Rylin's Fire Read online

  “You’re crazy,” she yelled, then laughed for the sheer hell of it.

  Tears stung her eyes, but nothing could dispel the feeling of euphoria. Dara tipped her head up and enjoyed the exhilarating ride.

  ***

  Rylin’s nature submerged beneath his Dracol’s when in this form, but he still enjoyed the Earth woman’s scream of pleasure. He flared his wings, diving low under the cloud cover. Dara’s fingers curled tight on his spinal nodules as she leaned over and pressed her face to his neck.

  “You’re crazy!”

  Smoke snorted from Ry’s nose and he leveled out as they flew over the land. Familiar landscape arrowed below. He decided on the scenic route, determined to give her a rare glimpse of Vovin from above. The longer trip also allowed him a chance to enjoy the clasp of her legs about his neck.

  The breeze whistled over his scales, cooling his higher temperature. Taking his time, Ry luxuriated in the tranquility of his region and the calming influence of the night. There were no worries or settling disputes. Nothing but the company of a woman who intrigued him. Attracted him. If nothing else it made for a good night and Ry could use one of simple pleasure.

  From the moment he met the Earth woman his concerns seemed to fall by the wayside. His mind filled with the flashes of her winsome smile, the humor she made no attempts to hide and the acceptance she viewed him as something magical.

  “This is amazing,” Dara said, palms caressing him.

  Ry disagreed. Her touch on his sensitive scales felt better than amazing. He glided down and flew across one of the many small lakes in Black territory. Vovin boasted beautiful oceans with waves that crashed upon the land, but to get to those Ry would have to cross boundary lines, and he didn’t need the other Dracol sects looking for a reason to revive old wars for a minor infraction such as that.

  He took them down low enough to skim over the surface of the lake and flapped his wings with added vigor, splashing water upward. The spray rippled over him and his passenger. Dara squealed, fingers clenching. Ry rumbled in amusement and did it again.

  “Yuk it up, buddy. I know draaa-gon laughter when I hear it.”

  Heart lightened and his Dracol in the mood to play, Ry leaned far to the side. Enough to make her hips lift in the seat she maintained.

  “Rylin!” Her arms clamped tight around his neck as she laughed in husky bursts. “Dracol, not dragon. Dracol already.”

  He straightened his flight, swishing more water on her until her laughter sputtered to chuckles. Ry aimed for the side of the lake where lush grass created a private oasis and landed in a running stop. He held up a clawed hand and Dara clung to his grip as he helped her down in his cupped palm.

  Eyes bright, her lips spread in a wide smile, she found her balance and brushed back her hair from her face. Damp patches darkened sections of her blue dress, water drops dotting her beaming face, and Ry reappraised his initial assessment. Her inner beauty outshined the physical beauty of any Dracol female in his acquaintance.

  “That was fun.” Laughter left her out of breath and her rising chest drew his gaze.

  Her nipples puckered against the garment. The fabric clung to the outline of her legs. Arousal stirred, the sensation foreign in this form. He forced his Dracol nature to retreat and shifted to two feet.

  Unmindful of his nudity, Ry approached Dara and placed his hand at the back of her neck, tipping her face up. “I’m dying to kiss you right now.”

  Chapter 5

  Dara’s lashes fluttered as she swallowed. “I think...I’m on board with that.”

  It was all the approval Ry needed. He used his hold to tug her closer, his other arm hooking about her waist. He leaned down and kissed her pert mouth.

  Soft lips greeted him, parting when he made contact. Not tentative at all, her tongue slid into the recesses of his mouth, gliding along his. Ry groaned and widened his stance so his thickening length rubbed her middle.

  They kissed for several moments, reveling in the quiet around them. Hands touched, stroked above the waist, and a few times hips bumped one another. When he could take no more of the delicious torment, Ry broke the kiss and placed his face at the crook of Dara’s neck. He inhaled deeply, storing her scent in his memory to recall on lonely nights.

  She shivered and leaned into him. “Rylin.”

  Most of his friends and those close to him called him Ry, but hearing the Earthling use his full name touched something in him he thought long buried. Something he thought Sana had destroyed. Hope.

