Prince of Spies (16 page)

She loved him.

Riki never thought she’d ever feel anything like this light, buoyant feeling.

She never thought she’d have

the chance. But the knowledge that she loved Nico sang through her soul, lighting the dark places and

bringing hope where only moments before there was despair. The feeling shocked her down to her toes and she wanted a chance to hug it tight, to bask in it and examine it, but Nico was looking at her strangely. He eyed her as if he knew something was going on in

her mind and it had to do with him.

Guzzling the last of her port, Riki stood somewhat awkwardly from her seat by the fire.

“I’m going in. Goodnight, Drake. Nico.” They’d discussed earlier how she would sleep in the back of

the wagon while the men would take turns on watch and sleeping in the front.

Riki knew she was being a coward, but she had to think this through.

She had to reevaluate her decisions in light of this new discovery. Love changed everything. At least it did for her. She’d never been in love before, and it changed all her perceptions of what was most important.

Nico.

Nico was the most important thing in her life. Not her safety. Not her worries about being recaptured by

Lucan’s men. Not anything else but Nico and making him happy.

And she knew just how to do it, but she was still afraid.

Only the fear had shifted from the possible consequences of making love with Nico to the actual act

itself. She was a virgin and though she’d seen Lucan take his lovers in every which way, she’d never

experienced it herself. She was afraid it would hurt. And she feared looking like a fool.

Though she knew Nico would be patient and kind, she still didn’t want to disappoint him with her lack of experience. She’d quickly given up on the idea of remaining virgin. That seemed so insignificant now, when faced with the possibility of never making love to the man she loved. No, she wanted Nico more than anything—her own safety, her healing powers—

anything.

“Riki?” Nico came to her inside the wagon, concern on his handsome features and she knew she was

lost. “What’s wrong?” He took her in his arms as she trembled, her decision made.

“Make love to me, Nico,” she whispered in his ear, nibbling softly on his earlobe. “I don’t want to be a witch anymore. I want you to make love to me.”

Nico pulled back, shock clear on his face. Shock and a tender blooming passion in his eyes.

“You’d give up your only protection from Lucan for me?”

“I’d rather die than not be with you.”

The breath caught in Nico’s chest. He felt it too. He needed her so badly, he would give up anything—his home, his title, his family, even his life—

just to be with her. Nico wanted her with a passion unsurpassed by anything else in his life. She was his. It was just that simple.

“I want you so desperately, my Arikia.”

His stark words seemed to stun her as her eyes filled with tears. But they were tears of joy, Nico knew, because he was feeling the same wonder as their souls reached out to each other, forming tentative bonds that would only grow stronger with time.

“Oh, Nico!” Riki reached up to kiss him so deeply, so tenderly, it touched his very soul. When she

pulled back, tears were streaming down her face. “I need you too. So much. I never thought…” Nico crushed her to his chest, reveling in the moment. Never before had he wanted so desperately to hear those words from a woman. In fact, he’d never said them before to any woman of his acquaintance. Until this moment—this woman—he had never truly loved before. It was all perfectly clear. Riki was his destiny, as he was hers. Together they would face the rest of their lives, however long or short that may be.

How he wanted her! And he would have her, but she had to know the truth first.

“Riki, my darling, I’m honored you would willingly give up your power and your only protection, for me.

You’ll never know how much that gift means to me.” He stroked back her hair tenderly. “But you need

to know, you won’t lose anything except your maidenhead when I take you. Your gifts will remain and

will only grow stronger with time.”

She blinked up at him skeptically.

“Are you certain? Lucan always said—”

“I don’t know where that maniac got the idea, but it’s totally false. Your sisters and mother are married

and certainly not virgins, and their powers are among the strongest in the land. You won’t lose your gifts,

believe me.” He kissed her forehead, unable to resist nibbling on her soft cheeks.

“But Loralie the witch told him it was so.”

Nico straightened, but didn’t release her. He would never let her out of his arms again, if he had his way.

“Loralie seems to be involved in much where the safety of Draconia is concerned, but whether for good

or ill, ultimately, I cannot clearly say.”

