Loved by the Dragon Collection Read online

  “Saul?” she repeated again. Her body ached from head to toe, like she’d spent the entire night out dancing in her high heels.

  A crisp note awaited her on the empty pillow bearing script written in an aristocratic hand.

  His handwriting is immaculate… Saul’s note told her that he’d gone to make a few calls and to handle the week’s affairs. He suggested for her to enjoy the amenities provided by his bedchamber and to ignore the maid.

  “Okay. Ignore the maid. Why am I supposed to ignore the maid?” Chloe wondered out loud. She stepped from the bed and paid a visit to the stone tiled shower. The hot water poured without limit from an oversized shower fixture dangling above her head. And the water was soft. So very soft that she had to stand beneath it for several minutes to get all of the conditioner out of her hair.

  “Huh? How’d he know what kind of conditioner I like?”

  A neat row of bathroom toiletries in her favorite brands and scents lined the spacious shelf. Chloe had used each of her favorites automatically. Either Saul had acquired the information, or they shared the same feminine tastes when it came to shower products.

  Chloe tucked the little nugget of information in the back of her mind and emerged from the shower. She dried off and shrugged into the cozy, hooded robe dangling from a hook beside the shower.

  “That wasn’t there a second ago. What the hell? Saul?” Chloe called again. “Are you playing a game with me?” She belted the plush, charcoal garment, and the color reminded her of Saul’s dragonskin. A glance down revealed a personalized CD, or a possible brand name stitched in gold thread over the left breast.

  He better not have given me some ex’s bathrobe, she thought sourly.

  She found cushioned house slippers with memory foam padding just beyond the bathroom door. Once again, they fit her perfectly.

  Maybe dragons are also psychics. Chloe neither dwelled on the discovery nor shut it from her mind entirely. Instead, she simply brushed it aside for now and left the bedroom to explore. Saul hadn’t told her to keep to the bedroom, and honestly, she wouldn’t have obeyed him if he had ordered her to stay put.

  Like a child on an adventure, she descended the stairs to the lower level, practically tiptoeing as she went. “Hello?”

  Hell, I don’t know where I’m going and this place seems huge. I’ll be lost before I know it.

  A whiff of something smoky and delicious wafted past her nose. She tried to follow her nostrils toward the aroma of bacon by stepping into a corridor beside the elaborate staircase. It took her farther away from the smell.

  “Hello? Well fuck.”

  Chloe turned around to retrace her steps, but a tall woman stood behind her. Almond brown skin and glossy black hair were her key features, but her beautiful sapphire eyes were also very striking. She wore a gorgeous headscarf in ruby and black lace. Chloe envied her at once, then wondered who the fuck she was and why a strange woman wandered Saul’s home. It took about a minute to grasp complete understanding.

  “Oh! You must be Saul’s maid.” And not at all what Chloe expected. The tall woman brought to mind exotic models with her bronzed complexion, high cheekbones, and ebony hair. His maid belonged in an international beauty pageant.

  “Such is one of my duties, yes.”

  One of her duties? “What else do you do?”

  “Whatever Master Drakenstone needs,” the woman replied primly. “At this moment, he needed me to prepare a meal for you. Do you have a preference?”

  “No, not really. Whatever causes you the least trouble, Miss… What do I call you?”

  “You may call me Mahasti, and it is no trouble. Please, make yourself comfortable in the solarium. The sunshine is at an optimal angle. I think you’ll enjoy it.”

  Chloe continued down the hall as directed. Artwork ranging from paintings to elaborately carved masks lined the walls, each piece capturing her attention in turn.

  Warm sunlight filled the solarium as promised. The large space occupied a top floor room at the front of the mountainside estate, facing out over the long drive and rolling hills. Glass created most of the front wall facing the open world outside. Giggling, Chloe imagined Saul curled up in dragon form like a cat to soak up the sun. The wide room provided more than enough room and the slate tile floor absorbed the heat.

  A small wrought iron table with two chairs sat in the room’s center, flanked by potted roses. It was both picturesque and romantic, and yet somehow lonely. She wished Saul were there to share the morning with her.

  “I trust you will enjoy this.”

  Holy shit, she moves around without a sound!

  Chloe spun about with a hand lifted to her heart. “Wow, I guess I must have lingered in the hall longer than I thought.” It was the only explanation behind her meal’s swift arrival.

  Mahasti’s lips curved in quiet smile. “If you have need of me, only call.”

  “Thank you.”

  Chloe’s stomach rumbled at the sight of the food. A large Belgian waffle claimed the entire porcelain plate beneath a pile of sliced strawberries, rhubarb, and whipped cream cheese. A second plate offered buttery fried eggs and crisp bacon. Cran-raspberry juice filled the tall champagne glass beside her plate.

  Every morsel could be considered one of Chloe’s favorites, and she had absolutely no idea how Saul or Mahasti had known. She devoured the meal in record time and even scraped the last crumbs from the two plates. Between the food in her belly to ease her hunger pangs, the warm sunshine, and her memories of bliss at Saul’s side, Chloe was in the best of moods.

  “You hair reminds me of snow beneath the sun.”

