Dragcon's Snare

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Dragcon’s Snare ISBN # 1-4199-0741-7 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Dragcon’s Snare Copyright© 2006 Ruby Storm Edited by Pamela Campbell. Cover art by Syneca. Electronic book Publication: October 2006

This book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 443103502. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

Content Advisory: The following material contains graphic sexual content meant for mature readers. This story has been rated E–rotic by a minimum of three independent reviewers. Ellora’s Cave Publishing offers three levels of Romantica™ reading entertainment: S (S-ensuous), E (Erotic), and X (X-treme). S-ensuous love scenes are explicit and leave nothing to the imagination. E-rotic love scenes are explicit, leave nothing to the imagination, and are high in volume per the overall word count. In addition, some E-rated titles might contain fantasy material that some readers find objectionable, such as bondage, submission, same sex encounters, forced seductions, and so forth. E-rated titles are the most graphic titles we carry; it is common, for instance, for an author to use words such as “fucking”, “cock”, “pussy”, and such within their work of literature. X-treme titles differ from E-rated titles only in plot premise and storyline execution. Unlike E-rated titles, stories designated with the letter X tend to contain controversial subject matter not for the faint of heart.

DRAGCON’S SNARE

Ruby Storm

Ruby Storm

Chapter One

Planet Mordovea, 3026 Jana’s fingers curled around the armrests of the soft leather chair when he entered the room, the only outward indication that his ominous presence sent a shaft of dread through her body. Her heartbeat quickened as her violet gaze measured the sheer breadth of his shoulders. His flowing black hair shone in the candlelight of the candles that had been lit and positioned perfectly to lend an aura of romance to the room. How ironic. Romance? There would be no romance tonight. There would only be sex, the unrefined kind to appease a Dragcon ruler in order for Jana to acquire the food stores and necessary water for her people’s survival. She swallowed when he stopped before her, then glared up into his arrogant, piercing golden eyes. She had never detested anyone or anything as much as she did King Renae at this moment. She tossed away her fear, gathered her courage and let her loathing shine through. She had met him for the first time a decade earlier at the Universal Tribal Council when she’d first been crowned Queen of Cordania. Even then she’d thought he was handsome despite the fact he was half man, half dragon. The dragon traits were few and she imagined that if he possessed more, he kept them cloaked within the long flowing robes he always wore when in public. His forehead, however, was more pronounced than a human’s, but that slight reptilian affectation didn’t take away from his physical attributes. King Renae was handsome and he knew it. That was why, even after all these years, Jana still treated him with disdain. She was sure of one thing—she detested arrogance, and the Dragcon had an overabundance of it. And in the past when he’d made ridiculous overtures in her direction, she’d always cut him to the quick. He was also a ruler who lived worlds away from her own kind. Dragcons were lower on the order of the royal hierarchy and allowed to attend Council more as an

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appeasement and deterrent of future wars than anything else. His kind might be included, but they were never truly accepted. Her quick mind skittered back to the reason she sat in the chair before him now. She had suddenly been thrust into Queenship because of her parents’ deaths. She had not desired to be Queen, but Cordania’s parliament had insisted. That heavy responsibility had been an upward struggle ever since. The Council made her life miserable because she was a woman. It seemed Jana spent all her time proving to the imbeciles that her brain worked in the same manner as theirs and that she was totally competent to run an entire planet. To make matters worse, the atmosphere around Cordania had begun to dissipate, which affected the weather immensely on her small planet. Suddenly they’d been thrust into seven long years of drought. Her people were dying, starving because the ground refused to produce food without water, and no other realm would come to their aid. Except the planet Mordovea and the Dragcon King Renae. But with a price. Her gaze drifted across his face as he stood silently, studying her as if she were a portrait on the wall. She had not run across him for three years due to her continual rebuffs, something that gave her immense relief. She’d thought he had finally realized she would never give him the attention he desired. The handsome features she had remembered were now more chiseled and hardened. His eyes gleamed gold like a dragon’s and there wasn’t a hint of hair on his face. Her greatest desire was to leap from her chair and race from the room. To do so, however, would break the contract she’d signed only that morning, and she would never do that to her countrymen. Jana closed her eyes and slowly inhaled a clear, strong breath to help settle her rattled emotions. What would he look like naked? Would his body be scaled as a dragon’s? Would he shoot angry fire from his mouth and singe her skin? She’d heard horror stories about the lusting sex of a Dragcon. What would she endure in his company?

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Just one day. That was the agreement. King Renae had demanded that Jana spend twenty-four hours with him, submitting to his every whim—sexual and otherwise. And when the contract was completed, he would gift her planet with every article on her Parliament’s request list. Her people would survive. Only Renae had offered to save them when no one else would, thus forcing her to surrender to his terms. As he crossed the small distance between them, it took all her might not to shrink from his lusty, shuttered gaze that raked over the exposed skin of her upper arms and then rested on the rise of her breasts above the neckline of her silken gown. She burrowed further into the soft cushions when one long masculine finger grazed her alabaster skin as it brushed the length his gaze had just flowed across. When he made an attempt to trace a path across her covered breast, however, she gasped angrily and slapped away his fingers. King Renae’s eyebrow arched upward. Tucking his hand into the folds of his robe, he tilted his head and contemplated the woman before him. “I must say how pleased I am that you have agreed to my proposition.” Jana watched his gaze slide over her body once again and could not halt the rush of panic shooting through her even though her nipples pebbled hard. She grasped the arm of the chair tighter as a soft rush of air left her lungs. Her knees trembled slightly as she brushed the fingers of her opposite hand through her short, dark tresses. Jana had experienced sex many times. She owned a stable of male concubines. It was her right as Queen. But hard as she tried, she could not think of the coming hours as anything other than a form of slavery because it was by Renae’s whim that she would give her body in trade for goods. Their eyes met and locked. “I had no choice but to abide by your request and you know that, King Renae. I will always put my people’s needs before my own.” “How thoughtful of you.”

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“A contract is a contract and…” she began, but suddenly her words drifted away to nothing as he reached up, untied the strings beneath his chin and shrugged the cloak from his shoulders. Beneath the flowing robe, he wore a black one-piece suit. The sheer breadth of his shoulders, his massive chest and the firm muscles of his belly rippling beneath the stretched material took her breath away. But it was the hard bulge between his thighs that instilled fear inside Jana such as she’d never known. How could she succumb to sexing with him? As magnificent as he was, she had never been forced to do anything against her will. Somehow she would have to discover another path to her subjects’ salvation. Gathering her wits about her, she rose from her chair and felt even less significant compared to his massive stature. “As of this moment, I’m breaking our contract.” The words were out of her mouth before she could halt them. Once again, his gaze swept her length. Jana’s biggest desire was to wipe away the smirk that played around the edges of his full mouth. “And your people? Will they suffer because their queen will not keep her word?” “I’ll find another way.” His head tipped back for a moment as his eyes closed. Jana tore her gaze from the firm angle of his jaw, struggling to remember that King Renae was a Dragcon. With a sigh Renae shrugged. “I am your last hope, Jana. You have tried numerous times to get the Council to listen to you. Why would you think they would change their minds now?” They would not. It was a sickening realization to know she really had no other option but to let the Dragcon king bed her. “Jana, you will lose all respectability once word reaches the Council that you have put your own needs before the people of Cordania. Rulers do not break contracts. If you

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do, your voice will be drowned out in the future.” Renae knew that to be true. He had seen it happen too many times. He didn’t think the proud Queen Jana or her planet would survive once the Council discovered what they would consider to be feeble leadership. “Every struggle they have put you through since your coronation and every battle you have won will have been for naught.” Her violet eyes blazed with fury. Whether at him or because of the predicament she found herself in, he would never know. The one thing he was certain of, however, was what would transpire between them. Renae observed the exact moment the truth of his words were reflected in her eyes. “So shall we proceed with our evening of delight and finish with this game?” Jana’s jaw tightened. Anger rose in her heart. She had no choice. She could belabor the fact that she did, but the sooner the deed was accomplished, the sooner she would be winging her way back to Cordania. Her chin rose haughtily. “If you want me, then take me. It’s all a simple game to you anyway. Finish with your grunting, and I’ll be on my way.” “Change your attitude.” “What?” she exclaimed. “I said change your attitude. Better yet. I’ll change it. I shall enjoy the…game…immensely.” He turned to a table, poured two glasses of wine from a decanter then eyed her from where he stood. “Come closer.” “Don’t order me around like you would a peasant. I am a queen.” “You might be a queen, Jana, but for the next twenty-four hours, you have given up that title by signing the contract between us. You will be only a woman, one who will fulfill her bargain or an entire planet of people will perish.” When she remained rooted where she stood, he retraced his steps and handed her a goblet. “Now enjoy a sip of wine with me and then we’ll proceed to have a delightful evening in one another’s arms.”

