“Nice song,” she murmured, and he smiled.
“’Closer,’” he said. “Do you remember when my grandmother caught us listening to this?”
“Step-grandmother,” Penelope corrected. “And yeah, Mrs. Thurman was not pleased.”
“She thought I was going to get you pregnant,” Miles commented.
“Eh, there are worse things in life.”
“Than having a baby?”
“Than having your baby.”
His baby. She wanted to have his baby. Well, at least she wouldn’t mind having his baby. And oh, Miles did want a baby. Most of his friends in the army had been married or close to being, and almost all of them had kids. His best friend had two kids: a boy and a girl. Miles thought that sounded pretty fucking amazing.
Would his kids be shifters?
Would they have their mother’s pale skin and light freckles?
Would they have his saucy attitude?
Would they make his same mistakes?
When Miles envisioned the future, it was him and Penelope. It was the two of them, side-by-side, surrounded by love and hope.
The moment had suddenly turned tender, and Miles gathered Penelope up in his arms and kissed her like there was no tomorrow. He kissed her until he couldn’t think straight, until his thoughts were only focused on how good she tasted and how sweet she felt in his arms.
He didn’t want to think about how she’d look, round and swollen with his baby growing inside of her. Not right now.
No, he didn’t want to think about how he should have married her before he left, how he should have taken her with him.
He only wanted to think about her right now, in his arms, kissing him.
Penelope pulled back and reached for his face. She fumbled a bit, still being blindfolded, but he didn’t mind.
“I hope it’s okay if I touch you,” she murmured. “I know some Doms don’t like to be touched without permission.”
“Baby, you can touch me however you like,” he said. Everywhere, he silently begged. He wanted her to touch him everywhere.
“What if I want you to push me back on this bed and straddle me?” She said, then bit her lip.
“Is that what you want, baby?”
Where had this little minx come from? Was she serious right now? Oh, yes, he wanted to straddle Penelope and feed her his cock. Her hot little mouth had felt amazing on him years ago and he knew she had only gotten better with time.
“Mmm,” she laid back on the bed so she was flat on her back. Then she licked her lips slowly, teasingly.
“I thought tonight was about talking,” he joked.
“I think we both know tonight wasn’t about talking.”
He took off his clothes faster than he ever had in his life and tossed them on the floor. He didn’t care if they wrinkled or got dirty. He wouldn’t need them for the rest of the night. Penelope was still completely dressed, but he didn’t mind. He liked seeing her all trussed up for him. He liked knowing he was the reason she had gone to all this trouble.
Penelope was always beautiful, but she was usually very simple in how she dressed. Miles didn’t mind. Penelope was the type of girl who didn’t need makeup or fancy clothes to be beautiful. She was gorgeous just being herself.
But now, instead of looking like the sweet, innocent little computer tech, she looked wanton. She looked sultry.
She looked like she wanted his dick down her throat.
“Come on,” she whispered, as if reading his mind. “What are you waiting for?”
9
She felt the bed dip as Miles climbed back onto the mattress. Penelope had not been this nervous in years. She’d slept with other men besides Miles. He’d been gone for years and a girl had needs. Relationships? She didn’t really do those. Sex for stress relief?
That was different.
She squeezed her eyes shut as he hovered over her body. She was still blindfolded as he straddled her hips and gently stroked the sides of her corset.
“Penelope,” he murmured. “I want you to see this.” She felt the gentle tug of the blindfold, but didn’t open her eyes. She wasn’t ready for the intimacy that would definitely come when his met hers.
For so long, Penelope had been on her own. It was just her. Sure, she had parents, but they were busy enjoying their retirement. They would help her if she came to them with a relationship problem, but Penny wouldn’t feel right bothering them.
The last time she checked, they were taking cruises in Florida and living on a houseboat between excursions.
It was a quiet, wonderful life for them.
Now that Miles was here, Penny instantly felt secure again. She was a boat floating wildly in a storm and he was her anchor.
Miles could calm her down in an instant. He could melt her heart and make her spirit soar. Miles was everything.
“Come on, baby.”
She opened her eyes.
He was straddling her stomach, holding his weight up on his legs. He towered over her and she felt very, very tiny.
Penelope was a dragon. She didn’t get to feel tiny very often.
“Please,” she whispered, eyeing his chest, his tattoos, his tan skin. “Please.”
“Please what, baby?” He reached for his cock and her eyes followed his hand as he started to stroke himself. He was hard and long and she wondered how long he’d been waiting for this.
“Please, Miles,” she was too horny not to play the game, too excited to be shy. “I want to suck your dick. I want to taste you in my mouth.”
He didn’t hesitate. Miles moved up and placed his hands on the headboard. His cock hovered in front of her mouth and she reached her tongue out and tasted the underside of his shaft.
She licked him there, a few times, and he let out a sigh of appreciation. Then he shifted so she could take him in her mouth, and she opened.
Miles slid in slowly. Penelope grabbed his ass with her hands, controlling his descent into her throat. She knew he didn’t want her to feel helpless. At least, not this way.
He might be a Dom, but he wasn’t a sadist.
Not really.
