Enticed & Seduced, page 21
part #7 of House of the Cat Series
Gryffnn laughed. “Impatient much?”
“Yes.”
“Excellent.” He withdrew in slow increments, tormenting her and sealing her protest with his lips. One big hand teased a nipple and her next breath was deep and unsteady, the arrow of heat stoking her hunger.
“I’ve missed you, Kaya.” He pushed back inside her, his strokes faster now and driving her pleasure.
“I’m here now.” Kaya clasped him tight and skimmed her hand down his back. The faint roughness of his scales thrilled her now that she’d become used to them. Her hand came to rest on his muscular buttocks as she strained upward to achieve the perfect angle.
Her orgasm struck without warning. Fast and deep, the pleasure reverberated through her, streaking to her toes and rippling across her upper body to frisk her breasts. Her flesh spasmed around his shaft, and Gryffnn thrust harder and faster, his strong strokes extending her orgasm.
One final stroke, and he stilled, his roar of pleasure startling yet another bird. Kaya kissed his neck, his upper chest and sealed their mouths together while Gryffnn trembled in her arms.
His heart drummed against her breast as he kissed her back. When their kiss ended, he rubbed their cheeks together, smooching with her.
Finally, he parted their bodies and drew her into an embrace.
“Gryffnn,” she murmured.
He lifted his head, his brows rising as he waited for her to continue.
“I love you,” she blurted.
“I knew from the moment our mate bond snapped into place,” he said with a trace of smugness. “I was waiting for you to realize.”
“Aw, Gryffnn.” She sighed. “I’ve never felt this way. So happy. Contented and satisfied with my path.”
“You’re an incredible woman, Kaya Ignatius. I’ve loved you for a long time. I’ve been waiting for you to catch up.”
“Nanu says I’m hardheaded and stubborn.”
Gryffnn’s hand played across the scars on her torso and she didn’t even flinch. “He might be right, but you’re my hardheaded and stubborn mate, and I never wish to change you.”
“I know. You like me as I am. Do you know how rare that is?”
He tweaked her nose. “You’re an easy woman to love. Will you return to work soon?”
“Is that all right with you?”
“Ry keeps the trips short and matters here at the compound will keep me busy. I need to decide what to do about Ransom and if we should seek further treatment for him. Should I give our newest people more freedom? I must decide if they’re trustworthy enough to work with our precious stones.”
“Mogens said Ransom seems to be regaining weight.”
“Yes, but he’s still not conscious. He’s still resonating on some cycles.”
Kaya changed the subject, knowing of Gryffnn’s concern for his older brother. “I have a suggestion about the jewels. Why don’t you issue each dragon with a stone and hold a contest to design a piece of jewelry? Allow them to create whatever they want. That will showcase their skill and their desire to work. Offer a prize. You could allow the youngsters to design as well. I’ve heard Hallam mention designs. He complains that if he has to make another practice pendant, he’ll croak.”
Gryffnn huffed out a laugh. “Sounds like our son. I like your idea. It will allow each dragon to use their imagination and possibly benefit us in the future.”
She beamed at him. “Are you intending to feed me?”
“Yes, and Nanu gave me a celebration bottle. He called it bubbles.”
Kaya’s brows rose. “Nanu parted with his last bottle of champagne?”
“He suggested I woo you before you ran away from the best thing that has ever happened to you.”
“Hah! You two had quite the conversation before the Indy left.”
“Nanu is your best friend. I asked his advice.”
“Did it help?”
“You’re here with me.” His smile held smugness. “We love each other.”
“That’s true.” Her stomach gave an ominous grumble as she considered his words. Warmth and emotion spread through her, a sense of peace and rightness. Companionship. Definitely love.
Gryffnn chuckled and opened the basket. He pulled out a pie and cut two generous slices. “Meat pie. Sable got the recipe from Jazen.” He set out two plates and placed the pie on them. Next, he produced the champagne and two decorated goblets. “I’ll let you open the bottle,” he said handing it over to her.
