Claimed by Desire Read Online Free Page B

back, off the seductive curve of his ass, and clamped her mouth shut so her tongue didn’t lag. Facing the cave wall, he pulled on his T-shirt and jeans then slipped back into his boots.
    Even in something classic, he looked sexy as hell.
    As they wound their way through dark tunnels lit by candlelight, music became louder, nearly deafening. A clearing appeared in front of them, a hollowed out cathedral in the center of the mountain of rock, stone and dirt. Smack in the middle, amidst fifty or so Dracos wildly clapping their hands, was a man and woman, staring into each others’ eyes.
    Harmony and peace flew from the hands of the Dracos and swept though the cave, creating a layer of energy that tingled as it settled on Misty’s skin. But beyond that, fear and trepidation lashed through the air, hollowing out a pit in Misty’s heart.
    It was then that she spotted them: large red letters that had just been carved into the man’s chest with a sacred Draco spear. A Sindraco woman’s bleeding name: Willow.
    It was the mark signifying one thing—a dragon had claimed his rider. Misty couldn’t blame Willow for being afraid. On the surface, it was scary to think her life could end before she hit forty years of age. But on the other hand, she would live the next decade completely and utterly free…riding the back of the man she’d grow to love like no other. How many souls wandered the world lost, dreaming of living an adventurous life with their one true love? Misty put her dollar on all of them .
    She couldn’t help but stare at Rafe.
    He was zoned in on the new couple, mindlessly brushing his fingers over his own chest.
    Did he have the mark of a rider? Had he claimed one? Surely there were a hundred Sindraco women vying for the chance.
    “Rafe? Can I ask you something?” Misty tried to focus on the couple instead of the tingles shooting through her body, warming her core. She was too close to Rafe to know if the sparks of lust were from his body or hers. They both knew the couple would go to their private quarters and mate, then forever be sealed as dragon and rider. And they both clearly remembered how steamy their own private rendezvous had been. Rafe was magnificent as a dragon, but it was nothing compared to what he could do in the bedroom.
    “You can ask me anything,” he said, his voice velvety soft.
    “Have you claimed a rider?” Damn it, she should’ve kept her trap shut! His private life was none of her business. “I assume you have. I mean, a dragon like you couldn’t remain bare back for long, but…I was, um, never mind.” She shook her head and twisted a lock of hair around her finger nervously. “That was dumb of me to ask, I’m sorry.”
    “There’s nothing to be sorry for.” He leaned in close. His breath was hot and moist on her ear. “Will you follow me so I can show you something?”
    She nodded, cherishing the chills that scampered across her skin, and followed his every move as he pushed through a crowd of Dracos and strode down a side corridor with openings carved into the sides.
    “Queen Elixa used to have me deliver messages back and forth between Castle Arcane and this clan,” he said, pulling back a velour curtain that led to a private quarter with a bed and a dresser. “They keep a room empty for me in case I ever need a place to stay.”
    The ceilings were high—big enough for Rafe to shift into his dragon form and stretch his wings. The floor and walls were thick, solid packed dirt. Glowing candles sat in wrought-iron sconces on the walls. And goodness gracious—the bed! It was immaculate, draped in black and white fur, with a dozen fluffy pillows.
    “This is what you wanted to show me?” Misty asked, picking up hints of anxiety in the air.
    “No.” With his back facing her, Rafe shrugged out of his T-shirt and tossed it on the floor. His back muscles flexed and pulsed in the candlelight, making Misty realize for the first time how uncomfortably alone they were.