“I just started,” he admitted with a sheepish grin. “Lady Ariel likes sweet crystals for her tea. Would you care for some?”
“Sweet… oh, sugar. No, thank you,” Pearl replied, sliding onto the chair he pulled out for her. “This is all very impressive. It looks like something out of a Frank Lloyd Wright design. I saw his Falling Water house in Pennsylvania once. Talk about someone having more money than they knew what to do with.”
Pearl pursed her lips together. That hadn’t come out quite the way she meant it. Luckily, Asim didn’t appear to notice her gaffe. He carefully placed a cup of hot tea in front of her before glancing around.
“My home is modest, but comfortable. If you would like something larger, I can build it. I designed and built this home several centuries ago. If you wish a new one, we could design it together,” he said.
Pearl lifted her hand to close her mouth after it had dropped open at his first sentence. He thought this was modest? She’d hate to see what he thought of some of the places she and the girls had lived in.
“I’ve only seen the decking so far, but I’d hardly call this modest. It is… gorgeous,” she said, waving her hand at the woods and the small waterfall flowing from under one side of the deck, and continuing its journey on the other side. “How did you manage this?”
Asim’s expression relaxed, and he smiled. “I enjoy working with my hands. Before the war, King Jalo gifted me the land in this valley for saving the life of his son, Lord Mandra. It was a gift I could not turn down. I began building this house. I wanted it to blend in with the natural beauty of the forests and mountains. Each plank comes from the trees that grew here and the rocks from the mountains. I planted new trees to replace those I cut down and over time they have grown tall and strong. The flow of the water and the wind in the trees are soothing to an old dragon like me. Over the years, Mandra has helped me add on to the original structure. In time, he asked if he could build a house on the far side of the valley. I was honored to be able to return all the help he had given me,” Asim explained, lost in the memories.
Asim described his original home to her. He elaborated on the special features of what could be seen from their vantage point, adding in bits of knowledge about each one. The wall of large, clear windows looked out over the deck to the lake and beyond to the mountains on the far side of the valley. In her mind, she could imagine the winter snow covering the landscape.
She could see the lake that never completely froze solid because of the water flowing from the waterfall. In the distance, she noticed the small hot springs, dotting the valley. Thin wisps of steam rose from them, sending spirals of heated vapor into the air. Her gaze moved to the mountain when he told her of how the animals from the higher elevations would migrate down to the valley for warmth and food in winter. He explained that just before the spring thaw, the herds of wild beasts gave birth.
“That is the hardest time of year for us now,” Asim chuckled.
Pearl frowned. “Why? Are they dangerous?” she asked, placing her nearly empty cup down on the table.
“Nothing is more dangerous than a dragon – except a little boy who loves animals,” Asim replied. “Jabir has the touch, just like his mother. Animals gravitate to him. He’d have the whole damn lot of them as pets if Mandra didn’t put his foot down.”
“What you describe reminds me of a place back on Earth called Yellowstone,” Pearl shared, fingering her cup. “I took the girls there one summer when we lived in Colorado. Riley thought the buffalo had the mange. We didn’t get out of the city much.”
“Would you prefer to live in a city? I have a permanent apartment in the palace. If you prefer to live there, we could move,” Asim stated.
Pearl shook her head and leaned forward. “Listen, Asim. I’m not sure I understand everything that is going on. Your offer to build a new house, move to the city, yada, yada, is all very impressive, but you don’t have to impress me. You do a pretty damn good job of that by just wearing leather. How a guy like you doesn’t have some little woman running around catering to your every need is beyond my understanding, but shit happens. Maybe you had someone and she died or discovered she wanted something else. All I can tell you is that I’m not the woman you are looking for. I’m too old, too stubborn, and like my freedom far too much to settle down. Now, saying all that, I’m not opposed to enjoying life either, if you know what I mean.”
