by Zoe Chant
Maybe she wasn’t meant for the boring but safe IT route her family had wanted her to take. And maybe she’d also never get the job she’d studied for, running some small department at a museum, teaching visiting school kids.
But that didn’t mean that she had to throw away all of her dreams.
She had no idea what a dragon shifter dreamed of. And she knew that Jonathan had lots of regrets about his own past.
But maybe they could move past all of that together. Build a new life, find a new dream.
Find their own little White Christmas.
Jonathan touched her cheek, smiling as he wiped away yet another snowflake.
At the gentle touch, she felt another surge of warmth. His touch made little pinpricks of heat burst beneath her skin, her heartbeat coming faster as she looked at him, entranced by the way his eyes shone. They were brighter than the stars in the night sky.
Then he kissed her again. The melody of the violinist wove around them, surrounding them as if someone had wrapped them in layers of soft silk.
In the coldness of the night, the heat of his tongue nudging her lips was shocking. She gasped softly, clutching at his shoulders.
He still smelled of the spices of the mulled wine, warm and comforting, and she knew that there was only one single thing she’d wish for this Christmas.
To feel like this until the end of her life. To spend every future Christmas in her ice dragon’s arms.
***
Angel had never been happier about getting to stay in a luxury suite.
Because it meant that the dogs were sleeping curled up on cushions in their living room—and that they could sneak past them, hand in hand, and then hastily shut the door of their bedroom before clingy Lola could come after them and demand to sleep on the bed.
They’d been interrupted once before. Now, still giddy from the hours of twirling around the ballroom, Angel wouldn’t let anyone—or anything—interrupt them again.
“Careful,” she said, giggling softly when she nearly tripped over her gown.
Apparently some things never changed—she might look smoking hot in it, but the second she was alone with Jonathan in her bedroom, she revealed herself to be the same hopeless klutz she’d always been.
Like turning back into a pumpkin when the clock strikes midnight. Fortunately he already knows I’m no princess.
“I’ve got you,” he said, his voice escaping him in a deep, playful growl.
Effortlessly, he picked her up to carry her the remaining five steps to the bed. She giggled again and kicked her legs.
Maybe she was no real princess, but damn, it felt good to be treated like one just once in her life.
“This time,” he murmured when he put her down, “nothing and no one’s going to interrupt us. No wolves, no blizzards—and no Diego.”
“Shh.” She pressed her finger to his lips. “Don’t say his name or he’ll hear you.”
“The dire wolf?” His eyes gleamed teasingly as he joined her on the bed, reaching out for the zipper of her silk gown.
“Diego,” she said, then hastily covered her mouth with her own hand, giving him a look of playful annoyance. “Hey, you tricked me!”
“I think Dara’s assistant tired them out when she took them for a walk. They look as if they’re going to sleep for a week now.”
“They better.” Angel moved back up to her knees and held up her arms so that Jonathan could pull off the gown.
She shivered in pleasure at the sensation. The silk felt incredible against her skin. It was the softest, smoothest sensation she’d ever felt.
And with every inch of her skin that was exposed, Jonathan’s mouth followed along, pressing kisses to her side, the top of her breast, her collarbone, her shoulder.
Carefully, he put the gown down on a chair next to the bed. And then he reached out for her again, his hands sliding around her back until he found the fastening of her bra.
Slowly, he unhooked it. Angel leaned back onto the bed, loving the way the sight of her generous curves made his eyes go dark with desire again.
“You’re wearing too much,” she teased as she stretched out on the huge, soft bed. She wasn’t exactly an expert when it came to luxury resorts, but the sheets beneath her felt as soft and smooth as the silk of her dress.
Teasingly, she began to draw her panties down.
Jonathan was still staring at her, his eyes dark and hungry.
“Your shirt,” she reminded him, laughing as she shook her head. No one had ever looked at her like that.
It was more than just desire. More than just need—although even now, her body was pulsing with yearning for his touch.
He looked at her as if she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. As if he couldn’t believe that she was here with him, when really it was Angel who’d never, ever expected to find herself in a bed with silk sheets, and a man who made every single inch of her skin burn with desire.
He laughed, softly and hoarsely. “Sorry.”
His eyes were still riveted to her as he began to carelessly unbutton his shirt.
She’d seen him naked before—but this time, with nothing and no one to distract her from the view, she felt heat spread through her until her entire body was taut with need for him.
In the soft, warm light that filled the room, his chest was a tantalizing vision of hard muscles. His pecs were broad and smooth, the muscles of his stomach beneath rippling, a perfect six pack that begged to be explored by her fingers.
Instead, she kept watching, her breath catching in her throat as he dropped his hands to his jeans and popped open the button.
When he pulled them off, she could see that he was just as aroused as her, his erection dark with blood and hard as steel.
She could barely wait anymore—but instead of finally drawing her into his arms, he trailed his fingers up her ankle, all the way up to her knee.
There, he bent his head down, his lips brushing a kiss to her skin.
