“I thought you liked your women demure.”
Venero laughed. “You’re changing my mind, Gemma.” They stared into each other’s eyes as the Seed urged Gemma’s desire to a fever pitch. She had a feeling that even without the Seed’s scent, she’d want Venero with his smile and his irreverent comments, his challenges and his valor. She liked that he was concerned about doing the right thing, even at his own expense. She admired that he teased and provoked her, tempting her smile and her laughter. It would never be boring to live with Venero.
“You’re changing my mind about everything,” he whispered. His thumb moved across her skin, setting her afire, and she wanted all of him, immediately. “What happens next?”
“That’s easy,” she replied. “This.” Gemma framed Venero’s face in her hands and stretched to kiss him. Heat fired through her from the point of contact with his mouth, and she tasted his gasp of surprise that she was so demanding. Then his hands were in her hair and he was pulling her closer. His kiss deepened and she could taste his need. Gemma welcomed it, responding to the passion he kindled without question.
And wanting only more.
* * *
Venero couldn’t understand why he’d ever thought it was a bad thing for a woman to be forthright or outspoken or demanding. Gemma’s kiss was fierce and decisive, and her unmistakable desire for him was the strongest aphrodisiac in the galaxy. He knew exactly where he stood with her, and it was a fine place to be.
Venero found himself deepening his kiss and meeting her demands for more. His blood was aflame and any plans he’d had to seduce her slowly—to savor her—went up in smoke.
That she was nude and at ease with that only fanned the flames. That she knew what she wanted from him and wasn’t shy about making her wishes clear was enough to incinerate his reservations—and his assumptions. Her kiss was hot and hungry, and he was as consumed with her as she seemed to be with him. He could sense the dragon in her kiss and her passion was incredibly exciting.
He backed her against the wall of the cavern and kissed her deeply, loving how she knotted her hands in his hair and pulled him closer. She rubbed herself against him, then reached down to caress him, her touch both confident and gentle. He heard himself moan, then felt Gemma’s chuckle.
“I knew you were naked for a reason,” she whispered then dropped to her knees. Venero found his fingers in the silk of her hair as she tormented him with the softness of her lips and the occasional brush of her teeth. He whispered her name, knowing he wouldn’t last long before such an assault, and felt her laugh again. She flicked her tongue across the tip of his erection, sending a shiver of delight through his entire body.
He looked down to find her eyes dancing, even as she gripped his hips. She held his gaze, inviting him to watch her caress him, and Venero knew he’d never seen a sight so arousing in his life. His entire body was humming. His blood was pumping. His erection was so large and hard that it ached. He felt like a bow drawn taut, and that the merest flick would send him over the edge. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from Gemma’s. Their hearts did that dizzying feat of matching pace again, and he felt lost in the marvel that was Gemma.
And he didn’t care.
“I was going to thank you,” he managed to whisper.
Gemma teased him with the tip of her tongue. “Now or later?”
“Now,” he said, because he knew he’d only last another second if she stopped. “In a most fundamental way.”
“How?”
“With pleasure.”
Gemma smiled. “I like that kind of thanks.”
Venero bent and caught her upper arms in his grip, then kissed her again. He spun her around the room, as if they were dancing at court, and she laughed into his kiss. Her hair floated behind them, long and golden, and she was a graceful dancer.
He kicked her feet out from beneath her, then caught her in his arms, liking how her eyes glowed as he lowered her to the pile of her discarded clothing. She was so beautiful that he wanted to play homage to her forever. Gemma gasped when he took the tight peak of her nipple in his mouth, and moaned softly when he teased her with his tongue and teeth. She arched her back, her nipple getting harder and the scent of her arousing him even more. Venero wanted to watch her, as well as pleasure her. She wasn’t shy and she welcomed his touch with a confidence he found enticing.
She was bold and demanding and passionate—just as a dragon should be.
He rolled her to her back then, spreading her thighs so he could give her a more intimate kiss. Gemma sighed and welcomed him, purring in pleasure when his tongue landed upon her. Their hearts beat as one as he teased her, alternating little nips with languid strokes as her passion rose. He loved how he could feel her reaction as keenly as his own, how he could time his actions to increase her arousal, how well he could torment her with pleasure. He drove her high and halted just before she had her release, then did it again. Gemma was writhing beneath him, moaning and whispering his name. He could feel that her skin was hot and her heart was racing. She was slick and ready when Venero bent to make her reward complete.
“No,” she said, her hand blocking him. He looked up to find her eyes shining. “With you,” she insisted.
Venero didn’t need to be invited twice. He moved over the length of her, running a trail of kisses to her shoulder. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he eased into the tight heat of her. She groaned with pleasure as he buried himself completely and he had to pause to catch his breath. Then her nails were digging into his shoulders in silent demand and her need drove him on. They moved together, gazes locked and breath matched, the heat rising between them so rapidly that Venero lost track of everything.
Save the woman in his arms.
