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  He increased the pressure, his fingers teased, stroked and rhythmically surged inside her. His mouth worked its way up her body until once again his delicious lips caught hers. God, he tasted like spice and wine. She was drunk on him.

  The stunning feelings in her swirled and coalesced. She was burning up from the inside.

  “Come for me, Kira.” His voice was pure temptation. “Come apart for me.”

  She had no choice. The duel friction of his mouth and fingers lashed at her. The searing flames in her belly exploded, incredible pleasure burst inside her, and she came in a hot, liquid rush.

  Kira fell forward, her body languid, her muscles lax. Her heartbeat was loud in her ears. Had she ever felt this good before? When she became aware of her surroundings, her body tingled with sensation and she was caught in Rordan’s strong arms. His erection was still hard beneath her.

  He tipped her chin up, his glowing green eyes fixed on her. “You are so beautiful.”

  His tone was reverent and she blushed. Here she was, practically naked in his arms, and he’d given her the most earth-shattering orgasm of her life. She couldn’t seem to find any words to respond to him.

  He smiled and it lit up his usually serious face. Her breath caught in her chest. The man was so gorgeous. Something moved inside her, something powerful, and alarm slicked along her veins. It wasn’t emotion. It was just her dragon. She didn’t have feelings for this man.

  “I can’t wait to see you come apart again.” His hand brushed her damp hair back from her face, bared one shoulder.

  Streaks of lightning followed his touch, her blood already starting to warm again. How did he do it? How could she respond to him like this again so soon?

  His thumb rubbed across her collarbone. “This time with me inside you.”

  Her stomach somersaulted. The thought of his big body covering hers, surging into her, made her muscles feel weak. She wanted, with a reckless passion that made it impossible for her to think about anything else.

  He caressed her neck and ran his hand down into the valley of her breasts. His fingers dipped into her cleavage. They closed around her medallion.

  “This suits you. Bold and unique.”

  Kira froze. The flush of desire bleached from her face. “It was Marek’s.”

  Rordan let the medallion go like it was poisoned. It fell back against her damp skin.

  Oh, God. Shame flooded though her like a tidal wave, washing away the heat. Her hands went cold.

  She’d just betrayed Marek in the worst possible way.

  “Let me go.” She pushed against his chest. She had to get away from him. She needed some distance between them so she could think again. Regain her sanity.

  He did as she asked. Covering her breasts, she scrambled to her feet and jerked her shirt back on.

  “I can’t believe I let this happen.” Confused tears welled in her eyes and she rapidly blinked them away.

  She’d let her brother’s killer give her pleasure. Mind-blowing, brain-melting, soul-searing pleasure.

  But what was worse, she’d enjoyed every single moment of it. And she wanted more.

  Chapter Six

  Rordan battled to control the desire burning in his bloodstream, clawing at his insides. His heart knocked hard against his chest. “Kira?”

  She shook her head. “I can’t deal with this right now. I can’t believe I just did that.” She pushed her hair off her face. “We need to find a way out of here.”

  Hollowness filled his chest. She would never want him beyond the physical, and even then she’d fight the attraction. Her hair was still wild around her face and he saw the outline of her braless breasts under her shirt. Breasts he’d just caressed, tasted.

  But she would never be his.

  His dragon snarled. It wanted this woman and didn’t care she’d pulled away. He felt the pull of the beast, tugging and straining, wanting to grab her. The dragon wanted her under him, filled by him.

  God, was he turning?

  Rordan let his head fall back against the rock wall and squeezed his eyes shut. The man wanted all that, as well. But he also wanted her with him, wanted her husky cries of pleasure, her nails digging into his skin, her warm, tight body clasping his.

  And it would never be like that because she hated him. It was hopeless. She would always blame him for Marek, would always be just outside his reach.

  Just take her. Tear off her clothes and take her. He gritted his teeth against the beast. He would control this; he would tame his dragon.

