Bianca stood before her wardrobe wearing only a thin silk dressing gown as she tried to select an acceptable gown to wear. She had given Leia the evening off since she had expected to spend much of the evening and night sitting with Theron in the sick room. Her maid had been most appreciative as she had recently found a new beau with whom she had been spending a great deal of time with lately.
So this evening she would be dressing her hair and getting into her gown with no assistance. Fortunately, she felt much better since the potion Galen had given her earlier had finally taken effect, giving her some relief. Her headache had all but disappeared. Now at the thought of spending the rest of the evening in the company of a new suitor, particularly a royal suitor, she suspected that her headache would be returning about the time she made an appearance below stairs.
With a sigh of resignation, she fingered the smooth fabric of a green satin gown that unfortunately reminded her of the frog prince. She chuckled at the memory of the round little man sitting in the middle of the lily pond with a toad atop his head. Perhaps she should pick a different gown. If by chance, the German nobleman was still in residence it might not be sensible to show up in the Great Hall in his favorite color. It might give him the wrong impression. She set the gown aside and fingered a deep blue velvet gown trimmed in black ribbons. It was her favorite, but she hesitated, wanting only one man to admire her when she wore it.
No, she would save that gown for a special occasion. The only other choice left was a gown of rust-colored silk with dark brown insets in the skirt and billowing sleeves. A dark-brown velvet overdress set off the gown to perfection. It was a perfect foil to her dark hair and white skin. She reached to untie her dressing gown when there was a knock on her door. Bianca paused as she glanced apprehensively at the wooden barrier.
A bit uncertain about answering it, she walked slowly across the room and put her ear to the door. After awaking only last night to find an intruder in her chambers, Bianca had quietly changed sleeping chambers. There were only a few who knew of this move. The closest and the most trusted people in her life had knowledge that she now slept in these rooms that were directly below hers. This was the room into which Draco had pulled her when he found her dangling from her bedclothes-ladder. The remembrance of that and what happened between them when he carried her up to her chambers above brought a rosy blush to her cheeks.
Another light rap sounded beneath her ear causing her to jump back. What a ninny she was! Whoever happened to be on the other side of the door was most likely a friend not some overly zealous suitor lurking about, trying to force her into a compromising position.
Still she eased the door open only a crack keeping her foot behind it so that whoever was in the corridor could not thrust their way in. But the sight that met her eyes was not what she had expected.
Opening the door, she stepped back and motioned for a very somber faced and world-weary Draco to enter. It crossed her mind that maybe she would have rather had one of the overexuberant suitors at her door in that moment. She could have disposed of one of them by screaming for the guard. But here she found the one man she wanted most in her life wanting entrance to her chambers and she could not bring herself to deny him.
“How did you know I was here?” It was an inane question, really, but she could think of nothing else to say when he stepped inside the room, closing the door behind him. He said nothing for several moments as he stared down at her, his dark eyes drinking in the sight of her. He leaned his broad frame against the inside of her door and stood there for several moments as if debating some great problem.
“I ran into your maid as I was leaving the kitchen. She told me where to find you.” His voice was deep and rich as it flowed over her.
“Did you find out who attacked Theron?”
“No, it is as if a phantom walks amongst us. No one saw anything they considered suspicious. With so many new faces arriving every day, a stranger in the castle is a common occurrence.” He stopped and thrust his hands through his hair and then shook his head in frustration. “It is altogether possible that we may never find out who did it, let alone why.”
Bianca’s heart went out to this large man who had spent the greater part of the day trying to solve the mystery of the assault on his young page. It was obvious that he was exhausted and in need of the kind of attention only she could give him. She had considered what she would do the next time she had him to herself and now that she was given the opportunity, the rest was left to her imagination.
She wanted him more than she cared to admit. If only he would ask her, she would wed him in a moment. For now she was willing to accept him on his terms. At least he was attracted to her and his need for her was very evident in the way the front of his breeches bulged.
Even if he stubbornly refused to accept that she would make him a good wife, he could not hide his obvious need for her as a woman. And she was not about to let this chance for the moment’s happiness, no matter how sinful, fly out the window.
Always at the back of her mind, there was her unerring optimism burning like a single candle in the window during a snowstorm.
A shiver of anticipation skittered down her spine leaving her weak in anticipation for what she knew for a certainty was about to happen between them. Her gaze flew to his firm, sculpted lips, and then to his large, calloused hands, which were hanging at his sides.
