Her Dragon (Book 2 of The Circle Series)

CHAPTER 13: A TEMPTRESS

AMADEO

Sleep eludes me. Somewhere in my room my phone beeps, but I ignore it.

It turns out my sister-in-law and Dame Sandrine had worked with my brother to try and find the witch Katya. Her crimes against the witches she kidnapped and tortured and her role in kidnapping Sebastian’s mother and Giada are punishable by death. With the help of our family lawyers, I convinced the Elders that Katya had a motive and the means to kill Ignacio. Ultimately, Vivi’s initial memory scan, along with the new information, was enough for them to agree to send her home. The investigation into my brother’s death continues, but they haven’t left me alone.

If this had been two centuries before, I would now be king of the Black Dragon Clan and sit on the Onyx Throne, bypassing my niece and my sister.

King.

I rub my hand over my eyes and groan. Dragon kings don’t exist anymore. The Tribunal does though, and the Elders have made it clear they want me to round out their quintet. We have a meeting today, and they want me to join them.

Ignacio was the politician, the strategist interested in governing our people. I was the warrior meant to fight by his side and protect him and his crown, not take his place.

After our subjects revolted, my brother gathered the remaining dragons of noble birth and suggested forming the Tribunal. He recognized the error of our ways and how the other species would no longer tolerate our abuse of power. So he led a reformation. And even though it took decades, he managed to save our species from extinction and somehow rally the supernatural world together again to create a new world order. I had no desire to lead in that way, but joining the Elders may be the only way to be privy to the investigation into his death.

My phone beeps again, and I stalk across the room, naked, in search of it.

Valentina:

The journal is beautiful. Thank you.

When I click on the thumbnail under the message, my eyes immediately focus on the ring laying perfectly against her collarbone—my ring.

Fuck.

She’s laying on her bed with her tousled hair spread out, lips glossy and parted, and the tiniest hint of a light brown n****e is peeking out from under her white bra. Was she touching herself here? I close my eyes trying to calm my body down, but the image of her and that simple white bra is behind my eyelids, seared in my mind.

I lean against the dresser and fist myself. Rubbing furiously, my eyes remain glued to my phone Thousands of miles away and still, she has me throbbing for her. I don’t stop stroking until my body shudders involuntarily and I explode all over my hand.

She’s a temptress, and I need to see her now. I save the photo and clean up quickly.

“Hello.” A lamp illuminates her face, and her cheeks and neck are flushed. The red blush flows down to her chest, and my dragon thrashes in my mind.

“What were you doing, Valentina?” The question wasn’t necessary. We know precisely what our mate was doing without us.

“Nothing,” she replies quickly.

“Sé que estás mintiendo.” (I know you’re lying). My body burns, knowing she has been in charge of her pleasure for the last few weeks. “Were you touching yourself?”

“Maybe.”

Her tongue snakes out quickly, wetting those perfect lips of hers, and I’m hard all over again. I’m actually jealous of her hands. She’s too far away. Too f*****g far.

“You’re not to do that again.” My voice is deeper, and I know she senses the presence of my beast.

She clutches the sheet to her chest and sits up straighter. My anger flares even more seeing her cover herself. The desire that was lingering in her eyes has disappeared.

“Excuse me!”

“You heard me. You will not touch yourself again until I see you. Is that clear?”

Her eyes narrow. “Or what?”

My skin itches. My beast is threatening to shift and go to her right now to show her exactly what will happen.

“Or I’ll punish you, and you won’t like it.”

VALENTINA

“Or I’ll punish you, and you won’t like it.”

I tried to act repulsed. I even tried to protest, but the more indignant I became, the more the part of myself denying his dominance became weaker.

I’m starting to believe I’m messed up.

“You can’t just spank me. I’m a grown woman!”

He was angry I got myself off, and some part of my warped brain was thrilled and foolishly determined to do it again.

How would he know?

His laugh was menacing, and his eyes blazed a beautiful reddish amber through my small phone screen. “There are ways to punish you, Valentina, that don’t involve spanking your sweet ass, even though you deserve it.”

