Carpathian 23 - Dark Storm

clouds shrouding the upper mountain. And that
     field of rare flowers . . . It smelled like . . . him . Every breath she drew brought him deep into her lungs. She tasted him on her tongue,
     setting up that terrible craving.
    Riley turned and saw him. Her heart nearly stopped beating. She actually pressed her
     hand over her heart in a kind of protest. Dax stood tall and straight in the middle
     of the field of white stars, those glittering flakes of variants of red falling all
     around him like a shower of gold dust. The moon caressed him with fingers of light,
     stroking through his blue-black hair and highlighting the color of his skin. His shirt
     stretched taut across his heavily muscled chest. Arms and thighs were roped with muscle,
     rippling beneath his casual clothes. Only Dax could manage to look elegant in jeans
     and a white T-shirt.
    The expression on his face as he looked at her robbed her of any sane thought. He
     looked at her with such a mixture of tenderness and desire her body just went up in
     flames. In that moment, she wanted him to belong to her as she’d never wanted anything
     in her life. There was only Dax and the amazing night, the joy bubbling brightly in
     her after her incredible, impossible ride on the back of a magnificent dragon. After
     that sensual, sexy ceremony she’d so willingly participated in.
    His world was both terrifying and breathtaking. She’d never felt more alive, more
     sensual, more in tune with herself and the world around her than she did when she
     was with him. She felt beautiful and intelligent and even brave. It didn’t matter
     that she didn’t fully understand what a Carpathian was or what it would entail being
     with one. She only knew she wanted him to be hers. For once in her life she wasn’t
     going to think every angle to death and be too cautious to make a move.
    Dax’s glittering eyes locked with hers and she knew she was completely, utterly lost,
     and she didn’t even care.

13
    D ax held out his hand to her. Riley couldn’t look away from his eyes. The flames burned
     and leapt, a fiery glow that threatened to consume her. Her very core caught fire,
     burning in answer, burning for him. The combination of his potent masculine scent
     surrounding her and his glowing eyes mesmerized her. She took a compulsive step forward,
     needing him just as much as she needed the air to breathe.
    She didn’t remember moving after that first step, but she stood in front of him, close,
     so close she could feel the incredible heat of his body. He burned with desire—for
     her. It was there in his eyes, in those leaping flames, the way he looked at her as
     if she belonged to him—with him.
    He seemed to know her, know everything about her, know exactly what she wanted and
     needed. He seemed to have found a way inside her soul, her heart. Everything about
     him appealed to her. His smile made her world light up. He gave her courage and made
     her a better person. She’d fallen for him like the proverbial ton of bricks.
    His hand cupped her chin, turning her face up to his. His gaze burned through her,
     branded her, stamping his possession into her very bones. The air refused to leave
     her lungs. She found herself staring up at his chiseled, perfect face, a little lost.
    She couldn’t hide anything from him. He knew her every innermost thought. She felt
     vulnerable and exposed, caught in a bright spotlight, but she didn’t want to escape.
     He knew everything about her, what she wanted, who she was, what she stood for. Her
     deepest fears—and none of it mattered to him. Why should she try to hide that she
     wanted him with every single fiber of her being? He would know anyway. She wasn’t
     ashamed of it. He was a good man, the only one she’d ever considered giving her body
     to, let alone her heart.
    Dax cupped her face in his hands and bent his head to hers. “You are certain this
     is what you want, Riley? I’m what you want?��
    Even his voice, that dark warm molasses, a slow pouring of molten lava into her veins,
     sent desire spiraling through her body.
    Kiss me. She thought it. Whispered it. Merged her mind with his and sent the image. She needed
     him to kiss her. She’d been waiting all of her life for Dax to kiss her.
    Dax’s mouth, that oh-so-perfect mouth, curved into a smile. His white teeth flashed.
     So straight, but definitely sharp enough to take a bite out of her. Her heart leapt
     toward his. Her pulse thundered