ClosertoFire Read online

  Mindlessly, she took Bane deep into her mouth, mimicking a swallow against his tender head.

  “Perfect, Lily. Now, relax your throat. Bane, show her where,” Darek said.

  Bane touched her at the apex of her throat, rubbing the muscle beneath the back of her tongue. She tried to do as he said, but she didn’t want to be choked. She whimpered, spreading her legs, wanting—needing—Darek to fuck her, and hard.

  “I won’t hurt you, Lily. Here, you take it as you want it,” Bane murmured. He released her hair and let her set the pace.

  The reassurance was what she needed and his consideration excited her. She wanted to give him more. He was her mate. With a soft moan, she willed her throat to relax and leaned forward. To her joy, his cock slid easily down her throat. She closed her lips around the thick base and looked up to see his reaction.

  He gazed down at her with something like reverence, his hands trembling as he ran his fingers through her hair. “Perfect, love. That feels amazing.”

  Darek grabbed her hips and drove her down over his shaft, filling her with satisfying force. Lily cried out, the sound muffled by Bane’s cock. Darek reached around her and brushed his thumb over her clit. Her long-delayed orgasm crested and held. For a second of flawless clarity, just before pleasure bore her away, her mates entered her mind even as they filled her body.

  Then her world exploded into color. Her core clenched around Darek so tightly that she gasped. She screamed around Bane’s cock and grasped his hips tightly, milking him with her mouth and throat. His entire body stiffened, his cock hardening, the thick veins throbbing against her tongue. She reached up to stroke the taut skin of his balls and he shouted, his cock pulsing as he came, thrusting helplessly into her throat. A half-second later Darek hilted in her, his shout echoing across the water as he climaxed deep inside her.

  Lily held Bane in her mouth lovingly, suckling him through the last shivers of his orgasm. Her breasts and toes tingled with aftershocks as she rode Darek through his. When at last she released Bane, he dropped to his knees in the sand before her, drawing her head to his chest. Behind her, Darek stroked her hair.

  Bane held Lily tightly, burying his face in her soft, golden hair. She was exquisite. He would never forget the sight and sensation of her first tentative touches. She’d stolen glances up at him, her amber eyes bright as she watched his reactions. Her hands had been so adorably careful with his cock, as if it might break… It was a memory he would cherish. He sighed and grasped her shoulders, pushing her back so he could see her eyes.

  She touched his shoulders. “You’re shaking. Are you okay?”

  He didn’t have an answer that seemed adequate, so he clasped her face in both hands and kissed her gently, deeply, savoring the connection. “I passed ‘okay’ doing eighty quite a while ago, Lily,” he breathed. “The last road sign I saw was for Heaven, and that’s some distance behind me now.”

  Behind her, Darek sat forward, wrapping his arms around her waist, pushing her hair aside to kiss her nape. “I really, truly hate to break up the party, but the fish is going to spoil,” he murmured.

  Lily got to her feet and offered her hands to both men. Charmed, Bane took her hand as he got to his feet.

  “Is there time to rinse off?” she asked. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been swimming.”

  Bane nodded and both men followed her down to the surf where she waded in past the breakers, letting the small waves wash over her bare shoulders. After a few minutes, Bane got out of the water and retrieved the fish, washing it in the water. In the duffel bag up the beach, he found a towel and wrapped the fish. He pulled on a pair of shorts, not bothering with boxers, and grabbed towels and clothes for Darek and Lily.

  When he returned to the shoreline, he could see them in the water, just past the breakers. Darek’s arms were around Lily and she was speaking to him urgently, her expression playful. Bane watched, interested, as she looked at Darek beseechingly. Darek shook his head in answer, grinning. She reached down in the water between his legs.

  Darek closed his eyes and groaned, but the water carried his answer back to Bane. “Uh-uh. Food first,” Darek said.

  She stopped, adopting a rather convincing pout.

  Darek growled. “Quit that.”

  “Need help?” Bane called. Lily jumped. Both of them turned to look at him.

  Darek drew a reluctant Lily toward the beach. “Yes,” he answered. “She’s terribly undisciplined.”

