He savored each time her walls clung tight to his fingers, feeling every part of it.
Mine, his dragon said. My mate.
Oh fuck no. His entire body jerked, reacting to the words his dragon was repeating over and over inside his head. He groaned, trying to cover up his reaction. He didn’t want Lily to sense that anything was wrong.
He adored Lily already. But he didn’t know her. He couldn’t have a mate. He didn't want one. He wanted to show her a good time in bed, and make her happy. He didn’t sign up for a mate. It wasn’t something he wanted, and he didn’t have room for it in his life, no matter how alluring the woman was.
Thank God Lily was human. She wouldn’t expect anything from him. He could only imagine the deep shit he’d be in if she were a dragon shifter. She’d feel their connection.
Oh hell. Kellan and Quinn from Texas were both married to human females. Had they ever mentioned whether their wives had felt a connection to them? At least more than a normal human would?
No. He wasn’t going to ask. He didn’t want to know, because he wasn't going to pursue a relationship with her. He was in her life to save her from that awful fall, to have a good time, and to help her get over the jerk that cheated on her. That was it.
Mine! His dragon insisted.
He could ignore his dragon. He’d had a lot of practice over the years.
He refocused his attention on Lily, who was finally coming down from her climax. She blinked up at him with a dazed look on her gorgeous face. “Wow,” she said. “That was amazing. I never expected it to be anything like that.”
A warm glow buzzed in his chest. He knew he was a good lover, but he certainly didn’t mind hearing her compliment his technique in bed.
Smug, his dragon growled in contentment.
Garrett ignored him.
“There’s more,” he said. “If you want that.”
“I do. I want you inside me.” She sat up and tugged at his shirt. “I want to see you naked to too.” She pushed her hands under his shirt, putting her palms flat on his abs.
Fuck. He hoped he could last long enough to make love to her. Just the feel of her small hands on his skin was enough to have him coming in his pants. His cock was harder than he’d thought possible. It was so hard it throbbed relentlessly, aching with the need to slide into between Lily’s legs.
He pulled his shirt off and pushed his pants and boxers down. He grabbed a condom from the bedside table and rolled it on. He lay back on top of her, and took a moment to kiss her again. “I can’t wait to feel every part of you,” he said.
Lily might not be his mate, but she was someone special. He’d never been inspired to talk like this to a woman before. He’d always been complimentary and told them they were beautiful, but he’d never been quite so smitten.
A bright smile lit up her face. “I can’t wait to feel every part of you either.”
He wrapped one arm around her, cradling her to his chest. Just the feel of her bare breasts against his skin was enough to have him close his eyes and inhale her scent. Before he slid inside her body, he needed to make sure she was ready. Like many of the dragon shifters, he’d been gifted with a well-endowed cock, and he didn’t want to hurt her.
He pushed two of his fingers back into her pussy, stretching her out. As she surged against him, he added a third. It was a tight fit, but it would help. He kissed her, all over her face. He kissed her nose, and her cheeks, and her forehead as he worked his fingers in her pussy. Finally, she was ready.
He nuzzled her neck one more time. Then he lined himself up, putting the tip of his cock at her entrance. Just having his cock so near her pussy had his heart thundering. He pushed inside. It was still a tight fit, but he pushed forward, watching her face.
She nodded. “Don’t stop.”
He kept pushing, sliding into her pussy. Her slick arousal made it easier, and soon he was fully inside her. He pulled his hips back and thrust forward. “Lily,” he murmured.
“Oh God. Garrett.” Her legs came up to wrap around him.
His head spun. His heart clenched. This was heaven. He’d never known a feeling like this. Of all the women he’d been with, he’d never experienced this bliss.
He couldn’t imagine ever touching another woman again.
Wait. What the fuck?
Lily was not his mate.
He put his mind to the task at hand, which was fucking Lily and making her feel good. He took her earlobe between his teeth and nibbled. He moved lower, sucking on the pulse point in her neck. He could feel the rapid beat of her pulse, and the pounding of her heart. It seemed to match his own.
He grabbed her hips and tilted them up, trying to hit her sweet spot.
“Garrett! Please!” she yelled.
He must have hit the right spot the first time. He pushed his hand between them, going right for her clit. While he thrust in and out of her pussy, he rubbed soft circles over her clit. “Lily, I want you to come for me again. I want to feel your little pussy when you come.”
She threw her head back into the pillows and moaned so loudly he felt the vibrations in his own chest. He got to his knees and lifted her with him, holding her in the air. He moved from the bed, stepping off until he was standing by the bed, holding her in his arms. He didn’t take the time to think about whether a human man could lift her so easily. He didn’t care.
He held her aloft, at just the right angle. She flung her arms around his neck, clutching him tight. He held her close, and kept one hand on her clit as he fucked up into her pussy.
Within seconds, her slick walls were hugging him, pulsating as she let her head fall back. He kissed her throat as he continued to thrust in and out of her.
She pulled her head back up, resting it against his cheek. “Garrett,” she said, and his name was slightly slurred. “I want to feel you too.”
