Dragon Legacy (10 page)

“Lukas?”

“Fleur, are you hurt?” She trembled in his arms, her relief obvious from how tightly she clung onto him.

“I hit my head. I don’t know how I got here.”

Tears of relief and exhaustion flowed unheeded down her scratched, bruised cheeks. He brushed a few of her tears away, but they persisted as an outward sign of her anguish. Anxious, he pulled her closer. His unexpected arousal at the nearness of her soft curves against the hard planes of his abdomen disconcerted him. He softened the muscles in his arms and gentled his embrace. Her already-damaged, bruised body needed his tenderness. He sat back against the hard rock face and cradled her with the utmost care, oblivious to the coldness and damp, which permeated his clothes and skin.

*

Lukas held her so tight, safe for the first time since they’d left the house. All cried out, she looked at Lukas' profile. Although he seemed relaxed, his gaze scanned the dark water, which encircled them. What could he see in the darkness? His golden-eyed gaze mesmerized and intrigued her. She recalled his eyes' strangeness when he caught her as she fell the first time they met. His eyes appeared animal-like. The eyes of a predator. Now familiar, they comforted her. “Your eyes are so strange. I didn't imagine it. They're luminous. You look like a bird of prey or a reptile or even a—” Her last words went unsaid as Lukas bent his head and kissed her. His lips calmed her in a way his hands couldn't. When he withdrew, she had forgotten all about his eyes. She pulled him back into her arms. He smiled. The arrogance it contained both provoked and stimulated her.

“You can't decide if my eyes betray my true heritage. You don't know. You've never seen a dragon before."

“Maybe.”

“Well, you’re right. I do have dragon’s eyes. Lucky for you, I'll use them and my other powers for your safety.”

“I'm surprised you came for me. I know the dragon egg is your top priority.”

“Your safety is important. I looked for you straightaway.”

A ray of hope shone when Lukas admitted he looked for her, but it flickered and died. He cared about her, but not in the way she wanted him to. She didn't want his protection because he saw her as a duty, part of his mission. Like the dragon egg, but not as precious. He must see her as a strong woman, not as a dependant. He saw her weaknesses and wouldn't see her as his equal unless he saw the true Fleur. Her snippy tone revealed her inner turmoil. “You didn’t have to. I could find my own way out.”

*

She behaved as if he'd upset her. Lukas, mystified by her mercurial change in attitude, answered her acerbic comment with an arrogant response. “I hate to disillusion you, Fleur, but I'm the reason you didn't drown in the water hours ago.”

“I don't understand what you mean.”

Lukas bit back his angry retort. What could he say now? He must keep the dragon’s role in her rescue from the water a secret, at least until they escaped from the cave. Now she wanted an explanation. Fleur's foot tapped a sign of her increased impatience. He would tell her the truth and deal with the fallout if it happened. “I know who rescued you from the water, Fleur. The dragon. When you disappeared, my anger caused the dragon's manifestation in this dimension. He rescued you. You would have drowned. I saw what he did. My human and dragon minds exist in symbiosis.” Wracked with guilt, Lukas pulled her closer. He ignored her body's initial resistance. “The dragon couldn't rescue you from the cave, Fleur. He swam out. He returned to his own dimension, once he ensured your safety. If he stayed here, I couldn't live as a human in your world. When I regained consciousness, I searched for you." He looked around him. "Would you mind if we stayed here for a while?” Fleur looked confused and surprised he searched for her. Surely, she knew he cared.

Her expression lost its worried look, and she smiled. "I don't mind if you're here."

"What made you hide here?”

“I don't want to talk, Lukas.”

Lukas stared at Fleur. Her mischievous look echoed her earlier secretive smile. It enlightened him far quicker than words about what she wanted. He bent his head so his lips hovered above hers with the promise of a kiss. He waited for her reaction.

∞

Fleur blushed. Surprised, her body conveyed her emotions with more eloquence than words. When they left the cave, she didn’t want Lukas in any doubt about the role she wanted in his life. So far, her plan had worked. Lukas held her tight in his arms and his kissable lips hovered above hers. She closed her eyes and waited. Soon his beautiful mouth would ravage hers.

