grin.
He crossed the room to her side, the need to hold her overshadowing all that he had to do.
Surprise widened her eyes. “Rylin?”
He grabbed her and buried his face in the short coils of black curls, scented her for fear. Nothing. His shoulders eased slightly and Ry squeezed her tighter. “Allow me one moment to enjoy holding you. Today I went from disappointment at not finding anyone at the mating party to discovering you.” He cupped her cheek. “Fate plays games and we’re mere pieces on the board. Finding you is a wonderful gift overshadowed by the death of one of my people.”
“Don’t worry about that. This is much more important. I understand that.”
“You’re important, Dara. Very.” Ry removed one hand from her waist and tapped her nose lightly. “And none of that dragon nonsense.”
She sputtered and tickled him. Ry chuckled and caught her hands in his, but not because he was ticklish. Her outrage amused him. “Come. I ordered a message sent to the other Kings. We should shower and change.”
Dara stiffened in his arms. “I don’t have anything with me. I’m staying at the resort for off-world visitors and my stuff is there.”
Ry couldn’t help snarling. In light of Shara’s death, letting her out of his sight was not an option. “I’ll have someone bring your things here.”
***
Dara straightened her shoulders and eased away from Rylin’s embrace. “I can’t.”
“What do you mean?” Annoyance flashed across the smooth angles of his face.
Dara took a deep breath and met his gold stare. “I think I should stay at the resort.”
His body shuddered and horror darkened his eyes. “Then you’ve changed your mind?”
“No!” She clenched her fingers on the sides of his opened shirt. “I’m not going back to Earth, but we could both take tonight to clear our heads.”
All expression wiped from his face and when he stepped back, Dara felt as if he’d taken all of the warmth of earlier with him. “ My head is clear. But perhaps things are different for Earth females. Dracol go after what we want. ”
“I want you,” she snapped. “I’m just asking to return to my room tonight. You have a lot going on right now and I’m a distraction.”
A heavy growl rumbled forth. The room filled with the sound and the hair at her nape tingled in the face of his temper. “You. Are. Not . A. Distraction.”
“Okay. Wrong word.” Dara held up her hands in surrender. “Give me tonight, Rylin. Tomorrow I can come back or you can come see me.”
Rylin stared at her for an uncomfortably long time. Dara held her breath, wondering if he’d blow up at her. He still wore the black loincloth at his hips, along with a buttoned down white shirt that remained open. The parted material revealed the rippling muscles of his chest. Beneath the hem, thick thighs bunched and his fingers curled into fists.
“I will come and see you,” he said at last, not taking his eyes from her.
Dara released a breath on a nervous sigh. “Thank you, Rylin.”
His lips quirked up in the corner. “This must be very different for you. In my haste to keep you close, I forgot.”
Dara huffed out a laugh. “It’s been a fairly exciting night, you could say.”
“Agreed.” Rylin tugged her close, wrapping an arm about her waist. “And while I wish you’d reconsider, I won’t pressure you. If you’re ready, I’ll take you back now. I have to be here in time for the arrival of the other Kings.”
“Alright.” Dara rested her head on Rylin’s chest as another thought crossed her mind. “That woman…do you think she suffered?”
Rylin answer immediately. “No.”
“Good.” She stroked his exposed skin, allowing her hand to come to a stop at the band of cloth about his waist. “This is going to work, right?”
“It’s going to work.” Ry curved about her protectively and nuzzled the top of her head. “I promise.”
Dara shivered as an ominous foreboding seeped into her pores
He crossed the room to her side, the need to hold her overshadowing all that he had to do.
Surprise widened her eyes. “Rylin?”
He grabbed her and buried his face in the short coils of black curls, scented her for fear. Nothing. His shoulders eased slightly and Ry squeezed her tighter. “Allow me one moment to enjoy holding you. Today I went from disappointment at not finding anyone at the mating party to discovering you.” He cupped her cheek. “Fate plays games and we’re mere pieces on the board. Finding you is a wonderful gift overshadowed by the death of one of my people.”
“Don’t worry about that. This is much more important. I understand that.”
“You’re important, Dara. Very.” Ry removed one hand from her waist and tapped her nose lightly. “And none of that dragon nonsense.”
She sputtered and tickled him. Ry chuckled and caught her hands in his, but not because he was ticklish. Her outrage amused him. “Come. I ordered a message sent to the other Kings. We should shower and change.”
Dara stiffened in his arms. “I don’t have anything with me. I’m staying at the resort for off-world visitors and my stuff is there.”
Ry couldn’t help snarling. In light of Shara’s death, letting her out of his sight was not an option. “I’ll have someone bring your things here.”
***
Dara straightened her shoulders and eased away from Rylin’s embrace. “I can’t.”
“What do you mean?” Annoyance flashed across the smooth angles of his face.
Dara took a deep breath and met his gold stare. “I think I should stay at the resort.”
His body shuddered and horror darkened his eyes. “Then you’ve changed your mind?”
“No!” She clenched her fingers on the sides of his opened shirt. “I’m not going back to Earth, but we could both take tonight to clear our heads.”
All expression wiped from his face and when he stepped back, Dara felt as if he’d taken all of the warmth of earlier with him. “ My head is clear. But perhaps things are different for Earth females. Dracol go after what we want. ”
“I want you,” she snapped. “I’m just asking to return to my room tonight. You have a lot going on right now and I’m a distraction.”
A heavy growl rumbled forth. The room filled with the sound and the hair at her nape tingled in the face of his temper. “You. Are. Not . A. Distraction.”
“Okay. Wrong word.” Dara held up her hands in surrender. “Give me tonight, Rylin. Tomorrow I can come back or you can come see me.”
Rylin stared at her for an uncomfortably long time. Dara held her breath, wondering if he’d blow up at her. He still wore the black loincloth at his hips, along with a buttoned down white shirt that remained open. The parted material revealed the rippling muscles of his chest. Beneath the hem, thick thighs bunched and his fingers curled into fists.
“I will come and see you,” he said at last, not taking his eyes from her.
Dara released a breath on a nervous sigh. “Thank you, Rylin.”
His lips quirked up in the corner. “This must be very different for you. In my haste to keep you close, I forgot.”
Dara huffed out a laugh. “It’s been a fairly exciting night, you could say.”
“Agreed.” Rylin tugged her close, wrapping an arm about her waist. “And while I wish you’d reconsider, I won’t pressure you. If you’re ready, I’ll take you back now. I have to be here in time for the arrival of the other Kings.”
“Alright.” Dara rested her head on Rylin’s chest as another thought crossed her mind. “That woman…do you think she suffered?”
Rylin answer immediately. “No.”
“Good.” She stroked his exposed skin, allowing her hand to come to a stop at the band of cloth about his waist. “This is going to work, right?”
“It’s going to work.” Ry curved about her protectively and nuzzled the top of her head. “I promise.”
Dara shivered as an ominous foreboding seeped into her pores
Similar Books
