Dragon Storm, page 21
There was something forbidden and incredibly naughty about the whole situation. Her eyes about popped out of her head when she entered the cavern behind Darius and Connor. They flanked her quickly, each taking one of her hands as they led her around, showing her the place.
“This is the Castle Lair’s bathing chamber, reserved for knights and their mates alone. All Lairs have something like this. Ours is by far the oldest, and therefore, grandest. It started with a natural hot spring that has been improved upon both by magic and by craftsmen over the centuries. Some of the pools were expanded and tiled along the sides with seating ledges added for comfort. Some of the more volatile pools still have their natural rock formations, though they’ve smoothed out over the years of use. Some were sculpted by master rock carvers and others have been left completely untouched. There is a wide variety to choose from,” Connor told her, continuing to walk toward a beautifully carved section of rock that made a sort of barrier in the center of the chamber.
There were pillars of rock spaced all around the place, no doubt to support the roof and the castle above. But nothing was left unadorned. The rock had been carved into figures and scenes from nature. Fantastical animals and other things she didn’t recognize were also represented. Many of the statues had precious metals and gemstones embedded in them. Eyes twinkled with the light of emeralds, and she realized there were massive dragon statues standing guardian around the chamber.
“Wow. That’s a lot of dragons,” she whispered.
Darius chuckled. “Some of our ancestors,” he supplied easily. “Members of the royal line who made improvements down here over the centuries were usually carved in thanks by the artisans they employed.” They maneuvered around some of the statuary that stood in the center of the room. “Ah, the royal pool.”
She marveled at the bubbly water in the ornate pool. It had white tile accented with what looked like pure gold. At one end was a massive carving of a dragon in flight, its wings outstretched to shelter one end of the pool. The dragon’s mate rose from the other end. Put together, the two large statues looked ready to take to flight and meet in the middle. On either side of the rectangular pool were other carvings. It didn’t provide a complete enclosure, but it was more private than any of the other areas she’d seen in the giant cavern.
“This one pool is set aside for the royal family’s use. As our mate, you can use this one and be assured nobody but another member of the family will ever disturb you here.” Connor swept his hand around the partially enclosed area. “The carvings block most eyes. There are also hanging curtains that can be lowered if you desire complete privacy.”
“We hardly ever use the curtains.” Darius looked amused. “I mean, what’s the point of coming here if you want complete privacy? We have private bathing pools in our chambers, and as dragons we can heat them to any temperature we like.”
Which meant they came here when they wanted to see and be seen. Hoo boy. The implications of that idea made her unaccountably hot—both physically and sexually. The moist air clung to her skin, making her want to fan herself, but she dared not. She was sure she’d be the center of all their jokes for the next hour if she let on how the place was affecting her so easily. Better to play coy a little longer.
Ultimately, she trusted them. She wasn’t totally sure about the exhibitionist tendencies they’d told her about, but she was willing to give it a try. Still, she wanted to take it slow. If they knew how turned on she was getting just seeing this place and imagining what might go on here, she’d be flat on her back with her legs spread before she could say boo.
“The water temperature here is moderate.” Connor continued the tour, taking her around the statues guarding the royal pool to see the smaller pools near the back of the giant cave. “You might have noticed the bigger pools are the cooler ones. They’re more for general use, bathing and even swimming. The smaller, more private ones back here are hotter, with the hottest in that far corner.”
She followed where he pointed and saw several bubbling pools near the back. Each held one or two large men either talking amiably or sitting with their heads thrown back, resting along the rim.
“As you can see, those pools are good for muscle therapy and are often used by knights and others with injuries. The mineral content of those waters is slightly higher than the rest of the complex.” Connor, as usual, was a font of information. “Sometimes you’ll see a healer or two there as well, shepherding their charges as they help them heal.”
“On the other side is where the fun really happens,” Darius whispered, bending low to speak near her ear. His arm drew along her side until she followed the line of where he pointed to a section segregated by a number of smaller statues. “Those private pools graduate in temperature. The closest ones are about the same temperature as the royal pool, then get progressively hotter as you head toward the corner. They are also bigger than the therapeutic pools. Made for two…or more.”
Even from this distance, Josie could see a few mated trios in various stages of lovemaking or frolicking in the bubbling waters. For every pool with a trio in it, there were two pools on either side that held single knights. Those single men invariably had their attention riveted on one of the trios. Some even blatantly had their hands on their cocks, pumping as they watched the mates in the nearby pool pleasuring each other.
“For unmated knights, watching the joy of others is often the only thing giving them hope that someday they will find the one woman meant to share their life. Sadly, since there are few women able or willing to live with dragons and their knights, some of these men will never find their true mate.” Connor squeezed her hand. “Dar and I despaired of ever finding you.”
Darius raised her hand to his lips for a tender kiss. “You are a miracle to us, Josie. Our miracle.”
Connor kissed her other hand and for a moment they just stood there, basking in each other’s presence. Darius broke the spell as one of his eyebrows rose in question.