  Bane watched Lily emerge from the surf, the water running between and around her bare breasts, drops falling from her nipples. He felt himself harden and bit back a frustrated grunt. Would he ever get enough of her?

  No, he decided as she approached, her breasts swaying gently with each step. She reached back to wring her wet hair and they lifted as if calling for his attention. He shook his head to clear it, wondering how much of her unearthly allure was her idana blood and how much was his own affection for their mate. It’s both, he thought, feeling mildly conflicted.

  “Bane?”

  Her voice drew his attention from her breasts to her eyes. “Sorry. I was distracted.” He handed her the clothes and towel and tossed Darek’s to him.

  She quickly covered up. “You were frowning.” She peeked under the towel as if checking her appearance. “Is there something wrong with them?”

  Behind her, Darek was rubbing his head vigorously with the towel. He snorted.

  Bane smirked. “No, Lily. There’s not a thing wrong with them.” Taking a step closer to her, he asked, “And what were you so intent on getting from Darek that he didn’t give you?”

  She laid the towel on the sand and drew the little sundress he’d chosen for her over her head, adjusting the top. This accomplished, she dug around in the bag. “No panties?”

  He arched an eyebrow at her. “You’re wearing a dress, aren’t you?”

  She sighed. “Of course. No panties,” she corrected herself. She fluffed her long, damp hair out from under the dress and tilted her head back to look at him. “I wanted to know,” she began, pointing at Darek, “what’s in the duffel bag. But he wouldn’t tell me.”

  “I told her you’d packed it but she didn’t believe me,” Darek said, stepping into his shorts.

  “Ah,” Bane said, understanding. He took Lily’s chin firmly in his hand and watched her, waiting. She fidgeted then stilled under his gaze. “Don’t ask questions if you’re not ready for the answers.”

  Her eyes widened, her irises almost gold in the moonlight. “Okay,” she whispered.

  The Dom in him watched, relishing every second of the little war he saw going on in their depths. He could tell the moment her thoughts went down the wrong path, one he hadn’t expected. He tapped her chin gently.

  She met his gaze, her eyes fearful. “Not more ether?”

  Damn. It hadn’t occurred to him that she might think that. He shook his head vehemently. “No, love. Not more ether. Never again.” He kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her. She relaxed, then pushed against his chest with her palms. Feeling like a jerk, he let her go.

  She folded her arms and frowned, looking from him to Darek. “What then?”

  Bane stroked her cheek. “I’m sorry, Lily. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He lifted the closed bag into her field of vision. “Just toys.”

  Darek stepped up behind her. “We won’t do anything you don’t beg us to do,” he said. “Deal?”

  Bane eavesdropped on her thoughts long enough to reassure himself that her answering shiver was from arousal not anxiety. “Shall we go to the aerie? It’s not far to walk.” He gestured toward a small path that led into the darkness of the dunes.

  Lily’s smile was a bit hesitant but she followed him as he turned to go. “Well,” he heard her murmur to herself, “I did ask to play dirty games.”

  He laughed aloud. “That you did, beautiful.”

  The term aerie, Lily knew, described the nest of a large bird of prey. It seemed fitting for a d
ragon’s home. Like human dwellings, aeries varied widely in size, shape and purpose. The Southern Aerie, the men told her, was one of four in the US that served as temporary stopovers for the dracambri.

  “We use it for everything,” Bane said over his shoulder. They had been walking for about a half a mile along the narrow path through the dunes. They went single-file by necessity, Lily walking between the men. “In recent years it’s been more of a safe-house than a vacation spot,” he continued, regret ringing in his voice.

  “Because of the war,” Lily said, more to herself than to him.

  “Yes,” Darek confirmed.

  They walked along in silence for another five minutes, then Lily asked, “Do you think Anthony will let us go? What do I call him, anyway? Do I use his name?”

  Bane glanced back. “Call him by his title, Sovrán, at least at first. About the second thing… He’s very protective of his mate. She and Savara have something of a history, so he won’t be happy to see Savara at first.”

