Page 12 of Dragon Enchanted (Secret Kingdoms: The Draquonir #1)

CHAPTER 11

T he restaurant was the definition of opulence. Dim candlelight flickered off crystal chandeliers, the scent of aged wine and truffle-infused dishes weaving through the air. The atmosphere buzzed with quiet sophistication, low murmurs of conversation blending with the soft notes of a live pianist in the background.

Vector sat across from Raven in a private booth, his back to the wall—an instinct he never ignored. His gaze, however, was locked onher.

She looked breathtaking. The red silk dress he had insisted she wear hugged her curves, the delicate diamond necklace resting against her collarbone glinting in the low light. Her bare shoulders glowed under the golden hue of the chandeliers, and when she shifted slightly, crossing her legs, the movement sent a sharp pulse of awareness through him.

A waiter approached, placing a plate ofseared filet mignon with truffle butterbefore her, the rich aroma making her inhale deeply. She glanced at the decadent spread—pan-seared scallops, asparagus drizzled in hollandaise, a selection of cheeses and wine so expensive the price wasn’t even listed on the menu.

“This is ridiculous,” she muttered, cutting into the steak. “I feel like I’ve been kidnapped into a billionaire’s fantasy.”

Vector smirked, swirling his wine. “You have been. This is my fantasy.”

Her fork hesitated mid-air. “I don’t know what to think about you.”

He leaned in, voice low. “Then stop thinking.”

She exhaled, shaking her head. “You’re impossible.”

Before he could respond, a low chuckle sounded nearby. A well-dressed man at the bar, hiswatch gleaming in the candlelight, lifted his glass in Raven’s direction. “If he’s impossible, sweetheart, I’m happy to be the alternative.”

Raven blinked, caught off guard. How had he heard their conversation over the music? She was still trying to decide what to say when Vector’s hand shot out, resting possessively on her thigh.

His grip was firm, heated. His voice was a dangerous purr. “She’s taken.”

The man held his gaze for a long beat before offering a smirk. “Just making conversation.”

Vector’s fingers flexed. “Find another table.”

The man hesitated. Then, wisely, he turned back to his drink.

Raven exhaled, cheeks flushed. “That was unnecessary.”

Vector met her gaze, his thumb brushing over her skin in slow, deliberate strokes. “No, it wasn’t. He was testing me. Trust me, he is dangerous, especially to an unclaimed female.”

“Unclaimed female? Where did you grow up again? You say the strangest things.”

“He is more than he seems,” Vector warned.

Her lips parted, but whatever she had been about to say was lost in the intensity of his gaze. He wasn’t just claiming her in front of a stranger—he was reminding her exactly who she belonged to.

“You’re really like this, aren’t you?” she murmured, shifting under his touch. “Possessive. Controlling.”

His grin returned, but this time, there was somethingdarker, hungrierbehind it. “You have no idea.”

“Paranoid.”

When he didn’t deny it, she huffed at him. “I can take care of myself, you know. I grew up in the city. Ran with a tough crowd. Guys that like don’t scare me.”

Vector’s gaze lingered on her lips. “You have never met one such as he, love. Trust me.”

She risked a glance back to the bar as the pianist played on. The man was still there, but somehow, with Vector’s hand on her thigh, she could see… more. A dark sludge around the edges, like an aura—or what she imagined an aura would look like. She’d never seen one before. And something seemed to move across his back. Shift.

Like wings.

What the hell?

She blinked and the strangeness was gone. The world around them carried on, oblivious to the quiet, simmering storm building between them.

And Raven, despite every warning her mind screamed at her, moved closer to Vector, to his strength. His heat. His protection.

The strange man was led to his table somewhere deeper in the restaurant and Vector’s shoulders visibly relaxed. Raven decided to shake it off and enjoy the rest of the evening.

“You don’t have to do this,” she muttered. “Take me out. Buy me clothes. I don’t need any of it.”

“I want to.”

Despite herself, she enjoyed the attention. The way he looked at her when she tried on something he liked or took a bite of food from him. She especially loved the way his presence wrapped around her, shielding her from everything else.

And yet… he was keeping secrets. Said strange things. Threatened total strangers for the simple act of talking to her.

As they sat in companionable silence, Raven studied him, wondering what to ask, where to start. “You’re hiding something from me.”

He took a sip of his wine, watching her over the rim of his glass. “Am I?”

“Yes.”

He set the glass down. “And what do you think I’m hiding?”

She leaned forward. “Who you are. What you do. Everything about you is a mystery.”

Vector smirked. “Ask me what you want to know.”

“Who are you?”

“Vector Draquonir, brother to Ryker Draquonir.”

Ryker… Holy shit. “The Italian billionaire?”

“One and the same.”

“Okay.” That explained the private jet, the shopping, but not the chains, the dungeon, or how he’d ended up nearly dead on the side of those cliffs. “What do you do? What’s your profession?”

“I take care of family business.”

Her stomach flipped. She’d heard that before. “That’s not a real answer. That’ something a criminal would say.”

He exhaled, swirling his wine. “You think I’m part of some crime syndicate?”

She arched a brow. “Aren’t you?”

He chuckled. “No, Raven. I’m not.”

She searched his face. Believed him. “Then tell me what you’re hiding from me. I don’t understand any of this. Why I’m here. Why you want me.”

He hesitated. “I can’t. Not yet.”

Frustration curled in her gut. “Why not?”

