Dragon's Mistress Read Free

fighting the desire to cover his arousal like a teenage boy. What would it be like to touch her? He thought he might explode into flames at the mere thought…
    "Lord Von'hot?" she said lightly, looking him up and down with a measuring glance. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you before now."
    "No," he said in a rasping voice, taking her outstretched hand and gently turning it over to kiss it.
    Her skin was smooth and supple under his lips, and he allowed his tongue to ever so lightly graze her palm. He felt a shiver go through her, and a surge of pure, masculine triumph welled within him. This woman might have the power to stun him with her presence, but he had power over her, too. "But I saw you at the reception last night, and was quite taken with your beauty."
    "I wasn't aware you were at the reception last night?" she asked, her face registering polite surprise. He was willing to bet she was well aware he hadn't been present at the reception. He smiled at her smoothly.
    "I was spying on the guests," he said, watching her reaction carefully. If she thought anything of his admission, she didn't betray it in her face. Good. She could dissemble, regardless of her feelings.
    "How charming," she said, maintaining her polite smile.
    "Thank you," he replied, drawing her hand into the crook of his arm. He started strolling slowly down the hall, guiding her. "My name is Drake, by the way. It could be rather awkward if you call me
    'Lord Von'hot' all evening."
    "I'm Daniella," she replied without looking at him. "Dare I ask where we're going?"
    "Of course," he murmured, glancing over at the smooth perfection of her face. "I've arranged dinner and some private entertainment for us. I hope you'll enjoy it."
    "I'm sure I will," she said, a chill in her voice. She didn't like his attitude, he realized. She probably thought he was rude. The thought amused him. "Thank you so much for inviting me," she added.
    "The pleasure is all mine," he replied, drawing his breath in deeply. She smelled like flowers, light and fragrant. He wondered what she tasted like, and the thought nearly unmanned him.
    Regardless of his long-term plans for her, she was his to enjoy for the night, he thought with satisfaction. He planned to use her well.

Chapter 3
    She had never seen anything like Lord Von'hot's palace. It took every bit of Dani's willpower to keep her eyes focused directly ahead, rather than staring around with her mouth gaping. The walls were made of some crystalline rock that seemed to have been grown, rather than fashioned. There were guardsmen everywhere, dressed in dark uniforms and carrying frightening weapons of a kind she'd never seen before. The walls were hung with portraits, formally dressed men and women whose visages reeked of power and privilege.
    How had she ended up here? She simply hadn't understood just how wealthy a man like Lord Von'hot must be when she'd originally turned down his invitation. He owned an entire star system and a confidant of the emperor, her mind whispered in panic.
    And she was just a single pleasure worker, sent to spy on him.
    She stole a glance up at him from beneath her lashes. He was tall, with hair so black it seemed almost bluish in the light. His skin was alabaster white, his cheekbones high and sculpted. His eyes were turned to the corridor ahead of them, but she couldn't forget the dark intensity of his black gaze. He'd stared right through her, as if he could strip her naked with his vision alone. She'd felt helpless before him, a small and frightened animal caught in the glare of the predator's sight.
    But with that fear was longing. His fingers were slender and strong; the touch of his lips against her hand had made her quiver with desire. She'd seen the bulge of his erection, something he hadn't bothered to try and hide from her. The thought of that thick, hard mass plunging into her body made her wet with longing. She'd never felt so instantly attracted to a man, and she had