Dragonslayer (Twilight of the Gods Book 3) (16 page)

Chapter Twenty

Christian left Skadi with Hallie and then ushered Jacey to the car. The expression on his face would have alarmed her on anyone else, but this was Christian and she was well past being intimidated by him. He actually looked like a Viking warrior right now—hard, fierce, covered in demon blood and with a gash on his forearm that he should’ve had Alan heal. With the lengths the town went to in order to protect their secrecy, she imagined he was breaking any number of rules now. And Christian…he was more the good soldier type than a rule-breaker. She knew that much about him. She also knew that no matter how unhinged he looked now, he’d never in a million years do anything to hurt her.

The car started up with a roar, and he cranked the heat. The radio was loud enough to drown out her thoughts, and neither of them tried to speak until they were on their way.

“Do you think we should try to go after it?” she asked when he seemed to have himself under control.

His big hands flexed on the steering wheel. “It almost killed you.”

“But it didn’t. The tranquilizer was worth a shot. I was right there. It would have been stupid not to give it a try. Now we know.”

“We already knew the scales were going to be a problem.”

She’d been aiming for its head…mouth, eye, nostrils. The books said those spots were all vulnerable. Difficult to hit, but not impossible. “I missed.”

“Yeah, I saw that. And then you jumped off a fucking cliff.”

She opened her hands. “In case you didn’t notice, there was a dragon chasing me at the time. Besides, I knew someone would catch me.”

“From a forty-foot jump? We were all armed to the teeth. You’d have been more likely to impale yourself on someone’s sword. Or break every bone in your body.”

“Then Alan could have put me back together.”

Like Humpty Dumpty. She couldn’t help but smile at that. Magic… She shook her head. She was already starting to get used to it. Take it for granted, even. She met Christian’s definitely-not-amused glower.

“It’s all right,” she said. “Kamis saved me.”

“I didn’t know he would do that. I didn’t know it was even possible.”

She sat back against the leather seat, looked at Christian’s death grip on the wheel and the tension in his jaw line. It seemed a bad time to ask him about the dragon rider. He glanced over at her, and even though the look was brief it cut through her.

“You were worried about me.”

“Worried?” A short laugh escaped him. “You took years off my life, Jacey. Worried doesn’t adequately describe the feeling. You’re not ever doing anything like this again.”

Like she went around fighting dragons every day. Like he had any right to demand such a thing.

“Christian, I’m not hurt.”

He opened his mouth to say something, snapped it closed and then tapped on the brakes as they drove into town. She’d thought he’d been pissed that the dragon had gotten away from them a second time, but he’d been worried about her. She was the reason that expression was on his face. A lump formed in her throat. She hadn’t lied to him when she’d told him she was used to working alone. At work, she was the odd woman out. Growing up, her mother’s health issues had kept her isolated. Other people had big families, roots. But for her, it had always been just her and her mom. Jacey could count on one hand the people who really, truly cared what happened to her. It was weird to realize that Christian was one of them.

He pulled into the driveway and turned off the car. Before she opened the door, she turned to him. “I’m sorry I scared you. I truly am.”

He didn’t say anything, just studied her face for a long moment. She probably looked a mess. She’d lost her hat somewhere and could feel strands of her hair clinging to her wind burned cheeks. Despite the chill that still clung to her, heat rose to her cheeks. “I’m usually the one worried about other people. Having it be the other way around is new for me.”

“It shouldn’t be that way. You should have people who care about what happens to you, take care of you when you need it and have your back in a fight. And you shouldn’t be apologizing to me now.” He touched her cheek, the rough pads of his fingertips barely grazing her skin. “Let’s get inside.”

The wind hit her in the face when she opened the door, and brought tears to her eyes that immediately began to freeze. This time of year, the temperature dropped quickly once the sun set. She’d barely noticed the bite of the wind during the fight, but climbing out of the warm cocoon of car caused her to shudder with the cold. Christian placed a hand on her back to usher her through the door. Once inside, she drew a deep breath and tugged at her scarf. She hung that up on a peg and bent to start working on her boots. The laces had tangled, and her fingers were numb so it took her longer than it normally would have.

“Who was that woman?”

“A Vanir warrior,” he said curtly. “Kamis found her injured in the woods after the last hunt. He sent her back and we thought that was the end of it. Apparently we were wrong.”

“Did she bring the dragon here?”

He shook his head, not turning. Realizing that was all he had to say on the matter, she went back to wrestling with her laces. Finally giving up, she kicked her boots off instead.

“It was pretty amazing what Raquel and Kamis did,” she said. “I mean, I saw some of it the other day, but an invisible barrier is one thing—this was magic. Real magic. I never thought I’d experience it like that.”