His expression turned serious. “Because some truths are dangerous.” He reached across the table and took her hand in his, his touch instantly making her toes curl and her heart race. “Please, Raven. Trust me. Give me a little more time. I will tell you everything. I promise.”

Dammit. When he looked at her like she was the only thing in the world that mattered, she could deny him nothing.

“Two days.”

“Very well. Two days.” Forty-eight hours to woo and seduce her, win her heart and soul, make her love him.

Two days… Inside him, dragon began keeping time.

By the time they stepped outside, the city buzzed around them, neon lights flickering off the sleek black car waiting at the curb. The night air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of rain and pavement, blending with the lingering richness of wine and spice from the restaurant. Vector’s hand rested at the small of her back, firm, guiding, claiming.

The drive was silent, charged. Raven could still feel the imprint of his touch on her thigh, the possessiveness in the way he had dismissed the other man so effortlessly. She should have been annoyed. She should have wanted to push back. But instead, warmth curled in her belly,a dangerous thrillunfurling inside her.

No one had ever protected her, not like that. Without question. Without hesitation or apology. He’d nearly caused a scene, and she’d felt…safe. Cherished.

Falling in love was a mind game she wasn’t sure she was winning.

The car pulled up to the entrance of their hotel. They’d gotten ready here, when they’d finished shopping. Showered. Made love in the oversized bathtub. It was one of the most luxurious hotels she had ever seen—a towering building of glass and steel, glowing like a beacon against the darkened skyline.

A valet rushed to open the door, but Vector was faster, extending his hand to her. The moment her fingers slid into his, a warmth spread up her arm, igniting something deep inside her. She shivered but didn’t pull away.

The lobby was grand, the ceilings impossibly high, chandeliers dripping with crystals that sent rainbows scattering across the polished marble floors. A concierge she didn’t recognize—must have been a shift change while they were out—greeted them with a knowing smile and a nod, swiftly handing Vector a keycard without a word.

Raven swallowed. “They all know you?”

Vector’s smirk was subtle, wicked. “Of course.”

The private elevator ride to their suite was suffocatingly silent, the space between them humming withunspoken tension. The air felt heavier, thick with something she didn’t quite understand but couldn’t ignore.

When the doors slid open, revealing their lavish penthouse bathed in warm golden light, Raven barely had time to take it all in before Vector’s fingers brushed against the bare skin of her arm, sendinga ripple of heat through her.

She inhaled sharply at the sensation, her nipples instantly hardening into tight beads. Every time he touched her, really touched her, she felt something move through her body like molten lava sliding through her system. Lighting her on fire. “How do you do that?”

He didn’t answer. He just watched her,waiting.

The sensation grew, spreading through her limbs, pooling deep in her belly,a slow burn that left her aching in ways she wasn’t prepared for.

She turned to him, eyes wide. “Vector…”

He stepped closer, the warmth of his body radiating into hers. “You feel it, don’t you?”

“Yes.” Her pulse skittered, her skin alive with tingling heat. Shedidfeel it.Everywhere.

Her breath came faster, her lips parting slightly as her hands curled at her sides, itching toreach for him, to close the distance.

She shook her head, but the protest died in her throat when his fingers traced a slow path down her arm, leaving atrail of heat in their wake.

“What… are you doing to me?” she whispered, her voice barely a breath.

Vector leaned in, his lips hovering just above her ear. “I’m making sure the only man you’ll ever crave, the only one who can make you feel this way, is me.”

And then, with deliberate slowness, he pressed his lips to hers.

The spark ignited instantly.A pulse of pure desire licked through her veins, hot and consuming, unraveling every last thread of restraint she had.

Her gasp was lost in his mouth as heatpoured into her, setting her nerves alight, making her body arch into him without thought.

She wanted him. Desperately.

And the worst part? She loved it. Loved whatever it was he was doing to her.

He knew exactly how she needed to be touched. Every kiss, every stroke of his hands, built the fire in her blood higher.

Somehow, they were suddenly undressed. She gave a small squeak. How did he do that? How did he mesmerize her so completely that he could undress her, and she didn’t even notice? At the moment, she didn’t care. All she wanted was him. Inside her. Deep.

As if reading her mind, he lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around him, and he took possession of her with one long, hard thrust.

“Oh god, yes.” She looked into his eyes. They were different, somehow. The emerald was there, but swirling around inside was that same gold and crimson she’d seen in the dungeon. “Vector. Your eyes. What–”

He groaned, the sound deep, almost inhumanly deep, and animalistic. “You’re mine, little mate. Accept my offering. Let me worship you.”

Another zing of desire shot through her system, overloading her senses. She screamed as an orgasm hit her like a freight train, waved upon wave of ecstasy crashing over her.

Vector took them to the bed and proceeded to show to her exactly what he meant. He stole the very breath from her lungs. She was on fire with a need only he could fill. He pounded into her, gave her no respite, one orgasm followed by another, until she could take no more, her body wrung out, exhausted from their lovemaking. Only then, with a roar, did he follow her over the edge.

They came down slowly. As she drifted off to sleep, he snuggled her against him and whispered, “Sleep deeply, mate.”

“Mate? Why do you keep calling me that?”

“What should I call you? Would you prefer wife?”

“Is that supposed to be a proposal?” she slurred, half asleep. Her lids were too heavy to stay open, her body blissed out.

“And if it is?” He chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose. “Will you marry me, Raven MacInnes?”

She probably should think about it longer, but she felt too good. Besides, who was she kidding? Like she was going to say no.

“Yes.”