by Mina Carter
She waited for his nod and then pushed him away.
“Now fuck off like a good little boy before I change my mind and just roast you on the spot.”
He didn’t say anything, just turned tail and ran, the lord of the jungle sent packing with his tail between his legs. She sighed in contentment, settled down more comfortably in her chair and opened her book.
A nice afternoon’s reading would relax her perfectly before the evening do they had tonight.
Business retreats like this were both a boon and a nightmare. Usually he considered them a boon since people tended to let their guard down and be more relaxed when out of their normal routine. A lot considered it a holiday, and Nik usually took great advantage of that fact to push through difficult deals or get commitments from those who were on the fence.
Usually. Not this time. This time he couldn’t concentrate on anything that was said. All his attention was on the fact that he’d left Adra sleeping peacefully in their suite. It had almost killed him not to peak in, just to look at her as she slept, but she hadn’t opened the door and he wouldn’t.
But the thought of her possibly naked in that bed, or, worse, in something satiny or lacy... he groaned as his cock punched to full attention in a heartbeat. He was so fucking hard he could hammer nails through plate steel. Thankfully, the corridor was empty and no one could see. Because even in the loosest of his business slacks, there was no hiding his erection. Tentpole did not cover it.
Thank scales the afternoon sessions were over. He’d hightailed it out of there as soon as he could, excusing himself from coffee with an apology thrown over his shoulder. He didn’t care what they thought... not at the moment. Not when he had her waiting for him.
He reached their suite and let himself in. Dropping his wallet and keycard on the console table, he paused for a moment.
“Adra?”
There was no reply. With a frown, he ventured further into the suite. Her bedroom door was open so he slowed down before he reached it.
“Adra? Are you decent?” he called out, but again nothing but silence met his ears.
He risked a peek around the door to find her room empty, but the door to the terrace wide open. The sound of splashing water told him exactly where she was—the small private pool off their terrace.
Ducking back out of her room, he walked into his, changing into swim shorts as quickly as he could. The idea of her in the water, in a swimsuit... fuck, that was even more erotic than the idea of her in silks and lace while she slept.
He paused before he walked out into the sun. He was still hard... Adra would see. Then he just walked out. Let her see. He hadn’t made any pretense of how he felt about her, that he’d have her in his arms and in his bed in a heartbeat.
The sun hit his skin and his dragon purred in pleasure, especially when the beast spotted the cool water and the slender form arrowing through it beneath the surface. His breath caught in his throat at the sheer power and grace as she swam. Shaking his head, he gathered himself. Before she broke the surface at the other end, he dived in after her.
The water enveloped him, chilling his heated body and caressing his skin as he skimmed the bottom. Most dragons swam excellently in both forms. Even if he couldn’t see properly beneath the water in his human form, he knew this pool well... the villa belonged to the Waldek corporation, so it was always reserved for him.
But he didn’t need to see Adra to know she was there. He’d always been able to feel her nearby, his senses hyper-aware when she was around. Like a compass needle, she was his true north. He surfaced inches away from her, almost close enough to feel the heat of her body against his.
And was poleaxed as she smiled at him. Leaning back against the edge of the pool, her elbows rested on the blue mosaic tiles, but her eyes were fixed on him.
“So... is that a gun in your trunks, or are you just pleased to see me?”
It took a moment for her flirtatious comment to sink in, but the warm look of appreciation in her eyes as she looked over his chest and shoulders, then lower... sealed the deal. He’d almost given up hope of her looking at him in that way. What had changed he didn’t know and didn’t care. Instead, he moved in, his hands either side of her on the edge of the pool to pin her in place.
“Oh, I’m definitely pleased to see you. I’m always pleased to see you.”
Chapter 6
Reading had always been her passion, but even the story of Morgause had failed to hold her attention. She’d found herself watching the clock as the afternoon wore on. It wasn’t because she had to be anywhere but rather because she knew Nik’s meetings would be coming to a close soon. She hadn’t spoken to him since last night, and even though back home she could go days without any contact, today she couldn’t wait to see him.
Abandoning her reading, she’d come back to the suite and changed to laze in the small pool outside her room. She couldn’t swim seriously here. It wasn’t as large as the main pool the rest of the wives and girlfriends were congregated around, but she really didn’t want to join in with the crowd. So she lazed in the warm water, occasionally doing a length or two.
She knew the moment Nik arrived, sensing his presence as she swam underwater. She surfaced to hear the tail end of a splash as he dived in, turning to lean against the side of the pool as she watched him swim across to her.
He didn’t stop as she thought he would, swimming so close he was within inches of her as he came to the surface. She held her breath, stopping the purr right there in her throat, and smiled.
“So... is that a gun in your trunks, or are you just pleased to see me?”
Heat flared in his eyes at her words and he moved in, hands either side of her and hemming her into place. “Oh, I’m definitely pleased to see you. I’m always pleased to see you.”
The heated murmur of his voice sent shivers down her spine as he eased himself against her. She welcomed the warm weight of his body, a delicious counterpoint to the cool water lapping around them, and met his eyes as he bent his head. Slowly. Giving her enough time to move away.