She wanted to feel his mouth on hers. She wanted to feel his hands on her body.
The very thought left her breathless and a burning throb began deep down inside her. She swallowed the moan that rose in her throat, as she tried to gain some control of her riotous emotions. What would he think of her wanton behavior if she were to fling herself into his arms and kiss him full on the mouth? She flushed red at her lustful thought.
Draco watched the array of emotions that crossed her very expressive, very lovely face. He’d found out early in their relationship that she was not a woman to hide her emotions beneath the façade of polite words and pretty blushes. She was open about her feelings and, at the moment, it was obvious she wanted him as much as he wanted her. The thought nearly brought him to his knees. To have this lovely maiden desire him so deeply was indeed a miracle.
“I cannot deny that I am more than a little pleased Leia had the good sense to give you my direction.” Her husky admission brought a deeper blush to her cheeks. Smiling a bit shyly, Bianca stepped back, unconscious of how tempting she looked standing there in nothing but a flimsy robe.
“Please come and sit.” She motioned toward the bed, but when he did not move, she raised her eyes to his, questioningly. What she saw there stilled her breath in her chest. The heat in his dark gaze was enough to melt her very bones were she stood. Unconsciously her hand reached out to him, invitingly. Draco looked at her outstretched hand and he shook his head as he warned her.
“Know this, Bianca. If I take one more step into this room, there will be no going back.” At her puzzled expression, he clarified his meaning. “I will take you to that bed and I will make you mine in every way.” He stopped and took a deep breath. “The decision is yours to make, little one.” This last came out in a harsh, deep voice as if he were in terrible pain. With her next move, Bianca answered him. She went to stand in front of him, gazing up at him.
Bianca did not hesitate to reach forward and grasp his hand. It took very little coaxing to draw him across the room to the warmth of the blazing hearth. Once there a surge of shyness overwhelmed her because she was unsure about how to proceed. Even as she hesitated, he took control of the situation by moving to stand at her back. He moved so that it was he who reached for her hand and he raised it to his lips where he placed a hot, moist kiss in her palm. The gesture brought a gasp of pleasure from her lips as she looked back at him. No words existed to express what they were both feeling at that moment. Bianca found herself trapped in the warmth of his dark eyes as his gaze moved over her upturned face, devouring her.
Draco enfolded her slender form in the warmth of his embrace, his great arms pulling her against his hard, needy body.
With a sigh of contentment, Bianca laid her head against his chest and welcomed the security and strength he offered her. Closing her eyes, she relished the feel of his touch as his strong hands slipped over her shoulders and slowly, tenderly down her arms drawing her even closer. His warm lips touched the sensitive spot below her earlobe and he placed light, warm kisses down the slender column of her neck.
“Ah, sweet lady, do you know what you do to me?” His breath, hot against her skin, sent chills of desire racing through her leaving her tingling all over.
“Feel how much I desire you, how much I want to be deep inside you.” He guided her hand between them and placed it over the hard evidence of his arousal, moving suggestively against her hand. Bianca’s eyes widened and her mouth formed a silent “O” at the size of his desire. It was at that moment she wondered if her impulsiveness had gotten her more than she could handle. But the soft murmur against her ear had her knees turning to water and, if not for his arms holding her up, she would have collapsed.
“Invite me into your bed tonight, dearling. Do not make me wait longer.” His soft pleading words were her undoing and with a soft sound of surrender, Bianca turned in his arms and offered up her lips in a silent pledge.
A moan of pleasure rose in her throat as his mouth captured hers in a kiss. The way he loved her with his mouth, tongue and teeth left her feebleminded. Even if she had wanted to blurt out her true feelings for him at that moment, it would have been impossible. Her soft body moved against him in a natural rhythm, needing his touch. His groans of satisfaction and her moans of pleasure broke the silence of the room as his lips moved lower to gently tickle the sensitive flesh at the base of her neck.
“Give me more, Bianca, give yourself to me,” he breathed against her lips.
Draco wanted her naked and needy beneath him, now, but knew he had to go slow with her. She was an innocent and he wanted to make this first time good. With trembling hands, he slowly pushed the flimsy fabric of her garment from her shoulders, savoring the sight of the soft white flesh that was exposed to him. A deep growl of possessiveness rumbled in his chest. His mouth found the slope of her shoulder where he savored the sweet, smooth flesh with his tongue and lips, taking his time.
