by Ava Benton
“This is all so much to take in at once.”
“They saved my life when I was around your age,” she explained. “I was in a car accident not far from where they live, and they saved me before the car went over the edge of a cliff. Normal men couldn’t do what they’d done--holding the car in place, that sort of thing—and they confessed. I had a choice to make at that point. I could live with them for the rest of my life, keeping their secret, or I could move on with a promise to do everything I could to help people like them. I’d already come into the money your grandfather left, and I had already taken over the security business. When I told them my business and explained how I could restructure it to suit if not their needs, the needs of other shifters or outliers, they agreed to let me go.”
“Unbelievable. Just… all of it.”
“I’m sorry to shock you.”
“It’s not your fault—or his. Nobody’s. I’ll get over it.”
She opened her arms, and I fell into them with my head on her shoulder. “My sweet girl,” she murmured, her lips against the top of my head. “I do love you. I’m sorry that I ever pushed you away, but please know that I never wanted it this way.”
“I understand now.” I closed my eyes and let myself relax against her, the way I had wanted to do so many times, as she stroked my hair.
It was enough for the time being.
18
Gate
It was a relief, knowing that Mother and the rest of the clan were resting comfortably for the first time in months. They would need time before they returned to full strength, at which point Mary would see to arranging their travel.
What left me pacing endlessly across the length of the room I’d been assigned was the question of Martina.
Everything was about her, now that I knew those I cared for were safe. What did she think of me? Would she ever agree to our having a future together?
The dragon didn’t see things the way I did, to put it mildly. He was ready to move forward with her. I agreed, but knew it wasn’t that simple. Not always. She’d wanted me back on the boat, before she knew my true nature.
Remember what she did. For once, my dragon spoke sense. I did remember. How could I ever forget the sight of my warrior woman coming to the rescue? She already knew who we were when she did it. She said so.
When she knocked, I flung the door open and pulled her into the room.
“Whoa, hold on!” she laughed, though she didn’t pull away. “I didn’t expect such a warm welcome.”
“You deserve it,” I murmured, filling myself with the scent of her skin and hair. “I’m sorry. I can’t control myself right now.”
“Your blood is still running hot after all that fighting,” she murmured, her voice a little shaky.
Shaky ith what, I didn’t know for certain. Apprehension? Desire?
I shook my head, putting a little space between us so I could think clearer. “What did you and your mother discuss?”
“All sorts of things.” We sat at the foot of the bed, holding hands. “We cleared up a lot of old hurts and misunderstandings.”
“And you feel better now?”
“Much,” she beamed. “I only wish we had done it sooner.”
“Perhaps it was meant to be this way. If you hadn’t wanted so badly to prove yourself, you wouldn’t have stowed away on the boat. And we never would’ve met.”
“And that would’ve been a terrible loss, wouldn’t it?” She touched her forehead to mine, eyes closed.
“Do you still feel as you said you did, back in the compound?”
“Do you think I was delirious at the time?” she whispered with a soft giggle.
“I’m serious.”
She sat up, no trace of a smile on her face. “All right. So am I. I knew who you were when I went in there, Gate. Nothing can change the way I feel about you. I’ve never been so sure of anything, even though it makes no sense. We make no sense. Do we?”
“Not in terms of what the rest of the world thinks makes sense, no,” I admitted, indulging myself in the softness of her lustrous hair.
She let out a happy little sigh, her body relaxing under my touch.
“But then again,” she murmured, “the world doesn’t know half of what it thinks it does. It wouldn’t believe you exist, for one.”
“True.” I stroked her cheek, and she turned her face to my palm to brush her lips against it.
“I do love you, Gate. I meant that. I love you so much, I would’ve shot every single man in that compound if I had to. Just to be sure you were free. Even if you didn’t want me afterward. And I didn’t know if you would, by the way. It didn’t matter. Funny how a situation like that makes everything so clear. I didn’t have to think twice. I just knew.”
“So did I.” I caught her chin on the tips of my fingers and drew her mouth to mine, covering it, plunging into her with my tongue the way I wanted to plunge into her wet heat.
And I would. It was meant to be.
She wound her arms around my neck as I lowered her to the bed.
We undressed each other slowly, peeling back the layers of clothing until nothing stood between us and I could delight in all of her beauty.
I could take my time, alone as we were. Not on some boat deck, out in the open. It was finally right, the way it was meant to be. I allowed my hands to take in every curve, every plane, every inch of her.
The fullness of her breasts, warm and heavy as I caressed them until her nipples hardened into tight points. I licked them, delighting in the taste of her, letting my senses run away with me as she seemed to blossom under my touch.
The scent of her arousal was a drug, pushing me on and on, driving me to pleasure her in every way I could imagine.
“So sweet,” I rasped before dragging my tongue down the length of her stomach.
The muscles under her taut skin jumped and danced as I swept over them, while I parted her thighs and stroked the sensitive skin inside.
