on his side
and demonstrated his claim. He kissed her with gentle patience as
he guided her arms up and overlapped her hands. She tensed for a
moment, thinking he meant to bind her, but his hands didn’t grasp
her wrists. They slid up and down her upraised arms, exploring the
sensitive skin on the underside of her limbs.

His lips wandered from her mouth to her jaw
then lower. He traced her pulse with his tongue, following the
rhythmic path as it descended along her throat. She started to lift
one hand, wanting to touch him, but he pinned her forearms to the
bed. His hold was careful yet firm, leaving her no option but to
remain as he’d positioned her. Rather than dissect his motivation,
she focused on the sensations he created and the emotions they
exchanged.

He propped himself up on one elbow and
caressed her with his other hand. His lips closed around one of her
nipples as his fingers teased the other. Each urgent pull from his
lips drew tingling heat from deep inside her body. She arched into
his caresses, feeling achy and hot. So very hot.

“Your body is a wonder.” His lips moved
against her damp flesh as he whispered the words. “Heat radiates
off your nipples. They’re almost too hot to touch.” He chuckled as
he sucked the tingling peak back into his mouth.
Almost
.

Energy twisted through her arousal. She
recognized the significance now. His touch had awakened her gift,
made her fire pearl burn.

Find somewhere to store the energy,
he
urged
. You must be able to access it even when you’re not
aroused
.

She knew he was right, but how was she
supposed to think while her senses sizzled? She closed her eyes and
allowed her perception to turn inward.

This is how your gift works. You must
control the flow of energy or you’ll never be able to fuel your
actual abilities
.