“Yes, you are distracting,” he said, his voice turning husky and low. “How am I supposed to think about finding a dragon stone, or about what could wrong if our plan fails, when the most beautiful woman in the world is sitting right in front of me?”
Bree’s mouth fell open as she stared at him, gaping. Her cheeks went from pink to red, and she looked down at her beer without answering him. Knox felt a twitch of fear for a moment. Had he misread her signals? Was she not interested in him, after all? The worst thing in the world right now would be to make things awkward between them. They had an important job to do, and, if everything she was saying about the dragon sapphire was correct, then he really couldn’t afford to mess this up.
Then, as quickly as he felt the fear, he pushed it down. He was a dragon, after all. And not just any dragon—he was leader of the Redwood Dragons. They were a fierce bunch, and he had been living small for too long. It was time for him to act like the warrior that he was. Knox lifted his chin high and reached his arm across the table. He put his palm under Bree’s delicate chin and lifted it gently but firmly.
“Look at me,” he commanded, his voice low and urgent.
She lifted her eyes to his, and he could feel the heat coming off of her face. She blinked a few times, looking uncertain, but he could see the desire in her eyes.
“I know this is bad timing,” Knox said. “I know our lives are impossibly different. And I know that inviting a woman to be part of my life would bring some big changes for my clan and me. But I can’t stop thinking about you, and how beautiful you are. I can’t shake this feeling that you and I are meant to be together. That the reason we crossed paths out in the forest was deeper than just the dragon sapphire. And I cannot go another minute without telling you the truth. I want you, Bree. I think I have from the very first moment I met you, even if I wasn’t willing to admit it to myself. You do funny things to my heart. Things no woman has ever done before. And trust me—I’ve had plenty of women from all over the world interested in me over the years. But I’ve always had a proud dragon heart, and I wouldn’t allow them to conquer it. You’re different, though. You’re not even trying to win me over and you already have. I’ve known you less than a month and I already can’t imagine life without you.”
Knox could feel his heart threatening to beat out of his chest. His blood was running hot all through his body, practically boiling with the desire to strip Bree down and make love to her. He could hardly stand the way she was looking up at him right now, biting her soft lower lip uncertainly as she searched his eyes with her own. He didn’t know what she was looking for, but whatever it was she must have found it. She slowly nodded her head before letting out a small, barely perceptible sigh.
“I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t had similar thoughts,” Bree said.
She didn’t say any more than that, but those words, combined with the desire he could now clearly see in her eyes, were enough for Knox. He saw the waitress walking back toward them, and he dropped his hand from Bree’s chin to reach into his back pocket for his wallet.
“We’ll take our food to go,” he said, then handed the waitress a credit card that he had quickly fished out of his wallet. “And please go ahead and close out our tab for us.”
The waitress looked slightly confused, but nodded as she set down Knox’s fresh beer in front of him. As soon as she scurried away with his credit card, Knox picked up the beer and drank it, letting it all slide down his throat as one long, continuous sip. The hoppy liquid burned in his veins, adding fuel to the fire that was already burning within him. He looked up at Bree, who was watching him intently without saying anything. Her hair, which was pulled up into a messy bun right now, was lit up brilliantly by the fading sunlight. Her skin glowed, and Knox realized with satisfaction that the flush in her cheeks was due to his words.
She wanted him. The most beautiful, wonderful girl he’d ever met wanted him. And Knox was going to do his damned best to make sure that she never changed her mind about that. He could feel a stiffening between his legs, and a thrill of electric heat coursing through his body. He let out a low groan as he watched Bree finish the last sips of her own beer.
That waitress needed to hurry up. Knox couldn’t sit here much longer, waiting patiently for the chance to get his beautiful wizard home. He felt as though all of the gentle flirting they had done had quite suddenly come to a breaking point. The flood of desire was almost more than he could bear. Knox felt like he was drowning in the best possible way. Neither Knox nor Bree was speaking now. They were only looking at each other with knowing, hungry looks. They had both tried to resist this feeling. They had both told themselves they had no business indulging their own passions when the future of so many wizards, shifters, and humans was at stake. But now that they had admitted to each other that there was something kindling between them, it felt to Knox like an explosion had gone off. He could not hold back much longer. For the moment, at least, all thoughts of the dragon sapphire, of his clan, or of saving the world were gone. The only thing he could focus on was Bree.
