his eyes were kind, and she knew he wasn’t really angry. “I thought we agreed no more nighttime visits. It’s no good for your reputation, and if your father ever catches us, it won’t be any good for my neck either.”
She was so excited, she completely ignored his concerns. “You worry too much,” she told him. “I came to show you! Look! Look what Brin did!”
Dearra took hold of the hem of her skirt and lifted it high, exposing the burn on her upper thigh. Darius assumed she was referring to the image of the dragon that now covered the offensive J that had been there previously, but honestly, he had spared the mark only a cursory glance in favor of staring at Dearra’s shapely legs.
“Well? What do you think?” Dearra asked expectantly.
Darius swallowed what felt like a mouthful of sand before he was able to force a response. “Magnificent,” he whispered, not looking up.
Dearra realized that he was not referring to the dragon, and for a moment she was annoyed, but then she saw how dark his eyes had become as he stood fascinated before her. It was a heady thing for a girl of eighteen to have that much power over another person. Perhaps she could be forgiven for wanting to experiment a little with that kind of influence.
Don’t do it, Dearra.
She didn’t heed Brin’s warning. She had chosen her course. Her heart beat nervously as she looked into the face of the man she loved. Summoning her courage, Dearra stepped toward Darius’s towering form, the skirt still held high. She closed her eyes, leaned into him and inhaled deeply, and placed velvety kisses on his bare chest.
Darius held himself completely motionless, warring with the desire to do the right thing, and the desire to do the Breken thing. For a moment he thought he would be able to control that more dangerous side of himself, but when Dearra stepped even closer to him, and reached up to twine her fingers into his hair and urge him to kiss her, he lost what little control remained.
Months of her teasing had taken their toll. Brin had warned her. Darius had warned her. Even Carly, her best friend, had warned her, but Dearra refused to believe there was any danger in her flirtation. She was about to find out how wrong she had been.
Darius lowered his head to provide the kiss she was so ardently insisting on. He scooped her into his arms and covered her mouth with his, the kissing becoming more insistent, more intense, until Dearra felt she couldn’t catch her breath. She tried to focus on what was happening, even as she felt the room begin to spin. Overwhelmed with these strange, new feelings, she couldn’t seem to make her mind work properly. But when she felt the bed beneath her, she snapped back to reality, and a moment of apprehension crept in.
“Darius,” she managed to whisper between kisses, but instead of making him pause, the throaty whisper seemed to urge him onward.
She felt his weight on her frame as his body partially covered hers. The sensation was both pleasant and intimidating at the same time. “Darius,” she said again, this time with a bit more force.
Again, her voice seemed only to intensify his need. She was still not overly concerned, and continued to revel in his touch, but when she heard the fabric of her shirt tear under his less than gentle hand, she felt panic set in, and tried to sit up, but her attempt was in vain, for she was pinned beneath him. “Darius, wait!” she pleaded.
“No more waiting,” he growled in response.
Gone was the Darius she knew and loved, replaced by the newly awoken Breken warrior, the one who wanted and took without thinking twice.
When she tried to push him away, he grabbed both of her narrow wrists in one of his hands and held them firmly above her head, effectively shackling her. It reminded her too much of being manacled by Jacob. The image of him touching her bare leg loomed in her mind, causing her to relive the horrible time spent on board the ship, and silent tears
She was so excited, she completely ignored his concerns. “You worry too much,” she told him. “I came to show you! Look! Look what Brin did!”
Dearra took hold of the hem of her skirt and lifted it high, exposing the burn on her upper thigh. Darius assumed she was referring to the image of the dragon that now covered the offensive J that had been there previously, but honestly, he had spared the mark only a cursory glance in favor of staring at Dearra’s shapely legs.
“Well? What do you think?” Dearra asked expectantly.
Darius swallowed what felt like a mouthful of sand before he was able to force a response. “Magnificent,” he whispered, not looking up.
Dearra realized that he was not referring to the dragon, and for a moment she was annoyed, but then she saw how dark his eyes had become as he stood fascinated before her. It was a heady thing for a girl of eighteen to have that much power over another person. Perhaps she could be forgiven for wanting to experiment a little with that kind of influence.
Don’t do it, Dearra.
She didn’t heed Brin’s warning. She had chosen her course. Her heart beat nervously as she looked into the face of the man she loved. Summoning her courage, Dearra stepped toward Darius’s towering form, the skirt still held high. She closed her eyes, leaned into him and inhaled deeply, and placed velvety kisses on his bare chest.
Darius held himself completely motionless, warring with the desire to do the right thing, and the desire to do the Breken thing. For a moment he thought he would be able to control that more dangerous side of himself, but when Dearra stepped even closer to him, and reached up to twine her fingers into his hair and urge him to kiss her, he lost what little control remained.
Months of her teasing had taken their toll. Brin had warned her. Darius had warned her. Even Carly, her best friend, had warned her, but Dearra refused to believe there was any danger in her flirtation. She was about to find out how wrong she had been.
Darius lowered his head to provide the kiss she was so ardently insisting on. He scooped her into his arms and covered her mouth with his, the kissing becoming more insistent, more intense, until Dearra felt she couldn’t catch her breath. She tried to focus on what was happening, even as she felt the room begin to spin. Overwhelmed with these strange, new feelings, she couldn’t seem to make her mind work properly. But when she felt the bed beneath her, she snapped back to reality, and a moment of apprehension crept in.
“Darius,” she managed to whisper between kisses, but instead of making him pause, the throaty whisper seemed to urge him onward.
She felt his weight on her frame as his body partially covered hers. The sensation was both pleasant and intimidating at the same time. “Darius,” she said again, this time with a bit more force.
Again, her voice seemed only to intensify his need. She was still not overly concerned, and continued to revel in his touch, but when she heard the fabric of her shirt tear under his less than gentle hand, she felt panic set in, and tried to sit up, but her attempt was in vain, for she was pinned beneath him. “Darius, wait!” she pleaded.
“No more waiting,” he growled in response.
Gone was the Darius she knew and loved, replaced by the newly awoken Breken warrior, the one who wanted and took without thinking twice.
When she tried to push him away, he grabbed both of her narrow wrists in one of his hands and held them firmly above her head, effectively shackling her. It reminded her too much of being manacled by Jacob. The image of him touching her bare leg loomed in her mind, causing her to relive the horrible time spent on board the ship, and silent tears
Similar Books
My October
Claire Holden Rothman
This Battle Lord's Quest
Linda Mooney
The Arctic Code
Matthew J. Kirby
Little Girl Lost
Tristan J. Tarwater
Dead Room Farce
Simon Brett
Up in Smoke
Alice Brown
Pilgrim’s Rest
Patricia Wentworth
The Berlin Conspiracy
Tom Gabbay
The Boy Who Plaited Manes
Nancy Springer