  Was this how it felt to near the line of turning wild? Was the turbulent emotion Kira ignited in him sending him closer to tumbling over the edge?

  “Rordan?”

  A violent surge of satisfaction filled him, hearing his name on her lips. His control slipped another inch. His hands dug into his thighs. It had never been this bad before; the urge had never been this strong.

  God, he’d hurt her enough without forcing himself on her. “I need some time…to cool off.”

  He opened his eyes. She was watching him, concern in her gaze. He nodded toward the rubble blocking the entrance. He didn’t want her to witness his struggle. “See if you can find a way out of here.”

  She gave a slow nod before she strode across the cave.

  Rordan waited for his blood to cool. He pulled deep breaths into his lungs. He was too close to becoming the creature he hunted. If he went wild, he wasn’t sure how many people would die. He glanced at the woman across the cave and knew what he had to do.

  It took some time, but his dragon settled. His pulse returned to normal and he felt more in control. A few moments later he joined her beside the rubble and attempted to ignore the awareness arcing between them. “What do you think?”

  She chewed on her lip as she contemplated the rocks. “I can’t summon enough water to move all this. What about you?”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “I need nature, trees, animals. Not much in here but moss and worms.”

  “Well, I guess there’s the old-fashioned way. We dig ourselves out.”

  It would be a long, tedious job. He scanned the cave again. “Ander will be back before too long. It might be better to rest, conserve our energy and be prepared when he comes.”

  With a nod, she turned away from him to make her way back to where they’d been sitting.

  She’d always turn away from him. His hands flexed. One day she’d find a mate and marry. His knuckles leached stark white. He couldn’t watch that.

  He’d made the right decision. This fight would be his last. He’d battle Ander and rid the world of two evils. He’d make sure neither of them survived the fight.

  But he at least wanted Kira to know one thing. He reached out, touched her shoulder. She stiffened under his hand, but paused.

  “I’m sorry about Marek.”

  She didn’t react. She made no sound, her shoulders stayed tense. He sighed. He knew there’d be no forgiveness, but he wanted her to know he wasn’t some cold-blooded killing machine.

  “I’ve lost friends, but never family. Ander was very close to me and his turning…” He couldn’t find the right words.

  Frustrated, he brushed past her, shoved his hands on his hips and stared into the darkness. So like the darkness staining his soul.

  “Did Marek kill?”

  Her voice was close. He slowly turned, saw her standing a few feet away. “What?”

  “Did my brother kill?” She looked to where the girl’s body was covered in rocks. “Did he torture and rape?”

  Rordan’s belly tightened. He would never give the details of what her brother had become. He could at least spare her some pain. “Kira, you don’t want to know.”

  She took a step closer, her blue eyes glinting with purpose. “Did he?”

  Rordan closed his eyes. “Yes.”

  She wavered slightly. Pure anguish lined her face, then was gone. She dragged in a deep breath. “You gave Ander a chance because of Marek?”

 
; “Yes. And because I’ve been killing so long. Because of you.” His hands fell to his sides. Weariness burned in his chest. His beast crouched, waiting for its chance. “I wanted to believe a wild could be saved, because I’m close to turning.”

  Kira stared at Rordan, her stomach quivering. Turbulent emotions eddied inside her. There was sorrow for her brother, realization that once a dragon turned, there was no coming back.

  But most of all there was shock at Rordan’s words. He thought he was turning wild?

  “This will be my last fight,” he said quietly. “Ander and I will both go to our grave.”

  No! The word screamed in her head.

  Rordan was wrong. If he was turning, he wouldn’t be so intent on killing himself. Couldn’t he see he was nothing like the beasts they hunted? She’d seen enough wilds in her career to recognize one who was turning. And one who wasn’t.

  His chin had fallen to his chest and weariness radiated from him in waves, swamping her. And loneliness—had she ever seen anyone so lonely?

