STORY EXCERPT

Alara strode through the wide hallway, low-heeled clogs clicking along the marble floors with deadly purpose. She needed to inform her father of the dragon’s presence and obtain his permission before she attacked. Her idiot brother Florian stepped into her line of sight, but long strides vaulted Alara past him, and the slightly shorter man struggled to keep up.

“Hello, Sister. Did you find anything exciting on your patrol?”

The princes were forever mocking her role as head of the island’s armed forces. The boys claimed the island didn’t need protection now that the shark-shifter raids were becoming less and less frequent. Alara knew better. No nation could maintain independence for long without an army.

“Wonderful, Brother. No threats found.” She didn’t want to mention her dragon sighting so soon, not until she knew she had the go-ahead to take action.

“Well, gee, I’m glad you didn’t find any monsters or demons hidden out on the ice.” Her brothers always chided that their remote location protected them. They were idiots. Now that the island had money, Murrough was more of a target than ever.

“It’s been nice chatting, Florian, but don’t you have some online gambling or sleazy chat room to return to?” She couldn’t resist snapping. The idea of that snake-like animal near her home sent a chill to her bones.

“Screw you, dear Sis.” He stomped off, allowing Alara to return to her clacking down the hall.

She paused behind the door to the triton’s office to collect her thoughts before entering. A deep rumbling voice echoed from the room, melodic and strangely enticing like the ocean itself calling her.

She opened the door a couple inches, hoping to learn more before approaching her father. An informally-dressed six-and-a-half foot tall male with shoulders a yard wide filled the room. Stick-straight ebony hair reached halfway down a torso covered in black cashmere. She hadn’t seen a dragon in human form for half a century, but no way was this guy mere.

She gathered her calm like a coating of ice and strode into the room, not acknowledging the stranger as she approached her father. The triton’s graying beard and kindly face softened Alara’s temper just a hair, but her eyes narrowed in scolding.

“Hello, Father.” She pecked him on the cheek. Without looking behind her, she added, “I see you have a guest.”

The triton looked abashed, and his lips twisted to the side before he said, “Yes, this is General Kai Nasu. He is one of the Council’s generals.”

She trained her gaze on her father, “The Dragon Council?”

The air shifted, as if the dragon breathed heavier or changed position.

The old man continued. “Yes, the Dragon Council. They offered to come and investigate that incident last year. And…Well, I thought it would be nice to build bridges, renew…ties…” Her father’s words became quieter as he withered under her stare. Anger bubbled up in the pit of her stomach, but she took a deep breath and attempted to squash the feeling.

“How kind of them to offer assistance.” The dragon government had some nerve! They’d abandoned her island half a century ago, leaving her people impoverished and lacking defense during years of shark-shifter raids. Of course, the council was interested in the island again—now that they had more resources to steal.

She turned for the door. “Well, I’ll head out then. If you want to fraternize with—” The rest of the sentence died in her throat. Dang! He was…Just…Wow.

Almond-shaped eyes and high cheekbones suggested Asian descent, but his skin was the color of espresso. His face was all hard, chiseled angles, but the lips were slightly full—the type of lips you wanted to bite. After a moment, she realized she was staring and blinked rapidly to clear her mind. At that the dragon lifted his chin and sent her a haughty glare, as if she had no right to enjoy the sight of him.

The corner of her mouth pulled up into a half-smile. So, this dragon thought he was too good to be ogled by a lowly mere? Well, fuck him.

The triton’s secretary shuffled in for a quick word, and Alara seized the opportunity to blatantly pan down his body with her gaze. The thick cords of his neck led toward a muscular chest, defined even under his shirt and sweater. Her eyes darted up to his again, noting the twitching point at his jaw as he tried to appear unaffected. Deciding to go all-out, she calmly assessed the zipper of his slacks. The material bowed forward pleasantly, maybe even impressively, but that could just be the effect of long underwear. When she raised her face to his, a mortified expression met her satisfied smirk.

She sauntered toward the door, looking over her shoulder to get a view him from behind as she left.

“Nice to meet you, dragon. I hope you enjoy your stay.”

ADULT EXCERPT

“You are a goddess.”

She smiled. “And you are a very quick learner.” His folded arms relaxed when he caught her hint of humor.

Kai’s eyes darted to the spot on the floor where she’d writhed just moments ago. “I was unaware that females had that kind of response.”

A fresh swell of desire rushed through her. Gods, she wanted this male. “Well, maybe dragon females don’t. I guess you’ll find out…” She had thought to say when you finally fuck one but thought better of it. She didn’t want to think about him with anyone else tonight, no matter what species.

He stroked his hand along her arm. The rough skin of his fingertips tickled. “I want to watch you again, but...” She saw the concern in his eyes and realized how close to the edge he’d been when she came.

Placing both hands on his shoulders, she swept her leg over his raised knees to straddle him. His erection stood high and hard between them, and she stroked her wet furrow along it. A deep groan escaped his chest, and she felt the vibration of it in her hips.

Alara reached down and wrapped her fingers around him. He gasped. “This is a beautiful cock.” Kai’s lips thinned, and his face fell into a scowl. Ignoring his moment of self-loathing, she stroked her hand up and down, firmly, not allowing for any argument. “It’s thick and long, and could do the most erotic things if used correctly.”

She watched his face as she stroked him. His harsh features looked even more chiseled in the muted lighting of the room. Her moisture still clung to his lips. Every muscle in him was taut and defined, and tensed in concentration and concern.

Alara wanted to lower her lips to lick the drop of moisture collecting at his tip, but the dragon wasn’t ready for that kind of teasing. Instead she raised her hips and led his slick helmet to her entrance.

“Here, let me show you.”

* * * *

Alara’s eyes pressed closed, her mouth opened, and she emitted the softest sigh as her body lowered onto his penis. Though the guilt of his earlier loss of control still burned, at least the release left Kai able to enjoy this moment. Her delicate sex seated fully on his hips, and her fragrant skin pressed along his chest and abdomen. Her emissions lubricated her movements, and the soft walls of her sheath caressed the part of his body that felt like a raw nerve.

Her parted lips called to him. He leaned forward to kiss her mouth, to suckle those plump pillows and seek out her small pink tongue. But she only brushed her cheek against his and then nipped at his ear.

He expected her to rise and fall on him, but instead Alara rubbed her core against his pubic bone in slow circles. Each twist of her hips thrust him deeper into her channel, and each pulse of her pleasure led secret muscles to squeeze his length. The coupling was so sweet, so undeniably feminine. Kai lowered his head to her shoulder in complete surrender.

She took his hands and placed them on her hips. Her behind rolled and bounced in time with her movements. Soon his hands traveled lower to cup those delicious globes, to pet her sex where it joined with his. She moaned a curse against his chest. Then her body arched back, thrusting her breasts against him and her center more firmly onto his organ.

He recognized the signs this time and reveled in her release. Her soft hair swept across his fingers as her head rolled from side to side. Each of her moans sent waves of sensation through his body, and her sheath fluttered against him. The feel of it against his tongue had almost sent him over the edge before, but now that sucking clench circled his erection and pulled him with long draws.

He lost himself in her response and almost forgot to hold back his own until it was too late. Only the memory of the beast he had acted last time shocked him back to sanity. Now that he understood how this female functioned, Kai was even more disgusted by himself.

Her cries had died away, but still she circled and arched against him. Alara panted out, “It’s your turn, babe. Fill me.”