Chapter 7

Acasia

A meal waited for me. I needed to ask him who cooked. The door at the end of the hallway remained locked. My only contact was with my dragon; my dream man didn't count. I fisted my hand and stretched it a few times. It was still a little sore from hitting the dragon's nose, but it didn't keep me from eating. I noticed a jar of cream and a missive at the other end of the table. After the meal, I read the note.

Rub this in where you need it most.

The dragon must have had the note delivered when I changed my clothes. I couldn't help wondering who wrote it for him.

Standing from the chair and walking to the end of the table had given me an idea of where I needed the salve most. I could feel heat rise in my cheeks. I made my way to the bath, shed my clothes, and submerged myself in hot water. I couldn't help the sigh of relief for my tender backside.

In just two days, I was falling for a dragon, no longer thinking of him as my enemy. I soaped my hands and ran my fingers over my breasts. It felt good. I pinched my nipples slightly and heat rushed between my legs. I forced my mind off the red eyes and scales, picturing my dream man inside the steamy room. One of my hands smoothed down my belly and found that forbidden place between my legs. I'd never touched myself there. As a claiming bride, touching oneself was prohibited. I wasn't sure of the rules now, but refused to feel guilty, because it felt so damn good.

My flesh was soft and swollen, and I wondered if the puffiness was an aftereffect of riding the dragon. The heat flaring in my cheeks had nothing to do with the hot water.

Riding the dragon.

I might be a virgin, but I'd listened to females talk about sex. When the dragon explained I could ride him, I almost died. Sex with a dragon... impossible. But I could dream and pleasure myself. I had my man of shadows. He touched me in just the right ways, though I wanted more. I needed to work on my sexual fantasies. The fleeting thought to check the library for books about sexual information entered my mind at the same time I slipped one finger to my center. Tight heat, too tight to go farther unless I wished to disrupt my hymen. I arched my body, rubbing my breasts and the softness between my legs. Pressure built. Elusive, but so close.

My eyes had closed with thoughts of my dream man, but I opened them to see the effects my hands were having on my body. My nipples were tight little buds and I touched them again. Movement from the corner of my eye startled me. I jerked my head sideways. It was him, my dream man. He stood naked, holding his enormous erection.

I screamed, uselessly trying to cover myself.

He backed quickly out of the doorway.

Jumping from the bath, I grabbed a clean robe left on the back of the door and ran from the room. He wasn't there. I searched throughout the chamber rooms, but found no sign of him. As I headed to my room, the dragon's loud roar had me turning toward the tower. For once, I didn't notice the smell. I felt his pain deep in my gut. My dragon suffered. I stopped at the top of the stairway and slowly walked to the end of his perch to look down to the bottom. Nothing. I looked up. He swooped just under the ceiling with another roar.

Oh my.

My dragon had an erection. The scales of his underbelly pulled back farther and a giant red cock displayed proudly. I shivered. It would never fit, was anatomically impossible. But that didn't mean I couldn't appreciate his endowment and fight jealousy over the female dragon who would eventually take on his cock.

He swooped low and roared again. Fire spewed upward. I stepped back out of its path. I heard a loud clatter and peered over the ledge. He swiped piles of bones aside, shattering them against the wall. I fought a smile with relief; he was throwing a temper tantrum. A lust-filled rage, I thought. Smoke puffed from both nostrils, but he didn't release fire. The smell began to upset my stomach and finally it looked like he calmed a bit. I turned and ran back to my chambers and didn't think about the naked man until I closed the door behind me.

Curious.

I walked into the bedroom with the huge bed.

Go into my room and wait at the window.

It clicked.

Go into my room and wait at the window. That's what he said to me before we took our ride. This was his room, the dragon's. The only way he could fit in here was if he was also human. My dream man. Mortification almost overwhelmed me, but anger won and simmered slowly. I wish I could roar and eject fire. The jerk tricked me. The longer I thought about it, the more devious my thoughts turned.

Payback was a bitch.

***

Bastian

My rage centered on my own stupidity. I'd snuck into my bedroom and heard the splash of the bath. She'd left the door open a crack, and once I looked inside, some unseen energy drew me closer. She pleasured herself-her nipples stiff peaks, her body arching up seeking a deeper penetration with her finger.

I wanted it.

Wanted to be the first inside that tight passage.

She'd stopped, but I had no way of knowing if I was too late. It was stupid really. I knew the rules unfair for the claiming brides. Hell, we dragons had made those rules out of jealousy. I'm not sure which of us would actually kill the families of those who broke the decree. We'd never faced the predicament. Our brides always proved virgins. This was why the annoying females needed quick deflowering. Sarn, Laryn, and Tahr, my brethren, argued with me continually. I had a problem with taking an unwilling bride before she settled. I'd learned through trial and error that if human females had a mental connection, they took to bedroom activity with more zest.

My talons clicked on the stone. Sucking in air, I noticed the putrid odor of decaying animals. My thirty-two year period of mourning had turned me into a slob. I gathered the first pile, which was harder to pick up now that I'd smashed the bones. I flew my garbage out of the upper parapet. It took hours, but I cleaned the tower and finally sanitized the floor and walls with fire.

Black soot now coated the room, but the odor was more pleasing. My anger dissipated while I swam in the closest lake and removed the smell of death that clung to my scales. Cleaning my mess gave me a clearer view of what I wanted, and a certain young human was at the top of my list.