From the expression on his face, he did understand what she was saying and didn’t like it. His face had grown dark, his eyes narrowing with the stubborn glint in them the more she spoke. By the time she finished, his lips were pressed into a firm line and she swore his face looked like it was carved from the same rock as the mountains.
“I understand what you mean, but it is clear you do not understand me. You are my true mate. You are a gift from the Goddess – a perfect match for my dragon, my symbiot, and me. There is only one true mate for a Valdier warrior – and you are mine,” he stated in a voice that sounded suspiciously raspy. “I will not let you go. You are not too old, you are perfect. I have no desire for a young female like the princes have. I have lived too long. I wished for a woman who would taste like fine wine.”
Pearl slid from her seat when Asim stood up and started walking around the table. The fire was back in his eyes along with the determined look. Scales rippled across his neck and up along his cheeks.
She took several steps back, retreating as he advanced on her. Her eyes grew wary and her hand slipped into her back pocket before she remembered she left her pepper spray in the pocket of her jacket. Great! No gun, no pepper spray, no Taser, and no Tiny. It looked like it was going to be a good, old-fashioned form of self-defense if things got rough.
“Asim…,” Pearl started to say, stopping and raising her hand.
“I like a mate who is stubborn. She will need to be if she is going to be able to deal with my dragon and me. As for freedom, I will give you all the freedom you desire, as long as it does not endanger you or your dragon,” he gritted out.
“Dragon? I don’t have a dragon! See, that is another thing, I know that Abby and the other women can somehow change into one now and Riley and Tina can shift into a tiger, but me? I think I’m a little beyond all of that. You know, kind of like going through menopause – no more life changes,” Pearl argued.
She froze when Asim lifted his hand and wrapped it around her outstretched one. He pulled her closer, wrapping his other hand around her waist. This was the first time she had felt just how strong he was in his man form. Swallowing, she held back a moan of delight at the feel of his large hand sliding across the thin material of her blouse.
“What… What do you think you are doing?” Pearl asked, pressing her other hand between them.
Asim tugged her forward, his eyes glittering with fire. “Finding out what type of wine you remind me of,” he stated before he bent and captured her lips.
Fire swept through Pearl’s veins, warming her body as sure as a shot of whiskey. Sliding her hand up his chest and around his neck, she tangled her fingers in the back of his hair. The rush of desire hit her with an unexpected punch.
Forget the wine! This is pure Kentucky bourbon at its finest, Pearl thought, deepening the kiss.
7
Life was too damn short to risk not embracing the spontaneous moments that were too good to pass up. Pearl knew she was on the other end of the scale when it came to life, so she needed to be extra vigilant. Following her two granddaughters to another world was one adventure she was glad she hadn’t passed up. This was going to be another.
Touching her tongue to his lips, she took advantage when he opened for her. She felt him stiffen before a soft groan escaped him and he wrapped both arms around her and tightly pressed her against his body. She tightened her hold on him and settled down to enjoy the kiss. Holy Venus, Goddess of Love, but it had been a long time since she’d felt this kind of arousal.
She pulled back, pressing small kisses to his lips and the corn
er of his mouth before running them along his jaw. A silent squeal of excitement raced through her when his hands frantically moved from her waist down to cup her buttocks. This was a man who knew what he wanted.
“Say yes,” he ordered in a husky voice. “Say you want me as much as I want you.”
Pearl chuckled and slid her hand along his neck, down his chest, skimmed the waistband of his trousers, and continued lower. She felt his response to her brazen touch. There was nothing wrong with his package, and judging by the swelling under the palm of her hand, everything was in working order.
“Oh yes,” Pearl murmured against his lips. “You bet your sweet ass I want this.”
Yes!
Asim could feel his dragon’s enthusiastic response reverberating through his body. The fire of his dragon licked through his veins, threatening to scorch him with the heat. His dragon was heating up for his mate just as much as Asim was for his. A soft groan escaped him as his cock throbbed to feel the touch of skin against skin. Behind Pearl, he could see the grinning face of his symbiot, its body shimmering brightly with an assortment of changing colors.