“Oh, oooh! That is so nice!”
Her soft gasps of pleasure encouraged him to move lower until his mouth found the gentle swell of her full, ripe breasts. With practiced skill, he eased her back over one muscular arm while he pushed the garment downward with his other hand, never taking his mouth from her heated skin.
Draco raised his head to gaze down at lovely sight before him. His breath seemed to stall in his chest and he swallowed the hard knot that formed in his throat. He raised one trembling hand to touch her delicate, soft flesh, cupping one breast, rolling her nipple between his thumb and finger, drawing a low moan from her lovely lips.
“So beautiful, so beautiful,” he murmured just before he swept his tongue over the hard rose-colored peak of one breast.
“Draco!” The exclamation tore from her lips as he proceeded to lick and nip and then drew her pearled nipple deep into his mouth to suckle it. The sensation was so exquisite she thought that she might faint from the pleasure of it.
The low whimper that escaped her lips became a cry of pleasure as his mouth moved to her other breast. It was nearly more than Bianca could stand and in her near unconscious state, she felt the world move beneath her feet as he lifted her effortlessly in his arms. Bianca opened her eyes and watched the hunger in his eyes as he carried her across the room and placed her gently in the middle of her bed. How long had she waited for him to do this very thing? The large form of the Black Dragon loomed over her for a moment before backing away. Instinctively she cried out in protest.
“No! Do not leave me.”
“Have no fear on that count, my Beauty. I have every intention of joining you in that bed.” With that, he quickly removed his garments. Then he paused.
Glancing at the beautiful woman who lay on the bed like a pagan sacrifice, Draco was suddenly unsure of himself. His huge body had taken much abuse over the years and his scars were many, some disfiguring. Would she find his great scarred body repulsive? But as he watched her gaze travel the length and breadth of his ill-treated form, he saw no repugnance, no shock or disgust. Only hunger and passion. He straightened from removing his boots and moved to the side of the bed where he deliberately hesitated before joining her. He wanted her to see clearly what she was getting. If his scars disgusted her, he wanted to know now.
Bianca’s eyes devoured the sight of his magnificent body with a hungry boldness that shocked her. When had she turned into such a lustful wanton? As her gaze took in the hard, smooth planes of his massive shoulders and sculpted chest, his corded arms and thick, muscular legs, a quiver of anticipation swept through her. He was a warrior in every sense of the word, powerfully built and rock-hard like some ancient Roman god.
But it was that part of him that rose so proudly from the tight black curls of his groin that held her mesmerized. His arousal was magnificent. His manhood was thick and turgid and as she stared at it, it jerked impatiently as if it had a life of its own. Bianca’s mouth parted slightly and her breathing accelerated.
“Bianca?”
Her gaze flew to his on hearing her name. He waited for her to make the decision about whether she wanted to continue. Without hesitation, she raised her arms and silently invited him to come to her. A sigh of relief escaped his lips. The bed dipped beneath his great weight as he came down next her, gathering her close against the hard length of him.
Bianca moved willingly into his touch, rubbing her legs restlessly against his as her hands clutched his shoulders to bring him closer. She wanted him to kiss her, deep and thrillingly as he had done before. She loved his kisses. With a sigh of contentment, she eagerly welcomed his lips, opening her mouth to his invasion. She buried her hands in his short black hair and held him captive, silently telling him what she wanted by flicking out her tongue and licking his lips. With a groan of pleasure, Draco opened his lips and welcomed her in, sucking on her tongue before following it back into her mouth where his dueled with hers in hot love play.
The melding of their lips and tongues was long and deep until they were panting and breathless. When he paused to catch his breath, Draco found her looking up at him with eyes darkened by passion. In the light of the tapers set in a candelabrum on a table next to the bed, he had a magnificent view of her lovely body. Wanting to savor the moment, he raised himself slightly and let his gaze roam over the exquisite creature sharing the bed with him. Her hair spread over the pillow, fanned out around her head in a cloud of dark silk. Lifting a lock to his nose, he inhaled the scent of the delicate perfume she used. Even as he savored the silky texture against his cheek, his eyes moved over her body taking in the high, full breasts, her narrow waist and the curve of her hips. Long legs tapered to slender calves, shapely ankles and small feet. She was perfection.
“What are you doing?”
