Hot Blooded (23 page)

Mate,
a voice whispered in his head.

Iona's head broke the surface as he reached the water's edge. Their gazes locked, held. She treaded water, waiting. Laith stepped into the water and made a shallow dive, gliding beneath the water until he reached her.

Laith broke the surface, wrapping an arm around her as he did. “You've no idea how much I want you.”

“You've no idea how I dreamed of you just like this,” she whispered.

Laith pulled her close, her breasts pressed against him. She was breathing heavily and her lips were parted. He splayed his hand on her back and took her mouth in a savage, wild kiss.

 

CHAPTER
TWENTY-SIX

Iona's blood ran hot, scorching her veins as Laith kissed her senseless. She clung to him, helpless to do anything other than hold onto him. She had been dozing when she knew with a certainty she couldn't explain that Laith was near. When she sat up and saw him, her legs went weak. She was still shaking when she stood and dove into the water.

Her trembling hadn't stopped there. In fact, it had worsened. The cool water lapped against her heated flesh, and she only belatedly realized that she had stopped treading water. Somehow Laith was holding them both up with one hand around her.

Iona sucked in a breath when he ended the kiss. It took her a moment to focus, and then she was looking into his beautiful eyes. The desire reflected in the gunmetal depths sent her passion soaring.

“I wondered if you would come,” she said.

His arm tightened around her. “As if I could stay away.” He kissed her again briefly. “I wasna sure after last night what you thought.”

Last night? That's when she recalled his story and the fact he was a dragon. It was difficult for her to think of him as anything other than a man since that's all she had seen him as, and what a magnificent body it was.

Iona licked her lips while she ran her hands over his thick shoulders, up his neck, and into the wet strands of his long hair. She had only gotten a glimpse of him, and she wanted to look him over at her leisure so she could touch and kiss every inch of him. That's when she recalled the glimpse of a tattoo on his back she had gotten when he dove in.

“Let me see your tat,” she urged.

He smiled and drew her closer to shore so that she could stand, then he released her and turned his back to her. Iona gasped. The tattoo took up his entire back from his neck to his waist. The ink was a spectacular and unique mixture of black and red.

She touched the head of the dragon that rested on Laith's left shoulder. The dragon was standing on his hind legs, the wings semi-spread toward his right shoulder blade. Her eyes roamed down the body of the dragon to its tail that stopped at the top of his left butt cheek.

“I've never seen such beautiful and meticulous work before,” she said in awe.

Laith's head turned to the side. “It's no' work. Each Dragon King has a tat of his dragon upon his body somewhere.”

“Each of you have one of these?”

“Aye,” he said with a smile.

She traced the tattoo until Laith turned around and took her in his arms again. He brought her against him so that their foreheads touched, their mouths breaths apart. Her heart pounded, her chest heaved. Nothing existed but the two of them and the craving for each other.

“All I can think about is you. All I want is you.” Those were private musings, but when it came to Laith, there were no boundaries anymore.

He moaned and kissed her.

“I can't explain it.”

“Stop talking,” he murmured and cupped the back of her head with his other hand.

Iona's toe hit the bottom of the pool. Sometime in all the kissing and talking Laith swam them toward the side of the pool. With both of his arms available now, Iona was crushed against his chest.

But she loved every minute of it. The closer she was to him, the hotter she burned. The only one who could soothe her, the only one who could ease the ache inside her was Laith.

Iona opened her eyes long enough to see they were in an alcove with boulders rising high around them, shielding them from any eyes. The water lapped lazily against shore, as if the seclusion slowed time.

She wound her arms around his head as he kissed down her throat and across her chest. His tongue was searing, his lips tender. Then he cupped her breast and skimmed his thumb over her already aching nipple.

A deep moan flew past her lips as desire shot straight to her core. She lifted one of her legs and wrapped it around him, sucking in a breath at the feel of his hot, hard arousal pressing against her stomach.