Slowly, he moved in and out of her mouth. Slowly, Penelope tasted the dick she’d been missing for so long. Miles watched her and she peeked up at his eyes. Fire filled them. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was a dragon.
He wasn’t.
He sure as hell could pull off the badass fire gaze, though.
He pulled away too soon and she moaned in protest.
“No! Where are you going?” He pulled her corset down so her breasts popped out, and pinched her nipple hard. She cried out, but the pain soon morphed into heat that settled between her legs.
“Who is in charge, Penelope?”
“You.”
“That’s right, baby. I’m going to make this so good for you, but you’re going to do what I tell you tonight. You want a Dom? I’ll give you a Dom. I’ll give you everything you’ve been seeking, craving, yearning for. I’ll give you it all.”
She pushed herself up on her elbows and watched as he moved down between her legs. He settled himself between her thighs and leaned forward, kissing her neck, her breasts, her belly. She wiggled and he pinched or nipped at her when she did. Soon she was holding perfectly still, hoping it was almost time, hoping he would fill her soon.
“Please,” the word escaped her lips before she could stop herself, and he chuckled.
“Getting anxious?”
“I need you inside me, Miles. I need you or I’m going to just die.”
“Baby, that’s all I wanted to hear.”
He grabbed her g-string with his teeth and pulled it down her legs. He yanked it off her and tossed it aside, leaving only her corset and heels on.
“I love you like this,” he murmured. “Half-dressed and ready for me.”
He thrust into her hard and fast and without letting up. Miles knew exactly how she liked it, needed it, craved it.
She liked that he
wasn’t afraid to push her around a little bit, pull her hair, bite her neck. He reached down and rubbed her clit, pushing her even further to the edge. Her body clenched around him and her breathed grew ragged and shallow.
“Please, more, more,” she begged. Her words slurred together in a haze of drunken lust. “Don’t stop, please, please. I’m close.”
When she came, she dug her fingers into his back, holding tight. She was drowning and he was her lifeboat. He followed soon after, murmuring her name before collapsing next to her on the bed.
“That was…” She whispered.
“Perfect. That was perfect,” he finished.
Miles pulled Penelope into his arms and stroked her hair softly until soon, the only thing she could hear was the beat of his heart and the contentment in her own.
10
“What do we have here?” A gruff voice startled Penelope awake and she jumped, her bouncing breasts reminding her that she was naked.
“Emerson!” She screeched. “What the hell are you doing here?” She wildly grabbed for a blanket and he mercifully handed her a robe that had been hanging on the wall.
Miles sat up next to her, rubbing his eyes. He didn’t bother to try to cover himself.
“Emerson? What are you doing here?” He echoed Penelope’s words.
“Oh, nothing, aside from the fact that my personal assistant didn’t show up for work today and I wanted to make sure she wasn’t dead.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, realizing it must be late in the morning. “I didn’t bring my phone. I hadn’t planned on spending the night.” She started to climb out of bed, but Miles grabbed her arm, steadying her.
“It’s okay,” he said. “Emerson, I’m sorry. I should have set my alarm. We just got caught up in things and didn’t even think about it.”
“I’d like a word,” Emerson’s eyes short daggers at Miles, and Penelope rolled hers.
“Seriously? You aren’t my brother.”
“I might not be your brother, but I’m the closest thing you have to it, so if some ‘Dom,’” he said the word with air quotes for emphasis, “is going to be keeping you out all night, I’d like to at least find out what his intentions are.”
This could not be happening. Sure, Emerson was totally Dommy with his wife, Janae, but with her?
Hell, no.
Penelope had been a strong, independent woman for years. She’d had to be. There wasn’t anyone to look after herself but herself.
“You’ve never cared before about who I’ve slept with,” Penelope pointed out, still clutching the robe around herself with one hand. “So why now? Because he’s human?”
“You know that’s not the reason.”
“Then what, Emerson? Why do you care today? You flew all the way out here to check on me? You knew I was okay. Janae knew where I was. Anthony knew where I was. Hell, I’m sure the whole fucking island knew where I was. So why did you come here?”
She was practically spitting tears and she hated it. Miles stood and wrapped his arms gently around her, then stroked her hair.
“Baby, I think you know why Emerson came out here, and I think you’re lucky to have someone who cares about you so much.” He turned to the dragonman and said, “I’m going to take a leap on this one and say she was pretty broken up after I left and it took years to piece her back together.”
Emerson nodded gruffly. His expressions were dark and frustration played on his face.
“No offense. I’m sure you’re a great guy and all, but you’ll understand if I’m a little hesitant to trust you after all that.”
“I understand,” Miles said, but Penelope didn’t understand how he could be so calm about the whole thing. Emerson had totally interrupted their private, personal moment, and for what? To lord her past mistakes over her head? “And I’m grateful that you checked on her. You should know, though, that I’m not the same man I was many years ago.”
“Men can change,” Emerson agreed slowly, “but sometimes it takes a little bit of determination and proof to show that.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Miles said, still holding Penelope. “I was young and stupid. I won’t leave again. Not like that. Not ever.”
