Her heart pounded as she savored his touch and did her own exploration of his long, hard, muscled flesh. She’d always loved spreading her hands over the massive planes of his back. Feeling the texture of it and the flexing of his muscles as he moved.
“You are exquisite,” she breathed.
“And you are beautiful.” He tongued her ear until chills sprang all over her arms. Laughing, he slowly slid his fingers up her thigh, to the center of her body where she craved his touch most. She groaned out loud at how good his touch felt while he gently played and teased until she was so hot and breathless that she was on the verge of coming.
But this wasn’t how she wanted it to end. And definitely not this soon. Pushing him back, she straddled him and gently impaled herself on his body.
Gasping, Max gripped her hips and thrust against her, driving himself in even deeper.
Afraid he’d hurt himself, she adjusted her weight until he was forced to surrender all control over to her.
The smile on his face made her heart beat faster. “I see what you’re doing. I’m all yours, my lady dragon. Have your wicked way with me until your heart’s content.”
She buried her hands in his damp hair and slowly rode him until they came in unison. Only then did she slide off him and lay by his side as she listened to his ragged breathing.
Closing his eyes, Max held her as he savored the familiar New Orleans and Sanctuary sounds blending with her precious breaths.
So familiar and so alien. Nothing would ever be the same again.
“Where do we go from here, Sera?”
“What do you mean?”
He was so afraid of her answer, but he’d never been a coward and he had to know. “What are your plans for our future?”
Seraphina froze at his emotionless tone. “Do you want me to leave?”
“Gods no. I just… I know how you feel about this time period. About…” – he barely bit back the word “me” – “dragons. So I was curious where you saw this going.”
“What do you want?”
“You.”
“And?”
He tilted his head to look at her. “I’ve always been a dragon of simple means. You know that. But we’ve stirred a hornets’ nest with everything that’s happened since your arrival. One I’m not sure we can walk away from. The gallu will be able to follow us. And it’s not just us we have to think about. I am still the Dragonbane.”
Seraphina swallowed hard at something they couldn’t escape. That would be with them forever. “Why did you kill him, Max?”
“Does it matter?”
“No. I love you, regardless. But I would like to hear your side of it.”
With her head tucked beneath his chin, he toyed with her hair. “Would you believe my truth should I give it?”
“I have learned to trust you. Whatever you say, I will believe.”
Still, he hesitated before he answered. “It was an accident. He wasn’t the one who was supposed to die. Rather it was his brother.”
Gaping, she rose up to stare down at him. “And that makes it all better?”
“Had you met his brother, yes. He was an asshole.”
“Max!”
Before he could respond, another knock sounded on his door. By the scent, he knew it was Alain Peltier. The eldest of the bears. “Yes?”
Alain didn’t open the door, rather he spoke through it. “I hate to disturb you, dragon. But we have a bad situation. Savitar has called the Omegrion and you’ve been summoned. By law, we have to take you in. However, we’ve taken a vote and we’re standing in solidarity by your side.”
“No!” Sera shook her head. “You can’t go. I won’t allow you to face them. I don’t care what Savitar says or how many stand with you. This is suicide!”
Max didn’t respond to her upset outburst. “How long do I have?”
“We need to leave immediately.”
18
After the quickest shower of her life, Seraphina dressed in a pair of jeans and a shirt, and walked with Max down to the parlor of Peltier House, where their children and basically every adult resident under the roof waited for him. As well as every Dark-Hunter, former and current, in New Orleans, along with Acheron, Sin, Zakar, and Styxx.
“This is utter bullshit!” Dev snarled, unaware of their presence behind him. “I say we tell Savitar where to shove it.”
Acheron laughed as he glanced past Dev to meet Max’s gaze. “I dare you.”
Max stopped next to Dev and put his hand on his shoulder. “It’s all right, bear. I’m not afraid.”
Seraphina laced her fingers with his. “For the record, I am.”
With a stern frown, Aimee caressed her stomach. “Can’t we do something? Max is here under our protection. I thought our laws protected him, so long as he doesn’t leave.”
Styxx sighed heavily. “They did. But the other dragons are calling for his ass. He attacked and they have the right to demand a hearing for his new crime… and the old when he appears for it.”
Vane nodded. “That’s why we’re all going. As Kattalakises, we’re character witnesses. Our family started this against you and we’re going to do our damnedest to stop it.”