He could not deny her. He let go, feeling his cock erupt inside her body. The feeling was like nothing he’d ever known before. Ecstasy.
Mine. Mine. Mine.
Mate. Mate. Mate.
He wasn’t going to argue with his dragon. That was stupid anway. The dragon was part of him. He wasn’t going to argue with himself. He was going to revel in being inside Lily, and having her here with him.
Once he’d come down from his high, he carefully laid her back on the bed. He got rid of the condom and came back to check on her. She was lying with her eyes closed, but her breathing was peaceful and even.
He glanced at her bandages, hoping he hadn't made her injuries worse. He’d gotten a little carried away. He pulled the blanket up to cover her. “Are you feeling okay?”
She opened her eyes half-way. “Mmm. Yes. Very good.” She patted the mattress. “Come lie down with me.”
He never stayed in bed with the women he slept with. He didn’t leave, or kick them out, or make them feel unwelcome. If they got up and looked for him, they’d usually find him on the couch reading, or composing music for his next album.
It was easy to write off as eccentric musician behavior, and the women didn’t feel offended. He didn’t want to leave Lily. He couldn’t go concentrate on music right now. He wanted to hold her small body close.
It didn’t take his dragon to let him know something about her was very different.
9
Lily
Lily woke up in Garrett’s embrace. Despite the lingering aches from the fall off the cliff, she’d slept for hours undisturbed.
The previous night, she’d been swept up in her desire for him. She had been certain that she felt more for him in one day than she’d ever felt for her fiancé. Had she gotten carried away?
No. As she gazed at his sleeping face, she could say with certainty that she had not gotten carried away. She felt something for him, beyond what made sense. They were never going to have a future together, but that was okay. She would always have the memories of their time together.
Even if he did want her, she wouldn’t jump into a new relationship so soon.
It wouldn't be fair to either of them.
She got up and brushed her teeth, and went to sit on the balcony. The city was so different from her home in Virginia. She’d traveled all over the world, but she always had a soft spot for the trees and the lush green hills in her home state.
Vegas had its own style of beauty, and she could understand why Garrett had chosen to live here, atop this concrete castle in the sky.
“Hey.”
At the sound of Garrett’s deep voice, she turned around to see him wearing only boxers. He joined her on the balcony.
“You’re not worried anyone will take your picture in your underwear?” She figured it would be quite the popular photo. And she knew from firsthand experience that he had no reason to be embarrassed by being seen in his underwear, or for that matter, naked.
“Nope. That’s why I live this high up.”
“What about drones? A drone could fly by. Or a guy with suction cups on his hands.”
He laughed. “You know, nothing would surprise me in this town. But if they work that hard for it, so be it. As a musician, I can get away with a lot more than a CEO of a business can.” He motioned toward the kitchen. “You want anything? Coffee? Juice? Water?”
“I’d love some orange juice. But I can get it.” She felt weird letting him wait on her. She assumed from the perfect state of his kitchen that he had a maid or a cleaning service come in every day. Her own parents did. They could barely function on the days their staff didn’t come to help out.
He came back with a tray of juice for her and coffee for him. “How are you feeling?”
“Pretty good. A little bit like I fell off a cliff.”
“If you want to keep climbing, I know some guys who could help.” He pointed at her. “You have to keep your promise that you won’t go back out alone.”
“Thank you, but I think I’m done with rock climbing, at least for now.”
“Have you picked out any new hobbies?”
“I’m keeping my options open. For now I have to figure out what to do about my family.”
“What about them?”
“Well I decided early on that I was going to stay here for the full two weeks. My parents already paid for it, so I might as well. I’ll have a career in finance soon enough, and it will be harder to get a full two weeks off once I’m working at my stepfather’s company. So I’m going to enjoy it.”
“That sounds like a great plan. Making lemonade out of lemons and all that.”
“Exactly. But I haven’t had the heart to tell them the wedding’s off.”
“You haven’t told them?”
“No. I didn’t know what to say?”
He gritted his teeth. “Are you thinking you might be willing to forgive your ex and take him back?”
Her reaction was visceral. Her stomach rebelled, and her throat stung with bile at the mere suggestion. “Fuck no!” She held up both hands. “No. There is no way in hell I would ever take him back. Not for any reason, not now, and not in the future.”
Garrett nodded. The expression on his face evened out. “Good. I’m glad to hear that. So why then? Why not tell them? Will they be upset?”
“They won’t care about the money. But it just seems so pathetic to have to call your entire family and every one of your friends and tell them your ex left you right before the wedding. I don’t think I could take the pity.”
“It’s not like you did anything wrong. He’s the jackass. And I’ve never been engaged, but I can get how it would be awkward as hell to have to tell everyone what happened.” He stared out at the skyline. “We could make something up. I could call them and tell them you skipped town for a fabulous opportunity and their presence won’t be needed.”
She laughed. “A fabulous opportunity. Like what? Modeling? Acting? Oh wait. I could be your groupie.” She took a sip of the orange juice. It was so good; it had to be fresh-squeezed.
