The Blackstone She-Dragon: Blackstone Mountain Book 8 Read online

  “Your Highness,” Vera said in a breathless voice. “Do you suppose the Royal Kitchens prepared that divine vanilla custard I had the last time I was here?”

  “I’m afraid I didn’t see the menu for the evening, Lady Vera.”

  She looked up sweetly at him. “Then let’s find out, shall we?”

  Sybil had to rein in her dragon tightly when she saw Vera’s claw-like hands dig into Aleksei’s bicep. She felt heat rise up her cheeks and all the way to the tips of her ears. Unable to take any more, she pivoted on her heel.

  “Sybil?”

  She stopped and turned. “Prince Erik?”

  “Are you not joining us in the drawing room?”

  “I feel a headache coming on,” she said glumly. “Would it be rude or break protocol if I left now?”

  “No, of course not,” he said. “If the King himself retires, then the guests are free to do so as well.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

  “Of course. Shall I send Ursula or the royal physician up to you?”

  “No need,” she said. “I have some pain killers in my bag. I probably just need some sleep too.”

  He nodded. “Have a good evening.”

  “You too.” Sybil turned, wanting to leave the dining room immediately. No, she wanted to leave this palace entirely. Jealousy reared its ugly head, but she couldn’t lash out. Maybe she could just fly away. For now, she satisfied the urge to run by stomping out of the dining room.

  What had changed exactly? It was like the minute they landed here, Aleksei had turned into a completely different person. He treated her like she was some stranger. During dinner, he wouldn’t even acknowledge her. And, as much as she hated to admit it, it had hurt.

  “Damn!” She stopped suddenly. In her haste, she had started walking down one of the hallways and was now lost. “Double damn.” She wrinkled her brow, trying to remember the landmarks. There was that painting of some grand lady in a white dress that was at the end of the hallway before her bedroom. Or was it the man with the mustache?

  “Sybil.”

  She froze at the sound of the familiar voice from behind her. “You found me.”

  “Lyubimaya, I will always find you.”

  His footsteps drew nearer but she didn’t turn around. “What are you doing following me anyway?” she huffed. “Wasn’t the Lady Vera’s company enough for you?”

  He dared to chuckle. “Are you jealous, Sybil?”

  “Jealous?” Her voice rose a few decibels louder than she wanted. “I. Am. Not. Jealous.” She turned around to face him, just to show him how decidedly not jealous she was.

  His eyes shifted from amusement to tenderness. “There is nothing to be jealous about.” He drew her into his arms and she didn’t have the strength to resist. Or didn’t want to. She melted against him, her hands moving up to his shoulders as he bent down to kiss her.

  The touch of his lips was just as electrifying as the first time they kissed. His mouth moved over hers in a sensuous caress, as he pressed his body close to hers. Oh God, she wanted him so bad she could scream. The lust she felt was real and it was driving her crazy.

  Her hands found the front of his jacket and she unbuttoned it impatiently. She felt him smile against her mouth and maneuver her backwards until she was trapped against the wall. He pressed his body against hers, letting her feel the evidence of his desire through their clothes. Moving his mouth from hers, he rained kisses down her cheek, to her jawline, and to the exposed section of her neck, suckling at the delicate bare skin.

  She gasped when she felt the dampness between her legs, and she spread her knees to get him closer. Thrills of excitement ran through her, and the touch of fear only made her want him more. “Aleksei, please. Can we be alone? In your room. Or mine. I don’t care.” She was so ready for this.

  He stopped that delicious thing he was doing with his mouth. “Sybil, I’m sorry. I cannot.”

  It was like she jumped into a cold lake. No. Not again. She wrenched herself from him. “Then stop making me feel this way, then tossing me aside like some piece of garbage!” she hissed.

  “No! Sybil.” He grasped her before she could get away and then trapped her in his arms. “No, listen, please. Don’t say that.” He pressed his lips to her temple.

