by Vella Day
He refused to be disappointed that she didn’t say having him there made Tarradon perfect. “I can relate. I was frustrated too when I visited Earth because I couldn’t shift. We’re lucky everyone is aware of shifters on Tarradon.”
She smiled, and Declan nearly dropped his glass. Fuck. Her eyes were swirling with flecks of amber, and yes, she had placed her hands on her lap too, implying she was working to control her feelings. His emotions had been frozen inside him for so long, he’d forgotten how to deal with them.
“Let me ask you,” Chelsea said. “What do you see as the biggest difference between Earth and Tarradon?”
“You ask hard questions.”
Chelsea glanced to the side. “Sorry.”
Now you’ve done it, his dragon said. Touch her hand and apologize.
Without thinking, he reached out, and when he pressed his fingers against hers, a bolt of lust raced up his arm and pierced his heart. Declan let go and tried not to look affected, but the glowing red scales couldn’t be hidden. Thankfully, Chelsea didn’t ask him about them.
“I like hard questions. It makes me think. What is the biggest difference—besides people on Earth not knowing dragons exist?” Think, think.
“Yes.”
“Probably Earth’s view of the universe. Too many think they are alone, when clearly they are not. Most people on Earth don’t believe in magic either.” He was pleased he’d steered the conversation to safer ground. She nodded, but when she licked her lips, his claws started to extend. As quickly as he could, he thought of the fires the farmers were dealing with, and his talons retracted. Damn, this was hard to be so close to her and not touch her. Chelsea’s scent alone was driving him crazy.
“Interesting perspective,” she said. “While it is true that we on Earth are in denial about a lot of things, it makes us who we are: hopeful though shortsighted. We’re also dreamers. When you don’t know what’s out there, you can make up anything you want!”
He laughed. “I like you, Chelsea McKinnon.”
She blushed, and her eyes turned a full-blown amber color, which turned him on even more. “I like you too,” she said.
Damn, he shouldn’t have said that, but he had meant it. Thankfully, the food arrived, which gave him something to focus on instead of her. He dug in, trying to think of what else to ask her that would sound like something his father might want to know. His dad was good at making people feel comfortable.
“Have you decided how long you’re going to stay? Or does it depend on what happens with the shelter?” he asked, hoping it was a safe topic.
She stuffed a piece of chicken in her mouth, chewed, and then washed it down with some wine, possibly to stall. “I’m not sure. I suppose if Finn and Kaleena go back to Earth at some point, I’ll go with them if only to check out my employment opportunities there. That’s assuming Stick’s shelter folds.”
He tried to understand her motivation. “Staying here depends on money then?”
Her brows furrowed. Damn him and his big mouth. He hadn’t meant it to sound like a criticism. If he were honest though, part of him had been hoping her real reason for staying had something to do with wanting to be around him.
No! No! What was he thinking? He didn’t want that. It would only make things harder if she threw herself at him.
“Money is my biggest concern. I can’t rely on Finn and Kaleena to take care of me. If this job goes south, I’ll have to come up with something.”
“I’m sure there are a lot of opportunities here on Tarradon for you.” Especially if a Sinclair put in a good word for you. From what he knew of Chelsea though, if she found out her employment was based on a favor, she’d be pissed. Damn. Declan decided he’d be better off keeping his mouth shut. Besides, if Chelsea returned to Earth, he wouldn’t be tormented any longer.
The rest of the dinner involved them finishing their food. There were so many things he wanted to ask her about—like her beliefs on injustice and her thoughts on fighting to name a few—but he didn’t want to make her skittish or excite his dragon even more if her passionate response resonated with his beliefs.
His back-and-forth attitude was driving him crazy. He needed to decide if he wanted her to stay or leave. Chelsea looked up at him and smiled. Damn it. She might not be his mate, but nothing prevented him from hooking up with her, as long as they both understood what they were getting themselves into.
