The Pearl of Paradise Read online

  “Damon,” she gasped. “Please—”

  He raised his head, the glow in those blue eyes like a laser. “Oh, no, Lily. We’ve waited too long. I don’t know how long I can hold out… but I’m not hurrying this one.”

  Since it’s all we may ever have. Casting away the dark thoughts, Damon covered her lips with his, sweeping inside the honeyed wine of her mouth. Her tongue dueled with his, the sweet slickness inside a potent foil for the slight roughness of their tongues. Damon fought for control, his fingers digging into her hips.

  He slid his fingers inside her waistband, sliding them from the outside of her waist to follow the sweet curve of her belly. Fingers poised beneath the snap of her jeans, he let his gaze roam over her body, pausing at the pale mounds arched in her wanting, then scanning down to see his darker flesh against the creamy paleness of hers.

  Slowly, he glided two fingers across her navel, the tips of the fingers reaching down her belly. Lily’s pelvis rocked, arching her mound toward him. Damon covered it with his other hand, squeezing lightly.

  Lily gasped, her whole body quivering. She opened her eyes, and he smiled at the fierce glow.

  She smiled, too, a smile of warning. “Don’t you toy with me, Damon Alexander,” her voice roughened. A throaty growl issued from her lips, and she rocked herself into his hand.

  Damon squeezed again, and Lily shuddered.

  “Come on, love. Let go. Give it to me. Let me take you to the stars.”

  “But, Damon, I want—” She inhaled sharply through her nose as he unsnapped her jeans.

  Damon smiled. He squeezed again, lightly, and Lily rocked against him again, setting up a rhythm as dark and seductive as jungle drums. He drew her zipper down, slowly, his gaze boring into hers.

  He was so hard he ached.

  “Damon… oh!” She shivered again, her tension building.

  “Come to me, Lily. Let me see you come.”

  Lily closed her eyes, her breath coming hard. Damon drew the zipper down, slowly… slowly, his fingers flexing against her. When he reached the bottom, he pulled his hand away from her mound, and Lily moaned her distress.

  Damon grinned, although he was hardly immune. It took every ounce of control not to get her naked and thrust within her, this second. His fingers tightened at her waist for a brief moment, then he began to strip her of her jeans.

  His hands moved behind her, sliding over the sweet globes of her bottom. More silken flesh to adore… but he knew he wouldn’t make it that far—this time. As he brought the denim down, he squeezed against the silky fabric still covering her hips.

  He pushed her jeans down to her knees, but that brought his leg away from her. He paused for a moment, touching her nowhere, and delighted in the way her body undulated, seeking his own. Lily whimpered, just slightly, and Damon’s heart sped up, his breathing shaky.

  Pale blue fabric only veiled the dark curls beneath, and the rich, heady aroma of her arousal curled up to greet him. Damon lowered his head and placed his mouth right over her mons.

  Lily inhaled a muffled scream.

  He blew hot breath against her, his fingers gripping her hips, his tongue moving against the fabric… every nerve screaming to bare her. Damon inched his head toward her navel and grasped the flimsy fabric within his teeth, drawing it down slowly, his thumbs following, sliding it over her hips.

  Lily rocked her pelvis, and he bared more skin. When she whimpered, he dug his fingers into her hips, then forced himself to relax them. Her nails dug into his scalp, flexing and scraping lightly.

  Damon drew in a long breath and prayed for patience.

  Raising his head slightly, inhaling her perfume, his hands finished the journey. Damon stopped, his heart melting a little that Lily didn’t resist letting him see her at her most vulnerable. He buried his nose in the dark curls and sought Lily’s secrets with his tongue.

  Lily almost came off the sofa, her back arching, her thighs tightening, her pelvis rocking while she tried to draw breath. Like a rocket shot from a cannon, Lily surged toward the stars, ripples of electric shock flowing through her body, prickling her scalp… tightening her nipples, scorching to the soles of her feet.

  She gripped Damon’s head, feeling every hot sweep of his tongue against her most inner secrets, arousal burning low in her belly, her control lost in the aching sweetness of his touch.

