Dragon's Melody (10 page)

Chapter Fifteen

C
ruising altitude wasn’t what had calmed Garen, though his instinct to fly usually subsided once the plane leveled off. It had been Melody’s intense arousal that had distracted him so fully that a more powerful instinct took over. In the back of his mind, he was still aware he was playing with fire. He wasn’t quite as concerned for himself—even if he gave in and fucked her, he was unlikely to find his Nirvana and infuse her with any of his energy. But Melody was a different story.

As turned on as she was, he had no doubt he could bring her off with very little effort, and Skye would be able to see her essence mixed with his if that happened. Garen’s task wasn’t to satisfy her sexually. Quite the opposite, he was required to tease her just as she said. To ready her for Skye’s attention and keep her on the edge until Skye needed her.

Melody had clearly read the contract in detail, yet here she was flirting with the edge of the obligations she’d made to Skye.

His hands hovered at his waistband, waiting for her to give in and undress. Her bare breasts rose and fell with her frustrated breath.

“Fine,” she said. “I get another secret after I do this.
And
you get naked.”

She shrugged out of the straps of her summer dress and it fell to the floor for the second time that day. He shifted his vision to view her aura in more detail, pleased with the brightening pulse of it as his gaze swept down the length of her. Not even a touch was necessary to turn her on.

“Naked it is,” he said, pushing his trousers and boxers down his legs and stepping out of them. He stood up again, eager to see how she’d react to him in all his glory.

Her expression was perplexing. She frowned as she studied him and tilted her head. “You look normal. Well, super-hot-sexy-man normal, but still human normal. Except for your eyes, anyway. What the hell is up with your eyes?”

“Ah, you saw that?” He lowered his gaze and rubbed the back of his neck. She was more observant than the average human, too.

“About a hundred times today, if I’m counting.”

“My human eyes don’t always see everything I want to see. I can shift my vision to see what’s invisible to humans. Like how aroused you are right now.”

“Well, that’s no mystery, my nipples are hard as rocks and my pussy’s wet.”

She had a point. Her nipples taunted him, pink and hard and just begging to be sucked. And her neatly trimmed pussy was so wet her lips shone from her juices.

“I can see your moods, like an aura around you. You were terrified of getting into this plane earlier, but the idea of it also turned you on. I’m guessing you were remembering the tryst with Kol and Hallie, right?”

Both her aura and her cheeks reddened—the aura’s change was from the arousal the memory incited in her, no doubt. Yet she was embarrassed about sharing the details with him. He was about to tell her she didn’t need to tell him when she began talking.

“It was unexpected. I’d barely met the man. I’d flown on the jet before, with the junior executives. They are nothing like him. Or like you and Skye for that matter. Kol had never flown in the jet, at least not since he hired me. And when I first saw him, he was sooo …” Melody trailed off and stared at the ceiling, shaking her lovely blond head slowly.

Garen chuckled. “Yeah, we have that effect on humans sometimes, especially when we’re already horny. It’s tough to resist us.”

“It is,” she said softly, her gaze falling back to his.

A pounding rush filled Garen’s ears as they stared at each other. He couldn’t tell whether it was his own pulse or her heart beating loud enough for him to hear over the sound of the plane’s engines. He wished for just a small taste of her. To really know what he was missing, to understand the value of what Skye had been blessed with in this beautiful woman. He cared nothing for his own pleasure—he could find that elsewhere. Just a taste. A sip of her energy. The rest could fly into the ether instead of into his depleted well.

He closed the distance to her in a single stride, crushing her against him and claiming her mouth with his own. She sank into him, her silken skin sliding against his hard cock with a deliciously erotic shift of her torso. She wrapped her arms around him, nails digging into the skin of his back.

She pulled away with some effort, mumbling her objection. “We can’t. You know we can’t. Not all the way.”

“I won’t,” he said in a gruff voice. “I just need a taste of you, Melody. Skye won’t know if I don’t give my own power to you, and it’ll be the tiniest taste that I can cover up with some other human’s Nirvana later.”

“Don’t,” she said, pressing her lips to his shoulder and whimpering as he slid his fingers between her thighs and stroked.

“Shh, love. Give me your hand.”

Even in the middle of another objection, she let him take her hand and press her own fingers between her thighs. He guided her fingers into a tight circle over her clit while he sank two of his fingers deep into her, relishing the tight heat and wishing he dared use more than his fingers.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be able to tell when you’re close. I can step clear at the last moment.”

She let out a soft moan and said, “You make me sound like a bomb.”

