The Dragon’s Brave Nanny (Mysteries of Dragon’s Island #4)

Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

***KEITH***

K eith was suddenly hungry for only one thing, so he swept Stella up in his arms, no longer forced to deny himself the bounty of her body. He carried her over to the shelter they’d built and set her down on her feet, capturing her mouth in a searing kiss that left them both breathless. His hands itching to touch her naked flesh, he stripped off Stella’s tank top, then slipped off her bra before capturing her breasts in his palms, making her gasp. Her nipples hardened under his touch and her knees began to wobble. She let out a little moan, tipping her head back.

When he dipped his head and captured one in his mouth, she whimpered, clutching his shoulders, her nails digging into his flesh only adding to the pleasure beginning to surge through him. After lashing the same attention on her other breast, Stella was trembling with need and stood clutching him as he slowly slipped off her shorts and panties, then reached for his clothes. She pulled his tee shirt over his head, then ran her hands over his chest before reaching for the button on his shorts and slipping it free.

As she pulled his shorts down, she sank to her knees, and his heart began to hammer in his chest, anticipation thundering through him, stealing his breath. When her mouth closed around him, he threaded his finger into her hair with a groan of pleasure and began to rock his hips. Stella took him deeply into her mouth over and over until he was at the brink of exploding. He roughly pulled her to her feet and shoved her down onto the bed.

Desperate for his own release but determined to have Stella begging him before he gave in, he crawled between her legs and shoved them open. When he dipped his head between her legs, she tensed up and tried to pull away from him, but he grabbed her by the hips and held her still, then ran his tongue over her swollen pleasure button. Stella gasped, then moaned when he tasted her again. Her entire body began to shake, and he lashed her with attention until she tumbled over the edge, her cries of pleasure filling the little clearing.

His control was all but gone, his need to take what was his thundering through him; he slid up her body, then rolled off her, got up on his knees, grabbed her, and flipped her onto her stomach before pulling her up on her hands and knees. Slipping behind her, he spread her legs with his knees, then, with one powerful thrust of his hips, buried himself deeply inside Stella.

She cried out with pleasure, her body closed around him, holding him tightly, and he froze, letting the sensation build inside him until he could no longer resist the urge to move. Thrusting into her again and again, he climbed higher and higher, taking Stella with him, until the pleasure became overwhelming, and he let go, emptying himself inside Stella, her body clenching around his as her own pleasure sent her soaring with him.

When the last wave of pleasure faded away, he crumpled into a heap next to Stella, then pulled her into his arms and closed his eyes to let the euphoria fill him. “I have to go fishing more often,” he finally said a long time later when he was capable of speech again. “I like what happens afterward.”

Stella laughed and snuggled up a little closer to him. “Me too,” she said. “But I hate to tell you this, I’m still hungry.”

“You mean I get to go fishing again?” he asked, sitting up and smiling down at her. “I could get used to this.”

“You do, and I might starve to death,” she said, then gasped when his hand found its way between her legs. “I mean it…I might…”

“You might what?” he asked, pushing her legs apart and slipping his finger between her folds, making her gasp.

“I don’t remember,” she finally said, her voice heavy with pleasure. “I think I was hungry.”

He laughed and rolled between her legs, then slowly slid inside her. “I’m hungry too, but it isn’t for food,” he said, sliding in and out of her again. “I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you, Stella.”

Eyes filled with pleasure; she looked up at him. “No one has ever made me feel the way you do,” she said. “I love you, Keith.”

His heart swelled only intensifying the pleasure, and he buried himself deeply inside her, still looking into her green eyes. “I love you too, sweetheart,” he said. “My life was only half complete until I met you. Now I know what it really means to live, and I’m never giving you up.”

***Stella***

When Stella woke from a sound sleep later that night, the fire had burned down to coals; the moon was high in the sky, and the stars were twinkling in the background. She lay there for a while wondering what had woken her, then she saw a shadow moving in the darkness near the waterfall and every nerve in her body was on full alert. Keith stirred next to her, and she slowly slipped her hand into his and gave it a squeeze, hoping he’d understand.