And when they reached the summit together, crying out in unison as the fire of release raced through their bodies, Venero knew there was no going back after a mating with a dragon princess. She was unlike any other woman he’d ever known. The experience had been a hundred times more potent than ever before. He felt as if he’d been waiting for her, and that now, no other woman would do.
True love.
Who would have guessed it possible? Not Venero.
He smiled as he dozed, realizing that even though Gemma didn’t believe in magic, she was very adept at casting a spell.
* * *
Gemma remained awake while Venero slept. Now that the influence of the dragon was diminished and the call of the Seed had been answered, doubts assailed her.
She should, as Arista’s Sword Sister, fulfill Arista’s unfinished assignment of assassinating Venero.
She should also make a permanent bond with Venero because he was her HeartKeeper. She could sacrifice Arista’s mission for her HeartKeeper, but Gemma wondered. Would Venero ever believe in love? Could she teach him?
Could she trust a man who was a DreamCaster?
Or should she just be content with having the Seed? She wasn’t good with compromise, so that wasn’t an appealing option.
If they reached the Queen’s Grotto and broke the spell over Gemma’s dragon, what was Venero’s plan? What were his intentions?
Gemma didn’t know.
And that meant she couldn’t lie quietly beside him any longer.
She rose to her feet and began to pack for the day ahead. Gemma watched Venero as he slept and felt uncharacteristic doubt about her future.
He would be the father of her son, and according to the prophecy, King of Regalia. Did that mean that she had a future with him or not? Should she tell him about the prophecy or not?
If she asked him for the whole truth, would he tell her?
There was only one way to find out.
* * *
Venero awakened with an overwhelming sense of well-being. He stretched and reached for Gemma, only to discover that she had left his side.
That was disappointing. He liked morning sex.
He opened his eyes to see her crouched before him, packing the satchel. He wondered
whether she meant to leave him, but she wasn’t dressed.
She spoke to him without turning around, so he knew she must have detected the change in his breathing. “Will you paint my back, please?” Gemma pivoted on the balls of her feet, presenting the cup of dye. Her expression was cool and inscrutable.
What had she decided?
“So long as you don’t want to be defended from me.” The question was meant to be teasing, but he felt her attention sharpen.
Her blue eyes were glittering, looking once again as if they were made of faceted sapphires, and he was reminded a little too well of her lost abilities. There was still a dragon within her, even if her power to shift had been suppressed.
“Should I be?” she asked, her voice low enough to make him shiver.
Venero felt exposed as he seldom had before, at least outside of his brother Celo’s presence. He averted his gaze and rose, then made every sign of stirring the dye with his fingertip. It didn’t need his undivided attention, but he feared that if he met Gemma’s gaze, she’d see clear through to his soul.
There were some secrets he still needed to keep.
“Of course not.”
Gemma turned her back upon him, but there was a tension in her. He could almost hear her thoughts spinning. He wished he knew what she was thinking. She was wary, but she needed him for this task. Maybe that was the best he could hope for.
He was more disappointed by that than he felt he should have been.
Venero worked in silence, wondering all the while how he could win Gemma’s trust. He drew protective wings on her shoulders, then considered what else she had done. Instead of the snake coiled around her waist, she had rows of scales. And she’d drawn a tail, that wrapped around her left leg to her ankle.
Of course, her marks would include her true nature.
He drew a spiked ridge down her spine, then extended those wings into claws, like those of a bat. He’d never seen her in her dragon form, so he guessed. He noticed the water swirling around her lower legs, and the clouds on her upper arms. There was a cluster of gems around her navel, and when she turned to face him, he impulsively drew a crown upon her forehead.
With a jewel in the middle of her brow.
She watched him closely as he painted, but he kept his attention fixed on his fingertip. He finished the crown, then paused before finishing the oval of the gem.
He couldn’t avoid her steady gaze then.
“Can you read my thoughts?” she asked.
“Why would you think that?”
“It’s prudent to know the abilities of your comrades before entering a battle.”
Venero had to acknowledge that she was right, even though he wished she wanted to know for a more romantic reason. That should have been more troubling than it was. He’d never yearned for an emotional bond before. All his life, he’d been content to follow his own course and be self-reliant. He’d been satisfied with the conquest of a woman who intrigued him every time. Sex once, or maybe twice, had always satisfied him.
But he looked at Gemma, her hair loose and her skin adorned with protective symbols, her gaze clear as she studied him, and he wanted her even more than he had the day before.
HeartKeeper. It was a surprisingly appealing notion.
“No, I can’t,” he admitted. “Only Celo can do that.”
Gemma met his gaze, inviting more.
“My youngest brother. The one who helped you in the forest.”
“I heard that you each have some magical ability and yours is DreamCasting.”
“You already know that.”
“But not exactly what that means.” She smiled a little. “Remember that I don’t understand magic well.”
Venero nodded, unable to dismiss the sense that his answers were critical. She was watching him a little too closely. “I can send dreams to others while they sleep. Sometimes, I can send thoughts to others while they’re awake.”
“Like MindBending.”
“It’s similar. Less persuasive. More restricted.” He sighed and tried to explain. “No one’s born with the ability to DreamCast. It’s a gift and it’s defined at the point of giving.”