“Shh, you shouldn’t say that on an airplane.”

Melody started to laugh, but it turned into a harsher moan as her aura started to pulse. This was it.

“Oh God, I’m coming, Garen!”

Garen let his fingers linger inside her for a split second longer. Just long enough for the first sharp surge of power to sink through his skin as she came. Her hips twitched and her thighs clenched around his hand. He jerked free and stumbled backward as though he had, indeed, been hit by a blast.

Melody stood quivering in the aisle, her fingers still pressed tight against her clit. Her other hand clutched tightly at her breast and her head was lowered. Her golden tresses veiled her face, and her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths.

“Shit,” Melody muttered. She turned away without looking at him, stooping to pick up her dress as she did in one smooth motion. Without looking back at him she retreated down the aisle to the lavatory at the other end and shut herself in.

Cursing at himself in kind, Garen quickly dressed and buckled himself back into his seat.

“You’re a fucking fool,” he said out loud. His balls ached painfully even though his erection had subsided, but the small surge of power he’d managed to absorb from her had left him with a vague, pleasant tingle over his entire body, particularly around the two fingers that had been deep inside her when her orgasm began.

It wasn’t quite enough to alleviate his discomfort, yet he didn’t regret it. The thing he did regret was encouraging her to take the risk. Hell, he hadn’t given her any other option.

When she didn’t return after several moments, he unbuckled and headed back to the lavatory.

“Melody? I’m sorry,” he said through the closed door. “Will you come out and talk to me?”

“I think it’s best if we keep a door between us until we absolutely have to be around each other,” she replied, her voice muffled by the barrier.

“I’m the one who would likely get in trouble, if Skye finds out. Not you.”

“No shit. You made me come. Did you know the contract says I’m not even allowed to masturbate to orgasm?”

Garen recalled that clause as well. “You know I’m the one whose job it is to enforce the contract, right? I report to Skye. And I promise not to report this to him.” As much as he hated the idea of deceiving his friend, he needed to alleviate Melody’s distress.

Her voice sounded bitter when she answered. “You think? Would he disown us both or just kick me to the curb? The kicker is that it’s also your job to do exactly what you did, except you’re supposed to know when to stop.”

“I do know when to stop.”

She didn’t answer for a moment, then the door opened a crack and one blue eye peered up at him. “What if I don’t want you to?”

Garen rubbed his palms over his face. He’d definitely fucked this up now.

“After tomorrow you’ll feel differently. You’ll learn to trust me, and trust that Skye will fulfill your needs.” At least he hoped that after an infusion of Skye’s energy she would begin to bond more closely to him. Without any of Garen’s energy to confuse the issue Skye’s stronger magic would refocus her attention. It was no wonder she was so intent on Garen now, though. He’d had the most contact with her so far.

She shut the door again and threw the latch.

“Tell me another secret, Garen. I think you owe me your life story now.”

He groaned inwardly and slid down the wall in the narrow aisle, leaning up against the door.

“What do you want to know? I’m an almost open book.”

“What did you mean about having a taste of me? And about that … Nirvana thing?”

“Remember when I told you your orgasm was like a gift? You’re like this perfect little irresistible confection. I just dipped my fingers in the icing and had a taste.”

A loud laugh penetrated the door. “Dipped your fingers in? I’d say you did a bit more than that.”

“I thought it was an appropriate analogy,” he said, sulking.

“It is a little too perfect, really. But go on, you’re not finished yet.”

“We call an orgasm ‘Nirvana’. The ultimate release.”

“Like Buddha?”

“He was before my time, but our texts say he coined the term.”

“And it just … soaks into you if you’re touching me when I come?”

“I have what we call a well of power that needs to be replenished regularly. The power I need is all around us, but I can only access it through a willing partner. When you’re turned on, you’re like a magnet for the energy. The more aroused you are and the longer you remain in that state, the denser the power becomes as it coalesces around you.”

“So you probably should have left me horny and frustrated until I saw Skye again, huh?”

“Don’t worry, the next time I will.”

She didn’t speak again for some time and Garen grew lost in thought. Betraying Skye’s trust shouldn’t have come so easily to him, so soon after meeting Melody. If Skye somehow found out what he’d done, he would simply tell his friend it had been an emergency—that he’d let himself get too low of power and needed only a small infusion from her to keep enough power to maintain his human form. They couldn’t very well have him shifting right in front of her before Skye actually mated her and she was permitted to see them as dragons. It didn’t matter that she already knew some of their secrets. That was one law they’d never break—it was far too risky.

