A knock sounded at the door. Leala gave me an excited smile as I put the book down and stood. She brought over the robe, and I slipped into it, pulling it closed over the little white slip that flowed over my body, stopping at my upper thighs. No slippers adorned my feet. I was supposed to remain barefoot for reasons unknown.
My stomach fluttered as I pulled the door open. Nyfain stood before me, wearing a flowing tan shirt and dark brown pants, equally loose and easy to move in. Slippers covered his feet, and his hands were clasped in front of him, his body language subdued. The bond gave him away, though. I felt a swirl of excitement and anticipation and warmth.
“Hello, milady,” he said, tilting his head. “Will you come with me?”
Leala tiptoed forward and handed him the key to the room. He took it without comment, holding it until both of us stepped out. Leala winked at me and then hurried down the stairs. Nyfain stepped around me and locked the door before sliding the key into his pocket.
I took a trembling breath, no idea why I was so nervous. He bent and scooped me up, cradling me against his chest.
“Is it the man or the dragon?” I asked, slinging my arms around his neck.
“The man. The dragon is in timeout.”
“So is my animal.”
“Please don’t mention why. My control is tenuous at the moment.”
I smiled. “Still no walking for me?”
“You have bare feet. I wouldn’t dream of having you walk on the floor of this castle in bare feet.”
He had a point there.
“I was worried you wouldn’t show,” I admitted, nuzzling my face against his cheek.
He pulled me in a bit tighter. “Sorry for the delay. I had to change the setup of the salon room to fit with one of the scene suggestions you gave me.”
I smiled, embarrassed and excited again. “What’d you think about all of that?”
“I think we can knock most of those out.”
“Are any of those…a first for you, or…”
He descended the stairs. Various staff members glanced at us on their way past, probably heading to their rooms to change for whatever was going on tonight.
“All of them, yes. I wasn’t much into rule-breaking back in the day, and my father wasn’t one for…thinking outside of the sexual box. This castle after the curse drastically opened my eyes. I was particularly interested in your notes on chapter eighteen.”
I ran my lips against his jaw, thinking. “Jog my memory.”
“Our brazen heroine decides to lure her enemy and his lover into her rooms and seduce them to get information.”
“Ah yeah. That setup was odd, but the threesome scene was hot.”
“It was hot, yes. Particularly when the notes revealed that you have experimented along those lines.”
“I’ve never had a threesome— Oh, you mean letting a girl go down on me?”
“Yes. That is exactly what I was getting at, yes.”
I laughed as he reached the first floor and went right. It was a part of the castle that I hadn’t done any wandering in. It occurred to me that for the amount of time I’d been here, I hadn’t done nearly as much exploring as I should’ve. Then again, without access during the night hours, I didn’t have much opportunity.
“It was an erotic experience.” I kissed his cheek and then the scar running from the side of his lips. Unlike in the past, he didn’t flinch away. “I was staying at her house for the night, and she had her own room. We got to talking, and the conversation turned sexual, as they do.”
“Yes, they certainly tend to with you.”
“We were sixteen, and neither of us had gone all the way, and the world around us was crazy. So when she asked if a boyfriend had gone down on me, and I said yes but it hadn’t been all that great, and she asked if she could try…”
“You went with it.”
“Why not?”
“Why not is right. I agree.”
He entered a room with a round foyer. Seats lined the walls, facing a central desk. All were empty. No candles had been lit to brighten the dark space.
He moved through without a problem, using his animal enough to see in the dark. Or maybe his connection was constant, and he didn’t have to pull and push at him to get at the power and extra talents. I would’ve asked, but it didn’t seem wise to bring up the dragon right now.
“Then what happened?”
I chuckled. “First we kissed, and it was light and kind of teasing. She didn’t jam her tongue in my mouth and root around like men tend to do. Don’t get weird—you kiss exceptionally well. But most of the men I’ve ever kissed— Stop tensing. They are ancient history. I feel nothing for them.”
“My reaction to you mentioning other guys is not rational. It’s primal. As you have seen, it’s rooted to my dragon. I can’t control it, and lately I can’t control him.”