She wasn’t going to. Didn’t want to. Not anymore. She’d spent far too long running from him and she was done now.
He seemed to register that and growled in the back of his throat. That little sound got to her more than anything else. His lips covered hers—warm and firm. The shivers running down her spine infiltrated her blood and she parted her mouth, kissing him back.
With a growl, he hauled her closer, hand splayed over her back to hold her against him. She registered the thick bar of his cock pressing against her at the same time he nipped her lower lip. Heat flared and her knees weakened. She clung to him, requiring his strength to stay upright as need and anticipation almost washed her away.
He could kiss. Like seriously kiss. She pressed against him, trying to get closer. Her hands stroked over his shoulders, tracing the solid lines of muscle she found and reveling in the latent strength in his body as he crowded her back. Raking her nails down his back, she smiled against his lips when he growled.
Hands around her waist, he boosted her up to sit on the side of the pool. She parted her legs to let him settle between them, hooking her ankles behind his lean hips as he pulled her against him. His cock pulsed where it was caught between them and she bit her lip as he looked at her. Only thin layers of fabric separated them. Just two little layers of material and he’d be inside her. That long, thick length buried deeply.
She whimpered.
“Scales sake, Adra,” he muttered roughly. “Don’t look at me like that or I won’t be able to stop.”
The rough admission and the tortured need in his voice shattered her control. Resting back on one hand, she drew a line down the center of his chest with the forefinger of the other.
“Who said anything about stopping?”
He froze, watching her through unreadable eyes. The heat was still there, enough to scorch her body and soul, but there was something else.
“Be careful wh
at you say,” he warned. “Because I’m not playing games here. If I take you, you’re mine. For keeps, Adra. Do you understand? I’m not looking for a one-night stand or a weekend fling.”
She blinked, surprise flowing through her. Some of it must have shown on her face because he growled and pulled her closer, whispering against her lips. “I take you, and you’re mine. Or you walk, now... and we never talk about it again. I’ll leave you alone. I’m done waiting for you, Adra. Make a decision.”
His words rang with honesty and need, and she realized he wasn’t the playboy she’d always thought he was.
“I choose you.” Her words were soft, an admission that came from her heart and soul. If she was honest with herself, she’d made her decision a long time ago... she’d just had to get past her preconceptions about him.
“Thank fuck,” he growled, and his lips crashed down over hers.
This time his kiss wasn’t gentle or exploratory. He claimed her mouth like he owned it, parting her lips with a hard sweep of his tongue and driving within. He growled as she surrendered, sliding his tongue against hers and dueling with it in an erotic dance. His hand slid up her waist to her side, palm warm against her wet skin. She jumped when his thumb brushed the underside of her breast, sliding beneath the fabric of her bikini top.
Arching her back with a soft moan, she invited more of his touches. Fire traced over her skin wherever he touched her, sending shivers through her blood. Her body ached, and a purr broke from her throat as his big hand closed over her breast. He didn’t paw at her or grope.
Instead, he cupped her. Caressed her. Clever fingers rubbed her nipples into stiff peaks under the wet fabric of her bikini. She bit her lip as he dipped his fingers under the wet fabric and gasped as he brushed against her beaded nipples. They were hard little peaks aching for more.
“Nik...” she whispered against his lips as she moved fitfully against him.
He growled and ground against her, dipping his head to kiss along her jaw and then down her throat. She closed her eyes and dropped her head back. His hands moved, and a second later her bikini top was gone, the sun and cool breeze caressing her skin in waves. His hand spread over the back of her waist, supporting her and arching her back. She shivered, her hands in the short curls of his hair as he kissed down across her collarbones and then lower.
His breath fanned over her breasts, feathering over her nipple as he worked toward it. The breath caught in her throat in anticipation. His tongue swept over her, and she moaned, the sound somewhere between anticipation and torment. He closed his lips over the beaded peak and that did it. A low keening sound escaped her, her hands driving into his hair as pleasure arrowed down from her nipple to her clit.
He kissed and licked, driving her arousal higher as he split his attention between her breasts. She’d always worried about her slight figure, given she’d only ever seen buxom blondes on his arm, but the hard evidence pressed against her told her she shouldn’t have worried at all.
“Scales,” he lifted his head slightly, the word groaned against her skin, “you’re so tiny and delicate... I’m worried I’ll break you.”
The breathless laugh that escaped her was more a delighted giggle, but right now she didn’t care, not when he held her the way he was. “Oh, I’m not that delicate.”
He looked up and the fire in his eyes seared her to the core. “Sweetheart, you’d run a mile if you could read my mind... if you knew the things I want to do to you. The things I’ve wanted to do for years...”
Her pussy clenched at the dark promise in his voice. His body was tense, control written into every line of his frame as he braced himself over her. His mental shields slipped and she sucked in a breath at the soul-searing need and longing that washed over her like a tidal wave.
“Nik—” She surged upright, catching him by surprise to kiss him deeply. This time she was the aggressor, clinging to him as she explored the shape of his lips. She swept her tongue against them and demanded entrance. Growling, she dominated the kiss as she took what she wanted from him. Proving that she was... fuck, she didn’t know what the hell she was proving, other than she needed to kiss him, touch him, more than she needed air to breathe.