“Tell me what you see when you look at me,” Melody said, her voice carrying an almost plaintive tone.

“Aside from a very beautiful young woman, I see a red-gold aura that brightens when you’re happy and enjoying yourself, and dims when you’re anxious or upset. After you’re with Skye it will look a little different.”

“But I was with Skye already.”

“He didn’t share his Nirvana with you. The first time he does, you’ll notice the difference, and so will I.”

“Will I be able to see it?”

“Subtle signs, perhaps, but you’ll feel the change. You’ll also feel more attuned to him in particular. The more you share of each other, the closer your bond will become.”

“Garen …” she began, then trailed off.

“What is it?”

“Is this some kind of arranged marriage? Am I being prepared to be his bride?”

“Yes,” he said, his chest tight with the reminder that she was not meant for him.

After another pregnant pause, she said, “Then you really shouldn’t have made me come.”

“I know.”

“If you could do it over, would you hold back?”

“Melody, the rest of our time together will be a repeat of today, minus the last bit. It won’t happen every day, but I will tease you sometimes until you’re begging me to fuck you. I’m perfectly aware of my limits and I promise you I will never give in again.”

“Good, because if you did, I don’t think I’d be able to go through with the contract, even if we lied about it.”

Garen didn’t respond, but knew without a doubt that if he could have found his own Nirvana with her, he’d burn the contract himself.

PART TWO

Chapter Sixteen

W
aking up cold never felt so good.

Melody had foregone the nightgown Garen gave her and climbed between the Egyptian cotton sheets naked after a quick shower to wash the grime of travel off. Sometime during the night, she woke up chilled from kicking the covers off, which had become her habit over the last few months of enduring the hot summer nights without air conditioning. She snuggled back down beneath the cozy blankets and immediately fell back to sleep, her mind spiraling into the delicious dream she’d been having of the two men she’d met. Her brain fixated on Skye’s tongue, creating an elaborate scenario in which he was intent on making her orgasm over and over and lapped at her soaking pussy as though he’d just trekked through a desert and she were the only oasis for hundreds of miles.

The image of Garen held a much more prominent spot in her dreams, however. While Skye was busy with his tongue between her thighs, Garen held her from behind and slowly slid his cock in and out of her clasping pussy, murmuring in her ear the entire time, “Just a taste.” With each thrust, he seemed to grow larger, until the stretch of his huge cock was finally too much for her body to contain. When her orgasm hit, she exploded into a brilliant cloud of glowing energy, which the two of them sucked down, leaving her feeling fragmented.

The feeling lingered when she opened her eyes to the morning sun coming through the east-facing windows of her huge bedroom. The spacious penthouse apartment had high windows in nearly every wall and hers were situated in a wide arc that afforded her spectacular views facing two different directions.

The opulence of the room itself distracted her again from the dream, her stomach fluttering with excitement over her new home. She’d been too tired to register every detail when she and Garen had arrived the night before. He gave her the briefest tour, finally leading her to her own room where he left her alone with her thoughts.

“Get some rest,” he had said. “Skye will be back tomorrow evening so you’ll need to conserve your energy.”

She could just stay naked in bed all day if she wanted to. It was probably the most comfortable bed she’d ever slept in, and she was tempted not to leave it until she absolutely had to. She rolled over and sighed, sliding her arms and legs along the satin-smooth sheets. How in the world did they make cotton so soft?

The bliss didn’t last. As soon as her body came fully awake, both her bladder and her stomach started complaining to be emptied and filled, respectively. Sighing, she reluctantly threw back the covers and hopped out, padding barefoot across the thick rug to the bathroom, where yet another dazzling view greeted her while she sat down to pee.

She’d only taken a brief moment to glance into the closet the night before, her exhausted mind only half registering a room the size of her old bedroom lined with drawers and rods filled with clothing. She flipped on the light now and stood in the center of the closet just staring around in wonder at everything.

“If I were a pair of panties, where would I be?” she murmured to herself and began opening and closing the polished mahogany drawers until she located the one that held what she was after. The one below that had even more, as did the next one down. She almost laughed at the sheer volume of undergarments. Considering what her role was now, how often would she actually need to wear them?

A pleasant, warm tingle grew between her thighs at that thought, but along with it came an unexpected burst of apprehension. After last night, she still hesitated to look Garen in the eye, afraid her curiosity and attraction to him would get the better of her. But her dreams had been enough of a clue as to how he had affected her. Her experience with Skye had been so brief and yet so overwhelmingly surreal it may as well have been a dream. The most vivid detail she remembered of her encounter with Skye was the look on Garen’s face while he watched her come.