  As warmth began to pool in her belly, her eyelids dropped, but she snapped them open. “Is it Vera?”

  “What about her?” When she remained silent, he continued. “She is from one of our richest and noblest families. Her father spoils her rotten and gives her anything she wants.” He sighed. “For some reason, she has set her eyes on me and Jarl Solveigson has been trying to cater to this particular whim by trying to win me, and my father’s favor, but … there is nothing between us, I assure you.”

  “It’s not just that,” she said, unable to meet his gaze. “Since we came here, you’ve been different. It’s like … it’s like I’m nobody to you.”

  “Do not say that, Sybil. You are not nobody. I’m sorry I made you feel that way.” He loosened his grip, but didn’t let go. “Don’t you think I want to shout to everyone in that room, in the entire country, that you’re mine? That I found the one person who truly is the other half of my soul? But I can’t. Not yet.”

  “I’m safe here, you said. So, I know you’re not trying to protect me from The Knights.” She chewed on her lip. “Is it because I’m a Lennox?” Maybe he suddenly realized that he couldn’t be with her in any way. The history between their families ran too deep. “Have you changed your mind since we came here?”

  “Never,” he whispered.

  “Then why don’t you want me?”

  “Not want you?” He laughed. “How can you think that? Haven’t I been telling you all this time how much I want you? You are lyubimaya moya.” He leaned down, whispering into her ear. “My beloved.”

  Her heart banged against her rib cage and her throat went dry. Was he saying—

  “That day The Knights attacked you, I was trying to tell you something. When I said to you that you would be more than a romp in the sheets. I wanted you to be absolutely sure about being with me. I want you to be mine, to accept the mating bond and truly be my mate. My wife and my princess, and future Queen.”

  Oh my God. Was he proposing? Fear and anxiety suddenly shot through her.

  “See? Even now, you hesitate. I can see it in your eyes. You’re not sure yet that you want me.”

  “But I do want you,” she said quickly, despite her mind protesting at the thought of being trapped. She wrapped her arms around his neck to bring him closer.

  “Sybil,” he gently unwound her arms, “it would be dishonorable for me to simply take my pleasure from your body without anything between us.”

  Hold on. When the realization hit her, she wanted to laugh. “You want to wait until marriage?”

  “Your body, innocent that it may be, wants me,” he said. “But I will not have you until you give your all to me. Body. Heart. Soul.”

  His words were like a vice, gripping her body and making her feel claustrophobic. She knew what he wanted. He wanted her to say she would be his mate and stay here. And it became clear why she hesitated.

  She had wanted for a mate for so long, it never occurred to her that he wouldn’t be from back home. Being with Aleksei would mean never living in Blackstone again, and leaving her job, her life, her family. Her days and nights would be endless formal dinners and balls, and smiling for his people. Never having privacy, never being just herself.

  And that thought terrified her. “Aleksei, can’t we just … take it slow? We need to get to know each other first. It’s barely been a week.” She moved closer to try and tempt him.

  “Slow?” he asked. “Does this pace not feel glacial to you? Does your dragon not long to be with its mate? To bond with us and be with us for the rest of our lives?”

  Her dragon answered in the affirmative, of course.

  Mine. Mate.

  And his answered b
ack, a roar that deafened her ears and shook her to her very core. Still, she said her next words carefully. “I don’t … I don’t even know how this mate bonding works. Everyone just says it’ll happen.”

  “According to our history,” he began, “when two fated mates have accepted each other and love flows between them, then the mating bond occurs. It binds them, makes them stronger, and makes them one.”

  It was obvious what he was asking. What he was telling her in so many words. But, did she feel that way for him already?

  He looked defeated when she didn’t answer. “Come, lyubimaya.” He offered his arm and she took it. “I will take you to your room and I will retire as well.”

  “Your guests—”

  “Erik is taking care of them. We will rest and then tomorrow, my father has arranged a small outing for us. He wants to show you something special. Something few people, even those from here, have seen.”

