A Dragon's Heart Read online

  “Luke wants to speak to you.” Ginna held out the phone so Jessica could take it.

  “Hey, baby,” her voice turned sugary sweet.

  Kalv watch her face turn from red to ashen white then red again when Luke probably said something derogatory to her. She handed the phone back to Ginna silently.

  “’Bye, Luke,” Ginna said sweetly and hung up. “Go away, Jessica. It seems the man you’re defending thinks even less of you than I do.”

  Her gaze flared with anger and Jessica seethed. “Luke is gonna make sure y’all get yours.”

  Kalv raised his eyebrow in surprise. Gone was the uppity voice Jessica was using before, and now it was straight country twang.

  “Well, well. Looks like the girl from the wrong side of the tracks is back,” Ginna said. “Pity she won’t stay long. I liked the Jessica who grew up in a trailer with her momma, daddy, and two sisters but knew she was worth something. Now that she’s gone, the only thing left is a bitch.” Jessica raised her hand to slap Ginna, whose eyes turned into slits. “I wouldn’t even try it, sister. I will beat you up and down this driveway.”

  Jessica hesitated, then turned in a flurry of fabric and one overly bright pink purse. She threw it in the car, and in a dust cloud the red convertible she was driving went back down the driveway.

  “It is never boring around Blackbird,” Sophie said and took a sip of her tea. “She is going to catch her dose of hell from Luke when she gets back there.”

  “Will he hit her?” Kalv asked.

  “Probably, and she’ll take it because she thinks she has to,” Ginna murmured. “I saw her once sporting those sunglasses and a black eye in town. As much as I disliked what she did, I felt sorry for her and told her to come stay at my place to get away from him. She acted like I told her to come live in a pigsty and said, ‘I will never leave what I have to go back to the trailer park.’ I think she hates the thought of going back there more than the beatings.”

  “Remember growing up, all three of us playing next to the river in that tree house my brother built for us. Tea parties and Barbie dolls all day, lemonade and those cakes your mom used to make.” Sophie sighed. “Who knew she would turn out to be so catty and materialistic?”

  “We all grow up and take different paths,” Ginna replied. “She grew up to be a first-class bitch, but still no one deserves to end up at the receiving end of a fist.” She met Kalv’s gaze. “You’re awfully quiet over there.”

  “Just thinking about one more thing I need to hit Luke for,” Kalv replied.

  “He’s racked up quite a tally for beating over the past few years.” Sophie smiled. “I like you, Kalv. You’re mighty fine to look at and you have a really good heart.”

  He grinned. “Really, you can see that huh?”

  Sophie shrugged. “I have a good read on people.”

  Ginna nodded. “She does and so do I. Let’s go eat lunch.”

  Kalv walked over and she laced her fingers with his as they walked inside. He could feel her already settled into his heart, a sweet ache that began anytime he saw her or even thought of Ginna. He tried more than once to tell himself he was only here because of Luke and what she was going through. But after it was over and nothing was holding him here, would he be able to leave? His mind was filled with conflicting thoughts and Kalv stubbornly refused to embrace what he was feeling. Even though he wondered what would happen if he did.

  * * * *

  They had a nice lunch and Sophie told stories of their antics as children. Ginna was a tomboy who had just as much fun fishing as she did playing with dolls. He watched Ginna squirm in embarrassment when the story her first kiss behind Sophie’s house came to light, and how her dad caught her and shook Andy Cotton until he threw up all over his shoes. Kalv was still chuckling when he went back outside to finish the pasture. Ginna and Sophie headed the other direction to deal with the horses while the farm hands dealt with the cattle. He stopped and spoke with one of the men, telling him to keep an eye on one of the cows. She was pregnant very late in the season and he knew she would be giving birth very soon.

  Ginna’s farm had the potential of growing, but at every turn Luke kept pushing her back so it would fail. Maybe that was another reason to stick around to help make sure her livelihood grew. Finding excuses to stay, huh? On Paladin he was raised with a purpose from the time he was born. He was a warrior for his home and to protect worlds beyond his realm. Since he was cut off from home, he had no orders, yet he still protected those he could on his journeys. People like Ginna. For the first time in a long time, Kalv didn’t feel like getting on his bike and moving on.