But there was no mistaking how perfectly Skye’s tongue had managed to send her rocketing to the furthest heights of pleasure she’d ever experienced. Even the furtive orgasm Garen had helped draw out of her on the plane hadn’t been as satisfying. Perhaps tonight she would have more time to interact with Skye beyond the sex.

A giddy laugh escaped her throat as she tried to wrap her mind around her role for the thousandth time.

“I’m not a sex slave,” she reminded herself. “He just wants me for my orgasms.” She shook her head and shimmied into a pair of white silk panties with blue lace edging. Rifling through another drawer, she found a camisole that matched the panties and then snagged a silk robe to wear over them. Unsure what would be expected of her today, she opted to wait until after breakfast to go to the trouble of dressing. For all she knew, they’d want her naked all day long. And wouldn’t that be fun?

Her mind wandered through all the possibilities as she crossed the bedroom and headed out. Her bedroom door opened onto a wide, second-floor landing with a rich cherrywood railing, over which she had a view of the entire open living area of the apartment as well as the high windows and a magnificent view of the San Francisco Bay beyond. Somewhere beneath her she heard music playing and the sounds of cooking. The scent of something delicious wafted to her nose and her stomach rumbled in response.

“I could definitely get used to this,” she murmured to herself. She had to force herself to pay attention to her footsteps as she navigated her way down the plush, carpeted staircase to the first floor.

She found Garen in the kitchen, yet another open room with a long bar that separated it from the dining area. His tall, sturdy bulk blocked her view of the stove and whatever he was cooking.

“Good morning,” he said over his shoulder. “Did you sleep well?”

“Best night of sleep in a long time,” she said, stretching and yawning. “What’s for breakfast?”

“I hope you have a good appetite,” he said. He bustled around the kitchen for another moment, throwing some fruit on a plate and then scooping some oblong items that looked edible on after.

“What’s this?” she asked when he set the plate down in front of her. Not that she cared what it was, it looked and smelled delicious.

“Crepes,” he said. He plunked two tiny pitchers down beside the plate. “Your choice of syrup—raspberry or maple. I have other flavors, too. I hope you like it.”

Melody looked up at him, amused by the look of expectation he was giving her.

“I might if I had a fork …”

“Right!” Garen spun around and yanked open a drawer, pulling out cutlery, which he ceremoniously placed on either side of her plate. He darted around the bar and laid a linen napkin across her lap.

“I’d be happy to feed you, too …”

Melody giggled. “Geeze, no. I think that would be a little bit overkill, considering.”

“Right, sorry, this is the first time I’ve had to do this kind of thing. I have no idea how to behave in between my primary tasks.”

“You mean in between working me up until I’m begging for sex?”

Garen had just sat down beside her with his own plate and had a bite of food halfway to his mouth. He paused and set his fork down. “I’ve been trying to avoid thinking about it in any but the most professional, clinical way, but yeah. In between that.”

“You’ve never lived with a girl before, have you?”

“Never really lived with anyone since I came of age and left my parents’ house,” he said around a mouthful of food.

“I thought you lived here with Skye,” she said, glancing at him.

Garen shook his head. “I have my own place nearby. This is just where I work now.”

“You spent the night here last night, though, didn’t you?”

“I’m to stay with you at all times unless Skye is here. I’m in the guest room next to yours.” He pointed his fork just above them to where the guest rooms were. Skye’s room was at the West end of the landing, but Melody hadn’t seen inside.

“So … what do we do? Just hang out until it’s time for you to take care of your
primary task
?” She nudged him with her elbow and was gratified at the slight flush that crept into his smooth cheeks.

“Trust me, we have plenty to do. My secondary task is to keep you busy and stimulated in other ways.”

“So, I’m like a pet. Couldn’t you guys have just gotten a cat?”

Garen chuckled. “I suppose that’s not a bad analogy, but lesser animals fear us so much it’s impossible to get close enough to even keep them as pets. Besides, it’s against our laws to couple with any creature that isn’t entirely willing, not to mention completely pointless.”

“Rape is pretty pointless,” she said, studying him with deeper interest. “So was the contract enough to secure my consent? What if I’m just not in the mood? It didn’t say anything about that.”

“No, but it did say you must willingly make yourself available and that you would never be compelled. Now eat up because your workout begins in half an hour.”