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She had no choice. Jana loathed how her hand trembled when she clinked her glass against his offered one. She downed the sweet liquid in one draught, refusing to look at him or the wide expanse of mattress across the room. As her gaze scurried away, she was drawn back to the bulge between his thighs. The slick material of his suit clung to the hard edge of his cock. She had heard that Dragcon men possessed oversized genitalia. What she saw now was the truth of those whispered comments. Could her human body survive the next hours? Renae took the glass from her shaking hand and set it aside with his own. When he turned back and reached out a hand, she had no choice but to accept it. Renae led her to the middle of the room instead of the bed, let go of her hand and pulled a length of soft, silken rope from his pocket. “Give me your wrists, Jana.” Her heart thudded wildly. “I may be forced to give you the sex you want, but I refuse to be tied.” “You have no choice. When will you get that through that beautiful head of yours? I am only assuring you do not bolt from the room.” His glittering eyes softened when he spied her panic. “I won’t hurt you, Jana. That is a promise. But I will take your body in payment for your planet’s survival, if only for this night. Now…your wrists please.” Grudgingly, she held them out and watched his large fingers gently wind the length about her wrists. He guided her arms upward and reached for a metal ring that, up to that moment, Jana had not seen. Before she could utter a word, he secured the other end of silk. She was restrained with her arms stretched over her head but with her feet still comfortably on the floor. “What are you doing?” she asked when his fingertips trembled across her cheek. “Don’t be frightened, Jana. When your twenty-four hours are completed, you will leave for your home unharmed but with a new sense of appreciation of what it’s like to make love with a Dragcon.” “Don’t be silly,” she spat out and struggled against the ties that bound her. It was no use. The knot was unforgiving. Renae would get what he wanted and there was 9

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nothing she could do about it. “We won’t be making love, Renae. You’ll be fucking me and that’s all. And when it’s done, I’ll be more than happy to never see your face again. Do it, Renae. Fuck me and get it over with.” A rumble of delighted laughter echoed around her as he licked the soft spot below her ear. His dragon tongue danced small circles across her skin. “Oh I’ll fuck you, Jana. And when I’m done, you’ll wish it wasn’t over. You’ll wish it could go on forever. I know I will.” He breathed in her scent and continued to dart his tongue across the smooth expanse of her neck. Jana strained from the dampness of his caress. A shiver raced down her spine. Apprehension? She wasn’t quite sure. “I’m going to undress you now,” he breathed quietly. She glared at him as he carefully unhooked a clip at her right shoulder. The bodice of her simple gown dipped on one side but still covered her erect nipple. “Ah,” he sighed and pressed kisses against the upper swell of one breast. “I’m so happy you obeyed my request to only wear a clasped sheath. You are completely naked beneath this luscious silk?” “I dressed as the contract stated,” she ground out. “That is good.” In one slow, languid motion, he slowly tugged on the gossamer material. The sensation was erotically exciting. The silk slowly scraped over her nipple, sent a jolt straight to Jana’s stomach and made the muscles of her belly clench. Renae stared at her exposed and puckered nipple. “Are you cold, Jana, or is it just that my touch excites you? Let us see.” He bent closer, captured her nipple with his full lips and flicked the erect bud with the tip of his tongue. She refused to look at him, denying the heated streaks that raced from her peaked nipples to the center of her womb. His suckling built a strange need in the pit of her stomach. There wasn’t time to dwell on her reaction, however, because her attention

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was quickly drawn to the touch of his hand as it worked the second clasp at her shoulder. Her gown fell around her waist, held up only by the tied sash at her hips. “Pure beauty,” he whispered reverently. “I always dreamed of your body beneath my hands…” She shivered at his gentle touch. Her heart skipped a beat when he reached out and ran his fingertips across her chest then down until the roughened tip of one trailed around her erect nipple. Jana’s breasts swelled with the deep breath she inhaled, but she remained silent. His golden eyes took on a muted glow when both his hands cupped her swollen mounds. His touch was soft, as if weighing the luscious gems in his hands. A rush of liquid sprang between her legs and sensual heat shot through her belly. For all the many times she’d sexed with a man, nothing had prepared her for the delightful shivers that Renae’s touch elicited. She was deeply ashamed of her response. He was Dragcon. Humans weren’t supposed to be affected by someone like him. She fought the need to surge against his hand and struggled with the strange lust that peppered her senses. She almost wished he would be rough and crude. Anything to halt the liquid desire he purposely built. She hated him for how he made her feel. Renae stepped behind her, reached around and untied the sash at her waist then slowly slid the gown over her bare, satiny hips and let it fall to her ankles. He reached down and waited for her to lift a foot. “Jana?” As if in a trance, Jana lifted one foot and then the other as he pulled the material away. But when he cupped her ass and squeezed gently, her senses flared anew and her stomach clenched with desire once more. She couldn’t help herself. No man—or any other living thing—had ever touched her with such gentleness and adoration. Still behind her, his hands slowly brushed a path around the gentle swell of her hips until his palms rested against the flat of her stomach. As he nuzzled her shoulder, the hair on the back of her neck stood straight. Jana locked her knees to remain steady in his hold. Her eyes fluttered shut when his fingertips slid upward to gently tease her 11

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underarms. She refused to submit to the tickling sensation, but when his hands brushed a sensuous course over her breasts and his fingertips slid downward with purpose to play amongst the tight curls covering her cunt, the air shot from her lungs. “I have dreamed of this for many years, Jana. Only you. And now the feel of you in my embrace is real. My fantasy has come true.” His whispered words against her neck now raised the hair on her arms. Jana swallowed and chose her words carefully. “What…what are you talking about? I have only seen you at Council. We have never spoken kind words to one another.” “That is because you always chose to ignore me. And when I was able to capture your attention, you would flay me with your tongue. Because I am Dragcon, Jana?” He paused for only a moment. “Here…” his breath heated her neck when he blew softly. “Tonight,” he whispered sensuously, “I will prove to you that fucking a Dragcon is much more enjoyable than being bedded by a mere human. It will be better because my touch will always be gentle. It will be pleasurable beyond belief because the solid width of my cock stretching your cunt will drive you insane. It will be the words of love from my mouth that will forever keep me in your memory when you leave my home.” “Love?” she croaked and struggled to ignore the sensual touch of his fingertips dancing circles against her bare belly. They never stopped moving, from her belly to a warm brush up her midriff and on over the firm muscles of her arms, then back. He stroked her skin like a favored pet. “What…what are you talking about?” she gasped. “Love for you, Jana. Always. Forever. Did you not wonder why I have never married? It’s because I have waited for you.” “This isn’t love, Renae.” His gentle fingers tortured her skin, making it hard for Jana to think. “You…you concocted this ridiculous barter in order to fuck me. That’s all. It’s impossible to love someone you don’t know.” A deep chuckle rumbled close to her ear as he sniffed her hair. “It will be for you to discover if what you say is truth or not. I’ll prove it, Jana. I’ll prove to you that love does 12

