His skin had a strange, almost otherworldly color in the gray-blue light of dawn. The curtains had not been fully drawn last night, and they let in a tinted, snowy light now. Myles’ face hovered above hers, and he smiled softly, looking into her eyes as he did, searching to see whether she wanted more.
Harlow wanted all of him. And she desperately wanted to tell him that, but when she opened her mouth to speak, the words seemed to stick in her throat. She looked up at him, trying to form a coherent reply, and silently pleading with him to understand, but she could not seem to organize her thoughts.
“Shhh,” he said, putting a finger to her lips. She smiled at him, grateful that he seemed to know exactly which emotions she was trying to convey. No more words were necessary between them. Myles closed his eyes, and Harlow followed suit. Then, with a slow, steady movement, he entered her.
He pushed against her inner walls, stretching her and rubbing her in the most delightful way as he filled her. Every nerve ending in her body seemed to respond as she filled with radiant heat and tingling electricity. If she’d thought he seemed large by the way he felt between their clothes, or the way he had looked when he stood next to the bed, it had been nothing compared to how large he felt once he was actually inside of her. She was helplessly, wonderfully full of him.
He began to rock his hips back and forth then, slowly sliding in and out of her. The movement sent fresh shockwaves of pleasure through Harlow’s body, and she could feel the pressure in her core building, growing to a nearly impossible level. Her senses felt hyperaware in that moment, and she could hear the ragged sound of his breathing as he took her. Her own breathing was rapid and desperate. She gasped for breath as every passing second left her more and more delirious with the ecstasy of becoming one with Myles. She never wanted this moment to end, and she did her best to hold onto the wondrous, tingling, pressure-filled sensation as long as possible. Finally though, she could hold back no longer, and her release came crashing over her.
If she’d thought that the anticipation had been wonderful, then this was truly rapturous. The tingling pressure gave way to hungry spasms, as her muscles clenched around Myles over and over. She moaned as the tingling sensation reached a climax, causing her whole body to shudder with happiness. Wave after wave of hot pleasure washed over her, and she cried out loudly, yelling Myles’ name out as he gave her the most beautiful feeling she had ever experienced.
She still did not open her eyes, but as the wonder of the moment consumed her, she could hear his breathing growing more ragged and desperate still. He moved rapidly within her, thrusting with greater and greater force until, finally, he stiffened and let out a roar. Harlow could feel him pulsing within her as he filled her, and at the same time she was filled with an intense heat. The warmth was greater than anything she had ever experienced, outshining even the electric heat of passion that had filled her when Myles first began kissing her. She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter, trying to take in all of the wonderful sensations that filled her. She felt more at peace than she ever had before, and she wanted that peaceful feeling to last forever.
When, at last, the pulsing of their bodies had slowed, Myles gently slid out of her and landed beside her on the mattress with a rough thump. He pulled the comforter up over them and then drew her close to him, wrapping his arms around her and once again enveloping her with his strength. They were both sweaty, sticky messes, but Harlow had never been so happy. She knew that they needed to get up and get moving, but she couldn’t bring herself to pull away from the warmth of his arms yet.
Just a few more minutes, she told herself, closing her eyes as she buried her face in his chest. As soon as her eyes were closed, though, she felt the exhaustion of the last few days catching up with her once again. After coming to Myles’ room last night she had slept soundly, but not long enough. Here, in the comfort of Myles’ arms and the afterglow of their lovemaking, it didn’t take long for her tiredness to catch up with her. Within moments of shutting her eyelids, she was asleep.
Chapter Twelve
Myles sat at the hotel room’s desk, watching Harlow as she slept and wondering whether he should wake her or let her sleep. They needed to get moving soon, but he also knew she needed to rest. She’d been carrying around a great amount of worry over whether this mission would finally prove to everyone that she was a worthwhile citizen of Falcon Cross. That worry had weighed on her, draining the life and energy from her. He could see the weight beginning to lift from her now. Confessing her fears to him had helped tremendously, he knew. Having someone around that you didn’t have to hide your true self from was surprisingly energizing. His hope was that she would slowly regain her mental and physical strength, and rest was a crucial part of that.
Rest could not be had at the expense of safety, however. Myles glanced down at the map on the desk in front of him, and then at his watch. It was nearly ten in the morning now, and he dared not hang around here much longer. The storm had cleared early this morning, and the power had come back on about an hour ago. The clearing weather no doubt meant that the server at the restaurant, if she was indeed a spy, had been in contact with Saul’s men by now.
Myles rose and walked over to the hotel window to look out. The room was warm again, thanks to the restored heat and power, but the window was still cold as he pressed his face against it. All he could see was thick, deep snow. It was everywhere. The rental car was nearly buried, and snow had blown against the sign near the front of the parking lot which announced the name of the hotel to everyone driving by. None of the letters on the sign were legible at the moment. The roads were in poor shape, too. The snow had covered everything so completely that it was hard to even see where the parking lot ended and the road began. Everything looked like a large, white blur.