  For the first time she saw through to the man. Not the knight with the fearsome reputation, not the prince burdened with his duty. Just the man, the one who had to be strong for everyone else. The man who bore such a heavy weight and did the ugly job others didn’t want to do.

  Life as a knight was tough. Killing was not a job that lay easily on the conscience, but she’d always had her family, had Marek, to help her be strong.

  Who did Rordan have?

  She’d never considered that such a great knight, the Savage Dragon, needed anyone. But here he was, his soul laid bare for her. And she’d helped bring him to this. Remorse ripped at her. She’d tossed her grief and anger at him, used him as a target for her blame, when he wasn’t responsible at all.

  She said a quiet goodbye to her brother. She would remember the man he had been, not the monster that had stolen him for a short while.

  Now it was time to get on with her life. Rordan needed her. The Savage Dragon needed someone to hold him, to take away his pain and replace it with something else. She was amazed at the strength of her need to see the deep lines erased from his face.

  Oh, God. She loved him.

  Shock spiraled through her, down to her toes. She’d always admired this man from afar, always felt drawn to him. Somewhere that had turned to love. Kira suspected her dragon had always known.

  A sense of rightness descended, along with the turbulent desire Rordan generated in her. The burn started, the embers glowing, the flames climbing. She needed him as much as he needed her. She needed to be his.

  Her fingers made short work of her shirt buttons. She let the fabric slither down her arms and drop to the ground. When she unzipped her fly and started peeling off her trousers, Rordan’s head snapped up like he’d been shot.

  His eyes widened. “What are you doing?”

  The leather was gone and she stood before him in only a tiny black thong. She saw flames flickering in the depths of his green eyes. “You were right, Rordan. Once a dragon turns wild, there’s no going back.”

  He dragged his eyes off her breasts. “You should stay away from me.”

  “No. You aren’t turning, Rordan.”

  He didn’t look convinced. “You hate me.”

  “No. I don’t.”

  “I killed your brother.”

  She walked toward him, a sad smile on her lips. “He wasn’t my brother anymore. I lost him long before you killed him.”

  Rordan just stared at her, desire straining his face. The muscles in his neck corded and she saw the pulse pounding at the base of his throat.

  “I’m dark inside. It’s too late.”

  “No, it’s not.” When she reached him, she ran a finger down the center of his chest, over hard muscle, over the elegant inked dragon. “Let me take the darkness away.”

  His skin was scorched, his breathing jerky. She marveled that one touch from her so affected such a strong, powerful man.

  “I was wrong to blame you.” She went up on her toes, nibbled at his lips. “I want to show you what I really feel.”

  He circled her wrist, held her hand away from his chest. “Why are you doing this? I don’t want your sympathy.”

  She smiled. “Just be with me, Rordan. I need you.”

  His control snapped. He yanked her to him and her bare skin pressed against his. She moaned before his lips cut off the sound.

  Desire turned white-hot. The kiss was frantic, filled with raw emotion and desperate need. His rough hands cupped her, his fingers digging into the smooth flesh of her buttocks. He stroked, dipped lower to where she was hot and slick.

  “God, I need you.” His words were filled with longing. “I need to be inside you. Now.”

  She shimmied against him. She needed it, too. Her hands went to his trousers, unfastened them. He sprung, hot and heavy, into her waiting palm.

  A single yank of his hand and her thong tore away, leaving her bare. He cupped her bottom and urged her up. She eagerly wrapped her legs around his waist.

  His heavy erection brushed against her and she cried out. But he didn’t fill her.

  “Look at me, Kira.” It was a command. His hands tangled in her hair and tugged her head back.

  His green eyes were aflame with a terrible hunger. For her. This strong, extraordinary warrior hungered for her alone.

  “I’ve wanted you forever,” he murmured.

  “Take me.”