He tore his eyes from her luscious body to focus on her lovely face and the puzzled look in her wide, passion-filled gaze. She lifted her arms in invitation. He shook his head.
“I do not want to rush through this. I would drink my fill of your loveliness, sweet lady.” The rosy blush that stole over her entire body at his outrageous words was a joy to behold. His heated gaze became even hotter and his manhood jerked appreciatively as he took his time studying her.
It was then that Draco wished it were broad daylight so that he could see the beauty in all of her splendor, perhaps laid out on a bed of green grass or a field of daisies. In his mind, he painted a vision of how he would ravage her lips as he thrust deep within her soft, giving body. Yea, it was a notion worth pursuing in the near future.
But for now, he would hold his thoughts to himself, keeping in mind her innocence. He did not want to shock her with his ravenous male appetite. He eased off the bed, hiding his wide grin as he did so. Moving about the room he put out the flames of the candles Bianca had lit earlier, only leaving the tranquil glow of the fire for light. By the time he turned back to the bed he had his lust under control.
A smile lifted the corners of his mouth as he gazed upon the innocent expression his little lady gave him. He would have laughed aloud, but for the knowledge that he might offend her. She would not understand that he was not laughing at her, but at himself. He felt so much like an untried youth about to sample his first woman. His knees were even a bit shaky.
Her eyes never left him all the time he moved around the room. Bianca devoured his naked body, searing his skin like no fire could ever do. His hard, war-torn looks had intimidated many a maid, but she did not seem to mind the scars that crisscrossed his large, sun-bronzed body. And this knowledge made him want her even more
The unexpected wink that he gave her caused an immediate suffusion of color into her cheeks, and her lashes lowered over her inquisitive eyes. But her modesty was short-lived. Draco watched her eyes grow wide with astonishment and doubt as they came to rest on his manhood, which was rampant in his arousal. He was a large man. And that part of him was in perfect proportion to the rest of him. It had always been one of his greatest assets when it came to bedding a wench. Now he was almost sorry he was so large. His gaze dropped to the dark triangle of curls between her legs and wondered if she was perhaps too small to accept him fully? But then he had bedded small women before and he had no problem pleasing them. He would have to make sure that she was more than ready for him when he finally entered her.
As he came toward Bianca, he moved with the grace and stealth of a large cat. His bronzed, hard muscles rippled with every move. His arousal was the most powerful thing she had ever seen. Having never before seen a man in such a state, it took her breath away that he was in that condition because of her.
Sudden trepidation stole over her as she stared at him. She had only a little notion of what was to come. And that knowledge came from the gossip she happened to overhear from maidservants who whispered of kisses stolen from this young knave or the dirty deed they did with that one. From what she witnessed of these conversations, they always ended up leaving a great deal out of the story and they ended up giggling behind their hands. It was very frustrating to be so ignorant. She had thought about asking her stepmother about such things but as soon as the thought crossed her mind, she rejected it. Still she wondered at some of the claims that some of the maidservants made.
What she had shared with Draco last evening had been most enjoyable, but now she was a bit apprehensive. She would just have to put her complete trust in Draco and believe that he would never do anything to hurt her.
Draco stopped short seeing her trembling lips and the panic in her eyes. The last thing that he wanted was for her to be afraid of him or what they would share this night. He wanted her relaxed when he finally took her. Draco took a deep breath, determined to control his raging desire. He needed to overpower her misgivings and change her fears into a fire of passion that burned as hot as his own.
Dark, smoldering eyes locked with passionate violet ones.
“You are so beautiful, sweet Bianca.” Low and thick with desire, Draco barely recognized his own voice. He brought his mouth a breath’s distance from hers and then his lips touched hers in a feathering kiss.
His lips never leaving hers, Draco slowly eased down on to the bed beside her and gathered her slender body close. His mouth moved more purposely over hers, deepening the kiss that was meant to push all else from her mind. What started as a slow, tender joining turned into a long, hot, wet kiss that had them both trembling with need.
“God, I need you, I want you desperately,” Draco whispered hoarsely against her mouth. Even as his mouth captured hers again, his hands stroked down her body, exploring every dip and curve, slowly, thoroughly. It was not long before she was moaning, arching into his touch, wanting more. Her hands clutched at his shoulders as she held on for dear life.