“I wish you hadn’t.”

She glanced up at him, but he was turned away from her, peeling off the armor. The supple leather had obviously been cut to fit his body. There were runes burned into it for protection, and more than a few scars. He was one to be lecturing her about danger. The T-shirt he wore beneath his armor pulled up, revealing a patch of smooth skin. His muscles flexed as he stretched forward to hang the leather on a waiting hook.

“When I turned around to see you standing there with the dragon behind you, I knew I wasn’t going to make it in time. I froze.” His gaze angled to meet hers, blue eyes hard and glittering. “I’ve never choked like that before. If it hadn’t been for Kamis, you would have died.”

“I thought I was a goner there for a minute, but we made it out.”

Christian grunted. “We were lucky.”

He stood by the door in jeans and a ratty old T-shirt. Bright red socks on his feet. Rising from the bench, she placed her coat on the hook and led the way into the kitchen.

“I’m freezing. I think I might go try to unthaw in the—”

The words died on her tongue when she turned around, because Christian was right behind her. The look on his face… He was still keyed up from the fight, that was part of it, but that didn’t explain the raw hunger in his eyes. She took a hesitant step back, startled when her hips hit the edge of the counter.

“Christian? What are you doing?”

He braced a hand on either side of her and bent his head to capture her gaze. “I can warm you up.”

It took a second for the words to sink in, but when she realized what he was saying, her skin flushed with heat.

“What is this?”

The corners of his mouth turned up. “You know what this is. When you came to my room the other night, you weren’t looking for toothpaste. You’ve been fighting it too.”

“You said you weren’t interested in me.”

“I didn’t say that. I said I
shouldn’t
be interested in you, and that’s still the truth.”

He swept his thumb across her bottom lip before leaning forward to press his mouth the same spot. It was a chaste kiss, soft and sweet, but it warmed up every frozen cell in her body, sent heat pulsing through her blood and rushing to her face. When he pulled back, he stared at her with an intensity that was disconcerting.

“The circumstances are shit. If we do this, it will be messy and complicated and over before it even starts, but if you’re asking me what I want? What I want is my mouth on your breasts and between your legs. I want inside you, even if it’s just once. I would bed you in a heartbeat if you said the word. I’m tired of doing the right thing.”

Messy. Complicated. Temporary. She should definitely walk away from a proposal like that. She licked her dry lips, and then shivered when all of his attention suddenly shifted to her mouth.

“What’s the word?”

Chapter Twenty-One

He shouldn’t be doing this. Christian knew that. How could he not? No one in the clan had made much of a secret of their disapproval of his relationship with the Midgardian woman under his protection. Jacey had agreed to Aiden’s demand that she leave town as soon as her job was done. She hadn’t even hesitated before publicly accepting the deal. She already had one foot out the door. He already didn’t want to let her go.

Closing the door, he watched as Jacey looked around his room. He liked the room, but it was very plain. Cool colors, simple furniture, no pictures on the wall. Jacey threw the space into chaos. Delicious, rumpled, bright chaos. Brighter when she turned to him and smiled. His heart thudded hard in his chest.

He took a step closer, lifting his hand to her face. His hands were nicked from work and sword practice, the fingertips calloused and rough. Jacey’s skin was soft. She had freckles even now in the dead of winter, across her nose and cheeks. They were on her arms too, and he wondered if they covered her everywhere. He couldn’t wait to find out.

“You’re beautiful.”

A shadow crossed her eyes, and while she didn’t deny it, he could tell she didn’t believe him either. Sometimes words weren’t enough to soothe deep hurts. He would prove the truth of his desire with his body. Maybe he couldn’t keep her forever, but that he could do—show her how beautiful she was to him and how very much he wanted her.

Lowering his head, he brushed his lips across hers. It was a light, questioning touch. The soft noise she made in the back of her throat and her hand on his hip told him he hadn’t misread her. He slipped his thumbs beneath the hem of her shirt—his shirt—and hitched it up higher, past the dip in her waist, only stopping when his fingertips brushed against smooth, warm skin. He deepened the kiss then, tasting the sweetness of her and the hunger. Then he pulled back just enough to lift the shirt over her head.

Her jeans followed. Generous hips, narrow waist and small, perfect breasts.

She lifted her hands as if she meant to cover herself, but when he caught her gaze, she lowered her hands to her sides. Not a coward. Unsure of herself, but brave as any Valkyrie.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t… I’m not sure what to do next. I don’t have a lot of experience at this. Not like you.”

