by J. D. Monroe
Tanya smiled. “That would be wonderful. I know it’s hard for her sometimes, being in the public schools around all the human kids. Most of local kids, Kadirai and hybrids, are homeschooled or attend Silver Peak Academy. We wanted her to have the more normal experience, but she feels isolated, especially now. We may reconsider when she goes to middle school, but for now, we want her to stick it out. But I think she’d enjoy talking to you. She really likes your class.”
“That’s a surprise,” she said.
Tanya winced and chuckled. “I’ve had to explain a few times that there’s no one to be mad at, least of all her little brother or her teachers. I’ll talk to her again.”
“Please don’t stress about it. I’m just glad to know what’s going on,” Chloe said. “It was nice to see you.”
“You too,” Tanya said. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “And you’re seeing Mr. Asharin?”
“I’m not sure, honestly,” Chloe said. “Kind of.”
Tanya’s lips curved. “Well, you’ll be the envy of half the women here. His mother’s tough, but he’s a sweet one.”
She glanced over her shoulder to see Taegan talking animatedly to Molly, who had her arm turned at an awkward angle to display a tattoo around her elbow. He nodded, clearly giving her his full attention. He’s mine, she thought proudly. “He really is.”
As the evening wound down, with families trickling out of Studio Noir, Taegan sighed. “I have to offer to help clean up, but let’s pray they say no.” She laughed and watched him approach the head table. After he spoke for a moment, Izarin waved him off. Leaning over the table, his mother kissed his forehead then lifted her eyes to wave at Chloe. Her heart thumped as she returned the wave, feeling the older woman’s sharp gaze on her. His mother smiled, but her eyes were still cool and incisive.
The whole evening had been overwhelming, but exhilarating. Though he’d been subtle about it, Taegan carefully headed people off and guided conversation so no one asked her too many questions. And despite everyone’s attempts to speak Kadirai, he and Kefir had always defaulted to English without singling her out.
He returned to the table and whispered in her ear, “For once, I’m not being conscripted to clean up,” he said. “Are you ready to go?” There was a weight in the question, punctuated by the way his eyes drifted over her.
Her heart thumped in anticipation. She was ready to go home with him and rip off that shirt. “I’m ready.”
He held her hand, thumb tracing her skin as they walked back to his car. A damp chill hung in the air, but the heat in her chest rendered it pleasantly nippy instead of frigid. The dragon in her was a constant, comforting presence now. And it very much liked the sensation of Taegan’s skin on hers.
“I hope that wasn’t too overwhelming,” he said.
“Not at all,” she said. “I really liked Kefir and Molly. And I was not expecting to find out one of my students is part dragon.”
He laughed. “I wish you could have seen your face.”
“I bet,” she said. “She said something about Silver Peak Academy. Is that…a dragon school?”
“Sort of,” he said. “It’s a private school exclusively for our people.”
“Did you go there?”
He chuckled. “No. It was built about twenty years ago, so it was too late for me,” he said.
“Right, cause you’re super old,” she said solemnly. He pinched her butt and she squealed. “Hey!”
“What?” he asked, expression innocent. “Don’t make fun of my age.”
“I apologize. You look very good for a sexagenarian.”
“I don’t know what that is, but I like the sound of it,” he said. He opened her door, waiting for her to climb in. When he sank into the driver’s seat, he waited a moment before starting the car. He still smiled, but there was tension etched in his brow. “Should I take you to your house or mine?”
Her breath caught in her throat. “Yours.”
The tension eased, his eyes creasing with warmth as he leaned in for a kiss. She could still taste the heady sweetness of wine on his lips. The only thing that led her to break off the kiss was the knowledge they were headed home for more. As he pulled away, he said, “Don’t fall asleep on me this time.”
“Are you going to tease me about that forever?”
“Probably.”
Taegan’s house was modest, a small townhome in the suburbs much like hers. It was furnished in dark wood and deep blue, a pretty combination. Artificial apple-cinnamon filled the house with a pleasant, if nearly overpowering smell.