  “He does? What is it?”

  “It’s a surprise. Now,” he guided her down the hallway. “These hallways are tricky, and I swear, when I was younger and I got lost, I thought they moved on their own.”

  As they made their way back to his apartments, he began to tell her some stories from his childhood. She listened to him, but his earlier words replayed in the back of her mind. She wanted him so bad, and she couldn’t believe he was turning her down because it was dishonorable. If Kate were here, she’d be saying something about me having a case of the blue balls.

  Finally, after a long, agonizing walk back, where it was like all she could think about was how good he smelled or how hard his bicep was under her fingers, they reached her room.

  “Good night, lyubimaya,” he said, leaning down to press his lips to her cheek. “I wish you good dreams.”

  Her shoulders sank as he walked away, and she had no choice but to go into her room, listening to the sound of his footsteps getting fainter and fainter.

  This is my life, she thought glumly. She’d been waiting for the one man who wouldn’t be afraid of her name or her animal to come and take away her pesky virginity, and he … wanted to wait until marriage. She thumped her head softly against the door. She really had the worst luck when it came to men.

  She straightened her spine and turned to the room. There wasn’t really much she could do at this point, was there? Aleksei was firm on his stance: no mating, no sex. Was she just supposed to declare her love for him, when she had all these doubts in her mind? Couldn’t they first figure out if they were compatible? And for God’s sake, if she didn’t get anything from him, she was afraid her body would just burst.

  Feeling defeated, she grabbed her suitcase. She hadn’t even unpacked. Her comfy pajamas and a good night’s sleep would do her good.

  As she opened the suitcase, Sybil noticed a package wrapped in a plain white tissue sitting on top of her folded clothes. “Huh.” She picked it up and saw the familiar, feminine scrawl that said “Negotiate.”

  Curious, she unraveled the package and gasped as her fingers grasped something silky and soft. Hmmm. Negotiate indeed.

  Sybil’s heart was hammering in her chest as she stood outside Aleksei’s door. It was obvious what the package Riva had snuck into her suitcase was for, but she wondered if her mother had ever thought it would be so she could seduce Aleksei because he was the one holding out before they were married.

  The negligee was almost old-fashioned, with a long, red silky skirt that fell down to her toes. But the entire top was made of red lace, covering only the necessary bits and leaving tantalizing glimpses of skin bare. A silk ribbon around her neck held everything in place and one tug would take it all off.

  She nearly chickened out, but she put it on and told herself that she had to use every bit of advantage she had if she was going to get Aleksei to sleep with her. Because she damn well wasn’t waiting until marriage. What if they weren’t compatible? Or what if she realized she didn’t want to be queen? Or what if she didn’t like sex with Aleksei?

  Her dragon snorted at the silly notion.

  Oh, shut up.

  As she waited by the door, she didn’t know if she should knock, but then again, that would kind of ruin the surprise, right? So, she scrunched up every bit of courage she could and pushed it open.

  “Aleksei?” she whispered. “Are you here?”

  Her shifter eyes adjusted to the darkness in the room and her gaze was immediately drawn to the large bed in the middle of the room. The sheets had been disturbed and pushed aside, but the bed was empty. Where was he?

  A gust of wind made her turn and she saw the sheer curtain flapping in the breeze, as if calling her. Ah, he probably went out to his balcony. With careful steps, she walked over to the door. When she pushed the curtain aside, she gasped.

  It wasn’t a balcony. Well, it was a balcony, but it was also apparently a swimming pool. An enormous pool at that. It was similar to the balcony off her parent’s room in the castle, as it had to be big enough to accommodate her father’s dragon when he needed to take off. The half-moon in the sky reflected across the surface, then distorted as a wave rippled by. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw a fin surface from the water. Aleksei. Of course, this pool could fit him in his dragon form.

  She saw part of a scaled body rise up from the water and then disappear. A few seconds later, a head appeared right by her feet. Startled, she jumped back.