  “Yeah, which is why you’re nuts to bring her,” Darek grumbled.

  “She’s still our best chance,” Bane replied.

  Lily bit her lip, thinking. “Well, if he hears my story and believes it, he’ll know I’m only half idana and I’m not teamed up with your enemies. And there’s something else I don’t understand. I know you need him to see me, to know I’m not a threat so that we don’t have to hide. But it seems like you also want his permission to be mated to me. Why?”

  Behind her, Darek made a warning noise.

  “What?” Her fate hung in the balance, and yet every time the subject came up their answers were evasive, reluctant. “Please talk to me,” she entreated.

  Bane sighed. “Very well. But I want to discuss this face-to-face, in the comfort of the aerie,” he said. “And it’s right through those trees.” He pointed ahead.

  As they emerged from the path, Lily stopped, puzzled. “I don’t see anything.”

  Darek laughed. “Right there.” He also pointed ahead, but the twisted branches of the coastal trees were blocking the moonlight and all she saw was a low hill. As they got closer, she realized the hill had a door.

  “A hobbit hole?” she asked, confused. She didn’t see how anybody, let alone the three of them, could fit in there.

  “That’s just the entrance, love,” Darek said, sounding amused. Bane stepped forward and put his palm on the weathered wood of the small door. Blue light illuminated the outline of his hand and the door opened inward with a small, smooth click. He ducked inside and turned around, and Lily realized he was grasping the extended railing of a ladder leading into the darkness. He took a step down and disappeared below the rim of what she now realized was a ledge. She backed up a step, bumping into Darek, shaking her head vehemently. She hated small spaces.

  He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay, Lily. It’s not what it seems. You’ll see.”

  She was about to reply that she didn’t care what it was or what it seemed. There was no way she was going through that door. Then warm, inviting light shone up from below. Lily hesitated, inching forward.

  Darek stepped past her, taking her hand. “This one’s underground, Lily. We can’t exactly build a huge complex out in the open and expect it to remain a secret. But it’s not cramped. Come on.”

  Somewhat reassured by the light, Lily took a deep breath and ducked under the low threshold after Darek. He closed the door behind them in the same way Bane had opened it, placing his hand against the wood. His hand glowed red and there was a small but—to Lily’s ears, at least—significant click.

  They were inside. Trapped inside, her mind whispered. “Shut up,” she said aloud. Poised at the top of the ladder, Darek looked at her inquisitively. She made a dismissive gesture. “Sorry. Talking to myself.”

  He frowned, then his eyebrows rose with comprehension. “Claustrophobic?”

  “A little,” she admitted.

  He waved her over. “Come here. Stand on the step above mine and we’ll go down together. I’ll be right behind you the whole way.”

  With his warm body behind her, his arms like steel braces on either side of her, the tunnel around the ladder seemed to fade away. They descended slowly and the light grew brighter. After what seemed like an eternity, Lily saw the bottom, an intricate tile floor. When she put her feet on it, she breathed out, resting her head against the ladder. She hadn’t realized she was sweating.

  Darek stepped away from behind her. “Turn around, love,” he said lightly. “We’re home.”

  Chapter Seven

  She risked a peek over her shoulder and gasped at what she saw. They were standing in a stone archway that opened into a huge, high-ceilinged room. The main source of the light was a large, elegant chandelier in the center. Flaming sconces lined the stone walls.

  The room was divided into three main sections that met beneath the chandelier. On the left side was a stone fireplace large enough for her to stand inside. In front of the fireplace was a seating area full of comfortable-looking couches and pillows arranged around an oriental rug. To her right was a kitchen.

  At the far end of the room, a large glass pane hung from the ceiling, suspended by heavy wire. It was covered with handwriting and sketches. More couches and chairs were arranged in a semicircle around the panel.

  The wall behind the hanging glass was wood paneling. As she looked closer, she saw that it wasn’t a wall but sliding doors.

