Zinc Dragon (Dragon Guard of Drakkaris Book 4) Read online

  “How do I look?” She grabbed the skirt in both hands, pulling it out. “Fancy enough? I mean, everything in the closet was kind of fancy.”

  She was being so adorable in showing off that he couldn’t resist pulling her in and kissing her, holding her gently by the arms as their lips met, reassuring himself that she was his.

  When they pulled apart, she stared up at him vacantly, then ran her little pink tongue over her lower lip.

  “That was nice,” she said. She looked down the hall. “To keep up appearances?”

  The dress had long sleeves but was cut to bare her smooth shoulders, and the temptation to place kisses over every bit of exposed skin was almost unbearable.

  “No,” he said. “I just wanted to.”

  She looked up at him, embarrassed, and then put her hands behind her as they began to walk forward. “Oh. Nice.”

  He put out a hand. “Can I escort you?”

  “So old-fashioned.”

  “Actually, it’s something I’ve seen humans do on TV, but I like it.”

  “That’s right. You spent some time on Earth,” she said. “That makes me feel a little bit better.”

  “Yes. I won’t be totally lost to your customs.” His eyes grew teasing. “Though, I wasn’t quite aware of some of the things Cobalt mentioned earlier.”

  She ducked her head slightly. “Stop. It was so awkward.”

  “Was it okay, though? He didn’t do anything to make you uncomfortable?”

  “Of course not. He was wonderful.”

  Zinc raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

  “I just mean that he was really nice.” She walked down the hall, looking up at the intricate windows. “So how many people are we going to see at dinner?”

  “You’ll see,” he said.

  They took a turn just before the main hall and went down a little corridor until they reached a small room at the end. When he opened the door, a woman reached a hand out with a basket, handing it to him.

  “What’s that?”

  “You’ll see.”

  “Such a tease,” she said, still holding his arm as he opened the door to a tall, winding staircase that led up to an outdoor exit. They walked up the stone steps carefully, and then Zinc opened the door to outside, letting humid air that was the perfect temperature sweep in.

  He loved the smell of Drakkaris, which was technically a tropical planet. During the day, it was a little too warm, but at night, it was cool with a soft, floral scent combined with fresh spices that seemed to sparkle in the air.

  “Wow,” she said, stepping out onto the walkway with him. It was one of the many balconies from which one could get a good view of the kingdom. The green mountains, purple oceans, pink moon already rising in the sky. “It’s so beautiful.”

  “I think so.” He opened the basket to take out a tablecloth and spread it over a table that he’d had someone set up for them. “I thought we could just be together tonight.”

  “Oh.” She looked surprised as she took a seat on the tall, cushioned chair he pulled out for her.

  The sunset was blue and pink in the distance, far beyond the purple ocean, and she stared at it open-mouthed as he got out their dinner.

  Cobalt had told him what she liked from lunch, and he’d used that to make recommendations to the chef for things that were similar.

  “Wow.” She had to fight to pull her gaze from their surroundings in order to pay attention to her food. “It still feels unreal.”

  “That’s how I felt about Earth at first. You’ll adjust to it.”

  “I don’t plan to be here long.”

  Zinc’s heart sank slightly. He’d figured as much when he found a human mate, but hearing her reject Drakkaris felt a little like she was rejecting him.

  “Don’t get me wrong; it’s gorgeous. And the people seem amazing. It’s just that I have family on Earth. A life there. Dreams.”

  “What kind of dreams? Tell me about them. And your family.”

  So she did, and Zinc let the dreamy air wash over him, enjoyed the familiar food of his childhood, as he learned all about Leanne’s life.

  Her father had been a surgeon in the military, and though he’d always worked hard, with five kids, there hadn’t been a lot of money. She’d always been encouraged to get an education and make something of herself.

  So different from life on Drakkaris, where propagating the species and finding the perfect mate was the main order of business.

  Still, he wouldn’t ever want to force that on Leanne. He’d always known an Earth mate might want to stay there. He just hadn’t really had to face the reality of it before.

  “So yeah,” she said. “This place is wonderful. You’re wonderful. But I’m sure you’ll find someone who was meant to be a princess. Someone more suitable for the throne.”

  But I only want you.

  And besides, even though she didn’t know it, their situation was permanent. Was she going to hate him when she figured it out?

  Hopefully, he could win her heart first.

  “Anyway, how long do you think we’ll have to stay here?” She put her fork down and let out a relaxed breath, hair lifting beautifully in the Drakkaris breeze.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Seems like your parents are really happy.”

  “They are,” he said. “Though, they obviously don’t know the whole story.” He fidgeted nervously and was surprised when she reached across the table and put her hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

  “It’s going to be okay, Zinc. Everyone is probably just glad you’re alive. I know I am.”

  He pulled back, raising an eyebrow. “Are you? Because it seems as if you want to get rid of me.”

  She sat back in her chair, somewhat nervously. “No, it’s not like that. I just… I didn’t know you were a king, and I really wasn’t planning for all this. I just wanted to save you.”

  He set his napkin down and walked over to her chair, setting one hand on the table, one hand on the back of her seat, and leaning over her.