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not have to be how it is portended to be. It can be spontaneous…beautiful and exciting between two souls who have never touched before.” Her eyes widened incredulously when a thick, long finger circled her navel then whisked across her taut belly and down to her lightly furred lips. Her stomach knotted and her breathing shallowed. She gasped quietly when he spread her feminine lips with two fingers and stroked her clit as he held her open. Her heart jumped with the light touch. Her mind swam in the haze of his gentle sexual onslaught. “Such a sensitive bud. I’m sure my lips will find their way here to suckle it, to nibble it, to drive you mad with desire. Have you ever had an orgasm?” he breathed beside her ear, and then blew lightly on her heated skin. “Of-of course I have.” “But never from a Dragcon’s cock thrusting inside you.” She hated the way he played with her. She detested the fact that he had the upper hand because of a signed contract. And she hated the fact that her hands were bound and secured when she itched to turn and slap his handsome face even as her blood thrummed through her body. “You give yourself too much credit,” she blurted without thinking. “We shall see…” His finger slipped easily into her cunt, finding haven within her wet heat. Jana struggled to keep her knees locked in defiance when the hard line of his bulging cock pressed against her ass. It felt huge even though it was confined tightly within his pants. Her eyes drifted shut as his thick finger probed inside her heat. Her stomach clenched crazily when he hooked the tip and scraped it across the upper inside wall of her vagina. She trembled violently. “What do you want to happen, Jana?” he whispered as his finger kept to a constant rhythm. He slipped it in as far as it would go, then let it drift out to stroke her clit, then found his way back into her wet, dripping slit. Over and over…

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Jana opened her mouth to answer, but no words came out. She took a deep breath, feeling as if she was going to explode, and stammered again. “I-I want this night to-to be over.” Her body dipped precariously with a will of its own against the pressure of his finger. Suddenly, its thickness was gone, leaving her hanging on the hot precipice of orgasm as he stepped around her. She forced her eyes open and struggled to focus on his face. If it weren’t for her wrists tied above her, she would have fallen at his feet. A liquid drop of pleasure slipped down her inner thigh. “Jana…” Desire blazed golden in his eyes. “Do you know what I want?” Slowly, she wagged her head, watching trancelike when he lifted his finger to his mouth and slowly licked the length of it to taste her juices. “I want to fuck you. Right here. Right now. Would you object to me fucking you right now?” Her body was a quivering mass. She wanted him to fuck her. The thought frightened her beyond belief. How? How had he turned the tables on her so quickly? A fire burned its way through her body and licked hot at her core. “I-I would not object because I do this for my people. Get this detestable night over with.” Without taking his eyes from hers, a hint of a smile appeared on his lips. “I think you protest overly much.” Renae opened the hidden flap of his suit, reached inside and pulled his thick erection from its tight prison. Her gaze fell to the engorged tip. His cock didn’t look any different from a human’s except that the velvety shaft was twice the size of any cock she’d ever fucked. “Spread your legs wider.” “No…” His hand was suddenly back between her thighs, his finger gliding into her dripping heat as his thumb circled her swollen clit. “Your cunt is ready. Have you ever been this wet? Now open wider.”

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Jana’s legs opened with a will of their own. The silken rope stretched taut, biting further into her wrists. Her entire body jerked when he ran his finger up through her slippery length and back again. Once more, he licked the juice from his finger, long slow licks with the tip of his pointed tongue. Never taking his eyes from hers, he sank to one knee, spread her wet cunt lips and blew lightly on her heated clit. Jana’s breath rattled from her lungs and ended in a raspy moan. Her knees gave out and suddenly she was hanging by her wrists with King Renae’s hands on her inner thighs, forcing them even wider. His dark eyes studied her splayed body before glancing up. “Open your eyes and watch what I’m going to do to you.” Jana’s head lolled forward. She forced her eyes open. “I have decided that I’ll fuck you when you beg me. Until then, you’ll experience the first of many pleasures by my mouth before you are untied.” Firming his grip on her thighs, he used his fingers to spread open her lips again. Jana’s clit throbbed. The air in the room cooled the searing heat of her cunt—until Renae leaned forward and laved his tongue over her taut bud. Jana reacted with a pitch forward and a whimper of pleasure. She ignored the burning ache of her arms being stretched as they supported her full weight. Her head fell back as her cunt jerked toward his mouth. Suddenly, the pain of the biting ropes disappeared as his arms supported her. He guided her knees over his shoulders and buried his face between her legs, drawing hard on her clit then licking it with the flat of his tongue. Jana moaned loudly and bit down on her lip to stifle her scream. Sparks of desire raged through her belly. When he slipped two fingers into her vagina and continued to lap greedily at her clit, she was helpless to do anything but grind her mound tightly against his mouth. Another finger slipped into her, a fourth into her rectum. She went wild when he grasped her buttocks with one hand to hold her in place as he nipped her clit and slammed his fingers up her tunnels. 15

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Jana screamed. Her body jerked wildly with the shudders that clawed their way from her cunt to her heaving breasts. She prayed the intense orgasm would stop then she prayed it would continue. It was only she and Renae. Only the raw, whipping heat that consumed her body. It went on and on, racing through her cunt, spasming her rectum, pounding through her blood. She clamped down hard on his fingers to draw him deeper into her tight tunnels as his teeth nipped at her pulsating clit. She screamed again with the intense heat that suffocated her and then she fainted.

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Chapter Two Jana’s eyes fluttered open. She lay flat on her back with her legs spread wide and her ankles propped upon silken pillows. Something warm and wet flicked against her inner thigh then feathered through her splayed, damp slit to tease into her cunt. A flush of extreme embarrassment heated her cheeks when the ache between her legs led her mind back to Renae’s sexual branding before she’d fainted. She’d been so overcome by the heady orgasm that she had passed out. Rising up onto her elbows, she quickly drew her thighs together, using her knee to force Renae’s head from between her legs. He sat back at the foot of the bed and stroked his engorged cock. Her eyes raked over his naked body as she watched him climb off the silk-covered mattress. When he stood her womb contracted. He was more beautiful than any human male she’d ever seen. There were no dragon scales, no deformed limbs, only smooth, hairless skin and magnificent bulging muscles. Her clit tingled. She had to get hold of her emotions. She covered her breasts from his dark gaze with her hands. “Could…could I have a blanket?” “No.” Her head jerked up in surprise. “You will stay naked. We have hours left yet before your part of the contract is completed. I rather enjoyed licking your cunt and I wanted you to wake to the sensation of my tongue darting into you.” He placed a hand on his narrow hip and tipped his head slightly as he stared. “No, I don’t think I want you clothed yet. We have many things to experience yet.” “You…you can’t really expect to parade me around your home without clothing.” He shrugged complacently. “It’s my home. It’s my planet. I can do anything I want. But neither of us will be leaving this room.” He left the rest unspoken. 17

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Jana willed away her flaring temper and forced her eyes elsewhere. Her people. She must not forget. A bargain was a bargain. Her heart thudded madly when she realized he’d stepped closer to the bed. As much as she struggled to cling to her indignation, his sensuous allure overruled a clear head. Renae’s finger tilted her chin, a gentle urging to meet his gaze. “The first time we met, I felt a connection as I stood before you. I will admit that along with it was a sexual desire to couple with you, to fuck you until you were too weak to stand. Fate works in mysterious ways, Jana. I now have your body at my disposal, and I intend to make use of every minute until you are free to leave. Your planet and your people will benefit greatly. That was my promise. Now you must keep yours.” She wanted to scream at him, to pound her fists against his chest, but she dared not. Her chin lifted defiantly. “Do we understand one another?” he demanded. She would only prolong the inevitable by sparring with him. “Yes.” She capitulated with a sigh. A second later she watched him cross to a pillowed couch and sit. “Jana.” She took a deep breath and finally met his narrowed gaze once more. “Come over here and touch my cock.” “I—” “Do as I say.” His hand gripped the soft leather arm of the couch when she didn’t move. Reaching out with the other, he gently ordered her again. “Come to me. There is nothing to be frightened of.” Tentatively, she left the soft mattress, crossed the room and reached out her hand. He gripped her wrist and urged her to her knees between his splayed thighs. “It’s my desire that you taste me.” He pressed her hand against his huge erection. Her fingers burned when she touched the hard steeliness of his cock, unable to encircle its throbbing width. Pre-cum wet the tip.

