The Dragon's Heart (Dragon Lore) (22 page)

“You are evil like that.”

“I really am.” Against her will, she laughed at his dry comment, and wrapped her arms around his neck. God, it felt good to laugh with him.

Daniel pressed his lips to her temple as he pulled her even closer. “How did your father end up as your manager?”

Shelby squeezed her eyes shut. “You’re going to think I’m an idiot.”

“No,” he murmured quietly. “I promise that’s not going to happen.”

She snorted pathetically, letting him know she didn’t believe him. She said the words, anyway. “He and Alicia showed at my door a month or so after you disappeared. They couldn’t handle my step-mother’s reaction to the scandal, and her complete lack of sympathy.” Her face crumpled as she remembered that day. “He hugged me. He told me he was sorry, and that he and Alicia were there to help me through it. I trusted him, and I was so grateful for the way they stood by me, the way they helped me, I set up another audition for Alicia. Then I asked my dad if he wanted to be my manager. Part of me knew he was using me, but in my world, everyone uses everyone. At least I had a relationship with him.”

Daniel was quiet for a long moment, before he just murmured softly, “Your father deserves to be shot.”

“You…” her voice trailed off as she shook her head slowly, confusion rippling through her. “That’s it?”

“I’d rather string him up and eviscerate him slowly, while taking my time peeling his skin from his bones, but that could take days and I don’t like the idea of being away from you for so long.”

She felt it. She literally felt the second she went from being half in love with the man, to being all-the-way-to-her-soul, heart-deep, wildly, madly, completely and absolutely in love with him. Not because he wanted to eviscerate her father, but because he hated that she’d been hurt. She leaned up, cupped his face in her hands, and with a smile blooming over her face, she kissed him.

* * * *

Daniel was kissing her back before he realized what he was doing. By then, it was too late to stop. He was lost in her eyes, in her smile, in the way she looked at him and simply made him feel.

Tangling a hand in her hair, he let his mouth move over hers slowly, suddenly determined to give her back what she’d given to him last night. It was the least he could do after she’d laid herself bare to let him in.

Mindful of how precious she was, his hands were feather-light and gentle as he slowly stretched her out on the bed, his body carefully covering hers. He was ever aware of how small she was against his massiveness. Hurting her in any way was not something he would survive.

Determined to take his time with her, he peeled her clothes off slowly. He needed to see her. Touch her. Feel her.

She was so perfect to him, in every way possible. Her small, tight body was so magnificently formed it nearly brought him to his knees. She was amazing. Every inch of her, from the dark freckle at the corner of her left eye, to the small, nearly invisible scar on her chin, to the soft, round breasts and narrow waist, were exquisite.

He’d be afraid of breaking her, but the idea of never being inside of her again was enough to push him over the last fine edge of insanity.

She bowed up into him on a soft sigh, pressing her body willingly to his as his mouth slipped down her waist to the core of her. The way she responded to him–the way she needed him–it was almost enough to make him believe the parts of him were all right. Made him want to be all those things–gentle and sweet and patient, and so much more. Just for her.

Part of him knew it was the mating mark causing her reaction to him, but the same part of him hoped against hope, if he gave her enough of everything she needed, she’d take pity on him and agree to be with him. He didn’t want to be without her anymore.

He drove her up with his mouth until she screamed with her release, ignoring his own needs in his desperation to give her the world. He knew even after he died, he’d never stop craving the sweetness of her.

“Dear God, you killed me.” Her head fell back as her body bowed with a long shiver. “I’m dead. I’m in heaven,” she murmured with a slow, languid stretch, a lazy smile curving her mouth, “and
holy damn
does it feel good. I mean, wow.”

He grunted as he fell onto the bed next to her. She immediately rolled over on top of him. “Wow, huh?”

She smiled and leaned down to trail her mouth slowly over his Mack-sized chest. “I thought you were angry at me.”

“No.” He caught her hair in his fist, holding her still. “Shel–don’t.” He cursed quietly when her body stilled. He didn’t have to see her eyes to feel her uncertainty. It took him several tries to get out the words he wanted to say. “This time was for you.”

She frowned, her teeth worrying at her bottom lip as she shook her head slowly. “That doesn’t seem fair.”

“It’s not about being fair.” He gripped her hips and with all the gentleness he could muster, set her on the bed next to him. He stood up, thankful he still had his track pants on, aware if she dropped her gaze, she’d be able to see just how much it was killing him.

He heard her teeth chatter before she grabbed the comforter off the bed and wrapped it around her shoulders. “Daniel, what’s wrong?” When he ignored her, she mimicked a growl and scooted off the bed so she was standing in front of him. “Don’t do this. What’s going on?”

He didn’t move for so long, the woman actually reached out to pinch his bicep. He started to growl at her, to demand she get away from him, when something inside of him snapped.

He moved in. His hand tangled in her hair as his other arm banded around her waist. He hitched her up, his face burying in her shoulder. “I need help, Shelby.” The words tore out of somewhere deep inside. It terrified the hell out of him. He was giving this woman all the power in the world to break him. “Please don’t give up on me, baby. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it. Just don’t give up on me.”

“Daniel.” She murmured it gently as she wound her arms around his neck. She rested her head against him as his shoulders shook violently. “I don’t want to go anywhere. I’m right where I want to be. Hey.” She trailed one of her hands over his shoulder, until it pressed against the mark on his chest that matched her own. “What do you feel?”

