Dragon Heat 1 - Dead Sexy Dragon (9 page)

lightly bit down. She shuddered at the quicksilver bite of

pleasure and pain. Stig’s fingers found her clit. She

bucked against his stimulating hand. He continued his

sensual torment of her breasts. The biting and licking and

suckling inflamed her aroused body and made her wild

with need.

Stig released her nipple with a noisy
pop
and nuzzled

his mouth between her breasts. Cora wanted to touch him

but the silk ties kept her wrists firmly above her head. She

arched her back in an attempt to press closer to his

southward-venturing mouth. He set her body on fire with

his teasing, ticklish kisses and caresses. Her toes curled as

Stig’s tongue outlined the lips of her sex, flicking over her

clit but not lingering. He continued moving farther south,

nibbling her thighs, knees, and calves.

“Oh!” Cora yelped with surprise when Stig sucked her

big toe into his mouth. She’d never been particularly keen

on the idea but the real-world experience was much

different than she’d imagined. It felt a bit kinky and

thrilling. She giggled and squirmed as he continued to

tease her. He seemed to sense when she’d had enough and

kissed his way back up her legs. She still shook with

laughter as he nibbled her calves.

Stig pressed his soft lips to her lower belly. His warm

hands caressed her thighs and stomach with long sweeping

strokes. The sensation of his rough palms moving over her

skin felt so incredibly relaxing. Stig worked magic with

his fingers and made her sigh with pleasure.

He sat back on his heels between her legs and slid his

hands a little lower. He massaged her inner thighs, lightly

petting her pussy. His thumb stroked between the slick lips

of her cunt, brushing over her highly sensitized clitoris.

She inhaled a sharp breath and lifted her hips. She wanted

more of that, right there, and he knew it.

Stig licked his fingers and carefully penetrated her. His

thumb continued to manipulate her clit in lazy circles. He

seemed to know just how much pressure and just the right

pace she needed. Cora pumped her hips and rode his hand

as she chased the promise of a shattering climax.

It seemed Stig had other plans. As Cora crested the first

wave of the buildup to an orgasm, he slowed the thrusting

fingers and massaging thumb. Cora cried out with

frustration. She dug her toes into the mattress and lifted her

hips. “Stig!”

“What?” She could hear the smile in his voice as he

rubbed his lips over her belly button.

“I’m close.” She squeezed the inner walls of her pussy

in a desperate attempt to find the little bit of stimulation

she needed, but it wasn’t enough.

“Patience.” Stig gently removed his fingers and she

whimpered at the loss of fullness. Her eyes widened with

lust at the sight of her lover licking the glistening juices

from his fingers. He fisted his cock with the other hand

and rubbed his balls. His thick penis stood erect, ready.

She simply couldn’t wait to have him inside her mouth or

pussy—she didn’t care. She just wanted him.

“Let me suck you.” Cora licked her lips in anticipation.

Stig groaned at her husky request. He carefully moved

over her until his knees were planted right below her

arms. The ruddy crown of his cock traced the fullness of

her pout, and she greedily accepted his penis into her

mouth. The submissive nature of their pose made her so

hot. She practically vibrated with excitement and arousal.

His penis slid along her velvet tongue. Cora relaxed her

jaw and allowed his rock-hard cock deeper with each

stroke. Stig’s fingers sifted through her still-damp locks.

They tightened a bit and tugged at her scalp. It sent a wild

shiver down her spine. This was something she could get

used to, a little rough loving.

Stig’s breathing increased and he pulled back suddenly.

His chest heaved as he fought for control. She wished she

could reach out and touch him, to run her hands over his

muscled chest or stroke his quivering cock. He was still

close enough to torment with her mouth. She flicked her

tongue along the head of his penis, which elicited a hiss of

surprise.

With a low chuckle, Stig moved back a little farther and

then shimmied down her body. He knelt between her

thighs and took hold of his cock. He used the blunt tip to

draw circles around her clit. The hot, hard head felt so

good against the stiff little nub. In no time at all, Cora

begged Stig to take her.

When he finally slid between her legs, Cora let loose a

nearly feral growl of desire. He clutched his throbbing

cock and brought it to her sopping entrance. Her swollen

sex glistened with readiness. Stig thrust deep and hard,

knocking the breath from her lungs. She pulled at the silken

bonds holding her hostage and wished her hands were free

to roam, touch, squeeze.

Stig took her with fast, rough thrusts and she loved

every minute of it. He held tight to her hips and snapped

his pelvis. The bed shook with the force of their mating.

Cora’s cries and moans ricocheted off the walls and

ceilings. Stig panted and growled as he went wild with

lust.

“Stig! Oh, God. Harder. Harder!” He did exactly as she

asked. It took only one touch of his thumb against her clit

to send her reeling into the stratosphere of orgasm. Her

pussy clenched with spasms of ecstasy and clutched at

Stig’s jackhammering cock. He couldn’t hold off a second

longer and thrust deep. His cock pulsed as he came and

spilled his hot seed.

They shuddered with the enormity of their coupling. Stig

collapsed atop her, his forehead resting on her shoulder.

She wanted to wrap her arms around him, to hold him

close, but couldn’t. She settled on turning her face and

pressing her lips to his stubbled cheek.

“I love you, Cora.”

The words were muffled and soft but there was no

mistaking them. Cora went still at his stunning revelation.

He loved her. Stig, her shape-shifting dragon, loved her.

She nuzzled close to his cheek and whispered against

his ear, “I love you, too.”

The tension melted from his body. He turned and

claimed her mouth in the sweetest, gentlest kiss they’d

shared. Holding his tender gaze, she asked, “How long?”

