The Dragon of Croatia Read online

  "No. Hell, it's probably healed already with the way your wounds heal as fast as I've seen them in the past. Find some bimbo to do it."

  "You're the only bimbo around. I can tell you're still pining. Sorry to say, but we've seen the last of him; he looked the type to not be interested in hearing all your excuses."

  She gave him a withering look, but before she answered him, a shadow fell across them. She looked up and saw Gavriel standing there, blocking the sun. She held her breath.

  "I don't have many days here in this time. But I have a need to let the villagers know that the tablet is safe and where they can find it again when the time comes."

  She swallowed.

  "Hey, sis. I thought you said you couldn't find the tablet? That you looked, but it wasn't able to be found."

  "Halsten, stay out of this.” She didn't think he was really helping her cause, since Gavriel didn't look like he even heard him. His gaze was intent on her.

  "Gav, the villagers will have the tablet soon enough."

  "What did you do with it?"

  Halsten interrupted again, “Sis, we could..."

  Gavriel turned his gaze on Halsten, “The fact that you are already injured prevents me from hitting you to shut you up, but if you think I buy this brother-sister thing, you are wrongly mistaken."

  Her heart sank. Anything she would tell him to explain, he would think she lied.

  "I guess our cover is blown,” Halsten said. “Might as well come clean and tell him what's between us."

  She glared at Halsten but spoke to Gavriel. “Halsten and I work together. You're right; we're not brother and sister. He's gay. Can we go somewhere private and talk, Gav?” She stood up and reached for a towel, feeling totally uncovered. She looked down at herself to make sure the tiny wisps of material of her bathing suit were still on. The way Gavriel glared at her, she though maybe a nipple had popped loose.

  Halsten sputtered beside her. “Hell, woman. I'm no more gay than dragon boy there."

  Gavriel looked like he'd had enough of Halsten. She didn't stop him when he leaned over Halsten, picked up the lounger he was in and heaved it and him in the pool. She laughed, she couldn't help it. She'd have given anything to do that herself. She reached out and touched his arm lightly. The contact startled him.

  "Yes, I have the tablet. I ... want to ... I had hoped...” She stopped. The glare he gave her made it difficult to tell him what she wanted to do. “Never mind, I'll see that it is returned to Josip, before I leave."

  "Now. I wish it now."

  "Tough. Let's go somewhere else. Halsten is getting out of the pool and will be spitting nails when he gets over here. He's no more injured than I am.” She turned and walked with him away from the pool and the bellowing Halsten., He'd hobbled over to a table and tried to dry off his bandage, still yelling at them.

  Gavriel guided her to her room. “Change and we will go into the village to the café.” He turned his back on her. She stood there a moment before going in her room.

  Drastic times called for drastic measures.

  "On second thought, Gav. I've decided to keep the stone tablet. I have it. No one knows I have it, and no one can stop me from keeping it. I think I'll take it back to the United States with me."

  He stiffly turned to face her. “That is illegal smuggling, and you know it."

  "It wasn't buried when I found it."

  "Doesn't matter. It belongs to Croatia. Get dressed and let's go before I change my mind and leave."

  "Leave then. It's what you've wanted to do all along. We've been nothing but strangers to each other. Strangers who meet for sex. Not unlike all the other woman in your past who have set you loose for the good of your village."

  "At least they weren't bitches."

  "Go fuck yourself."

  "I'd rather fuck you."

  She swung at him with her fist. A totally feminine swing, not like she was taught to fight.

  He stopped the arc of her swing and pulled her against him, her oily skin slick against his clothes. Her bathing suit was nonexistent, as if she were naked being held against him.

  His lips crushed down on her, and she struggled to get away. He held her, rubbing a hand across her skin. He made her so angry she wanted spit, or cry, but she was glad he wanted her. She wanted him. She stopped struggling against him and pulled his shirt away from his chest. Her hands splayed over him, and she arched her back to give him easier access to her neck. She felt his erection against her belly.

  When she began to remove his belt, he stopped her. She stopped breathing. She was always the fool. He would leave her again. She didn't look at him, but waited for him to speak and tell her she was a slut and that he had to go.