“You. I just feel you.” He shifted his hold on her as he took them both to the ground, and wrapped himself around her. He had no idea how she’d done it, but she had. She’d made him need her, and now he needed her so goddamn fucking much he couldn’t breathe through it. “So help me, Shelby. I know I should let you go. I know it, but I can’t fucking get my body to cooperate with my brain. I don’t know how to fight it.”

She lifted her head, letting him see the wild storm raging inside of her. “I don’t want you to let me go. I’m as much a part of this mating as you are. Don’t you get it?” she asked, her eyes searching his. “Even if you found a way for both of us to survive the break, I’d still find a way to be with you.”

“No.” He gritted it out through clenched teeth as he dropped his head back on the bed. She only shifted on his lap until her face was directly above his. He trailed the pad of his thumb over her cheekbone. “You’re saying that because I’ve left you no goddamn choice. I came in here to tell you good bye. It’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

She stared at him for so long he actually began to twitch, before she let out an indignant snort. “No.”

He cocked his head, certain he’d misunderstood her. “Pardon?”

“No,” she repeated. “I don’t accept your goodbye. Sorry.” Her grin went impish as she licked her way down his throat. “But we can have sex again.”

His head exploded. It simply exploded until he was sure he could feel it bounce off the edges of his skull. Any willpower he thought he had, vanished. His mouth was ravaging hers in the next heartbeat.

18

Daniel was fucked. There was no other word for it, and no other way to describe it. He was well, truly and completely, utterly and royally fucked. He knew it.

He just couldn’t give a shit.

His head dropped back on a hiss, and as Shelby slowly climbed on top of him, her mouth dragging slowly over the muscles in his abdomen, he decided it would be hard for anyone in his position to care about how royally they’d fucked everything up.

He had Shelby, his mate, the woman of his dreams. And she didn’t want him to let her go.

She brought her mouth back to his, shifting her hips to take him inside again. He wrapped his arm around her perfect ass when she reared up, loving the way her tiny, tight body felt as she wrapped herself around him.

Her beautiful eyes locked on his as he drove them relentlessly up and up, and ever further up, until there was no choice but for them to shatter completely. Together.

He was cross-eyed and half dead as Shelby’s trembling body went limp. She collapsed against him, her after-shock whimpers tickling his chest.

Yeah. The beast inside of him let out a satisfied purr as his hand possessively cupped her ass. He was fucked.

“Seriously,” he rasped, his voice hoarse. Raw. “I’m glad you can’t get enough of me, princess, but we have to stop. One more orgasm like that and I’m going to blow out my vocal chords.” He yawned, too sleepy and sedate to be stern. “You don’t want to see a dragon without his roar, woman.”

“Somehow,” she murmured, her eyes dancing as she peeked up at him, “I think you’d still find a way to intimidate all the other dragons on the playground.”

His face went blank as he stared at her, confused. She seemed to expect some kind of response from him, but no one had ever teased him before. He had no idea what to do. He didn’t have time to think about it, either. She giggled and bounded naked off the bed, running for the kitchen, her laugh trailing behind her.

He didn’t question the urge to run after her, he just did. She was his mate. Where she went, he followed. She was laughing as he caught up with her in the kitchen. He was so distracted by her smile he didn’t realize until too late she had a weapon in her hands.

19

It took everything Shelby had not to laugh at the stunned look on Daniel’s face as he stared at the water dripping off his body. As he swiped his hand over his chest and scowled down at it, a giggle escaped. She couldn’t help it. When his stunned gaze snapped up to hers, she slapped both hands over her mouth in a useless effort to keep the laugh bubbling out.

He growled at her, putting enough force into the sound, she could actually feel it reverberate in her chest. “What are you laughing at, woman?” he demanded as he took a slow, predatory step toward her.

She giggled again. “You.” She tilted her head back and grinned up at him. “Did you know you’re all wet?”

“I’m aware, yes,” he drawled. He hooked his arm around her waist and lifted her in one fluid motion, setting her on the countertop. When he braced his hands on either side of her, Shelby couldn’t help it. The way heat flashed in his eyes mixed with confusion, sent shivers of pure need and emotion rushing through her.

“Here, let me help.” She brought her hands up to his chest, humming with sheer appreciation as she touched rock-solid skin. She took her time, sliding her fingers over damp skin, enjoying every second of touching him like this. His head dipped, a low, possessive sound rumbling through him as his mouth found the curve of her throat. God. She
loved
when he kissed her there. Her hands came up to tangle in his hair. She sighed as pure pleasure, pure need shivered through her as she dragged her mouth up to his, every ounce of humor vanishing.

Until he turned the handheld nozzle on and held it directly over her head, drenching her from head to foot.

“You–you!” She gaped at him as water dripped down onto the ceramic tile, but the damn man only took a step back, crossing his arms over his chest. When he raised one golden brow at her, waiting for her temper, she laughed in pure joy instead. Hopping off the counter, she threw herself at him. Instantly, her chilled skin heated against his. “Daniel, you’re playing!”

One corner of his permanently scowling mouth lifted, and Shelby’s heart took a tumble in reaction. He was smiling.
Daniel
was smiling.

He kissed her gently, a soft brush of his lips, before he pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against hers.

“Did I do it right?” he murmured, vulnerability in the depths of his eyes as they searched hers. “I’ve never played before.”

Oh yeah, she thought, her heart slamming against her chest so hard it hurt. She was a goner. It was impossible for her not to love him. Going up on her toes, she wound her arms around his neck. She nodded her head against his, her voice soft. “It was perfect, Daniel.”