  “And what would you have done if it was permanent?”

  She bit her lip, heat rising in her face as she slowly raised her eyes to his. “I don’t know.”

  “Yes, you do,” he said quietly. He could sense so easily this thing between them. There was no way she was unaware of the tension.

  She squirmed slightly. “I still would have saved you, okay?” She looked up at him, frustrated. “I couldn’t let you die.”

  He leaned in even closer, their faces inches apart. “And that’s all it was? Pity?”

  She sputtered a bit, flustered, and tried to push away from the table, but he kept her trapped, refusing to move.

  This was too important of a conversation with his mate.

  “Yes,” she blurted out. “It was just pity.”

  He bit down on his lip and slowly released it. “Then why did you come while riding me?”

  She gasped and pushed on his chest, trying to escape him again, but he simply covered her mouth with his, stifling her resistance as she went limp in his arms.

  Then her hands came up, resting on his chest then curling around his neck, pulling him closer, begging for more.

  She opened her lips and her tongue met his, swirling softly as she tried to tug their bodies even closer together.

  She liked when he was dominant, and that suited him fine now that he was feeling well.

  He was a future king, after all. He sort of liked being in charge of things.

  He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her out of her chair and up against him, pressing her warm curves into his hard muscles, letting her feel the hardness forming just at even a kiss.

  She ground her hips against him in response, and he knew that despite them coming from different planets, at least they had this.

  This intense chemistry that seemed to ignite instantly whenever they touched.

  When the finally pulled apart, both were breathing heavily, and he could see fire in
her eyes rivaling that of any dragon.

  Her small hands balled into fists and then relaxed as if trying to release tension, and he tried to look unaffected as he folded his arms and stepped back.

  “Well, princess? What do you want from me?”

  He waited as she looked around somewhat angrily, cheeks reddened, body stiffened, and then threw herself into his arms, reaching up to kiss him.

  He lowered his lips, claiming her again, feeling just how right it was whenever he touched her.

  Like destiny flowed through every embrace.

  He swept her up in his arms and kept her close to his chest as he walked back to the staircase and opened the door.

  His mate might not feel everything he did, which made sense because she wasn’t a dragon. But she definitely wanted him, and that gave him every reason not to hold back.

  Chapter 12

  Leanne barely had time to register what happened before Zinc had raced down several hallways and then opened a large door at the end of one.

  She barely had time to look around the opulent, silver-themed room as he kicked the door shut behind him and then walked forward to deposit her on the bed.

  She stared up at him, still in a blur, and felt herself go even wetter just at the sight of him standing next to her. So much man. So much muscle.

  Now that he was regaining his strength, she was starting to see the full extent of his personality. His intelligence, his confidence, his decorum.

  And also just how much he turned her on.

  His gray-silver gaze roved over her body, then flicked back up to meet hers, and warmth crept up her neck and into her cheeks.

  Just one more time with this otherworldly, beautiful man couldn’t hurt.

  “I think I understand what you want, but it can’t hurt to tell me again, Princess. Even if it’s fairly easy to read on your face.” His full lips were tilted up in a slight smile, but his body was rigid, clearly holding back.

  “I…” She felt herself blush deeply. “Don’t make me say it.”

  He grinned as he knelt on the bed, then came on top of her, propping himself over her. Even under the metallic-colored tunic he wore, she could make out the shape of his shoulders, his pecs. “I’m afraid I need to.”

  “Oh, fine,” she said, body feeling overheated and ready. “I want you, okay, Zinc?” Just the proximity to him made her fingertips tingle.

  “That’s what I wanted to hear,” he said softly.

  His lips coursed over the skin at the base of her neck, brushing lightly. Then they closed down, kissing and then biting lightly on her sensitive flesh. A jolt of arousal went down her spine, and she gave herself freely to the sensation.

  “Oh, Zinc.” She heard her voice come out almost whisper-like. Her body was so responsive to him, so tense.

  “Mm-hmm,” Zinc murmured, occupying himself with her earlobe now, flicking it softly with his tongue then nibbling it, wholly focused on her. Each touch made her desire him even more.

  The sheets beneath her were so soft, so silky they were unlike any fabric she’d ever felt back home. Like so many other things here on Drakkaris that were as luxurious as they were beautiful. And even though home seemed so far away, it helped that Zinc and the others did their best to make her feel at home here.

  Zinc came lower, moving down her neck to her collarbone, mixing soft kisses with long licks of his tongue, a pleasant mixture of sensations. He pulled the shoulders of the dress she wore lower, revealing her cleavage, and he paused for a moment, seemingly admiring her for a moment.

  “I’m so glad it wasn’t all a dream, what happened in the cell,” he said.

  “Why?”

  “Because it was amazing, beyond anything I could ever have imagined.”

  “Oh,” she said lightly as his fingers grazed lightly over her skin, leaving tiny trails of sensation.

  “But I think I’m going to like this even better.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I can pleasure you senseless this time.” He reached behind her, undoing the clasp of her bra and pulling it off for her.

