Daddy Dragon Guardians: The Complete Series Boxset, page 27
Unable to resist the chance for it, Beau stood and lifted her off the floor. He carried her back downstairs as quickly as his feet would allow, turning down the hall. He knew now where her bedroom was, though he had only cared about it before because he had been hoping to find her in it. Things were different now.
Beau let go of her legs but kept his arms tightly around her waist, letting her slide slowly down the front of his body as he set her down. He kissed her again, her palms on his chest, his hands scraping against the flesh of her buttocks, never wanting the moment to end. “I need you, Autumn. We’re both stubborn, self-sufficient people, but I can’t deny that I need you in my life.”
She brought her fingers up to lay them on either side of his jaw, kissing him purposefully. “I need you, too. And I can take care of you just as well as you can take care of me.”
Their hands worked quickly to remove each other’s clothes, which was easy work for him since she still wore his baggy t-shirt and sweatpants. He tossed them aside and pulled her naked body against his. As much as he desired to be inside her, simply being close to her was almost just as rewarding. Her breasts pressed against his chest, and he couldn’t seem to touch enough of her at once.
Her legs seemed to slip out from underneath her as she slowly knelt down in front of him, making him suck in his breath as she wrapped her lips around his member. Her mouth was hot and wet, and she pulled him in deep enough that his head touched the back of her throat. Beau pulled back instinctively, afraid that he had hurt her, but she only sucked him in again. Hard. He felt his balls pull up against his body with excitement as he ran his fingers through her hair. Yes, she certainly could take care of him.
It was all he could do not to pound his hips against her. It felt so good, and it was obvious that she was putting all her effort into pleasing him. But Beau wasn’t about to let that happen without her getting pleasure as well. He lifted her to her feet and brought her to the bed, laying her down gently on the bed and kissing her deeply. He moved down her throat to her breasts, giving each one the attention it deserved before gliding down the soft flesh of her stomach to taste the treasure waiting for him between her legs.
Autumn’s fists clenched at the sheets as he worked, flicking his tongue slowly over every surface and then burying it inside her. He wrapped his hands around her buttocks, pulling her in close so he could get as deep as possible. She bent her knees and wriggled against the mattress, her breath escaping her lungs as gasps.
Unable to resist, Beau slowly slid a finger into her wetness while he suckled at her clit, taking delight in the way she moved against him. It turned him on to know she was enjoying herself, and he felt his dick grow even harder.
Autumn cried out, a stuttered gasp that let him know he had done his job. He couldn’t wait any longer, and he moved up the bed to bury himself deep inside her. She clutched at his shoulders, careful to avoid his wound, as though she needed him inside her just as badly as he needed to be there.
Still under the spell of his tongue, her core welcomed him with warm ripples that pulled him even deeper inside her. Beau pulsed against her, sinking to the hilt before pulling out again. He was so engorged he was dizzy, but that only enhanced the effect. Every part of his body was focused on his bond with her, and he gave a cry of triumph as he finally gave her all of him.
As he lay there next to her, brushing her hair back from her face, he wondered why they had ever argued about anything.
10
“Zoo?”
“Yes, honey. Just as soon as we have everything ready.” Autumn rushed around the house, trying to make sure that she hadn’t forgotten anything. She had spent most of the previous afternoon back at her place completing the online store for The Enchanted Elm, and she now regretted that she hadn’t had more time to prepare for the trip. But it seemed to work out for her and Beau if they lived their domestic lives at his place and she saved her own house for work. She had everything she needed there, including her privacy, but she still had a place and a pair of open arms to come home to. It was one of many compromises they had made, and like the others, it seemed to please them both.
Beau charged into the room, his hair freshly combed. “It might be a little chilly. Did you get Elliot’s sweater?”
“Right here.” Autumn held it up for a moment and then set it on the chair by the door. “But I didn’t pack our lunch yet.” She was looking forward to sharing a picnic with Elliot on the grassy expanse at the center of the zoo.
“I did that last night,” Beau replied, dodging into the kitchen to fetch the cooler. “I hope you like turkey and Swiss.”
“You know I do.” She dropped a kiss on his lips as she passed him to head down the hallway for the sunscreen. When she came back to the living room, she scooped Elliot up off the floor. He had been excited about the trip to the zoo ever since they’d told him they were going, and she knew he would enjoy it even more since his cousins would all be there. But he had waited patiently while his father and his new mother got everything prepared, occasionally asking them about animals he had in his plastic toy zoo.
“You’re such a good little boy,” she said as she snuggled her nose into the softness of his neck. He smelled of baby shampoo from the bath Beau had given him the night before. He was such an attentive father, and it was obvious that Elliot only benefited from it. The child never seemed scared or insecure, always confident that his father would be standing right behind him.
“Ata,” Elliot replied with a smile, unable to say Autumn’s name just yet.
“Oh, I didn’t get his extra outfit packed yet,” Beau said. “I was waiting until the last load of laundry was done.”
“Already took care of it,” Autumn assured him. “Go put on your shoes and we’ll be ready to go.”