  * * * *

  He was late coming in that night, Sophie’s car was long gone from where it was parked. He saw her pull away around six while he still worked on the charred remnants of the field. He found a plate with a note fooled on the top telling him to eat. He nuked the plate in the microwave oven and smiled while looking at the note. A simple lines, with a heart and smiley face drawn at the bottom that made him happy just to look at it.

  Kalv thought she might be asleep, since everything was so quiet, so he took a shower in the hallway bathroom and put on the pair of sweats that was folded on the wicker laundry basket. He stepped outside, and as usual he faced the same conflict; he looked at the door of the spare bedroom and willed himself to put the distance between them that he claimed he wanted. In the end, he turned toward her bedroom door and turned the knob.

  She wasn’t asleep like he thought. Instead there were tea candles lit on the bedside table and along surface of her wide, oak chest of drawers. She lay on the bed wearing a red scrap of lingerie that made the sound of blood rush to his ears and made his cock erect. Her chocolate skin caught the reflection of the candles and caused bronzed shadows to dance across her body, caressing her like he longed to. She wore lipstick that matched the color of the sexy underwear she wore. Ginna’s dark hair was piled up on her head, with soft tendrils escaping. She took his breath away as she climbed off the bed and came to stand in front of him.

  “I hope you like what you see,” she said softly.

  “I’ve taken a few dozen mental pictures since I stepped into the room.” Kalv’s voice was husky. “You are so damn beautiful and sexy and… Okay, I give up, there’s not enough words in the dictionary to describe you.”

  “That answer gets you a gold star.” Ginna smiled up at him. “How about you kiss me until I forget my name?”

  “This I can do with pleasure.”

  She lifted her head to receive his kiss, and Kalv pulled her close and lifted her off her feet while their lips met and mingled. He buried his tongue into her mouth and moaned at her taste; she was as unique as the wine made on Paladin. Exotic as the nectar of honeyed fruit juice, with golden flecks mixed into the blend. He’d kissed a few women in his many years of life stranded on earth, and none affected him like her. Ginna pushed at the band of his sweats, taking them down past his hips. He kicked them away and watched as she laid her head again his chest before pressing a kiss over his heart.

  “I can feel your body heat, it’s always so hot. Sometimes while you sleep, I listen to your heart beat and count the minutes between each thud. They’ve been getting closer in the past few days. I keep hoping you’ll say you love me and that’s the reason why, because I love you.” Her voice was soft and poignant.

  Her admission floored him. Kalv didn’t know what to say. She declared her love for him, and it humbled him to hear it, yet he couldn’t get the words past his lips. Kalv opened his mouth to speak and closed it again. What do I say? She saved him by pressing a finger over his lips and giving him a serene smile.

  “You don’t have to say anything, Kalv. I give you my love freely, that’s all I wanted you to know.”

  He lifted her in his arms and walked the few steps to the bed where he laid her on the soft comforter. He reached behind her back to unhook the lacey red bra, and her breasts fell free. He kissed his way down her body and removed the lacy panti
es that tempted him when he stepped into the room. Kalv came back up to lie next to her, and Ginna tuned to face him, coming into his arms eagerly. Their soft kisses intensified with passion and heat while hands strained to touch everything all at once.

  Kalv lowered his lips to her tight, upturned nipples and laved one gently with his tongue before pulling the tight nub into his mouth. Ginna cried out in pleasure and her hands buried into the thick hair at his nape, pulling him closer to her breast. His cock was so hard it ached. He wanted to be buried so deep inside her that he lost all conscious thought and was surrounded only by her. She made him crazy with want. He massaged the smooth globes of her breasts with one hand while his other hand traveled down the smooth skin of her stomach to the apex of her thighs.

  “Burn for me, Pixie, like I do for you,” he whispered the words against her neck, while deft fingers worked at the sensitive nub of her clit between the folds of her pussy.

