by Sophie Stern
“It’s really okay,” she said again. Allison had been wrong, too. They both had. They’d hurt each other even though they’d never intended to.
“Allison, I’ve liked you for a long time. I’ve cared about you for what feels like an eternity.”
“You have?”
“If I’m not wrong, you’ve cared about me, too.”
“I’ve cared about you ever since I started working for you,” Allison blushed. It was a little embarrassing to say it out loud. “I know that’s probably wrong, but I always figured, you know, that you wouldn’t want to cross any lines with the employee-employer relationship.”
“Are you telling me you thought I was a proper sort of dragon?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Well, I hate to be the one to tell you,” he growled, stepped closer, “but I’m not proper, Allison. I’m not a good dragon. I’m a naughty dragon, and I’ve got my heart set on you.”
Chapter 11
He kissed her.
Christopher brought his lips to hers, and he kissed her. He knew perfectly well that she was his mate, and she knew it, too. Admitting this to himself, and to her, was freeing. It was calming, and it was exciting.
Now they were alone. They’d sneaked away from the party, and they were all on their own. They could do anything that they wanted to, anything at all, and there was no rush.
Unlike their stolen kisses in his office, there was nowhere they had to be. They weren’t hiding from anyone. They weren’t scurrying to act proper or polite, and that was good because Christopher had big plans for Allison, and none of them were polite.
None of them were proper.
“Christopher,” she whispered against his mouth.
“Allison.”
“I love you,” she pulled back, looking at him. Then her face scrunched up.
“Did you just cringe?” Christopher chuckled at the sweet little human. She’d said the words and instantly shriveled her face in fear.
“No!”
“You did,” he said. “Is the idea of loving me that terrible?”
“Well?” Allison looked up at him hopefully.
“I love you, too, little human,” he told her. “I love you, too.”
He grabbed her, pulling her into his arms, and he kissed her right back. Oh, she felt so damn good in his arms. She felt like heaven to him. He ran his hands down her arms and grabbed her hands, holding them as they kissed.
“I’ve waited so long for this moment,” he said.
“You’ve kissed me before.”
“Not like this.”
Tonight, things were going somewhere. They’d shared secret kisses in his office before, yes, but this was different. Tonight, they were actually going to seal the deal. They were going to go all the way, and they were going to make it perfect. It had to be perfect because she was perfect.
Christopher reached for the straps that held her dress in place and pushed, shoving them off her shoulders. Her breasts were soft and lovely, and he reached out and rubbed his thumbs over her nipples. They tightened, hardening for him. Oh, she was delicious, wasn’t she?
“No bra?”
“Nope.”
“No panties?”
“No,” she whispered, her voice breathless. “I hope you don’t mind.”
He didn’t mind. Not at all. Neither did his dick, which was hard and ready for her. He growled, lifting her up, and he stepped forward until her back was pressed against the wall and her legs were wrapped around him.
“Don’t make me wait, Christopher,” she told him. “Not after all this time.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
He had planned to take his time teasing her, giving her all the foreplay in the world, but now that they were here, and they were ready, and she didn’t want him to wait. That was perfectly fine because he didn’t want to wait either. Christopher wanted to bury his cock deep inside of the little human. He wanted to make her fall apart with pleasure. He wanted to make her feel wild and happy and free.
His pants were off before he could say another word, and then he was inside of her. They both let out a sigh of relief and contentment as he slid deeper into her. He pushed, pulsing his cock into her tight pussy. Oh, she was so fucking tight he thought he was going to come right then. Being with Allison was like heaven. It was unlike anything he’d ever experienced before.
“Fuck, Christopher,” she whispered.
“You feel fucking perfect,” he told her.
“Please don’t stop,” she kissed him.
No, he wasn’t going to stop.
Not now.
Not today.
Not ever.
He’d make love to this damn woman every day for the rest of his life if she let him. That was what he wanted. He wanted to worship her and take care of her and love her. Oh, he wanted to love her.
As he plunged his cock into her over and over, he kissed her. He played with her hair, tugging her head back so he could access her neck. Oh, she had soft, beautiful skin, and he licked her neck, swiping his tongue across her skin. She groaned at the sensation, and that just made him more excited. Yeah, he wanted more of this. Needed this.
He needed her.
“Christopher,” she whispered.
“That’s it,” he growled. “Come for me, kitten. Come all over my cock, baby. Let me feel you.”
Apparently, Allison didn’t need to be told twice.
She closed her eyes, and her mouth formed a tiny “o” as she fell apart for him right there against the wall. It was the hottest damn thing he’d ever seen in his life, and his own orgasm followed immediately as he, too, came for her.
He held her there against the wall as the last waves of pleasure wreaked havoc on his body, and when it was over, he looked up to see her smiling at him.
“Wow,” she whispered.
“Wow,” he agreed.
Pants still around his ankles and Allison still in his arms, Christopher shuffled over to the couch. He set her down carefully, and she laughed as she landed on the soft cushions. He pulled his pants back on, buttoning them, and then he knelt in front of her.
“I meant what I said, kitten,” he told her.
