She cried until there were no more tears. After a long silence, Kate finally pushed herself away and looked at him. Her gaze was clear and searching.
“Why are you doing this?” she whispered at last. “Why are you being so sweet?”
Zul looked into her liquid blue eyes and said solemnly, “I'm a selfish man, Kate. I didn't do this for you. I did it for me.”
“For you?” She blinked.
“There is something I want from you.” He loomed over her, his tone dark and ominous. Kate tensed and held her breath.
“I want you to smile for me, Kate.”
For a long while, she simply stared at him. Then she smiled.
It was a shy, slow smile. But for the first time, her smile reached her eyes.
Then she threw her head back and laughed. “That's the last thing I expected you to say! I've honestly never met anyone like you, Zul.”
“I wish I could say I'm one of a kind, but I'm not,” Zul said seriously. “There are two more like me.”
Kate laughed and raised herself up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek.
Zul circled her waist with his arm and held her flush against him. He half expected her to jerk away but she didn't.
Very slowly, he leaned in and brushed her lips with his. She inhaled sharply and stiffened. Their breaths mingled as they stood motionless under a street lamp, feeling the heat grow and burn between them.
For a timeless moment, they stood frozen to the spot, their lips just touching.
Slowly, tentatively, Kate raised her hand and pressed it against his thundering heart. Then she kissed him, and the world fell away from them.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Kate knew she shouldn't be kissing Zul but she couldn't seem to stop. She didn't want to stop.
Her head told her to step away from the sexy, mysterious stranger before she got carried away. But her heart and her instincts urged her to carry on.
Her head was right on one point. Zul was a stranger. She had only just met him tonight. He was sexy as hell, sweet as heaven and he was a total mystery.
She had seen a dragon rising from him, but at this moment, she just didn't care what he was. All she knew was that he was a damn good kisser and he was a kind, good man. He had comforted her, encouraged her, and he made her smile. When she was with him, her heart didn't hurt so much. She stopped thinking about Brian's lies and betrayal, and she stopped hating herself for being such a fool.
Zul made her want to believe in herself and the world again. He made her dare to hope, dream and want again.
Pushing aside all her inhibitions, Kate wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed Zul more fervently.
Zul slanted his mouth over hers and deepened the kiss. His lips moved hungrily, passionately as his large hand pressed against the small of her back.
When their tongues touched, Kate moaned into his mouth. Zul's arms tightened around her as he kissed down her jaw and neck. With a growl, he captured her mouth again, and the kiss grew more heated and urgent.
“Kate...” he groaned against her lips.
Kate could feel how huge and hard he was. She writhed against his erection and Zul's entire body shuddered.
With a curse, he grabbed her shoulders and held her away from him.
“Kate.” He was breathing hard, his eyes glowing dangerously. “You...”
The primal, predatory look in his eyes should have scared her but it thrilled her instead. He wanted her. She felt a strange sense of power and triumph.
He captured her face in both his hands and pressed his lips to her forehead. His kiss was both tender and searing.
“I'll walk you to your door, Kate,” he whispered on a ragged breath. “I'll see you safely home. Then I'll leave.”
“I don't want you to leave,” she said, digging her nails into his powerful shoulders. “I...I want you, Zul.” There was a plaintive note in her voice.
“I want you too, Kate. I want you so goddamn much I'm going out of my mind. But...”
“You think I'm not ready,” Kate said, looking into his eyes. “You think you'll be taking advantage of me.”
Zul nodded once, but his eyes betrayed his surprise. He seemed amazed that she was able to read his thoughts and emotions so accurately. He stared at her for a long while before murmuring, “You know, the only people who can read my thoughts are his brothers. And even Rohan and Edriq get it wrong sometimes.”
Kate cupped the side of his jaw and said softly, “You have honor. You're good, kind, honest and honorable.”
“Well, I am all that...and more,” Zul said, puffing out his chest.