“You’re amazing.”
She watched Beau leave the room, admiring his backside as he went. He was a strong, wonderful man, and he did a lot to take care of her. He hadn’t stopped his work on the house, and yet he always seemed to find time to cook or throw in a load of laundry. She was lucky to have him, and she knew it.
“You know,” she whispered to Elliot, “I never thought I could love someone as much as I love the two of you. I really like taking care of you and your daddy.”
A pair of strong arms suddenly wrapped around the both of them, and Beau pulled them in close. “We can all take care of each other now.”
* * *
Julian’s Mate
Daddy Dragon Guardians
Prologue
Naomi rested her long, graceful neck on Julian’s shoulder and admired the way the sun sparkled off his deep emerald scales, bringing out flecks of gold and purple. “They said there’s nothing they can do,” she said softly.
Julian’s head moved swiftly, and he moved her off his shoulder so he could look into her eyes. “That can’t be true. The mages know how to heal everything. Have they consulted with the witches as well?”
She was already tired. Naomi didn’t know what this illness was, but it was slowly consuming her body. She could hardly sleep at night from the pain; during the day, she had so little energy, she was barely able to hunt for food. It was only because Julian insisted on bringing her fresh meat that she hadn’t starved to death. And then, of course, there had been the long climb to the top of Mount Taendru to visit the mages. It had taken the last of her spirit just to get there, and then they had given her the worst news she could have imagined.
“They have,” Naomi affirmed. “But they’ve tried everything they know. Ervol even said he’s seen this sort of thing before, but it’s so rare, they don’t have a name for it.”
“There’s got to be something.” Julian was up now, pacing so quickly, he stirred up the thick red dirt under his clawed feet. They had come to their secret meeting place, a clearing in the woods on the far side of the mountains. It was where they had talked for hours into the night, made love, and made plans for their future together. But this time, there was no excitement or romance in their rendezvous.
“Not from them.” She had known it would come to this, but still she didn’t want to tell him. How could she get him to understand what a desperate position she was in? The life she was living wasn’t one that was worth holding onto, and the risk just might be worth it. Still, it was impossible to explain.
Julian, sensing that she had more to say, stopped pacing and turned a malachite eye to her. “What do you mean?”
Turning away to study the deep foliage that was such a contrast to the crimson rocky mountains that surrounded their settlement on Charok, Naomi searched for the right words. She only had one chance to do this right. If not, Julian might become angry with her or even try to stop her. She didn’t want either one to happen, because she wanted to leave on good terms. “There is one thing that hasn’t been tried yet, but it’s not something the mages can do. It means that I’ll have to go away.”
“Okay.” Julian’s scaly lips tightened as he tried to remain patient. “You mean to gather a mineral in a distant mountain range or a plant that grows in a different set of woods?”
“No.” She turned to look him in the eye now, knowing that he deserved it. He had been so good to her. “I’m going away permanently. I won’t be back, ever.”
“Naomi, you can’t—”
“Don’t try to stop me, Julian. You’ve got to promise me that you won’t ask me any more about it or try to find out what I’m doing. And you can’t follow me. You just can’t.” A tear leaked from the corner of her eye, though she thought she was all out of them.
“Whatever it is, just tell me! I can go with you. I can help in some way. But you can’t just disappear and ask me never to wonder what happened!” His fists curled in the dirt, sending a red cloud into the air.
He was getting angry, and her instinct was to yell and rage right back at him. If she had been in good health, she might have done just that. Naomi had never been afraid to express her opinion around him, and it was one of the reasons that the two of them worked so well together. But she had no energy to argue, and there wasn’t even time for it. She would have to leave soon. “If you love me, then you’ll do what I’m asking,” she pleaded, her words nearly carried away on the breeze they were so soft. “Please, Julian.”
There was fire in his eyes, and he looked as though he was about to argue once again, but he took a deep breath instead. “When is this all supposed to happen?”
“As soon as possible.”
“I don’t even get to have one last night with you?”
A second tear followed the first one, and it absorbed quickly in the warm ground. “No. I’m afraid not.”
“And you’re certain I can’t come with you?” His voice was pleading now, desperate. “There’s nothing that says I have to stay here. I won’t be missed.”
He would be, but Naomi knew she couldn’t convince him of that. “Come with me back to the mountains, but beyond there, I have to continue alone.” Even this was a compromise on her part. Naomi knew she could have told him to stay in that clearing for hours, and then there would be very little chance he would see where she was heading, but at least she would still be giving him something. Besides, she wasn’t certain she could make it all the way back on her own.
They spoke very little as they journeyed. There was nothing much to say. Every now and then, Julian let his wing bump gently against hers, as though he was reminding her that he was still there. It would have been easier for them to fly, but that would have taken far more out of her than what she had.
When they stood once again on the rocky ledges of the mountains, she turned to him. “I have to go now. But I want you to know that I love you, Julian. I feel as though I’ve loved you my entire life, and I’m sorry that I won’t get to spend the rest of it with you.”