“Have I wanted you?” Stig nuzzled his nose against

hers. “Since the first moment I laid eyes on you.”

His words filled her with bubbling warmth. “That long,

huh?”

He chuckled and let his fingertip outline her jaw. “I

think I felt the first spark the first time I heard you laugh.

Hector’s story had you laughing so hard you snorted and

had tears running down your face. I remember thinking it

had been a long time since I’d seen someone so alive.”

She marveled at Stig’s ability to make the simplest

retelling sound so romantic. He proceeded to untie her

wrists and ankles, massaging them before cuddling up

beside her. Cora placed her head against his chest and

listened to the steady thump of his heartbeat. In a moment

of wonder, she realized that heart had been beating strong

for hundreds of years.

And now it belonged to her.

* * *

Stig held Cora close as she dozed. Although he felt more

settled and happy than he ever had in his life, Stig worried

he’d made a big mistake. He’d succumbed to his lust,

desire, and his forbidden love for Cora without a second

thought for the consequences. Ignatius would be furious

when he learned Stig had found his mate and that she was

human. It simply wasn’t done. There were rules about that

kind of thing, rules he’d agreed to follow when he’d

pledged his allegiance to the Brotherhood. Dabbling with

human females was at the top of that list.

Farther down that list? Taking a mate, period. Ignatius

wouldn’t allow mated males to remain in the Brotherhood.

A man shouldn’t be torn between his duties to his wife and

family and his duties to his Brothers. Ignatius had drilled

that into his head. Cutting ties with the men he considered

family wouldn’t be easy but one glance at Cora’s sweet

face and he was ready to make that call to confess.

But it wasn’t just the very real possibility he’d be

discharged from his duties as a Brother of the Green Hide

for taking a mate that troubled him. He was worried about

Cora.

The fact that her touch had provoked such a profound

change in his dragon form convinced Stig she was meant

to be his mate, but what did that mean exactly? It wasn’t

natural. If she’d been a human of the witch variety, he

wouldn’t have been so spooked, but he’d never heard of

anything like this happening with other men and their

mates. And what would the others say when they saw the

effect her touch had on him? Would it be viewed

positively or seen as a scourge?

Stig didn’t know and it terrified him. He had to protect

Cora. He’d been rash in his decision to introduce her to

his secret world. He’d been cavalier in surrendering to his

primitive needs last night. He’d put Cora in a position

with consequences she likely couldn’t fathom.

So what to do now?

Stig still pondered that question when Cora woke a

little while later. He didn’t want to upset her, so he pushed

aside his worries and kissed her tenderly. They eventually

got dressed and made their way downstairs for a very,

very late breakfast. He hung back long enough to send a

quick text to Ignatius, who had called numerous times and

left half a dozen messages. His belly twisted with guilt as

he typed the message assuring Ignatius he was fine. He’d

broken their covenants and now lied about it. Love and

lust were doing strange things to him.

“What did you do before building the holding cell down

there?” Cora wondered as they noshed on her delicious

food a little while later. “I mean, that’s relatively new,

right?”

Stig nodded, glad for the discussion, since it gave him

something to think about other than his betrayal of the

Brothers. “I’ve made modifications over the last fifty

years in terms of security. Before the cell, we built cages

in one of the caves at a training camp and kept watch over

one another. If we were away from the camps, we had

clavigers to keep an eye on us during the mating phases.”

“Clavigers?”

“Human caretakers and servants.”

“Weren’t they vulnerable? I mean, these Knights you

talk about seem pretty evil.”

“There are old laws that kept them safe. This house and

the land it sits on, for instance, are unapproachable. My

perimeter is marked by old magic, painful magic, to keep

the Knights at bay. Their homes are much the same.”

“Why are they after you, Stig? Why do these Knights

want to hurt dragons?”

Stig inhaled slowly and sat back in his chair. “A long

time ago, a young male dragon fell in love with a woman

and got her pregnant.”

“Oh! Scandalous.” Cora smiled mischievously and

sipped her coffee. “How long ago? Like Jesus times?”

Stig shook his head at her choice of description.

“Before Jesus, so, yes, a long time ago.”

“So, what? She had a dragon baby and all hell broke

loose?”

“No. She never had the child. She was killed.”

Cora’s smile faded. “That’s awful.”

“Someone saw a winged creature with red scales

hanging around her home. When the news hit that she was

with child, the hysteria started. Her village became

convinced she’d been impregnated by the devil or some

other demon. They accused her of witchcraft and murdered

her.” Stig drew lazy shapes on the tabletop. “That’s how

the war began.”

“Her family…?”

He nodded. “Her brother, a blacksmith, forged a sword

that he prayed over and imbued with the blood of his

murdered sister and his own tears. He used that sword to

kill the dragon.”

She hesitated. “Did you know that dragon?”

“No.” Stig picked up his coffee mug and took a long

drink. “That was before my time even. That dragon,

Sixtus, had an older brother, Ignatius, who founded the

Brotherhood of the Green Hide to avenge his brother.”

“Avenge what?” she dared to ask. “Both families were

in pain and hurting. Why not just let it go?”

Stig shrugged. “Why did the Hatfields and McCoys let

the theft of a pig lead to the ugliest blood feud in the

history of this country? It was a different time, Cora.”

“And now you’re all locked in this vicious war? The

rules you talked about, the ones about where you can fight,

is that why this feud keeps going? I mean, if you can’t

attack them when they’re vulnerable and vice versa…”

“It’s part of the problem.” He paused and wondered if

he should continue. “I’d considered asking Hector to

accept a position as my claviger.”

“But?”

“I waited too long.” There was no hiding the sadness in

his voice. For the rest of his life, he’d always wonder if