Nothing happened. After what seemed like an eternity, she opened her eyes. Why didn't he kiss her? He tormented her with his mouth, which remained inches above her needy lips. His golden eyes stared into hers. His gaze mirrored her arousal, but was marred with doubt. Fleur pulled away from him. "Is something wrong?" He didn't reply. “Well, say something, Lukas! I've had enough one-sided conversations today.”

*

Lukas smiled. He must be mad. Fleur was so sexy. His body tightened an uncomfortable reminder of his arousal. Still, he waited. "Are you sure this is what you want? You've been through a hell of day. Perhaps this is a knee-jerk reaction."

“I know what I want."

Lukas saw implacable resolve in Fleur’s stormy gaze. He ran his fingers through his sleek hair. "I want you to go into this...thing we have between us with your eyes open."

"I am."

"I don’t stay in one place, Fleur. I don’t have the kind of relationships you value. I don’t want you hurt." When she would have interrupted, Lukas rested his finger against her lips. "I’ve already endangered your life. I don’t want your heart crushed as well." Unaware of how arrogant he sounded, Lukas continued. "In many ways, you’re still young and inexperienced. I’m not used to those qualities. I’m not even sure I want to get used to them.”

Tears filled Fleur's eyes. She ignored them. “So I must accept your rules before you’ll take a chance on me—us?"

Lukas shifted his weight, his jeans uncomfortably snug. His body wanted action. Still he resisted. “Yes."

"Despite the fact I would risk my heart for you when you’re not even sure you have one to risk."

"Maybe when the dragon egg is safe and Xavier is dead, I would consider it.”

“No. I want a life now. A crazy, temporary love affair with a man who's also a dragon qualifies as living. Stop talking. You know what you really want."

He caved in, his body already on Team Fleur. “You win.” Lukas tightened his embrace and kissed Fleur's palm. She shuddered and pressed her hand against his open mouth. He rested her other arm round his neck and bent his head to hers, his intentions blatant.

Lukas couldn't believe the swiftness of his arousal for Fleur. Her uniqueness excited his mind. Her passion-filled kiss triggered explosive catalytic reactions in his needy body, like a spark in an oil tank. Their instantaneous compatibility amazed him. Maybe his future life included Fleur. His loneliness would be banished forever. His rational side poured cold water on such a whimsical notion, but his heart believed the fantasy he wove. Fleur must be the one.

Fleur’s hands caressed their way around his hot body. He raged like a furnace, a stark contrast with the cave's damp, cold air. She found the waistband of his jeans and eased her fingers underneath. She caressed him through the silk of his boxers. He sighed into her mouth as she stroked her fingers along his straining shaft. She teased him into a mindless state of need for her touch. He ripped his mouth away from hers and reached between them to pull her hand away. She gripped a little tighter, which caused every muscle in his body to stand to attention in eager anticipation of her next dramatic move. Not the meek response he expected. Lukas growled. “Fleur, you’re on dangerous ground.”

“Really, Lukas? I love a little danger in my life especially when it’s packaged so attractively.”

He caught his jaw before it dropped open in amazement. No more sign of the wary young woman scared of her own sensuality. Where had this siren sprung from, intent on complete destruction of his already shattered self-control? He closed his eyes and appreciated the devastating effect of her caresses. He stroked the curve of her breasts through the layers of clingy, damp fabric. She pressed a little closer and brought her femininity in intimate contact with his manhood. Only her inquisitive fingers lay between them. She rubbed her lower body across the bulge in his jeans. He jerked hard against her. She smiled and touched him again, with intent. Too much. His tenuous grip on his control slipped.

Fleur’s other hand found the buttons on his jeans and gently flicked one, two, three buttons free from their buttonholes. His jeans slipped further down his slim hips. False modesty doesn't feature in a dragon’s personality, so he let them fall regardless of her avid gaze and the ground's slimy dampness.