Kaya did so and poured the champagne. “A toast.”
Gryffnn cocked his head and accepted his goblet, curling his long fingers around the vessel.
“To you, my mate.” Kaya lifted her goblet. “I love you.”
“About time.” His eyes glowed, and his dragon peeked at her from Gryffnn’s slanted eyes. “I promise to love you and our children. I will honor you and care for you in sickness and in health. You are the mate of my heart, and with you at my side, I am the luckiest dragon on Narenda.”
Heat rushed to her cheeks, his sincere words tugging at her heartstrings. “Hey,” she whispered as he raised his goblet in salute. “I wanted to do the speech.”
“You wouldn’t be here with me if you’d decided we didn’t suit.”
“Once you asked me to pretend to be your mate, I started to think of you as more. After the dragon fire exchange, everything clicked into place.”
“But these last cycles you’ve been so distant.”
“I’m sorry,” Kaya said. “I told you. I needed to get my head straight.”
“You’re worth waiting for, sweetheart. Never doubt that.” His eyes held the same contentment that filled her heart.
“So are you,” she whispered.
They lazed away the cycle, eating, drinking, taking another swim and loving each other.
“This must be what my mother felt for my father. I mean, she went against tradition and didn’t kill him after breeding,” Kaya said. “She must have loved him.”
Gryffnn sat up and frowned at her. “Don’t kill me. I won’t appreciate it.”
Kaya chuckled. “I take after my mother. Part of the reason I refuse to return to Sitnam is that I’d need to follow tradition. I dislike the waste of life.” She shuddered. “I and everyone else thought my mother had killed Tayte’s father and my father. Tayte knew, and I’m a little irritated about that skullduggery.”
“When things calm down here and with your brother, we could visit him. I’ve only traveled to Dalcon, and after hearing of your adventures, I’d enjoy seeing more outside Narenda.”
“I’ve never spent much time on Slyvia. That’s an excellent idea. I wonder if Olivia is still there.”
“Olivia? You haven’t mentioned her.” Gryffnn glanced up at the sky. “Blacklight isn’t far away. We should go.” Gryffnn packed the basket and rose. He offered her his hand and pulled her to her feet. With quick efficiency, he folded the rug and placed it inside the basket. “Can you hold the basket on the flight back?”
“I can.”
During the return flight, Kaya paid more attention to the scenery. Narenda was a beautiful planet and a place she’d be happy to call home.
When they landed, Hallam, Lys and Sable were at the training field to meet them.
“Anything wrong?” Kaya asked once they’d landed.
“Not a thing,” Sable assured them. “I hoped to tire Lys, so she’d sleep through the blacklight.”
Lys threw up her arms and shrieked at Gryffnn. It wasn’t fear, but excitement.
Hallam laughed. “She likes dragons. Take her for a flight, Dad.”
“Is that all right, sweetheart?”
“Go for it, but please don’t drop her. Tayte will use his pointy blade on both of us.”
Gryffnn accepted Lys from Hallam and cradled her in his talons. He lifted off and everyone laughed at Lys’s excited chortles that drifted to them as Gryffnn did a slow lap of the training field.
When Gryffnn landed, Hallam said, “Now we truly are a family. Lys has flown with a dragon. She’s allowed because she’s part of our family.”
Touched, Kaya wrapped her arm around Hallam’s shoulders and kissed his cheek before taking Lys from Gryffnn.
A family. Kaya ambled toward the family quarters with her mate, her two children and her sister-in-law. She’d never thought to have a family, had thought the ties would stifle her freedom. Now she understood her friend Nanu and why he’d fought for Jazen. She’d skewer anyone who dared place her family in danger.
Contentment settled on her like a favorite cloak as she glanced at Gryffnn.
This emotion that squeezed her heart and made it hard to breathe was love, and she couldn’t wait to walk into the future with her mate and family at her side.