  “Saul!”

  She leapt up and flew across the room to throw herself in his arms. Saul caught her up and spun her around in a circle. Before her feet touched the ground Chloe grabbed his face and kissed him.

  Saul’s startled mumble against her lips charmed her as much as his other qualities. With extreme patience, Chloe guided him through the motions, slipping her tongue past his lips to explore his mouth. Her dragon learned quickly.

  In the space between one heartbeat and the next Saul had her back pressed to the wall and her legs around his waist. Their tongues slid against each other in a dance as intimate as their lovemaking had been.

  A snap was her only warning and then Saul’s jeans dropped around his ankles. His rigid cock pressed into her wet folds. Her robe allowed him easy, open access to her body.

  “Mine. I wish to mate with you again.”

  “Yours,” she agreed. “Take me, Saul, take me now. Exactly like this. We’ll fit together this way, I swear.” She was addicted to him, and even if their union was revealed to be only a dream, she wanted to have as much of him as possible before the fantasy ended.

  A forward thrust joined their two bodies together as one and Chloe forgot everything else in the world existed. Her ass smacked against the hard wall, saved from the rough and cold stone by the plush robe still clothing her body.

  “Fuck, you feel so good,” she gasped.

  “Tell me what you desire, Chloe.” Saul nuzzled his face against her throat. “Direct me how you will.”

  “Oh god… fuck me harder, Saul. I can take all of you, I promise. Just… just slam in deep.”

  She directed and he obeyed, an eager student who abandoned his carefully controlled depth in favor of pounding into her molten core. Exhilarated, Chloe held on for the wild ride.

  “Kiss me,” she begged.

  “Like this?” Saul’s tongue imitated the in and out plunge of his cock, stroking Chloe’s mouth as thoroughly. She whimpered against him and dragged her nails up his back.

  “Yeah, like that,” she gasped after they both came up for air. Saul’s lips dragged acr
oss her skin and he delivered little nibbles that sent electric zings racing through her veins. His teeth touched against her branded shoulder and the pleasure of it nearly sent her into orgasm.

  Not yet, not yet…! I have so much to show him. So much I wanna do!

  “Touch me here,” she ordered him next, a demanding teacher and thrilled lover all in one. He didn’t need both arms to keep her suspended against the wall, so she showed him the small pleasure button between her thighs. Introducing Saul to her clit was worthwhile. His rough fingers glided over her smoothly waxed skin at their joining, gathering the slick moisture needed to fondle and circle her sensitive pearl. Once she showed him the motions, he became an expert within seconds.

  “Like that, baby. Fuck yes… like that.”

  “So much love for so tiny a thing,” Saul murmured huskily against her ear. “Later I will taste you, Chloe, as you tasted me. I will feast upon you.”

  Holy. Fuck. His words alone made her hotly clench and constrict around him. “I want that,” Chloe blurted. “I want that so much.”

  The image conjured up by her wild imagination of Saul’s face between her spread thighs flushed heat through Chloe’s body. She clamped down around him and arched her back away from the wall, her body drawn taut. The next stroke through her tight channel pushed her over the edge and snapped the tension.

  “Saul!”

  Her dragon’s growl reverberated through the room. His body pounded against her in a furious tempo, driving her orgasm to continue on and on. There seemed to be no end to the delicious tremors slamming through Chloe’s smaller frame.

  For the third time since their meeting, Saul filled her with his seed and she accepted it without question. Without regret.

  She needed every bit of him.

  If not for Saul’s strong grip, Chloe would have slid to the floor in a boneless heap. They lowered to the floor together, sprawling out beneath the sunlight. Her body continued to react, occasionally spasming in climax. She writhed and groaned while palming her own breast.

  “You certainly know how to greet a girl. Mm...” Her entire body felt boneless and weak, and fine little flutters of orgasm continued to ripple through her core. She giggled and squirmed in closely against him while Saul stroked his fingertips over her sleek, newly waxed skin. It was nice to remain conscious for once.

  “I watched pornography while you were asleep,” he confessed.

  Dragons do blush. His cheeks are so red, Chloe noticed. “Saul… I’m not making fun of you, baby, but how are you so old without knowing the most common things about sex between humans.”

  Saul glanced away as the heat continued to sweep into his cheeks and cutely color the skin beneath his soft golden-red beard. “As I said to you before, you are the first and only female human to provide ample motivation.”

  Better words had never come from a fantasy monster or any man.

  “I craved your touch every morning, Chloe. Every night. I would have you always at my side.”

  From anyone else, those words might have worried her. Saul turned them into a loving promise.

  “I have two requests.”

  “Anything,” he replied to her.

  “Mating is for animals, and from what I can tell… you are very much a man right now,” she teased. “Humans make love and have sex. We fuck. I’ll take any of those over mating.”

  His laughter thrilled her and sent another series of ripples through her core. “Acceptable. What else troubles you?”

  “Will you show me your dragon body one more time?” she asked quietly.

  Chloe hadn’t known Saul long, but something - their bond perhaps - had made him an open book. His smile faded, giving way to impassive features lacking emotion. That meant he was hiding something from her. That he was uncomfortable.