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“Lick it,” he ordered quietly. “Now.” “Renae…please. I…” “What is it, Jana?” he asked quietly as he took in her eyes that glistened in the candlelight. Her fear touched his heart. “I-I’ve never…” He grasped her fingers and lifted them to his lips, disconcerted now how her hand trembled within his. She had never sucked on a male cock? Jana possessed a stable of concubines, but the truth of what she’d stated rested in her eyes. He did not want her to be frightened of him. That had never been his intention. He had hoped that she would meet him on equal terms, but that hadn’t happened. Yes, her body had reacted as a woman’s does to a man’s, but she would not let go of her anger because the rules weren’t entirely in her favor. He was not an oaf. Whether she clung to her anger or not, her fear was apparent. He made a decision. Pressing a soft kiss to the inside of her palm, he sighed quietly before meeting her glittering eyes. “We are done.” “What?” Jana was confused. “I will not force you any longer. I’m sorry, Jana. You are a queen who would do anything for her people, including giving yourself to a Dragcon. I placed you in a horrible position and used your biggest weakness to gain access to your body. I should have remembered that you are a gracious queen. Instead, I have treated you like a slave.” Her heart filled with warmth at the honest look of remorse resting in his humbled gaze. He was going to break their contract. “But my people… I will do it for them.” He smiled tenderly. “Your people will be taken care of. I have a confession to make. When my runners relayed to me the actual drought conditions on Cordania and the status of your people, I began setting up supplies to be lifted to you. If your plea for help from the Council members hadn’t arrived, you still would have had Mordovean

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donations within the week. I find it horrible and unconscionable that the Council callously pushed aside your request for aid—especially when your nation is suffering as it is.” He reached up to trace her cheekbone with a roughened knuckle, his touch soft as a whisper. “After speaking with the runners, all I could picture in my mind was your beautiful face and remember your passion for your home and the people of Cordania. I wanted to help you. I know you think less of me because I am a Dragcon, but a part of me is also a man. I wanted you to see that. That is why I insisted on the contract.” Jana wet her lips, stunned by his confession. “So, milady, you are free to leave. I will set supply delivery in motion immediately and you can expect provisions to begin arriving as soon as tomorrow eve. I will summon an escort for you momentarily.” He let go of her hand and she quickly rose to her feet as relief washed through her. Not meeting his gaze, she crossed to her gown where it lay on a rug. “Just remember something, Jana.” She froze with the silken material pressed against her breasts. “I would not have hurt you. I would have taken your body tenderly until you begged for me to fuck you hard. You would not have remembered this night as detestable.” For as much as she had renounced him and his contract, she couldn’t forget the way he’d tenderly brought her body to the highest sexual peak she’d ever reached. Just thinking of it now made the blood race through her veins. Her violet eyes met his. Was it hope that rested in the golden depths as he stared? Her gaze dropped to his huge erection. He had just offered her respite from his touch. She should flee Mordovea and count herself lucky but he had piqued the desire inside her that needed to be released to its fullest. If she left now, she would always wonder what the hours of her contractual confinement would actually have been like. She would never have this chance again.

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Her womanly gaze took in the beauty of the man who could easily overcome her with his sheer strength if he so chose. Jana let the gossamer gown slip from her fingers. She would see the contract through—not because she was forced to but because it was her greatest desire. His eyes widened as she approached him, slowly knelt between his spread thighs and reached for his hand. She drew it to her cheek and covered his fingers with hers for a moment. Confusion blazed brightly on his handsome features. She pressed her lips to his palm, waiting for any reservations to flare inside her brain, but her thoughts remained settled and firm. She had made the right decision. Gently, she guided his hand to rest on the arm of the chair. “I will not break our contract, Renae. You care about my people and me and will help us without asking anything in return. I cannot leave the night undone.” Never taking her eyes from his, she leaned closer and flicked the tip of his cock with her tongue, relishing how his muscled thigh flinched beneath her hand. She licked again then ran her tongue down his cock’s long length until the softness of his testicles tickled her chin. His Dragcon body was completely hairless. Tightening her hand around his huge erection with a bit more confidence, she nibbled her way back to the engorged head, wrapped her mouth completely around it and sucked hard, darting into the wet slit with flicks of her tongue. Renae’s near silent hiss echoed around her. His thighs spread wider. A flush of warmth encompassed her entire body when she felt the pressure of his hands on either side of her head. “Open wide and take as much of it into your mouth as you can. God, Jana…I have dreamed of this.” His hands guided her head until he had her lips sliding up and down the upper half of his cock. His hips rose to meet her rhythm. “It’s my turn, Jana,” he breathed hot. “Don’t stop. Suck harder…”

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Jana squeezed his cock tightly with both hands. Each time she opened wide as she came down then clamped her lips tightly as she slid upward to suckle the tip. She repeated the act over and over. Unbelievably, he was more rock-hard than when she’d first started. His cock throbbed in her grip. And incredibly, her own hips began to move to a silent rhythm, an instinctual reaction in her woman’s body. Moisture leaked from her cunt and a flame sizzled in her belly. Renae slipped farther into the deep cushions. His hands were unforgiving as he fucked her mouth, never allowing her lips to completely leave his cock. His head fell back to the soft cushion as his eyes closed, but his hips surged forward…always forward. Jana’s mouth sucking at him made him gasp, made his skin prickle with excitement because she wanted to do this to him. She wasn’t disgusted because he wasn’t a man such as she was accustomed to. A deep growl filled the air as his jerks became short and rapid. Because of it, Jana grappled to hold his cock firmly. She nipped the end of it then wrapped her lips around the engorged tip and sucked hard. He was going to come. She ravaged the tip with her mouth, drawing him closer to ejaculation. Warm, creamy liquid filled her mouth. She swallowed and swallowed because he wouldn’t let her go as he emptied himself. His hand covered hers as he helped her jerk him to completion. His body shuddered even as his cock began to soften, but he wouldn’t release her. “Keep sucking…” he gritted out. Jana’s tongue swirled around his softening member between wild sucks and laps into his slit. Renae lay quietly now with only sporadic jerks. His eyes were closed and only one hand rested on the back of her head now. Tenderly, he brushed his fingers through her soft tresses, a subtle urge for her to keep going as the frantic nips became gentle caresses against his cock.

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Jana’s body trembled with desire. Her cunt ached to be filled, her body craved release. Renae’s cock was huge, but it wasn’t hard anymore. She continued to lick it, supporting it now in her palm. Even soft, it was still a mouthful. “Oh god, Jana…” he mumbled from behind closed lids. He basked in the attention she gave his penis for a few more moments before gently tugging her upward, her mouth mere inches from his. He stared into the violet depths of her eyes. “Did sucking me excite you? I have to know.” She nodded, almost ashamed of her reaction. She was ready to burst from the heat that coursed through her belly. “Sit on my lap.” She scrambled to do his bidding, hoping beyond hope that he would end her agony. Her clit throbbed as she straddled him. She smelled sex in the air. “I can feel how wet your cunt is against my thighs. Kiss me, Jana. Please tell me that kissing me isn’t repulsive to you.” Her lips were only a breath away from his. “Renae. I’m sorry for acting the way I did when I first arrived. I didn’t know. I didn’t realize that…” “That what?” he asked quietly. “That being with you would be so wonderful… That you make my heart pound suddenly, and I don’t understand why. I just know that I want to see my contract through to the end because I want to experience everything you can do to me.” She kissed him then. A melding of lips, soft and gentle at first then strengthening, turning wild until their teeth tore at one another’s lips in the excitement of the moment, and their tongues danced a lover’s dance. Renae cupped her breasts, broke the contact of her seeking mouth and drew one hard nipple to his mouth. The air left Jana’s constricted lungs. His tongue teased her, his hands massaged her breasts, squeezing them together until it was almost painful. But it was a beautiful pain, one she yearned for.