  The raw emotion also caused a bit of fear. Ry ruthlessly crushed the weakness. Fear had no place between them. He straightened and cupped her cheeks in the palms of his hands. Her dazed green eyes stared up at him. “Do you want me to stop, Dara?”

  She caressed his hair, fingertips lingering along the edge of the mantle at his nape. “I want you.”

  Ry closed his eyes and exhaled. He should step away. Do the right thing. But his essence rose and his Dracol roused. His dual nature wanted her as well, and Ry was no match against the weight of the strong desires overwhelming him.

  He murmured a quick thanks to the Fates for bringing her into his life, then opened his eyes. “Are you sure?”

  Dara licked her lips, and the sight of her pink tongue inflamed him further. Ry groaned and dropped his hands from her face to give them both needed distance. But apparently Dara had other ideas.

  She unhooked the strap of her dress from around her neck and the ankle length gown he’d admired slid to the forest floor, leaving her clad in a pair of miniscule blue panties. Plump breasts sat high on her chest, berry colored nipples teasing him by their hardened presence.

  Ry growled and closed the small gap between them. Forget distance. He cursed for good measure and pulled her to him. Dara laughed as he kissed her and eagerly wrapped her arms about his waist. The delicious scent of her arousal rose between them. His shaft bumped against her soft middle.

  Ry groaned and eased back from her tempting mouth. He gazed down at her face and traced her nose, the outer shell of her ear. He should warn her of what to expect next if they moved forward. “I’m not sure how men on your world bond sexually, but don’t be afraid if I growl.”

  Dara stared, then her lips quirked up. “I plan to make a lot of noise, too.”

  His heart lightened. Ry ran his finger over her mouth. He couldn’t stop touching her. “I might bite, but I won’t hurt you.”

  Her smile widened and she snapped her teeth at his finger. “I might bite, too.”

  Ry barked out a laugh. Enchanting alien. He leaned down and kissed her once more. Dara moaned and lifted her knees to bracket his hips with a slight hop, leaving Ry to catch her. The move pressed her firm breasts and hard nipples into his chest. His Dracol roared with the need to possess.

  Nothing had ever felt as good as Dara’s warm body against his. Ry’s head lifted. Her moist mouth taunted, the plush redness evidence of his desire. “I promise not to complain if you bite.”

  She smiled. “Mmmm.”

  Ry leaned forward and glided his tongue over Dara’s lips. Her head strained toward him. One palm cupped the back of her neck, the other her round bottom, supporting her as he devoured her mouth with kisses and nips to her tender skin. It wasn’t enough. He needed more. Wanted more.

  Ry kissed her with reckless abandon and Dara responded with a wild burst of unmatched passion. Soon they both moaned and rocked together, her sparse underwear a thin barrier keeping him from plunging deep.

  “Dara.”

  “Rylin,” she mimicked, then nipped his bottom lip, leaving behind a stinging sensation.

  Ry paused and gazed down at her. The power of the mantle mixed with the essence of his Dracol surged forth. Claws sprung from his fingertips and black scales shimmered along the outside of his arms from shoulders to wrists.

  “You’re courting trouble,” he warned.

  Shiny, green eyes stared back at him, black locks tousled about her head. With each inhale, he pulled in t
he scent of her growing passion. She was ready. Wet. But not afraid.

  Dara licked her lips and nudged his back with her fingers, undaunted. “I’ve never been like this with another guy. I think you bring it out in me.”

  As much as Ry disliked hearing her speak of another male, he preened from the rest of her statement. He wanted to stand out. Wanted to be the one who took her breath away. If she kept staring at him like this, he’d set her ablaze within his flame.

  His Dracol agreed.

  Dara’s hand continued to slide up and down his back and a deep growl rumbled from his chest. Her eyes narrowed and Ry worried his dual nature would be a problem after all until she spoke. “Mmm, I like that.”

  He should really do the right thing—step away and take her back, but Ry hated following rules. Another reason he still didn’t understand why the mantle chose him. There were so many others more deserving. Unwilling to let his thoughts turn down a dark path, Ry kissed her again and lost himself.