And that bothered her. She probably wouldn’t believe him if he told her he was nervous too. One-night stands when he was visiting another clan, he had experience with that. Casual hookups with people he’d known all his life, sure. Æsir women weren’t timid about asking for what they wanted, and more often than not, he was the one being pursued. This…this was something he had no experience with at all.

Gently, he took her in his arms. A shiver ran over her skin as their bodies touched, and he smoothed a hand down her back, learning the curve of her spine. “I haven’t been with anyone in over a year. When things fell through with Raquel, I had to re-evaluate what I wanted out of life.”

“An Æsir wife and a bunch of little warriors.”

He wanted a family, that was true, and while that desire had always been tied up with the expectations of duty and tradition, he was beginning to question if it was what he really wanted. Maybe that was why it’d been so hard for him to build a real relationship with any of the women in his clan, to really commit to his betrothal with Raquel. It had always felt like another chain. Jacey didn’t feel that way at all. Jacey made him want to shake free of all the chains holding him down.

He smoothed the hair back from her face and pressed a kiss to her temple. “There are condoms in the top drawer beside the bed, along with a clean bill of health.”

“I haven’t… I’m clean too. I don’t carry around paperwork with me, but I can promise you that. You can tell if I’m lying, right?”

He shook his head and skimmed his thumb along the curve of her cheek. “That’s Alan. You could lie to me, but I don’t believe you would. Come on.”

He lifted her easily, one arm beneath her knees, the other around her back. She fit perfectly. A warm bundle of female flesh that he never would have let go if it wasn’t to set her down on the bed.

He quickly removed the rest of his clothes. He made no effort to seduce her. That wasn’t what this was about. She already knew what he looked like. He’d almost rather she think he was the ugliest man in Midgard and still want him than to want him only for his body.

He climbed into bed beside her. Her arms lifted in welcome, and he sank into her embrace. Jacey. Her scent enveloped him. Her soft, lush body. The fire of her hair against his cool gray sheets.

She looked at him with bright eyes, not like he was a plaything, but like he was a hero. He wasn’t a hero, he knew that, but for Jacey, he wanted to be.

Her hands slid down his back to his hips and tightened there. Not enough to pull, just enough to welcome him closer. He took that invitation, settling his body on hers and groaning with the contact. Her breasts brushed against his chest and her nipples tightened as if begging for his touch. He kissed her mouth again, her jaw, nuzzled his way down her neck, breathing her in, smiling against her skin when she moved restlessly beneath him.

He slid his cheek along the curve of her breast and then sucked her nipple into his mouth. Rolling it softly over his tongue, he bracketed it with his teeth and gave it a soft tug. He took his time with her breasts, learning how she liked to be touched. She was shy about her body, and he wanted her to know deep in her soul that there was nothing she needed to be shy about. Lovely. Sweet and honest and brave. She was perfect and she should know that.

Planting his hand on the bed, he moved lower, kissing her ribs, the smooth plane of her stomach, the flare of her hip. Her breathing had quickened by the time he settled himself between her thighs, and he dragged her silky white panties down the long line of her legs. He kissed her ankle on his way back up, the back of one knee. He grazed his lips along the inside of her thigh and then, just barely touched his lips to her clitoris.

Her body tensed, and she swallowed back a cry.

Slow. He knew he needed to go slow here, but damn it, it was hard. He was hard, aching to be inside of her, and since she wasn’t quite ready, he buried his face between her legs instead. Licking, sucking, wanting to drive her as crazy as she was making him. She clutched at his hair. Her thighs tensed and he could feel the slight quiver of her muscles. There. He could push her over so easily, but some perverse instinct made him draw the moment out.

“Christian,” she said sharply, half plea, half moan.

“I know.”

“I want you inside of me now.”

He knew that too. And there was no place he’d rather be, but first he wanted to make her come. She wanted this, but she was nervous, too. There was still a shadow of apprehension in her eyes, and he wanted that gone before they moved forward.

She let go of his hair to pull at his shoulders, but he resisted the pressure. He sealed his lips around her clitoris and sucked gently, barely exerting any pressure at all. A light touch of his tongue, but she trembled like she was a breath away from shattering.

Lifting his head, he looked at Jacey. Her back arched, her breasts raised like an offering. Her mouth was slightly parted and her eyes closed. There was a slight flush to her skin, and her breath was harsh and uneven. Glorious. He wished she could see herself through his eyes. She was beautiful, no matter what she thought.

Sliding up her torso, he grabbed a condom and tore the package open with his teeth. A moment later, he was poised to enter her. She kissed him with a desperation he couldn’t possibly resist. Her hips moved to align their bodies and he moved…there. He slid just inside and paused there for a moment to kiss her again. He lifted his head, brushed the hair from her face and pressed deeper.