“Oh, God,” she gasped, head twisting to and fro, hands running over my neck and shoulders. “Oh, don’t stop, please.”
I had no intention of stopping, not until she screamed and shook and all but passed out from exhaustion.
My tongue replaced my hands, gliding over the silky skin at the very tops of her thighs before moving lower, teasing at the very edge of her slick lips. The taste of her arousal sent me to new heights, making my cock strain and beg for release, making the dragon rise to the forefront of my consciousness and take over.
My tongue sank into her folds and she arched sharply, crying out in approval, her hips moving in delicious circles as she took the pleasure I so willingly gave.
I found myself grunting, panting like the animal I was as my rational thought gave way to instinct.
I gripped her hips with both hands, holding them still, forcing her to submit to my swirling tongue. She convulsed, bucked and screamed, nearly sobbing as she begged for more, more.
She would never forget this, not ever, and her body would always want to return to this state of pure bliss that only I could bring her to. Her thighs tightened, then shook as she came down from that first all-consuming climax.
When she came to, opening her eyes just enough to see me, I was kissing her feet, her ankles, the insides of her knees. Watching her pleasure deepen again as I caressed her with hands and tongue, watching as her body reacted. Her hands slid over the sheets, balling up into fists as her hips flexed upward, demanding more, more.
I teased her endlessly, delighting in every moment. She was mine. She always would be. I would always take such pleasure from her pleasure. I had never felt so complete.
Our bodies touched when I lowered myself, stretching out on top of her. She clung to me with legs and arms, enfolding me, drawing me closer. Still greedy, desperate for me, urging me onward. I looked down into her beautiful eyes as she looked up into mine.
“I love you,” I whispered. “Now. Always. Until the end of my days.”
“
I love you.” A tear rolled down her cheek, but she smiled. I kissed it away.
“Mine,” I groaned as the head of my cock slid through her slickness.
It was a command, not a request. A fact. She was mine and always would be.
And she nodded, understanding without being told. “Yours. Forever.”
I closed my eyes, triumphant, as I pushed forward and into her.
She grunted softly, tensing, and I waited until she relaxed before moving inch by inch through her tight sheath. It was bliss like I couldn’t have imagined, an oblivion I wanted to sink into and never return from.
My willpower broke I took what it needed, pistoning in and out of her in a series of deep, strong thrusts. Even in my haze of arousal and sheer animal need, her reaction surprised me.
She moved in time, meeting each thrust with a deep grunt and a thrust of her own, our bodies crashing together every time I hit home. On and on it went, both of us covered in a sheen of sweat, sliding against each other, kissing everything we could reach as we united body and soul.
The dragon was pleased, pushing me onward, making my body work for the two of us. No, the three of us, as Martina’s incoherent cries grew louder with the approach of another climax. I rode her harder, pushing her into the bed, commanding her pleasure as I commanded my own.
Her fingers turned into claws, dragging along my skin, making me hiss as pleasure and pain mingled. She tightened around me, her body clenching all at once. I lowered my head to her shoulder, biting down on her supple flesh just as the orgasm consumed her. Marking her forever. She held my head in place, encouraging me, giving herself over one more time.
I roared as I finished, throwing my head back, emptying myself into her.
The dragon was pleased, quieting in my head, backing off so my human mind could take control again. I looked down at her glowing, smiling face and smiled back with the knowledge that nothing would ever take her away from me.
Not ever.
Not as long as I drew breath.
Epilogue
Martina
“You know what this means, then?”
The two of them looked at me, wearing an almost identical expression.
Stern, serious, maybe a little anxious.
“I understand,” I repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. “You can’t live away from the mountain, and I wouldn’t be able to leave except in certain cases. The way you’re away from it now, for instance.”
“Here’s hoping nothing like this ever happens again,” Miles pointed out.
“Amen to that,” Gate replied, reaching for my hand across the table at which the three of us sat.
“I get it,” I said, squeezing his fingers. “I really do. And I’m all in. Something tells me Mom would appreciate it, too. At least she’d know I’m safe.”
“You would be giving up the rest of the world,” he pointed out, searching my face with strained eyes.
“Like the rest of the world means anything compared to you.”
Miles snorted. “Ugh. It’s getting a little too sticky sweet in here.”
“You’re welcome to go,” Gate elbowed him.
It made me wonder how he would feel, living among the rest of us. All five of his family members mated, while he was alone. We hadn’t started out on the right foot—a monumental understatement—but I did want him to be happy. He deserved it.
An idea occurred to me then. “Do you need to go home right away?” I asked. “What about hanging around here for a little while? If not at the resort, some other resort on the other side of the island? But if we stay here, you could spend more time with the rest of the clan before heading back, I could visit with Mom a little while longer. And you could fit a little relaxation in while you’re at it. After all, as Miles pointed out, there’s a chance of nothing like this ever happening again. What excuse will you ever have after this to take a vacation?”
They exchanged a long, silent look full of meaning. Gate raised an eyebrow.
Miles shrugged.
