Taming the Dragon Collection Page 9

  Mara left the bathing chamber feeling perkier than she had since she had arrived. It was almost like she had a real life date with a dragon. How many women in her position could say that?

  The other maids were nowhere to be found as she walked into the dining chamber to find Alek sitting behind the table with a broad smile on his face. Her earlier distraction with her body had obviously improved his mood.

  That’s good, she thought. Maybe we’ll have more headway in our conversation tonight.

  It seemed every time they spoke she got further and further with the dragon. Soon maybe he would spill the beans about his past and about dragons. Maybe he would finally admit his lustful feelings for her and not blame them on his human form. Or they would just eat and make small talk before she was banished back to her duties. As Mara walked across the room she thought that would be the most likely scenario, but Alek surprised her yet again.

  “Please sit,” he said, standing to pull her chair out. She smiled at him and when she was seated he pushed her chair in and fell heavily into his own seat.

  “It’s been a rough day,” he said, sighing and acting as if he had just come in from tilling the fields.

  “A rough day counting your treasure and sleeping on it?” she asked, winking at Alek as he gave her a confused look.

  “Yes, I suppose so,” he said quickly.

  “You’re certainly acting a bit different,” she said, immediately laying her cards on the table and dismissing any chance of small talk.

  “How so?” he asked.

  “Well, you pulled my chair out for me and gave me a pretty new dress to wear. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were courting me, Mr. Alek.”

  “Just call me Alek,” he said flatly. “I merely pulled your chair out so that I could allow this human body the opportunity to peer down your dress as I pushed your seat in. Furthermore, I presented you with the dress so I would have something pleasing to look at as opposed to the usual muddy brown affair you like to show up in.”

  “Oh, I see,” she said, looking down at her soup. It was a lie and she knew it, but Alek was really good at making her feel small when he bluffed and hid his own feelings. If he was going to continue to have drawn-out conversations with her, she was going to have to fix this.

  “You have no idea how to treat a lady, do you?” she said finally.

  Alek’s chair scooted back slightly as he gave her a perplexed look. “I know how to treat a lady just fine,” he said.

  “No,” she said, trying to laugh at the absurdity of the conversation. “You really don’t, Alek. I don’t know what you’re scared of or what you’re hiding, but you don’t have to be so on guard with me. You can let yourself be vulnerable.”

  “I am never vulnerable!” he declared, slamming his fist down on the table and puffing his chest out. “I am a dragon!”

  “This is what I’m talking about!” she cried. “If you feel the smallest challenge to your manhood you have to turn into a caveman and swing your penis around so we all know how big it is.”

  “It is very big,” he said with an air of smug satisfaction. “Big and magnificent, like everything on my body.”

  “That’s not my point,” she said, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. “I see you, Alek. I know how great you are. I know what a powerful dragon you are. You don’t have to remind me all the time.”

  “I think I understand,” he said, taking a large gulp of his stew. “Perhaps you are right.”

  “And another thing: I know you find me attractive.”

  “We went over this in the bath chamber.”

  “You lied to me in the bath chamber. Your human form is the same thing as your dragon. Don’t act like you’re separate entities. I’ve seen the way you look at me. You find me attractive, don’t deny it. And that also means you don’t have to insult me and make me feel so small and unattractive when I call you on it.”

  “I am a dragon,” he said without the bravado he had displayed before. “You are human.”

  “So what? Does it matter? I don’t think it does. You can like a human. I like a dragon.”

  “You what?”

  “I find you very attractive, Alek, and I… well, I enjoy your company.”

  Alek sat there and pondered what she had said for several minutes. The silence began to grow thick as Mara wondered what response he would come back with. She was afraid of the sting of his words if he tore her down again and tried to prove that he had no use for humans. But the dressing down never came. Instead, Alek merely smiled at her and nodded his head before returning to his stew.

  “And since we’re being honest,” she said. “I don’t like the idea of you razing in the spring.”

  “Why not?”

  “Well, for one, a lot of innocent people will die. You may not care about them, but I’m human and I care about the loss of life. I don’t want it to happen, Alek. On top of that, it’s dangerous. You could be killed by a dragon slayer.”

  “Don’t be absurd. No human can kill me.”

  “One human can’t, but what about an entire army with ballista and archers?”

  “I will crush them just the same as one man.”

  “There’s still a chance, Alek.”

  “What would you have me do? I have spent too many winters reading and then exploring dark, mostly abandoned tombs looking for treasure. I am a dragon. I must release the pressure. I must spread my wings and fly.”

  “You want to release pressure? You want to have fun?” Mara pushed her chair back and walked over to Alek with as much sexiness as she could muster. She wiggled her hips and rubbed one hand behind her neck as she sashayed to his chair. “I can help with that.”

  “What?” he asked, then pushed his chair back and looked up at her.

  She eyed the inviting area between his legs, noticing his thick manhood already growing as he looked up at her. She fell to her knees in front of him, throwing her hair forward and letting it tickle the tops of his bare legs. Her tongue left her mouth and she ran it along his thick, muscular quad.