Knox felt a rush of relief when the waitress returned with two takeout boxes and his credit card. He gave the girl a generous tip, then grabbed the boxes and stood.
“Let’s go,” he growled.
Bree didn’t need to be asked twice. She stood, and left the restaurant’s patio quickly, stepping onto the sidewalk without even a backward glance. Knox fell into step beside her, holding the takeout boxes with one arm and wrapping the other arm protectively around Bree’s lower back. He rubbed the side of her hip with his thumb, and once or twice she shuddered with pleasure at his touch. He felt the stiffening between his legs growing, and he didn’t have to glance down to know that by this point his desire must be quite obvious to everyone they passed. He could feel his erection pushing insistently against the thick fabric of his jeans, but he didn’t feel embarrassed. Why should he be ashamed? Was it a crime to be uncontrollably infatuated with a woman as magnificent as Bree? If anything, anyone who noticed the bulge in his jeans should be jealous. He was the one lucky enough to have won Bree’s favor.
The walk back to their tiny new apartment seemed to take forever, but finally, Knox found himself standing in front of their door, fumbling in his pocket for the keys. He felt like he couldn’t move fast enough as he pushed the cold metal into the lock and turned it, then nearly dropped the takeout boxes of burgers and fries as he quickly shoved them onto the kitchen countertop. He would eat later. Right now, he had completely forgotten about every hunger pang except one—his hunger for Bree Riley.
As soon as the boxes were out of his hands, he reached both hands up to cup Bree’s face in his palms. He pushed her backward against the first spot of open wall he could find. She reached up and grabbed his forearms, holding on tightly as he leaned in to put his lips on hers. Flames blazed through his body as they never had before. He might be able to breathe fire, but nothing in his life had ever compared to the heat of desire that he felt for Bree. She let out a moan, and pushed her hips forward to meet his, putting delicious, unbearable pressure against the spot where his erection was trying to break free right through his jeans.
It was going to be a good night.
Chapter Thirteen
Bree could hear all the voices in the back of her head, screaming at her that this was a bad idea, that she didn’t have time to be making love with anyone right now, and that, worst of all, there was no way on earth she and Knox could make their lives work together for the long term.
Frankly, right now, she didn’t give a shit.
The only thing she really cared about was that Knox Pars had his lips on hers and damn. He felt like heaven. She’d had to pinch herself back at the restaurant to believe that she wasn’t dreaming when he very clearly let her know that she had not been imagining it when she thought he’d been flirting with her. Those looks of desire she’d seen over the last several days were definitely real.
The walk back to the apartment had b
een torture. She’d done her best to hold it together, but she’d felt the whole way as though she were about to burst from the tingling heat that had filled her more with every passing second. Knox had been stroking her hip, and every stroke had sent a fresh thrill through her. A near constant stream of desire had oozed out from between her legs, until she’d started to worry that she was getting so wet that people on the street would soon be able to tell.
But now, here in this tiny, old apartment, there was nothing left to hide. There was no more pretending, and no more worrying about what-ifs or consequences. There was only desire. Pure, raw, primal desire. Bree melted into Knox’s body as he pushed himself up against her. She was trapped so tightly between him and the wall that it was difficult to breathe, but she didn’t care. She loved the way he felt against her, and only wished he could be even closer. She wanted their bodies to be one.
Overcome by the passion building inside of her, she reached down to find the hem of his t-shirt. She tore it upward in a desperate motion, not wanting to break their kiss but wanting to feel the bare skin of his chest. Knox pulled back for a split-second to help her pull off the shirt, then quickly resumed the kiss. His tongue was warm and smooth, sliding past her lips to dance with her tongue and to caress the roof of her mouth. Bree put her palms against his chest now, feeling his bare chest for the first time. She had seen it a few times before, since he was always naked when he shifted. But she had always tried so hard to look politely away, and not to notice how wonderful it was.
