Chapter Eleven

Melody finally emerged from Kol’s office nearly an hour after entering. She looked shell-shocked. Her eyes darted around the otherwise empty reception area until Garen stood, catching her attention.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“Not really,” she said, her voice wavering. “I admit I’m a little overwhelmed by all this.”

Garen strode over to her and placed his hands gently on her shoulders. She was pleasantly warm to the touch and her cheeks flushed pink at his contact. Her aura surged slightly, too, briefly enveloping him in its tingling glow.

“We have about a two-hour flight ahead of us. You can ask me anything you’d like on the way. Hopefully, I can demystify your new position somewhat.”

He let his hands slide down her arms, suddenly loath to cease contact with her. She was so soft and warm, and her arousal was already filling his nostrils again, in spite of the anxiety clear on her face. He clutched her hand in his and led her to the elevator.

“Are you sure I can’t stop and pick up some things?” she asked.

“The job transfer is immediate. We’ll have someone go to your apartment and pack everything up. It’ll be stored until the term of the contract expires, or until you’re promoted. Whichever comes first. You’ll be provided with everything you need.”

He hesitated for a split second before following her into the elevator. It was bad enough being trapped in a moving box at a height that was usually reserved for winged creatures like his native form. Add to that the alluring glimmer of energy that surrounded her … Sweet Mother, the combination made him want to misbehave. No woman had ever provoked that kind of reaction in him. All of those things made him want to shift and fly. Steal her away someplace remote. Challenge Skye to a duel to keep her as his own mate.

If she were any other woman, he’d have tested her for himself. Skye believed there had to be an ideal human mate out there for him somewhere, but Garen had yet to meet her, wherever she was. Unbidden, the wish that Skye would reject Melody passed through his mind and he squashed it. He should count himself fortunate enough that he was tasked as her keeper now. For the next month, he would spend every waking moment with her, unless Skye was present. That he couldn’t attempt to bed her shouldn’t have bothered him so much.

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

As if mimicking him, Melody did the same. She followed it with a nervous laugh. “Don’t tell me you’re anxious about this, too. All of you … men … or whatever you are … seem so … so together. Tough, powerful, unflappable. Except for that moment in there …” She trailed off and glanced up at him curiously.

Garen felt himself smiling reflexively. Watching Skye work her into a frenzy had been intense enough, but seeing that frenzy overtake her had been mesmerizing. It was all he could do not to dive in and make himself a part of the fun. So he’d just watched, and hadn’t even realized he’d been stroking his cock through his pants until her eyes fell on him.

He spread his fingers and glanced down at his hands. One knuckle still had deep grooves from his teeth embedded in it. He bent the digit and held it up to her. “Like I said, you’re beautiful when you come. I had to see it because it might very well be the only time I ever have that honor. And yes, I admit I’m anxious. I don’t want to disappoint Skye, but I’d like even more to avoid disappointing you.”

“No pressure,” Melody said, smiling up at him.

“Nah. Piece of cake, right?”

They both laughed, the shared moment easing Garen’s concern. Still, he questioned the sanity of trapping himself in a plane for two hours with her. He generally dealt with the trips better than most dragons, but in his current state of depleted energy and Melody’s primed arousal, it would be a very, very long two hours.

For a moment he contemplated putting her on the plane alone and stretching his wings. He’d arrive too late to meet her, though. Even at his full size, he couldn’t compete with the airspeed of a jet. No, better to catch a ride and hopefully get to know this alluring young woman a bit better and try to alleviate some of her concerns along the way. Hopefully his instincts would leave him be for once and not urge him to shift on takeoff like they usually did. The need to stretch his wings whenever he was airborne was a difficult urge to suppress, even on a good day. The elevator had been tricky enough to become accustomed to and he wondered how Kol managed to deal with it every day. Unless Kol flew to work and entered via rooftop access. Garen smiled to himself. If he were the Shadow, that’s what he would do, unless he had to keep up appearances.