Emerson stood in the doorway for a minute longer. His arms were crossed over his broad chest and Penelope realized for the first time he was naked. Of course he was. He had flown there. He couldn’t very well shift in his clothes. Still, she didn’t want to see her boss naked right now.
“Dude,” she squeezed her eyes shut. “Pants. Seriously.”
“I don’t know why you’re blushing,” he said to Penelope. “You’ve been a dragon your whole life and there’s not a damn person on the island who hasn’t seen your cute little butt nude. Now that you’ve got your man back, you’re suddenly shy?” Emerson chuckled and turned back to Miles.
“Do not hurt her,” he said firmly. “Or I will murder you.”
With that, Emerson was gone, and Penelope looked up at Miles. For someone who had just received a death threat, his eyes held mirth and laughter.
“What?” She said.
“I just think it’s funny he said you have a cute little butt.”
“Miles!”
“It’s okay, baby. I love your tush.” He pinched it and she laughed, then they went back to bed.
**
By the time noon rolled around, Penelope was sated, tired, and starving.
“Food,” she said, rolling over in bed. “Need food.” Miles just laughed and sent her to shower while he cleaned up the room. Anthony had a cleaning team that came in daily to sanitize everything, but he still wanted to at least make the bed and tidy up a little.
Maybe the U.S. Army had rubbed off on Miles a bit more than she thought. Long ago, he wouldn’t have cared about a made bed or a “tidy” room. He would have cared about fucking and eating and then fucking some more.
She kind of liked this new-and-improved, grownup version of Miles.
Penelope headed to the en-suite bathroom and turned on the shower. Once the water was hot and steamy, she stepped in the walk-in shower and settled on the bench.
The whole morning had been a blur of lovemaking and spanking and teasing and licking. She hadn’t felt this good about things in forever. Her body was sore in a good way, not like the way she felt after going for a jog with Skye and Jasmine.
She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the tiled wall, trying to focus. She wanted to stay in this moment forever. Miles was back and he was here and he wanted to be with her.
Only now that she was thinking clearly, now that she was on her own, doubts crept back in.
She shouldn’t doubt him. She shouldn’t. He was trying so hard to prove to her that he was a changed man, a good man, but no one was perfect.
Some even less than others.
Her whole heart wanted to accept that it was for real, but part of her knew it must be too good to last. He had left once before, after all. What was to stop him from leaving again?
Maybe Emerson was right to worry about her. Maybe it was too soon for her to be jumping into anything too serious with Miles. After all, she’d been single for a long time. Was she taking things too quickly because she was too lonely?
Penelope didn’t want to be crazy or rash, but she had to think about what she was doing. Miles had just come back and already she was thinking with her vagina instead of her brain. How could she know he was really here to stay? For good?
What if the next time the wind blew, he was off again?
Could she really recover from that?
She stood up and started washing her body. She needed some time to think about this, about what she wanted. Miles was…Miles. He was the only man she’d ever truly loved, but was she prepared to deal with it if he hurt her again? Could she get over that?
He was right when he’d said she built walls. She was good at that. Sometimes Penelope didn’t think she was good at much else besides that. She kept her distance from everyone around her. Ev
en people who loved her were kept at arm’s length.
She was afraid to get hurt.
Penelope didn’t think her friends or family members were bad people. She just thought that if she opened up, if she shared her secrets, that bad things would happen. Someone would gossip or someone would laugh. Someone would bring up a painful memory during an argument or maybe they’d even use it against her when other people were around.
When she locked herself away, no one could bother her. No one could touch her. She was invincible.
And she was isolated.
Dragons were naturally solitary creatures, but shifters couldn’t be isolated. They needed to be around others. She needed to be around other dragons and humans alike. Penelope needed to shift, to fly with other dragons. She needed to be touched and hugged and played with. She needed to be cared for
She needed to be understood.
Miles was offering her a lifetime of love. He was offering her a future. Would she take it? He hadn’t proposed or anything crazy like that. That would be crazy. She knew it would happen soon, though. If Miles regretted leaving as much as he said he did, she knew it was only a matter of time before he took things into his own hands.
Caught up in her daydreaming, she didn’t realize how much time had passed. Then Penelope heard the door to the bathroom open and Miles walked inside the room. He staretd to take her clothes off, but she didn’t want a joint shower. Not right now. All that head-clearing she’d done would be turned to mush if he climbed in.
Penelope knew that if she saw him naked again, she’d be done for. Instead of being strong and self-assured, she would melt into a pile of horny goo and want to be smeared all over his body.
Dammit.
She really needed to lay off the romance novels.
She turned off the shower and climbed out. Grabbing a towel, she quickly dried her body and patted her hair dry. There was a blow dryer in the room, but she didn’t want to take the time to use it. Instead, she quickly braided her hair and tied it back behind her.
“Breakfast?” Miles asked, eyeing her body. “Anthony keeps a fully stocked bar. I’m sure we could find some peanuts and popcorn to eat, maybe even some vodka if we want to get crazy.” He waggled his eyebrows.
Dragon Isle Boxed Set, Books 4-6: Lost to the Dragon, Beware of Dragons, and Catching the Dragon Page 23