Warmth enveloped my body and my back arched ever so slightly. A tingle rushed across my legs. A soft gasp escaped my lips and his body moved slowly, deliberately against mine. Greyson looked into my eyes and it was like staring into an abyss. There were stars, the future, a life I never knew I could have, staring back at me, longing for me to reach out and accept my fate.
With an audible breath, I woke, eyes wide. For the briefest of moments, I forgot where I was. The bed wasn’t mine, nor was the room, then everything from last night came flooding back. The cave, the snow, and Greyson.
Holy hell, was I dreaming about Greyson? I groaned and turned over, pulling the covers over my shoulders. I wanted to go back to that dream more than I cared to admit to myself. The man was sexy as hell with his shoulder-length, brown hair, dark eyes with their silver ring, and his beautiful mouth, my Goddess, his mouth. I bet his mouth could do amazing things to my body.
With a sigh, I opened my eyes again and stared at the burning embers in the fireplace. The flames licked in a dance with the air surrounding it. It was a bright contrast of oranges and reds, just beautiful.
As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed the silhouette of Greyson on the floor in front of the fire. He lay on his back and his chest rose and fell with solid breaths. He had on what I could only assume were pajama pants, no shirt, and an arm over his face. He looked so peaceful. How could one man be tasked with the job of recording everything going on in his kingdom with this Dark Fae son of a bitch? What drove the animosity between the darkness and the light? Where was the prejudice and why?
No one sleeps in my bed unless I’m bedding a woman. His words came back to me and I grinned.
I thought about last night, the books, the dragon fruit, the wine, and then nothing. When had I fallen asleep? Did Greyson carry me to his bed? Shit, are my clothes still on? I realized I had clothes on, but were they mine?
I peeked under the covers and felt relieved the man hadn’t tried to take a peek. I mean, I couldn’t blame him, I am a babe. But, still, it would’ve been wrong.
I stretched and yawned, then sat up and put my feet on the floor.
“Shit, cold!” I whispered. I need house shoes or something. And coffee. Yes, coffee. Ugh, I need Starbucks. I gave myself permission to whine and pout. What I wouldn’t give for my white chocolate mocha and a goddamned glazed donut!
Fuck this, I’m making coffee. Or their version of coffee, anyway. I have no idea where he’d put that delicious dragon fruit, and he’d freaked when I’d wanted more, so coffee it is. I can’t imagine the water would have any effect on me, anyway. I wasn’t from there and my molecular structure was different. Right?
Whatever, I was doing it. I stepped as quietly as I could across the cold as ice floor and headed in the direction of the kitchen. It was in moments like those I wished my cell service worked here. Speaking of phone, I went to my bag that had my smart device and retrieved it. Using the flashlight feature on it, I shined around the kitchen.
As I made my way across the floor, I kept looking back at Greyson to make sure I hadn’t woken him. I smiled as I was almost there, then smack!
I growled and held a hand over my mouth. The damn pinkie toe was good for nothing but stubbing itself on stupid shit.
Fuck a mother fucking duck!
As the pain began to subside, I continued my path to the nectar of the gods. I would have my coffee, dammit! As soon as I made it into the kitchen, light from the dual suns began to crest the horizon and soft reds and oranges filled the morning sky. The beams broke through the darkness of the kitchen. I could have stood there all day just to look out this window at this view. It was completely breathtaking. I sat my phone down, no longer needing the light from it.
I gave myself a long moment before I began my search for the coffee. A pot sat on the stove and I brought it to the sink. Sitting down my phone, I turned on the faucet, and put it under the running water. That was until it was knocked from my hands and bounced it across the floor, water spilling everywhere.
Greyson turned off the water then grabbed me by the arms. “Did you drink it?”
“What? No, let go of me!”
“Did you touch it? Suck it from your fingers?”
I frowned. “No, you perv, I didn’t suck on my fingers. Now, let me go!”
His fingers tightened for a moment, then he released me. He took a step back and ran his hand through his long locks. It was then I remembered he was half naked, and I couldn’t help myself. There was a beautiful shirtless, man in front of me. I wanted to run my hands over the muscles of his chest, his abs, and that ass.
Instead, he yelled again. “Cesha! Do not drink the water! I told you—”
“I need coffee, please,” I whined. “I cannot function without it!”
He groaned and threw his arms up, then his hands collapsed at his sides. “Are you purposely trying to kill yourself? Because if you’d drank that water, then you would have.”
“All right! Fine! This is like being in Mexico. Don’t drink the fucking water!” I rolled my eyes and leaned against the counter, crossing my arms over my chest. “Where’s that dragon fruit?”
“In the pantry behind you.” He left the room and was gone for maybe thirty seconds before he returned with leather gloves on his hands, holding an armful of towels. He got down on his hands and knees and cleaned up the water on the floor.