Bottom line, Chelsea deserved a mate. He did worry that in the throes of passion, he might bite her. It was possible that would hurt her a lot since she wasn’t his mate. It wasn’t like she’d change into a dragon if he did.
“Declan?” she asked.
When he returned his focus to her, she nodded to their server who was holding the check. Damn. He grabbed the bill. “Hold on a sec.”
He lifted his phone from his pocket, clicked on the app to add a generous tip, and then pressed it against the machine in the man’s hand to transfer the money between his account and the restaurant’s.
“Thank you, sir. Ma’am. Have a nice evening.”
Declan turned to Chelsea. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
Declan helped Chelsea out of the booth, but touching her reignited his simmering passion. As they headed to the exit, his mind spun. All evening, his lust had been building, and if he didn’t do something about it soon, his dragon might revolt. Declan certainly didn’t need to have his claws fully extend, his scales glow, or his teeth sharpen when he walked her to her door.
He had no doubt she was just as interested in a little fling as he was, but she was Finn’s twin sister. If Declan broke her heart, Kaleena and Finn would never forgive him.
As they walked to his sister’s condo, his noble nature crumbled. He and Chelsea were both consenting adults. What harm could come of a sexual relationship as long as both parties understood that it was an itch-scratching thing and not a permanent situation?
I want her forever, his dragon moaned.
We were given our one chance.
Once Declan figured out that he might be able to rid Chelsea from his mind and heart if they spent some time between the sheets, his thinking cleared. This quick hot affair could not take place at his sister’s condo though, and he wasn’t going to wait until she moved into the family’s cabin. He needed her tonight.
“It’s kind of early. How would you like to go someplace where you can see all of the city lights?”
The intake of breath told him all he needed to know. Chelsea didn’t want this date to end either.
“Are we driving or flying?” She sounded excited when she said the last word.
He had intended to drive, but if they flew, he could take her to a more secluded spot. “Flying works for me. We’ll head back to my sister’s condo and take off from there.”
She clapped and his insides melted. Chelsea’s innocence and enthusiasm really spoke to him. “Is your truck parked there?”
“Yes.”
“Can I leave my purse inside? I don’t want to drop it when we fly. I’d leave it at the condo, but I’d rather not get the second degree from your sister.”
“I totally agree. Don’t worry. It will be safe since I’ll lock it up in back.”
Once at Kaleena’s condo, she stashed her purse. They then took the elevator to the top floor, where they climbed to the rooftop. “Face up or face down,” he asked.
She chuckled. “Face down, please. I want to see everything.”
He loved her adventurous spirit. “Okay then.”
Declan stepped back and shifted.
“Wow,” she said as she reached out a hand and touched his wing, her finger lingering over one of his red scales interspersed with the black. “You’re beautiful.”
If he’d been able to speak, he’d have told her men weren’t supposed to be beautiful. A better description might have been powerful or magnificent.
With care, he lifted her in his claw and tucked her against his chest. The moment her body was snuggled against
him, his dragon shot out a five-foot stream of fire. Watch it, fire breath, he chastised.
Chelsea looked over her shoulder. “That was awesome.”
At least she hadn’t freaked. He just didn’t want her to think he was showing off—his dragon had been.
Declan flapped his wings and soared upward. The night sky, fresh air, and the fact he had Chelsea in his arms—or rather his claws—bolstered his spirits. The longer they flew, the more excited he became over the potential outcome of tonight’s adventure. He debated flying her to his dad’s cabin and enjoying some wine, surrounded by the forest. While he had a spare key, he decided he wanted something more romantic.
I like romance, his dragon said with glee.
I just want Chelsea to have a good time. Nothing more.
His inner animal didn’t seem to understand, but Declan didn’t want to outline his real plan for fear his animal would go crazy.
Hmm. Where was the most romantic spot in Tarradon? There were caves in the middle of the realm where the provinces met, but at night they’d be too dark, even for their shifter sight, not to mention uncomfortably damp.