Little by little, he worked his way up, kissing every inch of her thigh—and moving so slowly that she thought she was going to die from need before he’d even make it to where he was obviously aiming for.
She could feel that her folds were already wet with need for him, more of her arousal dripping from her the longer he took to tease her.
Still, she wouldn’t have stopped him for anything in the world.
No one had ever taken so much time with her. And no one had ever made her feel so good. Just the sensation of his lips against her thigh sent ripples of need through her, her clit throbbing with desire.
And when he finally reached her folds, his finger gently exploring her while his tongue followed his fingers, she dimly realized that she was moaning, her thighs splayed wide open in surrender.
One of his fingers slipped inside her. She bit her lips to keep quiet at the sensation that only made her yearn for more—for him, inside her, filling her.
And then his tongue licked up to where her swollen clit was throbbing, circling it teasingly as she arched beneath him.
“Oh, god, please,” she gasped, burying her fingers in the sheets as the heat inside her rose, the touch of his tongue driving her on and on.
Then his tongue touched her clit, caressing her demandingly as he slipped a second finger inside her, crooking them just so.
Climax rushed over her so suddenly it felt half like drowning, half like being carried away by a storm. Ecstasy tore through her with sudden intensity. Her body tightened around his fingers again and again as pleasure pulsed through her, so overwhelming that she almost forgot to breathe.
“I’ve wanted to do that since I first saw you,” he murmured, finally releasing her to move up on the bed.
Breathlessly, she watched as he reached out for the nightstand, then pulled out a small, square packet of foil.
“So did I...” With a sigh, she reached out to run her hand down his arm. “And there’s more I wanted you to do.”
“Oh?” he a
sked teasingly as he ripped open the foil. “Anything in particular?”
“You know exactly what I want,” she muttered, watching with appreciation as he smoothed the condom over his erection. “Don’t make me beg for it.”
He chuckled as he moved back over her, his eyes gleaming. “Maybe you would like to?”
Another wave of need ran through her at her words. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. “I want you to have me, to claim me. I want to feel you deep inside me. Please.”
He groaned. She could feel his cock pulsing against her thigh, so hard and hot that it took her breath away.
And then his hips came forward, and he began to slide inside her.
The sensation was incredible. She was so sensitive now that she had to dig her nails into his shoulder to keep from moaning. And then he pulled out slightly, only to push in deeper, and a helpless sound of need broke free from her throat anyway.
“Is this what you had in mind?”
He could still talk, the bastard, but she was gratified to hear how breathless he sounded, his words little more than a growl escaping his chest.
On his next slide in, she gasped, wrapping one thigh around his hip. He made an approving sound, pushing in even deeper.
His skin was hot against hers as he moved, damp with perspiration. With every thrust, she could feel the muscles of his body tensing against hers, his breath hot and fast against her throat.
She was gasping for breath, holding on for dear life as he filled her again and again. The friction drove her almost insane with need.
Her inner muscles were clenching around him as if to keep him inside her forever, her body aflame with pleasure—and then he slid his hand between them. His fingertip found her overstimulated clit, and she dimly heard herself cry out as pleasure came rushing through her with all the force of sudden lightning.
Chapter Twelve: Jonathan
Angel stretched luxuriously against him, making a pleased little sound when he nuzzled against her neck.
It had taken a few minutes to recover from the intensity of his climax. But although the need for her was less intense now, there was still a fierce, wild part of him, buried deep inside his heart, that wouldn’t find rest until they were truly bonded.
The bond between them had already grown. It had been faint before. But now that they were resting skin to skin, her heart against his, he could feel a faint echo of her own pleasure and happiness that ran through him like liquid, golden honey.
“Mmm, so what’s next?” she sighed at last.
With a playful growl, he nibbled her shoulder. “Next, we do this all over again.”
She giggled and batted lazily at his head, although she didn’t resist. “Not that, silly. I mean, what are we going to do next?”
“See if Henrik has any news about the dire wolf,” Jonathan said. “Though I wouldn’t be surprised if he ran off, now that another dragon got involved. And I suppose you should go check your emails to see if the Mitchells got your message about what happened.”
“Ugh.” Angel grimaced. “And the insurance wanted to call back as soon as they can send someone out here.”
“Either way, plenty to do, and none of it as much fun as what we just did.” He traced one of her breasts with his hands, loving the weight of it against his palm, and the way she arched when he flicked his thumb against her nipple.
“Nngh, stop distracting me.” She didn’t sound as if she really wanted him to stop. “And I meant, what are we going to do about your family? You need to find your sister. Maya hasn’t seen you in ages!”
Jonathan stiffened, then rolled away from Angel. “No. I can’t. I made a deal. I need to stay dead to the dragon world. It was already a mistake to involve Henrik—but that couldn’t be helped.”
“Don’t be stupid.” Angel rolled against him, wrapping an arm around him as she rested her shoulder on his chin. “Men. Did no one ever teach you that the only way to solve a problem is by talking? Running away isn’t going to fix this.”
“It did before,” he pointed out. “That was the deal.”
