Thane DrogosWatching Evie break apart under my hands was the most beautiful thing I've ever experienced. Laying flat in my bed, jaw slack, eyes widened with wonder. Her chest rose and fell rapidly like she needed to catch her breath.I sat back on my knees, watching her come down from her high.The bed appeared damp with the rush of her orgasm. The taste of it against my lips. I wanted to taste her again, lick up all traces of her climax until she cried out again. I wanted to make her come repeatedly until morning.A spike of possessiveness warmed my blood. I wanted every sexual experience with any other man to pale in comparison to how I played her body with my hands. I wanted to do it again. The sight of her absolutely intoxicating.My pants tightened, my cock wanting to come out and play. Dip within her and get a taste of how tightly she milked my fingers. Watch her moan and writhe. Take me like the good girl I know she is. Beneath her bratty exterior hid a woman wh
Evie StantonWhen I woke up the next morning, Thane wasn't there. My mind tried to process what happened as I watched the filtering light from the rising sun slowly peek through the cabana.Last night, all we had were the dim lights from the oil lanterns to keep us company. But now it was a new day, and with that were so many possibilities.Last night. Thinking of my night with Thane made my entire body flush. A rush of heat climbed under my skin, that made me ache for more. A heat that made me want him over and over again. Naked from the waist down, Thane touched me and made me feel things I never knew I could. And we hadn't even had sex.The idea of being joined with him. Lost in him. Thane lost in me. In the sensations I could give him.A flash from last night clouded my vision. Knelt between his legs as I tasted him. Watched him break apart from my mouth. The realization I could bring him to his knees empowered me.I wanted to do it again. Explore his body. Find out all the little
Thane DrogosOnce I reached the underwater cave, I shifted to fit through all the small nooks and tunnels to reach the hoard. It was located in an air bubble far beneath the surface no casual treasure hunter would ever find. And I was its protector. My crew trusted me wholeheartedly with it.I untied the large satchel from my ankle, scooping it with gold and jewels from our latest conquest. Massive piles of gold were located in every corner. A true treasure trove. And my mother kept track of every single last coin. This was finally the last trip today, so my crew could get their fair cut. At least what they requested. All surplus stayed with the hoard. Every corner of the cave glittered, flickering with light bouncing off the water. It truly was a sight no one would ever see unless I took them here myself. Even my mother hadn't seen it for herself. She missed the water, but she couldn't shift anymore after she got sick. Even her dragon tattoo had faded, but it seemed
Evie StantonMy face stung, Thane's hand closed over my shoulder. He dragged me behind him all the way back to his cabana. The crewmen stared at me. I could feel it, but I couldn't drag my eyes from my feet. I limped, stumbling over my throbbing ankle.Complaints stuck in my throat. I couldn't find my voice, and I doubt he would listen to me anyway. I could still feel his hand squeezing my face. The rage glittering in his eyes, reminiscent of when he first saw my coat of arms.I had forgotten what it looked like. The hurt. The tick in his jaw. A vein straining in his neck. The man who scared me.Last night, I was in the eye of a hurricane. A moment of peace. Unbelievable bliss. But now the storm was moving. Swirling around me and dragging me beneath crippling winds.A wall rose between Thane and me. I watched it. The moment his hand fell to his side, all empathy vanished.I didn't recognize him anymore. I don't think he recognized me, either. Every word spilled fro
Thane DrogosThat night, I stayed at Desmond's house. Unable to look at Evelyn again. I couldn't bear to see my bed and remember the night we shared. Hear her sobs as she tried to reason with me about why I should free her. If I stayed, I would have caved. The fury inside would fade away the longer I stared into her wide brown eyes.Evelyn made me soft.More reason to follow through with my plan. She threatened my crew. My family. In turn, threatened their families. No one would be safe if she went home. She knew where safehold was. Knew who I was. If Evelyn's father, Richard, knew, then he would set the entire world on fire to find my mother and me. He gutted my brothers. Strung up my father. Found and butchered every distant member of my family.With us alive, his secret, his whole lineage, and bureaucratic power were now at risk. But even with all those reasons, I hated what I would have to do with Evelyn. Serve her up on a platter to a clan of sirens. I sa
Evie StantonI was sick of feeling sorry for myself. Fuck him.Fuck everyone here. Then why couldn't I stop fucking crying? My eyes burned, cheeks wet. Katarina had tied me to a support ballast in Thane's cabin. I sat there, head bowed forward, my shirt wet from how many tears I've cried these past twelve hours. I didn't think I'd ever be the type of woman to cry after a man. Every man in my life looked at me like I was a possession. A trophy to parade around on their arm.I hated it. I hated all of them. I never let anyone in, not like I let Thane in. Then, I thought about the creature that emerged from the ocean, and I tried to be scared of it. Stand behind the awful things I said.I should be afraid of dragons. Those jagged teeth. Massive wings. Leathered skin with the gant of an apex predator. Golden horns coiled around his head like a crown. I suppose it made sense. Thane was the crown prince, and his dragon form showed it off unabashedly. The light that reflec
Thane DrogosEvelyn was something else.A woman, who can't swim, has already drowned once, dove overboard to shove the Captain of an attacking vessel into the water. I stared down at her, and she met my gaze, her own wide with realization. She cracked a smile, and I couldn't help but return one. Desmond clapped me on the shoulder, sheathing his cutlass and offering Evelyn his hand. When he pulled her to her feet, she winced, grabbing her shoulder. Blood ebbed through the white cloth on her shirt."Are you alright?" I asked, taking a step forward to look closely at her wound. Without thinking, I pushed her ringlets out of her eyes, seeing the bruise where that fucking Captain struck her. Her soft skin under my fingertips tingled, a zap of something electric coming to life between us again.It never died. I had just forgotten it.My lips pulled into a frown when I realized what I was doing. Evelyn's big doe eyes gazed at me, probably wondering what I was thinking. I took
Evie Stanton"Evelyn…I'm sorry," Thane started, his voice dropping an octave. His gaze fixed on his lap, his hat discarded on the bed. My hands started trembling, but I clenched them into fists to stop it.Not two minutes before he entered his cabin, I started crying again. I couldn't fucking help it. Overwhelmed didn't even begin to cover how I felt. I wasn't in restraints anymore, but I was still trapped. Still headed toward my death. "Sorry? You're sorry?"His eyes flittered over to me, pinning me instantly. "I am.""No." I crossed my arms, voice feeling thick again. God, I hated crying. But it seemed to be all my body wanted to do now that he was in the same room with me. So much for vowing not to cry again. "You're still going to serve me up to a clan of sirens, Thane. Sorry doesn't mean anything." He hummed in his chest. "Why did you protect us? Against Captain Charles? You knew he could kill you."I shrugged. "It seemed like the right thing to do." I paused, taki