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I tossed and turned all night, too excited to sleep, so I climbed out of bed before daybreak and slipped out of the cottage. The skies were just starting to light up like a rainbow. The clouds that had crowded the sky the previous evening had spilled their wares and left, as if they knew that today of all days needed to let the light shine. A strange sensation tingled on the air, as if it knew the time in the light was coming to an end.
I shivered and rubbed my arms as I made my way back toward the pricker bushes holding the dragons in their territory. The sun broke over the horizon, nearly blinding me. I squinted as I followed the path the sun lit.
In the distance, a form emerged from the rays of light, and I blinked to make sure it wasn’t just the blinding dots from the sun playing tricks on my mind. As I got closer, the form of a man came into focus. But with the light framing him, his face was still hidden in shadows.
Caution flags flared in my mind. This couldn’t be the prince. Not on this side of the barrier. It was too dangerous for him to be on this side. My heart clanged in my chest at the thought. Encountering strangers on a deserted path was just as harrowing, and I glanced around for any escape route. The trees were closer to the approaching man than they were to me. But if I could get there, the woods would give me cover.
I sprinted toward the trees. Halfway across the field, I caught movement near me to my right. I took my eyes off the wood line at the same moment a body slammed into me, taking me to the ground in a roll. I struck out blindly until hands grabbed my wrists and slammed them on the ground by my head.
“What. The. Hell,” a breathless voice above me said.
I tossed my hair out of my eyes and Zachary’s bright-green eyes looked down at me with exasperated humor. My mouth popped open as I stilled. My chest heaved with the exertion, and Zachary’s grip on my wrists loosened.
“What are you doing here?” I asked when I finally caught my breath.
He grinned. “I did tell you I would see you again.”
With his body still draped over me, I was helpless to fight off the charm in that smile. It made my heart go into the same pitter-patter that the run had, but this time, instead of an adrenaline rush, heat enveloped me.
His gaze dropped to my lips and then he rolled off me, taking a seat in the grass next to me. I didn’t move. I just stared at the deep-blue sky above me, waiting for my skin to cool before I sat up. When I did, I hand combed the leaves out of my hair and glanced at him leaning back on a single elbow with a blade of the long grass between his teeth. Prince Zachary lounging on the grass like a commoner sent my temperature to high.
He studied our surroundings with interest, but it was nothing compared to the way his eyes shined when they landed on me. It was as if he had swallowed the sun, and light naturally found the golden chips in his irises.
“You are taking a risk being here.”
He laughed. A full throaty sound that I could get used to and I was sure I would hear in my dreams for weeks to come.
“I have to say, despite the reaming I will get from my mother when I get home, tackling you in the grass was worth it.”
“And yet you moved away from me.” I cocked my head and gave him a sly smile.
“Is the lady inviting a kiss?” He rolled onto his hands and knees, crawling toward me like a predator.
I giggled and shuffled back, but he caught me by the ankles and crawled up my body in a way that sucked the breath from my lungs. His touch was light as he ran his fingers up my calves. And then he crawled the rest of the way and settled on top of me. His weight felt good and we molded in all the right places.
“Why, dear lady, you seem to be a naughty vixen at heart,” he purred, and his mouth found mine before I could launch a protest.
The kiss silenced any argument I could come up with in my head to stop where this was leading. The attraction between us was as raging as the fire of a dragon’s breath. He took my cheeks gently in his palms and let out a gruff groan as the kiss deepened.
His hands flowed slowly down my neck and if he had stopped there, I would have been content to kiss him until the moon rose. But his exploration did not stop. He ignited me with desire. His lips left mine to trail down my throat and into the vee of my shirt.
A rustling in the bushes pulled us both out of the moment. His nostrils flared as a rabbit hopped out from cover and twitched its nose at us before continuing across the field.
It was enough for me to come to my senses. When the prince leaned in to start again, I gently pressed my hand to his chest.
“I’m sorry. As much as I enjoy...this, I don’t really know you.”
He covered my hand with his and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he rolled onto his back next to me, accepting my not-so-valiant request to stop.