Now, she allowed herself to fully appreciate it. She let her hands explore, running first across his firm, broad shoulders, then drifting down to his strong, expansive ribcage. She groaned with pleasure as she felt the contours of his stomach, which were shaped into a perfect six-pack. He responded to her groan, pushing his hips harder against hers so that she got a fresh feel of how stiff his erection was. Then he pulled back a bit, breaking their kiss and catching his breath.
He reached for her shirt now, pulling it up and off before reaching behind her back to undo the clasp of her simple, skin-colored bra. Bree trembled as he slid the straps down, slowly and gently removing the garment and leaving her bare-chested in front of him. Her breasts, swollen with desire, rose and fell rapidly as she tried in vain to catch her breath. She reached for the button of his jeans, unfastening it and fumbling as she tried to find the zipper, but he smiled at her and shook his head.
“Not so fast,” he said in a husky whisper. “First, I want to do something I must admit I’ve dreamed of doing since the moment I met you.”
And then, he leaned down so his mouth was at the same level as her hard, alert nipples. He closed his teeth over her right nipple, chewing in a firm, steady rhythm that sent a constant stream of tingling heat pulsing through her body. He reached up with his hand to take the other nipple in between his thumb and forefinger, rubbing it with the same rhythm, and causing the pressure in Bree’s body to become almost unbearable. She arched her back and moaned, but he gave her no reprieve. And, of course, she honestly didn’t want one. His body pleasuring hers was the most intense but most wonderful sensation she had ever experienced.
She could feel that her panties had now become completely soaked, drenched with the juices of her desire for him. He must have known it, too. He reached his hands down to unbutton and unzip her jeans, never taking his mouth away from her nipples. Then he plunged one of his hands down between her skin and the fabric of her panties, reaching past her soft mound and finding her slick entrance with his fingers. He plunged his middle finger into her, causing her to gasp at the sudden heat that filled her once again. Then he used his pointer finger to massage her clit at the same time.
Bree felt like her whole body was going up in the most magnificent, uncontrollable flames. Tingling heat filled her body. Delicious pressure built in her core. Her nipples felt electric, and her legs trembled from the effort of trying to hold her body up while Knox’s hand drove itself deep into her body.
Bree tried to hold back, but it was nearly impossible. She could only take a few moments of this intensity before her body gave in. She threw back her head and screamed, yelling out Knox’s name as her inner muscles began spasming and clenching around his hand. He straightened up and reached his free arm around her, pulling her away from the wall and close to his body as she trembled and found the greatest pleasure she had ever known simply from the movement of his fingers.
It took quite some time for the tremors to stop racking Bree’s body. When the pleasure she felt gradually shifted from spasms to a steady, warm heat, Bree let her body fall limp against Knox’s strong form. He held her securely in his arms, and kissed the top of her head. She shivered with delight, all of her senses on overload.
Then, she felt herself go weightless. He was lifting her up in his strong arms, carrying her toward the small bedroom of the apartment. He dropped her lightly on the bed, then started grasping for the lamp. The light was fading fast now, and the blinds were closed in the bedroom, so it was rather dark. But Bree liked the darkness. She felt suddenly self-conscious. It had been so long since she’d been with a man, and Knox’s body was so perfect. What would he think of her when he saw her fully, in all her curvy imperfection?
“Leave it off,” she pleaded as she heard his fingers reaching the metal of the lamp switch.
He understood well why she had made the request, and he ignored it. A moment later, soft yellow light filled the room as the lamp flickered on.
“I want to see all of you,” he said gently, pushing her down so she was lying on her back on the bed. He reached to pull of her shoes and socks. Bree had been so caught up in the moment back by the door that she hadn’t even realized she was still wearing her shoes. Knox traced a line across the top of her feet with his fingers, and the motion somehow felt intensely intimate. Next, he reached up to pull off her jeans, which were hanging loosely on her hips since he had already unbuttoned them. She shivered as the cool air of the bedroom hit the bare skin of her legs, but she knew her shivers had more to do with nerves than with the temperature of the room. She felt so vulnerable in that moment. Did he like what he saw?
