Breath of Innocence Read Free Page A

out before Roka was back at work managing the Australian branch of Kol’s security firm.
    The lowest ranking of the Court dragons, Roka had been granted the least desirable territory, but relished it even as spread out as it was. Camille loved the scenery herself, and loved being able to travel at a moment’s notice between New Zealand, Australia, and Africa. They’d chosen the yacht for precisely the reason Rafe had suggested. Not only was sailing preferable to being trapped on an airplane to travel between the cities within Roka’s territory, it allowed him the opportunity to fly when he liked without the worry of being seen. Their travels the past six months tended to take them across the Indian Ocean frequently, with stops in port to refuel and restock, as well as check in with Kol’s bonded staff.
    She had hoped this lull in their travels would give both men a chance to unwind and relax. It had worked for Roka, but Eben had just grown quieter with each day. Now she wondered if it might not be better for the two of them to have some time alone.

Chapter 2
    S andwiched between a Shadow and a Guardian. Eben could think of worse things, but Camille had been wrong. So wrong. He loved sharing her with Roka, but some nights wished like hell for the dragon to go flying just to give the two of them time alone. But on the nights Roka would shift, Camille would whoop in excitement when he bent his bulky form to allow her to climb on. After the first few flights, Eben began to beg off. He’d go back to their bed, embrace her pillow, and fall asleep with the scent of her in his nostrils.
    It wasn’t even sex he wanted from her—just her undivided attention, something he had yet to be graced with since the ritual had begun. Hell, he even missed the little moments they’d had during their jungle trek before they found the temple, if they could be called “moments.” The stolen glances when they’d meet eyes for a split second across the campsite, before hastily looking away and trying to pretend they weren’t both too terrified to talk to each other. At least those moments had been theirs and theirs alone. He had never been so turned inside-out over a woman before.
    Now there was another face in the mix and he had no idea what it meant. Another dragon who could snap him like a twig if he said the wrong thing, not that he’d ever seen a hint of animosity in Roka. If anything, Eben was the one prone to violence. The large, platinum-haired dragon seemed to have a calming effect on everyone around him. When they would go out on the town in Sydney, Roka could stall a bar fight merely by being present.
    Rafe didn’t seem calm, however, in spite of the air being obviously permeated with Roka’s breath. Eben had grown accustomed to the delicate scent of it, like the faint scent of Camille that lingered on his own skin even after he’d bathed. Roka’s breath had the same effect on Eben as Camille’s aroma—a kind of subdued longing, though lately Camille’s scent evoked a much more potent flavor of need. A craving he couldn’t fully grasp, but that he desperately needed to sate.
    The Shadow was clothed now, in a black t-shirt and black jeans. Roka hadn’t bothered conjuring clothes for himself, lately preferring to experience the variety of human-made garments he could find. He now sat comfortably across their breakfast table from Rafe in a white terrycloth robe, sipping coffee. Heavy cream and sugar, Eben knew. He guessed the Shadow took his black. He poured himself a cup and carried it back down to the cabin so he could shower and dress.
    Several minutes later, Camille’s figure appeared ghost-like through the steam that coated the shower door. She stood outside it for a moment, seeming to hesitate.
    “Can I join you?” she asked in a soft voice that instantly made him feel guilty for being an ass to her earlier.
    “Please.” The word came out scratchy, like a desperate plea from a dying man to be put out of his