Melody remained subdued, apparently lost in her own thoughts for the duration of their drive to the airport. When they exited the limo on the tarmac and started toward the jet, she stopped short right in front of him.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Oh, God. It’s the same one isn’t it? I know this jet like the back of my hand.”

“Is that a problem?” Garen asked, frowning down at her. He knew she had been a flight attendant for Kol, but he’d only heard hints of why Kol insisted on her transfer. “You’re a passenger now, Melody. You can just sit and relax today.”

He rested his hand at the small of her back, hoping to comfort as well as urge her along. She went reluctantly, her aura fluctuating between fear and pure lust with every step. Finally he got her into the cabin and seated at the very front of the plane. She refused to go further back.

Garen strapped in beside her and looked at her. Was she going to be a bigger basket case than him on this flight? The thought both amused and worried him.

“Will you talk to me? Tell me what’s wrong?” he said softly. “Part of ~my~ job is to ensure your happiness when Skye isn’t around.”

Melody clenched her eyes shut and Garen took the opportunity to exhale a magic-infused breath. Melody was taking slow, even breaths, as though trying to calm herself, which made it easy for his magic to be inhaled. Soon her heart rate steadied and she nodded. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, smiling ruefully.

“I sort of had a three-way with Kol and his wife back there,” she said, stabbing her thumb over her shoulder at the cabin behind them. “I’m pretty sure that’s why he’s pawning me off on you.”

* * *

Melody couldn’t suppress the feeling of smug satisfaction at Garen’s shock. He craned his head around to survey the rest of the cabin, no doubt picturing her in the throes of passion with Kol. For all she knew, he could see the actual event with those strange eyes of his.

“What do you see?” she asked.

“Just an empty cabin,” he said, turning back to her with his brows drawn together. “Was that what you meant when you mentioned Kol’s tongue earlier? You’ve actually experienced it, haven’t you?”

“Once. And I thought I was ruined for men, after that. But now here you are … and Skye. The sex is only half of why I agreed to this contract. I’m curious about you. About what you really are, because there’s no way a man with a tongue that talented can be even remotely human.”

“Let’s get airborne and then I will tell you what I can. Mostly I’d like to know more about you, though.”

“Quid pro quo,” she said.

“Fair enough … just not yet.” His voice sounded strained as the plane powered up and began taxiing. As it built up speed, he clenched his eyes shut and gripped the armrests.

Christ, was he as terrified of flying as Kol had been? And the woman, Nancy, who had recruited her? What was it with these people?

Melody peeled one of his large hands off the armrest and held it tightly. “I’m right here, Garen. Takeoff is the scariest part.”

“Not scared …” he bit out harshly. His jaw visibly clenched as the jet’s wheels left the ground. His chest rose and fell in heavy breaths.

While Melody watched, Garen’s skin seemed to ripple oddly. He pressed his head back against the seat and groaned. She stared, wide-eyed, partly concerned and partly fascinated when the texture of his skin changed. His hands and face acquired a pale, glowing sheen like they had in the sunlight earlier that afternoon.

“Garen, are you all right?”

He cracked his eyelids slightly. “I don’t imagine you’d pretend you’re not seeing this, would you?”

“What can I do?”

“Nothing that wouldn’t break your contract.”

Melody started to ask what he meant, when she remembered a line in the contract that precluded having intercourse, or “significant intimate contact for the purpose of either party’s orgasm” with anyone besides Skye. Suddenly Garen’s behavior all day made perfect sense. And watching him now, the incident with Kol and Hallie became clear to her, too. Whatever he was, flying was an issue for his kind, and sex was something that alleviated the stress.

She narrowed her eyes. The most distracting thing about sex wasn’t getting off. Maybe …

With a swift tug of the release, she unfastened her seatbelt and stood, tottering slightly in the aircraft as it canted skyward, but she was used to walking around in turbulence, so she managed to gain her footing easily. She flipped the armrests up on either side of Garen and straddled his lap.

