Chapter Eighteen

That dinner was the longest, most erotic, wonderfully frustrating meal of my life. I was damn grateful for our private table, but it wasn”t as if we could have sex there. We had to satisfy ourselves with a bit of teenage rubbing through our clothes. Though, I did slide my hand down his pants once. It was right after we had finished dessert, and I was hungry for a different kind of treat.

“All right, that”s enough of that,” the Dragon King growled and stood up.

He took my hand, pulled me to my feet, and tossed some coins on the table. Coins minted with elephants. The Dragon kingdoms cast their own money, so each kingdom had different versions, but they were all good everywhere, having the same amount of copper, silver, or gold in them.

I stared at the coins as the King led me away, a horrible thought creeping into my head. That I would be paid as casually when the time came to end things. But it was a silly thought. Of course, I”d be paid. For my work in the garden, not in the King”s bed. And of course, things would end. If for no other reason than I would end.

I glanced over at Shaleros. He had an arm slung before his groin. It looked normal with the way he was walking, one arm drawn back to hold my hand and then that one in front. But it wasn”t casual, and it made me grin. It also inspired me to do the same. No erections here, people. Just return to your dinner.

“Your Majesty!” the host hurried after us as we left the main room, the Dragon knights sweeping ahead and behind us. “Was everything to your liking?”

“Yes, it was wonderful,” the King said. “I left payment on the table.”

“Oh, Sire, we wanted to gift you the meal.”

“Next time.”

“Next time? Then you”ll return?”

“Yes, absolutely. Now, if you don”t mind. I have urgent business at the castle.”

“My apologies, Your Majesty.” The man backed away. “Thank you so much for dining with us tonight.”

I waited until we were ensconced in the carriage before I asked with a smirk, “Urgent business?”

“It”s not a lie,” Shaleros growled and grabbed my wrist. “I”m in urgent need.”

He yanked me across the carriage. I instinctively straddled his lap, pressing my cock into his belly as his nestled between my ass cheeks. The King growled. It was sexy. So sexy, I lost my breath.

“Give me your throat,” Shale demanded. “We shall see if you”re truly willing to provide all I require.”

Holy. Fuck.

“Now? Here?” I glanced out the window.

“Yes, here. You don”t even have to undress.”

“But I kinda wanted to be naked when you did that.” I pouted. “I wanted you to be inside me with both cock and teeth.”

The Dragon King shuddered, his eyes closing briefly. “You are most convincing. Very well then. Give me your mouth for now.”

I grinned. “Gladly.”

Then I was grinding against him as we kissed, my hands roaming the Dragon King as if he were mine. Maybe he”d never truly be mine, but there was an upside to that. Firstly, I might discover that I didn”t enjoy being with him. Doubtful, but possible. Secondly, I never had to worry about him finding his mate. Any other Dragon, and I would have been more hesitant. I”d be scared of falling in love only to have him find his mate and abandon me. But with Shale, there was none of that. His mate had been found and lost. He had survived it. That meant he couldn”t love me, but having him without his love was better than losing him to a mate, wasn”t it?

And he wasn”t without emotion. Shale felt happiness again. I made him laugh. He already had some affection for me, and he certainly desired me. Maybe it would never bloom into love, but it could come close. And if it meant I got to have him, close was good enough for me.

Holy fuck, I thought as I put everything into kissing the King. I”m thinking about love. Me. I don”t do this. Why am I even worrying about the future? I have him now. This is what I want. It”s what I”ve wanted since the second I first saw him. And it only took two weeks. I fucking rule! And I”m going to enjoy every moment I have with him.

The carriage came to a halt, and the Dragon King instantly drew back. He didn”t have to say anything. I jumped off his lap and leapt for the door, opening it before the footman did.

“Sorry, buddy,” I said. “We”re in a rush.” I jumped down and waited for Shale.

The Dragon King emerged in a cloud of lust and whipping white hair. He took my hand and strode into the castle, again using the arm before his crotch maneuver. Frankly, I didn”t give a fuck anymore. I hurried to keep up with him, not bothering to cover myself. It was getting late, and the courtiers were probably in their chambers anyway. The servants might see us, but there would be fewer of them about as well.

Then we were passing the Duchess”s Garden and heading into unknown territory for me. I knew the instant we were in the King”s tower. Mainly because the stairs were guarded by Dragon knights. Shale swept past them, and we went up two flights, then came out onto his terrace. He didn”t stop there but drew me to one of the slender towers that ringed the fat, central one. It hid a stairwell. Two more flights took us to the Dragon King”s bedroom, the very space I”d first seen him in.