Wait a minute. He had just the place. Declan changed direction and headed to the hills where the top of the mountain was covered in yellow meadow flowers this time of year. Without the light pollution of the city, the stars would be amazing too. Where he had in mind, a small spring bubbled out of the side of a rock face that cascaded down the mountainside. While they would be too high to see where the falls pooled, they’d be able to hear it.
Ten minutes later, he set her down on the mountain crest and then shifted back. Chelsea opened her arms and spun around. “This is incredible.”
“I agree.” He moved closer. “Just listen,” he whispered, as he stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders.
She didn’t move, no doubt her shifter hearing peaking. “I hear water.”
“Yes.” He stepped to her side and held out his hand. “I’ll show you where.”
Feeling like he was twenty years old again, he held her hand as they traipsed over the field toward the pure water source. Once at the rock face, Declan dropped down on one knee. “Take a drink,” Declan said.
Chelsea knelt beside him and scooped up the water. They each drank their fill.
“I’ve never tasted anything so pure,” she said.
Her enthusiasm was infectious. “Not only is the water the purest up here, we can see the stars as well.”
Declan stretched out on his back, supporting his head with his hands, and crossed his feet at the ankles. The ground was softly tufted with grass and flowers, so he didn’t feel guilty when Chelsea lay next to him. He refused to think how easy it would be to roll over, gather her in his arms, and make love to her. For the moment, he was content to show her his world.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before.” Awe filled her voice.
He chuckled. “I hope not. I realize Tarradon is a parallel universe, but our star alignment is different from yours.”
“No Orion’s Belt? Or North Star?”
“Actually, we can see them at certain times of the year. Look over here.” Declan lifted his arm. “There’s the North Star.”
“Oh, I see it now. We’re not so different after all.”
“No. Not so different at all.” People wanted to connect with others no matter where they were in the universe.
She rolled onto her side and propped up her head, balancing on her elbow. “The view here is breathtaking.”
He looked over at her. Chelsea wasn’t looking at any celestial bodies. Hmm. “If I flew you farther from the city, it would be even more spectacular.”
Declan twisted toward her, their lips inches from each other. It took all of his control not to kiss her, though from the way she was looking at him, it was what she wanted him to do.
Could he just kiss her and then stop?
Do it! Do it! his dragon urged.
“What I’m seeing right now is spectacular enough,” she said as blue sparks shot off her arms.
“Chelsea?”
“Yes?”
He tried to catch another blue spark that darted off her, but it turned out to be light. Declan chuckled. “Are you trying to tell me something?” If it had been brighter, he bet he would have seen her blush.
She lifted one shoulder. “That blue stuff? It’s new to me too, but it just means I find you…interesting, that’s all.”
He laughed. “Just interesting?”
Chelsea reached out and ran her hand down his arm. “Perhaps a little bit more. What about you? You’re glowing. Am I interesting too?”
“You are.”
She leaned in closer, and her scent ramped up his desires past the point where he could stop.
“What are we going to do about it?” she asked, her voice breathy.
Declan cupped her face, and a blast of heat and lust electrified him. His chest began to scale over, and his talons poked out the end of his fingers. Stop it!
He tossed her a fake frown. “I’m not sure.”
“Really? Is there anything I can do to help you figure it out?”
“Maybe.” Before she asked what that was, Declan leaned over and kissed her.
Big, big, big mistake. Or was it? Not only did his body make the grass glow red, his talons fully poked out of his fingertips, forcing him to release her face. His teeth had sharpened but so had hers. Damn, it was hard to kiss someone who turned him on like this. Desperate to calm down, he forced the image of Bess into his head, but the picture refused to form. It was almost as if she had been a figment of his imagination.
Chelsea groaned, and then pressed on his shoulder to roll him onto his back once more. Declan couldn’t have stopped her even if he’d wanted to. A second later, she crawled on top of him, drew in her knees, and straddled him. His mind blanked.
