Dragon's Melody (8 page)

Chapter Ten

S
kye never felt comfortable in Kol’s office. His agitation was even worse this afternoon while he waited for Garen to retrieve Melody for her interview. He had to control himself from bombarding Kol with questions about the girl. For the last week, since Garen had given his opinion of Melody’s details, Skye had thought of nothing else.

“What’s wrong with her?” he asked, staring out the window of the top floor of Magnus Tower.

Kol was silent for a moment, his emotional impression only a dark void. The Shadow had given him some details, but the utter lack of emotional display made Skye certain he was holding something back.

“Nothing,” Kol said, moving to stand beside him. “Melody is very special. She’d make a perfect mate for any dragon.”

“But not you.”

“She’d make an ideal mate for me, but Fate has already granted me the only mate I was ever meant to have. And if you’ll recall, you are owed recompense for Trevor.”

Skye grimaced. He would be happy to have that incident behind him, but at what cost?

Kol gripped his shoulder and squeezed. “You’ll love her, I promise you.”

“I’m afraid how I feel may be irrelevant to what Mother wanted for me. I’ve been with enough human women since ascending, I have a feeling very few are suitable mates for a dragon. Why should this woman be different?”

“You’re forgetting I’ve already vetted her. Melody’s been bonded to me for less than a year, but there is one thing you should know about her, which is the reason I need you to take her.”

Skye turned to look at his boss. So there was something he was holding back. Was the Shadow about to pull Skye into some illicit secret? He raised an eyebrow in query.

Kol pursed his lips and then sighed. “She is hard to give up, trust me. Melody is Blessed. And I realized it too late. Hallie and I included her once when we made love, and she bonded to me almost instantly. But I can’t keep her.”

The confession made everything clear. Blessed humans were rare, special individuals, drawn to dragons through an infusion of magic granted in the womb. Her mother likely hadn’t even known how close she was to a dragon when the blessing was granted. It meant Melody was destined to mate a dragon, but it complicated Skye’s situation considerably.

“You need me to break that bond, but if I go too far, it will tie her unequivocally to me, instead.”

“You’re the only unmated Blue powerful enough to influence her. The Contract will be the test—she’ll sign it because she believes I want her to. The terms will be tricky for her to fulfill, however. Nearly impossible, if your servant does his job well. Every urge to break it will weaken her bond to me.”

“Do you know which dragon Blessed her?” He grew thoughtful, considering the possibilities. “It had to be an elder,” he said almost to himself. “Which means he’s gone through the Renunciation, and she’s entitled to an inheritance—and she likely has no idea. But depending on how powerful he was—how powerful her blessing is—it may affect her susceptibility to a bond with me.”

Kol shook his head. “He wasn’t more powerful than me, so likely not a Court dragon. Usually it’s a bachelor who chooses a human child to grant a blessing to, but I’m tracking down his identity. Don’t worry about that for now—the most crucial thing is to unbind her from me. I don’t know how long that will take, but when the bond is broken, she’ll be able to make a true choice. I want you to give that to her. Let the magic guide you on how best to proceed. The magic will know.”

The infernal magic. Sometimes he wished he wasn’t so reliant on it for his power. He dreamed frequently of releasing himself from his human form and hiding in a cave somewhere like his ancestors used to do. Away from the buzz of humanity that even now added an irritating layer to his already uncertain mood. But without a regular influx of magic, he would slowly go insane and would ultimately have to be exterminated by his own kind, if the Ultiori—the ancient order of dragon hunters—didn’t find him first.

As if sensing his descending mood, Kol expelled a deep breath. The exhalation of magic draped itself across Skye’s shoulders, covering him in an almost imperceptible hooded cloak that muffled the bombarding emotions of the humans that lived and worked within the immediate vicinity. He could still sense the dragons in the building, but their auras were familiar to him, and not an irritation.

“Thank you,” he said begrudgingly. “Garen’s the only other dragon who can calm me as well as you can.”

“The two of you have always been close. I know the contract is only between you and Melody. Will he remain with you after the contract terms have been met? I’m happy to find a position for him here …”

“He’ll stay with me,” Skye snapped.

Kol raised his eyebrows and Skye sighed, regretting the outburst.

