by Audrey Storm
Everything was decorated in shades of cream and white, and was more beautiful and luxurious than even the nicest hotel I’d ever stayed in. It was really more like an ultra-luxe resort than a home; then again, it sat right on a private beach. It practically was a resort.
I managed to avoid getting lost on my way to Jonathan’s office, where he told me I could find him if I needed him. On the way I passed the kitchen, which was roughly the size of a train station, and a games room with a pool table and bar. Finally, I reached the office; the windows along the back wall reminded me of the office at work, except instead of looking out over Manhattan, they revealed a view of a sparkling pool.
He was seated behind his desk. “Everything all right?” he asked, never looking up from his laptop.
“Oh, sure,” I said. “Absolutely perfect. Thank you. I especially love the books in the sitting room; I could spend a long time just reading.”
He looked up and smiled. “I made it a point to have them there for you,” he said. “There are even more in the library, actually. One room over.”
I felt a little fluttery rush in my chest. “That’s very thoughtful,” I pointed out.
“I know you love to read,” he said. “I wanted to be sure you’d have something to occupy yourself with while you’re here. You have full use of everything—TV, game room, library, pool, wine cellar, everything. It’s yours.”
I bit my lip, unsure what to do first. I was thinking that a glass of wine and a book in the tub sounded like a good idea.
Then I remembered something. “You have a lot of meetings this week,” I said. “Which is the one you wanted me to attend with you?”
“It’s Saturday night,” he said. He sat back in his chair as if just remembering this, and looked me up and down.
“You’ll need a trip to the salon in advance,” he said, and I felt my spirits sink. So he didn’t like the way I looked; well, that was no shock. Compared to the women with whom he normally spent his time, I was chopped liver.
He must have read the change in my feelings, as he was so good at doing. “It’s only important that you look your very best, is all,” he said. “That doesn’t mean you don’t look good now. But this meeting…there’s a lot riding on it, so to speak. I can’t overstate that.”
I felt intensely frustrated. Here I was, in this beautiful home—not complaining about that, of course—and I had no idea exactly why. Why had he brought me along? Why was this meeting of his so important, anyway?
He sensed it, of course. “Have a seat, Libby. I suppose it’s time for us to discuss the reason I brought you here.”
I sat opposite him, suddenly wary. I wondered why we hadn’t discussed this before. Maybe he wanted to be sure I wouldn’t say no.
He was dressed more casually now, but he looked no less handsome than ever. His tee shirt revealed more of his body than I was used to seeing; well, except for that night in his office, of course. His strong, broad shoulders and muscular arms were on display, as was his firm chest. It was a struggle to pay attention to him, honestly.
He must have noticed me sizing him up, of course, and a faint smile played over his lips. “The meeting we’re attending on Saturday night isn’t business-related. It’s a meeting for people like myself. Dragons.”
I gasped audibly. A meeting of dragons? A room full of them? Was I supposed to be dinner to these creatures? No—there was no way he had brought me here for that.
“There’s no reason to be afraid,” he said. “Believe me, it’s not what you’re thinking. This is a meeting which takes place once a year, during which time dragons who’ve reached the approved mating age present their prospective mates to the rest of the clan. I reached mating age a long time ago; 12 years ago, in fact. That’s not actually much different from normal human mating age, really. 18.”
I nodded, only half paying attention to his words now. I was piecing things together, reading between the lines. I had a strange sensation that I knew what he was driving at, and I felt as though I must be dreaming.
“Libby,” he said softly, bringing my consciousness back to him. He was looking at me in a way I’d never seen him look at me before. His eyes held a deeper warmth, along with something I couldn’t quite place a finger on. All I knew was that he was undoing me with those eyes.
“Don’t you see?” he asked, his voice quiet. “I brought you here to present you to the clan as my mate.”
Chapter 5
My head was spinning. His mate?
“Jonathan,” I whispered. “This is…unexpected.”