  “You cannot,” he started to say.

  Mara simply put a hand up to shush him as she pulled back his robe, allowing his long, rock-hard cock to be free. She had never done anything like this before and she had a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach, but still she proceeded. It was obvious Alek had never allowed himself any sort of sexual gratification and maybe if he achieved release he would calm down just a bit and turn his attention away from conquering.

  She started with the two round balls at the base of his shaft, working her tongue across the rough skin and reaching out to nibble on them softly with her front teeth as she worked. Alek’s leg muscles tensed and he groaned while she worked her way to the base of his shaft. She tried to swirl her tongue around it while she firmly gripped it closer to the head.

  Alek sucked in an even deeper breath as she began to work the shaft up and down with her hand. She could feel his breath quicken as her hand rose all the way to the head and down to the base where her tongue was still swirling furiously. She raised up, looking down on the red, engorged head. A tiny bit of clear liquid was spilling out of the top, betraying the excitement and pleasure Alek was experiencing.

  She had never had a penis in her mouth before and she didn’t know how it would feel or taste, but she knew she had to please the dragon. She glanced up at Alek, who was looking down at her with bated breath. She gave him one last long look before plunging the length of his manhood into her mouth.

  Like a silly, inexperienced girl, she was almost afraid for a moment that she was going to impale the back of her head on it, but instead her throat opened up perfectly to receive his full length. Before she knew it she could feel the rough skin of his balls on her lips before slurping her way back to the top. She continued her bobbing motion, taking his length all the way down her throat before working her way back up. There was something about the feel of his stretched skin on her lips and the slurping sound she
made that aroused her like she had never been before. She could feel her own juices running down her leg as her clitoris throbbed even harder than it had earlier.

  She dispensed with the modesty she had felt earlier in the bath and began to work her finger between the folds of her labia, running them up and down until she found her stiff bulb. With the rough pad of her middle finger she began to rub it in a circular motion. Her chest began to heave as she continued to suck up and down Alek’s monstrous cock while she felt her own electricity begin to grow between her legs. It washed over her body, leaving every inch of her skin tingling as she worked herself.

  Just as she reached the edge of climax she felt Alek’s rough hand grip her hair and pull her away from his cock. Mara immediately quit touching herself, feeling fear and excitement blend together into one as she stared up at him. His eyes were on fire and he was biting his bottom lip like he was trying to hold himself back. He let out a roar that shook Mara to her very core before he lifted her onto the table and pushed her onto her back. She looked up at him as he threw her dress back, exposing her wet, inviting sheath to him. His cock was like a lance ready to strike as he stared down at her with lust in his eyes.

  “Do it,” she whispered.

  Alek roared one more time before spearing her with his thickness. She had expected her first time to be gentle and slow, but Alek threw all that aside and dove in like an animal. She cried out in pain and arched her back as she felt her virginity leave her. Alek didn’t even take a minute to allow her to get her bearings; instead, he gripped her hips so hard she thought he would break the skin and he began to thrust into her with force.

  She put her hands over her face and screamed as he fucked her, his roars and grunts filling the chamber. The pain she felt began to meld with pleasure, both becoming one in a wonderful sensation that made her chest feel heavy and her body feel weak. She moaned and writhed as his lance continued to spear into her moist depths. She could feel her inner walls being stretched as the muscles of her vagina clamped down on him.

  Then a release like nothing she had ever felt took hold. She slammed her hands down on the table and lifted her legs to put her feet on his rock-solid rear. She tried to push him into her, not wanting him to pull out or leave her as she felt a wave of pure electricity wash over her body.

  “Alek!’ she screamed, feeling the orgasm turn her world upside down. At the same time Alek threw his head back and let out an inhuman roar that she swore shook the cavern so hard that rocks began to fall from the ceiling. At the same time his manhood exploded inside of her. She moaned and squealed as she felt his hot come fill her to the brim.

  Both of their orgasms seemed to last for an eternity. Slowly she felt the feeling return to her body as the world around her quit spinning. Alek was hunched over her, his back heaving as his sweaty hair covered his face. She looked at him with a smile, hoping he would return it. He looked down at her, his eyes wide with shock.

  “That was amazing,” she whispered.

  Alek staggered backwards away from the table, collapsing into his chair as he looked up at her. “You will no longer clean or do anything the other maids do.”

  “What will I do?” she asked, sitting up and trying to cover herself.

  “I don’t know,” he said, looking at the fire. “But you need to save your strength to do that again.”

  Again Mara smiled. She had grounded the dragon and his taming was just beginning.

  Chapter 15

  Spring drew nearer with each passing week. Mara knew it wouldn’t be long before the snow below the mountain melted and the birds sang again. She hoped the birds wouldn’t be joined in the sky by a white-winged death.

  Every night they ate dinner and then had sex that Mara could only describe as wild and out of control. Eventually, after several days in a row of lovemaking, she had to demand a break from Alek. She was at the point she could barely walk or sit down. He was insatiable and his stamina was endless.

