Dragon Soul (Dragon Falls, #3)(52)

Voices drifted down to me from the upper deck, along with the sound of light music. Evidently our fellow passengers were enjoying the balmy night and romantic moon. “Whereas I have to apologize for being such an ass,” I said softly under my breath before knocking on Rowan’s door.

He opened it, making the apology on my tongue dry up into nothing.

“Chest,” I squeaked, my eyes eating up the sight of his naked chest. And arms. And legs. The only things covered were his naughty bits, and even those were noticeably bulgy in a pair of tight red bikini briefs.

“Yes,” he answered, his gaze on my Xena boobs. “Very much so.”

“I’ve come to apologize,” I said, dragging my mind back to what was most important.

He stepped back and gestured me into the room. I sat primly on the bed, hands folded on my lap, making no objection when he stood before me, although I had to admit that with his crotch close to eye level, my gaze might have strayed there once or twice. “I want to apologize for what I said earlier. Or rather, for throwing you out of the cabin.”

“I wasn’t aware I’d been thrown out.”

“Dude, I’m a dragonette. I kicked a demon out of the window. Do you think I couldn’t throw someone out of a room?”

One side of his mouth quirked. Goddess, I loved that quirk. “Quite possibly you could, although I am not without my own abilities.”

“Oh, I’m well aware you’re Mr. Martial Arts. You took care of the other demon quite handily. I’m just saying that I’m not a doormat or anything.”

“No,” he said, putting his hands on his hips. “That you aren’t.”

“I talked to Mrs. P. She confirmed what you said. I’m not sure I understand the whole bit about her going to see her boyfriend, who is some Underworld lord, but she refused when I asked her point blank to hand over the ring. She said it’s the only thing that will let them be together.”

“She said much the same thing to me.”

“So I was thinking—if she won’t accept anything else to substitute for it, then maybe the dragon people would. To save the world, I mean.”

“It doesn’t work that way. The ring has to be destroyed in order to safeguard the world from it ever being used by Bael.”

“That’s the demon head honcho?”

“Yes.” Rowan made an odd little face. “Evidently one of my sisters inadvertently released him from where he had been confined. It seems my family has a habit of doing things like that.”

“You have a sister?” I asked, somewhat surprised by that. I don’t know why I was, but I relished hearing something personal about Rowan.

“I have two, one older and one younger. Ironically, both are mated to dragons.”

“So you’re just surrounded by dragonettes, then, huh?”

He smiled and instantly, a little pool of fire formed at my feet. I absently tapped it out while changing my posture to be less forthright and more “let me see your nipple nubs.”

“I certainly know which dragonette I’d like surrounding me. Are you, by any chance, here just to apologize, or are you interested in continuing the activities we started last night?”

“Does a dragon breathe fire?” I asked, then thought for a moment. “Wait, they do, don’t they?”

He laughed and knelt at my feet, his hands warm on my bare knees. “I’m told they do, although I haven’t seen it for myself. Sophea, you understand the situation I’m in. I must get that ring.”

“I understand. And although I won’t steal it from Mrs. P or help you steal it, I will do my best to help persuade her that we really need it. Perhaps there’s some other way around the situation that we just haven’t thought of. We can brainstorm the issue tomorrow, okay?”

“Well…” His hands slid up my thighs, sending waves of anticipation rippling upward. “I suppose we deserve an evening off the clock, so to speak. How do you feel about oral sex?”

“I am so go for it right now,” I said, sucking in my breath when his fingers reached ground zero.

“Good. Because I’ve been wondering what you taste like everywhere.”

I shivered at the heat in his eyes and the sensations his fingers made as they danced across my underwear.

“Why don’t we get you out of all this leather, and then I’ll indulge myself, hmm?”

“All right, but I think we should get your undies off as well.” I slid off the bed onto my knees when he stood to shuck his briefs, the material strained to its limits. “Here, let me do it.”

He frowned. “You said you wished for me to pleasure you first.”

“And you will. But I get to do this. Because I’m the dragon chick, remember?”

“Rawr,” he said, mimicking my claw gesture.

“You learn quick.” I caressed the bulging front of his underwear. “Glorioski, that’s… you’re… were you this big before?”

“Sophea,” he said in a strained tone. “Stop tormenting me with your heated looks, and teasing fingers, and for the love of the saints, don’t stroke me! You have no idea how close I am to disappointing you.”

“You could never do that,” I said, but stopped stroking my fingers lovingly across his bulges. “Now, if I ease your undies down just a bit, just enough to give you some breathing room—”