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“Renae…please…” she moaned. “I can’t take this…” He chuckled, moved his mouth to her opposite breast and traced a fingertip slowly down the flat of her stomach. Jana’s body surged upward in an attempt to offer him her dripping pussy. “Your body wants only one thing. My fingers will not be enough.” She grasped his smooth shoulders as her hips began to move. “Yes. Please…” The fire threatened to consume her. “Anything, Renae…just fill me.” His large hands encircled her slim waist. Jana’s eyes fluttered shut as she waited for his finger to drift down and probe inside. Only then would she find release. But to her surprise, she was guided to the floor. Her thighs automatically spread wide in invitation. Renae sank to his knees, flipped her onto her stomach and tucked his cock against the slit of her ass as his body shielded hers. His breath came in hard rasps as he nipped at her shoulder, his knees forcing hers wider. With each tender bite, his penis hardened, driving her mad with anticipation as he ground its length against her bare ass. He raised himself up slightly so his fingers could caress the line of her swollen cunt lips. He drew her creamy moisture to her clit then back to her aching hole. Jana heaved herself to her knees in an invitation to be fucked. “Stay here…don’t move…” he whispered. She poised on all fours and watched his big, hard body cross quickly to a cabinet. Renae withdrew a container and hurried back. He set it beside her then bent to run his tongue down the length of her spine. A low moan left Jana’s throat. “Why,” she asked as her head lolled and her skin goose-bumped beneath his worshiping mouth. “Why are you waiting? I want you to fuck me, Renae. You said if I asked, you would fuck me.” “I’m a Dragcon, Jana. We need to do this slowly or you’ll be hurt. Look at my cock.”

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She glanced to where he kneeled beside her. His penis was engorged again, double the size of the biggest man she’d ever seen. Her stomach flipped as she wondered if she could really take his massive size inside her. He moved back between her knees, massaging her offered buttocks with one hand as the fingers of the other dipped inside the urn. “This gel will help my entry. I don’t want to hurt you, Jana, but I do want to fuck you—more than anything else in this world. Will you trust me?” “Yes,” she gasped as she looked over her shoulder. “Please, Renae. Don’t make me wait any longer. I’m burning…” “Spread your knees wider.” Her entire body started when the cool gel on the end of his finger touched her clit. He swirled it around her tender bud, then he dipped the fingers of his other hand into the container. When he applied the cream to her pussy’s entrance, Jana gasped. She rocked on the edge of orgasm. “You’re going to come again, aren’t you?” “Yes! Please, Renae…” A strangled groan left her when she felt his finger press tenderly against her anus. “I would rather fuck you here, but I can’t. I’m too big. I don’t want to injure you.” “Your finger then,” she gasped out. “Don’t tease me any longer.” Her ass bounced against his hand. “Now! Now!” He easily rammed a lubricated finger deep into her rectum. Jana reacted with a wild pitch and began to rock back. His thickness filled her tunnel and he began to pump in and out. Jana gasped and grunted then screamed when he reached around and pinched her clit as he kept his finger slamming into her. Thick, sweet cunt juice flowed down her inner thigh as her body shuddered and her ass clenched. The orgasm was as hot and wonderful as when he’d wrapped her legs around his neck and fucked her with his tongue.

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“Oh god…oh god,” she cried out as her upper body slumped to the floor. Her body quaked intermittently as he continued to finger her ass even as her orgasm lessened. Her muscles sucked at his finger when he slowly withdrew it after her shivers trembled to a halt. “Renae…more…don’t stop.” His gaze coasted over the smoothness of her ass cheeks splayed before him. His fingers massaged the velvety texture as he studied it. A smile ghosted his lips as he bent forward, spread her cheeks wider and flicked her anus with the tip of his tongue. Her entire body started, but she rose to her hands and steadied herself. “Yes…” He licked down her crack, lapping at the cream surrounding her cunt, then returned to the puckered brown hole. He rimmed her time and time again until her hips began to bounce. Her whimpers of pleasure echoed about then turned to groans when his tongue left her body. Renae dipped into the jar of lubrication and smeared the gel around her cunt. “Hold still now, Jana. Let me do what I need to before you move. If I hurt you, tell me to stop.” Clasping his engorged cock, he rubbed the tip down the line of her ass. She bent lower and braced herself, her back arching and her throbbing pussy spreading wide for him. A blaze of heat shot to her stomach when he pressed the tip against her cunt hole. It slipped easily into her opening because of the gel. But when he moved slowly and pushed the tip farther in, the burn of being stretched wider than she’d ever been before forced a gasp. He immediately stilled. But as even hotter fire began to sizzle in her womb, Jana whimpered slightly and readjusted her hips. “Keep going. Don’t stop,” she breathed. Renae began to slip the tip of his cock in and out of her, not daring to drive deeper until she was stretched and ready. He gritted his teeth as beads of perspiration dripped down his forehead. He wanted to slam into her cunt because he knew she was seconds away from coming. The subtle bounce of her hips against him, the mewing sounds in her throat, the way she gasped for air told him so. 26

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And then her body shuddered. The walls of her cunt sucked at the head of his cock, sucked at the tip as she spasmed around him, but he still didn’t dare stroke deeper. He slipped his hand around her slender hip, stroked her clit and thrust in short jerks along with her shudders until she fell forward. “I…I couldn’t stop it. Oh my god, Renae. I want you all the way in me. Please…please try again!” His strong arm encircled her waist, and he set her back on her knees. After applying more gel to his cock, he spread her lips from behind and eased the tip into her. This time it was easier. She was more relaxed and ready for him. Slowly, inch by thick inch, he was able to get deeper inside her. Her cunt stretched around him, accepting his thick length until her hips began to rock slowly. Up and down his cock, relaxing as she drew him in then clenching around him even as he pulled away. Jana could feel the rounded tip of his cock against her womb. She inhaled deeply and rocked faster. The pain of his wide girth began to recede. Tendrils of exquisite heat reached out to overtake her once more. He filled her tightly, completely, stretching her beyond belief. Her clit throbbed to a pulsing beat, the molten heat swelling it as Renae grasped her hips and surged forward, overtaking the rhythm her body had set. “Yes!” Jana screamed out and braced herself over her elbows as she slammed back against him. “Fuck me, Renae. Yes! Make me…” The words caught in her throat when his hips answered her earthy plea. He slammed into her, gliding easily with the gel and their combined wetness. He gave her no quarter. He couldn’t. All he could do was drown in the beauty of her ass slapping against his belly and the feel of her tight cunt sucking at his cock. Jana screamed and clenched at his penis with unyielding muscles. Renae drove in hard and let himself come. His fingers clawed at her hips to keep her wrapped around his shaft as his seed spilled into her.