“That wasn’t just your dick talking?”
“No, but my dick has plenty to say about you, cutie.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah,” he nodded.
“Like what?”
“Like you’re perfect,” he leaned forward and pressed his lips to one of her soft breasts.
“I like the sound of that,” she murmured.
“And that you’re gorgeous,” he kissed her other breast.
“Keep going.”
“And that you’re the most wonderful woman in the world,” he looked up at her, and then he pressed his lips to hers.
He kissed her eagerly, greedily, as though he needed to make up for lost time because in many ways, he did. Allison and Christopher had known each other for a long time, but it had taken him far too long to realize that yes, she was his mate. Yes, she really was the one for him. Yes...
He kissed her over and over until they were both ready for round two, and then he made love to her right on the couch. It was soft and tender and wonderful, and neither one of them wanted the night to end. It couldn’t end yet. He was having too much fun with her.
“Marry me,” he whispered to her on a whim.
“You already said I’m your mate.”
Not all dragons married their mates. It wasn’t their tradition. She was human, though. She wasn’t a dragon, and he wanted her to have all of the wonderful things a bride should have. He wanted her to have a dress and flowers and a bunch of people looking at her on their special day.
“Let’s make it official,” he murmured. “Marry me, pretty girl.”
“It would be an honor,” Allison said. Then she kissed him back, over and over, and he knew that he was the luckiest damn dragon man on the entire island.
He was the luckiest shifter in the whole wor
ld.
Chapter 12
After having sex against the wall, and then on the couch, Allison was sore and tired and thirsty as hell, so she suggested that they go back to the party, which was still in full swing when they arrived. Allison and Christopher were both tired and sweaty, and she was certain they both reeked of sex, but neither one of them cared. It was Christmas, after all, and they deserved to have fun. She tried to save her hair as much as she could, but it was pretty much unsalvageable. She didn’t particularly care.
She had him.
Apparently, she was going to be having him for a very long time since Christopher had not only admitted that they were destined to be together, but had proposed, as well. Who the hell had expected that? She certainly hadn’t. She had thought maybe they would make out again, and maybe they would even date, but marriage? She was so on board with that choice.
“Welcome back,” Yvette and James came over and waved at Christopher and Allison. Yvette smirked as she took in Allison’s disheveled appearance.
“Where did you two run off to?” James asked.
Apparently, Allison’s future brother-in-law wasn’t afraid to play dirty. Oh, it was on. Allison and her future brother were going to have some fun giving each other hell. There was no doubt in Allison’s mind that James and Yvette were going to get married. Who knew? Maybe they’d team up and have a double ceremony.
“Christopher was just...showing me something,” Allison said.
“I’ll bet he was,” James smiled.
“Was it his penis?” Yvette asked.
“Yes,” Christopher said. “So let’s stop with twenty questions. While we’re at it, I proposed to her, too.”
“And what did she say?”
“She said yes,” Christopher smiled. He reached for Allison’s hand and smiled. Oh, when he looked at her like that, it was like the entire world stopped spinning. She was so damn happy with him. She was so very, very happy.
“Congratulations,” Yvette squealed and hugged her sister.
“Congratulations?” Allison turned to see a woman standing behind Christopher. He stilled, tensing. The woman frowned, pursing her lips together, as though she was confused.
Luckily, it wasn’t Christopher’s ex-girlfriend, Monique. Allison knew perfectly well what Monique looked like. She also knew that if that lady came anywhere close to Christopher in the future, Allison would slap her and tell her to go away. She remembered how wrecked Christopher was after the breakup. There was no need for him to ever feel that way again.
No, this woman was someone else, but she was someone Christopher knew.
He turned around.
“Hello, Mother.”
“Yikes,” James said. “Yvette, let’s get out of here.”
Without waiting around for his daily dose of gossip, James quickly started walking away, dragging Yvette with him.
“But I want to find out what she says,” Yvette whined.
“Another time.”
Now, Allison stood beside Christopher and looked at the woman in front of them. Her hair was soft and long. It was dark brown with a streak of blonde, but that meant nothing because she changed it all of the time. Allison knew that because the dragon brothers had told her many times. Allison had seen pictures of Mrs. Monster before, but Raya looked different in real life.
Prettier.
Sadder.
“It’s nice to see you,” Raya smiled at her son. “It’s been too long.”
“It’s only been a few weeks,” Christopher said.
“It feels like longer,” she said. “And it seems as though I’ve missed a lot.” Raya turned her attention toward Allison. “Hello,” she held out her hand, “I’m Raya Monster, Christopher’s mother.”
“I know,” Allison said. Then she blushed, shaking her head. She reached for Raya’s hand. “I’m sorry, what I meant to say was that I know who you are because the guys talk about you all of the time.”
She’d heard stories of Raya and what a wonderful mom she’d been. She knew that Raya was brave and loyal and that she’d had to raise all three of the triplets on her own. Her husband had gone missing years before. Everyone knew he was dead, but nobody knew what had happened.
“What’s your name, dear?”
“Allison.”