The glint of a gun in the moonlight made her stiffen with fear, and Keith cursed behind her, then shifted until his mouth was next to her ear. “He must have climbed over the cliff,” he whispered. “Don’t move yet. We’ve got surprise on our side.”

“But he’s got a gun, Keith,” she whispered. “What are we going to do?”

“We aren’t going to do anything,” he said. “I want you to stay right where you are, he hasn’t spotted us yet. I’m going to slip into the water and sneak up on him.”

Keith started to slip away, but she pulled him back. “Promise me that you’ll be careful,” she said, looking into his eyes. “Kill him if you have to, just don’t get hurt.”

“I promise,” he said, giving her a quick kiss. “I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me forever, remember?”

She nodded, “I love you, Keith,” she said. “I always will.”

“I love you too, Stella,” he said, giving her a quick kiss. “I’ll be back to hear you say it again, I promise.”

She watched him in the dark across the few feet that separated them from the water; a blast of power hit her just seconds before he shifted and slipped into the water. Closing her eyes, she called on the energy that had helped them before, terrified that she’d lose Keith and the monster hiding in the darkness would get her as well. Fighting the fear and panic, she lay there for a second before getting a grip on herself. She wasn’t helpless, she didn’t have to just lay there waiting for death to find her.

Creeping out of the shelter, she looked around for a weapon, spotted another branch, grabbed it, and then hunched down under a tree to watch, her muscles poised to strike if needed. She saw the moment when Simon saw their shelter. His entire body tensed up, then he began to slowly move toward it, sticking to the shadows of the rocks, but she also saw the slight ripple of the water as Keith moved in on him.

Just as Simon reached the shelter, Keith came up out of the water, his wings fully extended and flew at him, a screech of anger filling the little clearing. Simon turned the gun in his hand and fired before the reality of what was descending on him hit him. The bullet went wide but not before catching Keith in the shoulder and sending him crashing to the ground. He was back on his feet instantly and advancing on the now frightened man, deep growls coming from deep in his chest, and Simon raised the gun to fire again as he staggered backward.

Stella jumped to her feet and rushed at him just as he pulled the trigger, the branch raised above her head, her own cry of anger coming from deep in her chest. Shocked by the sight of her rushing at him naked, Simon hesitated for a second, and she swung the branch at him, but the gun went off, and she felt a burning sting in her side. It didn’t stop her from whacking him in the side of the head, and this time she wasn’t out to slow him down, she was out to kill him.

The force of the blow knocked her onto her butt in the dirt, but she jumped up again, ignoring the pain in her side and the feel of something warm running down her ribs. Raising the branch again, she started to bring it down on the man’s head once more, but Keith was suddenly there, holding her back.

“I don’t think he’s going to move again,” he said, gently taking the branch out of her hands. “You don’t have to hit him anymore.”

She collapsed into his arms but didn’t take her eyes off Simon. “He shot you,” she finally said, looking up at him. “I thought he was going to kill you. ”

“It takes more than a bullet wound to take me out,” Keith said, holding her so tightly she started to feel dizzy. “Shifters heal twice as fast as humans. The bullet just grazed me. It’s already healing.”

He pulled back to show her and saw the blood oozing from her side. “Stella, you’re hurt,” he said, sweeping her up off her feet. “You’ve been shot. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It doesn’t really hurt anymore. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal,” she said, looking up at him but having a hard time focusing on his face. “I feel a little strange. It looks like there are two of you.”

Keith let out a curse and started for the way out., “Open up, she needs help,” he called into the air. “You weren’t supposed to let her get hurt.”

Just then, there was a commotion on the other side of the bushes. They suddenly melted away, and Max was standing on the other side with a group of men. “Stella’s been shot. We have to get her some help,” he said. “She’s already lost a lot of blood.”