“All right. We’ll check in with the others and see what they say,” he replied. He couldn’t hide his smile, though, no matter how hard he tried.
“I’m sure they’ll be okay with it—maybe a little jealous,” Gate conceded. “But another week or so wouldn’t be too much. It would mean a lot to see the rest of the clan, catch up with them. And we could spend a little time together before going back,” he added, grinning at me.
“Oh, terrific,” Miles smiled. “I can’t wait to spend the next week with you honeymooners.”
Honeymooners.
I liked the sound of that.
Keep reading for an excerpt of the next Dragon Heartbeats story!
Excerpt
Miles has watched all the dragons in his Appalachian clan find their mates. Now he’s flying solo.
Will a week off in the Caribbean lead him to his fated mate?
Savannah’s got a death wish and a secret. Why did this dark brooding man have to save her? She didn’t ask to be saved.
Chapter 1
Miles
If I had to observe my cousin Gate and his mate much longer, I’d lose it.
Not that I was jealous. Far from it. Jealousy was never one of my weaknesses. I was glad that he’d found his mate after waiting for so long.
A thousand years could leave a man with a strong craving. It was just as much of a victory for him to find his fated mate as it was for any of the rest of my family back in the cave.
I merely wished they weren’t so damned lovey-dovey about it. Was that too much to ask? No matter where I went, no matter how secluded the nook into which I retreated with a book or simply with the objective of having a little time to myself, there they were. Staring lovingly into each other’s eyes, arms wrapped around each other, exchanging murmured terms of endearment in between sloppy kisses.
More than once did I fight back the inclination to order them to the room they shared. Why couldn’t they have their little honeymoon period there? In privacy? None of the others had behaved this way. I thought that might have been what got under my skin the most.
It didn’t matter that I was the last of the group to be left alone, no matter what Alan or Dallas or any of the others supposed. More than once, I reminded them that we hadn’t been familiar with each other in a millennium. Enough time for an entire ocean of water to pass under the bridge. I’d grown up a lot since those days back in Scotland.
“Unlikely,” Alan laughed the first time I asserted this. “You’re the youngest, and you’ll always be the youngest. No matter how much time has passed.”
“I’ve more than proven myself worthy,” I reminded him as we rode through the jungle in the truck Mary had lent us for the day.
I had needed to get away from the resort for a while—it was paradise, no doubt, but also the place where my entire clan was holed up. No matter how fond I was of them, no matter how much of a relief it was that they were safe again, there was only so much I could take of the incessant chatter and laughter and always the chance of running into the new lovers.
“I’m sure you’re a good man in a fight,” Dallas agreed. Still, always the one to make peace. He hadn’t changed a bit, any more than his cousin Alan. Their fathers were twin brothers, reflected in the dark red hair and green eyes they shared. Ainsley, Alan’s twin sister, was nearly his mirror image.
“Thank you,” I replied, slightly mollified.
“But you’re still the youngest,” he chuckled, then ducked to avoid the slap I tried delivering to the side of his head as Alan laughed.
“Relax,” he urged me. “You’re supposed to be enjoying yourself out here, are you not? Or would you rather have gone back to Appalachia?”
“You say it like that’s a bad thing. I happen to like it there. Not that I have much of a choice,” I added. “But it’s a beautiful place.”
And I had carved a deep enough niche for myself there that I could retreat and have my alone time with a reasonable amount
of confidence that there wouldn’t be any interruptions. Even with the size of our group growing ever larger, my daily routine hadn’t been too drastically disturbed.
“You’re a creature of habit,” Dallas observed.
“I am that—and aren’t you? A person doesn’t live as long as we have without developing certain habits. I’m fairly set in my ways, thanks very much.”
“Better hope you never meet your mate, then,” Alan ribbed. “Your life will never be the same after that.”
“As if you’d know,” his cousin laughed.
I tuned out while the two of them had a good-natured argument. I’d yearned to do a little exploring and stretch my legs, and all we’d done so far was talk about things I’d rather not discuss. Such as my personal life in general.
“Let’s stop here,” I suggested, pointing to a stretch of sand a little way up the road.
It was just visible through an opening in the palm trees and looked warm, inviting, and blissfully empty. I was out of the truck almost before it stopped, and stripping down to my boxers by the time the guys joined me at the water’s edge.
“A bit eager for a swim,” Alan grinned.
“Something like that.” The fact was, I couldn’t have explained why I was so eager to get out at that very spot, at that very moment.
It was more than a matter of getting away from the conversation—I could handle joking and ball busting. I’d been doing it for centuries. What else was there for us to do, especially prior to the advent of the technology which had taken the place of endlessly long conversations and the hours of boredom we’d once lived through?
I needed to be here, on this beach, at this exact moment. My dragon told me so, and he was never wrong.
There were times when I was certain that his voice, always present in my mind, was the only true thing I could count on. My instincts were never off, and I knew better than to ignore them. They were telling me to be there. Where else would I be?