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Chapter Three Jana sat on her window seat overlooking her palace’s beautiful gardens. It had been so long since the forgotten beauty of flowering blossoms had brightened the corners of the royal residence. Now they were everywhere—healthy, colorful and thriving. Even with the wondrous beauty that surrounded her, she shook her head with despair. As stunning as the gardens were, the bright green fauna and colorful blossoms were a constant reminder that six months had passed since she’d last seen Renae. Evidence of his goodwill was everywhere, but the Dragcon she yearned to touch was nowhere to be found. Because of Renae’s giving spirit and continual supplies, Cordania had come into its own once more. Dragconian food stores and medicines now made her people healthy. Laughter stayed on the lips of her subjects rather than wails and pleas for help. Water was in abundance from daily deliveries by Mordovean tankers. Renae’s overseers had helped to erect huge water storage silos and instituted a unique irrigation system. Dragcons were seen everywhere now—in the streets, in the restaurants, in the parks. Renae’s people were welcome and some had even taken up permanent residence on Cordania. But not once had their gentle ruler tried to contact her since she’d left his bed when the twenty-four-hour contract was up. Jana had struggled desperately to forget him. In her heart she knew it was impossible. The driving need to see him forced desperate attempts to arrange meetings under the auspices of his offered help, but there never was any response—at least from him personally. The people closest to him always informed her that Renae was busy being king and attending to his duties. She clapped a hand over her mouth in an effort to will away the lump in her throat. As much as she was ecstatic with her planet’s rebound to its forgotten vigor, she ached

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for his touch. Renae had brought her to orgasm after orgasm those hours in his arms. By the time she’d left, she hadn’t admitted it aloud, but she’d known he was right. They hadn’t been fucking. They had been making love—sweet, shared passion. She swiped her short, dark hair from her brow and took a deep breath. How could she have been so wrong? How could she have imagined the warmth and love she’d felt when he’d held her? Were his words all lies? He had stated that he’d never found a queen because he’d always waited for her. So why the silence now? No matter. Renae was a wonderful being. He’d proved it by his own admission of guilt over the contract. He would have let her go that night and still provided unendingly for her and her people. Jana took a deep breath to slow her racing heart as she remembered how he’d made passionate love to her when she’d decided to see the contract through. Thank goodness she had. At least she had her memories, however heartbreaking that they were. A knock sounded on the door a moment before it opened wide. Jana turned from the window. “Yes?” When she spied the pale face of her closest confidante and Prime Minister, she leapt from the seat. “What is it, Surli?” “Madam…I regret to tell you that a message has been intercepted.” “What kind of message?” Jana asked even as Surli handed the missive to her. Her worried gaze lifted only moments later. “An attack? The Vadians are planning an attack? We have nothing they would want.” “On the contrary, Madam. The Director of Services is almost certain it’s because the Vadians are seeking smaller planets to set up military bases. You must remember you are a woman leader in a world of men. For that reason, the Vadians think Cordania an easy conquest.” His eyes cast downward for a moment then finally met her harried gaze. “Madam, it’s also been touted that since Cordania has welcomed Dragcons to our planet, we have been de-elevated in the Council’s eyes.” “That’s ridiculous, Surli. I was at Council last month. No one intimated any sort of de-elevation. This is my planet and we welcome all. No matter who or what they are.” 29

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“I know that, Madam. I’m just trying to make you aware of—” At that moment, a page burst through the open door. “Madam Queen! We will be under attack momentarily! Our tracking system picked up a convoy of ships to the south!” “What do you mean by momentarily?” Jana questioned as she rushed forward. “Our systems are set up to give us at least a thirty-minute window to prepare for an invasion.” The harried man’s gaze darted between his queen and her Prime Minister. “Somehow their ships managed to stay beneath the radar. The Director of Services thinks they may have planted a conspirator. Defense tactics are being put into place as we speak.” He took a step forward. “Your majesty, it’s also being discussed that Mordovea has possibly aligned themselves with the Vadians.” Jana blanched. Mordovea? Renae? Her brain rushed past the kaleidoscope of images that appeared. Was Renae’s possible new relationship with the Vadian bandits the reason he remained unapproachable? Before she could digest the nauseating thought more fully, a blast shook the building around them, knocking both Jana and Surli to the floor. Muted screams echoed through the open terrace doors. Surli scrambled to help Jana to her feet and they raced to the balcony. Smoke and flames spiraled up from the silo area where Cordania’s fuel was stored. Miles toward the horizon, the silos containing food were being targeted by alien starships. Jana watched in horror as a water tank toppled to the ground farther to the east. The Vadians would render the people of Cordania helpless by destroying their lifeblood. The concussion from another nearby explosion threw the occupants of the room against the wall as swirling ships buzzed overhead, shooting laser beams into the city and burning everything in their wake. Surli did his best to break Jana’s fall then scrambled to push her none too gently away from the shattering glass and back into the building. 30

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“Madam! We must get you out of here and into hiding.” “I’m not leaving!” She shook off his hold and raced back to the lanai. Her eyes widened in horror when over fifty Vadian starships crested the horizon, flying in the direction of the palace. “Oh my god…” Jana spun when Cordanian guards spilled into the palatial residence in full battle gear. The captain rushed forward. “Your Highness. All gates have been breached. They will be inside the palace momentarily. We have to get you to the Portal. Communications are already up and running.” Jana’s gaze darted from the man to Surli’s worried eyes. “You will be in contact with me every minute?” “Of course, Madam. You may direct the battle from the safety of the Portal. Please. We can’t chance you being taken by the Vadians.” Another explosion rocked the building, sending more glass shattering about the room. Without another word, the group raced from the room, the guards surrounding Jana as they rushed to the Portal entrance at the end of the hall. Laser shots plowed through the group just as they reached the access doors. Jana was thrown to the ground and two sturdy guards covered her body with theirs. Surli struggled to get the Portal door open as shots rang out. Men hollered then gasped in impending death and twitched on the ground as the Vadian force bore down on them. Miraculously, as her men died around her, Jana was spared. “Hurry!” Surli hollered as the door opened. A wounded guard weakly shoved Jana in Surli’s direction with one arm as the other clung to his weapon. He fired off rounds even as blood soaked his chest, but his heroic efforts were too late. Vadian soldiers surrounded them. Surli knew they had lost their chance to get Jana to safety. He bounded forward to shield her body. “Stop! Don’t shoot!” “Hand her over,” a deep voice demanded from behind his helmet.

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“She is nothing but a mere house maiden.” A laugh rumbled out. “She is Queen Jana.” He raised his gun and aimed it at Surli’s chest. “Wait!” Jana leapt forward. “Please. No more killing.” “Madam,” Surli hollered as he grabbed her arm to pull her behind him once more. A Vadian soldier jumped forward, rendering Surli senseless as his gunstock came down hard on the man’s temple. “No!” Jana screamed but was ignored. Immediately her arm was clutched tightly. She was jerked forward and into the main stairwell. She struggled to free herself, but to no avail. Shouts of terror could still be heard. Her people’s terror. Life would never be the same after the invasion. So many lives would be ended today. She gasped in horror as Vadian soldiers battered doors open to rampage through the palace even as she was dragged ever onward. Jana stumbled continually because of the frenetic pace to get her out of the palace but was hauled to her feet each time. Her labored breath echoed over the pounding of her heart as each corner they turned brought her closer to imprisonment by the enemy. Where was her army? Were they overcome already? The enormous entry doors to the main hall were thrown open and she was shoved out into the sunlight, muted now because of the smoke billowing everywhere. Jana’s heart ached as her frightened gaze darted about. Her valiant soldiers lay in pools of blood about the courtyard where they had tried to stop Vadian forces from entering the palace. Her army had never had a chance. Smoke curled up from sporadic fires. Ignoring the painful grip on her arm, she swung her head about to see her silos nearly flattened to the ground. A sob left her as she collapsed. Was Renae part of this horrible massacre of her nation? She had continually watched for renegade Dragconians as she’d been dragged through the castle, hoping beyond hope that her Director’s assumptions had been wrong. Her stunned mind refused to believe his defection. 32

