Sold To The Dragons (A BBW Paranormal Romance Book 1) Read online

  With his chocolate brown hair glinting in the sunlight, Steven scoffed. "I haven't been aware of any such agreement. And I'm sure as hell not going to start respecting it now, just because you want me to. Because it's like this." After glancing at the two plates of breakfast I'd prepared and set by the stove, Steven returned his gaze to Blake's face. "It appears that Kira has made enough breakfast for two people. A plate for herself, and a plate for someone else. I happen to be starving right now. And I'm going to eat."

  While Steven and Blake stared each other down, though glared each other down might have been a better description, I made a sudden decision. I was going to speak up, come what may. I was going to say that even though I'd only fixed two plates, there was actually enough breakfast for us all. We could all share breakfast. That, and other things, I was going to add. Things like physical pleasure, I was going to try to say, without stammering or flushing.

  I was also going to try to say that in fact, according to their very own royal doctors, physical pleasure and multiple strong climaxes might even help a woman to become pregnant. And with that being the case, and with me being curious about the possible increased pleasure that might result from being "shared," shouldn't the three of us at least give it a shot?

  I was going to say all that, or at least try. I was just going to go for it. But before I could even get a word out, Blake's cell phone, which was on the granite counter top, began going off.

  He answered it with a bit of a frustrated edge to his voice, then listened for a few seconds, then said all right before hanging up and looking at Steven. "Our scouts are going to deliver the overnight report early today. We're wanted in the council chamber."

  With his full mouth twitching, Steven seemed to be suppressing a grin. "Nah, see, this is exactly why I didn't bring my phone with me. You just go on ahead. You really should, with you being the oldest brother and all. You should be a bit more responsible when it comes to punctuality and duties as a son of Lord Ashcrest. I'm sure you can tell me all about the scout report later."

  I knew my chance to say anything had passed. I knew Blake would soon be leaving for the scout report. He did have a strong sense of duty and he also prided himself on punctuality. And I knew Steven's reminder about him, Blake, being the oldest brother would basically have the effect of shooing him out the door.

  I wasn't wrong. After one final look at Steven with his dark gray eyes narrowed, Blake gave me a very brief kiss, left the kitchen, and got dressed in a flash before leaving my apartment suite. Then it was just Steven and me, alone. I realized that beneath Blake's long t-shirt, which was the only stitch of clothing I was wearing, my nipples had become tight and stiff. I also realized that the feminine folds between my thighs had become incredibly slick.

  I looked at Steven, who stood not even a foot away from me. "I'm starving, too. But not for breakfast."

  He just about ripped Blake's shirt off me. Then, when I stood in the sun-drenched kitchen completely naked, he took a long, lingering look at my body, raking his gaze over every inch of my bare skin.

  "So, so gorgeous. Though that's not nearly a strong enough word. Stunning, maybe."

  Becoming desperate to feel him inside of me, I helped him out of his jeans and t-shirt in record time. Then, once every stitch of his clothing sat in a heap on the kitchen floor, I feasted my eyes on every inch of his bare skin, just like he'd done to me.

  Gorgeous really wasn't a strong enough word for him, either. Though I wasn't sure what was. His long, hard, lean body seemed to have been chiseled by a sculptor. His face, with his high cheekbones and his strong, square jaw, seemed like a work of art, as well. But thankfully, one that I could kiss, and touch, and feel against mine.

  As he always seemed to be, Steven was hard even before we began kissing. And once we'd kissed for a short while, he became fully erect, with his manhood, long, thick, and rock-hard, bobbing against the soft curve of my belly. I could hardly stand to have it teasing me this way, so close but not inside me.

  And so, I broke our kiss, panting. "Please. I don't mean to be...greedy or anything, but I need you, like...right this second."

  His glassy blue eyes twinkled.

  "'Greedy' when it comes to physical pleasure? There is absolutely nothing...nothing wrong with that. Nothing sexier than a 'greedy' girl."

  "Then...then just bend me over the counter and take me right now. Because I won't deny it. I'm feeling very 'greedy.'"

  Steven didn't need any further convincing. With a low growl rumbling in the back of his throat, he turned me toward the counter, set my hands on it, and then pulled my hips back, bending me over, in one smooth, quick motion. Then he nudged my feet apart with one of his own, spreading my legs, before entering me somewhat suddenly and roughly. The feel of being so completely filled by his large, granite-hard shaft, and so quickly that it actually made me gasp. I loved it.

  Gripping my hips, Steven made love to me at a slow pace at first, though with long, powerful strokes. I moaned, arching my back, giving myself over to him with unselfconscious abandon. As it often seemed to do when Blake or Steven were making love to me, time ceased being a thing. There was only me and Steven, and the rhythmic joining of our bodies. Everything else had fallen away at the first touch of his fingers on my skin.

  Presently, after a while that could have been several minutes or a half-hour, I gripped the granite counter top harder while moving my hips to meet Steven's, feeling a powerful climax building deep inside of me. Strangely enough, when my passion was reaching a peak, I sometimes got a little quiet for a minute or so, lost in reverie, and now Steven seemed to pick up on my "tell."

