He studied her face. "I sense a 'but' coming."
She laughed half-heartedly and he yearned to hear a real one. She replied, "But, I don't know. I never expected to want to know you for more than sex, let alone to have this constant hum of attraction to you."
So she felt the pull, too. "So now where does that put us?"
Searching his gaze, she said, "That depends, Ryan Ford. What do you want from this? Tell me now if it's just about sleeping together and leaving. That's completely fine, as that's what we both signed up for. However, if it's more, then tell me. That way I won't try to analyze everything to death."
He decided to be honest, just like she was. "I could bullshit you and say everything would run smoothly and we'd find some sort of magical happy ending. However, it's going to take some time with me when it comes to any woman. I'm definitely a little broken in the relationship and trust department." He finally cupped her cheek and caressed her soft skin with his thumb. "But I'm starting to think that with you, it may be worth the pain to at least try."
"Then let's try," she murmured.
They stared at one another for a few beats, and yet again, Ryan got the sense that this woman was meant to be his, almost as if he'd been waiting his whole life for her.
Which was crazy, but whenever he tried to dismiss it, it felt wrong.
And for a guy like him, who didn't trust people easily anymore, it was a huge fucking deal. Definitely something he couldn't just push aside and forget about.
Not that he'd reveal all this to the dragon lady anytime soon.
As he stroked her cheek, he loved how she leaned into his touch. He finally spoke again. "I'm more than ready to try, but what are you burning to do first?"
Gaby finally released his hand and leaned against his chest, her heat against him, and her scent invading his senses. He sucked in a breath, and she smiled at the sound. "Well, given all the rules surrounding us for the next three days, maybe we should kiss first and talk later?"
His eyes darted to Gaby's lips. His own throbbed, yearning to caress hers, devour her mouth, to at least make some minor claim on the woman.
He nearly blinked. What was going on with his mind? Ryan wasn't a one-night stand type of guy, let alone so forward.
Yet with Gaby, he couldn't help but be anything but.
She leaned closer and tilted her head upward. She whispered, "So, do you like my suggestion? Because if so, you need to help a girl out with some sort of sign."
His heart racing, he lowered his lips until they were an inch from hers and murmured, "Then I'm going to kiss you, Gabriela Santos, until you can barely breathe."
He closed the distance between them, holding her close against his front, and groaned at the electricity sparking from the contact. He wanted to feel the inside of her mouth, battle her tongue, and then do other wicked things to her body.
Except before he could even work his tongue between her lips, Gaby roared and pushed him away. Dragon-shifters were stronger than humans, even their female ones, and he staggered backward.
Before he could ask anything, Gaby pressed her hands to the sides of her head, closed her eyes, and crouched down into a ball.
Something was wrong.
He moved to check on her, but she growled, "Stay back."
He dared a step, but she opened her eyes, looked right at him with her flashing pupils and stated, "Run, Ryan, unless you want to feel the full force of a dragon in the throes of a frenzy."
"Frenzy?" Ah, shit. He vaguely remembered something about that in the binder.
A kiss would let a dragon-shifter know who was their true mate.
And somehow Ryan was Gaby's.
However, as he watched her clenched jaw and her flashing eyes, he couldn't run. For once in his life, a woman needed him—and only him—and he was going to be there for her.
He only hoped he survived the process intact.
So he walked toward her and said, "Bring it on, Gaby. I'm ready for your dragon."
Gaby was barely keeping her dragon from taking control of her mind and body.
Even now, her beast thrashed about inside her mind, shouting, Kiss him, fuck him, claim him. He is ours and we need to make sure everyone knows it.
He needs to make the decision. I won't force him.
Her inner beast roared. Fate made the decision. He's ours. Claim him before he runs away.
And that was when Gaby warned Ryan.
But instead of fleeing, he walked toward her and said, "Bring it on, Gaby. I'm ready for your dragon."
Her beast tried harder to take control. He wants us. Stop fighting it.