  “Sybil?” Aleksei looked confused, but when his gaze dropped down to what she was wearing, his eyes turned dark. His palms slapped on the edge and he hauled himself up, sending water spilling over. He moved as graceful as a cat, stalking toward her.

  When she realized that he was fully naked, she couldn’t help but devour the sight of his body. His skin was slick with water and rivulets poured down, dragging her gaze along as the droplets dripped over his well-formed pecs, his washboard abs, and lower still, to his fully erect cock. For a moment, she felt real fear, but also excitement. She’d seen naked men before, but not quite like this. Not, quite literally, in the flesh.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice rough with desire.

  “I came here to talk.” She managed to drag her eyes up to his.

  “You have made your decision?”

  “I have made a … realization.” Don’t chicken out now, Sybil.

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “A realization?”

  “Uh-huh.” She stood her ground. “You’ve only stated what you want, but you never asked me what I want.”

  “Oh, so this is a negotiation?” He sounded amused. “All right, but first, you must join me.”

  “Join you where?”

  He gestured to the pool. “In there. We can negotiate there.”

  “In your pool? That’s your territory,” she said. “That hardly seems fair.”

  “You come into my room, asking to talk, yet you wear that.” His gaze sent flames of desire licking up and down her body. “And you talk about fairness?”

  “Well, you’re naked,” she retorted.

  “And you came in unannounced. How was I supposed to know you would barge in here?”

  Okay, she so could hardly fault that logic. “Fine.” But she wasn’t going down without a fight. She turned around and gathered her hair to one side. “I don’t want to get this wet. You should undo me.”

  The brush of his fingers at her nape had her knees wobbling, but she tried to keep her nervousness from showing. When he undid the ribbon, the negligee slid down her body and pooled at her feet. The cold night air made gooseflesh prickle over her skin and her nipples tightened. She found the last bit of courage she had and stepped out from the circle of silk at her feet, then turned around to face him.

  Aleksei’s gaze blazed with lust, and she could see the muscle tick in his jaw and his spine grew stiff. She didn’t miss the way his cock twitched, and she counted that as a small victory.

  “Ladies first.” He gestured to the pool.

  “Thank you.” She approached the edg
e, dipping her toes in experimentally. To her surprise, the water was warm.

  “It is heated,” he said. “I don’t need it, but some nights it is more pleasant when the water is warmed.”

  As gracefully as she could, she got into the water, bending to sit down and sliding right in. “Oh.” This was amazing. The water felt good on her chilled skin and—

  A splash behind her made her startle. Before she could say anything, a pair of hands grabbed her arms, then pulled her to a wet, hard and very male body.

  “I have decided on something, lyubimaya,” Aleksei whispered in her ear.

  Sybil tried to ignore the way his cock was pressing up against her ass. “Y-yes?”

  He moved so gracefully and so fast in the water, she didn’t even realize that he’d twisted her around so she was trapped against the edge of the pool. She squeaked, but he covered her mouth before she could protest further. Oh, damn his delicious mouth!

  “You’re right, it wasn’t fair of me to impose restrictions on you,” he said, moving his lips lower, over her jaw, down to her neck, until he disappeared under the water.

  “Oh, yes.” Finally. “Aleksei, yes!” She gripped the edge of the pool, using it to steady herself. Aleksei’s mouth covered one nipple, teasing and lashing at it with his tongue. His other hand moved lower, between her thighs, spreading them as his fingers teased at her core.

  A finger prodded at her entrance, and, finding her slick enough, slipped inside. “Oh God!” She moaned aloud, hoping that no one heard her, but didn’t really care either way. She clenched around him, her hips bucking up to meet his hand as he continued to tease her nipple with his mouth.

  The pleasure was mounting up inside her, threatening to spill over, when she realized that Aleksei was underwater. Oh, dear. He wasn’t drowning either. Which meant—