His Takeover: An Enemies to Lovers Romance

by Piper Sullivan

  Her gaze finally worked its way from his glorious body to his glowing blue eyes. She inhaled sharply when she realized the heated teal was the exact color of his scales. Oh the Elder woman was right, he was simply magnificent in his dragon form, but in seeing him now, half-naked with his dragon shimmering beneath the surface, she couldn’t wait to get her hands on him.

  It was then that she finally noticed that his eyes were locked on hers. She suddenly remembered she was in dragon form herself and wondered if the gaze he gave her was of appreciation as well. They shared a few moments of mutual heat and it was like time itself froze for only them.

  They were the only ones in the room.

  His eyes took in her impressive form and for a brief moment, a hint of lust flashed in his sky-blue orbs. He realized just how wrong he’d been in thinking she’d be a small dragon. She was the poster child for what’s on the outside doesn’t always match what’s on the inside.

  His cock hardened at the mere thought of having the female beast beneath him, writhing and screaming his name over and over. More than anything though, he couldn’t wait to have her while they were both in dragon form. It wasn’t something normally done in this day and age, but he’d sell his soul for the chance.

  He mouthed the word ‘later’ at her and then advanced on the figure writhing in pain at Michelle’s clawed feet.

  Reaching down, he grabbed Connor by the shirt collar and hauled him to his feet like a limp rag-doll. Tears stained the usurper’s face he sobbed uncontrollably at the pain.

  “And you thought you’d be strong enough to claim my throne?” Axel mocked humorously. “You can’t even take on my mate, what made you think you could take me?” Axel extended one arm, allowing it to morph into his dragon’s form and then using his carved talons, he swept them viciously across Connor’s jugular and then dropped the man like he was garbage.

  He turned back to Michelle and smiled before collapsing to the floor on his knees. She tilted her head and studied him as he shoulders began to shake. When he looked back at her, she sucked in a breath at seeing the tears in his eyes.

  “I thought I’d lost you,” he panted and held his hands out helplessly before him. Both human again, he studied the weak, bloodied flesh and cursed himself mentally. He’d failed to protect her and that was something he wouldn’t stand for ever again. Her blood now ran through his veins and he couldn’t refuse to take her as a mate any longer.

  Towering over him in her dragon form, he knew she could take care of herself and he wouldn’t have to worry about ever losing her again. Once they were formally mated, he’d always be able to find her and once they sealed the ceremony by sharing each other’s bodies, he would be in her mind as well.

  In a bright flash of light, Michelle allowed her body to return to human and rushed forward to embrace Axel. She ran her shaking hands all over his body, checking to see how much of the blood was his.

  “I’m so sorry,” he rasped and lowered his head to her shoulder, his mouth and nose nuzzled in the hollow of her neck. He inhaled her scent and didn’t catch the sob before it rolled from his chest. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

  She shushed him with a few comforting words but knew deep down something had changed within him. He wasn’t the same arrogant, overbearing asshole she’d first met. She’d been able to do something no one ever thought possible and that was bring a dragon Prince to his knees.

  “Let’s go home,” she murmured and helped him to his feet. “You know Elder Coffer was behind all this, don’t you?” she added as they stepped over bits and pieces of furniture littering the floor.

  “Yes,” Axel conceded. “And I’ll make sure he pays dearly for it,” he promised, his voice low and deadly. Michelle knew the Elder was good as dead and she wondered just how he would accomplish that, but decided now was not the time to ask.

  Sensing her anxiety, Axel pulled her body tighter to his side, his arm slung over her shoulder for more support than he’d liked.

  “Don’t worry,” he consoled. “We need him for the mating ceremony and after our honeymoon, I’ll summon the other Elders and present the evidence to them. They won’t allow his behavior to continue. Once they dole out their punishment, I’ll make sure Elder Coffer never conspires against anyone else.”

