“No. I know fear. It has a subtle difference, a little more tangy. What I smell at the moment, however, is anything but fear. No, m’lady. I smell lust.”
“You do not!”
He leaned in closer, his nose brushing against her jaw, her cheek, the side of her neck. He took another deep breath, letting it out on a groan.
“Sorry, little human. But I most certainly do.”
Talaith closed her eyes again. She got the feeling she could yell at this dragon until the end of time, and he would still do what he wanted with her. So, she put her pride away and gave one last-ditch effort.
Softly, she asked, “Please. Please get off me.”
Instantly, the dragon’s expression changed from laughing amusement to deep concern. He moved away from her, releasing her wrists.
Fighting back tears she would never allow to come, Talaith awkwardly pulled herself to a comfortable sitting position. Her arms hugging her knees tight, her wrists still bound. That’s when the dragon finally removed the noose from her neck and the rope from her wrists.
“I should have taken these off sooner.”
Startled, she looked up to see him toss the rope away before grasping her wrists and gently massaging them. I guess I could pretend that’s an apology. Although from what she knew of dragons…not likely.
“And remind me to put something on your throat, or that rope burn will hurt something horrible come tomorrow, if not sometime tonight.” He tilted her head back with his forefinger under her chin, examining her wounded neck closely. “It still may scar, though.”
It amazed her exactly how beautiful this man was. From his extremely long body rippling with well-defined muscles under smooth tan skin to his excessively wide shoulders and back tapering into a narrow waist. All of it the definition of male perfection.
Talaith’s eyes traveled farther down. She couldn’t help herself. And once she saw it, his erection, she couldn’t tear her eyes away. She couldn’t even be bothered to study those massive thighs of his.
He cleared his throat and her gaze snapped back to his face. His grin had returned, more powerful than the last time. Because now he caught her looking. “Like what you see apparently.”
That wasn’t a question.
She’d always heard dragons were arrogant, but she didn’t realize to what extent until this particular dragon. And she had to admit it annoyed the living hell out of her.
In answer to his statement, she shrugged and lied, “I’ve seen better.”
Now both eyebrows peaked in surprise, but he still said, “Liar.”
Oh, and she was. A big, fat, dirty liar.
“If that will help you sleep tonight, dragon.”
“Actually, m’lady, you’d—”
She cut him off as soon as she realized where the conversation was leading, “Don’t say it.”
He nodded. “As you wish.”
Carefully she pulled her hands away from him and again wrapped her arms tight around her knees. “What do you want from me, dragon? Honestly. No more games.”
The dragon stretched that long, magnificent body out on the ground beside her, resting on his side. He didn’t bother covering himself up, and she realized he probably wasn’t aware exactly how naked he truly was in human terms. Dragons may lay around naked, but not humans.
“I’ve never been with a human before. I’ve been with dragon females who were human at the time. But never a full human.”
She scratched her head in confusion. “Why would dragons…uh…be with each other as human?”
“We find it entertaining.”
Talaith nodded in understanding, then she realized exactly what the dragon was telling her. On occasion she could be a tad slow catching on to things.
“Are you saying…” She cleared her throat, but it didn’t help. That was panic choking her at the moment. Nothing to really do about panic. “You want to bed…me?”
“We can do it in a bed, if you wish. I told you all this yesterday.”
“No.” This couldn’t be happening. No, no, no.
“Why not?”
Think, Talaith. “Well, first off I’m bound to another.”
“Ah, yes. To the man who tried to kill you.”
“Well—”
“Let’s see…” He laid out flat on the ground, his big hands behind his big, fat head. “What were his exact words again? Ah, yes. ‘Kill the witch. Burn the witch.’ Didn’t he hand a child a rather large stone?”
“All right. All right.” Bastard. “Forget that.”
“Forgotten.”
“In the end, I am human. And you”—she looked at him from the top of his beautiful head to the bottom of his gargantuan feet—“are clearly not human.”
“So? I can shift into human, as I’ve done here. And you seem quite pleased with my form.”
“It was one look.”
“Yes. But it spoke volumes, m’lady.”
Talaith ran her hands through her wet, tangled mass of curls. She’d give anything to have a comb or brush. She’d give anything to be dry. “I am not a lady.”
“Perhaps. But you’re no mere peasant either.”
Working hard to keep her face neutral, she asked, “Why would you say that?”
He shrugged nonchalantly as he stared up at the two suns. “I can just tell.” He sighed in boredom. “I don’t want to talk anymore.”
Good. His voice had begun to drive her mad with wanting. “Fine.”
He looked over at her. “Come.” He motioned to his throbbing hard shaft, currently pointing at the suns and, if she was not mistaken, calling her name. “Ride me.”
Yes, m’lord! “What? No!”
“Are you going to be this difficult all the way back to my den?”
Uh-oh. “Why are we going to your den?”
“That’s where you’ll live, of course. You know, until I’m done with you.”
Finally, all fear—and lust—of the dragon left her, and Talaith’s mouth dropped open in shock at his pure arrogance.
“You rude, arrogant bastard!”
“Excuse me?”
She pushed herself to her feet. “You heard me. I haven’t survived sixteen years with that idiot, simply to become the plaything of a monster.”
“I am not a monster. I’m a dragon. You humans should be worshipping us.”
“Shame it’s more fun to hunt your kind then, isn’t it?”
The dragon sprung to his feet. “That is not something I’d joke about if I were you, little human.”
“I won’t stay.”
“You will. Whether you bed with me or not. You will stay. You’re mine by dragon law.”
“I am not governed by dragon law.”
He grabbed her arm and yanked her over to him. Talaith rose up on her toes, forced to by the way he pulled her.
“Now that I’ve saved your life, little human, it belongs