Regaining his composure Skye said, “Having him around will help test her bond with you. I have a plan for her. It’s all within the terms of the contract, of course. For the first month I plan to test her to see if she really is as perfect as you say, aside from being Blessed. Test her potency and her loyalty. And most of all to purge her of her bond to you. After that, I may need him to further ensure her happiness. That is, if I mate her.”

“If you do plan to mate her at the end of this, sharing her with Garen will only dilute your energy.”

“I don’t intend to share before we’re mated, if that’s meant to be. Garen’s very adept at priming a woman without giving in. I need to see what levels of magic she’s capable of containing. Most human women have low limits.”

“Be careful,” Kol cautioned. “It’s still against our laws for a single human to mate with two dragons. Sharing her from time to time is not an issue, but I’m fully aware of the risks we take with our impulses when we become emotionally attached to a human. Melody’s a perfect example. Don’t test Garen too much or both of you may regret it.”

“Don’t worry,” Skye said. “If everything goes well with Melody, I’m making it my sole task to find Garen a suitable mate afterward.” He avoided mentioning that he would still see to Garen’s needs himself if he had to in the meantime, but in light of Garen’s issues, Skye’s friend was the ideal candidate to help him test Melody. Of course Skye would have to overcome his own reluctance to share his Nirvana with a human, but that had never been his biggest concern. Whether or not Melody would be the one his mother’s magic chose was a far greater worry.

A glimmer of a more familiar dragon aura approaching bled through the shield of Kol’s cloak. Skye shed the shadowy cover so he could sense the presences around him more clearly.

“They’re here,” he said, turning toward the door.

Something was strange about Garen’s energy as he approached from several floors below them. He seemed subdued—almost worried, if Skye had to put a name to it. That didn’t bode well. By contrast, the bright aura that accompanied Garen pulsed with excitement and apprehension. He could picture them in his mind’s eye—Garen’s soft white glow, threaded through with the lingering blue from the last time they’d shared their energy a week earlier. It wasn’t unusual for Garen to go a week or more between visiting Skye to replenish. Skye rarely went so long, but he had this week, for once, simply to ensure he had an undiluted taste of this young woman.

The closer she got, the more his own excitement grew, along with his need. He knew it was merely the prospect of having a fresh infusion of energy. Until she was in front of him, he would have no idea whether she would even interest him. Garen’s energy was so conflicted he couldn’t judge how the interview would go based on that.

Melody’s mood became more apparent as the elevator they were in rose higher. She was highly aroused, as was Garen, in spite of his conflict. Their two auras bled together where they overlapped in a way that intrigued Skye.

Skye forced himself to wait. He’d requested Garen meet him here to brief him before the interview. It was all he could do not to pace in impatience.

Kol chuckled. “I felt the same way waiting for Hallie to awaken me, friend. I have a good feeling about this.”

“Oh?” Skye said, shooting Kol an irritating glance. “Well I hate waiting. Five hundred years was long enough. Add to that my mother’s ridiculous little puzzles. If this woman isn’t the one, I think I may just abandon the idea of a mate altogether. Mother’s wishes be damned, but this is too much waiting for one day.”

His senses followed Garen out the elevator, into the conference room across the small reception area, then back.

Garen knocked swiftly then opened the office door without waiting. Skye caught himself leaning forward expectantly and adjusted his posture, forcing himself to lower his shoulders and at least appear relaxed. Both Garen and Kol would know better, but appearances were important nonetheless. If nothing else, he needed to prepare himself to meet her.

Garen stepped through and closed the door behind him. He was breathless and flushed, his eyes bright and excited, but Skye still sensed some niggling reservation deep within his friend.

He strode quickly over to Garen. “Well?”

Garen grinned. “She is delicious. Here, these are for you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny folded scrap of blue silk, holding it out excitedly.

Skye blinked down at the soft item in his hand, confused for a moment until he took the pair of panties and unfolded them. He didn’t need to bury his nose in them to catch the sweet aroma of her on them. The soft fabric and its infusion of Melody’s scent made his cock harden.

“She gave these willingly?” he asked.

Garen looked a little insulted. “Oh, she was surprisingly responsive. And more willing than any other woman I’ve met before.” He glanced at Kol. “Was this your doing?”

Kol shook his head. “I knew she had potential when I hired her. My own experience with her took very little influence on my part. I admit, Hallie was the one who gave her the first push, but she never once faltered after that.”