“Ah, sweet, trust me to take the utmost care that you find pleasure in this joining,” he murmured against her lips before his mouth moved lower to caress the soft skin at the curve of her shoulder. Lower and lower, he kissed and licked his way across her tender flesh to the swell of her white breasts. The rose-colored nipples peaked beneath his caress and when his tongue swept across the crest of one, she moaned low and long, arching to get closer.
“Oh my lord! I…” The words died on her lips as her head dropped back and a keening sound rose in her throat as his mouth covered her nipple and he suckled her long and hard. She clasped his head with her hands and held him there, arching up to offer more of herself. When he moved to lavish the same pleasure on her other breast, Bianca writhed beneath his hands.
“Please, Draco, please…!” Even as she begged for something more, he raised his head to kiss her on the mouth hard.
“Do you trust me, Bianca?” Draco whispered against her trembling lips.
At the moment, Bianca was so lost in her passion that she could not put two words together to save her life. She managed only to nod as his lips moved down her jaw to the sensitive spot just behind her ear. His teeth nipped and his tongue swirled to take the sting from the love bite he placed there drawing a whimper from her.
“Tell me,” he commanded roughly as his lips continued to travel lower. “Tell me what pleases you.” Even as the words left his mouth, his hand moved slowly, methodically down over her stomach and lower, entranced by the shudders he felt beneath his fingertips.
“‘Tis hard…to put into…words, my lord…Dragon.” Her voice, low and sultry as her words were wrenched from her in short, panting gasps.
“Tell me,” he reiterated. He needed to know how she felt about what he was doing to her.
“Hot! I feel like I am on fire.” She gasped as his hand moved even lower over her abdomen. “Ah, you have surely scorched me with your fiery touch.”
“I have not even begun, my Beauty.” The promise in his voice elicited a sound very much like the purr of a contented cat, as he stole her breath completely with a passionate, tongue dueling kiss to seal his pledge.
Bianca grew restless beneath his assault. She wanted to touch him as he was touching her. Her hands itched to explore his body as intimately as his did hers. Timidly at first, she smoothed her palms over his hard, muscled chest feeling the crisp curls that covered him. Her fingertips glazed the flat disks of his nipples and following his lead she raised her head and pressed her lips to it and then her tongue swept over it, dragging a harsh groan from him. Her hand moved up over his massive shoulders and down his arms feeling the corded muscles flex beneath her touch. She slid her hands around his sides to touch the solid planes of muscles that rippled over his back. Her exploration brought her hands down over the hard, lean curve of his hip. She reveled in the fact that such a powerful giant could be so gentle with her. The exploration of his body added tinder to the rising flame of her desire. Her blood turned molten and seemed to pool in that most private part of her body causing moisture to gather there and she moved restlessly against him.
But even so, she nearly came off the bed when his fingers slipped through the tight black curls and lightly touched the secret place between her legs. He took her gasp of shock into his mouth as he kissed her passionately trying to distract her while he caressed her delicate tissues, seeking that sensitive nub buried there. After a moment, her body softened and yielded to him. He thrust one long finger into her, testing her readiness. She was wet but so tight that he feared he would hurt her if he could not stretch her somewhat. When he replaced one long finger with two, she whimpered with the discomfort of it.
“Hush, dearling. I have to stretch you a little. God, you are so tight!”
“Perhaps we should wait, Draco. I do not want to do this if it is going to hurt.” Her whispered plea nearly made him stop. But he knew that waiting would not help. Ridding her of her maidenhead was a task he did not relish, but under the circumstances, one that could not be avoided. That he would be the one honored with the duty pleased him greatly, but at the same time left him little joy. He would be the first, but that another would follow left him in a rage of jealousy.
Draco forced any thought of the future out of his mind. Here and now was not the time to contemplate such matters. For now, she was his and he would do his utmost to bring her pleasure. Once the thin barrier of her maidenhood was removed, he would make sure that she had nothing but pleasure at their joining.
“Trust me in this, Bianca. I will try to be as gentle as I can.” His large fingers buried deep within her stretched her for several more moments as he kissed her deeply, thrusting his tongue in and out of her sweet mouth in the manner in which he anticipated thrusting his turgid manhood deep into her soft, tight flesh. When he decided that she was well distracted his lips moved over her face and neck, drawing sighs of pleasure.
