“You should know by now that we never grow up, there’s always that little boy inside us waiting to get out,” he said, grinning at her. “Mine thinks it might be fun to splash you right now, so you’d better hurry up and get in here.”
“Oh, no you don’t,” she said, taking a step back and slipping out of her coat. “Behave yourself, mister, I’m coming.”
Satisfied, he eased back into the water with a happy sigh, then growled with desire as he watched Rose slowly strip off the layers of clothes she’d worn, starting with her boots. By the time she was standing in only her bra and panties, he was already painfully aroused and desperate to get his hands on her. When she just stood there for a second, he realized with a painful stabof impatience that she was taking her time intentionally to tease him and let out a frustrated groan.
She grinned at him. “Now I bet you wish you hadn’t been in such a hurry,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “You could be over here helping me right now.”
A breeze blew through the cave just then, and Rose shivered, her nipples hardened under the lace of her bra, and he let out another groan of frustration. “You’d better get in here right now, woman,” he growled. “Or you’ll never make it into the water.”
She laughed, seemed to consider it for a second, then reached back, unhooked her bra, and let it fall to the ground. “I wouldn’t want to miss the water,” she said, then shimmied out of her panties, waded over to him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Or the man that is in it.”
The feel of her naked skin against his sent waves of pleasure racing through him, the need that had been slowly coming to life burst into a raging inferno, and all he could think about was driving himself into her willing body. Instead, he reined in the need, covered her mouth with his, and kissed her until she was squirming in his arms, and letting out little whimpers of frustration.
He broke the kiss, lifted her into his arms, groaning when she wrapped her legs around his hips, then found one of her hard nipples with his mouth and teased it with his tongue, then switched to the other one, pleased by the moans of pleasure coming from deep in her chest. But he wanted more, wanted her writhing with pleasure as she called out his name, wanted her so desperate for him she was begging. Then and only then would he take her.
Carrying her over to the edge of the pool, he set her down on the smooth rocks, then his eyes locked on hers, slowly spread her legs apart. When he dipped his head between her open thighs, she gasped and tried to pull away, but he grabbed her by thehips and held her there. Her skin was soft and warm under his fingertips, but her muscles were tense until his tongue glided over her swollen nib the first time, and a low rumbling moan escaped from her parted lips.
The tension vanished as he lavished her with attention, the moans turned to whimpering cries as she climbed toward her climax, then tumbled over the edge, her entire body trembling. When she finally opened passion-filled eyes and looked down at him, he couldn’t fight the need that had been building steadily inside him again, and he stood up, then gently pushed her down onto her back.
Spreading her legs wider, he grabbed her by the hips and drove himself into her with one powerful thrust of his hips, then buried himself inside her again and again, her cries of pleasure only driving him on. His magic released with the passion they shared wrapped around both of them, heightening every sensation and blocking out everything else around them. They tumbled over the edge together only a few minutes later, Rose’s body closed tightly around his, and he wished the feeling could go on forever, but they eventually came back down to Earth.
Legs trembling with the power of what they’d just shared, he gently pulled Rose back into the water with him, then sank down with her in his lap. She cuddled up to him, her breath still coming in short gasps, rested her head on his chest, and closed her eyes, then didn’t move until her breathing returned to normal.
“I guess your mom knew what she was talking about,” she finally said, picking up her head. “This place is magical, or maybe that was just you.”
He laughed. “I think it was a little of both,” he said, grinning at her. “Should we go see if the bed is magical, too?”
***Rose***
“I wish we didn’t have to leave already,” Rose said sadly. “This place is amazing, we barely had a chance to enjoy it.”
“We’ll come back,” Malcolm said, walking over and pulling her into his arms. “We just have to deal with the council and make sure your sister is safe, then we’ll take as long as you want to explore the cave and all its wonders.”
She laughed. “You make it sound like a side-show attraction,” she said, but she did feel better. “I guess I’m ready to face the clan and the elders. I’m a little nervous; I hope I don’t do something stupid and screw up.”
“You charmed Marcus, just do the same thing with the others and you’ll be fine,” he said, then paused. “What did you two talk about anyway?”
“My hopes and dreams, my plans for the future, nothing that important,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “I’m not sure what I said that pleased him, I was just honest with him.”
“Then stick with that and you’ll be fine,” he said, giving her a big kiss. “Are you ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she said, looking around the cave one more time.
The horses were waiting for them just outside the cave, and it only took a few minutes to throw the saddles on; then they began the short ride back down the mountain. Once they got back to the main trail, it was an easy ride, and Rose soon got lost in her thoughts. So much had changed so quickly, she needed the quiet to sort it all out in her mind, and the ride back was the perfect time to put some order to the craziness in her head.
She wasn’t prepared when a voice that instantly made her wince echoed through the trees. “Well isn’t this precious, the newlyweds out for a morning ride,” Chet said, stepping out from behind a tree into their path. “I hate to interrupt, but I just couldn’t wait to offer my congratulations.”
Malcolm was off his horse in a second. “Chet, you don’t belong here,” he said. “This is Barrington territory, you’re trespassing, and the clan won’t treat that lightly if they find you here.”
“Get out of my way, this is between me and that little bitch,” Chet growled at him. “She’s not going to get away with this. Chloe belongs to me; she’s mine, and I’ll do with her what I please.”
“She doesn’t belong to anyone,” she said, sliding off her horse. “She’s a sixteen-year-old girl, I won’t let you destroy her life like you almost destroyed mine, and I’ve got Malcolm’s entire clan backing me up. Face it, Chet, you lost, you’re never going to be the alpha. Get out of here before that’s all that you lose.”
Chet charged at her with a growl of rage, but Malcolm stepped in front of him and knocked the older man to the ground easily. He lay there for a second, then jumped to his feet with a bellow of rage, his eyes glowing darkly, before the air around him began to crackle. Malcolm took a step back, then quickly looked around them before shoving her behind a tree, then faced the raging man again, his magic adding to the power already in the air.
Before she could step back out, the sound of splintering branches filled the quiet of the morning, and the trees around her began to shake violently. Then, after an angry screech, a huge grey dragon appeared in the air above her head. She clung to the trunk of the tree as the angry beast hovered, its angry eyes focused on her. She knew better than to run, but the urge was so strong it took all her control to stay right where she was.
Chet finally gave up waiting her out and made a dive at her tree and that’s when Malcolm struck, a dark streak flying through the air, his roar of anger so loud the trees shook again. He hit Chet with a thud that sent the other dragon cartwheelingthrough the air, then plummeting to the ground, but Malcolm wasn’t done. He landed next to the crumpled dragon, poised for the kill, and she was instantly running for him, calling his name.