He nodded. “I realize that, and I apologize if I’ve shocked you. For the sake of our professional relationship, I’ve always felt it necessary to hold myself back. As I told you a long time ago, there’s no way I could ever find an assistant like you.” He chuckled, and I couldn’t help joining him. But I was still uneasy.
“I’ve always suspected that you were the one for me,” he said. “Starting from that first night, when you discovered my secret. You didn’t reject me, or run away screaming. You showed me the strength inside you. I had always known you were beautiful, but your inner beauty was what shown through.”
I snickered, and he noticed. “You are beautiful, Libby. Maybe it’s to my benefit that you don’t know how beautiful you are. Maybe you would be with some jackass like that Taylor nobody if you have an inkling of how desirable you are. It’s been torture, all these years, fighting the urge to ravage you.”
I trembled; I knew he meant it from the sound of his voice, the low growl that had crept into it. He wanted me. He already saw me as his. Just as I had always wanted to be.
“What’s stopped you?” I blurted out, and he laughed outright. His laugh was like music in my ears.
“Like I said,” he chuckled, “I didn’t want to ruin things in the office. But the fact is, the clock is ticking. I’m expected to find a mate; it’s what we do. Not only that but I need a mate. It’s in my blood. I can’t wait any longer for you, Elizabeth.”
It was as if he was making love to me, just by saying my name. I turned to jelly; had I been standing I might have hit the floor. I felt a warmth grow between my legs without my even intending it to as something inside of me responded to whatever it was about him that made him who he was.
“What if I say no?” I asked. I had to know.
He merely smiled, and rose from his chair to walk around the desk; he stopped in front of me. “I think you and I both know that you won’t,” he nearly growled. I looked up at him, my heart pounding through my chest.
He reached out and stroked my brown hair, all the way down to where it touched my shoulders. His fingertips skimmed my cheekbone, then my jaw. I was on fire, lit from within, all from the merest caress. Every one of my dreams were coming true.
He reached out for me, and I placed my hand in his. There was no mistaking the electric shock that went through me at his touch, or the fact that my nipples immediately hardened with excitement. We stood mere inches from each other, just a breath away from our mouths finally meeting. All of the passion I’d held back over the years was bubbling at the surface, ready to explode. I leaned toward him, my eyes closing, desperate to feel his mouth on mine…
He pulled away. “I’ll give you until Friday evening to think it over,” he said, and my eyes flew open in surprise. Then he turned away, walking back around to his chair behind the desk and sitting down. I was dizzy, my head spinning. I took a deep breath and excused myself from the room.
**********
I didn’t see much of Jonathan in the next two days. He was always out; of course I knew he’d be, since I had set and confirmed all of his appointments for him. There was no opportunity to discuss Saturday’s event.
I’d done a lot of thinking, now that the lust he’d sparked in me had died down somewhat. I swam in the pool, walked on the beach, even worked out in the exercise room downstairs. I’d had my every need catered to thanks to the staff of the house; it was definitely something I could get
accustomed to.
On Friday evening, as expected, Jonathan came home around 8pm after having an early business dinner. I was seated in the library, enjoying a book and a glass of wine. It was nearly as though I felt him enter the house; the energy changed. The air was filled with electricity.
But I waited. I wanted him to come to me.
“Libby,” I finally heard as he entered the room. “I thought I might find you here.”
I had worn a very low-cut tank top and leggings, leaving as much of my figure on display for him as possible. He looked pleased, but didn’t say anything.
“Have you given any thought to our conversation?” he asked, taking a seat opposite me. He looked gorgeous, as always, the top two buttons of his tailored shirt undone and his sleeves rolled up. It was that sexy, casual look that slayed me.
“Do you really think you need to ask me that question?” I asked, a wry smile on my face. He laughed lightly.
“And?” he asked.
“And I have one request,” I told him. One eyebrow cocked up, expectantly. I continued, “I want to see you change. I want to see your full power, as your full self.”
