There were cliffs there,And forests made of mists. There were bridges spanning the void, and that great gray blind lake which hung above its distant bottomLike the sky on a rainy day above a landscape.Rainer Maria RilkeThe mist rolled through the coast of Cornwall like a silent wave, blanketing everything with dampness and chill. For the first time in a long while, Mikhail felt cold. A dragon's blood runs hot, even in the deepest of Russian winters. But today he felt a bone-numbing ache and cold. It seemed to cut deep, freezing the edges of his very soul.Belishaw's call had been a grim reminder of reality. He'd lived so long outside of the world that he'd lost track of the rules, forgotten about things like consequences. He'd involved Piper, and now her life was crumbling around her. He could see how much it might cost her, and it wounded him as much as it had terrified her. The last thing he ever wanted was to hurt his future mate.I never think things through. Not five h
Mikhail buried the memories, now bitter in his heart. The past was the past, and he should not dwell on those dark days and forget to live. He looked out to the sea. Beneath the mist-covered cliffs, the white froth of the ocean churned against the rocky beaches, forming tiny inlets that had once hosted a place for the men and women of Cornwall to catch fish or raid the shoreline for the flotsam and jetsam of shipwrecks, provided by unfortunate captains who'd underestimated the dangers of the coast.His dragon paced in the prison of his mind, demanding to be set free, even for a few hours. The weight of his sorrow at Elizabeth and now Piper left Mikhail weak. With a sigh, he allowed the dragon to come soaring to the surface.Mikhail stripped out of his clothes and leapt off the cliff. He flung his arms wide, and for a moment he dove like an Olympic athlete. Then the transformation roared through him like a riptide. His muscles stretched, his skin hardened into dark moss-green scales,
Piper hesitated for a minute before she settled on the couch beside Mikhail. He used to radiate with heat, but now she could practically feel the icy chill within him. She came closer and laid a hand on his cheek. Her fingers were bloody around the knuckles where she'd cut herself, but she ignored the sting. Mikhail shivered and leaned his cheek into her palm."So warm," he whispered and gave another full-body shiver. Piper bit her lip and crawled beneath the blankets on top of him, pressing her body against his. His shirt was still wet from his fall on the shore. He needed to get out of those clothes. They weren't helping him keep warm. She should have thought of that when they first brought him in. She reached for the buttons on his shirt and slipped them open. Then she peeled his shirt from his shoulders."Sit up for me," she said and leaned forward so she could remove his shirt completely.He chuckled, but the sound was slightly ragged. "Trying to undress me? You need only ask."
And though I came to forget or regret all I have ever done, yet I would remember that once I saw the dragons aloft on the wind at sunset above the western isles; and I would be content.―Ursula K. Le Guin,?The Farthest ShoreFitful dreams and haunted, shadowy nightmares chased Mikhail through the halls of his mind as he slept. The dragon stirred, trying to reclaim control as images of Elizabeth, his sweet Gloriana, betraying him played over and over. For five centuries his dragon had held the pain of the past at bay. But the moment Piper Linwood came into his life, the fortress around his dragon's heart had begun to crumble.He had dared to desire a mate once before, and it had cost him everything but his life. The dragon inside him didn't want to take a risk like that again. It had nearly killed him. And Piper She could be his mate. The chemistry was there, and the hunger in her blue-gray eyes when she looked at him made it all but impossible to keep his distance.He had to have
"Like what you see?" He swung the shower door open with his free hand. Steam rolled out and wrapped around Piper's frozen figure. She didn't reply, but her grip on the blanket began to slip as he unleashed his seed. She gasped and the blanket fell to the floor. She wore only the bra and panties now, and he got hard all over again at the sight. He didn't wait for her to think. He pulled her into the shower with him and shut the door. She jumped as the hot water splashed on their bodies."Wait, my bra" she said as he dragged her deeper into the spray."Let me help you." He slipped his fingertips under her bra straps and unclasped it from behind, then lowered them off her shoulders. Her bra fell to the floor with a wet smack. She covered her breasts and backed up until she had the shower wall behind her.Mikhail's instincts took over. He cornered her against the wall, placing his hands on either side of her shoulders and leaning in to kiss her. Her startled lips parted, and she opened
People who deny the existence of dragons are often eaten by dragons. From within.Ursula K. Le Guin"What do you mean the jewels are gone?" Conrad Sinclair stared at Barty Winston from across the expansive mahogany desk in his office. The wood had been so finely polished that he could see his own ghostly reflection if he leaned close enough to the surface."There was a burglary." Barty shifted uncomfortably in the chair opposite Conrad's desk. "Someone came in through the kitchen door that connects to the museum from the mews."Conrad frowned, his temper roiling like magma beneath his skin."But the auction house has security cameras and alarm systems. The jewels were in a safe." He'd been working with Barty to acquire the information needed to make his own heist possible, but it seemed someone had beaten him to it."It was an inside job. The security cameras were put on a loop. The kitchen alarm was disabled with the correct code. Oddly enough, they left a small amount of th
Piper woke slowly, her body stirring with a languid, relaxed feeling of bliss. She'd never known her body could be so limp. Heat radiated from behind her, and warm breath fanned against the back of her neck. A large masculine hand cupped her right breast, offering a slight squeeze as she stirred.Mikhail.She was in bed with a man who could shift into a dragon. And he'd made love to her. Her thighs quivered with the memory, as did the soreness deep inside her. She'd done it. She'd finally had sex, and it had been scary, a bit painful, and then amazing. He'd been slow and gentle, and she'd felt herself come apart beneath him. The memories warmed her all over. She was going to be embarrassed when he woke up, but at least right now, while he was asleep, she could enjoy this. Jodie had been right. This was so worth it.But as much as she wanted to stay right where she was, nature was calling. She gently pried Mikhail's hand off her breast and slipped out of bed. He made a soft growl b
Dragonman,Dragonman,Between thee and thine,Share me that glimpse of loveGreater than mine.Anne McCaffreyA crooked smile curved Mikhail's lips, and it made him that much sexier. He stood there in nothing but unbuttoned jeans, showing the dark trail of hair from his navel leading down to his waist. The indentions of his hips made her mouth run dry. She was thirsty for a taste of him."Surrender and I won't be too rough," he said in a smug tone. A hint of the medieval badass he had been six hundred years ago crept through, which might have scared any other woman. But she wanted that rough edge in him. She didn't care that she was still sore; her body wantedneededto be owned and possessed by him.She started to crawl over the bed, her eyes wide and soft as though she planned to give him what he wanted. He placed his hands on his hips and came closer. When he reached the bed, she leaped off and sprinted for the bathroom. But he moved too fast for her. She was grabbed from be