Moonlight poured in through the open arches, and I do mean open. There were no doors or glass panels in the stone frames. Cool night air came in, chilling my skin. But it was worth it. The fresh scent invigorated me, and with only columns between each arch, it felt as if we were among the stars.

“Great Gods,” I whispered. “It”s like standing on a mountaintop.”

The Dragon King glanced at the sky, grunted, then yanked me to him. I didn”t get a chance to look at the bed. He consumed my attention, pinpointing my focus on him. His lips sealed to mine, his body moving powerfully, and his hands lifted me off my feet. I was on my back seconds later. Shale tugged at my clothing as we kissed. I yanked at his. We shouldn”t have been able to accomplish anything, not with how frantically we moved, but we did. Magic, I guess.

But when we were finally naked, we paused. Both of us went still and stared down the length of our bodies. Shale was breathing hard, panting even, and his eyes shone. Braced on his hands, poised above me, his hair wild around his shoulders, he had never looked more glorious. The night was his time to shine. The moon loved him more than the sun. It coated him in silver and turned him into a god.

“You are so beautiful,” I whispered.

Shale frowned at me. “I don”t look like a Dragon.”

“First of all, who the fuck cares about that? Second, doesn”t your God have white hair? I”ve heard the Dragons of Sken compare it to freshly fallen snow.”

Shaleros blinked. “Yes, actually. Pure white, but his is straight. Pin straight while mine is thicker.”

“Still, it”s white. So, you”re right. You don”t look like a Dragon. You look like the Dragon God.” I shrugged. “Frankly, even if he didn”t have your hair, I”d say you looked like a god.” I slid my hand into his hair. “A moon god.”

“That”s what Karadas is.”

“Maybe we should stop talking about religion.” I slid my hand down his chest to wrap it around his cock.

Shale threw his head back and moaned. “Oh, fuck. Fuck it”s been so long.”

Using his distraction, I pushed Shale onto his back with my free hand and body. He fell onto the fluffy comforter and looked up at me in surprise. I grinned at him, then bent my head to kiss his chest. With a hissed inhale, he grabbed the back of my head. I tongued his nipple. He bucked up against me. I moved to the other one and sucked it. Hard.

“Fuck!” he cried.

“Shale.”

Blinking, coming out of his daze, the King looked down at me.

“You need to lighten your hold on my hair.”

“What?”

“My hair. Loosen your grip so I can . . . move lower.” I grinned. “Please.”

His hand instantly went slack.

Holding his stare, I licked my lips and kissed my way down his hard belly, pausing to nibble at the solid bulges of his abdomen. Then I was there, hovering over a pale piece of hard flesh. It shouldn”t have excited me so much. It was just a shaft. But Shale”s cock was perfect. The most perfect dick I”d ever seen. No veins to mar its velvet skin. No wrinkling. Just smooth and pale like marble, the tip blushed pink.

Groaning, I fell upon it, mouth open. Shale cried out again, but I was so focused on his flesh that I didn”t hear him at first. All I heard was the wet sound of my mouth moving over him. The sucking. All I felt was that silken hardness sliding across my tongue and stretching my lips. All I tasted was clean, male skin. All I smelled was sandalwood and musk. I breathed in deeper.

“Enough!” the King declared and yanked my head back.

I came off him with a popping sound, and my mouth hung open as he lifted and tossed me. I landed on my back, and he was above me seconds later. Shale”s expression was wild, beyond aroused. I gaped up at him. Had a lover ever desired me this badly before? I couldn”t remember one who had. Fuck, I couldn”t remember having any other lovers at all. Was I a virgin? I certainly reacted to his arousal like one, jerking my hips forward. As if he knew the effect he had on me, Shale growled. Then he kneed my legs further apart.

And paused.

Right. He”d never done this before. Not with a man. Holy fuck, I was his first.

“Uh, some oil would be helpful,” I said. “Or a salve. Something to ease your entry.”

Shale”s eyes twitched. Then he nodded. With a stern look at me, as if I might flee as soon as he moved, he rolled off me and reached for the headboard. I looked up to see that it wasn”t just a decorative piece but a long cabinet. The King pulled open doors and drawers, searching, until finally, after many grunts of irritation, made a triumphant sound.

He presented a bottle to me. “They use this for my massages. Is it all right?”

“Oh, yeah.” I grinned and uncorked the bottle. “Perfect.” I sat up and poured some oil into my hand. Then I reached for him.

Shale”s brow lifted as I coated his cock in oil.

“What? You thought it was only for me?” I asked him. Then I reached around and rubbed the remainder on my entrance.

