by Zoe Chant
He fastened something in her hair—the tiara with the rubies, she assumed—and then cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, the caress slow and lingering.
Then, just as slowly, he began making his way down her body, kissing and licking until she felt as if her body was on fire.
She was squirming beneath him, as much as she could—which wasn't much, since his gold was firmly holding her captive.
And then, at last, he was between her legs. She spread her thighs, needing him so much—but if anything, he went even more slowly.
The first touch of his tongue was already enough to nearly undo her.
Her hips came off the bed—but the chains he'd draped over her suddenly tightened, keeping her in place.
A second later, she was grateful for their weight when his tongue swirled around her clit.
A cry escaped her. She could feel herself trembling all over—and then his tongue circled around her again and again, exploring her hungrily while the gold held her spread for his exploration.
Her orgasm rushed through her, every pulse of it only making her want him more. As she trembled through it, he kept exploring her folds. A finger slid against her, and she pushed eagerly against him, as much as she could.
Then his finger was inside her, slowly sliding in and out, twisting in just the right way to make her feel as if she was on fire. He pushed her higher and higher as she clenched around him, helplessly moaning his name.
And then he kissed her clit again, the hot, wet sensation of his tongue making pleasure throb through her.
She strained against the gold, heat rushing through her veins. When she came again, the force of her climax left her trembling in her chains of gold.
The darkness behind her eyes had been replaced by golden light now.
She couldn't see him. She couldn't touch him.
But she could feel him.
Through the mate bond, she could feel his own desire, the aching need to be one with her. And her own body reacted in turn, longing to feel him inside her, longing to feel his own pleasure.
At last, he released her and moved over her. With her sight taken away, every sensation felt more intense. She could feel the heat of his skin as it dragged against her own, the way his muscles tightened as he held himself in position, the hardness of his shaft, silky and hot as it brushed her thigh.
She still couldn't move, his gold holding her in place—but finally, finally, he moved.
Another cry escaped her as he slid inside her, fitting perfectly. The heat of him filled her while she clenched around him.
With thrust after thrust, he laid claim to her body. Through the mate bond, she could almost see him now, despite the blindfold, his body outlined by the golden glow. It pulsed in time with his thrusts, the light growing in intensity along with the pleasure building inside her.
Her fingers clenched, her wrists still held above her head by his gold. She wanted to touch him, run her hands through his hair. But all she could do was relax into the bonds and feel him, feel him laying claim to her, his shaft sliding deep inside her with every thrust until she was trembling with need.
Heat sizzled across her skin, along her spine. Her clit felt unbearably swollen and sensitive. She could almost taste his desire in the air, sharp and hot and smoky, male musk and burning fire.
Breathless and dizzy with need, she arched against him, his gold hot against her skin. At the same time, his hips came forward one last time.
Even as she finally felt herself tumbling over the edge, her climax overwhelming her with the force of wildfire, she heard him gasp her name as he filled her with the heat of his own release.
There were still golden chains on her when her breathing calmed long minutes later—but they slipped off her skin easily as she moved. She reached up and pulled down the blindfold at last, still breathless.
Braeden was smiling at her, smug and happy. He wrapped his arms around her as he turned them around until she could snuggle up against him, her head on his shoulder.
Lazily, she raised a hand. A string of ruby-studded gold slipped down her arm. Another chain was draped across her hips. But they no longer held her down. They were just jewelry once more.
“Where did you learn that?” she asked, snuggling even closer. She had no intention of ever letting go again.
At least not for the next hour.
Braeden grinned at her. “Netflix.”
“You're kidding me.”
“Nope.” Braeden shook his head, his grin intensifying. “It was Ginny, actually. She told me if I wanted to learn about human women, I should work my way through this category called Steamy Vampire Movies.”
“Uh-huh,” Alyx said weakly, her body still pleasantly exhausted and satisfied. “Do I need to have words with her?”
“Why, didn't you like the results?” Braeden was still grinning, obviously pleased with himself.
“I liked them too much.”
“So where's the problem?”
“The problem,” Alyx said, feeling giddy, “is that after this I have no intention of letting you leave this bedroom for the next week. Say goodbye to the beach for this vacation.”
“Goodbye, beach,” Braeden said obediently—and then he smirked and rolled them over once more, his mouth kissing a hot trail down her throat.
Epilogue: Alyx
The house was beautiful. It was situated on a small, rocky outcrop, giving them a beautiful view across the mountain valley below.
There was a garden filled with roses that had just began to bloom and an old cherry tree that would explode with blossoms in spring. At the back of the house, a small brook ran downward, the musical sound of water filling the air on a normal day.
Today, the water couldn't be heard. Instead, excited voices echoed through the house.
“I still can't believe this is real,” Sarah said. She shook her head, but she was smiling as she hugged Alyx.
“I'm so sorry,” Alyx said for the hundredth time. “I didn't want to worry you, but—”
“It's not like you lied to me,” Sarah said. “You told me the truth. It was just hard to believe.” She shook her head again. “I'm so glad you're safe. Safe and free and happy!”