  Chapter Nine

  Like the ceremony he’d witnessed between Jaxen, the Earth elemental Prince, and his new-found mate Olivia, the service didn’t take long. Elder Coffer stood off to the side, a permanent frown etched into his face. Axel winked at him, a silent promise that the man’s days were numbered. The gesture had the desired effect as Coffer quickly vanished after the nuptials concluded.

  Axel and Michelle loitered long enough for everyone present to offer their congratulations and then he hurried her off to his bedroom where he thoroughly intended to ravish her until she was so hoarse she couldn’t scream his name any more.

  He carried her across the threshold and then dropped her unceremoniously on the bed, teasing a squeal of delight from her. They made short work of disrobing and crawled beneath the covers, prepared to languish affection on each other.

  “You are so beautiful,” Axel whispered as he lay atop her, her legs spread wide to accommodate him. She ran her soft heel up and down his calf muscle while her fingers were busy doing erotic things to his mouth and lips. She would dip one deft digit into the wet cavity of his mouth, giggling when he nipped at the tender flesh and then pull it out to lightly trace his lips.

  “I hated the idea of mating you,” she announced bluntly and laughed when his face contorted in shock. “No, I mean I’d heard so much about you that I was afraid our marriage would be long and loveless,” she rushed on to explain. “But now, I think I’m of a different mind.”

  “Is that so?” he asked with a smirk. “Well, My Lady, allow me to start this union off on a high note,” he drawled and then thrust his hips, entering her in one hard, fluid motion. Knowing she was a virgin, he hadn’t wanted to hurt her and figured it was like ripping a Band-Aid off. The quicker the better. When she hissed in his ear and then bit his lobe rather forcefully, he wondered if maybe he’d made a mistake.

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he murmured against her temple.

  “You didn’t,” she reassured him. “I was more than prepared,” she added and then raised her hips to his in an effort to take all of him inside her. “Just fuck me,” she pleaded. “No customs, no hesitations, no worries, just make me yours,” she demanded.

  Axel smiled and pulled out before ramming back in. He was more than happy to do it her way. He pumped his hips as fast as he could without completely losing his mind and wanted to purr with pride as she met him thrust for thrust. She raised her legs, wrapping her heels together across his back and pulled him harder and faster until his eyes crossed in pure bliss.

  Michelle dug her nails into Axel’s delectable butt, pulling with every ounce of strength she possessed. It was as if she wanted to pull him completely inside of her where he belonged. Where they’d never be apart again. Goosebumps rained along her arms and legs when he pressed his lips to her throat and began nibbling. Her bodied readied itself for what was to come and a flood of heat washed through her vaginal walls.

  Axel inhaled sharply.

  “My God you’re so tight and wet,” he whispered in awe. “I can feel you milking me with every thrust.” He ended his revelation with fangs piercing the soft skin at her neck. She gasped at the pain from reopening the original wounds. But like with before, the discomfort soon disappeared, replaced by a mounting tension in her loins.

  Her womb felt like a coil, wound so tight it couldn’t hold another twist. And just when she thought she was going to die the spring snapped with such a force her hips bucked wildly beneath him. She screamed his name over and over, his hips thrusting with each time, punctuating her pleas with those of his own.

  Soon as some of the tension loosened in Michelle’s womb, a rush of heat flooded her and she knew it was Axel’s see
d pouring into her.

  “Bite me,” he begged. “Hurry!”

  Only too willing to please her new mate, she raised up and scored his skin with her own set of fangs. She clenched her teeth when Axel threw his head back and roared so forcefully the walls shook. He pumped his lower body harder and harder, the spurts of fluid never ceasing to stop as she drank from him.

  She loved the thought of his life forces entering her in two separate places and wondered how long it took dragons to conceive. It was the one thing about sex she’d never really thought to study. Children were a rare commodity among their race and those lucky enough to finally reach that peak never wanted to share any details.

  “Don’t worry Love,” he murmured once she’d released his neck. “We’ll have a houseful of dragon brats before you know it.”