“When Lucan allied with King Salomar, part of the bargain was that Loralie would come to Lucan and

treat him…turn him into what you saw.”

“Try to merge him with the skiths? Is that what they were doing?”

Riki trembled in his arms as she nodded.

“And Loralie told Lucan you’d lose your healing gift if not a virgin.” Nico rubbed comforting circles on

her back as he held her, thinking through all the information he had on Lucan’s sinister doings. “It might

surprise you to know that Loralie also told your sister you’d be found in Skithdron.”

“Why would she do that?” Riki’s spine stiffened as she regained some of her composure.

“I begin to suspect she’s not quite as evil—at least not in some of her actions—as we have always

believed. Perhaps she told Lucan to keep you virgin to spare you rape and sexual torture by that evil

creature she’d helped create.”

“I don’t understand why she would help me even that much.”

Nico rubbed her shoulders, needing to refocus her mind on much more pleasant matters. “It will all come

clear in time, I’m sure. But for now, sweetheart, I believe we have more important matters to tend to.”

“Such as?” She smiled up at him coquettishly, making his heart stutter a bit at her beauty. She never failed to steal his breath.

“Pleasure, my sweet virgin. For us both. But especially for you. This first time, I want you to learn the pleasure I can bring you. I want you to enjoy every moment. If anything I do bothers you, I expect you to tell me right away.”

Riki looked up into his eyes, smiling her trust in him. It was a heady responsibility and one he would cherish for the rest of their lives. Gently, he lowered his head, touching his lips to hers in a brief salute as he drew her closer against his straining erection.

She tasted of honey and roses, sweet and pure. Nico feared she was too good for the likes of him, but he didn’t have the strength to let her go. No, he wanted her all to himself for the rest of their lives. Nico had finally found his mate and he would cherish her and hold her close forevermore.

But first he would claim her.

Nico coaxed her tongue into his mouth, sucking lightly, enjoying her little whimpers of excitement. She was so new to this kind of loveplay she squeaked and Nico relished his role as teacher. He’d never had a virgin before and he knew with certainty, he would never have another woman ever again. Only Riki.

It might take some time to talk her around to believing that, but he’d enjoy every moment of it. Still, Nico decided to go as slow as he could so as not to scare her off. Riki was still a little skittish, with good reason, and he wouldn’t risk losing her because he’d pushed too far, too fast.

“Nico,” she moaned into his mouth and the sound had him straining against her.

As gently as he could manage, he tugged her pretty dress up over her shoulders, parting from her only enough to remove the barrier between them. Her fingers went to the ties of his shirt, inflaming him. She was eager and ready, nearly desperate for what he could give her and Nico’s chest pounded with satisfaction and desperate hunger.

“Do you know how special you are?” he whispered against her ear as he moved downward, his mouth worshiping her skin. “Can you feel what you do to me?” Nico ground his hips forward into her thighs, relishing her softness against his very hard cock. “You set me on fire, Arikia. Only you.”

He trailed his lips down her soft body, pausing along the way to tease her breasts, but also stopping here and there to kiss the scars left behind by her ordeal as Lucan’s prisoner. Nico knew she needed his tenderness as well as his passion. She’d undoubtedly seen things that would make her afraid of what could occur between a man and woman. In light of that, Riki’s willingness to make love with him astounded and humbled him.

Pausing to lick a small scar that traced down her abdomen to her belly button, he delved inside the little indentation with his tongue. Riki’s girlish giggle as he tickled her was music to Nico’s ears. That’s what he wanted.

He wanted to release her carefree nature, to reach the woman who should have been sheltered and loved all her life and never known a moment’s pain. Nico knew he couldn’t take away all the hardships she’d faced, but he could shower her with love and caring for the rest of her days. And he would.

But first he would make her his in every possible way.

Nico’s mouth trailed down her body until he came to rest, kneeling before her. Looking upward, Nico met and held her shocked gaze as he lifted one of her sweet thighs over his shoulder. Nico smiled with satisfaction as the dragon in him trumpeted. This woman was his!