“Melody, no! Not good.” Garen’s speech was clipped and his eyes a little wild with those bright flashes coming more frequently. In spite of his words, he dug his fingers into her hips like his life depended on it.

“Yes, Garen. You’re in distress and I think I know what will help. Don’t worry, I won’t let it go too far.”

She threaded her fingers through his pale, silken hair, marveling for a moment at how soft it was. Sliding her hands down, she clutched the back of his neck and massaged the tense muscles, digging in hard with her fingertips. His shoulders weren’t the tightest muscles in his body, though. Between her thighs, his erection was painfully apparent against her bare pussy. Fucking him was against the rules, so she’d just have to do as much as she could without either of them getting off completely.

Leaning in close, she whispered in his ear, “I’m here, Garen. Close your eyes and imagine you’re in a bed with me. You’re teasing me like you did before, working me up so Skye can have me. You’re doing your job, and I’m doing mine, letting you know what pleases me most. Seeing you turned on like this pleases me.” He groaned when she tilted her hips against his, rubbing her hot center tight against his erection through his trousers.

She brushed her lips lightly across his cheekbone. His skin was soft, but not quite like skin should be. The surface of his cheek, and even lower where light stubble covered his jaw, felt like velvet beneath her lips. She continued pressing small kisses along his jaw until she reached his lips. Garen moaned and tilted his head toward her, lips parted. Melody pulled back slightly. A kiss wouldn’t be enough. She unfastened the buttons at the front of her dress and let the two sides fall open. Gripping his hands and pulling them away from her hips, she urged them up and placed them on the full, sensitive flesh of her breasts. She gasped when he immediately began rolling her nipples gently between thumbs and forefingers.

“That’s right, tease me, Garen. Make me wet. Make me beg for it and then hold it back until Skye can give it to me. Because he will, won’t he? He didn’t fuck me today, but he will tomorrow, right?”

“Yes,” Garen said. His breathing had evened and his eyes were locked in a solid, pale gleam fixed on her breasts. “He’ll fuck that pretty snatch of yours as well as he tongued you today. He’s good at that—fucking, I mean. You’ll love getting fucked by Skye as much as I do.”

Before Melody could respond to the confession, one of his hands shot to the back of her neck and pulled her down to his mouth. He devoured her, the pull of his lips relentless and his tongue delving deep into her mouth. His hips tilted up against her once, the pressure of his erection hard and hot against her clit. She moaned and pushed him back.

“No. I’m not allowed to come, remember? And Christ, even if you dry hump me a little bit, I think I will. We can kiss.”

“For an hour and a half straight?” he asked.

“This is what virgins do when they’re too chicken to do the deed. I have experience with that. Or I used to, anyway. Just try not to move your hips.” She plucked at the top button of his shirt, tugging until it came undone, then moved to the next one.

Garen smirked. “If we’re just going to make out, why are you undressing me?”

She shrugged. “Curiosity. You’ve seen me naked. I want to see you naked.” The truth was she wanted a lot more than him naked, but she still intended to avoid breaking her contract on day one at all costs. “Besides, I think we’re at cruising altitude now. How do you feel?”

“Better. Thank you. Now, if you really meant it, then you’ll need to let me stand up.”

“Well, I suppose it is safe to move about the cabin.” She grinned and slipped off his lap. When she moved into the aisle, he stood, and continued unbuttoning his shirt, but proceeded at a tortuously slow pace. Melody crossed her arms over her bare breasts and gave him an impatient look. He grinned back.

“You can’t rush perfection,” he said. He tugged the tail of his shirt out of his trousers and she managed to catch a glimpse of a flat, tanned stomach. He kept unbuttoning and with each new inch of chiseled flesh he revealed, her temperature rose a notch.