“Now what?” He asked.

I lay back, grabbed my knees, and pulled my legs up and open. “Now, you fuck me, Shale.”

The Dragon King”s stare went to my cock. He moved up between my legs and continued to stare. Then he took me in hand.

I shuddered.

“Is that good?” he asked.

“If it feels good when I do it to you, it will feel good when you do it to me.”

Shale grunted and pumped my cock.

“Oh, fuck!” My legs spread wider. “Please.”

“Please?”

“Fuck me!”

“You will enjoy feeling my cock inside you here?” His hand slid down to my ass and rubbed my hole.

“Yes,” I panted.

“You are certain?” He popped a finger into me. “It seems . . . uncomfortable.”

“It”s not uncomfortable! Son of a bitch! Just fuck—”

Shale yanked out his finger and replaced it with his cock.

It was only the tip, but I cried out at the entrance.

He jerked back. “Did I hurt you?”

“No!” I shrieked. “Oh, sweet Gods, just slide your dick into my ass! Fuck me!”

With a low chuckle, Shale got into position and gently pushed into me. Back and forth, he worked himself until he was fully encased. Then we both sighed in pleasure.

“You”re tight,” Shale growled.

“Yeah. But you”ll work me open. Just keep thrusting.” I rested my legs on his shoulders and grabbed his arms. “Does it feel good?”

Instead of answering, he bared his fangs and hissed.

“Holy shit,” I whispered.

Shale narrowed his eyes at me.

Very slowly, I turned my head and bared my throat.

Shale surged forward, both inside me and at my neck. Fully sheathed below, he struck above, and the pleasure was unlike anything I”d felt before. There was a sting, but then only bliss. My body shimmered with magic, then shuddered. His teeth retracted, but then he was sucking at me. A delicious pulling sensation at my throat while my channel was filled to perfection. He wasn”t enormous, and I thanked the Gods for that. Wide enough to wrap my hand around and long enough to fill me. And he could fuck. Or maybe I was under the influence of his Eljaffna magic. I didn”t care if I was. Give me more. Take more. Just don”t let this end.

The Dragon King thrust faster and faster until he released my throat in a cry and rose to his knees. Holding my legs against his chest, he slammed into me, and all I could do was gape at him, my body so lost to ecstasy that I could barely move. I did wonder if my throat bled, but I couldn”t feel wetness there. And I knew he wouldn”t endanger me.

With a flinch, I realized that I trusted Shale.

“Do you want me to pull out?” Shale growled.

“Huh?”

“In or out, Sebastian?! I”m about to come.”

“Out!” I cried.

With a roar, the Dragon King yanked out of me and took his shaft in hand. My legs flopped to the bed and fell open. A stream of hot cum hit my belly. That did it for me. I went into spasm, my cock jerking and hips locking up as I added my cum to his.

Panting, the King stared down at me.

I started to smile. But then I saw his eyes. The coldness in them. It spread over his face.

“No,” I whispered and sat up. “No, don”t do that! Come on, Shale!”

“Do not call me that!” the Dragon King snarled. He flung himself out of bed and snatched my clothes from the floor. Tossing them at me, he said, “I need you to leave.”

“Fuck.” I searched his face for some hint of amusement. Maybe this was just a joke.

“Now, Sebastian.”

“Yeah. Fine,” I muttered and pulled on my pants. When those were on, I got out of bed and yanked on my tunic. I didn”t bother with my boots or belt, just gathered them up and walked to the stairs. “Goodnight, Your Majesty. I”m sorry we went too fast.”

Shale didn”t reply.

I entered the stairwell with a heavy heart, and it wasn”t all because of Shale. Staring down the length of curving steps, I sighed. My body was pudding, but I had to get down several flights of stairs. I seriously considered sitting down and just bobbing my butt from step to step. I did sit down, but only to put on my boots and belt. Then I got up and, leaning heavily on the handrail, half fell and half climbed down the stairs.

One of the Dragon knights was posted a flight down. He frowned at me as I slumped by. “Did you . . . ?”

“Fuck off,” I growled and kept going. I didn”t give a shit that he was a Dragon. Frankly, Dragons were not at the top of my list of people I liked at the moment.

I don”t know how the knight reacted to that. I didn”t look back to check, and he didn”t say anything. Again, I didn”t care. I kept going until I stumbled out of the King”s tower. Then it was just a matter of falling forward and forcing my feet to move.

I got to my room at last and fell onto my bed. I didn”t remove anything. I couldn”t. Because I fell asleep as soon as I landed.