He didn’t elaborate, and my imagination has been working overtime since to fill in the blanks. My stomach does gymnastics each time I think about his words. And I think about them a lot.

I think about him too—all the time.

I’m single-minded when it comes to my training and my studies, but the timbre of his voice, his smile, and every single thing he’s done replay in my mind constantly. Even my dreams are overrun with images of a majestic black dragon who offers me things I never thought I’d want. Naughty things and normal, domestic things. He has me desiring a life different from what I have always envisioned.

“What are you still doing here?” Spencer’s voice startles me, and my pen drops on the stack of papers.

“Trying to get these graded.”

“You’re crazy. Mark a few a day over the break.” He walks over to the small cubicle I’ve been given and sits on the edge of my desk.

He’s two feet away, but he feels too close. Ever since Amadeo suggested he was interested in me, I haven’t been able to look at him the same way. Aside from the small appreciative glances I’ve caught him giving me, I’m not even sure what Amadeo said is true.

“I only have a few left.” I motion to the stack left in front of me.

“Have any exciting plans for the week?”

“I’m going to Spain.”

“By yourself?” he asks, not hiding his surprise.

“I’m visiting a friend.”

He stands up, places his hands in his pockets, and looks at me suspiciously. “Is this friend the man I met a few weeks ago?”

“Yes.” I don’t elaborate, but I can tell he wants to know more. I’m surprised he made the connection, but in reality, Amadeo is the only person outside of the university that Spencer has ever met. I gesture to the papers on the desk. “I really need to get this done. My flight is tonight.”

“Of course. Let’s have coffee when you get back.”

“Sure.” I nod. “Enjoy your week.”

He stops at the door, but I don’t look his way. Instead, I pretend to read the same page I was staring at absent-mindedly when he walked in.

“You too,” he mumbles and finally leaves.

*******

Amadeo arranged for the same driver who brought me to the game to drive me to the airport. He took my luggage when we arrived and waited while I checked in. I didn’t realize until he handed me my ticket that I would be sitting in first class.

I don’t know how to feel about it. Apparently, the Tribunal covers these expenses all the time, but I can’t be sure what the Tribunal covers and what Amadeo covers. Isn’t it all the same thing now with him on his way to becoming an Elder? He won’t be sworn in officially for a few months, but he’s already started learning his new role and responsibilities. It’s why he hasn’t been able to come back since he left. I think it’s why his gifts became increasingly more expensive each week we were separated.

There are rich people, and then there are dragons. Their wealth is inestimable, and my wealth, in comparison, is practically nonexistent. When my grandmother passed away, she left Giada a hefty inheritance, and she left me her house, which I am eternally grateful for because people my age don’t own mortgage-free homes. Aside from that, I don’t have much. I pay all the bills, including my car and phone, and the rest of the money I make goes towards my student loans which are high after eight years of school.

I know I need to let go of my hang-ups, at least for this week. I should enjoy myself, and if Amadeo wants to pay for things, I shouldn’t let it bother me, but it’s hard. I’ve been living on my own since I was 18, and I’m proud of how I’ve done.

The plane arrives in Valencia mid-afternoon because of the time difference. A driver was supposed to pick me up at the airport, so my heart rate speeds up uncontrollably when Amadeo is there instead.

He looks so good. I have the urge to run in his arms and shove my tongue down his throat. Winters in Valencia are milder than ours, and he’s in a camel-colored jacket and matching colored ankle boots, a tight white shirt, and ripped blue jeans. He looks like a model, and I look like I’ve never owned a brush or an iron.

He grabs the handle of my luggage and my bag, and his finger reaches into the collar of my long denim button-up shirt, swiping and pulling out my necklace. Hooking his finger through his ring, he tugs me gently towards him. Once I put it on that night, I couldn’t bring myself to take it off.

I hold my breath, thinking he’s going to kiss me.

“How was your flight?”

“Good.” I manage to get out.

His jaw is clenched, and his dark eyes stare into mine. I can’t read his expression. He’s usually so charming and openly affectionate. I’m the one who tries to give nothing away. I lean in closer and reach up on the tips of my toes.