  His mouth closed over her nipple, and Leanne almost came from the feel of it. For several long, pleasurable moments, he kissed, suckled, used his tongue to rub and flick, the wet friction making her back tense in response. Then when he was done, he used his hand to cup her breast, brushing his thumb over the now-wet tip, increasing the intensity of it.

  “I have to know every bit of you,” he said. “I wasn’t able to treasure you, take it slow before. Now I can’t get enough.”

  “You’re torturing me,” she groaned.

  “In a good way?”

  She nodded, and he went back to what he was doing. She could swear she heard him mutter, “So beautiful,” under his breath at least once or twice. But he was so expert at caressing her breasts with just the right amount of pressure she couldn’t focus on much else at the moment.

  Just when she was feeling she could burst from the pressure, she felt him peeling off her dress, rolling it down her body, and tossing it aside, leaving her in just her panties.

  She was so hot now, so wet that each passing moment was a kaleidoscope of pleasure and arousal so intense it was almost painful.

  Against all logic, Leanne just couldn’t seem to resist Zinc. The memory of how good things were between them, even in the most desperate of situations, was in the back of her mind as she looked up at him, waiting and ready for whatever he planned to do next.

  Even since the first time, she’d wondered if it had just been adrenaline or if the chemistry between them had indeed been that good.

  Zinc’s hand found her clit, and he rubbed against it, so direct and intentional she immediately came.

  She writhed against the sheets as she closed her eyes, burning heat tearing through her like a fireball of pleasure. Her toes curled tightly and her fingers gripped the sheets. But nothing could curb the intensity of her orgasm. Even as it gradually abated, she could feel little aftershocks stop her breathing momentarily as they kicked in.

  Yes, it really was that good.

  Her vision blurry, she looked back up to Zinc, who seemed utterly calm and composed. Or, on second thought, more like a hungry predator watching her every movement, not showing any emotion, but poised to strike at any moment, planning the next ten moves ahead.

  Leanne supposed that, to a dragon like Zinc, everyone was prey. But this was different.

  His eyes went to slits for a second, but when Leanne looked again, it was gone. It was just like in the dungeon, and she shivered at the reminder that he was actually a dragon.

  Zinc quickly removed her panties and his shirt. Even in the low light of the bedroom, she could make out every perfect ridge of muscle beneath smooth skin. Such a stark juxtaposition to his refined facial features, so much raw strength.

  She tightened her legs together, already feeling another release building just from sheer anticipation.

  Zinc spread her legs, and for a second, Leanne thought they were going to get right to the main event.

  Yes, please.

  But instead, he lowered himself to her center, smiling nonchalantly up at her as she watched agape. Just the anticipation of his touch was enough to make her come.

  Well, nearly.

  He flicked his tongue over her clit, the firm wetness of it so erotic she actually came again. But this time, he held her hips, anchoring and intensifying her release as it pulsated and swirled through her.

  But even as it only barely began to end, he started to stroke over her again, long licks with the end of his tongue that made her eyes roll back. And as he did, he’d intermittently make little circles around her sex, teasing her and making her so wet she could almost taste having him inside her again.

  Had it really been that long since she’d had good sex? Or was Zinc really just that incredible?

  Her intuition said it was the latter. And she trusted her intuition.

  The feel of his hands squeezing her breasts at the s
ame time as he continued to slowly lap at her clit made the tightness in her hips almost unbearable. But she tried to hold on, tried to make it last as Zinc made everything unforgettable with his overwhelming way of doing things.

  One more flick of his tongue did her in, though, and this time he held her close, allowing Leanne to grasp his back as she came beneath him. All her sensibilities were thrown out the window as sheer, mind-blowing pleasure overcame perception.

  Incredible didn’t even begin to describe it.

  Thankfully, Zinc gave her a nice long time to ride out every last drop of release as her body tried to work out the inconceivable way he somehow turned her on.

  When she was done, Zinc got off the bed and pulled off his pants, allowing his member to spring free, so much bigger and thicker than she remembered it being.

  Granted, the lighting in the prison and the fear of being caught hadn’t offered much of a chance to really savor the moment at the time. But now, seeing him in all his regal, masculine glory, she couldn’t help but shudder a little in amazement.

  Her mouth watered at the sight.

  “Now I can really show you what it’s like to mate a dragon,” Zinc said, his voice low, almost a growl, as he came back to her on the bed.

  Zinc positioned himself between Leanne’s legs, so aroused by her that the dragon inside him was close to the surface.

  It had been so long since he’d been in touch with his dragon. For as far back as he could remember, he’d had to keep the poison in his blood at bay, which meant suppressing his dragon, keeping it as far away from him as he could so as to not lose control.

  But Leanne had changed all the rules.

  Everything about her was arousing. The curve of her hips and belly and breasts. The way she responded to every touch, every kiss. The way she couldn’t hide her body’s reaction to him.

  Even the way her eyes widened as they freely roved over his body.

  He’d been told human women found dragon males attractive, but not to this extent. Being from Drakkaris, and from a noble family, meant Zinc had become very used to being around other dragons. Their height, the way they spoke and comported themselves.