  “It will only frighten you again.”

  “I’m sorry for hurting you. I can’t tell you enough times that I’m sorry… but I want to see you. The real you. Because if we’re going to make this work, I need to accept that you’re more than a man, Saul,” Chloe whispered. She raised her hand to her lover’s cheek and quickly became elated by the way he leaned into her touch. Like a puppy or a kitten appreciating a pet from a human hand, he also pushed appreciatively against her.

  “Not here,” Saul finally spoke aloud to her. “First I have something I must ask of you in return.”

  “Anything.” Chloe smiled down into Saul’s face. Her fingertips brushed against his bearded jaw. “You can ask me anything.”

  Saul’s golden eyes locked onto her gaze. He might as well have been peering into her very soul.

  “Stay with me, Chloe. Move into my home and make it your own. Allow me to care for you. To provide for you.”

  “I…” She blinked, breath caught in her throat. Leave my home? My friends? What would I do? Is there more than lust between us? “I’m not hearing a question in there, Saul…” she hedged, too uncertain to answer.

  Saul’s palm lifted to her cheek. “Will you stay with me, Chloe?” he asked, correcting himself. “Will you share your life with me?”

  What he asked was life changing.

  “I…” Chloe dragged in a nervous breath. “I need time to think about it, Saul. Maybe dragons are able to make snap decisions that alter their entire life, but us humans need a little time.”

  “I will give you time,” he agreed. Still, he was her open book and the crushing disappointment radiated so thoroughly that it swept through her and settled in her soul. She felt what he experienced, enduring the echoes of his elation, his pleasure, and even his sadness.

  “I won’t leave your home now, Saul. I don’t plan to leave you. It’s only that… I can’t stay here in your home without anything to do. I like to work and do things. I have friends and a life I’ll be leaving behind.”

  The disappointment ebbed.

  “I wish only for your happiness, Chloe. If work is what you desire, then work you shall have. If you have a friend you want close by, invite them. This will be your home now, to do with as you please.”

  “You mean it?”

  “I do.” He leaned in close and stroked her cheek before pressing a kiss to her nose. The hard peck made her giggle.

  “I know I have much to learn to please you, Chloe.”

  “You please me now, but the rest we can learn together,” she said quickly. The last thing Chloe wanted was for him to feel inadequate when that was the furthest thing from the truth.

  They held each other in silence, soaking up the heat from the slate floors while Chloe dozed against his shoulder. Eventually, she awakened to Saul relocating her to another room of his house. Ever so aware of her needs, her dragon carried her into the humid bathroom where a steaming bubble bath awaited. Someone had strewn the water with fragrant rose petals.

  “How did you…?”

  “How did I what?”

  “Have a bath ready. How did you know I wanted one?”

  Saul shrugged. “Mahasti.” He stepped into the tub and lowered into the water without releasing Chloe. The water was the perfect temperature and just shy of boiling. Just how she liked it.

  “Saul?” she asked again, unable to let the matter rest.

  “Yes?”

  “How did Mahasti know my favorite things?”

  “She is a Djinn.” Chloe’s confused expression prompted him to elaborate. “Humans know of her people as genies. Anything you desire will be granted to you, although I must ask you to remain considerate. She does this of her own volition as a repayment for a kindness I once showed her.”

  “Oh?” she asked curiously. Seriously? A genie?

  Her dragon cut his golden eyes away from her briefly and gaz
ed toward a large bay window designed to overlook the expansive pasture land and forest. “I must divulge certain truths to you, Chloe.”

  She felt his anxiety and anticipation, which made her equally anxious to match. I knew this was too good to be true. He’s probably going to tell me the hot chick maid is his lover or something. Preparing herself for the worst, she eased out of his embrace and into the water.

  “It appears Mahasti interfered during our separation and is responsible for our dreams. She meant no harm to you, Chloe. I apologize for the trouble she has caused while securing our reunion. I swear to you, such ploys were not devised by me.”

  Chloe jerked her head upward and stared at him. The hot water lapped against her shoulders and brought dewy beads of sweat to her brow. Her fair hair trailed behind her in the water and clung to her wet shoulders. Without Saul’s arms around her, she discovered his tub was more of a stone basin than a bath. Practically a pool.

  “She did that?”

  “Yes,” he admitted. “I only discovered this morning, but you have my most humble and sincere apolo-”

  “Thank her.”

  “What?” He blinked at her.

  “She led me back to you. I don’t care about her reasons, or how much she drove me mad; I’m just glad to be here.” She touched the colorful stain of purple and red just above her collar bone. “Tell me more about our bond. You bit me twice, but you didn’t do it again in the solarium.”

  “The Dragon’s Brand is a soul bond, Chloe, and permanent once consummated unless one mate rejects the other. Your mark faded over our distance, but I was able to rekindle it when we…” Saul stumbled over the word, but she provided him patience. “Made love again.”

  Saul had required only a single gentle correction since Chloe had told him she preferred the term over ‘mating’, which made her feel like a sassy mare waiting for a stallion to mount her.