  Her body bucked under the ministration of his hands. “More, Kalv. Make me come.”

  Her legs widened in anticipation of being filled with his fingers. He felt her body shiver but it was not from the cold. The heat they created rose up around them. He looked at Ginna, her eyes were closed and her lips parted with frantic pants. In the tempest of want she was more beautiful that one woman should be, and she was his.

  “Do you want me, Ginna? Do you want to feel more of my touch?” he licked the lobe of her ear and bit it gently.

  “Yes, I need to feel you, please.”

  The words rushed from between her lips and were followed by a tiny cry as his thick fingers buried deep into her wanting, moist cavern. Ginna reached between them and grasped his cock. Kalv moaned her name and shuddered at the feel of her hands stroking his length from tip to base. He pushed his manhood against her hand, imitating the thrusting rhythm of fucking her. She squeezed his shaft tighter, and he pulled away quickly before he lost it right there.

  Her hair came loose from its bun, and he brushed one the curls off her face and caressed her mocha-colored cheek before pressing tiny kisses along her cheek and neck. He tried to slow it down, didn’t want to take her too roughly, but her little moan of pleasure built desire inside him, and he wanted to kiss further down her body to see what other noises she would make.

  She opened her eyes slowly, and she combed her hand through his dark hair. Each time her fingers slipped though the thick mane and grazed his neck, he shuddered. She turned her face to him, and Kalv took her lips is a searing kiss. He tasted and explored her mouth, and when her tongue tangled with his, Kalv’s groan of pleasure was muffled as he deepened his kiss.

  He pulled away and looked into her eyes that were heavy with pleasure. He could see the way his kiss affected her; if she only knew he was a thin thread away from taking her. Would she like it rough, bent over while he pounded himself inside her? The need to touch her was like fire in his blood. A small cry escaped her lips when his fingers slipped between the fold of her snatch once more and into her moist center.

  “Damn you are so wet,” he murmured as he let his fingers slip in and out of her body faster and harder until she was bucking from the bed.

  “Yes baby, just like that. I love how your hands feel on me,” Ginna cried out.

  He watched as her eyes glazed over with passion and she went wild. Ginna grabbed his hand and pulled it against her in a hard motion until she stiffened and screamed as her orgasm careened through her. It only seemed to fuel the passion inside her. She kissed him hard and then licked her way down his body to take his cock into her mouth. There was no sweet licking or teasing nibbles. She took him deep between her lips and sucked with fervor. It was a primal, guttural sound that escaped his lips and caused his entire body to tighten as the ache built. She took him deeper still and stroked his tight balls, squeezing each time she stroked him with her mouth.

  “Oh Jesus, I need to fuck you,” he moaned.

  She looked up at him and gave a husky, sexy laugh before she went back to pleasing him. He could no longer bear the burning need running through his body and causing his skin to feel as if it was on fire. He pulled away from her when he couldn’t stand it any longer, and she knelt between his legs. She slid her hands up his chest to his shoulders, and she climbed over him to straddle his lap. Her thighs were so soft and her skin caressed his muscled legs trapped by her body. Ginna took his cock in her grasp and guided him to the entrance of her pussy. As she took him inch by torturous inch, a low moan escaped them both. It was like two pieces of a puzzle that were fit together to form one perfect piece. One word flashed through his mind at the moment in time that seemed to stand still, mate.

  “You feel so damn good,” Kalv said, his emerald gaze capturing hers.

  Ginna began to move slowly, and he watched the soft chocolate brown of her eyes darken in pleasure. His fingers tighten on her hips, gripping the soft skin, as he thrust deep making her cry out. She cupped her breasts and offered them to him silently, pleading with him to play. He obliged, caressing the pert, voluptuous globes and suckling on her nipples.

  “Take more.” She pressed herself harder against his mouth, and Kalv open his lips wider to go past her areola and feast on her breasts.

  He set the pace of their lovemaking, hard deep thrusts while he devoured the smooth globes. Her head fell back in pleasure, and Kalv wrapped his arms around her, anchoring her to him as he sat up so his back was against the headboard. Her hips bucked against him and she ground against his cock.