  "Calie."

  She tensed. He reached under her chin and made her look at him.

  "I want you. I want you all the time, and I wish I could stay with you, but it cannot be."

  "Then just love me now, for whatever time we have left.” God, she sounded pitiful and desperate to her own ears. Her eyes stung.

  "If that is what you want."

  "What do you want?"

  "To be free to stay with you."

  "Then let me figure the code on the stone tablet. It might tell us how to do that."

  He shook his head. “Me, I already know what it says. It's not the code to break the time release."

  "Have you ever tried?"

  "I never had a desire to stay with a woman that summoned me, if that is what you are asking."

  He could be so exasperating. “Have you ever tried?” she asked again.

  "No, others have, but it will not work."

  All the while he was talking, she felt his hands roving over her body. The top of her bikini bathing suit no longer cover her, but had been moved away to allow his hands to cups her breasts, making them tight and achy. She didn't feel like talking any longer. He had her pinned against the door to her room, and he reached behind her and turned the knob.

  Backing her up in the room, he never stopped kissing her, his hands still roamed. With his foot, he slammed the door shut. She thought he'd carry her to the bed, but she was wrong.

  "Gav. I want the bed. I want your clothes off.” She panted.

  He didn't speak, but dropped to his knees before her and pulled the bottoms of her bathing suit off. When she started to walk to the bed, he held her against the wall with his shoulder. His hands imprisoned her thighs against the wall, and his fingers caressed, probing.

  She hissed when his fingers found her cleft, separating her lips, seeking. Moisture pooled, and damped his fingers. She thought her legs would buckle when his tongue nipped her thighs making her jump against his hands now holding her buttocks, holding her captive to the ravishment of his tongue.

  His tongue alternately sucked, licked. Her hands fluttered a moment before finding his shoulders—something to hold onto.

  "Relax. Come for me, sweetie,” he murmured. Just when she thought she couldn't feel any more pleasure, he slid two fingers deep inside of her. It was just out of reach, he tantalized her, bringing her closer and closer to the edge. His tongue still stroked, just not close enough to offer her release.

  "Gav, pleeeease.” She wailed.

  "Please what?” he teased, muffled against her skin. Then his tongue flicked her hard nub.

  "Yes, god, yes.” She moaned.

  He raised himself up and she clutched him, panting. She saw the hunger in his eyes as well, and allowed him to lead her to the bed, but he stopped her when she started to crawl on top. He bent her over and allowed her to drape across the bed, her hips he clamped in his fists, and rubbed himself against her legs, back and forth as she pushed against him to get him to enter her.

  She whimpered desperate for him to fill her. She arched back against him, and he thrust inside of her. Surprise and pleasure soared through her. He withdrew slowly, allowing her to feel every ripple of his hard cock. Nearly sobbing with frustrated desire, he slammed into her. She cried out with pleasure, ne
eding more.

  With each thrust, his desire climbed, he felt himself swelling more. The dragon clamored for release. He continued steady thrusting into her, bringing her and him closer. He drove harder, faster. Then he reached around her slender hips to find her dripping cleft, open and swollen to his assault. He slid his hands between her open legs, and found her exposed taut nub. He gently caressed her, and he felt her grip tighten around his cock, squeezing. He knew she was close. The tension gripping her body suddenly exploded as she cried out his name. A heartbeat later, with one last deep thrust he followed her and fell across her body.

  He lay sprawled across her, and finally her breath was catching up to her heartbeat. She didn't think she could move again, and didn't really want to. Lying close to him like this felt good, but she wanted all of her on the bed. He nuzzled her neck, his hands still roaming along her back. He stood up and turned her over. She slanted her eyes open just a tad to see how he was. His green eyes watched her. She waited, would he just leave now?

  He tapped her on the hip. “Come on. Get up. We have things to do, food to eat."

  "I'm not going anywhere without a shower.” She had an idea. “Will you scrub my back?"

  He grinned. “I like that thought."