Skye stashed the panties in his jacket pocket. He was grateful for Kol keeping Melody’s Blessed status mum for the time being. He preferred to keep Garen in the dark for now—at least until he had a better idea how Melody would respond to his energy.

“Is she ready now?”

“As ready as she’ll ever be, I expect. I did my best to prime her for you.” Garen seemed to hesitate for a second, then said. “I would like to observe the interview, if you don’t mind.”

Skye nodded, suddenly very eager to proceed. “Of course. I need you to learn everything you can about her.” He turned to the Shadow. “Kol, will you be observing as well?”

Kol shook his head. “I’ll come in for a moment, but it’s better for you if I’m not there observing. If she’s still willing after you’ve tested her, then I’ll be comfortable with the transfer. Of course it’s imperative you share none of your own energy with her yet. I don’t want her unduly influenced. She has to make the decision based on her own desires, is that understood? Not the beginnings of a bond to you.”

Skye merely nodded, amused at Kol’s tiny lie for Garen’s benefit. He turned and matched Garen’s swift stride out the door.

Chapter Eleven

M
elody stood there for a moment, uncertain, her stomach clenched with nerves and her skin still alight from Garen’s simple touch. She contemplated sitting down but quickly abandoned that idea. He’d taken her panties and she was still so wet between her legs that any movement made it acutely apparent. If she sat, she’d just mess up her dress even worse. There was a box of tissues on a bureau along the back wall, but she didn’t want to end up caught in the process of trying to tidy up—and there was no bathroom attached to the conference room for her to sneak into.

It didn’t matter anyway. A second later, the door opened again and Garen came through followed by Kol and another man every bit as imposing and attractive as Kol, only this man had sun-kissed dark-gold hair and eyes so blue she was sure he must be wearing artificial lenses.

Garen didn’t speak, but only stepped aside after giving her a quick smile and a reassuring lift of his eyebrows. He remained by the doorway, facing her, while the other two men approached.

Kol smiled warmly. “Melody. Please let me introduce you to Skye. Skye is one of the members of our board and also runs an independent arm of the company in San Francisco.”

Skye’s expression remained a mask, his eyes cold and assessing. “You were right. She is lovely, and potent.”

“I’m pleased to meet you, sir,” Melody said, sticking her hand out.

Skye stared at her hand for a little longer than was strictly comfortable. Melody almost dropped it when he finally smiled and gripped it in his. “Of course. Your presence clearly means you’ve passed Garen’s initial interview.”

Melody’s cheeks warmed and she darted a glance to Garen, who smiled and nodded.

“Um, I imagine so. I’m eager to complete the interview with you, sir. I hope you’ll be pleased by my performance.” She cringed inwardly at her choice of words, but it seemed appropriate to remain as formal in her speech as they did.

Skye’s eyes remained on hers with an intensity that made her feel like he was gazing into her soul. He squeezed her hand gently. “Please call me Skye. After today the formalities will seem ridiculous.”

He turned to Kol, lowering his head in an oddly deferential nod. “May we have the room?”

She tore her eyes away from Skye’s face only to see Kol staring at her oddly. “Yes, of course. Melody, after your interview is complete, please come to my office for a debrief, all right?”

She didn’t even have the chance to answer before he left the room. Only then did she realize that Skye still gripped her hand. The curious look in his eyes made her feel strangely like he considered her some kind of exotic animal that he wasn’t quite sure how to approach. Yet he seemed disinclined to release her.

His thumb grazed the back of her hand and he turned it over in his, eyeing it with interest. He lifted it to his mouth and grazed his lips across her knuckles, a light, breath gusting out against her skin. The warmth of the air caused a delicious tingling sensation that flowed up her arm. Her nipples pricked against the fabric of her dress, reminding her that she was incredibly exposed beneath, both on top and bottom.

“Oh!” she gasped, surprised at the involuntary reaction of her body to such a slight touch. The sound caught Skye’s attention and his gaze rose to her face again.

“Do you like that?” he asked. “Garen did say you were unusually responsive. What about this?” He turned her hand palm up in his and kissed the inside of her wrist, letting his lips linger this time. They were as smooth and soft as Garen’s had been and Skye seemed to savor the moment, letting his tongue sweep across her skin in a delicious warm swirl that promised so much more. Melody was so mesmerized by his contact, the entire scene seemed to transpire in slow motion. The warm heat flooded through her from that tiny bit of contact, leaving her feeling out of sorts and a little dizzy. All she knew was that she wanted more.