She leaned back and supported herself with her hands on his thighs. Looking up at the sky, she sighed. “This is just an amazing view.”
“It’s about to get a whole lot better now too.” Declan couldn’t take her teasing ways any longer and slipped his hands under her shirt. When she didn’t flinch or try to stop him, he continued until he’d palmed her breasts—breasts that were small yet deliciously firm. “Wouldn’t you be more comfortable without all these clothes on?”
That sounded cheesy even to him, but Declan hadn’t tried to pick up a woman since his mate had died. An ache of guilt shot through him, until her dying words came back to him. Bess had unconditionally loved him, but she’d made him promise to find happiness if she wasn’t around any longer.
Bess would be happy for him.
Chelsea sat up, returning him to the present. “Will you help me?”
He grinned. “Don’t mind if I do.” She leaned forward, and Declan obliged by lifting the shirt over her head. The sliver of moonlight illuminated her pink bra—or else it was his glowing scales that were providing the light.
He ran a thumb over both nipples, which he could feel had started to harden, jumpstarting his libido something fierce. How could a union that wasn’t sanctioned by the Fates feel so right?
In a less than a smooth move, he pinched the back of her bra to unhook it. Being out of practice, it wasn’t until the third attempt that it popped open. As seductively as he could, he lowered the straps, exposing the most perfect breasts he’d ever seen. “You are so beautiful.”
“So are you.”
This shouldn’t be about him but rather about what kind of connection they could achieve. Letting his dragon rule for once, he pulled her close and kissed her hard. When she ran her tongue along the seam of his lips, Declan’s body pulsed with intense desire. Thankfully, his claws remained retracted. Both he and his dragon wanted to touch her more, so he slid his hands down her naked back and clasped her waist. The urge to mount her was strong, but he wanted Chelsea to dictate the speed. The last thing he wanted was to mislead her.
She continued to taste him as she lifted his shirt fro
m his jeans. The second her hands touched his chest though, the scales on his back hardened. Not now, you idiot, he said, chastising his dragon.
Sorry.
A second later, Declan was all human—that is except for his glowing scales under his skin. Chelsea sat up and lifted his shirt. “Where is there light when a girl needs some?”
Declan laughed and lifted his arm, providing her with more illumination. “Does this help?”
“I think you need to take off the shirt so I can get a better view.” She leaned back to allow him to sit up enough to remove it. Once he did, he tossed it next to him.
“That’s better,” she said.
“Better would be if you were totally naked.” He reached up and tapped her nose.
“Ooh. That’s easy enough.” She slid off him and rolled onto her back. After kicking off her shoes, Chelsea lifted up her skirt and slipped off her panties.
Declan’s dragon roared. Before she had the chance to climb back on, he was on his knees. “Let me taste you first.”
He didn’t even wait for her to answer before he was on his stomach between her thighs. One hand twirled her distended nipple between his fingertips while he opened her folds with his other. He inhaled deeply, her scent making him dizzy with desire. No surprise, the first lick nearly electrified him. Never had he experienced anything as exciting—or as forbidden. Not wanting this moment to end, he fondled the other breast while he licked and flicked her tiny pearl.
“Oh, Declan. Yes!”
Chelsea clamped a hand on his head and held on tight. With her feet planted on the ground, she lifted her hips, and her short skirt lightly brushed his face.
Needing to take her higher, when he slipped two fingers into her opening, blue sparks shot off every part of her body. Her nails, which were digging into the back of his head, had sharpened to the point of being painful.
When she opened her mouth and gulped in air, her inner walls tensed. Chelsea moaned and groaned, wiggling right and left. She sucked in a large breath, and then a loud yell burst from her lips as her climax claimed her.
Like a popped balloon, her hands dropped to the ground and her body sagged. “Oh, my goddess, Declan. That was pure heaven.”