  But the more they enjoyed one another’s company the less she heard about pillaging and plundering, until one day at dinner Alek finally broached the subject, hopefully for the last time.

  “So, I have been thinking about what you said to me when we first began our sexual dalliance,” Alek said, setting his spoon down.

  “What’s that?” Mara asked, trying to remember back several weeks.

  “You did not want me to leave the cave and bring terror to humans because you felt it was wrong. You were not pleased with the loss of human life that would result and you did not seem pleased with the idea of me being hurt.”

  “Or killed.”

  Alek laughed and shook his head. “That is not something you would have to worry about.”

  “Alek…” she said, giving him the tone she always did when he started to become too cocky.

  “I digress,” he said, putting a hand up to stop her from continuing. “I have considered it and it has brought a question to my mind. Would it upset you if I did this?”

  It was Mara’s turn to put her spoon down and consider her words. Of course it would upset her if Alek did this. But what would upset her more? The fact that he would be wantonly killing innocent people or the fact that he could die? She had to confront the fact that their relationship was more than just sexual gratification; she was developing feelings for the dragon. Her father would never approve.

  “Yes, it would upset me,” Mara said.

  “And you would want to end our sexual relationship?”

  Is that all it is to you?

  “Yes,” Mara said. “Plus if you were killed, there wouldn’t be anything left anyway.”

  “Again, that is not something you have to worry about.”

  “But I would. It’s not fair that you go off seeking glory while I sit here wondering if you will ever return. That’s what shield wives do, Alek. They stay home and tend to the house while their husbands ride off to battle. But do you know what happens when their husbands don’t come home? They take up their husband’s arms and they go to battle themselves. Alek, I won’t go to battle in your stead. If you die, your death will not be avenged. You will just leave behind three very sad maids who believe you’ve brought prosperous times to their homes and a very sad lover who might not be able to go on without you.”

  “I would never want you to continue without me,” Alek said matter-of-factly. “I do not know why you would want to continue without me in your life, anyway. Human men could never compare. I imagine without me you would waste away and die.”

  “You’re so romantic. Do you say this to all the women?”

  “I’m beginning to learn your human sarcasm. Did I say something wrong?”

  “Yeah, you know what? Just forget it. I’ve beat my head against this wall long enough.”

  “Very well.”

  Things grew quiet again except for the clanging of spoon on bowl and the slurping of a delicious stew prepared by Raylene. Mara was getting sick of eating the same thing every night, but she had begun to notice that her clothes were getting looser and her muscles were becoming more toned as she ate the hearty stew and spent her days climbing over piles of treasure and inspecting it with Alek. Sometimes he let her go into the study and read books, but he always pre-approved what she could read and would never allow her to view the dragon book she had previously seen.

  “What would you do if I died?” Mara finally asked as the meal drew closer to its end.

  “What do you mean?” Alek asked. “I would continue to live my life.”

  “You wouldn’t be upset? You wouldn’t be sad?”

  “I suppose I would miss you,” Alek said. “But my life is so long. I would eventually grow to forget you.”

  Mara couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How could he be so hard-hearted? She blinked back tears as she let her spoon fall into her bowl, making quite a racket as it rattled around.

  “What did I say now to offend you?” Alek asked.

  “You would forget me? Alek, you may think t
he time we’ve spent together is fun and just a bump in the road for you, but it’s been pretty damn special to me. I’ve never given myself to a man before and I gave myself to you. You! The first man I ever shared my body with is a dragon. I hope you’re the only man I ever share my body with. Is my life so meaningless to you? Does the gift I’ve given you mean nothing?”

  “It means everything,” Alek said, straightening up. “More than you can imagine.”

  “Then why are you so cold?”

  “I’ve taught myself to be this way over the years. Human lives are so fleeting compared to my own. You do not know what it’s like to try to remember over three thousand years of life and know you have at least that much more to go.”

  “How do you know so much about our lives? How do you know I will not impact you enough to make an impression? You have said it yourself before: you would not lower yourself to lie with a human.”

  Alek made a fist and rested his forehead on it with his eyes closed. Mara had never seen him do something like that before. Finally he opened his eyes and she saw something in them that she had never seen: sadness.

  “Mara, I have not been entirely honest with you.”

  Mara shifted in her seat and tried to hide the smile she knew was trying to form. This was it: he was finally going to discuss his past. She had been waiting so long for Alek to tell her something, anything about himself.

  “It’s okay,” she said, reaching a hand out and placing it over the one he had left sitting on the table. “You can tell me anything, Alek.”

  “Can I?” he asked, then stood up and walked to the fire. She jumped back; he was so abrupt in his movements, like he was afraid of being touched by her.

  “Yes. Please, Alek, tell me.” She felt like she was begging, but she had to know.

  “Very well,” he said, keeping his back to her. “Seven hundred years ago I had a wife—a human wife.”

  Mara took a deep breath and tried to still her beating heart. He had only said one thing and already she was feeling faint.