  After pausing briefly to wrap my long dark hair around his fist, a move that made me whimper with pleasure, he accelerated his thrusting with his free hand still gripping the softness of my hip. Completely unable to help myself, I began fantasizing about Blake watching us making love, even joining in after a while. I thought about one brother occupying himself by teasing my nipples while the other pleasured me with his tongue. I thought about holding a large, rock-hard erection in each hand, knowing that they were both for me and my satisfaction.

  These thoughts, combined with a few little semi-rough tugs on my hair while Steven drove his thick shaft deeper and deeper inside of me, grunting, were more than enough to send me over the edge. I cried out while my whole body shuddered with release, my muscles clenching and relaxing over and over. Before my half-closed eyes, little golden flecks in the granite counter top shimmered in the sunlight.

  Soon after mine, Steven groaned with his own climax, covering my whole body with his while he filled me with the warmth of his essence. After, we remained in position for a short while, catching our breath.

  With his large hands on mine, Steven planted sweet, slow kisses along the side of my face and neck before speaking near my ear in a low voice. "You're so unbelievably beautiful and radiant in this bright sun, but you don't even need the sun to glow. You just do, and you would, even in complete darkness."

  We soon reheated our breakfast and ate while joking, laughing, and cuddling.

  Later, after washing each other in the shower, we rested in embrace on my bed, naked, and Steven spoke in a low voice once again.

  "I can't deny that you're the most gorgeous woman I've ever laid eyes on. I also can't deny that I love your 'greediness' and passion when it comes to our intimacy. But I also love your strength, and your kindness, and your heart just as much. I love the look of joy you get on your face when you're playing with Ava. It's a look that makes me desperately want you to be the mother of my child. It's a look that makes me desperately hope that I'm the one who gets you pregnant."

  At that moment, I wished that he would be the one who would get me pregnant, too. However, I knew that the next day, I'd probably feel the same about Blake. I knew it was best that fate would ultimately decide who'd be the father of my child and my eventual husband. Because with each visit from Blake and Steven, I was falling harder and harder in love
with both of them.

  Later that morning, after Steven had left to meet up with Blake and get caught up to speed on the scouting report, I left the castle, accompanied by two guards, and went to visit Marielle and Ava at their single-story stone home in the city. Although I would have preferred to move about the bustling, sparkling city on my own, the guards were on orders of Blake and Steven, who had both become increasingly worried about my safety since Tom had been taken hostage.

  I knew the guards were necessary, and I knew it was a wise move to have them accompany me. However, I still couldn't help but feel a little silly with a security detail of two shifters following close behind me every move I made.

  Steven had playfully told me to get used to being surrounded by guards, because whether I married him or Blake, I'd be a Lord's wife and would be surrounded by guards most of the time for the rest of my life. After saying this, Steven had added that he hoped it was him I'd be marrying, and his expression was so tender and his words so soft while he said this, that I developed a sudden, strong ache in my chest.

  Marielle was at home with Ava and not at the castle, because although she was technically employed as my "maid," she'd decidedly become more of a friend; and I'd insisted that she start taking Fridays off to spend more time with Ava, with no reduction in pay.

  She'd told me she genuinely loved her job as a "lady's maid," and she'd worked for Tom's wife for a few years before she'd passed. She'd also worked hard to get the job as top maid, which was the job that every female service worker in the castle seemed to be envious of. Marielle had started as a maid to several of the wives of Lord Ashcrest's council members literally within days of being purchased at auction and arriving at Ashcrest.

  "I like having a purpose within the castle, and serving the royal family makes me happy. It's truly a high honor," she'd said. I was happy that she seemed to be happy in her job, and I liked having someone to help me with day-to-day tasks who was also a friend.

  However, I couldn't help but feel that she should have more time off each week, so that she could relax, do what she wanted to around her own home, or spend more time with Ava. And after I'd insisted that I really could take care of myself just fine on Fridays, she'd finally agreed to take an additional day off and had thanked me for it.

  "Kicking my feet up every once in a while might feel strange to me, though," she'd said with a smile.

  Now, we were both metaphorically kicking up our feet, sipping coffee on a stone bench in the backyard while Ava cartwheeled around in the grass nearby. My two guards were on patrol at the front of the house. They probably would have been standing right beside Marielle and me on the stone bench if I hadn't specifically asked for a little privacy to visit. I knew they were just doing their jobs, but it was definitely going to take me some time to get used to this whole guard thing.

  Almost right away, Marielle asked if I'd officially dropped my whole idea to be the one to free Tom, and I nodded.

  "Yeah. I officially gave up on the idea last night. Blake basically said it's not happening, and he said it with what I can only describe as very firm finality. And I know there's nothing that could change his mind at this point. Steven’s, either. They're both pretty determined to keep me safe at all costs, which...." After heaving a sigh, I took a sip of my coffee before continuing. "I know it's just because they both love me. It felt kind of like being controlled at first, but now I know that's not their real motivation; my safety is.