  Bane put an arm around her shoulder and drew her into the room. “That’s the strategy room,” he said, gesturing to the area around the glass panel. “Kitchen,” he gestured to the right, “and on the far end, lounge. The bedroom wing is through that door,” he said, indicating an archway beside the fireplace. The threshold was dwarfed by the stone hearth. “The rest is through that doorway.” He pointed to a doorway tucked away on the far side of the kitchen.

  Lily raised her eyebrows. “The rest?” she asked.

  “You know,” Darek said, “pool, playroom, prison cells, panic room…the rest.”

  “P-prison cells?” Lily sputtered.

  Bane’s expression saddened. “This is an all-purpose compound, Lily, and we’re a people at war. Occasionally we need secure facilities for captives.”

  Of course. Captives like I might have been. “Oh.” Seeking a change of subject, she waved at the wood paneling behind the hanging glass. “What’s back there?”

  “Hospital wing,” Bane said. “The doors slide open so it’s quickly and easily accessible to us in any form.”

  She paused for a moment, then realized he meant that it was big enough to admit dragons. Duh.

  “We heal much faster when we can shift,” Darek explained, extending his arm to show her the now-fading scar he’d gotten when he broke her fall behind the library. It seemed like an eternity had passed since then.

  She touched the pink, raised scar lightly with her fingers. “Thanks…for keeping my head off the pavement.” He made a dismissive gesture.

  Bane took his arm from around her and she folded her arms, rubbing the chill from her biceps. She hadn’t realized how cold it was in the room.

  “Oh sorry,” Bane said. No sooner had he spoken the words than welcoming flames rose inside the huge fireplace.

  Grateful, Lily approached the fire. The men followed. She stood in front of the fireplace, basking in the welcome heat. Curious, she looked at the structure. There was no flue. “Where does the smoke go?”

  “The flame is sustained from within the maker,” Darek explained. “There’s no organic fuel so there’s nothing being consumed. So—no smoke.” Lily turned her back to the fire, hoping it would dry her cold, damp hair. Darek stretched out on a couch and Bane chose a big chair nearby. They looked tired.

  “I’ll cook the fish,” Lily offered.

  Bane smiled. “That would be wonderful.”

  Darek snorted. “Yes, it would. Bane’s not the greatest chef. You’d think he’d have figured out how not to turn everything
into charcoal briquettes by now.” Bane smirked at him and Darek added, “Okay. Of the two of us, he’s the better cook.”

  Other than its impressive size, the kitchen seemed ordinary. While she hunted down a scaler and filet knife, Darek hefted the huge fish into the double sink.

  When she stepped up to the sink, he took the scaler from her. “I’ll do that.”

  “Thanks.” Her mother, an extraordinary cook who insisted on purchasing fish right out of the tank at the farmers’ market, had taught her to gut fish. But she’d never prepared one this large. Darek picked up the scaler and lifted his arms. “There’s not much damage I can do here.”

  She grinned. “You want an apron or something?” she asked, looking pointedly at his bare chest. “Scaling is messy.”

  “I like messy,” he purred, pulling her close and kissing her quickly. The brief contact left her wanting more but he waved her away. “Food first.” He dug in and she stepped back to avoid the flying scales.

  Lily made a makeshift marinade from Italian seasoning and olive oil. The kitchen had a large gas grill built into the center island covered by an industrial-grade smoke hood. But she couldn’t see any knobs or controls of any sort on the stainless-steel front.

  “Is there an igniter or something?” she asked.

  “No,” Darek called from the sink. “Step back, babe.” Lily took a big step back, guessing what to expect. Sure enough, fire roared to life in the steel interior, leaping up through the grate and reaching high into the air, scorching the underside of the hood. Startled in spite of her expectation, Lily jumped. Darek paused. Looking chagrined, he swiped at the fish scales dotting his chest with one bloody hand. The result was not an improvement. The corners of her mouth twitched.

  “Sorry,” he yelled over the hissing flames, which rapidly diminished from “forest fire” to “grill” level.

  Lily took a small step forward, eyeing the grill as if it might explode. “You weren’t exaggerating about the briquettes,” she said, trying not to laugh.

  He grunted and turned back to the bloody mess in the sink, out of which she sincerely hoped some decent filets would emerge—eventually.