He met her kiss for kiss, fire for fire, growling as he swept her up closer in his arms. Before they could both go up in flames, he broke the torrid embrace and pulled her from her seat at the edge of the pool. He stepped from the water to stride toward the door.
“Say something now,” he told her, his voice and expression tight as they reached the open door to her room. “Because once I get you in there, there’s no going back.”
She stroked her hand down the back of his neck. “You sure I’ll be letting you out?”
“Scales, I hope not.”
With that, he strode through the door and toward the bed. He didn’t stop as they reached it, somehow managing to lay her down and end up braced over her in the same, easy movement. Another soft whimper broke from her throat as he settled between her parted thighs. Her hips rocked gently against his and he broke their kiss to swear against her lips.
“Fuck... I want you so much.”
“What are you waiting for then?” she asked, sliding her hand down the front of his body. “A written invitation?”
“Fuck no. Oh, scales…” He sucked a breath in, his washboard abs in high relief as she traced her fingertips down them. She reached the edge of his trunks, the wet fabric rapidly drying with the heat rising from his skin. Her gaze locked with his as she slid her hand under the fabric, cupping him boldly.
His cock jerked when she wrapped her hand around him, heat building between her legs as she realized just how long and thick he was. She stroked and he groaned, his eyes half-lidded as he watched her. Stroking him root to tip, she swept her finger over the broad head. A thrill rolled through her at the thought of him taking her. Parting her legs and pressing up against her before he slid deep inside.
“Scales, Adra. I’m not going to last if you keep doing that.”
He stopped her hand on his cock, and she pouted in disappointment. But then he kissed her and her ability to think scattered to the four winds. He moved over her, pressing against her where she needed him most and then all she could think about was him, their kiss, and getting him inside her.
He broke away long enough to tear his swim trunks away, and then he was back, lips on hers as he eased the ties on the sides of her bikini free. She caught her breath as the fabric fell loose. He lifted up to watch her face as he pulled them free of her body.
Her gaze riveted to his face, she watched his expression for any change, holding her breath. But all she saw was reverence tempered with a deep, dark need. The look of a man who wanted a woman... no, more than that. The look of a man looking at his woman.
“Mine,” he growled, the note of ownership thrilling her right down to the soul. Mates did that, wanted to own and protect. Could they... could he be...
When he kissed her again the gloves were off. He plundered her lips as his hand slid down her body. His touch was sure and confident as he reached the curve of her hip and then slid his hand between her thighs. Strong fingertips skated between the folds of her pussy. She moaned, the sound echoing his groan as he found her slippery and ready for him.
“Scales,” he breathed against her lips, “you’re so hot and wet...”
Then he stroked her clit and she whimpered, rocking against him. Hard pleasure raced through her blood like wildfire. He sure knew what he was doing, alternating strokes with circles and driving her arousal and need higher and higher.
“Nik, please...” she gasped, clinging to his upper arms as her body began to tighten. She teetered on the verge of her release, desperately trying to hold it at bay. “I want you... now.”
“I’m here,” he murmured, altering his position to settle closer between her parted thighs. She bit her lip as his fingers left her, only for her to register the broad head of his cock pressing against her a second later.
&
nbsp; They shared the same breath as he pushed. At first her body resisted him, but then it yielded to the pressure. He breached her, slipping half an inch inside. His nostrils flared, eyes dark with desire.
“Fuck, you’re so tight. I’ll take it slow and easy. Promise.”
She hissed, hands clenched into claws as her nails bit into his upper arms. “I won’t break. Just do it. Now.”
He growled and shoved forward, sliding home in one hard thrust. Pleasure hit her broadside and she whimpered, pussy fluttering around his thick length. He paused, buried deep within her, his gaze on her face as she adjusted to his size. Scales he was big, bigger than she’d thought but it felt so, so good.
“Don’t stop,” she begged, rocking her hips against him.
Reaching for her hands, he laced his fingers through hers. Lifting them up, he pinned them above her head, stretching her out beneath him. Then he took her words to heart, pulling back to slide into her again with one hard thrust. That set the pace, each thrust measured and heavy. He moved over her, gaze locked with hers. It was erotic, intimate. She looked into his eyes as he penetrated her over and over.
She bit her lip and rocked her hips against his. Each slow slide back and hard thrust in fed the fire in her blood, but the connection with him turned her on the most. Being wrapped up in his arms, the feel of skin on skin as his cock slid deep within... something clicked inside her and she realized she didn’t want this to be a one-time thing. She wanted to fall asleep with him at night and wake up with him in the morning...
He thrust again and her pussy tightened, the tension in her body at breaking point. A sharp cry left her lips as she came. Hard and fast. A rush of wet heat flooded her, bathing his cock as she shattered apart in his arms.
He growled, the sound harsh in the back of his throat as he sped up, slamming into her and sending a cascade of ecstasy through her pleasure-racked body. His movements stuttered, uncoordinated. Then he thrust into her a last time, threw his head back and bellowed as he flooded her with his hot seed.