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“Get up,” someone ordered. She was roughly hauled back to her feet. “Keep moving!” someone shouted over the melee. Once more Jana was shoved forward, this time in the direction of a waiting starship. A mass of Vadian soldiers rounded the crumbling palace walls, running and hollering as they formed a line around Jana and the ship. Her arm was clutched tighter as the men prepared themselves for what looked to be an ensuing battle, but from what? Her army was nearly annihilated. Her heart pounded as a high-pitched hum grew louder and louder, the noise deafening with its intensity. Killing blasts continued in the distance. Confusion reigned when the first of the metallic grayish-green airships appeared over the surrounding walls, hovering as battle guns pointed at the courtyard. Ten more ships appeared before the Vadians could give battle orders, and then ten more. The horizon darkened with the metal ships as they fired and blasted the attacking Vadian fleet out of the air. Jana’s heart raced. Somehow aid had arrived to help her planet! She swiped at her eyes, squinting through the acrid smoke and spotted the Mordovean crest emblazoned on the underbelly of the ships. Her struggle intensified as she fought from being dragged the short distance through the building smoke and up the ramp toward the belly of the ship. How would she ever live through the battle? Renae’s military force continued to blow up ships and litter the ground with enemy soldiers. How would they ever know that the Queen of Cordania was being taken prisoner? The ship her captors raced for would be destroyed and no one would ever know her fate. Another nearby blast rocked the ship as they entered the craft. Jana was shoved unceremoniously into a chair. An armed soldier leapt forward to guard her as lights flashed on panels and engines rumbled. The Vadian commander shouted orders for lift-

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off. In only a matter of moments, the ship would launch. Its metal walls shuddered as the doors began to close. A high-pitched battle call reverberated through the cabin. Jana spun in her chair as her heart leapt with joy. The sight of Renae racing through the doors with his soldiers behind him filled her with hope. “Renae!” she screamed and forced her way around her captor, but she was knocked to the floor by an unseen hand. Spinning laser shots peppered through the Vadians around her, dropping them dead to the ground. Someone wound his fingers through Jana’s short hair where she huddled with her hands over her head and hauled her to her feet. The barrel of a laser gun jammed instantly against the side of her head before she could struggle to freedom. Dying moans of the scattered and mortally wounded filled the interior of the ship. The only Vadian left alive was the one who held Jana in a death grip. Her frightened gaze reached out to Renae’s. He stood there with his men around him, his weapon at his side, the most beautiful sight she’d ever seen. His arm came up slowly as if reaching for her. “Don’t move, Jana.” The man who still clutched her body tightened his hold. “Take one step and I’ll kill her.” They were at an impasse. A sob built in Jana’s throat. “Renae…it’s no use.” She would be killed before he could reach her. It was in that moment with the gun pressed firmly to her head that she realized the last months had been so horrible and lonely because she loved him. She’d been right to believe that he could never be a part of the death and destruction. Renae was a wonderful man. No, a wonderful Dragcon. And it didn’t matter that he was. Why hadn’t she seen that? Why hadn’t she gone to him? She had to tell him. “Renae, I—” “Don’t move,” he cut her off.

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In the next instant, flames shot from his mouth and streaked across the space between them. The searing heat rushed past Jana’s ear—intense, but the actual flame bypassed her. A curdled scream ensued as the gun’s pressure disappeared. The last Vadian fell to his knees, clutching at his head, screaming again in horrendous pain. The skin on his face had shriveled from the direct blast of heat to expose skeletal bones beneath. One final gasp and he pitched forward to his death. Jana stared in horror. It was too much. Her vision mottled with black spots as she struggled to focus on Renae. His powerful body floated closer as if in slow motion and then only darkness filled her world as the floor rushed up to greet her.

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Chapter Four The airship rattled then settled as it passed through the bit of turbulence. Something hard firmly encircled Jana’s body, bringing greater comfort than she’d experienced since the last time Renae held her in his embrace. Her eyes fluttered open to discover it was his strong arms that held her close. She stared into his solemn expression and watched unbelievably as his full lips began to curve upward into a joyful smile. Her eyes darted about to take in the flight cabin and realized that she was on a battleship that sliced through space. Renae’s ship? It had to be. The events of the day instantly plagued her, bringing acute heartache. “My people? Oh my god, Renae. My people.” “Hush,” he murmured as he let his fingers drift through the short silkiness of her hair. “Most are fine. Your army guard took the brunt of the battle. They fought valiantly for you and Cordania’s masses.” “It happened so quickly that we never had a chance to prepare. Somehow they managed to bypass our radar system.” She struggled to sit up, hating to leave the safety of Renae’s arms but reacting as a queen would. “I need to take count of the casualties and begin planning.” “No,” he said as he guided her back against the couch’s soft cushions. “You need to rest. Before I could reach you, you fainted. You sustained a concussion from your fall.” She winced when his fingers tenderly touched a swollen area on her forehead. “Surli is handling everything that needs to be taken care of and will stay in touch.” Jana gasped, feeling slightly lightheaded. “Surli? He is alive?”

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Renae nodded. “He was injured, but he will live. He is very dedicated to you and to Cordania.” “Is he on the ship?” “No, he stayed behind to begin relief efforts.” “Then I must go back.” “No, Jana. And get that look of contention off your face.” “It is my planet, Renae. My responsibility. You had no right to take me away.” “It wasn’t my decision. Surli and your Parliament expressly asked that I give you and the many people of Cordania that are now homeless a place to reside until rebuilding can be completed. He asked that I keep you safe for the time being. Even you know there’s every possibility that more Vadian forces will arrive in retaliation. Your palace is in shambles, Jana. If you look out the viewing window, you will see my ships following us. They are full. Your people will have a place to sleep tonight and warm food in their bellies.” He wanted to say more, but the thunderous look in Jana’s eyes made him rise and put distance between them—distance he needed before he pulled her into his arms against her will. “How did you discover that we were being attacked?” He shrugged his broad shoulders but wouldn’t turn back to face her. “Most of my army and I were on a training mission not far from Cordania. We were in the area.” “You were in the area, and you didn’t contact my army even to let them know you occupied my air space?” He finally turned, the line of his jaw rigid. “I imagine Surli will fill you in on the details, so you may as well discover them now. I’ve been watching over Cordania from a distance, Jana.” His hand came up to forestall the annoyance he spied in her wide eyes. “Don’t be angry with me. It’s not that I didn’t think you could run your planet with a firm hand. The reason I was close is that because of my support to you, I left you open to attack.” He shrugged. “There are those at Council who whispered about my

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people living on your planet. The Vadians felt we would eventually join military forces and become too strong. They’ve been watching you, something done very easily and secretly because the Council frowned upon our alliance. What would you have done, Jana, if you had known I was staying close and watching over you? I know the answer to that already. You would have ordered me away. Rightly so, because I was in your domain. You would have had no other choice because ordering me away would be the only way to eventually elevate yourself back into the Council’s good graces.” “Why have you not answered my missives to you?” He stared at her, shocked at how quickly she moved away from the current subject. “Tell me, Renae. Why did you do your best to never be at Council when I was there? Why have you ignored my every attempt to contact you?” “Why do you think? Why do you care, Jana? I’m just a Dragcon in your eyes. If I had meant anything to you, you never would have left. I have come to terms with that fact. I know you feel I’m not worthy to be in any sort of partnership with you whether that relationship be between our worlds or simply between us.” She rose from the couch and crossed the room until she stood directly before him. She tipped her head to stare up. “But worthy enough to love me?” she whispered. “That has to be the only reason you have watched my planet so carefully. It was because of me. It was because of the wonderful Dragcon that you are.” He turned his golden eyes from hers and made to leave the room, but Jana refused snatched his arm to stay his departure. “You saved me today. You saved me and my people months ago. Renae, those aren’t the acts of a worthless being. Those are the noble acts of someone who has greatness in his heart. The magical, unselfish acts of a man who loves a woman. I thought I was going to die today. And the only thing that was important was that you understood how I felt about you.” Hope flared momentarily in his glittering eyes then disappeared. A gentle smile caressed her mouth. “I love you, Renae. Not because of the heroic effort on your part today but because of your gentleness, because of your 38