Somehow, she gritted out, "Are you sure? A frenzy is rough and foreign to humans."
He crouched down and touched her cheek. "Yes, I'm sure. Now, tell me what you need, Gaby."
Her dragon finally pushed Gaby to the back of her mind, taking control. Gaby's voice was slightly deeper, signaling it was her beast. "Strip and lay down. I want to fuck you, claim you, and make you mine."
In the next second, her dragon tumbled Ryan to the ground, extended her talons, and ripped off Ryan's clothes.
Gaby watched in horror, wishing her beast would let the human side take him the first time.
Not just his first time with her, but her first time ever with a male, too.
Please, dragon. You can come out again later.
No. You waited too long. I'm claiming our male. Now.
Gaby's dragon shredded their own clothes. Her beast didn't seem to notice how Ryan looked awestruck, as if he'd never seen anything so beautiful.
Oh, Ryan. What I wouldn't give to do this differently, Gaby thought to herself.
Her dragon was already straddling him, positioning his cock at their entrance.
The only good news? He was hard despite being faced with her sex-crazed beast.
He was definitely a strong human.
And yet, Ryan was supposed to be her human.
She tried again to push her inner dragon to the back of her mind, but her beast merely created an invisible barrier, trapping Gaby.
From experience, she knew that she wouldn't be able to get out until either her beast grew tired or let her out.
And that made her want to both punch someone and cry.
But as her dragon slammed down on Ryan's cock, uncaring about the twinge of pain at the sudden intrusion, Gaby stopped resisting.
Her dragon had taken her first time from her, and there wasn't anything she could do about it.
As her beast moved their hips, lightly scratching Ryan's chest, Gaby tried hard to enjoy it. But while her dragon didn't care, it hurt a little.
All of this was wrong, so very wrong.
Then Ryan placed his hands on her hips and tried to guide her beast. As he slowed their pace a little, it hurt a little less.
And then his thumb found her clit, brushed in slow circles, and Gaby wanted to gasp at the rush of pleasure.
The rest passed as a blur, their bodies moving, Ryan stoking pleasure, making Gaby want to lean over and kiss him.
However, her dragon only cared about making him come, stealing his seed, and trying to conceive.
At least Ryan kept rubbing and lightly pinching her clit, driving Gaby to the point of orgasm.
When the pleasure finally broke and exploded through her body, Ryan soon stilled her hips and groaned, never taking his eyes from hers despite the fact that with her dragon in control, her pupils would be slitted.
As soon as he slumped back to the floor, her dragon stood and growled, "Again."
Sensing this was her chance since her dragon's guard would be lowered a fraction after the orgasm, she growled and charged the invisible barrier.
The next time with Ryan was hers, no matter what it took.
And finally she broke through to the front of her mind. With a roar, she created a mental prison and tossed her beast inside. Since Gaby's version was more complex, it would hold her beast longer.
Not forever, but long enough.
As she stood breathing hard, she looked at Ryan's face. But he stared down at his cock, with a frown.
And that's when she saw it—her virgin's blood on his dick.
He looked at her. "You were a virgin?"
"I, uh, was, yes."
He swore and rose to his feet. Walking slowly toward her, he murmured, "Are you okay? If I'd known…"
She shook her head. "My dragon didn't care, and it still would've happened the same way, regardless of what you'd tried to say or do."
His gaze never moved from hers. "Will she come back or is she done?"
"She'll be back soon. I can only keep her contained for a short while during a mate-claim frenzy."
She wrapped her arms around her chest and looked at the floor, wishing she could instantly jump into Ryan's arms, kiss him, and pretend the last five or ten minutes had never happened.
But the longer she stood there, the more she hurt between her thighs.
It'd all gone so wrong, the ease between them had vanished, and now Gaby wasn't sure how to fix it.
Ryan came close enough to cup her cheek. "Look at me, Gaby." She did, surprised at the kindness reflecting in his eyes. He continued, "How long do we have until she's back?"