*

The terror of her day diminished along with the coldness and dampness. The mind-blowing sensuality Lukas created made her lose herself in his hot fiery kiss. His skillful mouth spread its burning heat throughout her body. Its potency so great, she craved the touch of his hands and mouth with a scary single-mindedness. She forgot her damp, mud-splattered clothes. Even the luxury of a hot bubble bath lost its importance. The tightness of Lukas' embrace and his need for her made her feel beautiful. Their world excluded reality and focused on how they could satisfy each other desires.

Absorbed in her actions, she noticed something akin to anger flash in his golden gaze. “Finally, I’ve found the real Lukas.”

“You certainly have. I hope he’s what you want.”

Fleur concentrated avidly on her task. She removed her hand from his shaft and his boxers followed his jeans. She admired what her handiwork revealed. So big, she could barely wrap her fingers around him. The unexpected beauty of his manhood against the taut muscles of his abdomen stunned her, stole her breath. His shaft felt like rock encased in velvet, and its appearance did not disappoint. The texture looked so smooth. How would it feel in her mouth? She knelt and ignored Lukas’ half-hearted protestations. Her small hands rested on his thighs rough with hair. She gently touched him with her lips. His body stiffened at her touch and he groaned, but he didn't stop her. Bolder now, she opened her mouth and kissed him, let her tongue taste the unique salty spiciness of his skin. Lukas reacted. He forced his hands into her hair as she continued to drive him wild. Her own arousal, which strengthened with every caress she bestowed on her lover, surprised her. She stared at him, interested in his reactions to her touch. He threw his head back with abandon against the rock wall, and his eyes closed as he savored the ecstasy, negating the need for words.

*

Lukas allowed her skillful mouth to bring him almost to completion before he gently touched her head. “I need you to stop, Fleur.”

Fleur withdrew her mouth and licked the stray drops of moisture from her lips. “No.”

Lukas felt the aftershocks of her tongue on his shaft. He watched in silent agony as Fleur's tongue slid across her kiss-bruised lips, deliberate and provocative. Without words, he raised her and held her softness tight against his hard body. He calmed his passion as he found the control he sought. The dampness of her clothes reminded him of his half-naked state. In contrast, she remained fully, if damply, clothed. “I did warn you, sweetheart. Now it’s my turn to play.”

His fingers set about removing the layers of fabric, which hid her naked beauty from his hungry gaze. Without permission, he unzipped her ripped rain jacket and the sweatshirt underneath and pulled them from her body. She shivered, whether from the air's coldness or his actions, Lukas didn't know or care. He carried on. The T-shirt came next. She bent her head to help him remove it and made no demur when he undid the clasp of her bra. It joined the T-shirt and other clothes. Next, he attacked her jeans. Fleur fumbled with the button. Lukas pushed her trembling hands aside and made short work of the button and zip. He pushed the jeans down her curvy hips along with the whisper of silk and lace she wore to protect her femininity. He kneeled and helped her remove her socks and boots. She shivered, this time definitely from the cold, as she stood naked and beautiful before him. He kicked the unwanted clothes to one side and hastily removed the remainder of his.

Naked, he pulled her curvy body into his and sighed into her hair. Fleur's body trembled. She stirred in his arms, moved against him, even closer. He tipped her chin so he could stare into her passion-filled gaze. She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a gentle kiss on his expectant lips. He took control, pushed his tongue into her mouth, dueled with hers until they became slaves to their passion. Their kiss evoked images of her lips as they touched his shaft. His body shook, hardened with the renewed arousal, no turning back now. Fleur must be his.