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unselfishness…because of how you touched my heart for the most wonderful twentyfour hours of my life. I had to leave that day. I had responsibilities to my homeland that could not be ignored.” She stepped closer. “My hope is that you love me also. Do you, Renae? I need to hear you say it. Could you love someone who is so different from yourself, yet so much the same?” His hand came up. His finger brushed the softness of her cheek until he gently clasped her chin. Lowering his head, he hesitated, his lips only a precious caress away from hers. “I do, Jana. I do love you with all my heart. The hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life was to watch you from afar. I can’t believe you’re here. I had resigned myself to dream about what you feel like in my arms.” His eyes fluttered shut as he kissed her lips. Their breaths mingled, their minds called silently for one another and their love burgeoned. “Take me, Renae,” she demanded quietly. “I’ve waited too long to feel your gentle touch once more. I love you.” She was immediately lifted against his hard chest and carried to the couch. Their kisses turned savage as he stripped her body bare. Her hands rushed over the breadth of his smooth chest to yank his shirt from his shoulders. His palms followed the gentle lines of her body, seeking the heat he’d never thought to experience again. Jana clasped his hand and guided his fingers into her wet heat. Her head fell back as she groaned with pleasure when he cupped her mound. “Oh god, Renae. I’ve missed you so much. I love you so much. I’ve missed your touch with all my soul.” His seeking lips traveled a path from her mouth to her breasts. He suckled the taut nipples of each as he buried his fingers inside her body then brushed a trail with his lips over her belly and lower. Kneeling on the floor, he spread her thighs and opened Jana to his gaze as his fingers delved inside once more. Her violet eyes darkened with pleasure.

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He smiled at her. “I have missed you even more. Every night I thought of this.” He taunted her clit with a dart of his tongue, swirling around the tender bud. Jana’s body started beneath his touch. Only the smallest of whimpers met his ears. Once more he leaned forward to lave his tongue the length of her dripping slit. “I thought I remembered the taste of you. But I was wrong. You are so much sweeter. I have loved you for so long.” “Renae…” His fingers spread her cunt lips wide. Dipping his tongue inside her, he relished the low moan from Jana’s throat and the motion of her hips as she ground against his mouth. He fucked her that way until she began to plead. “Please, Renae…please. Fuck me before I go mad. I’m ready. I’m wet enough. I need you inside me, pumping…straining…” He guided her body to the cabin floor, his gleaming eyes never leaving hers as he forced her thighs wide, then he grasped his cock. Drawing the tip through her wet slit to moisten it, he then slipped back to her hole. Carefully, he worked the tip inside, letting her stretch to accommodate him, then slid in farther. Her cunt was tight around his cock, the sensation nearly making him come on the spot. “Deeper, Renae…I want it deeper.” Straining not to plunge headlong and chance ripping her, Renae eased his cock in farther, overjoyed that her body accepted his huge length. Slowly, he began to surge forward then withdraw until his cock was completely saturated with her cream and his own. Jana strained wider, grasped his muscled ass and urged him to a faster pace. Renae’s strokes became long and quick. Her breasts vibrated to the crazy pitch he’d set. Her cunt burned around his length, a sensation she welcomed as fire spread through her belly to her breasts. The flames became stronger until her body spasmed, milking at his cock, coaxing him silently to come with her to the place only they shared.

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Renae rose to his knees, dragging Jana’s hips upward as he continued to fuck her. Her ankles wrapped around his broad neck as he pounded. She screamed with the force of the orgasm that ripped through her, not lessening in intensity until Renae pistoned into her one last time. Hot spurts of cum filled her. His breath came in hard rasps as his belly clenched and unclenched. Finally, the ravages of their massive orgasms lessened then quieted, leaving only the stinging delight of what they’d just experienced. Renae withdrew his cock and positioned her body below him on the floor. Towering over her on his hands and knees, he shoved three fingers into her cunt, loving how her eyes widened with pleasure. “I love you, Jana.” His thumb circled her clit. “I never want to leave your side. We can’t be apart any longer. If you love me, then stay with me always.” She reached up to stroke his smooth chest. “Yes. Forever…”

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Chapter Five Jana turned from the balcony railing when Renae stepped into the moonlight. A gentle smile curved her mouth when he reached out and tenderly pulled her into his embrace. Resting her head against his chest, she listened to the beat of his heart and sighed happily. For the rest of her days, that comforting sound would forever fill her with love. It had been a long season of change. Many nights they’d had to be separated as they worked through the details of moving all of Cordania’s people to the planet Mordovea. Jana’s army had taken a horrible hit from the Vadians. Both she and Renae had met with their prime ministers and it was finally decided that Mordovea was the stronger of the two planets. Now, her people would be safe forever from the evil that would always lurk unseen in the universe. Now they would have not only a queen to watch over them but a wonderful and gentle king. Already, the two cultures were melding as one, just as she and Renae had. Her arms tightened around his waist. “I love you, Renae. Thank you for the wonderful day.” He smiled against the softness of her hair. His eyes drifted to her gossamer wedding gown that hung nearby, ready to be stored until hopefully one day they would be blessed with a daughter who would wear it at her wedding. The last hours had been joyous. First they’d pledged their lives and allegiance to one another, then they’d celebrated with their many subjects. But as wonderful as it had been, the quiet moment of holding her was even more precious. When Jana’s arms fell away, he glanced down in surprise then couldn’t stop the smile that widened across his face.

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She sank to her knees and loosened the front of his pants then drew them down over his muscled thighs. As he kicked them away, he shrugged off his shirt. Anticipation of the coming night hardened his cock. Her fingers encircled his shaft as she looked up with love shining in her eyes. Worshipfully, she licked its length and nuzzled his sac, taking each nugget gently in her mouth before rising to her feet once more. Never taking her eyes from his, she loosened the sash around her tiny waist and let the silky gown drift to the floor. A brow arched over one golden eye when she handed him the sash. He took it, not knowing what to expect. Jana held out her wrists, crossed them and smiled hopefully. “Tonight we start over as man and wife, as king and queen, as tender master and joyful slave. Take me, Renae. Do what you would, bend me to your will, for it is my desire to be enslaved by my beautiful dragon.”

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About the Author Picture Ruby with her hair on fire! Yup, that’s her every morning when she bounds out of bed and heads for her home office. Ruby thanks her lucky stars that she’s a fulltime writer and a part-time matchstick. Although, there is a hint of a bulldog somewhere in there, too. Once she sticks her teeth into something, there’s no turning back until it works. Her husband says she reminds him of that little mouse who stares up into the sky at a swooping eagle (this would be the mouse with his middle finger up) daring that darn bird, and just about anyone else, to screw up her day when she’s got writing on the brain. Ruby loves to write, plain and simple. So much so that she took a leap of faith in herself and quit her ‘professional’ job, stuck her butt in front of a computer, and finally discovered what brings her true happiness in the wilds of Minnesota. Some might think that the life of a writer is glamorous and enviable. This is what Ruby has to say about that: “Glamorous? Think of me in sweats and an old t-shirt just beneath that flaming head of mine, typing with one hand and beating out the fire with the other. Envious? Most times my ‘new’ job consists of long hours of dedication and damn hard work, cramping leg muscles from sitting too long, and a backside that for some reason is widening by the week. But I wouldn’t change my life for the world.” Most people who fantasize about strange people and occurrences are sitting on the sixth floor of some psychiatric hospital. Not Ruby—she gets paid for it!

Ruby welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

Also by Ruby Storm Cracked: Prelude to Passion Diamond Studs anthology Lucy’s Double Diamonds Payton’s Passion Perfect Betrayal Twilight Kisses Virgin Queen

Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.

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