Free Dragon's Lair by Denise Lynn

had set fire to every inch of herbody until she writhed on the bed unabashedly begging him for more.
    Alexia closed her eyes against the spinning in her head. The memories, the feelings, came faster and faster. Her cheeks burned. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth as she tried to swallow. What had she done? The loneliness and longing she’d locked away inside burst free, nearly knocking the wind from her.
    Braeden now groaned with frustrated rage before sliding his hand to the back of her head. His touch tingled hot and cold down her neck. Yet a part of her welcomed it, yearned for more.
    Lowering his mouth to hers, he whispered on a near growl, “You should have stayed away.”
    He was right. She should have stayed away. She’d been insane to come here.
    His lips covered hers and Alexia’s heart pounded so hard she truly thought it would burst. She swallowed his warning and clutched at his shoulders for support. She knew he didn’t want her here—any more than she’d wanted to come to the Lair.
    She should pull free of him and leave. It would be better for everyone. And much safer for her.
    But the desperate need created by her memories wiped away any rational thought of self-preservation. Even as confusion washed through her mind, her body suffered from no such confusion.
    He’d been angry at her that night, too. But while his demanding touches had surprised her and drawn cries from her lips, they hadn’t harmed her. In truth, she’d done more harm dragging her fingernails across his flesh.
    Braeden flinched beneath her touch. He was sharing her memories.
    Did he see how much that night meant to her? To them? Did he know how much she’d loved him then? And trusted him? She’d known full well the magic he possessed and yet she’d given him free rein to do whatever he wanted.
    Her throat tightened. Regardless of the danger—physical or emotional—the need to feel his touch, to lose herself in his kiss, urged her on. Alexia leaned against him.
    Braeden pulled her close. His arms wrapped around her like bands of steel.
    Nearly drunk with the headiness of her first taste of power over him, Alexia teased him deeper into her memories. No matter how rough their lovemaking had been that night, the next morning he’d awakened her with gentle strokes and near-reverent kisses.
    And she’d—
    Braeden froze. He tore his mouth from hers and slammed the palms of his hands against the wall of the elevator on either side of her head. “Enough.”
    Alexia swayed from the harshness of his exit from her thoughts. But she stared up at him, refusing to be bullied by his nasty tone of voice or the evil glitter in his eyes. “What?”
    â€œDon’t you ever try anything like that again.”
    She raised one eyebrow. “Then stay the hell out of my mind.”
    Braeden lowered his arms and stared down at her. How had she learned to intentionally direct her thoughts in a manner that beckoned him to follow? When had she become so calculating?
    He stepped away. While he now knew what had driven her to the Lair, not once had he sensed the presence of another. If someone had sent her the pages, or as she’dinsisted they’d magically appeared and the sender had broken through her wall of protection, she’d managed to bury that information so deep he couldn’t find it.
    Before she could sense his growing unease, he pressed the button to restart the elevator. “I’ll show you to your suite.”
    As the elevator came to a stop, Braeden heard her sudden intake of breath and turned to see her crumple. Without a second thought, he caught her.
    â€œAlexia?”
    He frowned at her unfocused gaze and when her head lolled forward, spilling long, blond waves over her face, he lifted her into his arms. Silently cursing himself for probing her mind to the point of exhaustion, Braeden headed toward his suite and paused briefly at the