For a moment, I felt bad for what I’d done. If the water could hurt me, I would have killed myself. “How do you know the water will have any effect on me?”
He stood and flipped his hair from his face. “I don’t want to take the chance.” He left the room and came back with a shirt pulled over his torso.
“Whatever. Call me disappointed but I liked the view from before.”
He lifted a brow. “That’s why I put on a shirt. Look, we have no more wine. I’ll need to pick more up, but eat only half the fruit. It’ll give you enough energy for the day.”
“Oh, we’re going to town? Yay!” I clapped my hands and bounced on my toes. “When do we leave?”
A few hours later, my body was oiled up like I was about to go tanning on a beach. However, there was no beach, only snow, and I was basically wearing a parka. The suns were higher in the sky and birds sang their morning songs. I thought about the whooshing I’d heard from my first visit and figured it was as good a time as any to ask Greyson about it.
“So, what kind of creatures do you have here?” I pulled my pack over my shoulder. He’d told me to pack an extra change of clothes but was cryptic about it. When I asked what for, he just said to wait and see.
“We have many creatures. What, in particular, are you asking about?”
“Well, on Earth, we have shifters, um, two-natured creatures. So, some of our species can shift from human form into their chosen animal form. They have no powers or anything beyond that. Then there are witches like me. We have the powers to zap shit and stuff like that.”
“Ah,” he said and pointed up toward the mountains. “We’re headed up to the cliffs today. There’s an area untouched by magic I’d like to take you to.”
“Great, but you didn’t answer my question.”
“Yes, we have Fae here. The Fae are similar to your shifters on Earth, however, we also have magical abilities. ”
I heard a squawk and it was so loud I turned to find a bird following us. But it wasn’t a bird I recognized. The thing looked like a chicken but with blue and purple feathers. It stuck out like a sore thumb against the snow on the ground.
“What in the world is that?” I bent down and smiled. The thing was beautiful. It squawked again and ran up to my hands. I touched the top of its head and smiled wider. “Well, hello there, Edith.”
“Edith is not his name.”
“How do you know and how do you know he isn’t a she?”
“Because the females are all gray. Only the males have colors like his.”
“Well, I see not much is different between here and Earth, then.”
“His name is Charles. Well, that’s what we call him, anyway.”
“Charles the chicken?” I asked and stood. I wiped my hands on my white jacket and continued to follow Greyson.
“Yes. He hangs around from time to time, wanting food or some poor fool to pet him.” He glanced at me with a grin.
“Well, Charles the chicken is okay in my book. Right, Charles?” Squawk!
I laughed and continued to walk. “Will he follow us?”
“Yes, but only for a short while. Once he realizes you have no food, he’ll turn back.”
I nodded and caught up to Greyson. “Okay, so the Fae . . .”
He sighed a loud breath and turned to face me. “All right, so, yes, we have Fae who take on different forms. Do you have dragons on Earth?”
My eyes widened. “Holy shit! You have dragons! I always wanted a dragon of my own and fantasized about riding one!”
“So, yes, you have dragons, then?”
I shook my head. “Oh, no, we don’t. They’re only myths on Earth, but we have many fictional stories written about them.”
“Ah,” he said and took a few steps back. “Wait over there between the trees.”
I frowned and looked behind me. “We’re surrounded by trees. Which ones?”
“You like the pinks ones so much, stand between those over there.” He pointed behind me and I saw where he meant.
I walked over to the area and turned back to him. “Okay?” I was confused, not sure why the space was necessary.
Then Greyson began to remove his clothes. First his coat, then shirt, boots, and his pants until he stood in his freaking birthday suit.
“Um,” I started and lifted a brow. “Not that I’m complaining about the view, but what are you doing?”
Rather than answering, he closed his eyes, and his body quaked. A fog like aura enveloped him where he stood and my view of him distorted. I heard him scream, and I gasped, wanting to run to him. I had no idea what was happening or what he was doing to himself. Fear gripped my chest, and I took another two steps backward.
As the magic dissolved, along with the haze around his body, there stood, larger than life, a red dragon with dark-brown eyes: his eyes.
I gasped and held my hands over my mouth. “HO. LEE. SHIT! You’re a fucking dragon? You’re a fucking dragon!” A laugh escaped me, and I walked toward Greyson the dragon. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
His head moved up and down and he growled, raising his head again, then fire blew from his mouth toward the sky.
I giggled once more and stood closer to him. “Um, can I touch you?”
He lowered his head and I looked into his one eye, now the size of my head, and saw Greyson, as his beast, staring back at me. I looked at the ground and his clothes were next to his large feet.
I gathered his clothes and held them in my arms. I took him lowering his head as him giving me permission to touch his scaly body, so I removed a glove from one of my hands and pushed it into my coat pockets. A sound like a growl was a constant rumble in his body. I reached forward and gently placed my hand on the space between his nostrils.