Her heart pounded as she surveyed the dark interior. “Nice place.”
“Thanks,” he said. “I gave Tellana a credit card and asked her to decorate for me. She did a good job.”
She laughed. “I guess it’s important to know your strengths.”
His little smile faltered, and his teeth tugged at his lip. A loud drumbeat pounded in her ears, but she was surprised to realize it was his pulse, not hers. This charming, beautiful man was nervous about her.
“Listen, I really like you,” he said. “I hope tonight wasn’t weird. When I introduced you to my mom. I know it’s so early, but I couldn’t not introduce you, and then I didn’t know what to call you, and…” He sighed. “I hope it wasn’t weird for you.”
A nervous laugh escaped her. “Maybe a little weird, but not in a bad way. I had a really nice time.”
“I’m not super cool. Honestly, I’m pretty awkward most of the time,” he said. She stared at him in disbelief. “Pretty awkward” was not the term she’d have used to describe him. Earnest, thoughtful, generous, unreasonably attractive. But not awkward. “So I’m just going to say it. I want to kiss you right now. For a start.”
“Then please do,” she said. With a smile, he grabbed her waist and pulled her close. His mouth was insistent, demanding as he kissed her. His hands rested at her waist, but she felt the tiny movement upward, like he was eager for more but afraid to ask. She grasped his wrist and moved his hand up to her stomach, breaking away from the kiss long enough to say, “You can touch me.”
He accepted the invitation by cupping her breast, kneading the soft flesh gently. His other hand squeezed her bottom, pulling her in tight as his tongue explored her mouth. With a quiet sound of pleasure, she twined her arms under his to begin unbuttoning his shirt. Once the pesky cloth was out of the way, she ran her fingernails lightly over his skin, relishing his soft gasp. He was warm and unyielding, like sunbaked stone.
Even as warm pleasure began to suffuse her body, like liquor spreading from her belly, her mind began to question. Was this too much, too soon? She didn’t have time to consider her answer as he broke away. “Will you come upstairs with me?”
“Mmhmm,” she murmured. He grabbed her hand, leading her up the narrow stairs. A small loft with a couch was at the top of the stairs, with three doors. One was open on to a small office, while another revealed a small guest bathroom. The third led to a master bedroom, with a huge bed covered in a dark gray comforter. Like the rest of the house, it was neat as a pin. Subtle lines marked the path of a vacuum. She suppressed a smile at the thought of him cleaning house for her approval.
Several large pillar candles stood on the nightstands. He sat on the edge of his bed, leaning back on his hands. His open shirt revealed the golden skin and carved musculature she’d seen before. Somehow, seeing him this way was more nerve-wracking than when he was naked and freshly transformed from his dragon form.
Nerves stitched through her. She was really doing this.
As if he sensed her fear, he tilted his head. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just…” She sighed, folding her arms over her chest. “Is this too much, too fast?”
“I don’t want you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with. Including me,” he said with a chuckle.
“It’s not that I don’t want to. I really do,” she said, fiddling with the tie on her dress. “But I feel like I’m not supposed
to want to. This isn’t like anything I’ve experienced before.”
“It's not my decision. You tell me what you want to do,” he said. “If you’re worried I’m going to judge you, then let that go. I won’t. Honestly, I’ll be thrilled if you climb into this bed naked with me.”
A nervous laugh escaped her, releasing some of the tension.
He smiled. “But if you decide you aren’t ready, we can do whatever you want, even if that means watching Netflix and falling asleep at ten o’clock like old people. Dragons live a long time, remember? I’m patient.”
Guard your heart, but don’t put it in a cage.
Carefully stepping out of her high heels, she curled her toes into the soft carpet to ground herself. “I want to.”