“Not here.” He steps back. “If I touch you here, it’s over.”

He grabs my hand and starts walking briskly to the exit. I can barely keep up with his long strides. When he reaches the limousine waiting, he places my things in the trunk and opens my door without a word. When the partition goes up between the driver and us, I’m ready to say something to him about his odd behavior. I don’t find the words in time before he grabs the back of my head and crushes our mouths together.

The kiss does all the talking, expressing all my pent-up feelings from the last month. I crawl on his lap to straddle his hips, and he hastily unzips and removes my leather jacket. His hands on my ass drag me over him, and contrary to what I may have initially thought, I can feel how happy he is to see me.

“I’ve missed you." His words come out ragged and hoarse against my lips. “I almost lost all control in there.” He gives me one of his sexy smiles, and I touch his right dimple. “Did you miss me?”

He presses up into me knowingly and holds my hips down when I don’t answer. “Gods, I want to wrap these sexy legs of yours around me and f**k you until you scream. Would you like that?”

I'm capable of many things, but looking at him when he says things like that as if it’s the most natural thing in the world, is not one of them. I bury my head in the crook of his neck and breathe in his smoky scent as the heat races to my cheeks. “Yes,” I admit softly.

“You’re not a screamer, though. I have to see if I can change that tonight,” he chuckles, and my face feels like it’s on fire.

I move against him slowly while softly kissing his neck and remaining cradled against his chest.

His breath hitches, and he grinds my hips over him.

“Did you touch yourself?” He digs his fingers into my ass harshly and keeps moving my hips against him, causing just the right amount of friction. The question catches me off guard. “Did you?”

I lift my head and eye him quizzically. The look he’s giving me is murderous, as though he already knows the answer, but thank the Goddess, he doesn’t stop rocking me back and forth because I need this release. I've needed him so desperately for the last month.

“How many times did you touch my p***y?”

His?

A bolt of desire travels straight there, stopping any thought of protest. My hands go to his shoulders to steady myself and help me come quicker, but he releases my ass, grabs both my hands and places them behind my back. One of his hands wraps around both of my wrists to keep me there, and it hurts a bit, but I don’t complain—I kind of like it. Tantalizing sensations are building within me, and the positioning of my arms adds to them.

“How many times, Valentina?” His other large hand wraps around my throat loosely while his thumb rubs along my neck. “Answer me!” He spits out the words, and I squirm on his lap.

I need to end this torture. “I couldn’t help it. I imagined it was your hands, Deo. Each time,” I whisper. And that was the truth.

The growl he lets out is so loud, I’m convinced the driver knows exactly what we’re doing, but I can’t be bothered to care. His eyes blaze, and he squeezes down harder on my neck, constricting my windpipe a bit. The effect is dizzying and causes my heartbeat to accelerate.

I roll my hips frantically and stare deep into his dragon eyes while my stomach tightens and coils, preparing for an explosion. Suddenly, he lets go of my hands and my neck and lifts me off of him, plopping me on the seat to his left.

What the hell!

“Why did you do that?” My voice sounds whiny, and I hate it.

Damn it. I was so close!

“I told you not to touch yourself,” he replies casually, not even sparing me a glance.

What in the actual f**k? Is he for real?

He pulls out his phone and starts scrolling. If it weren’t for the tent in his pants, I would assume he was entirely unaffected. “Put your seatbelt on. We have a bit of a drive.” He puts the phone to his ear.

Why isn’t he putting it on for me like he usually does? Goddess! Why do I feel so needy all of a sudden?

“Are you seriously leaving me like this right now?”

“Fintan,” Amadeo’s voice sounds harsher than I've ever heard it. “Everything’s fine. I want to set up an appointment to meet.”

“This is bullshit.” I don’t care if the person on the phone hears. He doesn’t even turn to look at me though, he’s ignoring me, but his jaw is clenched.

I look out the window and try to calm down, but I’m a quivering mess, and I have a feeling this is only the beginning with this insufferable man. A spanking sounds better than whatever this is. My face heats up again with embarrassment at the thought.

His punishments suck!