“The choice today is yours, my love. Where would you like to bathe? The royal pool—” he looked from the grotto sheltered by hulking statues to the more open play area already populated by a dozen people or so, “—or one of the others?”
She considered the open area and the people there. No way was she ready for something like that. Perhaps in time, as she got used to the ways of this world, she might be ready to try something more. For now, it was a lot just to be naked in a relatively public place.
“The royal pool, please.”
The twins only smiled.
“As you wish, my love.” Connor turned her back toward the partially enclosed area framed by giant dragons.
They entered the tiled area around the pool, and the twins immediately stripped off their robes. She could see there were little hook-like protrusions on some of the statues that were made for hanging the robes. She smiled as she took a closer look at some of the incredibly detailed carvings.
She was so engrossed in admiring the artwork, she didn’t hear Darius sneak up behind her. To her credit, she didn’t jump when his arms encircled her from behind. He dropped a kiss on her neck as his hands went to the belt of her robe, untying it and pushing the soft fabric off her shoulders, allowing it to pool on the floor around their feet. He swung her up into his arms and descended the submerged, tiled stairway leading down into the water on the side of the pool.
It was Connor who picked up her robe and absently stuck it on one of the hooks before joining them in the water. His gaze seemed glued to her bare body, and she luxuriated in the rapt attention of her two mates.
How did a woman get so lucky? Josie had no idea, but she thanked the Mother of All every single day for Her blessings.
As her body hit the water, she purred in enjoyment of the warm, bubbly feeling against her bare skin. It was the perfect temperature and the effervescence of the natural spring was something she hadn’t anticipated.
“This is nice,” she commented, running her hands through the water as Darius let her stand, facing him in the chest-deep water.
Connor came up behind her. “The other end is a little deeper. The floor of this pool slants from the shallowest part by the stairs to the deeper part down at the far end.”
“How deep does it get?” She eyed the far end with distrust.
Cats generally disliked large bodies of water, though some of the big cats, like tigers, loved it. Josie was in between. Snowcats didn’t generally bathe or swim in large bodies of water, though in the summer they did enjoy frequent picnicking near a cold mountain lake down farther on the slopes, toward the town below her grandfather’s village. The water was too cold to enjoy long periods of swimming, but Josie had enjoyed her infrequent visits to the spot when she was a teen.
“The deepest it goes is about eight feet,” Connor told her. “And there are places along the sides at different levels for sitting or reclining.” He pointed to small depressions along the rim of the pool that she imagined were for resting one’s head if they wanted to stretch out. The designers of this place hadn’t forgotten anything it seemed.
She could hear the other people in the vast cavern talking and splashing, but the sounds were muted. Still, she knew they weren’t alone. There were people nearby who could hear if they got loud enough. The thought should have shocked her. It didn’t. It had quite a different effect altogether.
She slipped between her two men, diving to get away. Playfully, she swam down to the deep end of the pool, turning to find her two dragons were gone. Only the rippling water told her where they had gone. They’d dived underneath the water and were no doubt stalking her even now.
Josie struck out for the shallow end, swimming strong. Within three strokes, she felt the warm presence of one of her mates. He was swimming below her, mirroring her movements.
Just how long could a dragon hold his breath? Josie sucked in air, knowing he would drag her beneath the surface at any moment.
She was right. Strong arms wound around her waist, stopping her forward movement and dragging her downward. She opened her eyes in the hazy netherworld beneath the water, recognizing the glint of Darius’s teasing expression. He wrapped her in his arms, kicking for the surface.
He wasn’t even breathing hard when they broke into the dim light of the cavern. He didn’t give her time to say anything, clamping down on her lips with his own in a passionate kiss as soon as they’d surfaced. Josie didn’t mind. And when Connor teased the back of her legs beneath the water, she could only bask in the feel of his lips and teeth against her skin.
She yelped a little when Connor bit the fleshy cheek of her butt. Darius broke the kiss and smiled at her.
“Is Con being naughty?” His voice carried in the stone chamber, and she realized others in nearby pools could no doubt hear them, even if their view was blocked by the statues.
“He bit me,” she whispered. Darius responded with a laugh.
She felt Connor rise out of the water behind her. His hands stole around her waist, dragging her backward as his chin settled on her shoulder, his lips nibbling at her throat. Darius let go as Connor moved backward with her, settling on one of the convenient ledges at the side of the pool.
Darius prowled through the water like some kind of devastatingly handsome sea serpent. His gaze held her mesmerized, the soft light of the cavern making the peridot of his eyes sparkle and shine with an almost incandescent shimmer.
He spoke not a word as he slid his palms over her feet, then over her ankles to her calves. Exerting light pressure, he parted her legs to stand between. The water wasn’t too deep here. He could stand on the bottom, the water lapping just above his waist. The way Connor had her positioned on his lap, Darius was in perfect alignment with her core.
