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When he was finished, he relaxed and gently let her take his weight. He breathed in their combined scent and felt his cock stir. He didn’t think he’d ever been this intimate with any woman. He’d had lots of sex in his long life, but nothing that compared to this.
He rolled from her body, gently drawing her next to him and realized she had fallen asleep, most likely as he finished filling her up. He didn’t care. Delaney was his. She knew it now. She had to feel it. She was warm and limp in his embrace.
He left her sleeping after he tucked her into bed. Yes, he had been gentle, but she was exhausted and needed to rest. Besides, there was a lot to do before they returned to the Winds in the morning.
Chapter 14
Tevryn
Tevryn made his way into the bathroom, closed the door, and stretched. Stepping into the shower, he set it to barely tepid; no need to give his cock any reason for stimulation. He couldn’t help smiling. Never in his life had he felt this good, this necessary. He took a quick shower and turned off the water and stepped out, catching the sight of himself in the mirror. He didn’t like what stared back at him—the face of a man she shouldn’t trust.
Why? Because he was lying to her—not just some simple lie, but a major, fundamental lie—one that went to the very core of who he was. She’d been so grateful that he’d believed her about shapeshifters. Of course, he had; he was one. Well, not technically. Shapeshifters were mythical creatures who could shift into whatever form they chose. Shifters were hybrid creatures: part human, part animal.
Whistler had some of it right: there was a battle coming. There were all kinds of shifters, including dragons, and there were those who believed humans should be subjugated and moved down the evolutionary and predatory ladders, supplanted by creatures more powerful than they were. Where Whistler had gotten it so wrong was in believing this was what the Phantom Fire wanted or that Abraham was some kind of force for good.
He had no right to declare his feelings for her or revel in the feelings evoked when she expressed the same. Not when there was a fundamental element of who he was that he had yet to reveal to her. But how did he do that without betraying his brethren and all the other shifters? But hadn’t Whistler already done that? Could he risk going back into the Winds without her knowing or risk her learning the whole truth?
There was an easy way to fix it. He could go back in there and trust that what they felt was real, and that nothing could tear them apart. But it wasn’t just his risk to take. Delaney was no fool. It wouldn’t take her long to figure out that not only was he a dragon-shifter but a member of the Phantom Fire.
He growled low, frustration bubbling to the surface.
“Tevryn? Are you okay?” she called from the other room.
He shook his head, banishing the guilt and agitation the thought brought with it. She didn’t need to feel that traveling down the link. She needed to heal and rest, but if last night was any indication, she was well on her way to doing that. He had to figure something out. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her if he told her the truth, but he also couldn’t continue to feel the lies stick in his throat.
“I’m fine, baby. I’m going to grab a quick shower and then go make breakfast.”
“I could join you,” she offered, standing naked in the doorway.
God, she was beautiful.
“Much as I’d like that, I don’t think your doctor would be pleased about last night.”
“Then let’s not tell her,” Delaney quipped, joining him and wrapping herself around him from the back.
He chuckled, but stopped her hands from trailing down his washboard abs to the nest of curls that surrounded the root of his cock, which was beginning to stir.
“No. I have some more work to do, and I want you to rest. Tell Whistler we’ll make our own way back to the Winds this weekend.”
“Why wait so long?”
He turned and wrapped his arms around her. “We’re not going to wait, but I’d rather go exploring without Whistler knowing.”
“You don’t trust him at all, do you?”
“I think I’ve made that abundantly clear. If I can get everything done that I need to today, I’m going to see if we can’t get a ride on another private jet. I’d like to keep our electronic trail as non-existent as possible.”
“Do you think we should plan to pack in as opposed to staying at the B&B?”
“I think it would be wise. There are some places we can make a base camp that would be hard to spot. I’d like a chance to examine that spot where you hit your head.”
“Do you think Whistler’s telling the truth?”
“I think he may be dumb enough to be repeating what others may have told him in order to gain his support, but I don’t think he has some of the elements right.”
“Like what?”
“The legend of the Phantom Fire. I’ve heard it before, but they were more like Knights of the Round Table—brought together to protect the other dragons, not to rule the world. There was a glorious age of dragons, but most accept that their time to rule has passed. They could be a formidable peacekeeping force, but thanks to a lot of fantasy games and novels they are usually cast as the bad guys.”
