Dragon's Melody (11 page)

“Right there, huh?” he asked and she responded with another nod.

Garen let out a long breath and for some reason as he did, she felt her thigh muscles gradually relax and allow him to stretch her leg even more. She jerked slightly when he gripped her thigh with his free hand and began to dig his thumb into the back of it in a slow, circular massaging motion. His hand worked its way down the back of her thigh, inch by inch. Each incremental movement lower caused her pulse to race faster and her skin to heat. He finally stopped just shy of the edge of her shorts, which only barely covered her ass as it was.

When he released her, he lowered her foot to the floor and moved to lift the other leg, repeating the process. As he worked, Melody tried to distract herself from his touch by thinking about what she’d spend her accumulated savings on once her contract was up, beyond the trip she had planned with her mother. The agreement had come with a substantial bump in salary, but that had been the last thing on her mind at the time. Now her mind only managed to come up with the most absurd ideas, and she wound up simply wondering if she’d be able to keep the lingerie in her closet upstairs. She hated shopping and who would want to wear it after her anyway?

But if this whole arrangement was intended as a trial run before she married the guy, that changed everything. What if he ended up hating her once he got to know her? What if she hated
him
? Would she still have to go through with the contract if she learned there was no way it would work after day one? And if he released her from it because they couldn’t stand each other, would Garen hate her for not trying harder?

“Am I hurting you?” Garen asked, stopping his massaging abruptly and giving her a concerned look.

“What? Oh, no. I’m fine.” Her voice shook when she spoke, betraying her emotions.

“Melody, if you object to any of this—I mean if you genuinely feel uncomfortable—you have to let me know. It’s important that you’re invested in every moment you’re here. That you’re doing this because you care about the outcome.” His eyes flickered with inner light, reminding her that he could actually see her mood swings. How damn inconvenient.

“I’m just anxious, I guess,” she said. “You touching me like that doesn’t help.”

His lips quirked up on one side, the cute twist giving her the strongest urge to sit up and kiss him. “My intention wasn’t to arouse you, but it’s good that it turns you on. I’m going to be doing a lot more touching before tonight.”

“How can you stand it? Last night you were all over me. I’m glad you’re restraining yourself now, but I don’t know if I’m as strong as you are.”

“It’ll get easier,” he said. “And I’m full today, so it’s easier to be around you without craving a taste of your energy.”

She blinked at him, a sharp pang of alarm shooting through her. “How … ? I mean …”

“While you slept, I went out. I had to make sure the little bit of your essence I tasted was flushed out of me.”

Melody rolled over and stood, facing away from him. Her eyes stung and she rubbed at them in frustration. She took a deep breath, trying to loosen the tight knot in her chest. Christ, why was she reacting so strongly? He’d told her he would need to do exactly that.

Get it together, Melonhead
, she told herself. She took a deep breath and nodded, then turned resolutely to face him.

“Okay, what next?” she asked in as chipper a tone as she could manage.

“A little endurance training,” he said, but she was sure she saw a flash of uncertainty cast a shadow across his features when he looked at her.

Chapter Seventeen

E
ven though he’d made a point to gorge himself with a young, adventurous married couple in a club the night before, Garen still couldn’t quite suppress his arousal at being close to Melody that morning. He did his best to stick to his plan for the day, but it required frequent reminders to himself that she wasn’t for him as much as his body craved another taste of her. He should never have gone as far as he had the day before. It was as though that one tiny drop of her energy had marked him and he experienced an irrational moment of panic, wondering if Skye would really be able to tell, even though he’d gone to unusual lengths to hide what he’d done.

Just today—if he could prep her for Skye without driving himself mad, tomorrow would be easier. Skye’s essence would diminish her reactions to him, and with any luck his own instinct to mate Melody would be held at bay with the presence of Skye’s more powerful essence infusing her.

But Sweet Mother, it was going to be a long day. The simple, floral aroma of her sweat made his temples pound and his dick threatened to rouse itself every time he even hazarded the slightest, most objective look at her very feminine physique.

She was in excellent shape for someone so adamant about not working out earlier. Eventually, the little bit of competition he added to their workout managed to distract the both of them until he found himself enjoying her presence as much for her cocky banter as for her physical allure. By the end of the workout he even managed a sense of pride knowing how pleased Skye was going to be with her once he got to know her better. Garen may not be able to have her for himself, but at least she would be with the only other person he cared as deeply for.

Only person
, he corrected himself after his train of thought halted in alarm. He was growing to care for her, but not
that
deeply. Not yet. He shook his head trying to dispel the feeling of denial that lingered.

“All right, let’s have lunch and then it’s time to prep you for tonight,” he said, helping Melody unfasten her climbing harness. She’d done as well with the climbing wall as with any of the other physical tasks he’d thrown at her, managing to keep her balance with ease.

She does have a rather lovely center of gravity, which can’t hurt
, he mused as he let his eyes wander over her bare midsection and her cute little divot of a navel. His mind also wandered to thoughts of shifting into his true form and having her shapely thighs gripping tight around his shoulders while he flew. Or having those thighs wrapped around his human hips while he fucked her.