No more playing it safe. She was taking what she wanted out of life, and right now, this—Christian, here, with her—was what she wanted. Even if they couldn’t be together for more than a few nights. He was part of the magic of this place. She might not be able to hold on to the magic forever, but she could enjoy it while it lasted. She was going into this with her eyes open, so there was no way for her to be disappointed or hurt.

He slid an arm beneath her shoulders and flexed his hips, filling her slowly. His chest expanded as he drew in a deep breath. He sighed against her mouth and then kissed her, light and sweet. She could feel his slow smile against her lips as he pulled away.

“Damn, Jacey.”

“Yeah.”

He held himself there, planted fully inside her, and touched his forehead to hers. “You’re all right?”

“I am so much better than just all right.”

“Good.” He withdrew and then immediately pushed himself back inside of her. He was big. She’d seen that he was bigger than any of her other lovers, but now she could feel it too, a fullness that pushed her again toward climax. She moved against him, letting her hands wander down the muscles of his back, tasting the sweat on his skin and relishing the way his body moved. There was a tremble just beneath the surface of his skin, as if he were expending tremendous effort to hold back. She was grateful that he was making that effort, but she wasn’t ready for this to be over yet.

“Let me be on top.”

He obliged her immediately, wrapping an arm around her hips and rolling until he lay flat on his back and she straddled his hips. He tossed a pillow aside and then slid his gaze down her exposed body. It made her want to cover herself. She’d wanted to see him and she’d wanted to control the pace, but now that she was here, she realized that he’d be able to see her more clearly too. This perfect man with the body of a Viking warrior and the face of a movie star.

One look at his expression and her fears slipped away. He touched the place above her heart with his fingertips and traced a line down her stomach to where they were joined together. “I’ve wanted to touch you like this since the moment I saw you,” he murmured, gathering moisture on his fingers and then sliding up to massage her clit as she began to move.

“You didn’t.”

His eyes flashed up. “I did. As soon as you pulled off that ugly coat. You were wearing a cream sweater that hugged every curve. I can still see it.”

He remembered what she’d been wearing? Something inside her melted a little. His hand moved from her hip to her breast. He cupped her briefly and then toyed with her nipple. “I wanted to strip you of everything else to see for myself what was underneath.”

“There was the bar,” she said, her voice breathy. “We could have made good use of that.”

He smiled slowly and shook his head. “I’m not into public displays.” He grabbed her hips again and slid his body back along the mattress until he rested against the headboard. The position changed the angle of their bodies, the angle of him inside of her. Made his cock, which had already seemed so enormous, fill her completely. When he guided her hips to lift her and then pull her down again, she groaned and clutched at his shoulders. Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss to the top of one breast. “I wouldn’t want to share you with anyone. Not even the sight of you.”

He dropped his head to catch her nipple between his teeth, making her flinch, and then soothed the ache with his tongue. Since his hands were busy, she snaked her hand between their bodies and found her clit. She was close now. The feeling swelling in her body was more torment than pleasure. She just needed a little…

“No.” Christian caught her hand and moved it behind her back. Pushed her other one there too, and captured both. “Not yet.” She frowned, and his smiled widened. “Just a little longer, Jacey. Trust me.”

She did. God help her. She’d trusted him from the moment she met him, or else she would have run screaming from this town days ago. She trusted him beyond reason or wisdom. It scared her half to death. When he settled back against the headboard, he stared at her breasts for a moment before lifting his hot gaze to her face. He looked completely in control of himself while she was dying. Hot and aching, wanting nothing but release.

She wanted him to kiss her again, touch her, roll her over and pound into her. Instead, he skated his hand lightly down her ribcage and settled it over her hip, guiding her jerky movements and forcing her to slow.

“I want to come, Christian. Make me come.”

“I will.”

“Now.”

She felt the rumble of laughter pass through his body. “You’re done with me already?”

She wasn’t done with him. Not yet. Rather than answer, she dropped her head back and closed her eyes, enjoying the slide of their bodies coming together. His fingers found her clit again. His touch became firmer and more purposeful. He began to move inside her with firm, steady thrusts.

She came hard, her whole body arcing with pleasure that seemed to go on forever. And then she was falling for the second time that day, and just as sure that someone would be there to catch her. Christian pulled her down across his chest. He kissed her neck, his thrusts slowing through the aftermath.

“That was amazing.”

Christian stroked her back and settled his big hand over her hip. She could feel him smile against her throat. “Do you need a minute to catch your breath? We’re not finished yet.”