"Why? Do you need to call ADDA to pick you up? Because I would totally understand if you wanted to flee."
He growled. "No fucking way I'm leaving now. And not just because you could already become pregnant with my child." He moved an inch closer, his hot breath dancing on her forehead. "If there's enough time, let me help you shower and relax before she comes out again."
Searching his gaze, she blurted, "Why are you taking this all in stride?"
His other hand cupped her other cheek. As his thumbs strummed her skin, she nearly leaned into him for support. He said, "If a true mate walks away from a dragon-shifter, it's not good, right?"
Gaby shook her head. "No."
They'd probably have to lock Gaby up inside a room until her beast calmed down, or maybe even pump her full of drugs to make her beast silent.
And it could be that way for years, if her human half lost control.
Ryan's deep voice rolled over her, almost like a caress. "Then let me be the man you need, okay? Which means right now, I need to help clean you up and relax. Will you let me?"
The human male was so different from the dragonmen she knew. Never would they ask her permission every step of the way, let alone walk away if she'd asked them to. And yet, she sensed Ryan would.
She was glad he wanted to stay and not just because fate had decided he was her true mate, either. The more she learned, the more she liked him as a male, too.
Gaby leaned against him, taking comfort from his heat. "Okay, but it has to be quick. My dragon will be out in twenty minutes or so."
He kissed her lips gently, and some of her earlier fire from his touch returned. She opened her mouth and groaned as his tongue found hers, stroking as if he could never get enough of her, licking every inch as if to memorize her taste and form.
When he finally pulled away, Gaby smiled. "That's a much better first kiss."
The corner of his mouth ticked up. "I'm not sure I can ever surpass waking a dragon's frenzied need for sex, but I agree it was much more of you, Gaby, and I want more." He leaned to her ear. "But first, we need to shower and get you relaxed."
He stepped back, took her hand, and walked until they found the master bedroom and bathroom.
Even though her beast rammed against the mental prison, no doubt roaring to get out, Gaby did her best to ignore her.
The next fifteen or twenty minutes were hers and Ryan's, and no one else's.
She wouldn't constantly fight her dragon during the frenzy as that would only exhaust both female and beast. However, she wanted a little bit more of Ryan's tenderness to balance out her dragon's first rough fucking.
And as he turned on the water and then smiled at her, mischief and heat dancing in his eyes, Gaby did her best to reinforce the mental prison. Maybe she could even have half an hour with her human, if she tried hard enough.
Chapter Four
A mixture of guilt and regret churned inside Ryan as he led Gaby to the shower.
She'd been a virgin, of all things. She sure as hell deserved more than a rough pistoning of hips for her first time. Thank fuck she'd at least orgasmed, or he would've been even angrier with himself.
But the first time with her dragon was over and he couldn't change the past. Besides, if that was the worst her dragon could dish out, he could handle it. Going forward, he'd make sure her inner dragon understood he wanted both of them, not just the beast. He instinctively knew that setting boundaries would be extremely important if he wanted a future with Gaby.
Which he did, despite all the reasons he shouldn't be so sure of it.
As the hot water hit his shoulders and then hers, Gaby moaned and turned to face the spray.
The water cascading down her face, her neck, and the slopes of her breasts made him want to lean in and lick her body all over until she squirmed, begging for him, any pain long forgotten.
However, he didn't have an infinite amount of time with Gaby's human side. Her dragon would return soon enough, so he'd have to make the minutes count and rush a little more than he would if there was no time limit.
As she stood there, he grabbed a bar of soap and reached around her, whispering into her ear, "Ready for the best shower of your life?"
She smiled, but kept her eyes closed. "Someone's a little cocky."
He nipped her earlobe and loved how she sucked in a breath. "I think you'll agree with me soon enough."