Melody’s aura shimmered and her cheeks flushed even pinker than they’d been from her exertion alone. “Time for you to show your stuff, huh?” She gazed up at him with bright, eager eyes and he hoped his expression hadn’t given away any of the thoughts that had been going through his mind.

He cleared his throat, sending a silent plea to the Dragon Mother to help him endure the next few hours without going mad.

Melody devoured the substantial lunch he made for her. She glanced up once halfway through the pastrami Reuben. “What?” she asked around a mouthful of food. “Do I have sauce on my face?” She grabbed a napkin and dabbed daintily at the corners of her lips.

Garen laughed. “No. I’m just impressed by your appetite.”

She scowled at him and set down the rest of her sandwich, shoving it away with a longing look.

He shoved it back at her. “Eat. You’ll need your energy.”

“You just called me a pig.”

“No such thing. It was a compliment. You experience things with such joy and abandon. So few humans have that trait. It’s a pleasure simply to watch you. ”

She picked the sandwich up and took another slow bite. “Are you going to be there tonight … watching?”

Her hopeful tone touched him, and he sighed. “No. Not unless Skye asks me to stay, but I imagine he’ll want you to himself entirely.”

She chewed thoughtfully and swallowed. “You said something on the plane last night,” she said, picking distractedly at her crust. “That I’d love getting fucked by Skye … as much as you do. Does that mean you two are lovers?” She stared at him, wide eyed, then blurted in a tumble of words, “I don’t care if you are, not at all, I’m just curious. In fact it’s pretty damn hot, if you ask me.”

“Not exactly,” he said slowly, trying to decide how to explain his relationship with Skye. “We’ve been very close since childhood. I’ve always been tasked with serving him in some capacity, and sometimes that means fulfilling the same needs you’ve been hired for. Which he occasionally reciprocates.”

Melody set her sandwich down again. “Wait a second, are you telling me that this …” she waved her hand between them. “This is you training your replacement?”

Garen raised his hands, cursing himself for misleading her. “Nothing like that. You are necessary. I’m just … a placeholder, I guess.” He winced inwardly at how pathetic he sounded and hated the pitying look she gave him.

“You love him, don’t you,” she said softly.

Garen sighed. Weary of dancing around the truth, he simply nodded. “My whole life he’s the only person who’s ever made me feel close to whole when we’re together. I’ve tried human lovers, but have yet to find any who satisfy me.” He avoided giving any hint about precisely how unsatisfying any other lover had been for him.

“Why do you want me in the middle of you two, then? Doesn’t he love you back?”

“How we feel isn’t really relevant. He needs you more than he needs me for reasons he’ll have to tell you himself when the time comes. Now, if you’re finished eating, we should get a move on. I don’t want to have to rush things at the last minute or we might end up making a mistake.”

“Another mistake, you mean,” she said.

He gave her a wan smile. “I don’t regret it, and you shouldn’t worry. I know exactly what I’m doing.”

At least he hoped he did.

Chapter Eighteen

M
elody’s mind buzzed with excitement. After finishing their lunch, Garen’s entire demeanor shifted. He was no longer the easygoing, sensitive, sharing man she’d spent the morning with. Back came the no-nonsense commands, given in his even tone, like he’d done when he’d first found her in the library cubicle little more than a day ago.

He led her to her bedroom, which she was surprised to see had been tidied up while they were working out, though there had been no sign of any staff about.

“Undress and put your robe on again, and wait for me here,” Garen said before stepping into the sunlit bathroom. She did as he asked and sat on the edge of the bed, her leg bouncing with nerves.

The sound of rushing water reached her ears from the bathroom, soon followed by the scent of something subtly floral. She inhaled deeply. Lavender, she thought, and something else that calmed her.

This is where it starts
, she thought, eager to find out what kinds of things Garen would be doing to prepare her.

A few moments later, he reappeared in the bathroom doorway.

“Come,” he said, nodding to her.

She approached him, biting her lip as she gazed up at his blank expression. He stepped to the side to allow her to pass. When she did, he bent his head to whisper, “Don’t be nervous, this’ll be fun for us both.” He touched her hip very lightly through her silk robe and slid his large hand along her lower back, letting it rest there to urge her further into the room.

He stopped her at the side of the tub. She began to untie her robe but he reached around her from behind and clutched her hands in his.

“Let me do everything until I say otherwise.”

“Okay,” she said, dropping her arms to her sides.

He tugged at the knot in the belt and the robe fell open. The warmth of his body sank through the fabric and into the skin of her back. She wanted to lean back against him, to feel the hard shapes of his body she’d admired earlier pressed against her, but she managed to hold still to comply with his instructions.

His hands rested on her shoulders, squeezing gently before his fingers hooked into the collar of the robe. He didn’t pull at it, however. Instead he merely gripped the edges of the fabric lightly between his thumbs and fingers and slid them down along the front of it, knuckles brushing against her flesh as his hands descended.