Marks later, after a meal taken in the communal dining hall, she and Gryffnn headed for their chamber. Her comm buzzed as they entered their private rooms.
“See how you distract me?” she said. “I left my comm sitting here.”
“And that is a problem why?”
Kaya laughed. “Ry might have a job.” She picked up the comm, tapped a button and spoke. “Hey, Camryn. What’s up? Wait. What? Okay. I want Gryffnn to hear.” She clicked another button and Camryn’s voice shot into their chamber.
“Ransom has regained consciousness. Mogens said he sat up and shouted that his mate was stealing his precious stones.”
“He’s woken? That’s great news! But I don’t understand. Ellard is patrolling the area. He has reported nothing out of the ordinary,” Gryffnn said.
“Ransom was insistent. He wanted to know where the devil he was and he set the curtains on fire. Your brother-in-law is one determined, arrogant dragon.”
Kaya glanced at Gryffnn. “Did he hurt anyone?”
“Not once we promised to return him to Narenda,” Camryn said drily. “We’re on our way. I wanted to warn you before we arrived.” A roar sounded in the background. “Gotta go,” Camryn said hurriedly, and the comm connection went dead.
“I’ll check in with Ellard,” Gryffnn said.
Kaya listened to the conversation and relaxed once she learned all was well.
“Did Ransom mean Aideen?” she asked.
“Ransom hated Aideen because of what happened to me. He’d never consider mating with her. Goddess, I can’t believe Ransom has regained consciousness. I’m so relieved.”
“Well, we can’t do anything now,” Kaya said with a wink. “What do you say we hit the gel-bed?”
Gryffnn’s frown faded, the slow curl of his lips and the light in his eyes showing approval. “Mate, I adore the way you think.”
And with that, he seized her and kissed her breathless. Kaya melted against her mate and settled in to enjoy the blacklight with her dragon.
Are you curious about Ransom? I have the perfect heroine waiting in the wings for Ransom and their story will be coming soon, but first up will be Joe’s story from the Middlemarch Capture series. To keep up with details of my upcoming releases, sales, contests and writer news join my newsletter.
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Please turn the page for an excerpt from Snared by Saber, the first book in my paranormal shifter Middlemarch Capture series and also Blue Moon Dragon, the first book in my Dragon Investigators series.
Thank you so much for your support.
Shelley
Excerpt – Snared by Saber
Book 1, Middlemarch Capture
The welcome party was in full swing when Saber walked into the function room flanked by his brothers. His nostrils flared, quivered at the scent of lust thick on the air. His stride faltered as the wave hit him, reminded him he was a healthy feline male who hadn’t had a woman for months.
Felix gave a soft whistle while Leo cursed under his breath.
“Everyone seems happy,” Joe said in patent understatement. “Even Laurence is smiling for a change.”
Music played and several females were dancing with employees. Laughter and excited chatter battled the music, and some of the tension lifted from Saber’s shoulders. Everyone looked happy. In fact, all the men they employed were talking or dancing with their guests. Doing their job, including Laurence, the brother of Saber’s dead fiancée, which marked a change.
Taking care to keep his breaths shallow Saber said in a low voice, “Go and check out the women on our list. Dance with them, speak with them and come to a decision. We need to cement our plans.”
As his brothers wandered off, Saber observed the partygoers. A flash of red caught his attention, and he turned to watch a woman progress to the bar. She wasn’t exceptionally beautiful like some of the other women, and was on the skinny side, yet something undefinable kept his gaze stitched in place. The red gown followed the lines of her body, its short length showcasing her legs and cupping her backside. Her footwear consisted of a series of crisscrossed black straps and heels that elevated her height. She chatted with the bar staff, shared a smile with the other women who sat at the bar and politely turned down a request to dance.
Interesting. He hadn’t noticed any other woman saying no. Most were here to enjoy themselves and interact with the men.