Ryan started at her chest, lightly moving the soap down to her breast, taking extra care to swirl around her nipple without touching it. The peak grew tighter, and his mouth watered to taste it.
Soon, Ryan. Soon.
He moved to her other breast and repeated the action, loving how she leaned back, her soft ass cushioning his already hard again dick.
He murmured, "When I have time, I'm going to replace the soap bar with my tongue." He moved it between her breasts, down to her belly, stopping just above her trimmed thatch of dark hair. "Would you like that?"
She moved her hips upward, as if wanting him to touch her lower. "Yes."
"Good." He lightly washed between her legs, being as gentle as he could before he crouched down and continued slowly down her legs, until he reached her ankle. When he finished the other leg, ending at her inner thigh, he spoke again. "Turn for me, Gaby?"
Without hesitation she did, putting his face right at the same level as her pussy.
While his mouth watered to taste her, he continued washing the back of her legs, slowly taking his time with each of her ass cheeks, and then stood to finish up her back and down each arm.
She stared up at him, her pupils still round but slightly dilated, and she said, "Kiss me again, Ryan."
Tossing the soap to the holder, he crushed her against his body and took her lips, instantly delving between them to groan at her hot, sweet taste.
When she clutched his shoulders, he took the kiss deeper, stroking, licking, letting the dragon lady in front of him know he wanted her more than he'd ever wanted anyone in his life. Almost as if he'd burn up if he didn't get to kiss her every day.
After a few minutes, he finally pulled away. Her hot, heavy breaths against his face stirring up his sense of male satisfaction. He said, "There's so much more I want to do with you, Gaby."
"Such as what?"
"While I know it doesn't help the ultimate goal of getting you pregnant," he paused, moving to her ear and lowering his voice, "I want to lick between those pretty thighs and make you forget about anything but right here, right now, and how much I want you."
Her breath hitched. She surprised him by answering, "I want that, too."
With a growl he lifted her and turned, placing her on the small bench inside the shower.
After giving her one quick kiss, he licked and nibbled his way dow
n her neck, kissed each of her breasts before lightly suckling her hard, pretty nipples, and then continued until he was right in front of her core. He pressed against her thighs and she opened them wider.
Fuck. She was so wet and swollen already, as anxious to have his tongue on her as he wanted to be.
Lowering down, he licked her slit once, loving how she jumped. So he did it again.
Gaby threaded her fingers through his hair, as if telling him he'd better not think of stopping.
So he settled in, licking, lapping, devouring her pussy, groaning at how fucking good her sweet honey tasted. He could lap at her for hours and still not get his fill.
Soon Gaby squirmed, and he licked upward to her clit, careful to circle the hard bud without touching it. He murmured, "Now it's time to really make you love my mouth."
He suckled her clit, lightly flicking it with his tongue, and Gaby arched up toward his head.
He changed to gently biting her, and she screamed in pleasure.
Ryan continued to tease her, licking, nibbling, and even biting until Gaby was moaning about how she was close.
Even though he burned to add a finger or two to her pussy, he resisted. He wanted nothing but for her to feel good and he wouldn't risk hurting her so soon again.
Gaby finally dug her nails into his scalp and arched her back as she came. Just the sound of her short gasps, letting him know she'd orgasmed, made his own dick let out a drop of precum.
His dragon lady finally relaxed back against the wall. Ryan kissed each of her thighs before doing the same up her body until he could meet her gaze. At the lingering pleasure haze in her eyes, he couldn't stop himself from leaning in and taking her lips in a slow, rough kiss.
Gaby finally pulled away and cupped one of his cheeks. She smiled slowly. "I think I could get used to that."
"Me too, Gaby. Me too." After brushing some of her wet hair off her face, he added, "Let's finish up before your dragon comes out again. Otherwise, she might get a little aggressive and send me flying backward onto the tile floor. I'm all for rough sex, but preferably not the kind that could give me a concussion."
The Dragon's Need (Tahoe Dragon Mates Book 2) Page 3