“By the giver?”
He nodded. “MindBending is an inborn talent. It can be developed and refined, expanded even.” He shrugged. “It’s a lot more powerful.”
“So, you can’t read the thoughts of others?”
Venero frowned. “Only my twin brother, once in a while when he’s careless—or excited about something. It’s only happened a couple of times.”
“But might be useful.”
“It might be.”
“And you can still influence the choices of others.”
Venero saw that she didn’t like that idea at all, but he wouldn’t lie. “That’s right.”
Gemma’s next words were low. “Have you ever done that to me?”
Venero opened his mouth then closed it again. She was watching him closely, so closely that he wondered how many of his secrets she could perceive. Maybe honesty between them should start immediately. Maybe it was time to take a chance. “Yes.” He saw her gaze flicker. “I sent you the dream of Arista’s memory. Nothing else.”
“So that I’d trust you when you appeared.” She surveyed the cavern, a little too composed for his taste. Venero never thought he’d want a woman to show more emotion, but Gemma was impassive. On the other hand, he respected that she was gathering all of the information before she responded.
As if she built a law case. That notion reassured him mightily.
“You sent me a dream of Arista’s even though you saw she was a cyborg.”
“No, you dreamed a memory. I sent you a dream, but it wasn’t a dream itself.”
She smiled. “You sound like a lawyer.”
“I am. I studied on Advocia. Good preparation for administration and negotiation.”
“For a king.”
Venero laughed. “For a diplomat, more likely.” He knew better than anyone that Urbanus would be king after their mother’s death, if that ever happened.
“But Arista loved you. I thought cyborgs didn’t feel emotions.”
“They don’t. She said she loved me, but that was just a strategic move. People confess love to get what they want…”
“Is that why you don’t believe in love?”
“Well, I haven’t experienced much love in my family.”
“No wonder you doubt its existence. But I have,” Gemma said, her eyes glowing. “And I know that with trust and love, everything is a thousand times better.”
Her conviction was compelling but Venero wanted proof. “But how do you know? How can you be sure that the other person means what they say and that they don’t just want something?”
Gemma pursed her lips, considering. “Because you trust them. Sometimes because they put the needs of the beloved above their own. You helped Arista escape, for example. Are you sure you didn’t love her?”
“No, I didn’t.” Venero fell silent but Gemma was watching and waiting. “It was just the right thing to do. My mother needs to be challenged.”
“Even if you have to pay the price.”
“The greater good has to be served by someone.” He forced a smile but Gemma didn’t smile back at him.
“Why did you send me that dream? Was it strategic, to keep me from fulfilling Arista’s mission as her Sword Sister?”
“No!” Venero was insulted by the implication and he saw immediately that Gemma had expected as much. “I made a mistake,” he admitted with some irritability. “I’m out of practice. Plus there’s something about writhing in pain that messes up my timing and control.”
Gemma frowned. “Pain?” Her gaze swept over him, then lingered on the cut on his forearm. “I haven’t hurt you that badly.”
“It was the change. You, of all people, have to understand that.”
She frowned at him, her confusion clear.
“When you kissed me and I shifted shape,” Venero expl
ained impatiently. “I don’t know why you’d want to live with such an ability or why you would even do it. The shift is horrible. I’ve never felt such agony in my life, and…”
Gemma smiled. “Amateur,” she said and Venero was astonished to realize that she was teasing him.
More importantly, she wasn’t angry with him.
“Amateur?” He pretended to be insulted, but he was intrigued by the sparkle in her eyes. He liked that she was giving as good as she got.
“It takes practice to shift with grace. Endless practice.”
“I’d rather not.”
“Coward.” Her smile softened her charge.
He grinned back at her. “Absolutely.” He made a grimace. “No more practice for me. I like being the way I am now just fine.”
“And I thought princes of Regalia were intrepid,” she scoffed.
“Even we have our limits.” Their gazes held once again, and he felt that weird sense of their hearts matching pace. His own heartbeat felt amplified and it made him dizzy. “That’s your dragon,” he whispered and Gemma nodded. “I like that it does this.”
“Me, too.”
She was so at ease with her other form and its powers. And to tell the truth, Venero didn’t have any issues with the abilities he might have credited to it so far. He found it sexy when Gemma was focused, and he liked how she fought. He liked watching her reason through a problem and her perceptiveness was impressive. He liked when her eyes glittered and this matching-heartbeats thing was incredible.
Having her on his side was a good thing.
Could she be right about love?
Gemma dropped her gaze to the cup of dye and offered it to him. “Will you finish the markings, please.”
She was so serious that Venero wanted to make her smile. “Will the ritual work, even if completed by an amateur?”
“Only one way to find out.” Gemma eyed him. “Afraid of failure?”
“No. Not me. I’m an intrepid prince.”
“Even if I was a dragon again?” she asked softly.
“Even then,” Venero said, and knew it was true as soon as he said it. Gemma watched him, inviting a reply. “Because I trust you,” he admitted and her smile was all the reward he needed.