  “Give it to me, Lily,” he hummed against her, the vibration sending her flying. “Let go, sweetheart… I’ll be there to catch you.”

  I know you will, Damon… and with his promise, Lily let go of the last vestiges of her control, her mind blinded by the flaring, swirling colors exploding within her. Shuddering from the depths of her soul, placing herself in this man’s hands, Lily lost herself utterly in the starry night of Damon’s love.

  Damon felt her shudder, and tears pricked at his eyes. He murmured thanks to the heavens that he had not lost Lily’s trust. Then swallowing her sweet nectar, he traced a path back up her belly, planting slow, hot nipping kisses on her skin.

  Lily opened her eyes, and heaven shone from within them. Damon drank the balm of her love as the starving man he’d been for so long.

  “Oh, Damon—my God, Damon—” she sighed. A shiver ran through her, her nipples puckering more tightly. “I love you… how I love you, Damon Alexander.” She exhaled softly, a lambent glow from her eyes bathing his heart.

  He reached to strip her sweater from her, then made short work of her bra, pausing to suckle the breast he’d neglected, chuckling at Lily’s gasp.

  Then hot, edgy need for her took over, and he could wait no longer to make them one.

  Lily’s urgency rose with his; her hands roamed his body, tearing at his sweater, muttering under her breath when it didn’t slide smoothly over his head. She yanked it away, then took in the sight of his naked, bronzed chest before her, the crisp dark curls inviting her fingers to glide within. She slid her hands through them as he loomed over her, his hands braced on the back and the arms of the sofa, his body gone still, waiting.

  Lily leaned up, and licked one nipple, drawing it between her teeth and laving it with her tongue. Damon stiffened as though he’d been shocked by a cattle prod.

  “Lily,” he warned. “My restraint is just about gone, sweetheart.”

  She leaned her head back to look at him, smiling slowly, lifting one eyebrow. “Well, that might just be too bad.”

  Shock lit his eyes, then appreciation gleamed. He smiled and shook his head. “You are playing with fire, Lily Shen.”

  “Mmm-m-m… talking big? I’m not scared.”

  He grabbed her wrist and pushed her back on the sofa, his big body never more imposing. “You should be.”

  She wiggled, loving the freedom she felt. Damon would never use his size to hurt her; she could play to her heart’s content.

  She was partly wrong. He had her completely naked in seconds, and his own clothes followed. Lowering his head first, he took her mouth as a starving man took his first meal. His mouth ravaged hers, his tongue heated, almost demonic in its intensity. His hands drove through her hair, and she felt his hardness against her thigh. She parted her legs, swiveling against him.

  Damon growled, his mouth sliding down to the sensitive juncture of throat and shoulder, his teeth fastening lightly as if claiming her.

  She couldn’t help moaning, rocking against his weight, loving the feel of his body all along the length of her own.

  Damon inhaled sharply and raised himself above her, burying his hands in her hair. “Look at me, Lily.” he demanded. “Open your eyes while I make you mine.”

  She opened her eyes and drew in a sharp breath at the fire that raged within him. He was thunder, he was lightning, he was the fury and the glory of a raging storm. He took her breath away.

  When he entered her in one strong, deep stroke, they both gasped at the feel of it. Lily felt tears falling from the corners of her eyes, running through her hair and into his hands.

  Complete. H
e was whole again, for the first time in five years. Baptized by her tears, he was home, where he’d always belonged. A sudden flash of the feeling he’d had as the jade dragon, Lily cradled like a precious jewel between his palms as she was now, sparked through his brain.

  Lily’s eyes widened, and he could only wonder if she’d seen the same. He’d never felt closer to another being in his life, as though their breaths were the same, their hearts beat in time, their minds thought as one.

  Then Lily rocked against him slightly, and hot, dark need overtook everything else.

  He drew away, then slid back within her, and Lily whimpered at the sensation of him filling her so fully… so completely. Making her ache when he withdrew, and sigh when he filled her again.

  Home. She was home, where she belonged. The Dragon and his Pearl. Until they are one again, she thought, and wanted to tell Damon.