“I like your mouth,” she said, in her drugged state. “I want … it on me.” She clenched her eyes shut, cursing herself for spouting gibberish.

“Your wish is my command, Melody.”

She heard the words through a haze just before his mouth descended to hers in a slow, deep kiss. She raised her hands to hold him closer, fingers slipping through hair as smooth and fine as silk.

“Job interview” might’ve casually passed through her mind once, but only in the context of permission to let go. Before she could decide what that meant, Skye’s palms slipped from her cheeks down to her shoulders, pushing the straps of her dress down. The light tugs of his fingers at her bodice were evidence of his intention to completely undress her, and he very deliberately unbuttoned the row of buttons at the front, each one springing open across the rising swell of her breasts.

The kiss went on, with each second growing more heated, his tongue dipping deeper into her mouth. He pressed closer, moving one hand to the back of her head and leaning into her. God, she wanted to undress him, too, but when she pressed a hand to the hard swell of his erection, he pulled away from her.

She opened her eyes and stared back up into his impossibly blue ones, gasping for breath.

“Tell me what you want,” she whispered.

“What I want is to taste you when you come for me.” Skye raised his hand again, and brushed a bent knuckle down the center of her chest, using it to push aside the fabric that was already falling open, revealing her full, round breasts. He bent his head and pressed his lips to her collarbone, then slowly kissed his way downward, nuzzling against her other breast as his free hand slipped underneath to cup her and tease at her nipple.

She tilted her head back and moaned under his touch, believing she might come just from that contact alone. She cracked her eyelids and was startled to see Garen still standing in the same spot, watching raptly. Something about having his gaze on her made her even hotter. Their eyes locked and he gave her a slow, sensual smile, his irises flashing with that strange inner light.

Skye tugged at her dress, and she released hold of him long enough for him to peel the light fabric down until it slid over her hips and pooled on the floor at her feet. He pulled back just far enough to take her in completely, and his eyes flashed with a similar light to Garen’s. His face was transformed by desire, his lips still parted slightly and glistening from their kiss. He stepped further back and slipped out of his jacket, his gaze flickering and constantly roaming over her from head to toe and back. He folded the jacket neatly and draped it over the back of a chair.

“I’d like you to climb up and sit on the table,” he said, his tone soft and polite compared to Garen’s more commanding tone, but somehow Skye’s words aroused her as much through that contradiction. It was as though he knew his order would be followed, so he didn’t need to be any more forceful. Simply speaking the words was enough.

And it was enough for Melody. She placed her palms at the smooth, rounded edge of the polished wood surface behind her and scooted backward onto the table. It was cool against her ass, and even cooler when it came into contact with her hot, wet pussy.

“Spread your legs and let me see you,” he said.

In a sense it was like teasing boys she knew when she was younger, playing truth or dare and always going for the dare, encouraging them to request naughty things. She had loved those games but had never come across a man who had any interest in anything of the sort during her adult life. Until Kol, they’d all simply been average experiences, a few dates, a kiss, then mediocre sex in a bed.

Now her entire body was alive with excitement, her legs twitching at the very suggestion, ready to comply before she could even process the request. She lifted her bare feet and placed them on the seats of the two chairs that flanked her, spreading her thighs until the cool air hit her wet, aching folds.

Skye’s pink tongue darted out and swept across his lower lip. “Spread yourself open with your fingers, please,” he said. Even in his slight monotone, the words seemed charged. Perhaps it was the occasional flash she saw in his eyes and the subtle, pleased twitch of his mouth. He’d said he wanted to taste her, but clearly he wanted a little bit of a show, first.

She slipped both hands along the insides of her thighs. Without letting her eyes leave Skye’s face she shifted her index fingers just inside her slick outer lips and spread herself wide open. Cool air reached her aching clit, but did nothing to cool her need.

Skye only looked, his gaze lingering on her exposed, glistening flesh while he unfastened the cuffs of his shirt and began rolling up his sleeves. He had thick, tanned forearms, and long, agile fingers. The little bit of his exposed skin made Melody long to see even more of him, but she was the one under scrutiny today. He swept the fingers of one hand through his short hair, the smooth blond spikes of it bristling up a second before they lay flat again as though they hadn’t even been disturbed. The gesture itself was oddly endearing to her, however. Even more so was the way he rubbed his palms together and gave her an eager smile, like he was about to sit down to a meal and she was the entree.