Draco took his time paying homage to her with his hungry lips and eager hands. As he kissed her deeply and passionately, he caressed and manipulated that most sensitive spot between her legs, thrusting his fingers deeper and faster, wringing cries of passion as her hips rose to move rhythmically against his hand. The burning need that raged through them when they had first started kissing was nothing compared to the inferno that now blazed hot and wild between them now.
“Spread your legs, dearling. Let me in.”
Lost in the passion of the moment, Bianca did as she was asked without hesitation. Draco shifted his position to move between her legs, covering her with his large body to hold her still while he accomplished her deflowering. It was not until she felt the proof of his own arousal nestled where his hand had been just moments before that she realized what was about to happen. The feel of his velvety tip of his manhood pressing slowly into her, filling her was most amazing. She was surprised that there was no pain. There was only a pleasant fullness as he pressed slowly, moving a little at a time.
Draco was sweating by the time he felt the resistance of her maidenhead. He paused for a moment and looked down into her passion-flushed face. Brushing the hair back from her forehead, he said, “I am sorry, love.” Before she could say a word, he covered her mouth with his and kissed her deeply as he quickly buried himself fully inside her, with one great thrust, making sure the pain was swift and over quickly.
The pain swept through her like a crashing wave. It washed away what pleasure and passion she had been feeling to be replaced by burning discomfort. Her scream was muffled beneath his mouth as he kissed her, holding her still beneath him as she tried to wriggle away.
“Hush, my love, hush. The pain will fade, never fear.” He held himself still, not moving as he gave her time to adjust to his size. He kissed her lips tenderly as he murmured soft, comforting words. When she began to relax, he moved his mouth to her breast and suckled first one and then the other, hard and deep, until she moaned with passion once again. When Draco finally raised his head to look at her, she opened her eyes and smiled tremulously. With a tentative movement of her hips beneath him, her smile widened at the groan of pleasure that rumbled in his chest beneath her hands.
“I am assuming that there is more, my lord. Pray, do not tell me that we are finished. You are still inside me.”
His lips twitched with humor as he realized that she had completely recovered from his rough invasion. They were as fully connected at that moment as they ever would be and she was teasing him.
“Yea. There is more, sweeting. Much more.” His voice was deep and warm as the summer night, and Bianca swore that she could see a thousand stars shining there as he gazed down at her. She knew then that he but waited for her, waited for the discomfort to dissolve. She reached up and brought his head down as she raised her lips to touch his mouth.
“Love me, my lord.” Even as he opened his mouth to cover hers, he moved within her drawing a sharp gasp of pleasure from her. Draco smiled then, a slight movement against her lips. Her answering moan was all he needed to spur him on. He moved then thrusting in and withdrawing as his lips ravaged hers. At one point, he pulled back nearly leaving the warmth of her tight sheath.
“Do not!” Bianca cried in protest.
He stilled, thinking that he had somehow hurt her again. “What is it? Are you in pain, sweeting?”
“Do not leave me,” she begged as she clutched at his hips to hold him close.
“Never, Bianca. Never,” he vowed hoarsely, his face taut from the strain of holding back his full passions. To prove his words, he thrust into her again and again until her cries echoed through the room.
Her slender hands wrapped around his muscular neck, her fingers digging into his flesh as she clung to him. She lifted her hips to match his rhythm as each forceful stroke brought them closer and closer to the heavens.
The small moans of pleasure that escaped her lips spurred him on and he moved deeper and faster taking everything she offered.
When Bianca climaxed, a thousand stars seemed to explode around her. The earth fell away as she soared into the very heavens above only to float slowly, sweetly back to earth breathless and sated.
When Draco felt the muscles of her tight sheath grip his throbbing member, he lost his fight for control and followed her. Clasping her about the waist to hold her tight to him, he thrust one, two, three times before he climaxed. His back arched and he threw his head back bellowing his release as he poured his seed deep within her womb. And then Draco collapsed on top of her gasping for breath. He had only enough strength left to roll onto his side taking her with him. He snagged the bed covers with one hand and pulled it up over them.
In the aftermath of their passion, he lay panting for breath, his heart thundering in his chest. He didn’t have the energy to speak for a good while.
When Bianca finally opened her eyes, her gaze flew to Draco’s rugged face, which was flushed from their lovemaking. His eyes were closed as he slept and she took the opportunity to study him closely.
In the flicking light of the hearth fire, her Dragon looked more beautiful to her than she ever thought possible. He had given her the greatest pleasure a woman could ever experience. Never in her entire life could she remember feeling so right. Did he feel the same, she wondered? Did she dare to believe he felt something akin to what she felt?
