Playing with Fire

‘‘Are you hurt?’’

‘‘I’m trying to control this overpowering, insane, undeniable… need I have for you,’’ he said, his eyes opening to pierce me with molten light.

‘‘I thought that need was part of you being a wyvern, and me being your mate.’’

‘‘In certain circumstances, yes. But you have not been taken from me recently. I should be able to control this overwhelming drive to possess you.’’

‘‘I think we’d better just give up on the idea of foreplay,’’ I said, laughing at his tortured expression.

Irritation filled his eyes. ‘‘We will not! Dammit, May, I want to do this! I owe it to you-not just because you are my mate, but because you would like it. And I would like to see you liking it. The thought of doing it is in the top five of my sexual wish list. It’s just that when you’re not around, I can think about all of the many and varied ways I would like to love you, but then I see you and smell you and taste you, and it’s so hard…’’

I wrapped my hand around his penis. ‘‘Possibly hard enough to break a concrete block.’’

His eyes widened for a moment, and then he tipped me over backward, hoisting my legs around his hips as he thrust into me.

‘‘Gabriel,’’ I moaned, both at the sudden act of penetration and the unusual position. ‘‘This isn’t particularly comfor-oh, dear gods, yes! Do that again!’’

He repeated a delicious little hip swivel, and it was all over for me. I clutched handfuls of grass as he sent me flying, dragon fire washing over my body as I gave in to the glory of our joining. My legs, clutched around his hips, spread wider as his body thickened, the slick, satiny skin becoming rougher and harder until silver scales rippled upward to cover the flesh. Scarlet claws pricked the skin on my hips as he lifted me to meet him, the sensitive skin of my inner thighs rubbing with delightful friction against his scales. Gabriel’s roar of completion startled birds sleeping in the scattered trees of the garden.

I opened my eyes when he collapsed down upon me for a moment before rolling onto his back, taking me with him. He was Gabriel once more, a man, and yet not a man. But whatever he was, I could no longer deny that I was falling in love with him.

‘‘You shifted,’’ I said, amazed at the experience.

‘‘I’m sorry,’’ he said, his eyes closed, his chest heaving beneath me. ‘‘I know I said I wouldn’t, but I couldn’t control myself. You are so much a part of me now, I’ve lost the ability to maintain a facade for you.’’

His words touched my heart. I savored the sweetness of them for a moment, reveling in the warmth he brought to my life. For the first time, I felt utterly cherished.

‘‘Now,’’ he said, interrupting my thoughts.

‘‘Now what?’’ I asked, draped across him like a limp noodle. His heart beat wildly beneath my ear. I spread my fingers across his chest, marveling that such a man was mine.

‘‘Now we will have foreplay. I believe I’m suitably sated that I can last longer than five seconds before attacking you.’’

‘‘I rather like your method of attack, although I do admit I’d like to be able to indulge in a few fantasies of my own before you unleash your inner dragon on me.’’

He opened one eye. ‘‘What sort of fantasies?’’

‘‘I’ve heard so much about oral sex, and I’ve never had the opportunity to try it out before. So I’d really like to… well, I’m sure I don’t have to put it into so many words. Since you’re much more relaxed, why don’t I just indulge myself?’’

‘‘You want to…?’’ His other eye popped open as I started to slide down his body, intent on exploring that part of him which had given me so much pleasure.

He grabbed me before I was able to move four inches. I looked up, worried that I had done something wrong. A familiar strained, tense look was on his face, his eyes screwed up tight. I looked down at his penis. It was no longer in a resting state. ‘‘I thought you were sated?’’

‘‘I was. Until you went and mentioned doing that to me. No! Don’t touch me there, woman! For the love of- grk!’’

A half hour later, Gabriel, his arm wrapped around me because my legs were unusually weak, hustled me toward the house with a grim look on his face.

‘‘I will beat this,’’ he muttered. ‘‘I am a wyvern. I am strong. I will control my needs long enough to give you pleasure, and you will enjoy it, dammit!’’

I said nothing, but I smiled. A lot.

Chapter Twenty-four

Deep night-the hours between midnight and four a.m.-is when the shadows are darkest, and beings of such origins strongest. As I walked in the shadow world, carefully avoiding any electronic device that might register my passing, I sought and received strength from the shadows.

On the floor above me, I could feel Gabriel’s presence, a warm, comforting sort of glow that wrapped me in a cocoon of burgeoning love. I smiled to myself as I watched the basement patrol stroll down the hallway, alert for signs she might become aware of what was going on upstairs. The dragons and Aisling had little trouble dealing with the guards, for a few minutes later Jim appeared at the far end of the corridor.

‘‘Yo! Miss Guard! I don’t suppose you brought your lunch with you? You’re not going to need it, and my fabulous form is being positively starved to death.’’

The guard, who had her back turned to Jim, whipped around to stare in momentary surprise. I zipped around behind her, deshadowing the second she reached for her radio. She hit the floor without having time to speak a word.

‘‘Nicely done,’’ Gabriel said as he and the others stepped over her body. ‘‘Why does it not surprise me that you have martial arts training?’’

‘‘I’m mad, bad, and very dangerous to know,’’ I told him with a little smile.

‘‘We will have to compare badness at another time,’’ he answered with a flash of his dimples. ‘‘Is that the vault?’’

‘‘Yes.’’ I stood back as Drake and Aisling approached the heavy steel door. ‘‘It’s just the wards and prohibitions you’ll need to take care of-the arcane magic won’t affect me.’’

Aisling peered closely at the wards. ‘‘I can’t unmake them, but I don’t think it will be any problem to break them. Jim, get to work on the prohibitions.’’

‘‘You and Tipene patrol the perimeter,’’ Gabriel told his two bodyguards. ‘‘Drake and I will shut down any alarm systems wired to the vault.’’

They nodded and hurried off toward the stairs. Drake ordered his men to shut off power to all parts of the building but the basement, and to secure the entrances.

‘‘Stay with Aisling,’’ Drake ordered Jim as he and Gabriel were about to leave.

‘‘Ten four, dragon buddy.’’

Drake turned to his wife. ‘‘Do not do anything foolish, kincsem.’’

She gave him a fond but exasperated look. ‘‘Honest to Pete, dragons! Bossiest beings in the world.’’

Gabriel smiled at me but said nothing until he and Drake started to leave. ‘‘You’ll notice I don’t have to warn my mate to be careful. I have full confidence in May’s abilities,’’ he told Drake.

‘‘She’s a female American. No doubt you will soon understand the true depth of hell she can put you through.’’

Aisling laughed as she turned back to the door. I watched with interest as Jim broke down the prohibitions (a weak version of a curse, easily unmade by beings of a dark origin). Aisling muttered under her breath as she struggled with the wards, her face turning red as they fought her attempts to break them.

‘‘There,’’ she said after five minutes of intense work. She stepped back, rubbing her hands. ‘‘Got the little bastards. Jim?’’

‘‘I was done before you had the first ward down. You’re losing your touch, Ash.’’

She shot it a look. ‘‘Caribbean Battiste probably warded the vault doors. I’d like to see you take on the wards drawn by the head of the Guardians’ Guild himself.’’