Kissing her lips, Dusk smoothed a lock of hair back over her shoulder. His eyes held humor as he gave a soft chuckle. “Once, what you just said would have pissed me off. I would have been irate at Adrian, jealous. But now I know I’m not second in your bed, or in your life. When you and I first met, I really didn’t see it happening between us, even though I wanted you with a passion I’ve never felt before. I knew how crazy you were over Adrian, and he you. But two nights ago at the Djinn hotel… I justknew.” Dusk gave a beautiful smile. “You don’t consider me a lesser mate than Adrian. You consider us equals. And what’s more… I think the three of us are supposed to be a trio, the way our magics have all Bound each other from your power. Even though I’m stressed right now… knowing you love me the same way you love Adrian makes everything easier.”
“I don’t love you thesameway I love Adrian,” Layla felt a deep wash of heat move through her, blushing hard at Dusk’s sweetness as she twined her hands around his neck. “I love you the way I loveyou, Dusk. I love that you think of everything. I love that you’re always prepared. I love that you have indomitable energy, and I love that you’re always up for a challenge. I love that you try to put your jealousies aside and think with a clear head, and I love that you ground everyone else when we all get nuts. I love that you like a good suit and a good laugh, and never place yourself above or below anyone else. You’re not just my mate and lover… you’re my best friend.”
“I like being your friend.” Dusk gave a sexy smile, with a debonair eyebrow lift. “It has perks. In my pants.”
Layla laughed. Despite everything, despite how insane the last two days had been, she laughed at Dusk’s beautiful cheekiness, slapping his chest. As he gave a rumbling laugh also, crushing her close to his exquisitely hard body and pressing her with a deep kiss, Layla melted. Her thoughts and worries fled as Dusk kissed her, smooth and slow, massaging her waist and low back with his strong hands. Cupping her close, he let her feel how hard he was, let her writhe against it as they kissed, even though she knew they didn’t have time right now.
But it was a promise she knew he intended to fulfill later – to its fullest.
As their kiss finally ended, Dusk gave a hot growl of frustration, then spoke. “Even though I want nothing more than to just fuck you right now and say screw my King, it’s time to get gussied up. First impressions count, especially in a Crystal King’s court.”
“Just you wait. I’m going get dressed up so hot your scales will scald.” Layla sassed back with a sexy eyebrow lift as she wriggled out of his arms.
Though Dusk growled again, he let her go. Everything was fifty shades of opulent as Layla stepped into the walk-in closet, sleek fabrics in outrageous designs shining beneath the chandeliers. She paused as Dusk stepped to the tuxes, his fingers settling on one with a white satin jacket and midnight-blue lapels, waistcoat, and trousers that would match his coloring perfectly.
As she saw his selection, Layla chose a white satin gown to match his tux, with a wide midnight sash in a draping 1930’s design. Almost viciously plain yet arresting, the dress clung sexily with midnight handkerchief ties at the shoulders, a deep v-neck, a slim waist and a long bias-cut skirt with a train. A lightweight silk that caught every reflection from the chandeliers, it dazzled the eye like diamonds on fire, though it had no decoration. As Dusk moved over, his critical eye digesting every inch of the gown, he bent, selecting midnight-blue stiletto heels to match. From a jewelry case, he took out a set of sapphires and diamonds, the blues so dark they smoldered beneath the lights. Lifting the ornate necklace up to Layla’s eyes, he gave a smile – everything about it so very Dusk.
“Perfect.” He breathed, his eyes arresting with a trace of his Dragon now. “Go wash up, we don’t have much time.”
“What about you?” Layla asked, stepping towards the ornate shower beyond the walk-in.
“I’ll just freshen at the sink.”
But as soon as Dusk spoke, he suddenly paused, gazing at Layla. Before she knew it, he had swept over to her in one fast motion. Pinning her against the wall, he kissed her hard as he gripped her close, pressing their bodies together with a low roll like thunder. With diamond-fire in his eyes, he dove into her again for a deep, melting kiss, pouring his power through her very bones. Though little of it manifested beyond their bodies, Layla was breathless as he pulled back, her Dragon roaring in her veins to have him.
“On second thought,” Dusk growled breathlessly at her lips, “that shower is big enough for two, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get to do this again. So come on. Sex first… everything else after.”
The sudden, horrible thought that they might not ever be together again gripped Layla’s throat so hard tears stung her eyes. Deep inside, her drakaina went from roaring with sex to roiling with a fierce, desperate fire. Layla felt everything Dusk didn’t want to voice as he stepped back, taking her by the hand. His eyes were sapphire-diamond as he asked her to come to him with whatever time they had left. Because things could go vastly wrong the moment they arrived at King Markus’ palace, and Layla felt it as her Dragon screamed with fury deep inside. Dusk’s inner beast roared also, twining his diamond-bright coils gently around Layla.