For a long moment, her eyes moved over his firm jaw, his full, masculine lips, the long, straight nose and his black lashes fanned out over his high, broad cheeks. A sigh escaped her lips and she found that she wanted him awake now, so that she could tell him how much she loved him.
As she lay watching him sleep, his eyes suddenly flickered open and before she could take her next breath, he captured her upturned lips beneath his opened mouth in a searing, passionate kiss.
When he released her mouth, she was pleasantly limp in his arms. Even as she gasped for her next breath, an arrogant smile tipped up the corners of his mouth and he hugged her close. Her love for him was there on her face for the world to see, but only Draco witnessed it and he was humbled by it and at the same time he rejoiced in it. She loved him best. A low rumble of triumphant laughter filled his chest and worked its way to his throat. He lowered his mouth to her lips and kissed her quick. She blushed rosily from just that small touch.
“I know a secret, my lord.” Her first words were not what he had expected and his black slanted brows rose questioningly as he waited for her to continue. A smile curved her lips.
“What do you know, my sweetling?”
Instead of answering him, she merely smiled a secret smile and closed her eyes. Within moments, she was fast asleep, curled against his chest like a contented cat.
As the time moved into the early hours of the morning and the pair slept peacefully, contentedly in each other’s arms, something broke into Bianca’s slumbering mind rousing her enough that she sighed and then frowned at the intrusion. She turned in Draco’s arms and wriggled her hips against his warmth and then sighed again and succumbed to sleep. A short time later Draco’s large body bumped against her back as it twisted and turned to find a comfortable position. This time she came wide-awake. Her eyes flew open only to find the room dark as the fire in the hearth had died out. For a moment, she had no notion of where she was. Then she felt the warm, heavy body at her back and Draco’s hand caressing her side, trying to ease her back into her sated slumber. It soothed her somewhat, but still she found that she could not go back to sleep so she lay perfectly still, not wanting her wakefulness to bother him.
It did not seem any time at all before Draco began turning and twisting once again as he sought a more comfortable position. It was his restlessness that woke her the first time and now his movements kept her from going back to sleep.
“What is wrong?” She turned to face him, resting her hand on his arm.
“Tis nothing of consequence.” But his shifting form spoke differently.
“Indeed? Then why are you so restless?”
“This bed is anything but comfortable. The mattress is lumpy and when I roll over, something keeps jabbing me.”
“I must disagree with you, my lord. I know for a certainty that this is the most comfortable bed in the entire castle. I know this because it was made for me.” Then a sudden look of guilt swept across her face and she blushed. With an embarrassed glance at his face, she proceeded to crawl over him until she sprawled wantonly over his chest as she reached beneath the mattress on his side of the bed.
The suggestive display of her naked body spread out over his chest gave Draco several notions as to how he might spend the rest of the early morning hours, since he could not sleep. But as soon as she pulled out the lump that had been bothering him since he had lain down in that spot, his lusty thoughts fled out of his mind.
Truly he had never seen such a graceful weapon of death in his entire life. It was a woman’s blade, long and slender with an elegant curve to the steel that shimmered in the firelight. And fatally sharp.
“What is that doing beneath your mattress?”
“It was my mother’s dagger, a gift from her mother. It has been passed down from one daughter to the next for many generations.”
“Yea, but that does not answer my question. What is it doing under your bed?”
“I feel safer knowing that I have some means by which to defend myself from overly zealous suitors. I placed the dagger there this morning. A man will think twice about trying to seduce me if I pull out my dagger and threaten his manhood.”
A devilish smile curved one side of Draco’s mouth as he envisioned his little hellcat unmanning one of the sniveling idiots who had come to court her. Thinking about the Russian prince who had arrived this morning, he was pleased that she had the courage to wield such a sharp weapon. That man looked to be dangerous in more ways than one.
“Well, my sweetling, any man foolish enough to even think about searching you out in your bedchambers will find my fist smashed through his face.”
“Yea, that should stop them.”
“Then let us keep the blade in a different place. This bed is so soft, I could surely feel a pea if it lay under your mattress, let alone weaponry.” With a deft hand, Draco flipped the knife so that he held the blade by the point, and then with a quick flick of his wrist threw the dagger so that it lodged into the bedpost at the foot of her bed. The blade quivered from the impact.