He frowned, and turned to walk back to the desk. The roads would be plowed, but slowly. There was one big plow truck in town, as he understood it. The guy who owned it worked slowly, and sometimes would not even bother plowing if the forecast predicted that another storm was coming soon. It might be days or possibly even a week before the roads here were clear again, and even then, Myles knew that once he got a little ways out of town, the roads would once again be unplowed and covered with thick snow. He was beginning to regret even bothering to procure a rental car. It wasn’t going to do him much good in this wintry wonderland. He’d thought it would be helpful in town, but he knew now that they couldn’t stay in town. It was too dangerous. The storm might have kept Saul’s men away temporarily, but he had no doubt that they would be coming soon. The impassable roads themselves would not stop their enemy. Saul’s men had been here long enough that they would have already figured out a way to travel despite the snow. Unless Myles and Harlow wanted a messy confrontation in the middle of town, they would have to do the same.
Myles looked down at the map on the desk again, and traced with his fingers the small black “X” he had drawn there just this morning. That particular “X” marked the spot where he planned to go hide out with Harlow. According to his careful reading of topographical maps, there were caves there. Myles figured they should be able to find a deserted cave and use it as an inconspicuous base. Keeping the cave warm would be a challenge, but Myles figured they’d just have to figure out a way to build a fire and keep things toasty. Staying in this hotel, as lovely as its creature comforts were, was no longer an option. Besides, as they had seen last night, having a hotel room did not guarantee that you would have central heat. The wilderness out here was not too kind to men and his manmade comforts. A cave hideout might offer just as much shelter as this dingy hotel.
Harlow stirred, and Myles looked over at her sleeping form, which was huddled below the blanket. She murmured something unintelligible in her sleep, but then settled back down. Myles grinned. Despite the numerous worries plaguing his mind right now, he could not help smiling at the sight of her. He almost could not believe that she had let him make love to her—not after the rockiness of their relat
ionship as colleagues over the last few weeks. But all animosity between them seemed to have evaporated away after their talk last night. He’d felt a special connection to her after she’d been vulnerable enough to share her fears with him. That connection had seemed to grow deeper and stronger over the course of yesterday evening, and once Myles had her in bed next to him, it had been nearly impossible to ignore the way his heart thumped when she was near.
And now that they had made love, he knew why he had been so drawn to her from the very beginning: they were lifemates.
Lifemates, he thought, looking over at her with a lump of emotion in his throat. He wasn’t quite sure how to describe the emotions he felt. There was a mixture of excitement, disbelief, and deep, deep love. He’d thought that there was something special about Harlow since the day he’d laid eyes on her, but he hadn’t dared to let himself consider the possibility that it was because they were destined for each other. She was too much for him on so many levels: too beautiful, too stubborn, too proud, too intelligent… the list could go on. He had so many reasons he could have given for why she was not right for him. And yet, she was right for him, because she was his lifemate. He had felt the bond when they made love. They were forever connected. Myles sighed happily at the thought. He hoped that Harlow would be okay with the fact that she’d bonded with him. She seemed into him now, but how would she feel once she realized that they were bonded for life?
Myles would not have to wait long to find out. At that moment, Harlow sat up slowly in the bed, rubbing at her eyes and looking around with a slight hint of embarrassment on her face.
“I fell asleep again?” she asked. “What time is it?”
“About ten,” Myles said, standing to go sit nearer to her on the foot of the bed. “And don’t apologize. You needed the rest.”
Harlow still blushed, though, and looked down at the comforter that was wrapped warmly about her. That’s when she seemed to notice that the power had returned.
“It’s warm in here again,” she said. “Did the heat come back on?”
Myles nodded. “About an hour ago. Which means that about an hour ago, our friendly server from the restaurant last night was probably able to call Saul’s men and inform them that we’re here in town.”
Harlow’s eyes widened. “You should have woken me,” she said. “We need to get out of here!”
“We do,” Myles agreed. “But I was trying to balance your need for rest with my worry over how long it will take Saul’s men to get to us. The roads are impassable by car, so they’ll have to use some other means. I would guess, though, that they’re well-prepared for weather like this. They probably have snowmobiles or some other similar method of snow-friendly transportation.”
“How are we getting out of here, if the roads are impassable?” Harlow asked. “We don’t have access to a snowmobile, as far as I know.”
“Well,” Myles said slowly, watching her face to gauge her reaction. “How do you feel about riding on a dragon?”
“Riding on a dragon?” Harlow repeated dumbly, looking at him as though he’d gone somewhat out of his mind.
“Yes, riding on a dragon,” Myles repeated. “I could shift into dragon form, and you could ride on my back, holding all of our bags securely up there. It’s not hard to do, I promise. In dragon form, my back is so large that it’s quite stable. You wouldn’t need to be constantly holding on for dear life or anything like that.”
Despite Myles reassuring words, Harlow still looked troubled. “What other options do we have?” she asked in a tone of voice that told Myles she clearly hoped that there would be some other good options. He was going to have to disappoint her.