  She shoved him back enough so that she could see into his eyes.

  “How did you know what I was thinking?” she asked.

  “We’re one now,” he explained. “Your thoughts are my now as well. I can also see through your eyes as if I were inside you, but that is something that will take a little time to perfect.” He smiled. “All I’m seeing right now is a really bedraggled man who needs a shave staring back at me.”

  She playfully slapped his chest and moaned when he moved off her. Laying on his back, he pulled her body up to his, her stomach nestled snugly into his side. She placed her cheek on his chest, just above where his heart beat and smiled in contentment.

  After such a strange turn of events, she had to admit that her trip to America had totally been worth it.

  “So,” he drawled lazily. “Where you getting’ that tattoo?”

  THE END

  Loving this series so far Dear Reader? Check out Jazz and her Prince’s story next in Stolen Bride.

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  Bearly Desire: A Shifter Romance

  Chapter One

  Josephine’s mother had chosen her name after seeing a gorgeous portrait of Joséphine de Beauharnais, the empress and first wife of Napoleon. History had been in Josephine Baxter’s blood since she was born. She was fascinated by it, obsessed with the small print of old texts in the library.

  Her body grew curves while she sat at a worn desk in her apartment. Men spotted her long mahogany curls and stopped to ask her for dates at coffee shops. She politely declined most of their requests, which were usually aimed at her ample cleavage in a V-neck sweater. Her girlfriends begged her to let them set up dates for her, but Josephine’s mind would wander during a happy hour blind date to the stack of journals sitting on her bookshelf.

  When Clara, one of her close friends from college, demanded a lunch date, Josephine hadn’t expected an offer for a different sort of date.

  “Roman Williams,” Clara said with a theatrical gesture of her hands. Her expectant look made Josephine frown.

  “Who?”

  Clara rolled her eyes.

  “I swear, if a man isn’t dead, then you wouldn’t possibly know about him. Weren’t you just talking about the “Den” thing last week?”

  Josephine’s gaped at her friend, shock and excitement warring in her chest. “The Midnight Den?” She asked. “Yes, the Den is supposedly a secret society. It’s been difficult finding any information about them.” She wasn’t sure if she was more surprised that Clara, a fanatic for fashion and not much else, had remembered her mentioning the elusive social club a week ago or that her friend might have information about them.

  She’d come across a few surprising references to them in the past month, but other than that, there was next to no information involving them.

  “Well, I’ve got a scoop,” Clara whispered excitedly over her glass of chilled white wine. “A handsome devil I used to date back in high school is a member. I ran into him the other weekend and he went overboard with his whiskey. He started blubbering about the Midnight Den and I played dumb to get some info about it.”

  Josephine could’ve tackled the other woman from across the table to hug her.

  “Your luck never stops,” she muttered. “What did he say?”

  “It’s a boys’ club, of course. Real secretive lot. Apparently the group has been run by a Williams’ son since forever,” Clara said, her face glowing with excitement over the fact that she’d learned some classified information. She was a marketing director, but she should’ve been a journalist.

  “Williams, Williams,” Josephine echoed under her breath. “Why does that name sound familiar?”

  Clara shrugged. “Don’t ask me, but I think they might be a military family. Old money, judging from Roman Williams’ townhouse. Get this,” she dropped her voice to a whisper and leaned in closer. “Apparently, Roman is in need of a historian. He wants someone to do some digging around in old documents. He’s trying to find some Den document that was lost a century ago.”

  Josephine raised her eyebrows. “Your old beau sounds like he was wasted if he spilled all of this to you.”

  “I might’ve mentioned that I had a history expert for a friend,” Clara said with an innocent flutter of her eyelashes. “I might’ve also handed him your contact information to pass along to Roman Williams, who is gorgeous heartbreaker, FYI.”

  An excited tingle ran through Josephine’s entire body, but not from the image of a supermodel employer. She imagined the beauty of having access to primary sources that were kept in a private family collection. If she found that document, she might be able to find a wealth of new information. The Den’s secrets could reveal a whole new world to her.