“Best thing that ever happened to me,” Alyx said, fighting to hold back tears. “Although I could have done without the captivity part.”
“What matters is that you're alive.” Sarah pulled back a little. “And you look great. That dress is gorgeous! Where did you get it? Paris?”
They'd just come back from a weekend in Paris, where Alyx got to fulfill her childhood dream of spending an entire day walking from shop to shop on the glamorous Champs Elysées. They’d returned home with two additional suitcases full of new dresses, skirts, and shirts, a dragon’s hoard of bright silks, cashmere, and summery linen.
Braeden, meanwhile, had been able to put his newfound MasterChef knowledge to use as they explored cozy little restaurants together.
Snails, it turned out, weren't that bad because they came drenched in garlic butter. And in Alyx's experience, there was very little that wasn't improved by garlic butter.
Frogs, on the other hand, were where she'd drawn the line.
In the end, their favorite evening of the trip had been spent in a tiny restaurant with exposed wooden beams and cheap wine. They’d been served a small cauldron over fire full of melted cheese into which they'd dipped bread.
And Braeden had promised her that one day soon, they’d have a lazy evening at home where they’d experiment with cheese and dragon fire.
Alyx nodded towards a group of people clustering around where Braeden was manning the barbecue.
“Do you see the woman with the long, platinum-blond hair?”
“And that gorgeous lacy dress?” Sarah asked.
Alyx nodded. “Her name's Celia. She's a designer. And a swan shifter,” she couldn't help adding, loving the way Sarah's eyes widened in surprise.
“Swan shifter! I didn't know that was a thing.
”
“She's good, isn't she?” Alyx twirled around, adoring the way the silk of her dress spread around her. “It's not official yet—but we're working on something together.”
Sarah raised a brow. “I heard that they gave your job to someone else.”
Alyx grimaced at the reminder. “Lea.” Recent college graduate, model-thin, sharp as a whip and hungry.
“That little—”
“Oh, it's not her fault. Who wouldn't grab that chance? Ten years ago that was me. I was just as hungry.” Then Alyx bared her teeth, thinking of her boss. “Thomas, though—he's the real bastard. Who takes a job away from someone while they've been kidnapped?”
“That asshole,” Sarah said with feeling. “I've been telling you for years, he's overworking and underpaying you.”
“Yeah, well.” Alyx shrugged. “I worked hard to make my way to the top. It was what I wanted—that magazine, that column. I knew the price that came with it.”
“And now?” Sarah tilted her head at her. “Don't get me wrong, your guy—your mate—seems like a good one. But I've never known you to do well without something to get your teeth into. So this swan shifter—”
“Set to take over the world of fashion,” Alyx announced with a grin. “Well, baby steps first. She started out on Etsy. But I have contacts—lots of them. And she's got real talent. And it will be nice to set my own hours. Sooner or later, I want to have a family.”
Sarah's gaze instinctively dropped to her belly.
Alyx smiled and shook her head. “Not yet,” she said softly, then laughed. “Not for lack of trying, though. I hope you're ready to become Aunt Sarah!”
Sarah grinned back at her. “I hope you're ready to let me spoil all of your kids and feed them lots of sugar and chocolate whenever I visit.”
“That’s what an aunt is for.”
They beamed at each other, and Alyx felt another surge of disbelieving joy at finally getting to share everything that had happened with her best friend.
“So,” Sarah said after a moment, looking around. “Are you going to stay here? It's a lovely place.”
Alyx shook her head. “The house belongs to a friend. He offered it to us while we try to find out where we want to settle down.”
It wasn't that Alyx didn't enjoy Mountain View, the home of the storm dragon. And she'd become fast friends with his mate Naomi.
All the same, this town already had a dragon, and two alpha dragons in one town would be a disaster in the long run, or so Ginny had claimed.
In any case, now that her fashion business with the swan shifter was taking form, Alyx thought she'd rather live closer to Wing Island. Once she and Braeden had returned from Paris, they'd started looking—so far, nothing had jumped out at them, but they had time.
They were going to take their time, because it was going to be perfect.
It was going to be the home Braeden had never had. It was going to be a house they'd design themselves, with a huge walk-in wardrobe for her and a home cinema for Braeden.
And a large kitchen with countertops that would be able to withstand dragon fire.
“Next weekend we'll go out hunting again. There's a valley that looks lovely—and it's not far from the coast.”
Which meant that she and the swan shifter could easily meet up when their work demanded it.
“Anyway, you'll be the first to know when we find a place,” Alyx said and smiled at Sarah. “I promise. No dragon's going to keep me from my best friend again.”
Sarah hugged her tightly once more, and when she spoke, Alyx could hear that she was trying to fight back tears.
“I'm so glad you're back. I'm so glad you're all right. And I'm so, so glad you're finally happy. You deserve it.”
“Thanks for never giving up on me,” Alyx whispered back, her own throat tight. “I'll never scare you like that again.”
