Dragon Actually

“Lord Dragon.”

“Queen Annwyl.”

This was the first she’d seen of him once the battle turned. He’d gone off to help his family finish off the enemy dragons, she to destroy as many of Lorcan’s men as her troops could get their hands on. But war and sex had now become one for her. Probably forever. She blazed through men, knowing that the sooner she completed her task, the quicker she could return to Fearghus.

“A bath awaits you.” She glanced over at the huge tub. Since she still had her brother’s blood in her hair, a bath might be a good idea.

She moved to the middle of her tent and quickly removed the sheathed swords hanging from her back.

“Slowly.”

She looked up at Fearghus. He watched her closely with those beautiful black eyes of his. The walls of her womb clenched, and it took all her strength not to launch herself at him. Instead, she slowly removed her surcoat. Pulled off her boots and her chainmail. Unbound her breasts and slipped off the material that covered her sex. When done, she stood there. His eyes roved languidly over her. Taking in not only her body but every wound she now wore on it after the day’s battle.

He motioned to the tub with a flick of his eyes. She slipped into it and shivered.

“Cold?”

“A little.”

Throwing off the fur covering, he slowly stood and walked toward her. She studied his body as he came to rest beside the tub. Underneath all those long, hard muscles lay the heart and soul of a dragon. Her dragon. She licked her lips, her only thought, sucking his sweet cock once again into her willing mouth.

Fearghus crouched down next to her. He placed his hand in the tub between her thighs. She’d hoped he would touch her but he didn’t. His hand only rested there until she noticed that the water warmed up, nice and hot. This dragon Magick really did have its uses.

 “Relax,” he coaxed her gently. And she did just that, leaning back into the tub. Letting her head rest on the rim.

Fearghus poured water over her hair and soaped up her scalp. He washed the blood and sweat of the day from her hair and eventually her body.

“Comfortable?”

“Yes.”

“Relaxed?”

“Very.”

“Good.”

Then Annwyl screamed as Fearghus shoved her head under water. He held her down for several long seconds as she fought to get that piece of steel he called an arm off her head. Eventually he released her and she came coughing and sputtering back to air.

“What in all that’s holy—”

He took hold of her shoulders and easily lifted her from the tub. “Listen to me clearly, woman. Never face my family again without me! Ever!You are never and I mean never to risk your life like that again! Are we clear?”

Annwyl pulled away from him and took several stumbling steps back. “No! We are not clear!” She turned on him. “I did what I had to. And I’d do it again! And I’m not afraid of your family!”

“Annwyl,” he warned through gritted teeth.

“No! I don’t want to hear it!” She fought to get the strands of wet brown hair out of her eyes. “Do you have any idea what I went through today? In just one day I stood in the dragon’s flame . . . twice! ”

“But I—”

“Quiet!” He stood there, startled into silence. “I also had to face that cold bitch you call a mother! I took my own brother’s head! And I was forced to break your brother’s hand because he wouldn’t stop touching me!”

Fearghus broke out in a grin and she stopped her tirade. “What?”

“You broke his hand?” He couldn’t help but laugh.

“Well, it was more like a finger. But the way he carried on, you’d think I’d broken his entire arm.”

Fearghus laughed. Hard. And, eventually, Annwyl smiled.

What the hell was he going to do? He loved this woman. Loved everything about her. Wanted her as his mate. But she had a kingdom to run. Allies to forge. Enemies to crush. He already saw the fear in the men’s eyes. They’d witnessed her “dance” with the dragon’s flame. A dance she’d survived. And they all knew she’d taken him as her lover. His presence would do nothing but put her safety at risk.

“What are you thinking, dragon?”

He shook his head and moved to her. “Nothing,” he whispered as he slipped an arm around her waist.

“Still lying, I see.” She pulled away from him.

He sighed. “What, Annwyl?”

“You’re planning to leave, aren’t you?”

How she knew these things, he’d never know. “Look, you have a kingdom to—”

“Horseshit!”

“What?”

“He told me you’d come up with some noble horseshit about me having to defend my kingdom and no one able to accept the two of us.”

“Gwenvael,” he growled angrily. “Annwyl, it is for your—”

“You have two choices, dragon,” she cut in smoothly.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Do I?”

“Yes. You do.”

“And they are?”

“Claim me now. Or let me go forever.”

He’d kill his brother for his big mouth.

“You don’t even know what that means.”

“Yes. I do.”

He wanted to Claim her. To make her his own. Yet he planned to wait until she’d secured her reign. And if, after that, she still wanted him. . . . “No. You don’t.”

“I know I’ll not waste my life waiting for you.” That stung. More than he wanted to admit.

“I’m not asking you to.”

“Really? You’re not?”

“No.”

“So I can take any man right now and you won’t care.”

“If that’s your wish.” He bet a lie that size could kill him.

“Well, any man won’t do,” she mused softly. “But I think Gwenvael is still here.”

She grabbed a fur covering and headed toward the tent flap. Fearghus seized her by her arm and swung her around. “That’s not funny,” he growled.

“Fearghus, just admit it. You’d kill any man or dragon who came near me.”

He wanted to say no. He wanted it to be the truth. But they both knew better.

“I would.”

She leaned into him. Her breasts against his forearm. He closed his eyes as her hand ran down his chest, his hips, finally grasping his shaft in her hand. She ran her fingers over the veins and ridges, her thumb circled the head. “Then Claim me.”

“No.”

She angrily released what had now become a healthy erection. “Why?”

“Because it would be clear to all that you are mine. That your love and loyalty belonged to a dragon.”

“And?”