  Dara’s fingers wandered and once again touched his mantle. The sensation aroused him beyond reason. His exposed scales acted as an erogenous zone that he rarely let anyone near. But he wanted Dara’s caresses over his body. Her touch brought out his long dormant desire.

  “Sexy,” she murmured when they broke apart on a gasp.

  Ry didn’t care that his voice came out a rough rasp when he commanded, “Harder. Touch me harder, Dara.”

  She increased the pressure of her fingers and Ry arched into her strokes as he and his Dracol took pleasure in every graze of her hands over his sensitized flesh. His shaft thickened, the head nudging at her silk covered entrance. She continued to brush her hands over his scales, smoothing her palms down until they rested above his buttocks where the mantle ended.

  Pure ecstasy.

  She had no idea. A puff of smoke curled from his nose as Ry forced back the fire raging in his belly.

  Dara’s eyes widened and her fingers tensed on his skin. Then a beautiful smile spread across her face. “Biting, growling, and now smoke. I like a guy not afraid to show I make him hot. Literally.”

  His heart clenched. Sincerity blazed back from her green eyes. In that very moment, as unexpected as he found it, Ry fell a little bit in love with Dara Fletcher from Earth.

  He gripped her hips and tugged. She caught his hint and lowered her legs from his waist, her feet touching the ground.

  ***

  Dara didn’t bother pretending not to enjoy the view. Lean but ripped described Rylin best. Knotted calves shifted as he balanced his weight, bare feet sinking into the grass. Thick and heavily veined, his cock bobbed along his thigh, but it was the frilled line of skin beneath his shaft pulling at her curiosity.

  “Dara?”

  She yanked her gaze up and peered into his gold eyes. “I’m not changing my mind after seeing that.”

  Dara squealed when they tumbled to the ground. Ry caught her in his arms and rolled her beneath him then rolled to the side, keeping her close.

  “Touch me,” Rylin invited, seeing where her gaze strayed.

  Dara rubbed her thumb along the spongy bumps on the underside and he hissed. She glanced up, worried she’d hurt him. More smoke curled from his left nostril and his heavy lidded stare glowed with passion, not pain.

  “Is that okay?” She did it again to be sure, enjoying the satiny texture.

  “More than,” he groaned, rocking his hips forward in a subtle demand.

  Dara grinned. “Some things are different and some things never change.”

  His mouth tipped up on the side as he moved toward her. “I’m glad to hear that.”

  “What about protection?” She managed as he tumbled her backward on the grass.

  “Controlled by my essence,” he muttered, trailing kisses across her face.

  Shivers rolled up Dara’s spine, distracting her from questioning the odd answer. Rylin leaned up above her, the heat of his gaze burning through her. Dara gripped his shoulders, afraid he planned to pull away.

  “Can I touch you here?” he whispered, rubbing the front panel of her underwear with a blunt finger.

  Dara hummed her agreement. The light stroke had her shivering.

  “What about here?” His finger shifted lower about a half an inch.

  She thought he planned to slip the material down her legs in order to caress and fondle.

  He didn’t.

  Rylin teased his finger beneath one of the leg openings and brushed lightly down her seam. Dara cried out, hips pumping. He continued the addicting touch until she thought the pleasure would destroy her. Sensations bubbled to the surface, preparing to send her on a full-blown orgasm. Before the building climax could sweep her away, he withdrew the lone digit and adjusted his weight.

  Rylin placed a line of kisses down her torso and over her belly, then paused at the curve of her hips. Goosebumps pimpled her flesh. His teeth nipped at her panties, tugging at the blue material. “Take these off. Now.”

  She jolted from the sharp order. With a hip shimmy that required him to move slightly, they managed to get her as bare as he was. Rylin relaxed into her once more and Dara moaned when he nuzzled her mound. Her thighs parted in restless abandon and he accepted the invitation, his tongue licking along her crease.

  Dara’s hips jerked, her hands seeking and finding a hold in his black hair. He nibbled, sucked and licked until Dara couldn’t control the sounds she made. Harsh breaths escaped as she bordered on the edge of climax again.

  “Rylin, I’m going to come.”

  “Not yet,” he growled, sliding up and over her body. “Wait until I’m deep inside of you.”