Images flashed through his mind. For a moment, he realized how much pain and anguish his symbiot had endured in order to protect him and his dragon. Reaching out, he sent a wave of warmth and comfort to his symbiot.
We will be whole at last, he assured both his symbiot and his dragon.
I bite? His dragon eagerly asked.
Asim groaned when he felt Pearl pulling his shirt loose from his trousers. He didn’t need to answer his dragon. The Dragon’s Fire was already driving him to press his lips against her exposed neck.
“I want to share my Dragon’s Fire with you, Pearl,” he murmured against her throat.
“Dragon’s Fire,” Pearl gasped as a shiver of need ran through her at his hot breath against her skin. “What… What is Dragon’s Fire?”
“Everything I am – everything we can be together,” he said.
Asim gazed down into Pearl’s eyes. He would give her the choice. He had waited too long for this moment and something told him that Pearl was the type of woman who wouldn’t be happy if he didn’t. His gut tightened when her eyes narrowed.
“Does this have anything to do with changing me like Riley and Tina?” Pearl suspiciously asked.
Asim scowled and shook his head. “No! You would be a dragon! Not a… not a cat,” he firmly stated.
Pearl pulled back in his arms, her hand sliding from his crotch to his chest. She stared back at him with wide eyes, an expression of uncertainty and skepticism in her eyes. Asim could feel his dragon’s panic start to rise up, threatening to choke him.
I bite! She say no. I need bite! His dragon groaned.
No, this has to be her decision, Asim grimly replied.
“A dragon… like Abby and the other women?” Pearl repeated in shock.
“Yes.”
“Will it hurt?” Pearl asked, her lips curving up as she fingered the buttons on the front of his shirt.
“It… I’ve heard it can be very intense… sexually. There… there is a chance… a chance that neither of us will survive,” Asim choked.
Pearl raised an eyebrow. “Not survive having too much sex? I can think of worse ways to die,” she reflected.
That mean yes! His dragon crowed.
No, it does not! Asim growled in exasperation.
“What happens afterwards? So, if we, by chance, survive driving each other to the edge of sexual immolation and all, what does that mean?” Pearl asked. The way her fingers kept slipping between the openings of the buttons and teasing his heated flesh was quickly dissolving what little control he was fighting to maintain.
“More….” Asim cleared his throat. “We… will be true mates. Together…. Pearl, you are driving me crazy. I’m… My dragon isn’t helping, either. He wants his mate as much as I want you,” he bit out. His fingers gently kneaded her waist as he resisted the urge to just pick her up and take her.
“I’m old,” she warned.
“I’m older and you are perfect to me,” he replied.
“I’m not as quick as I used to be,” she stated.
“You knocked me in the water before I knew what happened,” he reminded her.
“I may be a little rusty,” she admitted.
“We will go as slow as you like. I would prefer to savor you like a glass of fine wine – slowly, so I can enjoy each touch and taste,” he countered.
You sip, I gulp. You taking too long! His dragon groaned in frustration.
“You have scales running up your neck,” Pearl pointed out.
“My dragon wants to gulp the wine instead of sipping it like a gentleman,” Asim admitted in a tight voice.
Asim’s eyes widened and his lips parted when Pearl gripped the sides of his shirt and pulled with a lot more force than he expected. The buttons holding his shirt closed popped free, scattering across the polished wood of the deck.
“I love a dragon who knows how to handle his liquor,” she said before she captured his lips.
This mean yes! His dragon crowed.
Yes, this means yes, Asim groaned, his hands frantically pulling Pearl’s blouse free from her trousers. Bite, you can bite.
His dragon didn’t need to be told twice. Asim was already moving his lips along Pearl’s cheek and down to her neck. He felt his teeth elongate, the Dragon’s Fire burning through him like a super-heated torch. Opening his mouth, he sank his teeth into her neck and breathed the fire that would change all their lives.