Sarah pulled back, laughing through her tears. “You better not! I've had quite enough of police officers calling me the crazy dragon lady when they thought I couldn't hear.”
Suddenly, there was a big cheer coming from the garden.
When Alyx and Sarah joined the gathered people there, she saw that the barbecue was burning brightly, flames licking at the sizzling steaks. Braeden stood next to it, beaming proudly as he explained to the patiently listening and very visibly pregnant Naomi all that he'd learned from binging on cooking shows.
A smile was tugging on Alyx's lips even as she shook her head.
She could feel warmth at her throat—the ruby she wore on a chain around her neck was pulsing faintly with power, reacting to the dragon fire.
As the steaks sizzled merrily, Braeden gestured excitedly. He was either describing how to perfectly grill a giant dinosaur or telling Naomi about his plans to open a dragon-fire steak house, once they'd found a place to build their own home.
Or maybe he was just telling her all about his newfound fascination with dinosaurs. Perhaps Alyx shouldn't have introduced him to Jurassic Park last night. But for all that Braeden had become an addict to the screen, there were still so many holes in his pop-culture knowledge.
But then, they had years to catch up now. They had their entire life still before them.
Still smiling, Alyx reached out, the ruby at her throat pulsing with the fire's power. She closed her hand into a fist—and the fire licking at the steaks died down.
Surprised, Braeden turned to look at the barbecue—then looked up and met her gaze with a chagrined look. “Thanks! You saved them.”
“Fireproof kitchen,” Alyx said, feeling giddy with joy as she smiled at him. “That's the one thing I really insist on.”
All around them, the garden of Jared's house had been transformed with paper lanterns. There were pavilions and chairs and benches, and everywhere she looked, people stood with glasses and plates in their hands. Most of them were shifters—Mountain View had eagerly welcomed them, and Alyx had quickly made new friends.
Still, the thing that meant the most to her was that Sarah had come.
It was all going to be all right now. With Steele’s power broken, there were no more fire dragons after them. Jared had been sent out to solve the mystery of the fifth plinth—and she had her own fire dragon safely back at home.
Well, it was Jared’s home, really, and the generous mansion showed that the griffin shifter had never spent much time here.
But there’d be a real home in time. A home they’d build together.
Braeden wrapped his arm around her as he came to join her and Sarah. For a moment, Alyx felt the golden light of their bond flare again, the connection between them sizzling to life as Braeden’s love and gratitude rushed through it.
He’d never had a real home before, or real friends. He’d lived in those terrible underground places she’d seen as a prisoner. And even though it had only been a few weeks for her, she knew that neither of them would ever return to those places.
They would live in the light of the sun—and so would their children.
“You two ready?” he asked, his fingers gently rubbing her back. “Thanks for saving those steaks, by the way.”
“Any time,” Alyx said and laughed. “I figure that power’s going to come in handy, after the month I’ve had.”
And it was rather satisfying to think that she’d be able to extinguish Steele’s fire with the snap of her fingers, if it ever came to that.
“I can’t wait to get my first taste of dragon-fire-charred steak,” Sarah said.
“You’ll never want your steak done any other way after this,” Braeden said proudly.
Sarah laughed. “That would be a pity, because my hometown’s sadly lacking in dragon-run restaurants.”
The meat was still sizzling, and there was a mouthwatering smell of garlic, rosemary, and smoky applewood in the air.
Alyx took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she tried to take it all in.
She’d never take these things for granted again. That was one thing those weeks in the f
ire dragon lair had taught her. Her career wasn’t everything. Her column wasn’t the most important thing in life.
Let another woman cut her teeth on her job. Let Lea have her chance.
Freedom, friendship, happiness. Those were things Alyx had thought she’d never have again.
She intended to live life to its fullest now—with her very own fire dragon by her side and in her heart.
“Ready?” Braeden asked softly, his other arm wrapping around her as well to hold her close.
Alyx opened her eyes to look at him, for the first time in her life completely and utterly content to take a holiday from the hectic bustle of her former life.
She took a deep breath.
“Ready,” she said, thinking of everything that was to come.
The home they’d build. The fashion house they’d run. The movies Braeden still had to see; the steak house he wanted to open.
The children they’d raise.
Alyx felt her heart expand with love.
It would be hard work, all of it—but she wouldn’t want it any other way. And no matter what life threw at them, they’d deal with it.
Together.
***
A note from Zoe Chant
Thank you for buying my book! I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to be emailed when I release my next book, please click here to be added to my mailing list. You can also visit my webpage, or follow me on Facebook or Twitter. You are also invited to join my VIP Readers Group on Facebook!
Please consider reviewing Mated to the Fire Dragon, even if you only write a line or two. I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative.
And keep paging through to read a special sneak preview of the third book in this series, Mated to the Ocean Dragon.
***
More Paranormal Romance by Zoe Chant
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Mated to the Earth Dragon. (Elemental Mates #2). He's a powerful dragon shifter hunting a dangerous enemy. She's just hoping for a relaxing vacation. Only their love can save the world...