Leaning forward, he licked the little button of her clit, loving the gasping moan that issued from her lips and the warm cream that slid from her opening. With gentle fingers, he played at her entrance, coating his hands with her cream, sliding first one, then two fingers within, stretching her just a bit for what was to come.

Riki couldn’t believe what Nico was doing. He had her spread wickedly over his shoulder, held mostly immobile to his desires. And she loved every minute of it3every lick, every touch, every teasing motion of his tongue.

When long fingers stretched the channel that was so hungry for him, she gasped, her knees going weak. But Nico was there to hold her up. His fingers moved back while his mouth took over. His lips nibbled at her clit, his tongue sweeping along her folds. Two fingers speared into her, moving lightly, setting up a rhythm that drove her nearly out of her mind. His other hand cupped her ass, the fingers sliding slowly toward the little hole secreted there.

Nico’s magic fingers pushed against her back entrance and a whole different set of nerve endings flickered to life within her, coiling in her womb and causing untold heat to shimmer through her being.

“Come for me baby,” Nico whispered against her clit. His warm breath and heated words washed over her, pushing her higher.

With a little gasping cry, she clenched around his hands, coming for him, at his command. Nico held her through the small peak, gently removing his hands only when she was over the crisis. He petted her, taking her in his arms and laying her on the big bed in the back of the wagon. He spread her out before him as if she belonged to him.

And she did.

Riki raised no objection when Nico climbed over her on the bed after discarding his clothes quickly. He spread her legs with his, coming down over her. His hard cock homed in on her pussy and lodged in the slick folds, apparently content to just rest there for now.

“I’m going to make you mine, Arikia. If you want me to stop, tell me now.”

“Don’t stop, Nico. I need you.”

He smiled down at her, light shining from his hazel eyes. “As I need you, my heart, my love.” Nico bent and kissed her, sliding his hard cock along the wet folds of her pussy, teasing, taunting, tempting her to take him inside. His lips trailed down over her neck, settling at her ripe breasts, driving her wild with need.

The fever rose higher and higher. Soon Riki was straining against him.

She felt if he didn’t take her soon, she might die of the wanting.

“Nico!” she cried out as he rose above her. “Please…”

Nico’s gaze held hers as he pressed down and in, joining them by slow degrees. The pressure was relentless as he pushed inward, pulling back occasionally to ease his way. With each small give and take, he entered deeper, filling her with a sensation she’d never felt before.

Riki squeaked when the barrier was broken, but the pain was momentary. The pleasure and wonder of this man, this moment, overrode all. Nico was within her now, part of her, if only for these next few moments. She wished in her heart of hearts, she could keep him forever.

“It’s done now.” He leaned close to kiss her, resting within her for a quiet moment while she got used to the feeling.

But all too soon, she started to squirm. She needed something, though she didn’t quite understand it. Her hips rolled, causing Nico to groan as he began to move. He pumped his hips slowly at first, holding her gaze, then more quickly as she met his thrusts with excited movements of her own.

Riki was burning up, the fire within rising higher and higher as Nico’s thrusts became ever more powerful. He forged into her, sparking her senses as his hard cock claimed her in the most elemental way. Pain was forgotten. Shyness left aside. There was only this moment. This man.

“Nico!”

“We’re almost there.” His voice strained above her, a masculine growl from deep in his throat. “Come with me, Riki, come with me now.”

Riki nearly lost consciousness as the wave of passion broke over her.

She felt Nico tense inside her, his muscles going rigid against her skin as his cock erupted with streams of hot cum, filling her to overflowing. Riki reveled in the pleasure she could clearly read on his face as she found her own high peak, going to a place she’d never been before and hadn’t even known existed.

Wrung out and utterly sated, Riki drifted down from the peak of pleasure to fall asleep in Nico’s strong arms. He would keep her safe, she knew, both body and soul.

Riki woke much later, to softness, warmth and a feeling of immense security she had never felt before. Nico had her wrapped in his arms, spooning her from behind and she thought she’d never been more comfortable or content. Shifting slightly, she became aware of soreness in places she’d never been sore before and a flush stole up her neck.