  But she could hold onto no thoughts, only feel… only burn. Damon’s mouth sealed to hers as if in benediction, and Lily lost herself in his embrace, goosebumps rising on her skin as his hands roamed her, his manhood filled her… his mouth sustained her and led her higher.

  She felt his struggle for control and whispered in his ear. “Let go, Damon. Give yourself to me. I love you… you can’t make me leave you again.”

  She heard Damon’s gasp in her ear, and she felt him losing control. His thrusts went harder, deeper, and Lily drew him into her, falling into him, sliding into the dark magic of Damon Alexander… lifting into glory as his hoarse shout echoed in her ear.

  “Never, Lily. I love you. You are my heart.”

  She felt him spill his seed within her, her own body shuddering with the power of her climax. Holding his head closer, wrapping her arms tightly around him, Lily took his weight upon her, and gloried in the feel of the man she’d been born to love.

  Chapter Nine

  Lily woke to the sound of Gregory whimpering. Damon stirred slightly when she tensed. Easing herself out from beneath him, she tried to gather her senses, realizing it must have been a dream.

  She heard a sound in the hallway and sat up just in time to see Chang’s head peek in the library door. She laid a finger across her lips, barely looking over the back of the sofa, wishing she had a blanket to cover her nakedness and hoping that Chang couldn’t tell.

  His eyes widened, followed by his grin. Lily glared at him and motioned that she would follow. He nodded and ducked back out.

  She arose from the sofa slowly, hoping Damon would not awaken. He’d had less sleep than she had, and she wanted him to rest for the trials to come.

  Picking up her clothes where Damon had scattered them, Lily tip-toed away from the sofa, dressing in haste and carrying her shoes with her as she sneaked out the door.

  The snippet of thought she’d had before drifted back. The Dragon and his Pearl are one again. Could it be that somehow she and Damon, now reunited, could stand in for the Dragon to secure the safety of the Pearl? Could that be why Fan Lee had told her never to leave Damon? Because together, they somehow reflected Ao Kuang and his Pearl? That if they were together, Damon could leave sacred ground?

  Then she remembered her dream of Gregory crying, and she wasn’t sure she could gamble on being wrong.

  Chang waved to her from the doorway to the courtyard. She followed quickly, waiting until they were outside with the door closed before speaking.

  “Chang, about Damon and me—”

  Her brother waved her off. “It is long overdue, Lily.” His smile did not mock her; he seemed genuinely glad at what he’d found. “Damon was so determined to protect you that he robbed you both of what you most needed—one another.”

  Lily smiled, and Chang, seldom given to displays of affection, gave her a quick hug.

  “What news?” She sensed a fine tension in him.

  “I’d better wait for Damon.”

  “He needs to sleep, to rest before his confrontation.”

  Chang looked away, obviously torn.

  “Please—he’s my child, Chang. What do you know of where he is?”

  His shoulders slumped. “Nothing certain.”

  Lily’s heart sank, but she knew her cautious brother. “What do you think you know?”

  “Something odd. Kwan has closed his house up, save for one of his top men, who’s watching over it. He has moved to one of his safe houses, no doubt, but he must be planning to leave after—” He shot Lily a look of apology.

  “He’s not going to kill Damon.” She refused to let that happen.

  “No, of course not.”

  She grabbed his sleeve. “You don’t believe me, but I tell you, he will not have my child—or his father.”

  “You can’t know that, Lily.”

  She turned to pace, fighting tears that threatened when she recalled the look of resignation on Damon’s face. She huddled her arms around her waist. He was a noble man, and a brave one. He wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice himself to save their child.

  But having just found him again, how could she bear to lose him? The dark years just past… to spend the future that same way? Lily shuddered, heartsick at the thought.

  If only she had some leverage… some way to get Kwan’s attention before Damon had to face him. She knew she’d be no match for a man like Kwan, though she wished she were. But she was no warrior. Her only criminal skills were—

  She looked up at her brother. “Did you say Kwan left one of his lieutenants?”

