“Not to your face.” Kaylee grinned, and across from her, Erling snorted.
Lifting her chin, Alara rolled her shoulders back, covering up a twinge of embarrassment. “Yeah, well at least I’m only loose with my body, not throwing my heart around, like some people who will remain unnamed.”
Kaylee stuck out her tongue.
From across the table, Erling piped in. “So seriously, ‘Lara, what’s the deal. You going to go for it, or are we going to sick Kaylee on him? I need some vicarious thrills here, and I’ll take them any way I can.”
Shrugging, Alara peeked in the dragon’s direction. “Eh. I don’t know. It’ll be fun if he competes in the games though. I can’t wait to see him get his ass handed to him.”
Kaylee and Erling’s eyes met, and the male raised his eyebrow. “So, you’re not going to fuck him?”
Her teeth scraped on the inside of her cheek. She hunched defensively. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Maybe?” Kaylee beamed. “Holy cow! You like him!” The female bounced on the bench they shared, jolting Alara up and down.
“I do not
like
him. Yeah, I guess he’s hot, and I’ll probably get around to it. I’m just not, like, committing to anything. Jeez!” She crossed her arms over her chest. When had her certainty about sleeping with him wavered? If anything, she hated him less now than when he arrived.
“Alara has a crush on a dragon! Alara has a crush on a dragon!” Her friends started chanting, and Alara stood up.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going home.” She grabbed her bag.
Erling called after her. “If you screw him, could we cut down this double-shift bullshit?”
Not answering, she head out the door.
* * * *
Alara walked home in the frosty air. Streetlights illuminated the sidewalks and snowmobiles passed occasionally. Despite the building and roads that had been so recently constructed, the area still smelled like salt water and fresh fish.
She felt chipper as she looked forward to the weekend. The Games would undoubtedly impress the dragon with their town unity, the strength and training of her men, and her own badass-ness. With any luck, the dragon would feel honor-bound to compete as well. Giddy happiness bubbled up in her—at last a competitor who might actually pose a challenge!
Footsteps approached behind her. She swiveled and waited for her pursuer to catch up. A moment later, Kai turned a corner and walked toward her through the bluish light.
Despite all their interaction over the past few days, they’d never been alone since that first day in her office. Something about his large size and the emptiness of the sidewalks made her nervous and more than a little anxious to get back to the Glass House. Throwing her chest forward, she shouted at him, “Are you following me, dragon?”
He came to stand in front of her, broad shoulders blocking the light of the streetlamps. His gaze didn’t meet hers. She felt his rumbling deep voice all the way to her bones. “Yes, Princess. I thought you might like an escort on your way back to the castle.”
He didn’t move to offer his arm or touch her in any way, but he nodded in the direction of the Glass House and gestured for her to continue walking. She chose to accept his offer, but bit out, “As I’m sure you have become aware, no one calls me ‘Princess.’ I would appreciate it if you called me ‘Alara.’”
“Of course, Alara. As you wish.” He said her name quietly, almost in a whisper. A shiver rolled across her skin at the sound.
She strode quickly. He had caught her off guard by joining her. As they walked, his eyes darted from side to side. He kept his large frame between hers and the street where snowmobiles occasionally passed. “You know, I’m perfectly capable of getting home on my own. I don’t need a bodyguard!”
The dragon met her eyes. His exotic features drew into a frown. Was that guilt she saw? “I am surprised you don’t travel with protection. Most royals accept that their position comes with risks.”
She wasn’t sure how to answer, so she took a moment to settle her jacket higher on her shoulders and wrap her scarf more firmly around her neck. “Yes, of course I recognize the risks. However we’re not at war and…” The idea of having a bodyguard, of relying on someone else to take care of her, caused a cold panic to settle in her gut. Of course, she would never share that information with anyone, least of all with the dragon. “…and I’m more than capable of defending myself.”
“So your men say.” He said it with no particular inflection, but anger still flashed through her mind. Someone had told him the story. When she learned who the gossip mongering jerk was she would skin him alive. The dragon shifted his voice to something slower and more soothing, as if he had felt her blast of temper. “They speak very highly of you.”
She chewed her lip and tried to regain her composure. Whatever the dragon knew, or thought he knew, was unlikely the whole deal. “I’m glad to hear that. Though of course my goal is to whip them into an army, not make friends.”
His lips rose in a smile, and his white teeth shone bright against the charcoal of his skin like the sun breaking through a cover of clouds. A girl could get lost in that smile, and she was relieved when his face sank back to its usual dour expression. Good thing this guy had no idea how to use charm, otherwise she’d have a much harder time keeping a handle on him.
They arrived at the Glass House, and he gave her a short bow before turning on his heel and heading the opposite way through the wide corridors. She watched his walk as he moved away—so stiff and formal. She wondered how the dragon might act among family or friends, when he wasn’t on assignment. Would he tell jokes? Smile? Or just sit quietly taking in the people and things around him?
She shook her head forcefully, trying to knock the thoughts from her mind. His personality or lack thereof was neither her problem nor her concern. He’d be off her island soon enough.
* * * *
Karon hovered outside Gracie’s room again. She’d regained consciousness the day before, but demanded to go back to her quarters to recover. He felt like crap. He’d almost killed her. What’s more, she was still suffering from lack of sex, and seemed unwilling to do anything to improve her situation.