“I want to know you,” he said softly, studying the leaves on the trees above us. “But I cannot have you risking your life by sneaking into my territory.” He turned his head and met my gaze. He lifted my palm and placed a kiss in the center of my hand.
“And I cannot have you risking your life by sneaking into mine.” I rolled on my side and propped myself up on my elbow to look down on him.
He glanced at me and cocked his eyebrow. “I could just ravage you right here, right now, you know.”
I smiled. “I think you would already have done that if that was your intention.”
“Mmmm. Are you so sure it isn’t? I am a dragon, after all.” He didn’t move a muscle to make good on his thinly veiled threat. “And you are what I covet most.”
“Oh. You covet me?” I put my hand to my forehead. “Whatever shall I do?”
He snorted laughter. “You do not strike me as the damsel in distress type, despite your misadventures yesterday.”
I chuckled. I certainly was not a damsel in distress. I knew my way around a bow and a sword fairly well. “I am pretty good with a bow. Although my favorite one was eaten by your swamp.”
“I shall make you another.” He wrapped his arm around me, bringing me closer. “What else do you want?”
“I want my birthday wish,” I said.
Sparks danced in his eyes. “And what wish would that be?” He traced a chilling path across my back with his fingers.
“I want to dance with you at the king’s ball tonight,” I said.
His lighthearted smile faded. “Oh, Rory, I am so sorry to have to disappoint you.”
“I know. Dragons, even attractive prince dragons, are not welcomed in King Henrick’s kingdom.” His stomach muscles twitched under my fingertips as I traced lazy circles over his loose shirt.
“I’m not so sure I would be able to stay in human form if I went anyway,” he said in a dark tone. “I might be inclined to eat King Henrick.”
I blinked and pulled away from Zachary.
“King Henrick killed my father. Took his blood to heal his ailing wife.” His tone carried the bitterness of growing up without a father as he stared up at the sky. “If he had just asked, I’m sure my father would have given him some of his blood, but instead, the bastard got greedy. He wanted to slaughter another king for the betterment of his kingdom.” He licked his lips and glanced at me. “My mother has never been the same.”
I couldn’t think of anything worse than losing the one you loved. It must have shown on my face because Zachary propped himself up and pulled me into another kiss. This one tender and sweet and everything a girl could ever hope for in a kiss.
He pulled back and studied my eyes as though they held the secrets of the world. “I want to learn all your guarded secrets.”
“I have no secrets,” I said, and closed the distance.
His hand glided down my side, all the way to my knee, and he pulled me on top of him. His hands drew up around my waist as the kiss deepened. Beneath me, I could feel his hardness form between my straddled legs. He slowly grinded against me, moving me in small circles. Those golden flecks in his eyes turned almost as hot as he was making me.
He tightened his jaw and closed his eyes. “You are forbidden,” he said, almost as if it were a reminder to himself. “Innocent. Sweet. And oh, so damn edible.”
His eyes flashed as he opened them, and I almost saw the dragon forming. I pulled back in alarm.
He chuckled, holding me tightly in place. His hips still circled slowly under me. Enough to bring forth a rush of wetness between my legs. I had never had thoughts of losing my innocence before I met Zachary. And now that was all I could think of.
Zachary stilled beneath me and closed his eyes, pressing his lips together. His eyes opened and he stared at the sky. “Someday I will show you bliss, but that won’t be today.” He met my gaze. “My mother is calling and if I don’t go...” His eyes filled with instant regret as he moved me off his lap. Zachary cupped my cheek and gave me a soft peck on the lips. “I will see you again, Rory,” he vowed. And then he was up and was gone before I could straighten out my clothing and get to my feet.
Disappointment scratched over my heated skin, and I kicked myself for falling so easily into his arms. It was as if fate was forcing us to do things that put us in harm’s way. After all, I had ventured out alone this morning with the sole goal of finding Zachary. He apparently had the same impulse.
Damn that sexy prince.
If I didn’t watch myself, I’d certainly be eaten by a dragon.