  “Fuck yes, ride me hard,” he said between clenched teeth.

  He wanted more and lifted her easily, depositing her on the bed. In seconds he had her on her hands and knees, and spread her legs wider. With his hands on her hips, he lifted her higher and buried his cock inside her with one smooth thrust. She screamed his name as he lost himself inside her. He closed his eyes and threw his head back, wanting to roar his desire. She made him want to take to the skies and let the world know she was his. Their moans and cries of ecstasy filled the air. Ginna begged for more and he gave it. Kalv pulled himself from her snatch and lifted her into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he impaled her on his cock while kneeling in the middle of the bed. He was their only anchor as he fucked her. He grabbed her hair and sucked at the skin of her neck, while she spurred him on with screams and pleasure filled whimpers.

  “Oh, oh I can’t stop, Kalv. I’m going to come!” He felt her hands tighten in his hair.

  “That’s what I want,” he muttered roughly. “Give it to me, let me feel you clench around my cock. Come for me now.”

  He pounded himself inside her until her orgasm took hold and she came with a shaky cry of pleasure. With her release Kalv released his restraint. He groaned against her breasts and fell over the edge of reality. He laid her back on the bed, still buried inside her. Ginna’s body occasionally shook as mini-aftershocks flowed through her and caused her pussy to clench around him. Kalv moaned because the sensation was doing delicious things to his body. He could fuck her again easily but he knew body needed time, so he moved to lie on his side.

  “Don’t go,” she whispered and snuggled close. “I like feeling you inside me.”

  “Pixie, if I stay inside you we’ll be starting this up again.” He chuckled and kissed her. “I think I should give you a little rest.”

  Ginna yawned. “I can take you anytime, anywhere. Just give me fifteen minutes and it’s on, buddy.”

  “Okay.” Kalv pulled the blanket around her.

  By the time he kissed her temple, he could tell by her breathing she was sound asleep. Tenderness washed over him as he watched her. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her. She loved him and didn’t expect anything in return. He didn’t know if he could live up to what she wanted, what he knew she deserved. He should get up while she was sleeping and get on his bike and leave. He knew that was an impossible dream, because as the thought filtered through his mind he pulled her closer. Kalv closed his eyes and let her scent surround him,
leading him into dreamland where he could see his home vividly and dragons filled the sky.

  Chapter Six

  “I think you should do it. What can it hurt?” Ginna said as she sat across from him drinking a glass of wine.

  He stared into the roaring fireplace, contemplating what she said. Ginna knew he was his brow was furrowed from the beginning of their conversation. She asked him when was the last time he tried the door to his home and the uncomfortable silence began.

  She tried her point again. “You said your heart hasn’t beat in how long? And now it is, maybe you can access the gate or whatever.”

  “It might not be as easy at that,” Kalv replied. He took a sip of his beer. “I remember stories of once the door being closed that was it.”

  “But you also said that you are one of the warriors, so maybe it won’t be,” she countered. “Exactly how old are you?”

  “Almost five hundred human years. In my world I’m still a young man,” Kalv said proudly. “I was two hundred when our king’s son, Orin, was born. He became a warrior as well. I’ve seen him with his mate once or twice. They live in Seattle.”

  Her mouth dropped open at the number. A five hundred year old dragon, and she was in love with him.

  When she could find her voice, she asked. “Did Orin take a human as his mate?”

  Kalv nodded. “Yes, he was a playboy as you would say but he settled down to live quietly when he was sent here.”

  Hearing that gave her hope. She worried about where she and Kalv were going. Sex-wise they hand no problems, far from it, but she could feel the tenuous wire where she did a balancing act, waiting on him to make the next move. She didn’t want to force him, but she really hated not knowing where she stood. Ginna turned her attention back to the conversation at hand.

  “Do you need to be somewhere in particular to access the door or whatever?” Ginna asked.

  “Greenland is where the veil is between our world. With our magic we make the trip faster that the Concorde.” Kalv said.