“I love you, too.” He curled his neck around hers, letting his wings come forward to embrace both of their bodies. It wasn’t the sort of thing they would have done a few weeks ago, before Naomi grew ill. The two of them had been determined to keep their relationship a secret as long as they could, unwilling to spoil it with the prying eyes and nosy wonderings of the other dragons. But it didn’t matter now. Let them see, if anyone was around.
“I know you say you aren’t coming back,” Julian whispered, “but I’m going to wait for you anyway.”
“No, don’t do that,” Naomi protested. “You deserve a chance to move on, to be happy.”
He gave her a small smile, the barest upturn of one corner of his mouth. “I think we both know that can’t happen. But thank you anyway.”
Naomi turned and headed down the mountain path, veering to the left halfway down to travel north. Without looking back, she knew Julian was watching her. He stood on the top of the mountain, waiting to see if she would turn around and tell him she had changed her mind. But Naomi knew she couldn’t change her mind. She would only die, and that wasn’t going to help either one of them.
It was a long journey, and a hot one. Naomi had to stop and rest at shorter and shorter intervals, barely catching her breath before it was time to move on again. Her feet ached, and by the time she reached the bush of purple flowers that marked the hidden path, her wingtips were dragging on the ground. Her neck slung low, parallel to the ground, and she turned toward the woods once again.
The little hut was right where she had left it before, and Varhan swung open the door before he reached it. “Sit, sit!” he commanded as he came rushing out. “I can see that the journey has taken its toll.”
“You could say that,” Naomi whispered. She took no comfort from the shade of the trees or the padding of leaf litter underneath her. “I didn’t think I would make it at all.”
The wizard was at her side, his pale, fleshy fingers gently moving across her scales. “It’s gotten quite bad, hasn’t it?”
She tried to nod but only managed to slightly roll her head in the dead leaves on the ground.
“You’re certain you understand how all of this works?” Varhan asked. “You have to be completely committed to the idea, or there’s a chance that it may not work at all.”
“I know what you said, that the energies are different in this other place. That I’ll be healed simply by being there. What did you say it was called again?”
“Earth,” Varhan replied. “It’s an odd sort of place, but most of the creatures there are in human form, just like myself--or you, if you’re so inclined. Do any of your people prefer to go around on two legs instead of four?”
“Not very often. Only when we have to, or if we go to the Great Court. You can fit a lot more dragons into a small space that way. But personally, I like my scales.” Now that she thought about it, she might have had an easier time getting to the wizard’s hut if she had shifted. But that took energy as well, and there was no telling if she could accomplish it anymore.
Varhan gave a soft laugh and ducked through the door of his hut. Naomi could hear him inside, rattling bottles and moving things around. “That’s one of the reasons I’ve always found dragons to be so fascinating. In your own way, you can be even more stubborn than wizards.”
“Is that why there’s always someone arguing over land in the Great Basin?” Naomi wheezed. “Because everyone is too stubborn to compromise?”
The wizard shrugged as he emerged from his home, a roll of his shoulders under his tattered brown robe. He was by far the most humble wizard Naomi had ever met, and the only one who would condescend to talk to her. “That might be a large part of it, indeed. I hate to say it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if our people ended up going to war. And over something so silly.” He shook his head as he dipped a brush into a small clay jar and began painting a cool substance over her body, starting at the spine and working his way down. “The idea makes me sad. I think we have a lot to learn from each other.”
“You’re right.” Naomi closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of the salve. She didn’t know what it was, but its cooling effect was glorious. It had seemed that her fire was constantly building up inside her since she’d fallen ill, but she couldn’t seem to muster the desire to dispense of it. “And I don’t even want to know what Julian or anyone else would think if they realized I had come to a wizard for help.”
“Don’t you worry about Julian. He’ll be fine.”
She swiveled her head to look at him, immediately setting her chin back on the ground after the effort. Still, she could see his round face and his dark hair. He was much younger than any of the other wizards she had seen. Maybe that was why he didn’t carry the same biases as the others. “You know Julian?”
“I know a lot more than you might think.” Varhan stretched up on his tiptoes to reach the long bones of her wings with his brush. “I’ve lived out here a long time, and I come out to talk to anyone who comes by. I’ve never been bold enough to march right into your town and make my presence known, but I’ve still managed to gather quite a bit of information.”
Naomi was silent for a while as she watched him finish with the silvery substance. It made her blue scales, normally shiny, a matte grey color. “Do you really think this will work?”
Varhan took one last stroke of his paintbrush down her tail and returned to her head. He kneeled down in front of her, his grey eyes looking calmly into hers. “I do. I’ve studied long and hard. There are numerous factors at work here, but I think I can manipulate them in all the right ways to get you to Earth. But I need you to understand that this isn’t as simple as transporting a being from one place to another. It pulls on the strings of the universe, changing and manipulating things in ways that even I wouldn’t have imagined during my studies under Master Knexon. In other words, I’m changing your entire life as well as the lives of others.”