“Allison, it’s lovely to meet you,” Raya said. “I’m a bit surprised we’ve never met before, but it’s wonderful to see you now.”
“That’s because every time you’ve come by the office, I’ve been locked away working on a project,” Allison said.
“Interesting,” Raya nodded. She reached for the necklace she was wearing and started touching the stone on it.
“That’s a pretty necklace,” Allison said.
“Thank you.”
Raya turned to Christopher, and she raised an eyebrow, as though she wanted to ask him what James and Yvette had said “congratulations” about, but Declan, Zoa, and Brian chose that moment to appear.
“Mom!” Zoa hurried over and wrapped her arms around Raya. The dragon mother’s expression softened as she hugged Zoa.
“Hello, dear.”
“It’s so good to see you. I didn’t know you were coming.”
“I usually don’t make it to these things,” Raya acknowledged, “but I had a feeling I needed to be here tonight. Christopher was just about to share something with us.”
“He was?” Zoa turned, along with Brian and Declan, and they all looked at Christopher.
Wow, no pressure.
Christopher didn’t seem to mind, though. If anything, he seemed to enjoy the fact that they were all together. Allison loved that about him. Christopher truly was a good man. He was a decent, hardworking dragon who cared about the people around him.
“Mom, Brian, Declan, Zoa: I’m glad you’re all here. I’ve asked Allison to marry me. She’s my mate.” Christopher gestured to Allison and smiled brightly, and Allison thought her heart might melt. He was so damn cute.
Zoa, Brian, and Declan all started laughing. Declan and Brian each handed Zoa some money.
“What’s going on?” Allison asked.
“The guys bet me that you’d get together with Christopher on New Year’s,” Zoa said. “I said it would be Christmas, though. It had to be.”
“Oh,” Allison said.
“Don’t worry,” Zoa handed her some cash. “I’ll split the money with you. It’s only fair for my new sister-in-law.” Then Zoa hugged her, pulling her in tightly. “Welcome to the family, sis. I’m so happy you’re here.”
“Congratulations,” Brian and Declan each gave Allison a hug. Then they hugged Christopher.
When everyone was done smiling and laughing and feeling good about the moment, Allison realized that Raya had been a little quiet. Allison looked at the woman. Raya wasn’t smiling or laughing. Instead, there were tears pooling in her eyes.
Well, shit.
Starting off a marriage to a dragon was going to be hard enough without making his mom cry. She had to do something, but what? What could Allison possibly do?
“Raya, I-”
But before Allison could finish her sentence, Raya stepped forward and reached for her. Then she pulled her into a tight hug. Raya squeezed Allison to herself.
“Welcome to the family,” she said. “I am so happy that my sweet Christopher has found his mate. You both deserve all of the happiness in the world.”
Raya reached for Christopher, bringing him into the hug, and they all stood there for a few minutes. Then Raya pulled back and looked at her. She grinned.
“You’re a sweetheart,” Raya said. “I always thought Christopher might fall for the tech girl at work. Even though we’ve never met, Allison, I feel like I know you. He talks about you all of the time.”
“Really?” Allison looked slyly at Christopher. “Only good things, I hope.”
“Only good things,” Raya repeated.
Everyone started talking at once, making plans and promises for the future. Everyone had an op
inion about the upcoming wedding and where it should be and how it should be, and Allison reached for Christopher and squeezed his hand.
She really was the luckiest damn girl in the world. She’d managed to find love when she least expected it, and she’d gotten the most wonderful possible person for a mate. She and Christopher were about to embark on an incredible journey, and she couldn’t wait to get started.
Epilogue
Allison looked over at the man she loved.
Her mate.
Oh, he was incredible.
For a very long time, Christopher and Allison had worked together, and she’d never known that he felt the same way about her. Then again, maybe getting to know each other in a non-romantic way was the thing that made their relationship so fantastic. Forever, she’d made googly eyes at him, and finally, they’d managed to find their way to each other.
Now, they had a bright, wonderful future ahead of them. She was going to move in with him as soon as possible, but tonight, he was going to meet her parents. Somehow, despite working together for what felt like an eternity, he’d never met Luna or Steven, and Christopher had easily been persuaded to come over for one of Mom’s famous dinners.
When they arrived at the house, Mom and Steven were sitting on the porch in the swing. They were cuddled up together. They stood up and came over, obviously excited that Allison was bringing someone home for the very first time. She’d never brought anyone home to meet her parents.
There had never been anyone worth bringing home.
“Why, hello,” Mom said. She reached for Christopher and grabbed him, pulling him into a tight hug. Allison chuckled at Christopher’s initial discomfort. He quickly calmed down, though, and hugged her back. Then he stepped back and turned to Steven.
“Nice to meet you,” Steven said.
“And you.”
Just then, Allison’s three little dragon brothers came barreling out of the house followed by Yvette, who couldn’t seem to stop laughing.
“I’m sorry,” she said, shaking her head.
“It’s okay,” Allison said.
“I tried to keep them inside, but, well, look at them,” Yvette gestured to the kids. They had surrounded Christopher and were glaring up at him.