  “He might not call,” she muttered. Worry pinched at the back of her neck. Clara smiled slyly.

  “He’s going to. I have a feeling.”

  Chapter Two

  Josephine reminded herself to add ‘psychic’ to the list of other careers that Clara could hold when her phone rang on Monday morning.

  “Hi, this is Josephine,” she answered softly. Stationed in the corner of a cozy cafe, she strained to hear the person on the other line.

  “Ms. Baxter?” a nasally drawl asked.

  She frowned. “Yes, this is she.”

  “Oh, good,” the caller responded and she couldn’t help thinking that he sounded like an elderly man. She couldn’t remember giving her contact information to an older gentleman lately, so she racked her brains for who he might be. Maybe a source?

  “How can I help you?” she asked, watching a barista as she stocked cups on the counter.

  “My name is Robert,” he said in a chipper voice. “My employer would like to set up a meeting with you. Can I send a car to you now?”

  Her gaze darted down to her tight yoga pants and old top from a college club.

  “Um, can it be in an hour or two?” she asked, cursing herself for not washing her hair this morning.

  “Lovely. I’ll send a car to your address in two hours. Thank you, Ms. Baxter. My employer looks forward to meeting you.” There was a small pause. “Be advised that some people find him abrasive on the first meeting. He means well.”

  The call ended. She stared at the phone in her hand, hovering dangerously above her half-drained mocha latte. Was this actually happening?

  Clara squealed on the phone as Josephine jogged all the way back to her apartment.

  “I knew it!” she cried victoriously. Josephine hopped into the elevator, cradling her phone next to her ear, as she tried to think of what was clean in her closet.

  “Should I wear the black dress? Or is it too tight?” she asked while chewing on her lip. Clara giggled wildly.

  “This is the first time I’ve ever heard you worried about your outfit,” she commented. “You should wear the forest green one. It looks great with your hair. He’ll want to hire you and screw you.”

  Josephine nearly choked. “Clara! This is a job!”

  “Business and pleasure is t
he way to go.”

  It was hard to think about anything but business as she got ready. She flew into a hot shower to scrub her finest soap all over herself. For her hair, she pulled out her finest hair products. The green dress in her closet was miraculously free of wrinkles. She pulled it on with a pair of plain black pumps and rushed to her vanity to dust on some makeup.

  By the time the car arrived, she’d groomed every inch of herself and managed to arrange a makeshift portfolio of her work to show Williams. When she glanced at her reflection, immaculate and clutching all of her hard work, she smiled. It was breakthroughs like this that got research for ground-breaking books started.

  She was already imagining makeshift titles and debating on footnotes or endnotes when the car rolled up to her apartment. It was a sleek town car, an elegant staple that she was used to seeing in movies lampooning the rich. But, here she was, about to slide inside on imported leather seats. A chauffeur with a shock of silver hair underneath his cap got out of the car. She nearly squeaked at his size. He was massive.

  His towering frame sidled up beside her.

  “Evening, Ms. Baxter. I’m Leo. Robert has sent me to retrieve you for our employer. Are you ready?” He asked. His smile was surprisingly friendly as she craned her neck to look up at him.

  “Um, yes,” she muttered and got in when he opened the door. His head nearly touched the roof when he got into the driver’s seat. She couldn’t help the remark that flew out of her mouth.

  “You’re as tall as a bear!”

  His only reply was the loudest series of laughs that she’d ever heard. They shook the car. He was nearly crying when they pulled away from the curb.

  “That was rude,” she moaned into her hands. He cackled in the front.

  “Not at all,” he muttered with an amused look at her through the rear-view mirror. “You’re right about that.” His answer simmered with a hidden meaning that she couldn’t understand. She felt the warmth in her cheeks for the whole ride as she repeated apologies and he waved them off. Finally, she remembered their destination and stared at the portfolio in her lap.