“I can’t believe you’re a dragon and I’m touching a dragon and why didn’t you tell me you’re a dragon?” The questions rolled off my tongue, and, before I realized what I was saying, everything slipped out. “When I was here before, I heard the flapping in the sky, but I had no idea there were actual dragons!”
His head pulled back, and he glared at me, well the way a dragon could glare anyway.
“Shit,” I whispered and took a few steps back. “As much as it pains me to say this, yeah, I fucked up. I came through the veil before by mere accident. When you found me, I wasn’t sure if it was coincidence, or if you were there to capture me.” I shrugged. “I didn’t say anything, just in case, you know?”
A large, very loud roar came from the dragon and I felt the vibrations through my body. He was seriously pissed at me. Who could blame him? I hadn’t been completely honest with him.
I turned and headed back toward the pink trees I’d stood between moments before and kept my back to him. I could feel the ground beneath my feet quake as he shifted back to his human form.
“Why, Cesha?” I heard him yell and his foot falls drew closer. He grabbed his clothes from my grasp, and I let go, then held my hands in the air. He grunted and growled as he dressed, then with a hard grip, he turned me to face him.
His skin, the skin I could see anyway, was red, almost like a sunburn. He moved a little slower as well. I frowned and took a step closer, then opened my mouth to ask him about how he felt, but he cut me off.
“You knew, you already knew, and yet you still came with me, acting innocent.”
“Yeah, I did.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Wow, you’re a fucking dragon.”
“Yes, most of us here are. Why didn’t you tell me you were here before?”
“Before I answer that, are you all right? You’re moving a bit slowly.”
He nodded. “I’m okay. My skin rips and repairs itself with each shift. It hurts.”
“Oh,” I whispered. “So about not coming clean about being here before. I’m sorry about that. But, now you know. I only got as far as seeing the water falls and almost falling to my death.”
“Well, I’m glad you didn’t. Come on, we’ll be there soon.” He paused for a moment then lifted a brow. “How did you make it through the veil the first time?”
I shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know. I just did. If I knew, I’d share that information.”
Silence stayed between us as we walked. How do you ask a man who shifts into a dragon how that sort of magic works? That takes a lot of power and concentration, doesn’t it? Or does it come easy for him?
Then thinking of my coming through the veil and Greyson saying only those of Fae lineage can come through . . . it must be because I’m a witch. That’s the only clear explanation.
Not paying attention to where I was walking, my foot slipped on the snow. I yelled out, then Greyson had my hand. He pulled me to my feet and his hands went to my waist.
“You good?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yes, thank you.”
“Your eyes, they’re really blue.” He touched my face and brushed some hair behind my ear.
My mouth went dry and I was suddenly thirsty for something, anything.
He offered a slight smile, then continued on the path toward the cliffs.
“Are we almost there?” I can’t believe I just asked that, but I did. I felt juvenile, but my feet were starting to hurt.
“Yes, we’re here. Come check out the springs.” He stood next to a body of water that was the size of a Turkish bath. It was breathtaking. Steam rose from the water and was surrounded by snow. It was something out of a photo shoot.
“Here is where you can bathe, Cesha. The water here hasn’t been touched by any magic. Go ahead and get your clothes out of your bag. Once you bathe, you can put them on.” He turned to leave, and I yelled for him to stop.
“Where are you going?”
He looked back over his shoulder. “I’m giving you privacy to undress.”
“Oh, right.” I waved him off and waited until he was no longer in sight. I’m glad he didn’t expect to see all my bits since I just saw him naked, but that was his choice in doing so.
I removed my hat and reached into my bag, finding a band for my hair. I wound it up into a messy bun and tied the band around it. “Great, naked in the snow.” I removed my coat and laid it down, then sat down on the inside of it. I removed my boots and socks, then stood on the material and removed my pants, top, bra, and panties. I touched the water with my toe and grinned. It was definitely hot.
When I walked in, it would be like stepping into a tub, but with mud. “Well, too late now, I’m already naked.” I continued forward and quickly submerged myself.
It was a glorious hot spring and I could have given my last fuck and not cared I was standing in mud. So long as there were no fish or crocs or whatever, I was good.
I felt the need for coffee again and craved the dragon fruit. I would have killed for any kind of caffeine at that point. Maybe tonight, when Greyson slept, I could sneak out and cross the veil just long enough to get me a Starbucks. I could almost taste the deliciousness on my tongue. I would even settle for plain black coffee.
Hearing the shuffling of steps, I turned to find Greyson coming toward me. My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open. He’d removed his clothes, again. At first, it was just his chest, then his abs came into view, and the man had that delectable V that pointed toward his lower extremities.
Oh, yeah, the man was completely naked.
Oh, Goddess, help me, I was in a lot of trouble.