“I had no idea you would get so hot just watching a man undress,” he murmured, stepping close to her again. He loomed above her and bent to press his lips against hers again in a slow, lingering kiss. “I’ll have to remember this. For Skye, of course.”

Melody groaned in frustration and pushed him away. “No distractions. Get on with it. I want to see what a not-human man looks like naked, and then I want you to tell me another of your secrets.”

“I can tell you a secret now,” he said, shucking his shirt off and beginning on his trousers. “You’re probably wondering about my little fit on takeoff.”

“You can admit if you have a fear of flying. It isn’t all that uncommon,” she said. “Just don’t lie to me.”

“I love flying,” he said. “Just not in a giant metal tube.”

“So … what, like hang gliding?”

He’d unzipped his pants and her gaze drifted down his smooth chest, her mouth watering in anticipation.

“A little like that,” he said.

It took her a moment before she realized he’d just told her a new detail about what he really was.

“Wait, back up … you can fly? Like Superman or something?”

“Not as fast, but something like that. I think I’ve done enough undressing now,” he said.

“What?” Her head shot up. She stared in his eyes for a second before shaking her head and letting her gaze wander down his body again. His pants still hung off his hips, a pair of boxers just visible beneath and a trail of pale blond hair leading from his navel down past the elastic waistband. “No you don’t. I earned a naked … whatever you are.”

“Garen?” he offered with a grin.

She laughed. “Damn you! Take it off!”

“You first.”

* * *

Cruising altitude wasn’t what had calmed Garen, though his instinct to fly usually subsided once the plane leveled off. It had been Melody’s intense arousal that had distracted him so fully that a more powerful instinct took over. In the back of his mind, he was still aware he was playing with fire. He wasn’t quite as concerned for himself—even if he gave in and fucked her, he was unlikely to find his Nirvana and infuse her with any of his energy. But Melody was a different story.

As turned on as she was, he had no doubt he could bring her off with very little effort, and Skye would be able to see her essence mixed with his if that happened. Garen’s task wasn’t to satisfy her sexually. Quite the opposite, he was required to tease her just as she said. To ready her for Skye’s attention and keep her on the edge until Skye needed her.

Melody had clearly read the contract in detail, yet here she was flirting with the edge of her obligations.

His hands hovered at his waistband, waiting for her to give in and undress. Her bare breasts rose and fell with her frustrated breath.

“Fine,” she said. “I get another secret after I do this. ~And~ you get naked.”

She shrugged out of the straps of her summer dress and it fell to the floor for the second time that day. He shifted his vision to view her aura in more detail, pleased with the brightening pulse of it as his gaze swept down the length of her. Not even a touch was necessary to turn her on.

“Naked it is,” he said, pushing his trousers and boxers down his legs and stepping out of them. He stood up again, eager to see how she’d react to him in all his glory.

Her expression was perplexing. She frowned as she studied him and tilted her head. “You look normal. Well, super-hot-sexy-man normal, but still normal. Except for your eyes. What the hell is up with your eyes?”

“Ah, you saw that?” He lowered his gaze and rubbed the back of his neck. She was more observant than the average human, too.

“About a hundred times today.”

“My human eyes don’t always see everything I want to see. I can shift my vision to see what’s invisible to humans. Like how aroused you are right now.”

“Well, that’s no mystery. My nipples are hard as rocks and my pussy’s wet.”

She had a point. Her nipples taunted him, pink and hard and just begging to be sucked. And her neatly trimmed pussy was so wet her lips shone from her juices.

“I can see your moods, like an aura around you. You were terrified of getting into this plane earlier, but the idea of it also turned you on. I’m guessing you were remembering the tryst with Kol and Hallie, right?”

Both her aura and her cheeks reddened—the aura’s change was from the arousal the memory incited in her, no doubt. Yet she was embarrassed about sharing the details with him. He was about to tell her she didn’t need to tell him when she spoke.