Iona reached between them and wrapped her hand around his cock. Laith stilled, his body going taut as a deep, hungry groan rumbled in his chest. She opened her eyes to find him watching her greedily. Her hand moved up and down his length, her movements causing the water to swirl around them.

“Tease,” he growled, a small smile playing about his lips.

“As if you expect me not to touch as well.”

He chuckled and squeezed her nipple. “Careful, lass. The teasing goes both ways.”

Iona's smile grew when she reached the top of his rod and slid her thumb over his head. His eyes darkened as his cock jumped in her hand. Her victory was short-lived however. Laith removed her hand and bent her backward so that his lips latched onto one of her nipples to suckle at the same time his finger slid inside her.

Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. She was helpless to do anything other than lay there as his hands and mouth worked her into a frenzy. The harder he sucked, the more she moved her hips. His fingers were busy stroking her while his thumb circled her aching clit. The leg she had wrapped around him tightened as he continued to pull her closer and closer to her climax.

She was on fire, burning from within, the desire was so intense. Her nails dug into his arms as his muscles bunched beneath her palms. She heard someone moan loudly, and realized the sound was coming from her.

His lips moved to her other nipple and he flicked his tongue back and forth over the hard nub. All the while, he added a second finger inside her.

The next instant, he sat her up so quickly water splashed on him. Iona leaned forward and licked a droplet that ran down his cheek to his jaw.

“I'm trying to take my time, but you're no' helping,” Laith said tightly.

She smiled and framed his face with her hands. “Good. I want you to feel as I do. I want you to crave me as much as I crave you.”

“I do,” he said softly.

Iona normally took charge any time she was with a man, but with Laith he not only didn't give her a chance, he took charge. And she loved it. It made her desire him even more because of that.

He removed his hand from inside her. Iona felt bereft, needy without his touch. He grasped her hips and lifted her. Without being told, Iona wrapped her other leg around his waist.

They were staring into each other's eyes when he gradually, deliberately lowered her. Iona sucked in a breath when the blunt head of his cock met her sex. And when he pushed inside her, stretching her, she moaned.

“I want you screaming,” he whispered in her ear.

“I don't.”

He leaned back and smiled. “You will.”

His promise sent a thrill of anticipation rushing through her. If anyone could make her scream, it would be Laith, but it just wasn't her. She rarely made any noises during sex. As if to seal his promise, he thrust his hips forward, seating her firmly upon him. Iona's lips parted, but only a small groan sounded.

Laith pulled out of her until only the tip of him remained, then he plunged inside her. Again and again he repeated the move, sometimes thrusting hard, sometimes slowly filling her. Her eyes were glazed and half-open, her lips parted, and her chest heaved, but she wasn't screaming yet.

He shifted them so she was backed against a boulder worn smooth by the water. The driving, powerful hunger inside him grew with each moment Iona was in his arms.

The more he kissed her, touched her, filled her, the more he had to have. She had become an addiction without him even realizing it.

She eased him when he hadn't known he needed such tenderness. She inflamed him when he hadn't known he was capable of such desire.

She made him long for something he was sure he would never have considered—a mate.

Laith's chest constricted at the thought, but he couldn't release her. Iona was a part of him now for better or worse. He increased his rhythm, sliding in her faster, harder, deeper. Her eyes were fully closed now, her nails drawing blood as they sunk into his back and shoulders.

She hadn't turned away from him after learning what he was, but even if she had, Laith would have pursued Iona. He had claimed her, whether it was just for the day or forever, that was up to her.

Laith held her hips steady as he pounded within her. Small cries began to fall from her lips as her head moved side to side. He smiled and moved just enough to slip a hand between to find her swollen clit. The first touch of his finger and she cried out.

Laith pulled out of her long enough to turn her so that her back was to him. She gripped the boulder, her face turned to the side so that her cheek was pressed against the rock. With one thrust, he entered her. For a moment, he held still as her body trembled and she tried to move her hips. She was close to peaking, but not nearly close enough to screaming.