Saber stalked closer, his mind taking in the small details and matching them against his brothers’ tastes. Honey-blonde hair, swept into some complicated style that made a man think about messing it up. A slight, petite frame. Bright blue eyes the color of the cornflowers his mother used to grow swept over him, dismissed him without pause.
Saber felt his mouth drop open and snapped it shut. Her rejection rankled. Miffed, he took a step toward her before common sense reasserted itself.
He wanted mates for his brothers.
He wanted them settled.
Happy.
This was business, and his own physical needs weren’t paramount.
Saber changed direction and hit the far end of the bar. He signaled for a drink and turned to survey the room before his gaze tracked back to the woman. Another female joined Blondie. Tall and regal with ruthlessly short black hair, she was dressed in a deep-blue dress with a dramatic slit up one side.
His attention shifted back to Blondie—just in time to see Felix swoop. Minutes later, Leo joined them and started chatting with the friend.
Saber watched for a few seconds longer, batted back the surge of inappropriate resentment and decided everything was going well. He wasn’t needed. His brothers knew what to do, and for once they were following orders. He downed his drink and stopped to chat now and then, pulling out his rusty social skills to flirt and drag responding smiles from their female guests. Some of the women were stunning beauties, others not so much, yet their smiles and excitement, their enjoyment, made them all rate a second inspection.
He wove through the guests and employees, the lustful scents starting to get to him.
“Saber.” His sister Scarlett waved him over to where she was sitting by the terrace doors.
He dropped onto a seat beside her. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to check out the guests, get a feeling for them.” She delicately sniffed the air and grimaced. “Sucks to be a shifter sometimes.” Her gaze drilled into him. “I didn’t get to spend long on reception because you had me running background checks all day.” She leaned closer, lowering her voice a fraction. “One of the women in chalet twenty-five doesn’t have any family, although there was some scandal about her accusing her in-laws of murdering her husband. Nothing came of her allegations, and I haven’t been able to discover anything recent on the subject.”
“Pity we don’t have time to visit her residence and ask questions in person. I worry we’ll miss something important,” Saber said. “What about the other one?”
“She comes from a military background, although sources say she doesn’t spend her leave with her family. She seems closer to an aunt—her mother’s sister. If we grabbed her, the military might become involved. The woman with no family might make things easier.”
Saber tapped his fingers on his thigh. “True. Or maybe we should scoop up both women. If they both disappeared we’d have some breathing space, rather than leaving one behind who might cause problems and raise the alarm.”
“Good point,” Scarlett said. “We’re treading a delicate line with our capture plan.”
Low, throaty laughter came from a neighboring couple. It was sexy and suggestive and the insinuation transmitted with ease. The resort employee stood and held out his hand to the woman, a Dalcon local, Saber thought.
“Care for a walk along the beach?” the man asked.
The laughter was a purr of response this time as she accepted his hand and stood.
Saber shot a glance at his sister. “You shouldn’t be here, Scarlett. It’s not right.”
Scarlett reached over and rapped her fist against his skull. “Hello? Hello? Is anybody there?”
Saber ducked out of reach. “Cut it out.”
“Then stop treating me like a kid. I know what sex is, Saber.”
“Who told you about sex? Tell me so I can shoot their kneecaps.”
“Saber!”
Saber grinned, silently acknowledging his sister was an adult. She wasn’t a cute kid tagging after him anymore. “We’re going hunting for zylon once this winds down. You wanna come?”
“You’re on. Bet I catch more cute fluffies than you.”
“You can try,” Saber said.
Romantic cooing sounded outside and Scarlett grimaced. “Ugh, I’ve seen enough. I’ll see you later.” She stood and sashayed out the terrace doors. She paused to remove her shoes before stepping onto the sandy beach.
Saber watched his sister until she blended with the darkness. They had a couple of days to observe and decide. Maybe this capture scenario was bizarre and risky, but he was doing it for his family. Once they were settled the burden of responsibility would lessen, and he wouldn’t need to worry as much about his family’s future. He could relax.
Does Saber get his brothers settled with mates? Learn more here.