When she arched a brow at him, he went on smugly, “Modesty was overrated. If you have it, flaunt it! Amelia and Nora taught me this motto. They're my sisters-in law.”
“They're right,” she said, smiling.
“Oh, they usually are,” Zul answered. Kate couldn't help laughing when he rolled his eyes and added, “My brothers can never win an argument with them.”
CHAPTER NINE
Zul's heart soared at the sound of Kate's beautiful laughter. He knew in that instant that he wanted to hear that sweet, musical laugh every day for the rest of his life.
Zul drew her closer to him, his expression turning serious. “Kate, there is something you have to know...”
She pressed a finger to his lips and said, “We're adults. We know what we're doing. I've never had a one-night stand before,” she confided a little self-consciously.
When he didn't respond, she pleaded, “Please, Zul. I want it to be you.”
“You want me to be your first one-night stand?” Zul said, his eyes flashing.
“I...”
“You're not a one-night stand, Kate,” he snarled. “Neither am I.”
She looked down, her face burning.
“Kate. Look at me,” Zul ordered. “Look me in the eye and tell me what you want.”
She met his piercing gaze and gulped. In a clear voice, she said, “I want you.”
Zul made a strangled sound at the back of his throat. Her words, her touch, her scent was tearing his restraint to shreds. The burning desire and desperate plea in her eyes undid him completely.
The one thing he could never do was deny her.
Zul crushed his mouth to hers, holding nothing back this time. He released all his pent-up hunger and lust with a possessive growl and claimed her mouth fiercely, urgently. He nipped at her sweet, plump lips, pushing his tongue through her parted lips and tasted her.
Kate was moaning against his mouth, her body limp and pliant in his arms. Entangled in each other's arms, they staggered towards the apartment block and moved clumsily up the stairs. They just couldn't seem to stop kissing and touching each other.
Kate broke away from his kiss just long enough to drag her keys from her bag. She tried to unlock her front door but her hands were shaking too much. Gently, Zul took the keys from her and unlocked the door with one hand while holding her tightly to him with the other. He never wanted to let her go.
Tumbling into the small apartment, Zul locked the door swiftly and threw the keys onto the couch. Zul kept kissing her, on the mouth, on her eyelids, down her neck and shoulders.
Moving through the living room, their hands began undressing each other. Pieces of clothing littered the floor, leaving a messy trail to the bedroom.
They were naked by the time they stumbled into her bedroom.
Zul lowered her onto the bed and kissed her thoroughly, pinning her hands on either side of her head. He spread her legs and gazed down at her luscious, quivering body. “You are beautiful, Kate,” he said hoarsely. “So beautiful.”
She swallowed and pushed herself up on her elbows. Her eyes moved down his powerful, ripped body and she sucked in a breath at the sight of his massive erection.
“Do you...” She swallowed again and licked her lips. “Do you have a condom?” she whispered.
Zul nodded, cursing sof
tly. How could he have forgotten?
He always kept a spare condom in his wallet, and he never, ever had unprotected sex. The condom was solely for contraceptive purposes. He didn't want to get any of those women pregnant. As a dragon shifter, he couldn't catch any human diseases from his partners, and he couldn't transmit any dragon diseases to them either—not that he had any.
Zul pulled a condom from his wallet and rolled it on. He stared at Kate's lush, curvy body and an image of her swollen with his child crept into his mind.
Zul shook his head quickly. What was that all about?
He had always been careful not to get a female pregnant. But Kate wasn't just any female. He desired her, but he desired more than just her body. He didn't want just one night with her. He wanted...everything.
Zul pushed away his jumbled, turbulent thoughts when he saw the worry and uncertainty in Kate's blue eyes. He had been standing at the foot of the bed, not moving for a full minute. When he didn't come to her, Kate must have assumed that he was having second thoughts.
Kate reached for the covers, trying to cover herself up and hide her embarrassment and hurt.