“Oh, thank God,” he blurted, extending his arms. “Come here.” She laughed again as he pulled her in, moving her hands so he could untie the dress. Her apprehension faded into desire, a forward momentum needing to end with the two of them tangled in each other. “I wasn’t lying about being okay with it either way, but I was absolutely not neutral on the matter. And I’ve been wondering since noon what was under here.”
“Why don’t you find out?” she asked.
“Hmm,” he mused, pulling at one end of the carefully tied bow and letting it fall slowly. With one finger, he began to unravel the knot, still watching her with a playful smile on his face. If he didn’t take off the damned dress soon, she was going to do it for him. She started to help him, but he lightly batted at her hand. “Do you open other people’s presents for them?”
“If they don’t open them fast enough,” she said.
He laughed. “Just for that, you can wait. Clearly, I’m more patient than you are.” Despite his words, he slipped one hand under the skirt, teasing up her inner thigh. She shivered in anticipation, rising on her toes as his warm fingers grazed the heat between her legs. “Watch this.” He glanced over his shoulder, and the candles next to the bed lit.
“Show off.”
“I was trying to be romantic,” he replied, tracing tiny circles on her inner thigh. “Are you impressed?”
“Very.” She shivered, her knees going loose at the tiny, almost ticklish touch. Just a little higher, she thought desperately. His movements were slow and deliberate as he finished untying the knot and unwrapped the dress. She didn’t move, letting him run his hands up her body to slide the dress off.
As the fabric fell to the floor, he murmured something in Kadirai. He gripped her waist and kissed her stomach, sending a shiver down her spine.
“You said something fun to take off. Do you approve?” She’d worn a lacy black thong and bra, after much deliberation. It seemed a bit cliché, but she knew she looked good, even before she heard the way his heart accelerated.
“Absolutely,” he growled against her belly. He pulled her into his lap and deftly unhooked her bra. Extricating it from her arms, he tossed it over her shoulder and onto the floor.
She gasped dramatically. “I thought you liked it.”
“I do like it,” he said. “Look how pretty it is on my floor.”
She laughed, and he pulled her down to lie against his chest as he stole her breath in a long, hungry kiss. His hands roamed her body, as if he was mapping unfamiliar territory. She lost track of time as they lay in the rising heat. The fiery spark in her chest, which she was coming to recognize was the dragon part of her, was hungry, eager for more. She wiggled her hips, grinding slowly against him. With a low, mischievous laugh, he rolled her over, pinning her on her back.
Nerves crept through her as his hand drifted from her shoulder to her breast, then down, down until he found that warm, melting place between her legs. His fingers grazed her through the thin fabric. The feather-light touch was like a live wire to her skin, sending a jolt through her.
“Is this all right?”
“Yes,” she murmured. She was already wet and warm, and he smiled against her lips as his fingers traced the delicate skin. As if he was introducing himself, he traced circles around her, teasing and grazing as she parted her legs for him.
He sighed. “You are so beautiful.”
Her cheeks flushed. “I mean, you’ve already seen me naked…twice? This isn’t new.”
“This is completely different,” he said. “I didn’t get to touch before. Not like this.”
“But you do now,” she said.
“Yes, I do.” He grinned and leaned in to kiss the hollow of her jaw. His voice was a rumble against her skin. “Do you remember when you got me off, sitting there on your couch?”
Her heart thumped. “Yes.”
“I’ve been wanting to do this ever since then. Honestly, I probably thought about it a little more than I should have,” he replied. He stole one last kiss, shifting down to kneel between her legs. Without breaking his gaze, he hooked his thumbs under her panties and pulled them off slowly. He tossed them to the floor and watched them fall a few inches from her discarded bra. “Look, a matching set. Don’t they look nice together?”
She laughed. “You’re a dork.”
“Are you complaining?”
“Hell, no,” she said.
“Good,” he said. He kissed his way up from her ankle to her thigh. Gently pushing her thighs apart, he met her eyes. “Can I?”
“Please,” she breathed. “You can…oh!”
