Billionaire Dragon's Bride(26)

The golden sparkle that shone down upon them made Gemma’s hair dazzle. He grabbed her hand as the doors had opened wide enough to give them safe passage and tugged at her to make her move. For once, Gemma didn’t have anything to say. He wondered if that was a good thing.





CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Devon



Devon led her into the endless cavern by her hand, and she followed like an obedient puppy, scarcely believing her eyes. Gemma gripped his hand tighter, afraid to let go or get lost in what seemed like a maze of wealth. The piles of gold, gems and jewels reached from the floor to the ceiling some thirty feet up. Wherever she looked, she was met with the almost painful opulence, gorgeous trinkets, crowns, silks and chests of loot that Gemma could only guess the contents of.

One thing was for sure, the Bluewings had not been slacking on their hoarding. No wonder they liked keeping Gold Valley in tiptop shape – apparently there could never be enough riches for them to lord over. It brought a giggle to her chest, but she stifled it as much as she could, trotting after Devon, who was proudly telling her all about the various caverns and which of the Bluewing clan had managed to fill which vault. Apparently it was a bit of a pride thing to fill a room as big as possible with riches before dying. As a goldsmith herself, she could certainly see the appeal.

“What’s so funny?” Devon asked mildly, cocking a brow at her and making Gemma come to a full stop. She worried her lip slightly, but couldn’t suppress a smile.

“I knew you dragons liked gold, but this… this is marvelous,” she finally said, her eyes sparkling. Gemma bent down and picked up a sapphire and emerald bracelet, the details on it so intricate and finely crafted, she could scarcely believe her eyes. No one could do work so fine by hand anymore, but the old masters had been seemingly infallible. “Everything’s so gorgeous. I’m glad you decided to share this with me. I’ve always wondered where you dragons kept all of these supposed riches we heard about.”

Devon’s hands slipped around her again, and Gemma found herself not minding one bit. In fact, she pressed a bit closer to him, though she wasn’t sure if it was a conscious decision or just her body telling her that she had held out long enough.

His touch was electric as he brushed a lock of hair from her face. She leant against his fingers but froze when she realized what she was doing. A deep rumble of a chuckle sounded from Devon’s chest, and almost timidly, Gemma looked up into his mesmerizing blue eyes. He put a hand on the bracelet, lifting it up a little.

“Do you see this?” She nodded, glancing at the bracelet, sparkling with blue and green as the gems caught the light. “More often than not, you have to be careful with the jewels you can put together. They will overpower one another, become loud and obnoxious. But here, they are in perfect harmony. And I think you and I could come together like the stones on this bracelet as well – as one, complementing each other, not distracting. I’m expecting a lot from you, my Gem, but I don’t think you will ever give me cause to be disappointed.”

His words rolled around in her head as she was held so tightly against him. Heat tingled through her, and she shuddered, causing Devon to only hold her tighter. Conflicting emotions rattled backwards and forwards in her, making her doubt everything she thought and felt. This bastardly man had decided what she was going to do with her life for her, just told her that his way was the only way, and she would have no choice but to agree with him.

And for that, she hated him. But here he was, actually laughing and having fun with her and opening his heart and soul to her, showing her the greatest treasure he held – she knew from the way he carried himself as he showed her around that it wasn’t just the wealth, but that his heritage meant the world to him.

Oh, and the way she lit up like a light every time he was around… Damn it. It wasn’t love yet, but it definitely wasn’t just hate. If the door had been opened, she wouldn’t have walked out. Wouldn’t even have thought about it.

With their fingers still entwined around the delicate bracelet, desire won over Gemma’s rationale. She rose up on her tiptoes, heard the golden coins crunch under her feet, and kissed Devon softly, almost timidly, as if testing the waters on a hot summer day before throwing herself into the surf. But the surf rose up and caught her instead. Devon growled with pleasure, and his hold tightened around her, cradling her against him like he was afraid she’d slip between his fingers.

She murmured softly as his tongue dipped into her mouth, waves of pleasure crashing through her immediately.

Gemma fell into the kiss willingly, her cheeks red with a blush and her core throbbing with a maddening pulse, demanding for more, right now. She moaned and it just drove him on. With expert fingers, Devon slipped the bracelet on her wrist, freeing his hand, and before she knew it, he was holding the back of her hair and kissing her with the need of a man denied for far too long.