Fleur writhed naked in his arms. His hands roamed her body. She gasped and shuddered as he discovered her sensitive areas. She pressed against his erection. Every kiss and caress fueled her arousal. Desperate, she trembled at the edge of a sensual precipice and begged for his possession. If he didn’t join with her soon, she would disintegrate alone into a pool of desire. He stroked skillful fingers through her golden curls and gently parted the lips, which shielded her secrets from his touch. She moaned into his mouth, rubbed against his questing fingers as she sought relief. He deepened his kiss and pushed a strong finger into her center. She bucked against the invasion before she gripped his finger tight with her inner muscles, her orgasm so close. When he withdrew his finger, she cried in desperation. He allowed her panic to continue for a few seconds before he plunged two fingers into her core. She screamed and collapsed against him.

His tongue mimicked the action of his fingers, as they moved relentlessly in and out of her. When her arousal drenched his fingers and her pleasure almost bordered on pain, he stopped. He removed his fingers with the utmost care, but maintained the intensity of his kiss. Bereft, Fleur questioned his actions. He stopped. No, she wouldn't let him.

Lukas broke the kiss. “I can’t stop now. I’m borderline insane.”

“I don’t want to stop.”

“I need total possession of you. If we do this, you're mine.” Lukas didn’t want a relationship. Even if he did, she couldn't have a real future with a supernatural man like him. Fleur didn't want a solitary, dynamite coupling she saw a future for them he didn't. She kissed him. He reciprocated with something akin to desperation. With the decision made, he would let her take the risk and trust in the fates she would survive the inevitable consequences of their sensual abyss. He lifted Fleur into intimate contact with his hardness and leaned back against the unwieldy rock wall. He didn't notice its rocky imprint on his body. Controlled by instinct, she opened her legs and wrapped them around his hips in an attempt to get as close to him as possible. He bent his knees to better position his body, only satisfied when the tip of his manhood touched the entrance to her core. He pressed against her and found her slick with arousal from his ministrations. He pushed into her harder but withdrew almost immediately as he let her acclimate to his size.

Tense, Fleur didn't breathe until Lukas penetrated her for a second time. She breathed shallowly as her inner muscled relaxed.

“Am I hurting you?”

“No, only when you stop.”

Lukas laughed in his familiar way and pushed further into her now receptive body. Her muscles clenched around him before they softened as they accepted his intrusion. Fleur relaxed, coaxed by his skill and gentleness. He fed her desire with each thrust until she joined him in a kind of madness. Her sudden release surprised and delighted him. Lukas shouted and crashed with her like a wave across the sands of passion. Together they soared high on desire. Much later, they floated back to reality, sated at last.

Their passion blocked all extraneous distractions, like a bubble protecting Lukas and Fleur from the dark cave. Reality permeated their world by degrees as the afterglow receded. Lukas noticed the sharp, jagged rock, which dug into his naked back. His pain urged movement. Fleur slumped against him, her head rested under his chin. She slept, exhausted by both the day’s traumatic events and their energetic passion.

“Fleur, sweetheart, we have to move. Zane will be here soon. I’m sure you’re anxious to leave this awful cave.” Lukas eased Fleur the length of his body onto the floor. He enjoyed the thrill of her closeness despite his degree of satiation. His foot brought his jeans closer so she could stand on them and protect her bare feet from the cold rocks. Fleur's dishevelled state enhanced her beauty. Relieved of his precious burden, he eased himself away from the rock face and passed Fleur her clothes.

*

Fleur stirred and moved her limbs. She discovered a few aches in strange areas of her body, but they didn't diminish her happiness. She shivered from the cold and damp as she looked at Lukas. “I know we need to get ready, but I don't want this to end,” He murmured. Lukas hadn't said he loved her. He didn't feel the same.

“Lukas, you’re bleeding. Are you in pain?”

“A little. I didn't notice earlier.”

Fleur's body tingled when she remembered their passion. She touched his back. He shuddered when they connected. Fleur smiled glad her touch affected him even after their initial passion calmed. “Lukas, joking aside, we need to wipe those cuts or they will get infected.” She retrieved her T-shirt and, selecting a clean area, ripped the material. “We can use this. It’s clean. Soak it with water, but don’t fall in.”

Lukas took the ripped material and viewed the water as it lapped against the rock's edge. “Are you sure this water’s a good idea? It could have anything in it.”