Melody’s nerve endings came alive beneath that bare brush of his skin against hers. He paused just at the upper swell of her breasts.

“I’ve barely begun and you’re already ripe with lust,” he murmured in her ear. “I need you to take a deep breath, Melody. You need to last all night, remember?”

“Okay,” she said, taking a deep breath and trying not to shiver in ecstasy at the sensation of the fabric of her robe sliding over her erect nipples.

Garen pulled the robe open and slid it off her shoulders. His hands brushed her skin again almost randomly, but she got the sense that none of what he did from here on out would be random in the slightest. He stepped away for a moment to hang the robe on a hook on the back of the door, which he closed behind him when he was done.

Coming back to her, he gripped her hand and led her to the wide raised steps leading to the edge of the huge jacuzzi tub. She used his grip for balance as she tested the water, which felt gloriously hot after spending the day in the comfortable chill of the air conditioned apartment. She stepped in and sank down into the water, finding the comfortable contoured seat at one edge.

The heat seeped into her well-worked muscles bit by bit, and she relaxed, closing her eyes to enjoy the soak.

“Open your eyes, Melody. You don’t get to sleep through this.”

“I wasn’t …” she began and opened her eyes. They widened when she saw him stepping naked into the other end of the tub and moving toward her. His skin glistened from the steam that clung to him, and his half-hard cock swayed slightly with each step. When he reached her feet, he sank down until the water covered his stomach. He stretched a hand out to the edge of the tub and grabbed a cloth and a bar of soap, then sank one hand beneath the water and found her foot.

She wanted to close her eyes again and just enjoy the gentle sensations of his hands on her, washing her. First at her feet, then gradually up each leg. It was so relaxing after a few moments that it would have stopped being erotic if it weren’t for the way Garen’s muscles flexed with each movement, or the way he licked the moisture from his lips every so often.

He shifted to her side and continued the slow washing of her from fingertips to armpits and then down her sides, being deliberately careful not to touch anything too sensitive.

“Lean back and wet your hair,” he said, shifting closer and resting his palm against the back of her neck.

She let him support her as she slipped further into the tub. One of his arms went beneath her knees, and he held her floating body until she felt completely weightless with barely more than the lightest touch from his arm beneath her legs for support and only his hand beneath her head keeping her face above the water’s surface. She did close her eyes when the water covered her ears, muffling everything except the oddly resonant sound of her own breathing.

Nothing existed inside their little bubble. The entire world disappeared in that moment, leaving behind only the womb-like heat of the tub and Garen’s strong arms holding her floating body. When his touch shifted from beneath her knees and his hand moved higher, the sensation was merely an extension of the bliss that cocooned her already.

His palm slid up the back of her thigh, and then around, trailing heat over the top of her leg where her skin was partially still above the surface. Fingertips traced a slow line along her inner thigh until they grazed, feather-light, against the outer folds of her core.

Melody opened her eyes, suddenly needing to watch his face while he touched her. His attention was focused between her thighs, his full, kissable lips open slightly and his brow furrowed as though with intense concentration. For a second she was certain he’d darted his tongue out to lick his lips, but she must have been mistaken, for what she’d seen hadn’t been anything close to what a tongue should have looked like.
Except he isn’t human,
she reminded herself. It didn’t matter anymore when he slipped his thumb and forefinger along between her folds, down the length of her slit, and spread her open enough for the heat of the water to sink deeper.

Following the contours of her pussy back up, he paused at her clit and stroked slowly and with barely enough pressure for her to feel it. But she did feel it and all it did was serve to make her crave more. She forced herself to remain still, letting the need build, trusting him to stop at the right moment like he said he would.

Just when she was sure she would have to push him away, his hand disappeared from between her thighs and he moved again, sliding down onto the seat she’d rested on earlier and pulling her back against him.

She didn’t move or speak, but sighed when he wrapped his arms around her torso beneath her breasts and pressed his face against her neck.

“Sweet Melody, you are an amazing creature. I do hope Skye knows how lucky he is that you’re his.”

Melody gripped his hands in her own and squeezed. “If he’s half as amazing as you, I’m sure he’ll figure it out.”

They remained like that for several moments until her desire subsided enough for her heart rate to reach a somewhat normal pace. Garen shifted behind her again and soon she felt something cool trickle along the top of her scalp followed by his fingertips massaging into her hair.

“So this is the full wash treatment, huh?” she asked, trying to lighten the mood as much as she could. As much as she wanted his touch in all kinds of places on her body, she wished even more for the light banter from their workout.

“I plan on seeing to every inch of you, head to toe,” he said.

Melody let herself sink back against him with a sigh. If this was what her days would be like with Garen, she had no room to complain. His every touch made her feel both alive and content, even in the midst of being aroused to the point of distraction. She could easily get used to this, if it weren’t for the tiny knot of anxiety over seeing Skye again that threatened to ruin the mood entirely.