“We don’t really have any other options,” he said. “We could try to find a snowmobile ourselves, but given the fact that many of the townspeople here are likely reporting to Saul’s men, I have a feeling we aren’t going to be able to find anyone willing to rent us a snowmobile. Either we fly out with me in dragon form, or we wait here for Saul’s men to show up and do our best to fight them.”
Harlow looked dejected. “I guess I’m going to have to ride a dragon, then,” she said in a resigned tone.”
Myles reached over and squeezed her hand. “It’s not that hard, I promise. I’ll make sure to keep you safe.”
Harlow nodded and tried to give him a brave smile, but it was unconvincing. Myles stood and went to sit next to her on the bed, wrapping his arms around her tightly. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said. “Try not to worry too much. Most people end up thinking riding on a dragon is fun, once they get over their initial nerves.”
Harlow smiled a little bit more convincingly, but she still looked more nervous than Myles had ever seen her. He hated to have to do something that made her so uncomfortable, but they had little choice in the matter.
“I think we can be out of here within fifteen minutes,” Myles said. “Perhaps half an hour if you’d like to take a shower. I’m not sure when we’ll have access to a shower again, so if you want to take a quick one go ahead. I’ll start packing up while you do that. I’ve already brought all of your bags over from your room, so you won’t need to trudge through the snow to get to your stuff.”
Harlow nodded gratefully. “I’ll take a shower, then,” she said. “Don’t worry, I’ll be quick.”
Harlow rummaged in her bag for some fresh clothes, then disappeared into the bathroom to shower. Myles quickly started packing up his things, which didn’t take very long at all. They’d only been here one night, and he had barely unpacked anything. Putting away the maps that he’d been studying was the most time consuming part. A few minutes later, Harlow had finished her shower, and he heard the whir of the blow dryer as she dried her hair. Not long after that, she emerged from the bathroom, dressed in jeans and a thermal long-sleeved shirt—and looking a bit more relaxed than she had when Myles first suggested that she ride on his back in dragon form.
“Let me just pack away the things I just used in the bathroom, and then we can get going,” Harlow said. Myles nodded, and used the time to double-check that none of his things had been missed under the bed or chairs when he packed. He watched Harlow out of the corner of his eye, wondering if he should say something to her about the lifemate bond, or even just about how wonderful it had been to be with her last night. He wasn’t sure what to say, though, or how to say it. Every time he opened his mouth, the words seemed to stick in his throat. After several minutes of internal struggle, he finally decided that it was better if he waited until they were safely at their next hideout before he tried to explain things to her. The conversation might get long, and he was becoming hyperaware of the ticking clock on the wall. Each second that passed by was a second closer to Saul’s men finding out where they were.
Myles felt weird saying nothing at all, though, so he settled for a quick check to make sure Harlow wasn’t regretting anything that had happened the night before. He walked over to where she was zipping up her duffel bag, and turned her so that she was facing toward him. He put a hand on each of her shoulders, and looked deeply into her eyes.
“Hey. How are you feeling?” he asked, feeling somewhat awkward. “I hope you know that I didn’t just invite you into my bed to take advantage of you. I really did want to keep you warm. But making love to you was a wonderful, unexpected benefit. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.”
Harlow smiled up at him somewhat shyly. “I feel great,” she said. “Truly. I’m really happy, too.”
Myles pulled her into an embrace, stroking the back of her neck and gently kissing the top of her head. “I’m so glad to hear that,” he said huskily. “I wish I had time right now to tell you all of the things I’m feeling, but we have to move. I want you to at least know, though, that you mean the world to me, and you’ve made me such a happy man. I promise, this is only the beginning of wonderful things for us.”
Harlow nuzzled her face against his chest in response, and Myles kissed the top of her head again
. He could have stayed there in that moment forever, but the clock on the wall was still ticking, reminding him that Saul’s army would be closing in on them soon.
“Ready, kid?” he asked Harlow, tousling her hair affectionately. She nodded. Her face still looked nervous, but it was starting to show some hints of determination, too.
Myles picked up their bags and started walking toward the room’s door.
“Time for the ride of your life,” he said, winking back at her as she started shrugging into her thick winter coat. He couldn’t help pausing for one extra beat as he looked at her standing there in the muted light from the gray, snowy world outside. She was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen, and he’d never felt so damned lucky in his entire life before that moment.
Chapter Thirteen
Harlow had never experienced anything quite so exhilarating. Myles had been right: once you got over your initial worries about riding on a dragon’s back, you realized that it was pretty damn fun. She hardly even noticed how frigid the air was as they sliced through the gray winter sky. It was hard to notice anything up here except how spectacular the view below her appeared, and how magnificent the beast she rode on was.
Myles’ dragon was beautiful. She’d seen the dragon shifters in dragon form before, but never up close. Several months ago, when Saul’s army had made a series of attacks on Falcon Cross, Harlow had watched through her office windows as the dragon shifters circled high above the city, breathing streams of fire out to take down their enemies. That had been a fearsome sight, but it still had not been as awe-inspiring as seeing a dragon up close.
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