As if in answer to her silent question, he let out a deep groan as he let his eyes slide over her nearly naked body.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he whispered in a deep, hoarse whisper. Bree shivered again, this time from delight. Knox moved to pull her underwear off next. He dragged off her simple cotton panties in one impatient movement, leaving a trail of wet juices down her legs from the now soaking garment. Bree felt almost embarrassed by how wet she had become so quickly. She couldn’t help it. Knox brought out deep desires in her that she hadn’t even known she could feel. Her embarrassment didn’t last long, though. He was clearly pleased by how turned on she had become.
“You’re so wet for me,” he said, his voice hungry with desires of his own. He crawled onto the bed, leaning over her and using his tongue to lick up the line of Bree’s own juices that was now running down her leg. He didn’t slow down when he got to the top of her thighs, where her legs gave way to her still-dripping entrance. In fact, he sped up, slipping his tongue deep inside of her. Bree squeezed her eyes tightly shut as a fresh wave of tingling heat washed over her. His tongue was soft and warm inside of her, licking up the juices of her desire and searching for the most sensitive spots within her. He wanted to drive her crazy, and he was doing a damn good job of it. He flicked his tongue deep into her, then pulled up slightly and massaged her clit with it. At the same time, he reached his hands up to hold her breasts, one in each hand. He massaged her nipples between his thumb and forefinger while driving her crazy down below with his mouth.
It didn’t take long for Bree to lose control again. Any worries over what he thought of her naked body had quickly disappeared, replaced by the realization that she was nearing her second orgasm of the night—and he hadn’t even taken his pants off yet. No man had ever made her feel this way. She writhed underneath him, the pressure in her c
ore once again reaching a point that was more than she could take, and then breaking over her in hot, tingling spasms. She screamed out his name once more, her inner muscles clenching around his tongue this time. She could hardly believe it, but this wave of pleasure lasted even longer than the first.
Knox pulled back, smiling. His face was wet from her desire, and he looked as though he might burst from pride. He had made his woman feel incredible, and he knew it. But he wasn’t done yet. He stepped off the bed, pushing off his jeans and tight black briefs and allowing his erection to spring free. For the first time, Bree allowed herself to look at him fully in his nakedness. He looked like a god to her, perfect in every way. Every muscle on his body was large and sculpted. His six-pack of abs ended right before a “v” shape in his lower stomach muscles pointed downward toward a fuzzy trail that led to his enormous dick, which right now was stiff and erect, pointing right toward her. The only noise Bree could manage to make was a long, desperate moan. God, she wanted him inside of her. Really inside of her. Not just his hands or his tongue, but him. The most intimate part of him.
He did not make her wait long. He slid back onto the bed and slid over her, hovering right above her for a moment and smiling with such affection in his eyes that Bree felt like her heart might burst. He gently kissed her nose, and then her lips.
“You’re perfect,” he whispered. “Absolutely perfect.”
And then, he slid into her. Slowly, but firmly, he filled her. She felt him going even deeper into her than she had thought was possible. He reached to her very core, and she trembled as their bodies became one. He moved in her with perfect rhythm, rocking back and forth and sending new bursts of heat across her being with every thrust. Bree could hardly believe that it was possible to feel as wonderful as she did in that moment. Even though he had already made her come twice in the last half-hour, she felt herself on the verge of exploding once again. Her body tingled and trembled, and she closed her eyes and let the sensation wash over her. She didn’t even try to fight it this time. She just let the pressure build until it reached its breaking point, and her body quivered with tremors of delight. This time, her inner walls were squeezing around his erection as she came. The sensation was much more intense than it had been for his fingers or tongue. Each spasm sent fresh fire through her being, and all she could do was lie there, letting the wonder of it pass through her. She did not even have the energy left to scream at this point.
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