His mouth covered her sex, lips and tongue working in an insistent, hungry rhythm. He was slow and gentle at first, as if he was savoring a fine meal. Tasting here and there, he circled from her warm center, to her thighs, then back to the main course. A trembling sensation rippled through her. As she lay back, she breathed deep, inhaling the clean laundry scent of the covers and the wood-smoke scent of his dragon. Something heavy and spicy filled the air, and she instinctively knew it was desire, his and hers. The burning, wild creature inside her was awake, purring with pleasure.
His pace quickened. His tongue was deft and strong, darting into her, then caressing her in turns. Clasping his hands over her stomach, he pinned her in place, where there was no escape from the maddening dance of his tongue. He made small, hungry sounds as he lapped and teased, driving her into a breathless frenzy. The sharp details and sensations faded into a pleasant blur of fire and feeling.
Fire blazed in her body, with a molten core between her legs. She gasped as something sparked through the white noise, like a match to tinder. Then she was falling, her entire body pulling tight into that warm place where his mouth claimed her. She let out a wordless cry, back arching off the covers, as she grabbed his shoulders. His gaze drifted up to meet hers, and even with his lips still on her, she could see the smile of satisfaction in his green eyes.
As her senses came back, she grasped at his cheeks. “Come here,” she murmured. “Why the hell do you still have on pants?” He laughed as she fumbled to unbuckle his pants and slide the snug boxer briefs down, releasing an impressive erection. She traced the lines of his powerful thighs, marveling at his beautiful body. “What do you want now?”
Planting his hands on his hips, he glanced down. “Uh, I think it’s pretty obvious what I want.”
She laughed. Why had she been so nervous? There was something so genuine and earnest about him. He felt safe. “Then come and get it.”
“See? So impatient,” he said playfully. He reached into the nightstand drawer and ripped open a condom. “It’s hard for you to get pregnant, but not impossible.”
“Much appreciated,” she said, as he slid it over his length.
His eyes glinted with light as he climbed into bed with her. Settling back against a nest of pillows, he crooked his finger. “Come over here.” Despite his playful banter, he was confident and commanding. She liked it.
Shivering with anticipation, she straddled him, letting him guide himself in gently. She gasped in surprise. “Oh, wow,” she murmured. “Sorry, it’s kind of been a while, and you’re…”
He chuckled. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said, gently caressing
her shoulders. “Take your time.”
She slowly sank onto him, sighing as his thickness filled her. He pulled her legs around him, so she was seated in his lap with her ankles locked behind him. Cupping her head, he pulled her in for a kiss.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said, breathing deep to relax around him. “You feel so good. This feels right.” She rested her forehead against his for a moment. A current crackled between them, like the electrified sensation when he’d touched her wings. It felt like she’d finally satisfied the craving that had been burning in her since the moment he awakened the dragon.
In a throaty voice, he said, “I’m all yours.”
“Yes, you are,” she murmured.
Grasping his shoulders tight, she swirled her hips against him, keeping him buried deep inside her. His eyes rolled back, the muscles in his arms twitching. Pressure enveloped her, like sinking into deep water. It was something beyond mere pleasure, a strange energy she’d never felt before.
Every fiber of him belonged to her, as his body filled hers and surrounded her all at once. He was so gentle, but intense, keeping her close. She was desperate for more, desperate to climb that peak again, and she rose higher on him, clenching tight around him as she sank back down.
“Just like that,” he groaned.
Now her fear and hesitation were gone, burned away in the flames. Shifting her legs, she pushed hard on his chest. His eyes went wide as he leaned back, but she held his gaze. “You’re all mine right now.”
“I sure am,” he said, breathing hard.
The fire in her, in him, in them, swelled higher and hotter. Bracing herself against his chest, she rode him harder. He gripped her hips, thrusting up to meet her with each stroke. It was almost too much, riding the sweet edge of pleasure and pain. His green eyes glowed, and she actually felt the clawing of the dragon inside her chest once more.