Laith remained deep within her and reached around to fondle her breasts, pulling at the tight buds of her nipples.

“Laith,” she whispered, her voice low and full of need.

Still he continued teasing her breasts, massaging them and rolling her nipples between his fingers. Only when she was panting, her hips bucking against him did he turn his focus to her sex.

He parted her with his fingers and briefly closed his eyes at the feel of her arousal. Then he focused his attention on her clitoris, alternating flicking his thumb over it and circling the swollen nub.

She continued to try to move her hips, but he held her steady. Her lips were parted, small moans and cries coming from her.

He knew the instant she was about to orgasm by the way her body tightened. Laith kissed the back of her neck and removed his hand. She let out a cry and tried to move, but he trapped her between him and the boulder.

“Are you ready to scream for me?” he whispered in her ear as he slowly withdrew from her.

“Yes. Oh, yes,” she said with her eyes still closed.

He let his hand skim over her lips and then down her throat. “Open your eyes, sweetheart.”

Her lips lifted and her eyes focused on the waterfall. She swallowed and waited for him to speak.

“Look at the water and doona take your eyes off it. Doona close your eyes, but more important, doona move.”

She started to look at them, then changed her mind. “I have to move.”

“You'll remain still,” he murmured as his hand caressed down the side of her breasts. He wanted to fondle them again, to feel the weight of them in his palm, but that would mean moving her from the boulder, and that's not what he wanted right now.

“Laith?” She whispered his name with a mix of longing and fear.

Good. She was in complete control of every aspect of her life, including the men she took to her bed. He was going to be different. He was going to force her to go places she hadn't dared before.

Because there were aspects of Iona she kept locked away, even from herself. Laith was going to blow open those doors. She was going to have to be strong both mentally and physically to deal with what was coming.

“Trust me.”

He smiled as she gave a small nod. That's all the acceptance he needed. Laith pushed into her about an inch before he halted and pulled back out.

Her gaze never wavered from the waterfall, though she was biting her lip and shaking from trying not to move. Laith wanted to draw this out much longer, but being inside her was too much. He wanted to bury himself deep and give in to the desire riding him. So far he had managed to hold on to his control, but it was fast slipping through his fingers.

Laith's grip on her hips tightened right before he filled her fully. He moaned at the feel of her sheath tightening around him. She held her word and didn't move her body. The walls of her sheath squeezed him, and it was Laith's turn to shake. He was too close to the edge, too far gone to prolong the pleasure that awaited both of them.

He began to move his hips, his thrusts slow and short at first, but it wasn't long before he was burying himself deep within her with fast, hard strokes. Laith felt his climax growing near even as he heard Iona's first shout. He was relentless as he pounded into her body, her screams of pleasure pushing him to bring them higher.

“Laith!” she screamed as her body convulsed with the beginning of her orgasm.

He continued to thrust, even as his own orgasm overtook him and he poured his seed into her.

 

CHAPTER
TWENTY-SEVEN

Rhi wasn't sure what brought her back to her secret cottage. Perhaps it was catching Laith and Iona locked in each other's arms kissing after such rousing sex. She knew it was a lie even as she thought it. Rhi walked into the house and closed the door behind her so she could lean back against it.

No, she returned to this place because it had helped to comfort her in the past. She once spent many nights curled up on the bed crying for her lover, for what could have been. It was worse now that Shara was mated to a King. A Fae, and not just any Fae, but a once Dark Fae. When it had been said that there could never be a union between the Fae and the Dragon Kings, what had eventually happened?

Rhi had been foolish enough to think she would have been the one to shatter that supposed rule put in place by her queen. Yet it was Usaeil who had been responsible for helping Shara and Kiril.

Why hadn't Usaeil done the same for her? Why hadn't any of them helped her and her lover as everyone had done for Shara and Kiril? Could it be because they didn't approve of the relationship she'd had with her King? Was it because they didn't like her? What was the reason her life had been destroyed?