  Chang nodded.

  “Isn’t that a bit odd, to leave your top man if your life is on the line? I mean, surely Kwan knows that no matter how he stacks the odds, he’s going to need some formidable strength to defeat Damon.”

  “I guess you’re right.”

  “Doesn’t Kwan have a security system?”

  Chang shook his head. “He’s always bragged that if anyone could get through his men, no alarm system was going to keep them out.”

  “But why would he have one of his top men guard his house? Why not a watchman, or one of the flunkies?” She started to pace, her heart beginning to race. Could it be? Could he have left the Dragon there for safekeeping?

  She turned to Chang. “This man he left—would he leave him behind if he left the country?”

  Chang shook his head. “No way.” His eyes narrowed. “What are you thinking, Lily?” His tone darkened.

  Lily knew she’d better tread lightly. Damon wouldn’t like what she was considering; she couldn’t tip her hand to Chang. She and Damon had strained Chang’s loyalties to their limit already, each of them confiding things in him that he was not to tell the other. She’d never been able to pry anything out of him about Damon during those long years.

  But she needed one more piece of information. She shook her head. “I don’t know… just wondering. I don’t understand Kwan or how he thinks.”

  “It’s never easy to understand a madman.”

  As casually as she could, she asked her question. “Where is Kwan’s house?”

  He cocked his head. “Why do you want to know?”

  Sniffing and tossing her hair, Lily smiled. “I don’t know—I guess I just wondered where an evil man lives in San Francisco. It’s not important.”

  Chang settled a bit. “Gregory isn’t there, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

  Her heart clutched at her son’s name. She could still hear his whimpers echoing in her mind. “No, I know that. But he might have been at first, and I just didn’t want to think about him in a warehouse somewhere.”

  “Kwan lives on Telegraph Hill, Montgomery Street—no warehouses in sight.” He crossed to place a hand on her arm. “Try not to worry about him, Lily. We’re all working hard to find him.”

  Tears clogged her throat as she glanced up, seeing the lines of strain around his eyes. She laid her head on his shoulder. “I know you are.” When his arms came gently around her, she repeated. “I know you are.”

  Lifting her head, she stepped back. “Why don’t you go rest for awhile, Chang? Th
ere’s nothing any of us can do until we hear from Kwan, it seems.”

  He nodded. “I’m sorry, Lily. I—”

  “You’ve done everything possible.” Brushing away her tears with the side of her hand, she straightened. “Go ahead. I’ll be fine.”

  Heart pounding, she stared after her brother, wondering if she might have just found the key to saving them all.

  Lily stood in the darkness just down the block from Kwan’s house on Montgomery, listening to the dull roar of nearby traffic. It had been a long time since her childhood days, stealing to keep herself alive. She could still pick a lock, that she knew. She’d had to pick her own not long ago when she’d locked herself out.

  But what else did she face? Suddenly, the sheer folly of what she attempted almost made her cut and run—until she thought of Damon sleeping, tiny frown lines still hovering between his brows. And Gregory, and what he must be feeling, all alone and terrified.

  She had to try. It just didn’t make sense that Kwan would leave one of his top men unless there was something more than a house to guard. If that something was the Dragon, then Lily intended to trade it to Kwan for Gregory.

  It might not make him leave Damon alone, but surely he would not want the Dragon in Damon’s hands, to be reunited with the Pearl. If the legend was true, once the Dragon’s Pearl was whole again and back on sacred ground, it would protect Damon, as well as giving him great powers.

  It wasn’t a perfect plan, but neither was letting Damon face Kwan. Kwan wouldn’t trespass again on sacred ground, especially not with the Dragon’s Pearl reunited. And they could go anywhere, with the statue whole again. Damon wouldn’t be trapped on holy ground—they could go far away, out of Kwan’s reach.

  If she found the Dragon. Surely the threat would give her leverage.

  Waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, Lily contained her amazement at Kwan’s sheer bravado. The man must think he was invulnerable. Even as rusty as she was at picking locks, the small door off the kitchen had proven ridiculously easy to open.