Melody stopped chewing and swallowed. “Hey, wait a sec. I didn’t see anything in the contract about having to work out. And you just said I couldn’t be compelled, so screw that. I kind of hoped I’d get to lounge around, watch soap operas and have you feed me chocolates all day long until the real fun began.”

Garen stood and collected their empty plates. “As delighted as I would be to cater to your every whim, I still have a job to do, too. Exercise is a vital component of your well-being. No negotiating.”

“What, do you have a manual somewhere titled ‘The Care and Feeding of Your Human Sex Slave’? I’d love to read the chapter where it says sweating my ass off is crucial to my happiness.” For the first time she noted he was dressed in snug, light gray track pants and a tight, matching t-shirt with an athletic logo on it. She’d been so intent on avoiding ogling the outlines of his thick chest and tight ass that she hadn’t registered his attire. He even wore a brand-new pair of cross trainers.

“Whether you sweat or not depends on how hard you intend to work at it,” he said. “But I will warn you, Skye is an energetic lover and at times his needs may require more stamina than you’re capable of at the moment. Don’t expect to just lie on your back while he services you with his tongue. You should go change.”

Melody gave him a sulky pout. “Fine,” she said, hopping off her stool and heading back toward the stairs. Over her shoulder she called back to him. “But you can’t compel me to go on a diet!”

“I wouldn’t dream of it!” he called back. “Your ass is perfect just the way it is.”

“So’s yours,” she said under her breath and was shocked to hear him chuckle. “Don’t tell me you heard that.”

“I do have excellent hearing, Melody. Remember, it’s my job.”

“Right, your job to be my keeper. Makes me feel like some exotic animal in a rich guy’s private zoo.”

“I’m also your trainer for the next two hours, so get a move on.”

Melody stomped back to her closet and found a pair of shorts and a sports bra, neither of which left anything to the imagination where her curves were concerned. She’d been blessed with the kind of figure many women envied, but she’d always been self-conscious about the size of her plump breasts and ass, in spite of the sharp contrast of her narrow waist. “Childbearing hips” her mother had called them, as though that should be her sole purpose in life. Not if she could help it—at least not until she met a guy she could imagine sharing her life with, much less her genes.

Garen would make beautiful babies, what with his stature and that face so gorgeous he’d be the envy of women as much as they’d be likely to fall in love with him. Skye, too, she supposed, but she had trouble remembering precisely what he looked like. All she remembered was how amazing he’d made her feel. She’d had little time to truly study his features and too much had happened in the short time since. Tonight she’d get to have a good, long look at him, though.

How in the world they’d managed to gather such a complete collection of clothing for her in only a day astounded her. The lower half of one wall of the closet was covered in racks of shoes, all of which seemed to be exactly her size. As she sat down on the center bench and tied on a pair of comfortable sneakers, she imagined an army of quaint little elves sneaking in and measuring her while she slept, and magically altering all the garments so they fit.

The itchy tag in the back of her sports bra told her otherwise, particularly when she ripped it out and looked at it. “Made in China,” it said. Not quite so magical.

Garen gave her a quick once-over when she joined him again and she was briefly entertained by his pointed effort to avert his eyes from her figure. He led her to an elevator that adjoined a small hallway leading from a door in the back of the large pantry. The doors opened up a moment later onto a huge room that must have covered the entire floor below the apartment.

“Why does one man need an entire gymnasium to work out in?” she asked, gazing around in wonder. Every type of workout station imaginable were visible scattered about the room. The only thing missing was a swimming pool.

“We like using our bodies for more than sex,” Garen said. “There’s a pool on the ground floor, which we’ll use another day.” He motioned her toward a foam mat in the center of the room. “Lie down on your back,” he said.

She crossed her arms. “What kind of ‘training’ is this supposed to be, really?”

“I believe you might call it ‘Yoga’,” he replied in a snarky tone. “But I’m really just going to take you through some stretches to gauge how limber you are and what we need to work on the most.”

Melody lowered herself to the mat. Garen followed, sinking to his knees at her side. He seemed to hesitate slightly, one hand hovering over her leg for a second before he cupped his hand beneath her knee and lifted her leg. She tried to remain relaxed and let him move her body, but the gentle warmth of his touch had sent her heart racing and a pleasant tightness grew between her thighs when he pushed her knee up to her chest.

“Let me know if I push too hard or if anything hurts,” he said as he straightened out her leg and moved around to face her, letting her ankle rest on his shoulder.

She nodded, afraid her voice would betray too much of her arousal if she spoke. He held her ankle in one large hand and pushed against her leg, causing her hamstring to burn slightly as it tightened when he met her limit. She winced.