Zul grabbed her wrist and growled, “Don't hide from me, Kate. I see you, and I want you. Always.”
Kate let out a small whimper when he kissed her fiercely, possessively. When he cupped her breast in his rough, calloused hand, she moaned and arched her back, pushing her dark, erect nipple into his palm.
Zul stroked down her soft, curvy body and parted her thighs. He fingered her slick folds and groaned. She was so wet and ready for him.
Pressing his mouth to her pussy, he pushed his tongue deep into her slit and tasted her thoroughly. Her scent was driving him wild. His cock jerked and throbbed painfully as he fucked her hard with his tongue.
As Kate fisted the sheets and made cries of pleasure, Zul kept his lips and tongue on her. He laved his tongue down her pussy lips and licked the inside of her thighs. He wanted to taste every inch of her and have his scent all over her.
Kate began to tremble and Zul held her tighter, digging his nails into her fleshy buttocks. She came with a sudden sob as her body bucked and shuddered.
Her orgasm triggered his beast and awakened its primal hunger and instinct. Zul's eyes flashed golden as his dragon reared up. He needed to take her now.
CHAPTER TEN
Kate gasped when she saw the feral glow in Zul's eyes. He looked fearsome and magnificent. His muscles bulged and his frame seemed to grow bigger and broader. She saw the scars on his body, and sensed the immense strength and power within him. Zul was a very impressive, formidable male, but he didn't intimidate her.
Against all reason, he aroused her, thrilled her and made her feel alive. She felt desired and wanted, and she could feel a strange emotion stirring in her heart.
It was an intense, powerful yearning and hunger. Her body seemed to be aching for him, begging to be touched and taken by him. Even her heart was responding to Zul. Her strange, irrational, broken heart yearned to belong to this man.
She wanted to be his, and she wanted to be the only woman for him.
Kate winced and shook that silly notion out of her head.
Zul was handsome, charming, in the prime of his life. He had a good job as a barista at Blazing Beans, one of the most successful and popular coffee chains in the city. He was going places, and no doubt he had many opportunities to meet scores of attractive, fun-loving women.
How could she even dream of being his one and only? Why was she even thinking of having anything more than a one-night stand with Zul? Hadn't she learned her lesson?
He is not Brian!
A sharp voice in her head spoke up suddenly. It was her subconscious, her instinct, her heart all speaking at once. And she knew she should listen to herself this time.
She had been sabotaging her life even after her divorce was finalized. Brian had already moved on, and had married his ex-girlfriend barely a month after the divorce. Everyone made mistakes. Brian was a mistake, and she should have forgiven herself for her mistake a long time ago.
Kate saw Zul watching her intently, his broad chest rising and falling with his harsh breathing. She could feel the head of his cock nudging against her slit, and she realized the superhuman effort it cost him to hold himself still. His muscles were throbbing and his veins bulged and pulsed as he fought the urge to thrust into her.
Kate knew that Zul wouldn't fuck her if he saw the slightest doubt in her eyes.
Kate closed her eyes briefly. There was no doubt now. She had been so foolish to doubt herself.
Her past had no place in her present. Just because she had loved the wrong man didn't mean that she shouldn't love again.
Kate held Zul's scorching gaze and slowly raised her hips to him. She wanted to look into his eyes when he entered her.
She felt him slide himself inch by inch into her. Her walls stretched and she bit her lip to stifle her cry.
A tear fell from her eye when she felt him fully inside her. She couldn't explain the overwhelming emotions surging through her. She felt both pain and pleasure, and she felt both fear and euphoria.
She wanted him to make love to her, and she didn't want it to end.
She didn't want them to end.
“You feel so good,” she whispered as he began to slide in and out of her body. His strokes were long and languid, and his touch was tender and gentle.
He caressed her curves and teased her nipples with his tongue and fingers until she was begging him to give her more. Zul pulled her nipple deep into his mouth and sucked hard.