As she came to Dusk, a trickle of a growl made it from Layla’s lips. “I can’t lose you…!”
“Shh…” He spoke, stopping her words with a kiss. “Just be with me now. Let me feel your fire one last time before we face… whatever’s next. Please, Layla. Please. Give me strength.”
It was all he needed to say. Layla came to him, gazing up at his impossibly beautiful sapphire-diamond eyes. And Dusk’s gaze was only love as he watched her back, gathering her dress up and stripping it off over her head, then casting it to the floor.
CHAPTER 24 – STRENGTH
Dusk was sweetness and strength as he led Layla into the bathroom, reaching into the large, ornately-tiled shower and starting the water’s flow. As she kicked off her sandals, he undid his shirt, but it was Layla’s hands that stripped his shirt away, touching every line of gold and midnight scales on his chest. His hands were in her hair as she unbuttoned his jeans and slid them down his perfect, muscled ass, shedding them to the floor.
Gathering her in, Dusk pressed their naked bodies together, sighing with a deep rumble as Layla’s nipples touched his chest and their hips pressed sweetly together. He was hard, but it wasn’t what Layla noticed about him as he gazed down at her with an endless mystery. Waves of light moved through his scales as he caressed her jaw and she stroked his back. Lifting his lips, he pressed them to hers, and Layla fell into him as they kissed. Guiding her with his hands, Dusk stepped them over the shower’s lip, shutting the glass door behind them.
Warm water sluiced down over Layla from a rain-water shower head. The water made Dusk’s skin silky, and Layla marveled at it with her hands as he kissed her, trapping her gently against the warm glass wall of the shower. Stroking him, feeling the contrast of smooth skin and hard muscle and the exquisite serrations of his Dragon-scales, Layla felt her body drink him in as they touched – as they wound closer into each other in the water’s flow.
Hiking her up effortlessly against the shower wall, Dusk hefted her legs around his waist and Layla moaned into his mouth. Dusk was so strong he held her up only with his hands as he pressed himself gently at her opening, then more firmly. Layla gasped as he worked his way inside; he was so thick and hard, and she was only minimally wet, the water taking most of it.
But the subtle pain of their joining was decadent, and even as she cried out, Layla arched closer to him. Moving slowly, he found a rhythm, perfect and deep like ancient rivers flowing through the earth. Taking his time, Dusk reveled in Layla’s lips as he coaxed her body and magic with his. Though their magic wasn’t manifesting much beyond their bodies in King Markus’ jet, Layla felt their Dragons slip through each other, deep inside both their bodies as they made love. Something about it was even more erotic than usual, and Layla shuddered in Dusk’s arms as he clutched her closer, pressing his magic deeper into her through the Bind.
When his magic coiled so deep into hers that it had nowhere else to go, it suddenly pressed up inside Layla from below. It was something she’d only experienced with Adrian, but the sensation was so powerful with Dusk, so instantly overwhelming, that Layla spasmed hard upon him, gripping him to her as she shuddered in an exquisitely silent orgasm. Smiling, Dusk reveled in it, heaving his muscled coils deeper into her along with every thrust; slower, harder. Shaking and shuddering, Layla came upon him again, throwing her head back and crying out as her entire body arched and gripped, curling her into his shoulders and strong chest.
Something inside her came unwound as she surrendered to him; to the bounty of his flow and the hardness of his earth. As he thrust into her again and again, matched by powerful undulations of his Dragon’s coils, Layla lost herself to that deep rhythm. Time ceased to exist – everything around them ceased to matter. There was only movement and sensation and depth as a great serpent of trust coiled around her, and one of passion coiled deep within.
Tears poured down Layla’s face as she rode Dusk’s waves, feeling every piece of his incredible heart as he kissed her, again and again. Bracing a hand against the glass wall of the shower, he held her up with only one hand as he thrust deeper, setting their foreheads together and gasping now, close to his own release. As Layla cried out one last time, something locked home deep inside her, her heart crashing open to Dusk’s love. Falling into her one final time, he gasped her name as he shuddered, flooding a wave of earth-shattering thunder through her as he finally came. The sensation devoured Layla, so bright it was like a shooting star flaring inside his body and hers. But the magical dampening in the jet soon dissipated his thunder around them.
Leaving only the bright blessing of it deep inside Layla’s body.
Gasping in the aftermath of his tremendous release, Dusk laid his cheek to Layla’s temple as he quietly gathered her in his arms, holding her close. As Layla felt him hitch a sob, she knew those weren’t water drops slipping down beneath his dark eyelashes.
“Easy…” She breathed, cupping his face and kissing his lips. “Easy…”