“You’ve already seen me,” he protested, but I cut off any further argument when I stood, abruptly.
“It’s all I’m asking,” I said. “Just to see you as the dragon again. I should think you could do at least that for the woman you wish to be your mate.”
I could tell that he was intrigued by my attitude; I had never pushed back at him before, obviously. I didn’t want to lose my job. But this was different.
He stood, facing me. “Fair enough,” he finally said. “We’ll go out to the beach. There’s a reason this place is so secluded.” I realized what he meant; the section of beach on which the house sat was totally private, and impossible to see from anywhere else in the area. Now I knew why he had settled on this particular home.
My heart was pounding as we walked out through the French doors which led to the beach, then down the sand. “You’re sure you want this?” He was unbuttoning his shirt, then sliding it off his shoulders. I nodded, biting my lip in anticipation.
It was now or never.
Chapter 6
I stood back, arms crossed over my torso, watching as Jonathan undressed. His muscular body was exposed to me with every lost piece of clothing. The shirt, the shoes and socks, the slacks, and finally the shorts. I felt my heartbeat quicken even further; he was so beautiful, every muscle defined, with a long, thick penis. He was virility personified, and I wanted him with every ounce of my being.
“Step back,” he warned. I did, and I forced myself to keep my eyes fixed on him as he shifted. It was as if he started shimmering before me, then running like water. His feet and hands lengthened, as did his skull and neck. He grew, stretching 20 feet into the air above me. He bent forward, wings unfolding from his back. Scales replaced his skin. A long, spiked tail cut through the air behind him.
Then it was done, and I was standing face-to-face with a dragon. He threw back his head and breathed a column of fire into the air. I shivered despite the warmth.
He looked down at me, his yellow eyes glowing.
“Fly,” I commanded. I wanted to see.
But he took me by surprise; if I wanted him to fly, he would show me how it felt when he did. He reached down, grasping me in his long talons. I screamed more in surprise than horror, and we took to the air.
He didn’t fly far; maybe a mile out to sea and back. It was dark, the only light coming from the moon. Even though he couldn’t speak to me, I knew intuitively that he wouldn’t hurt me; with that fear out of the way, I was free to feel the exhilaration of flight. The wind whipped through my hair, and I couldn’t help whooping with joy.
Then we turned back, and before I knew it we were on the beach. He uncurled his talons and placed me gently back on the sand. My chest was heaving, my breath coming hard and fast. I had never been more excited, more fully alive. My entire body was throbbing, and there was only one thing I wanted.
I looked up at him, and he down at me. “Take me,” I said, loud and clear. “I’m yours.”
He threw back his head once again and breathed fire; I sensed his triumph. Then he looked back down at me, and reached for me. I shivered at his touch. He ran one of his long claws gently over my shoulder, pulling down the strap to my tank top. I held my breath, waiting for his next move; he went to the other shoulder, and that strap also slipped down until my top was ready to fall off.
Suddenly he hooked one claw into my top, right between my breasts, and pulled forward so roughly that the fabric was shredded. I was left topless, my breasts heaving. One of his claws caressed my left nipple and I gasped, caught between pleasure and fear. It was intoxicating. He could have hurt me, even killed me, easily. And yet I was more aroused than I’d ever been. I moaned, softly, the heat between my legs growing.
I saw his excitement growing as well; I’d have to be blind to miss it. His member was massive and fully erect; I shuddered at the thought of trying to take all of that in. I knew he would have to change back before we could be together; still, the sight of it and the power I knew he possessed was enough to make my juices flow.
“Please,” I whispered. “Please take me. I need you.”
Moments later he was back in human form and gathering me up in his arms; he walked into the house with me, not saying a word until we got to his palatial bedroom.
He threw me onto the bed and lowered himself on top of me. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered in my ear before taking the lobe between his teeth. I gasped, my body rising to meet his.