  He plunged into her, slamming her hips down to meet him. He filled her, hard and thick. She clawed her nails across his shoulders, and his name was torn from her throat. Her body, stretched to accommodate him, throbbed and burned like a fever. Hot sensation crashed over her. He began a ruthless assault, thrusting into her. He wasn’t easing her to climax, he was driving her there, hard and fast. Energy crackled in the air around them.

  “You’re mine.” His words came through gritted teeth.

  Complete. For the first time, she felt complete. Her dragon shuddered with pleasure. Then Kira felt something she’d never before experienced with a man—her dragon magic began to swell and grow, without any control from her.

  She jerked, driving Rordan deeper inside her. A dragon’s magic never emerged without being summoned. Never. “Wh-what’s happening?”

  His shocked eyes met hers, but he never slowed thrusting into her. “The dragonmeld.”

  The stuff of legend. When two destined dragonmates came together, their dragons mated, their magic mixed, and they were bound together irrevocably.

  He was her dragonmate.

  “Let it come, Kira. Please let it come.”

  It was a plea. Heat poured off him, and she felt his own magic rising as if to meet hers. His bronze skin took on a glittering green glow.

  The potent magic fed her wild desire. Everything inside her coiled to breaking point, the feelings electric. Her skin turned a glowing translucent blue.

  She struggled to keep the magic and her dragon contained. Did she want to be tied to Rordan for the rest of her life? Did she want to love this man forever?

  Rordan pressed his mouth against her throat. “Please. Let go.”

  She did.

  Rordan held Kira as she arched her back and screamed. He watched her water magic spill out and race over her skin in a blue rush.

  She was his dragonmate. They were matched. She was his and only his.

  He kept thrusting into her, taking savage delight in her magnificent body and the way she met every one of his strokes. The way her body clenched, and gripped him as she came. He’d never been so hungry, never needed to the point of pain. The terrible pressure built, and his dragon reared up.

  Kira’s magic rippled over him like a waterfall. His own skin glowed and his magic swirled to meet hers. Water nourished wood, and when her magic collided with his, dark fire—the dragonmeld—exploded around them.

  Wave after wave of intense pleasure, saturated with their combined magic, slammed into him. He poured himself into her. She shuddered in h
is arms and screamed out her second climax. He struggled to keep them upright, felt their magic spinning around them, twining them together.

  His legs gave out and he sank to his knees, Kira held tight in his arms. He never planned to let her go. He couldn’t let her go. The dragonmeld had bonded them forever.

  He pushed her hair back and rained light kisses over her face. Her skin was still faintly blue and made her look like an angel. Her eyelids fluttered open.

  They stared at each other. He looked deep into her stunning blue eyes. The eyes of his mate. But would she stay with him?

  Then she smiled.

  He smiled back. He’d half expected her to pull away from him, to realize she’d made a mistake by giving herself to him. To realize she still hated him. He couldn’t believe Kira Bethlen—tough, strong and beautiful Kira—was his perfect match.

  “Kira…” His throat clogged. His hand tangled in her hair. He didn’t know how to tell her that she filled all the dark, lonely spaces in him.

  “You don’t need to say anything, Rordan.”

  But he did. He wanted to. She nourished him and gave him strength. Because of her, his dragon was sated, no longer straining for the dark. “Kira, you chased out the darkness.”

  “I’ll always chase it away.” She pressed her lips to his.

  The kiss was slow, languid, filled with all the emotion eddying between them.

  When they parted, he summoned his magic. It poured into him, stronger than before. Amazed, he summoned a blanket made from nature’s finest silk and spread it on the ground.

  When he laid her back on it, her smile widened. “Nice.”

  He rubbed a hand up her sleek leg. “We need to talk about what happened. About the fact we’re dragonmates.” One part of him felt guilty he’d forced her to decide in the middle of making love. Another part of him was afraid she’d change her mind.

  “Uh-uh. There’ll be time to talk later, Sarkany.” She shook her head, her smile turned sly. “I want you again.”

  He swallowed, fought back tingle building in him. “You should rest. Be ready for when Ander returns.”