She felt Connor’s hard cock sliding over the cheeks of her ass, the fingers of one of his hands delving between to spread and prepare her. Darius’s hands continued their upward climb over her knees and onto her thighs. He moved closer, and she could see his cock, hard and wanting, straining toward the place it wanted to go—the place that slicked with heat that rivaled even the bubbling waters of this subterranean oasis.
“Are you ready for us?” Darius asked, his seductive smile reaching into her soul. She could deny him nothing and he damned well knew it.
“Almost there,” Connor answered for her, sliding his fingers into her rear hole, preparing her for his possession.
“Get inside her, Con.” Darius sounded the teeniest bit impatient as his fingers tangled in the curls at the apex of her thighs. She sighed as he sank two long digits inside her.
She could hear voices just beyond the statues. A time or two, she thought she saw people moving through gaps in the carved surfaces. Rather than fear, she met the realization with startling hunger. Maybe her mates’ exhibitionist natures were rubbing off on her after all.
Josie knew she wasn’t quite ready for a public exhibition, but she was quickly discovering the allure her mates had hinted at.
All thought fled as Darius deepened his possession, adding another finger as Connor did the same. Her body cried out for their possession, widening to accommodate their every wish. She was theirs to command, theirs to dominate, though she had never let anyone—man or woman—dominate her sexually ever before. She’d never seen the appeal in it. But now that the snowcat who shared Josie’s soul had found the perfect mates for both sides of her nature, she reveled in submitting to their superior strength.
“The water will soothe you as I take possession of your luscious body, my mate. It is one of the reasons knights like to bring their ladies down here. The salinity of the water, along with other components, makes it deliciously slippery where it counts most, don’t you agree?” Connor nipped her earlobe as he removed his fingers and quickly replaced them with his cock.
“Mmm. Now that you mention it…” And she did notice the way the water eased his possession.
It was as if the mineral content had been designed to make this kind of thing easier. Who knew? Perhaps it was. This culture seemed to thrive on triple marriages. Maybe this healing, helping water was one of the things that made such a thing both easy and possible.
Darius’s fingers abandoned her pussy as Connor slid home. She missed the double penetration but didn’t have to wait long to feel an even deeper connection as Darius stepped closer between her thighs. With his twin fully sheathed in her rear, Darius thumbed her nipples as he positioned himself for frontal entry.
“This is going to be so good,” he whispered as he began a gentle pressure that would join them fully. “Do you like the feel of Con up your ass, sweetheart?”
He waited for her answer, unmoving until she spoke shyly. “You know I do.”
“Tell us, Josie,” he insisted. “How does it feel to have us both at the same time? Is it as good for you as it is for us?”
“I doubt it could be any better,” she gasped as he advanced farther into her aching body. It was a good ache. The very best kind. She bit her lip to keep from moaning and Darius stopped his forward motion. Bending, he sucked her lower lip into his mouth, nibbling lightly before releasing her and pulling away.
“If anyone’s going to bite your luscious body here, it’s going to be me. Got that?”
Fighting the impulse to writhe, she nodded. Her body was on fire with their dominant possession. She wanted to moan but knew there were people all around their secluded little grotto that might hear. Some might even be peering in through the cracks in the statues right now. The thought sent a spasm of heat right to her core as Darius shoved all the way home. At last.
“My love.” Connor’s breath whispered past her ear, gaining her attention. “Look up.”
She did, shocked to find three green-eyed men watching her. Watching them. She gasped and would have struggled, but her mates had her firmly pinned between them. She wasn’t going anywhere until they released her.
“Only the royal family is allowed to enter this enclosure,” Connor rumbled near her ear.
Sweet Mother of All. That could only mean these three behemoths were family. Brothers, perhaps? She took another quick glance and realized all three were slightly older than her mates and two were identical. Another set of twins. Holy Mother, they were all handsome as sin too. She could see the resemblance to her mates. Definitely brothers.
What a way to meet the rest of the family! Not everyone had been home for their wedding. It was rare to have all the princes in one place at one time, or so she’d been told. That was by design, to protect the lineage. The older brothers took turns at the Lairs along the borders and in the countryside.
This world had some really strange—exciting—customs. She saw the appreciation in three sets of emerald eyes…and the fire. Her mates’ brothers were getting turned on by watching their brothers fuck her.
Even in the dim light, the thin layer of crystal-clear water was no shield. There was no doubt they could see everything. The three doffed their robes and hung them on the statue hooks, treating Josie to a glimpse of three very firm, muscular male backsides. When they turned around, the vision of three equally impressive and hard cocks made her blush to the roots of her hair.
She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the rumble of Darius’s and Connor’s chuckles through their bodies and into hers. The vibration even reached their cocks, buried for a timeless moment deep inside her.
She heard splashing and felt the ripple of water as the three men entered the pool. She didn’t dare look to see where they were. She was mortified enough. Although she had to admit, knowing they were watching her, impaled on their brothers’ cocks, sent a secret thrill through her that was as undeniable as it was unbelievable.
“Ignore them, my love.” Darius placed a kiss on her brow as he crowded close to her. His cock pulsed in her pussy, making her aware of every last inch of him…and his twin.