His hand rose of its own accord and knocked on the metal door. “Gracie, are you awake?”
Her voice came back raspy. “Leave me alone.”
She sounded so weak. No way would he let her just lie in bed and waste away. He was still mad at her, but the idea of her hurting on his account tore at his gut.
“Gracie, I’m coming in.” He slid open the door and bit back a curse. The succubus’ skin was sunken around her eyes. Her hair hung limp and dry about her shoulders. Within a couple steps, he knelt beside her bed.
“Gracie, this is enough. You have to have sex. You won’t get better if you don’t. I know you want to punish me. But I don’t deserve this!” His eyes warmed and moistened as he wondered if maybe he did deserve it. The moment his fangs penetrated her neck the erotic rush blew him away. He’d been flying, barely aware of what he was doing. Afterward he’d been so giddy and excited to finally become vampire that he’d barley noticed her body crumpled on his floor.
Gracie finally turned her grayed gaze to him. “You neck-raped me, you bastard! Of course you deserve to feel guilty!”
Her words stung, and he thought about defending himself, or maybe begging for forgiveness. However, this was about her well-being, not his absolution. He lifted one of her hands to his mouth and kissed her palm. “I know I did, baby. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to. It just…happened.”
“Did you want to kill me?” Her eyes were so bleak, so hopeless. They reminded him of how he must have looked before he met her.
“No. I just…I dunno. I guess I was…hungry maybe? Turned on?” He felt his voice rising, becoming a little angry despite his efforts to be gentle. “I’ve never been a vampire before, Gracie. I didn’t know. And, to be fair, I didn’t kill you!” His final proclamation sounded weak, even to his own ears.
Her mouth pinched in disgust, and he found that the look spurred his anger higher. “And you’re not really one to talk, Gracie. It’s not like you never sucked my life force!”
“Yes, but you knew I was doing that.” Her brow was still knit in anger, but he noticed the corner of her mouth twitch in a reluctant agreement.
Karon sat on the side of her bed and passed his fingers through her hair. The strands scraped brittle against his hand, but the movement released her spicy smell into the air. Now with vampire senses, the fragrance was stronger, more intoxicating. He could see its tendrils floating above the bed. The heat of her body seemed to rise and make the air tremor.
“I was always more than happy to let you feed from me, Gracie.” He stretched his body on her bed, so that he lay atop the covers alongside her. “I’m still happy to.”
He remembered all the times he felt whipped or pathetic offering his body to her. Today had a different feel. He knew exactly what he was sharing, what he was willing and able to give. Further, he’d taken her blood by force and against her will. On some level that made them a little more even.
They faced each other. He saw her struggling to decide and noticed her heated hunger in how she licked and then pursed her lips. Before she could protest or argue, he kissed her and pulled her against him. She broke contact with his mouth and whispered into his shoulder, “Promise not to bite me again?”
His cock pulsed against the seam of his jeans and his fangs ached in his gums. He tried to focus on allowing one part of his body to function while tamping down the other. The task proved harder than he might have imagined. “I promise, baby.”
Karon shuffled his clothes off and joined her under the covers. His hands explored the body he had so missed, but the curves he remembered were gone. Each rib stuck out stark and hard under his fingertips. She wore nothing but a thin nightgown, which rode up her hips when her legs wrapped around him. In the past days he’d given lots of thought to all the things he would do once he was back in her bed. But the way she moved with fevered desperation against him made him discard his plans.
“John, I’m sorry I can’t be more…inventive right now, but I’m sick. Can we just do it fast?” Her face was scrunched up in guilt and sadness. Gracie always put on a show like a porn star when they’d been together before. Clearly she worried he’d expect the drama every time.
He kissed her nose and lowered his hips between hers. His cock settled into her already-slick furrow. “Don’t worry, baby, I’ll take care of you.” He slid along her crease once, then twice to coat himself in her juices. At each pass her whimpers rose. Then he repositioned and arched into her. The warm press of her walls closing over him stole the breath from his chest. Her arms and legs closed around him. He thrust his body up into all of her, her smell, her sounds, the feel of every inch of her skin against his. When he watched for her expression, though, he saw that she was pained. “Baby, what’s the matter?”
Her soft hazel eyes opened wide. The small blue veins under her skin pulsed, and the fevered look came hotter and stronger. Her voice when it came was a strangled growl. “I’m sorry, John.”
The drain started as a searing ache in his balls. Then, as if she had placed electric probes on his dick, his orgasm buckled him over. Each spasm was like a strike of lightning. With each pulse, it was as if his nerves were pulling taut, drawing his very life into her.
The pain and pleasure of it stretched for what might have been a few minutes or an hour. By the end he’d forgotten where he was, heck who he was. When he came back to himself, he was on his back, Gracie draped over him kissing his chest. Her look was sheepish.
“Sorry?” Her voice was a whisper. Her cheeks were rosy now and the curves he loved to bury himself inside were back.
“What are you sorry about, baby? That was hot!” He was so happy to have her healthy again, to be a vampire, to be back in her bed. Nothing seemed to matter, not even his job, not even everything that had kept them apart.
She gave him her most wicked smile, and he could have been drunk with it for days. “You always were a sick bastard, Captain Karon. You know that, right?”