He took the erect nub between his teeth and tormented her out of her mind. Kate cried out at the exquisite pleasure as he thrust faster and harder into her pussy.
His name tumbled from her lips as she thrashed her head mindlessly. No one had ever made her feel this good. She didn't want this feeling to end. It wasn't just the intense pleasure that he was giving her. It was the feeling of being so close and connected to someone.
“Don't stop,” she begged. “Please don't stop, Zul. Please...”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Zul growled as Kate panted and writhed beneath him. Her curves were pressing up against him, rubbing maddeningly against his hard body. She was begging him not to stop, but Zul knew that he couldn't stop even if he wanted to. This just felt so good, so right and so perfect.
Kate was intoxicating and addictive. He would never, ever get enough of her.
Zul stroked deep into her, feeling her nails rake down his back. She wrapped her legs around his hips and angled herself so that he could bury himself deeper inside her.
He could feel her muscles clenching and rippling around him as she began to shudder. “Oh, Zul...Zul!” She screamed his name as she came suddenly and repeatedly.
Zul kept moving, drawing out her climax for her and delaying his own. Kate clung to him, her entire body shaking with the force of her orgasm.
His dragon roared and thrashed inside him, but Zul kept a tight leash on his beast. Tonight was all about Kate. He was here to ease her, pleasure her, satisfy her.
His dragon wanted to mark Kate with its dragon fire, but Zul refused to let his dragon out. Kate wasn't ready. She was a delicate, sensitive soul, and she had been hurt badly.
She had loved deeply, and her ex-husband had dealt a devastating blow to her heart and her self-esteem.
He would take his time with her. Love had no time limit. Kate was his forever, so he had forever to love her.
Sweat beaded on Zul's forehead and back as he fought for control over himself and his dragon. Every fiber in his body screamed for him to claim her. His dragon roared in fury and frustration. The beast couldn't believe that it would be denied its mate!
Zul trembled as his human and dragon halves waged a ferocious battle within him. Even though his dragon was powerful, Zul's will was even stronger. He was a soldier, a disciplined, deadly warrior. He knew honor and duty, and he was a prot
ector. He would do everything to protect Kate's heart.
Sex was fine. But she wasn't ready to give her heart. He would not claim her and bind her to him for eternity against her will.
With a terrible, anguished roar, Zul forced his dragon down and took his release. His body shook as he finished and slumped on top of Kate.
He kept his eyes closed and he felt Kate wrap her arms around him, giving him warmth and comfort.
“Kate,” he rasped.
She murmured and snuggled against him. “Hold me for a while,” she whispered.
Zul pulled her to him immediately. He hated how lonely she sounded. She had assumed that he would get dressed and leave once he was done.
“I would...like to see you again, Kate,” Zul said, choosing his words carefully. He didn't want to pressure her, but he wanted to make sure that she knew how much she meant to him. “I like you, Kate. A lot.”
She looked up at him, surprise and joy on her face.
“I like you too, Zul,” she said.
Zul exhaled a sigh of relief. “So you won't mind if I ask you out to dinner?”
She blushed. “I would love to have dinner with you, Zul.” After a pause, she added softly, “In all my four months in the city, only one other person has invited me to dinner.”
Zul narrowed his eyes. “Who's he?” he barked.
“Jae. I used to call him Mr Jaerok but he told me to call him Jae for short.”
“Have you met Jae recently?” Zul demanded.
“Oh yes. I saw him last night.”
Zul growled. “Where?”
“Just outside my door.”
Zul almost jerked off the bed. “What! Is he stalking you?”
Kate burst into a fit of giggles. “Jae is my next door neighbor! He's a sweet, grandfatherly gentleman. He took pity on me when I first moved into the building and invited me to dinner.”
Zul turned and glowered at her. “You were teasing me, letting me think that Jae was my rival in love.”
To Love A Dragon: Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (Weredragon Warriors Book 3) Page 3