  His shaft brushed her center before sinking into her core on a smooth glide. Dara cried out and jerked as Rylin filled her. Stretched. Full. The feeling was hard to describe, yet she craved more, needed more. On that thought, Dara pushed up with her lower half to grind against him. She clamped her legs around his waist, eager to lull in the ecstasy.

  “Dara.”

  She opened her eyes as the deep vibration rolled from his chest like an engine gaining speed. His eyes glowed. At the least, Dara should have been frightened, maybe worried that such a fierce man lay over her, but need and her aching arousal dragged her down to her primitive self.

  When her gaze met Rylin’s, he murmured, “Stay with me, Dara. Wait until I say let go.”

  His palms fondled her breasts, talented fingers tweaking her nipples.

  Inhaling sharply, she leaned closer to increase the pressure. “That feels damn good, Rylin.”

  His chuckle contained the universal arrogance of men everywhere. “I hope to make it feel better.”

  Then his teeth scraped along her collarbone. Dara ditched rational thought and drowned in the sensations. Below, she clenched on the intrusion between her legs. “Don’t stop, Rylin.”

  Her whispered command unleashed whatever restraint he had. Rylin began a slow thrust and retreat, his hands braced at the sides of her head. Dara swallowed back a needy moan, enjoying the sight of his neck arched above her, every muscle straining.

  He’d warned her about his growls, but the noises he made were much more. Snarls and grunts added to the symphony of passion. Her nails dug deep, no longer afraid of hurting him.

  “Yes, more,” she begged.

  Rylin hunched over her as their hips slammed together. Desire coiled into a mass at the center of her belly, wetness soaked her thighs and slickened the friction between them. Dara enjoyed sex. Loved the powerful feelings and the sensations, but nothing had ever felt as good as Rylin driving between her thighs. She lifted her legs higher around his hips to take all he had to give.

  Each lunge and retreat built an out of control blaze until Dara knew the orgasm coming would be blinding.

  “Harder!” She just needed a little more.

  “Let go, now!” His teeth clamped down on her throat. The aggressive bite was so unexpected it sent her spinning on a whirlwind. Dara screamed as her nails raked his back, hips grinding a
s her release poured forth.

  Rylin’s climax roared through him and she whimpered as he pumped into her tender flesh. He groaned against her, lips trailing kisses up her neck as he continued to shiver. Liquid heat spurted inside and Dara swore he came again.

  Now she realized why her friends bragged about good sex. When done right, you wanted to share the gloriousness with anyone willing to listen.

  ***

  “Stay.” Ry ran his finger over the crinkles between her black brows.

  “What?” Dara’s fingers trembled on his chest where she lay beneath him.

  Ry clasped them between his own and tipped his head down to see her eyes. “Earlier you said you were thinking about returning to your world. I’m asking you to stay to give what we have a chance. It’s why you came.”

  “We just met.” She licked her lips nervously. “We’ve known each other less than a day.”

  Ry understood her reticence, but he wanted her for far more than a moment. “I think this is one of those times when you go with your gut. I want you, Dara. Stay and see if we fit.”

  He could see his words affected her. Dara’s hands tentatively came around his back, her palms pressing lightly. When the tips of her fingers brushed his mantle, a growl rumbled forth despite his best attempts to muffle the sound.

  Ry ruthlessly squashed his growing arousal and leaned back without letting her go. “Vovin isn’t a bad place.”

  He wanted to stress the point since he wanted her as his lira, and she’d live here.

  “I didn’t think it was.” She stroked his back once more, lighting a fire beneath his skin.

  He focused on the point he wanted to make. “We’re a fierce people. Emotions get the better of us. Fights break out and tempers flare, but don’t ever worry that I’ll let anything harm you.”

  “I trust you, Rylin, King of the Black Dracol.”

  He relaxed. “Then you’ll stay on Vovin and not return to Earth?”

  If he had any doubt, she wiped it out. “I’m staying on Vovin.”

  “Thank you.” Nothing meant more to him.

  Dara rolled up to her knees suddenly, and climbed over him, knocking Ry flat on his back. She bracketed her legs about his waist as she smacked loud kisses on his face. “This is crazy. You know that, right?”