  “So...yeah. I won't be making any attempt to free Tom. No bravery, no heroism, no amazing feat of daring to tell my future child or children about. Which...whatever, I guess. And I'm fully aware that this whole thing isn't even about me, of course; it's about Tom, obviously. Tom, and how we're going to get him back home safely. I'm pretty interested to hear what the plan is going to be after the council meeting this afternoon."

  Marielle tucked a strand of her long, pale blonde hair behind one ear with a coy little smile curving her mouth. "I might have a hint about what the plan is going to be. And although I'm not sure if any acts of bravery, per se, will be required on our parts, I think it might at least involve a little adventure for us both."

  CHAPTER SIX

  I immediately set my coffee cup beside me on the stone bench, my gaze on Marielle. "What do you know that I don't? Please, please fill me in. Though whatever little adventure might be in store for us, you can already count me in."

  She laughed, tipping her head back, revealing her long, slender neck. "Now, I said I had a hint about what the plan to free Tom might be. And I said it might involve a little adventure for us both. But before I spill, something tells me I should probably wait until things are set in stone first, before you get your hopes-”

  "Completely too late. My hopes are already very up. Because this sounds like it may be just what I need. I can't help free Tom; I can't attempt to show any bravery like the men. But maybe a little adventure before I settle down into impending motherhood, which will hopefully be soon, is just what I need to fulfill this...whatever strange desire I've had lately. Whatever it is that's making me feel like I have something to prove to myself lately. So, please, Marielle. Spill. Spill your guts."

  She laughed again, except it was actually more of a little giggle, a pleasantly surprising sound to hear from a woman normally so refined and dignified. "Okay. I'll 'spill my guts.' But remember, this is just what I think the plan to free Tom will be. Just based on a few conversations I've had with Alec, and a conversation Alec told me he had with Blake earlier this morning."

  Alec was Marielle's husband, and also a soldier in Tom's shifter army.

  I nodded. "Okay. I promise not to think of anything you say as set in stone, then, but I do definitely want to hear your thoughts."

  "All right, then. I guess I'll start with Alec, and the interesting skill he's developed lately. Interesting and maybe a little unbelievable. I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."

  "What is it?"

  "Well, lately, Alec has developed an incredibly rare shifter gift. The gift of being able to become invisible for short periods of time, both while in shifter form and in human form. For a while, he's had some clues that he might have this gift. Just little things like once during a fight with a few Destroyers, he thought he might have become invisible for a second or two. But he wasn't quite sure. He thought it might have been a very strange trick of the sunlight.

  “Then, a few months ago, the same thing happened, and this time, he was sure of it. So, he started trying to develop this new skill in earnest. He started trying to practice becoming invisible just by using his mind and willing it to happen. But he wasn't very successful. At least not until this past week. When Tom was taken hostage, Alec really set to work trying to develop his gift, knowing that it might help in a rescue. He didn't tell Blake and Steven about his efforts, though, not wanting to disappoint them if he couldn't develop his gift to a point that it could be helpful.

  “But then yesterday, when it was decided that some plan to free Tom must be set in stone, and that a council meeting to do this would happen today, Alec knew it was now or never. He went to a very secluded forested area just outside of town, so he could focus completely and concentrate, and he worked all night trying different mental techniques that might help him achieve invisibility at will. And by morning, one of his techniques was successful. He was able to become invisible for several minutes at a time, just as invisible as air. Though still able to walk, and run, and move things, and so on, just like when not invisible."

  "That's incredible."

  With her green eyes sparkling in the bright sun, Marielle smiled. "It really is. Alec raced home to show me, and I truly almost fainted when I saw him do it. Now finally sure that he might be able to really help in a mission to free Tom, he found Blake and told him, and Blake invited him to the council meeting this afternoon. They also had a brief conversation about how this invisibility gift might be used in a rescue, and based on what was said, so
mething just tells me that Blake, Steven, and the council members are going to decide later today that Alec is to be front and center in the mission to free Tom.

  “I think Blake, Steven, and at least several hundred of their father's strongest shifters will storm Dimwood and engage their shifters in a fight. While this is going on, Alec will make himself invisible and slip into a place they call The Gray Tower, which is a tall, concrete-and-steel structure maybe ten stories high, and it's where Cain, The Destroyers' new leader, lives.

  “It's their Ashcrest Castle, I suppose, though not nearly as beautiful, I've been told. Ugly, even, it's been described to me."

  With a faint smile playing around the corners of her mouth, Marielle paused, watching Ava do an impressive forward roll-into-cartwheel combination, before turning her gaze back to me.

  "But back to Alec's role, or what I think his role will be, he'll become invisible and slip into The Gray Tower, where Blake, Steven, and the council think Tom is likely being held. They know from previous hostages that have been taken that The Gray Tower is the only structure in Dimwood reinforced with enough steel to contain a shifter in dragon form.