“Holy Goddess of Love!” Pearl hissed, her hands tightening around his waist before her legs gave out under her.
Asim held her close, his hands splayed across the smooth skin of her back while her breasts were pressed against his chest.
The fire licked through both of them, scorching them with its fiery touch. His body was humming with tension. Goddess, he wanted to make love to this woman.
The caress of Asim’s lips across her cheek down to her neck made Pearl feel young and beautiful again. The fact that, until a few hours ago, she had never met this man before was a minor technicality to her. She had known men for years without really knowing them. She hadn’t felt this surge of instant attraction since Joe – even the faint memories of her infatuation for him paled to the physical and chemical reaction she was having to this old Valdier warrior.
Deep down, she knew that she was playing with a different type of fire – but, hell, life was about grabbing it by the balls and holding on, no matter how hot it got sometimes. She had nothing left to worry about now but her own heart. Riley and Tina were safe and happy. Now it was her time to shine and she was going up like the grand finale at a New Year’s Eve fireworks show.
“Asim… You better not burn my heart,” Pearl warned.
He reluctantly released her neck. It throbbed where he bit her. Instead of being painful, it pulsed along with the feelings of need burning between her legs. It had been years since she was this aroused.
“Never, Pearl. If you burn, we burn together,” he swore. “Let the Dragon’s Fire begin.”
Pearl’s eyes widened and a soft moan escaped her as the first wave hit her. Her arms trembled and she was thankful for his strength to hold her upright. Well, until he scooped her into his arms. She turned her head and buried her face against his neck.
“Damn, that is some powerful shit,” she said in a strained voice.
Asim chuckled. “It will be a glorious transformation,” he promised.
His burning desire for Pearl was nothing compared to his determination that she survive the changes of the Dragon’s Fire. He’d seen her strength when she stood up to his symbiot with nothing more than a custard-covered spoon and when she had knocked him into the lake. This was a woman with the heart of a warrior – and a true match for one as well.
He held her close, sensing the fire burning through her veins. He entered the house, striding through the sitting room and past the kitchen that he designed to take a
dvantage of the view. He rounded the corner and climbed the stairs.
The sound of Pearl’s soft moan and the shiver of her slender body in his arms told him that another wave of the Dragon’s Fire was breaking through her. He drew in a swift breath when he felt her teeth against his neck. The sharp nip excited him.
She has a lot of fire in her, he thought.
Yes. She perfect mate, his dragon stated, very pleased with himself.
“Damn, but whatever you did has me feeling hotter than a marshmallow on fire. I’m burning up and melting at the same time,” she breathed.
“It is the Dragon’s Fire. Do not fight it. Let it flow through you and embrace the change,” Asim encouraged.
“Lordy, but I’m going to be jumping your bones,” Pearl moaned, pressing her lips against his neck.
Pearl had never felt fire like this before. Menopause been quick and painless, a few hot flashes and she was done. This was like an inferno raging inside her. The only difference was instead of wanting a cold shower and a fan, she wanted a hot man and his cock.
Her clothes were driving her crazy. The touch of them against her skin was like sandpaper against silk. She wanted hot flesh and a hairy chest she could tangle her fingers in.
Turning her head, she ran her lips over Asim’s neck, nipping, sucking, and leaving a line of tiny hickeys that were bound to multiply over the course of the night. Her fingers searched and found his chest where she had ripped his shirt open. She tangled her fingers in his chest hair, enjoying the coarse feel against her sensitive fingertips.
When Asim set her on her feet again, she pulled back and was surprised to discover they were in a large bedroom. She briefly glanced around, mostly searching for the bed. She turned her head when Asim placed his hand under her chin and gazed mischievously down into her eyes.
“Are you sure the answer is still ‘yes’?” he teased. “I have started the fire, but I will not fan it if you ask me not to.”