  * * * *

  She walked out of the bathroom with only a towel on her head. He sat waiting for her. He had done more than scrub her back, and her legs were still shaky from making love standing in the shower. She took down the towel and shook out her hair. He walked over to her, turned her face up to him and kissed her.

  "Come on, get dressed. I'm starved. I'll take you to the café and we will talk some more. Decide on what we will do tomorrow, if you still want to be with me."

  As if she wanted to not be with him. He continued talking, “After that, I have to be at the museum and meet with officials. It will take some time, but I will return this evening."

  They walked to the café that she had first come to that day and saw him get on the ferry. It seemed like years ago that it had happened instead of four days. Thinking on that she knew he only had six more days and he would be gone to her.

  "Where will you sleep tonight?” She tried to sound casual, and probably didn't.

  "With you. The Ziracs will be a little surprised, but pleased, as I have never stayed at their inn before."

  "Since you only come around every few years, I can see why."

  He slapped her on the butt. “Hurry up, and for your information, the legend of the stone tablet remains with their family and goes back to the time that the monks used the dragon's cave for their worship and home, in 846bc."

  "I didn't know that.” Her mind whirled with the possibilities. Could the code be in the cave still then, and not on the stone tablet? She thought that might be the case. Another caving expedition would have to be arranged, and soon.

  * * * *

  Caving by yourself usually meant you had no brains, and only asked trouble to find you. In this case, she wouldn't be descending into caverns, but for now, examining the reliefs on the wall of the caves in the halls—looking for clues. It would take some time, and time was something she didn't have much of.

  Holding the tablet in her hands, she studied the reliefs. The main dragon was missing on the wall that had been there when she first had the tablet and summoned the dragon. Did the missing dragon have something to do with Gavriel? And what of the woman and the moon? She pondered the pictures and the symbols on the tablet, but nothing came to her. There were no revelations on how to solve the puzzle and keep him with her. She leaned her head against the tablet in frustration.

  She became aware that the cave grew darker. Possibly the sun was going down. She checked her watch; it had set several hours ago. She had lost track of time looking for answers, and not finding them.

  Could it be raining outside? It didn't matter. She stood up to find a light from her backpack.

  "Calie?” She whirled around at the sound of Gavriel's voice. She gasped as the tablet she was holding slipped from her hands. She lurched, trying to contain it. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Gavriel lunge toward her. The tablet lay broken in two at her feet; she raised her head to face Gavriel. He was gone. Vanished. She was alone with a crumbled tablet at her feet. She turned and stared at the relief. The dragon was back on the wall, threatening the woman on the moon.

  With a cry of despair, Calie dropped to the floor of the cave, utter helplessness overwhelmed her.

  Another voice interrupted her. She didn't bother to raise her head at recognizing him.

  "Hey babe. What are you doing in here alone? And where's studly?"

  "Go away, Halsten."

  He looked around the cavern, glanced at the broken tablet and stared at the wall.

  "He's gone, isn't he?"

  She didn't bother to answer the obvious.

  "Have you tried the sleeping beauty trick?"

  "Leave. Me. Alone.” She all but yelled at him.

  He shrugged. “Seems like it would be worth a try. I'm off to the airport. Thought I'd check with you to see if you wanted to fly out with me. I'll catch up with you another time, I suppose."

  Silence reigned again.

  She stepped up on the ledge and inched toward the dragon depicted as snarling in the relief. She reached out to the dragon and caressed him with her fingertips. Nothing happened.

  She leaned up on her toes and kissed the dragon on the wall, feeling foolish and glad no one could see her. That was until a voice spoke behind her. It startled her so bad that she jumped and wavered, teetering on the shallow ledge. His familiar arms caught her.

  "Calie, what are you doing?"

  She didn't want to look at him, feeling too embarrassed to. “Trying to bring you back."

  "By kissing the wall?"

  "Well, shit. What else could I do?"

  He let her slide down his body, suggestively. “Hello, stranger."

  She held him. “Not anymore—you're mine. I summoned you, again. You belong to me."

  He kissed her but she continued, “No more stranger. I want a lover, a dragon lover."

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