“It was unexpected. I’d barely met the man. I’d flown on the jet before, with the junior executives. They are nothing like him. Or like you and Skye for that matter. Kol had never flown in the jet, at least not since he hired me. And when I first saw him, he was so …” Melody trailed off and stared at the ceiling, shaking her lovely blonde head slowly.

Garen chuckled. “Yeah, we have that effect on humans sometimes, especially when we’re already horny. It’s tough to resist us.”

“It is,” she said softly, her gaze falling back to his.

A pounding rush filled Garen’s ears as they stared at each other. He couldn’t tell whether it was his own pulse or her heart beating loud enough for him to hear over the sound of the plane’s engines. He wished for just a small taste of her. To really know what he was missing, to understand the value of what Skye had been blessed with in this beautiful woman. He cared nothing for his own pleasure—he could find that elsewhere. Just a taste. A sip of her energy. The rest could fly into the ether instead of into his depleted well.

He closed the distance to her in a single stride, crushing her against him and claiming her mouth with his own. Melody sank into him, her silken skin sliding against his hard cock with a deliciously erotic shift of her torso. She wrapped her arms around him, nails digging into the skin of his back.

She pulled away with some effort, mumbling her objection. “We can’t. You know we can’t. Not all the way.”

“I won’t,” he said in a gruff voice. “I just need a taste of you, Melody. Skye won’t know if I don’t give my power to you, and it’ll be the tiniest taste that I can cover up with some other human’s Nirvana later.”

“Don’t,” she said, pressing her lips to his shoulder and whimpering as he slid his fingers between her thighs and stroked.

“Shh, love. Give me your hand.”

Even in the middle of another objection, she let him take her hand and press her own fingers between her thighs. He guided her fingers into a tight circle over her clit while he sank two of his fingers deep into her, relishing the tight heat and wishing he dared use more than his fingers.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be able to tell when you’re close. I can step clear at the last moment.”

She let out a soft moan and said, “You make me sound like a bomb.”

“Shh, you shouldn’t say that on an airplane.”

Melody started to laugh, but it turned into a harsher moan as her aura started to pulse. This was it.

“Oh, God. I’m coming, Garen!”

Garen let his fingers linger inside her for a split second longer. Just long enough for the first wave of power to sink through his skin as she came. Her hips twitched and her thighs clenched around his hand. He jerked free and stumbled backward as though he had, indeed, been hit by a blast.

Melody stood quivering in the aisle, her fingers still pressed tight against her clit. Her other hand clutched tightly at her breast and her head was lowered. Her golden tresses veiled her face, and her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths.

“Shit,” Melody muttered. She turned away without looking at him, stooping to pick up her dress as she did in one smooth motion. Without looking back at him she retreated down the aisle to the lavatory at the other end and shut herself in.

Cursing at himself in kind, Garen quickly dressed and buckled himself back into his seat.

“You’re a fucking fool,” he said out loud. His balls ached even though his erection had subsided, but the small surge of power he’d managed to absorb from her had left him with a vague, pleasant tingle over his entire body, particularly around the two fingers that had been deep inside her when her orgasm began.

It wasn’t quite enough to alleviate his discomfort, but he didn’t regret it. The thing he did regret was encouraging her to take the risk. Hell, he hadn’t given her any other option.

When she didn’t return after several moments, he unbuckled and headed back to the lavatory.

“Melody? I’m sorry,” he said through the closed door. “Will you come out and talk to me?”

“I think it’s best if we keep a door between us until we absolutely have to be around each other,” she replied, her voice muffled by the barrier.

“I’m the one who would likely get in trouble, if Skye finds out. Not you.”

“No shit. You made me come. Did you know the contract says I’m not even allowed to masturbate to orgasm?”

Garen recalled that clause as well. “You know I’m the one whose job it is to enforce the contract, right? I report to Skye. And I promise not to report this to him.” As much as he hated the idea of deceiving his friend, he needed to alleviate Melody’s distress.