And that’s precisely what he did. She gasped when he swiveled one of the chairs she was resting a foot on, almost losing her balance before he deftly snagged her ankle with one strong hand and held it while he moved the chair around in front of her and sat. He positioned the chair squarely between her thighs and scooted closer, lifting the foot he still held and draping her leg over his shoulder.

He pressed his lips to her inner thigh and said, “You do look good enough to eat,” then bent and slid his tongue out, sweeping it in a slow trail along the entire length of her slit. The pointed tip of his tongue pressed harder beneath the hood of her clit and curled up in a pink hook, then swirled in a tiny circle that nearly made her lose her grip on herself.

As though sensing her loss of motor function, he grabbed her wrists and urged her to lie back, though his mouth remained in close contact with her pussy the entire time.

Melody closed her eyes and moaned when his hands slid up her thighs and spread her lips apart again.

“If you have a tongue like Kol’s, please fuck me with it.” The words flew out before she could censor herself.

Skye froze and sat back, looking up at her. She opened her eyes and gave him a hesitant glance down the length of her torso. His blue eyes were wide with surprise and he turned to look at Garen, then back at her.

“How much do you know, Melody?”

She closed her eyes again and covered her face with her hands. Why did she have to open her big mouth? She’d probably ruined things by saying anything.

“Just … that Garen said you guys weren’t exactly human. When he did, that’s when it made sense why Kol’s tongue felt so amazing when we … Oh God, that’s all I know, really. I’m sorry I said anything.”

“Don’t be,” Skye said, sliding the pad of his thumb along the sensitive underside of her clit just enough to make her gasp from the sudden jolt of pleasure. “You can’t know much more than that, but the fact that you know a little does make my job easier. And more enjoyable for us both. Please, keep your eyes closed, all right?”

His deliciously warm lips pressed gently against her throbbing clit again, his tongue darting out for another lick. His mouth slipped lower and in a motion Melody couldn’t quite track, his tongue filled her aching channel and his thumb went back to her clit and rubbed.

“Oh God. Yes!”

The warm velvet of his tongue sank ever deeper, then pulled out again, leaving her wanting more.

“Was Kol’s tongue like that?” he asked in a low whisper. “Or is this better?” With that, he plunged his tongue back into her, the thick flesh impossibly long and agile. It seemed to curl and twist inside her, seeking out and prodding at every sensitive inch of her insides until her hips bucked and she cried out again. She clutched at her head with one hand, fingers tangled in her hair, and grabbed at Skye’s head with the other, urging him deeper.

“Better. Oh, that’s so much better. Don’t stop.”

The pleasure built up quicker than she could process, coiling in her belly as though his tongue had taken hold of her completely, relentlessly fucking her into oblivion. She arched her back and writhed her hips up into his mouth, riding out the waves as they continued crashing through. Halfway through the spasms she opened her eyes and looked across the room.

Garen still stood by the door, but his expression was rapt and he had one knuckle clamped between his teeth while he stroked himself with the other hand, right through the fabric of his trousers. She watched, mesmerized by the sight of his pleasure-addled expression and the way he desperately clutched himself while watching her come undone. He stopped abruptly when he caught her eyes on him and dropped both hands to his sides, giving her a sheepish smile.

She didn’t have the focus to wonder at his odd behavior. Skye’s tongue plunged deep again, pushing her past the crest and beyond to another. Her entire body wasn’t her own in that moment. He commanded every molecule of her with the simplest touch. Even after Skye finally withdrew his tongue from her, her entire body still buzzed from the aftershocks of the series of orgasms he’d given her. Her awareness didn’t entirely resume until she heard Skye’s voice somewhere near the door a moment later.

“Move her to my penthouse in San Francisco. I’ll be home for dinner tomorrow evening. Make sure she’s ready for me.” His voice sounded thick with some kind of deep emotion she couldn’t quite discern.

She raised up on her elbows to look at him. “That’s it? You’re done with me?” She only just managed to hold back the words she really had the urge to say.
“Don’t you want to fuck me now?”
She knew they would come out sounding like she was begging, even though he had to be aching from horniness.

Skye turned back to her, his lips quirked in a suggestive smirk. “Only for today, love. Garen will take care of your transfer.”