He crossed his arms. “What’s so funny? I think being my groupie would be an excellent opportunity.”
“Of course you would.” She kicked at him. “I hate to waste all the wedding decor, and the dress. You think if I placed an ad online that I could find someone to pretend to marry me?”
“Oh yeah. With all the actors around here, you’d find someone in about two seconds.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. You said you’re from Virginia. I’m betting it would be harder there to find someone there to do something completely crazy and off the wall. But here? Easier to find the crazy than the normal.”
“Huh. Maybe I should find someone then.” She sat up a little straighter. “It might be fun. It will certainly be memorable.”
Garrett frowned. “You’re not serious, are you?”
“What do you mean? You literally just suggested it.”
“Yes, but I was kidding.”
“Well maybe I wasn’t.”
He got to his feet. “Lily, you can’t hire someone to pretend to marry you.”
“Why not?”
He grabbed his hair and tugged at it. Afterward, his hair was wilder, and even sexier, if that was possible. “Because it’s even more dangerous than rock climbing alone.” His voice rose until he was shouting. “In fact, it’s far more risky, because the guy could try and kill you!” He slashed his arms through the air. “The people who would answer that ad would be nuts!”
She felt her eyebrows shoot up. “Okay. Calm down. I won’t do it. It was just a thought.” He was really ranting and raving for no reason. It was kind of cute. She figured he was right though. Inviting a stranger into her life to play the role of her boyfriend sounded like the beginning of a nightmare. One that might end up with her far worse off than suffering a few scrapes from a fall.
“I’ll do it,” he said.
“Do what?” she asked.
“I’ll pretend to be your fiancé.”
“What are you talking about?” His words did not compute.
“I’m talking about what we were just discussing. Me, pretending to marry you, so that you don’t have to tell your family that you’re not getting married.”
Surely he wasn’t serious. She had been kidding. Sure, marrying Garrett sounded like a dream come true. But she couldn’t seriously expect him to follow through. It was absurd.
Now it was her turn to stand up. She limped over to the railing and looked down at the city streets. “I can’t ask you to do that.”
He joined her at the railing. “You didn’t ask me. I offered.”
She turned toward him. “I can’t believe you’re serious. You’re teasing me, right?”
He reached out and put his hand over hers. “Lily, I am dead serious. I want to marry you.”
10
Garrett
Garrett had just told Lily that he’d marry her.
Holy fucking shit. What was he thinking?
He knew exactly what he was thinking. That he wanted to protect her. Why the hell had he suggested that she hire someone to pretend to be her fiancé? That was the dumbest shit he’d ever said. Of course, he’d been making a joke. A moronic joke. But still a joke.
But then she’d started to muse about it, considering it out loud. And based on what he knew of her, she might actually go through with it. She was the one who’d admitted she tried some extreme sports just to get her mind off what happened with her ex.
He’d seen her eyes light up as she pondered the idea. If she was willing to rock climb all alone, who was to say she wouldn’t hire a fake boyfriend? He already knew she wasn’t cruel enough to actually trick some poor guy into dating her, and let him believe that she was into him. No, she wouldn’t use someone that way.
So it had to be him. And Garrett understood all too well what it was like to disappoint your family. He could only imagine the way he’d feel if he had to call his clan and tell him his fiancé had cheated and a wedding was off.
It was especially unfathomable to him, since dragons shifters didn’t cheat. And even the human side of h
im could not come to grips with how someone could cheat on Lily.
His night with her had been magical. And if he were truly honest with himself, he wasn’t ready for their time together to end.
So when the opportunity came up for him to be her fake husband, he jumped at the chance. Now he was standing on his penthouse balcony, with his large hand over her tiny one.
How was he going to explain himself?
“Garrett.” She turned toward him, tipping her chin up. “You don’t have to do this for me.” When he turned to face her, she grabbed both of his hands in hers and held on tight. “You are the sweetest guy. You’re caring and thoughtful. And you’ve already rescued me. You don’t have to do it again.”
What if he wanted to? “I think it sounds fun? What else do I have to do, right?” He gave her his cockiest grin, the one that worked on all of the press when he was interviewed and didn’t want to give a real answer.
She scoffed. “Garrett. Now I know you’ve lost your mind. You probably have more stuff to do than anyone I know.”
“If you decide you want to go through with it, then I’m in. I’m your guy.”
“Are you just doing this because you’re really afraid I’ll hire someone from the internet?”
“Absolutely.” He kissed her forehead. “Actually no. I don’t think you’ll do that. I want to. It sounds fun. I’ve never been the groom before.”
“Well, we’re even then. I’ve never been the bride. And even if you change your mind, I won’t really hire someone off Craigslist. I’ll just tell my family the truth, no matter the amount of shame and humiliation that gets heaped on me.” Her eyes twinkled as she spoke, so he could tell that she really wasn’t too worried about being shamed.
But he wanted to make this easy for her, if he could. And his dragon was clawing at him, insisting that he marry her, even if it wasn’t real. He’d started up his mantra again.
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