Her voice sounded bitter when she answered. “You think? Would he disown us both or just kick me to the curb? The kicker is that it’s also your job to do exactly what you did, except you’re supposed to know when to stop.”

“I do know when to stop.”

She didn’t answer for a moment, then the door opened a crack and one blue eye peered up at him. “What if I don’t want you to?”

Garen rubbed his palms over his face. He’d definitely fucked this up now.

“After tomorrow, you’ll feel differently. You’ll learn to trust me, and trust that Skye will fulfill your needs.” At least he hoped that after an infusion of Skye’s energy, she would begin to bond more closely to him. Without any of Garen’s energy to confuse the issue, Skye’s stronger magic would refocus her attention. It was no wonder she was so intent on Garen now, though. He’d had the most contact with her so far.

She shut the door again and threw the latch.

“Tell me another secret, Garen. I think you owe me your life story now.”

He groaned inwardly and slid down the wall in the narrow aisle, leaning up against the door.

“What do you want to know? I’m an almost open book.”

“What did you mean about having a taste of me? And about that … Nirvana thing?”

“Remember when I told you your orgasm was like a gift? You’re like this perfect, irresistible confection. I just dipped my fingers in the icing and had a taste.”

A loud laugh penetrated the door. “Dipped your fingers in? I’d say you did a bit more than that.”

“I thought it was an appropriate analogy,” he said, sulking.

“It is a little too perfect, really. But go on, you’re not finished yet.”

“We call an orgasm ‘Nirvana.’ The ultimate release.”

“Like Buddha?”

“He was before my time, but our texts say he coined the term.”

“And it just … soaks into you if you’re touching me when I come?”

“I have what we call a well of power that needs to be replenished regularly. The power I need is all around us, but I can only access it through a willing partner. When you’re turned on, you’re like a magnet for the energy. The more aroused you are and the longer you remain in that state, the denser the power becomes as it coalesces around you.”

“So you probably should have left me horny and frustrated until I saw Skye again, huh?”

“The next time, I will.”

She didn’t speak again for some time and Garen grew lost in thought. Betraying Skye’s trust shouldn’t have come so easily to him, so soon after meeting Melody. If Skye somehow found out what he’d done, he would simply tell his friend it had been an emergency—that he’d let himself get too low of power and needed only a small infusion from her to keep enough power to maintain his human form. They couldn’t very well have him shifting right in front of her before Skye actually mated her and she was permitted to see them as dragons. It didn’t matter that she already knew some of their secrets. That was one law they’d never break—it was far too risky.

“Tell me what you see when you look at me,” Melody said, her voice carrying an almost plaintive tone.

“Aside from a very beautiful young woman, I see a red-gold aura that brightens when you’re happy and enjoying yourself, and dims when you’re anxious or upset. After you’re with Skye, it will look a little different.”

“But I was with Skye already.”

“He didn’t share his Nirvana with you. The first time he does, you’ll notice the difference, and so will I.”

“Will I be able to see it?”

“Subtle signs, perhaps, but you’ll feel the change. You’ll also feel more attuned to him in particular. The more you share of each other, the closer your bond will become.”

“Garen …” she began, then trailed off.

“What is it?”

“Is this some kind of arranged marriage? Am I being prepared to be his bride?”

“Yes,” he said, his chest tight with the reminder that she was not meant for him.

After another pregnant pause, she said, “Then you really shouldn’t have made me come.”

“I know.”

“If you could do it over, would you hold back?”

“Melody, the rest of our time together will be a repeat of today, minus the last bit. It won’t happen every day, but I will tease you sometimes until you’re begging me to fuck you. I’m perfectly aware of my limits, and I promise you I will never give in again.”

“Good, because if you did, I don’t think I’d be able to go through with the contract, even if we lied about it.”

Garen didn’t respond, but knew without a doubt that if he could have found his own Nirvana with her, he’d burn the contract himself.