“So are you,” I whispered, running my nails from his firm backside to his shoulders and back down again. I reveled in the feel of him; I’d been dying to touch him for so long, and now he was mine. I felt his mouth on my throat, working its way down to my chest. His hands, meanwhile, were caressing my thighs. I wrapped my right leg around his hips; he ran his hand from my ankle to the round globe of my butt, and I cried out softly when he reached that sensitive area. His fingers dug into my flesh and I moaned and urged him on.
His mouth moved closer and closer to my erect nipples; soon he was running his tongue in slow, delicious circles around one. I whimpered, begging him to take it inside his mouth. “Please, suck me,” I whimpered. “Please, please, suck my tits.”
He did as I asked, and my back arched when I felt him sucking hard on my delicate flesh. His mouth sent shockwaves of pleasure to my center, and I ached with arousal. His mouth switched to the other breast and he repeated his sensual treatment.
My head turned from side to side on the silk duvet, my hands grasping and clawing at his thick dark hair as he pleasured me. I was lost in bliss, crying out again and again; he moved lower, down to my abdomen. His tongue dipped into my navel, and I nearly screamed as the sensation tore me apart.
I felt his hands working my leggings down until they were around my feet, leaving me in silk panties that were likely soaked through with my need for him. Then they came off, too.
“You smell so delicious,” he murmured, his face so closed to the place where my thighs met. I felt him touch his tongue to my enflamed lips and I nearly jumped from the bed, screaming softly. He dove in, dipping his tongue into my wet folds. He lashed my throbbing bud with his tongue, and I held his head to me as he drove me higher and higher. I felt a familiar pressure building between my legs, a burning that grew and grew until I stiffened all over…and then screamed as the force of my orgasm washed over me like a tidal wave. My entire body trembled with the aftershocks.
“Oh, Jonathan,” I murmured, and he crawled back on top of me.
“I need you,” he whispered, raggedly. His chest, like mine, was heaving. I felt his hardness pressing against my hip and I trembled, knowing what he wanted to do to me.
“I’m yours,” I said again, staring into his green eyes. “I’m yours, forever.”
His eyes closed, a smile spread across his perfect face. He reached down an
d guided himself into my wet heat; we both cried out when he slid home and filled me with his thick, throbbing member.
“Oh, my god,” I gasped, gripping his muscular shoulders. I wrapped my legs around him and pulled him further into me; he couldn’t be close enough.
He stayed that way for a delicious moment, not moving, just filling me. “We’re one,” he whispered, kissing the tip of my nose, my forehead, my cheeks. Finally our mouths met, for the first time. As they did he began moving back and forth, in and out of me.
Never had I felt so completely whole. I kissed his neck, his shoulder, ran my mouth over his jaw and chin as he rocked us both into a frenzy. He drove himself into me, harder and harder, filling me with his essence as I screamed for more.
“Yes!” I screamed. “Harder! Yes!” He responded by pounding into me until our bodies came together with a juicy slapping sound. We were both crying out now, grunting and screaming with every thrust. Again I felt myself being driven to the edge and beyond; my muscles clamped down around his hardness as my body began milking him for everything he had.
He tensed all over, throwing his head back and nearly roaring as he spilled his seed into me. My muscles spasmed again and again as my climax flowed through my entire body. I gripped him with my arms and legs, not wanting to let go.
Eventually I had to, however, once we both recovered and our breathing slowed down. He pushed himself up on his arms, taking in the sight of my full, lush body.
“Just as good as I’d always imagined,” he said with a slow, sexy smile. I giggled; I knew how he felt.
“So I take it you’ll be coming with me to the big meeting tomorrow night?” he asked. I nodded without hesitation.
“Everything that’s mine will be yours,” he said. “You know that, right?”
I nodded. But none of it mattered, not really. Money was nice, but what was nicer was what still laid between my thighs, in my arms.
“All I want is this. All I want is you,” I told him, before we kissed again.