She snorted. “Fixed it for Vincent’s dad, maybe. But what about you? You miss your family. Don’t pretend you don’t. This is going to sound weird, but—I can feel it, inside you. Like a little cloud of darkness.”
“The mate bond,” he said tonelessly.
Of course. It wasn’t just he who could feel her happiness. Now that their mate bond was growing in strength, she’d also be able to see the secrets he’d hidden away from the world.
Which was exactly how he wanted it to be. He didn’t want to have secrets from his mate, not ever.
But in this one thing, he was right, even if she couldn’t understand.
He’d caused his family enough harm. If pretending that he was dead was the only way to make up for it, then that was what he’d do.
“Mate bond,” she repeated thoughtfully. “That’s why I sometimes feel like I know what you’re thinking?”
Jonathan nodded again. “It’s what happens when we find our mates. And once we are truly mated, no one will ever be able to destroy the bond between us."
"Mates," she repeated thoughtfully. "Like soul mates?"
"Exactly like that."
"So how exactly does it work?" She thoughtfully wound one of her tight, dark curls around her finger, then released the strand. "Is there, I don't know—a ceremony? Do we have to wait for the full moon? Do we cut our fingers and let our blood mingle?"
Jonathan couldn't help the laugh that broke free. "No," he said, grinning, "but I'm starting to see why you'd make an excellent museum educator for children. It's much easier than that. And less exciting. And also less child-appropriate."
"Oh," she said, her eyes widening when she seemed to realize at last what he was talking about. "You mean—"
"I'd have to claim you. Truly claim you. If that’s what you want,” he added hastily. “You can’t trick someone into it. We both need to want it.”
"You mean, it will always feel like this? Like there's a part of me that knows you?"
"Always," he said hoarsely. "Even when we're apart, you'd carry a part of my soul in your heart. And you would always be with me."
Her eyes were still so wide that he could barely see the rim of brown around the black circle of her pupils.
"Incredible," she breathed. One of her hands came up and pressed against Jonathan's chest, who could feel his heart pounding.
Even now, he could sense the developing bond. And he knew that she could feel it too.
He could feel her wonder faintly come through it. Her wonder—and her love.
He could feel her need for him, which fed into his own need for her, until the urge to pull her against him and kiss her breathless grew almost overwhelming.
She licked her lips, and he couldn't look away from her petal-soft mouth. Then, behind her joy, he felt another truth through the bond—her bone-deep exhaustion.
He smiled wryly when he realized that he was just as tired.
As much as he ached to hold her in his arms and truly claim her as his mate, now was perhaps not the best of times. Not with both of them barely able to keep their eyes open.
“It sounds beautiful.” She smiled as she ran her fingers down his arm, then winked. “And useful. Especially if you’re going to keep dealing with your problems like most men.”
“Hey,” he protested, “I dealt with my problems like any dragon from an honorable family would.”
“Same thing.” She grinned at him, then yawned, tugging at his shoulder until he settled down again. She snuggled into his embrace. “Anyway, let’s make another deal. We’ll deal with it all tomorrow. Because I don’t know about you, but I’m utterly exhausted.”
“It’s been a few very long days,” he said softly and pressed his lips to the warm curls of her hair. “Goodnight, love.”
“Night, my stubborn dragon.”
***
In the morning, they took the dogs for a quick
walk. One of the local kids helping out at Snow Castle had volunteered to dog-sit for them, and so they left Diego and Lola with the girl before they made their way to the resort’s lavish breakfast.
“Over here.” Dara waved at them from a door. “We thought that we could have breakfast together and catch up before Henrik has to head out again.”
“He’s a busy man.” Angel laughed, eagerly piling her plate high with eggs, bacon, and yogurt with fresh fruit.
Jonathan followed suit, adding a tower of pancakes as the dragon inside him unfolded his wings in greedy approval.
He felt better already. The day and night of rest had begun to restore his energies. Right now, he’d probably even be able to shift without killing himself.
Another week of rest, and he’d be back to where he’d been before he’d gone into the ice.
Henrik looked busy indeed, hastily hiding a letter with a guilty look at his mate when they entered the small, separate room where he and Dara had prepared a table for them.
“Sorry. No business during breakfast, I know.”
“Not unless it’s important,” Dara said, shaking her head at Henrik as she closed the door behind them. “Is it?”
“No. Just our supplier asking to change a delivery date.”
With a grin, Dara grabbed the letter from his lap and shoved it into her pocket. “Then it can wait half an hour.”
Laughing as well, Henrik raised his hands in surrender. “All right, all right. Breakfast first.”
“I’m just as much of a workaholic as he is,” Dara explained to Jonathan and Angel, “at least when it comes to Snow Castle. But some things are sacred.”
“Like having breakfast together every day,” Henrik agreed, stealing a piece of bacon from his mate’s plate.
“We always try to eat together, no matter how busy our days are.”
“Usually Leo is with us as well,” Henrik said, “and we’re eating out there together with our guests. But I think we need some privacy today, and I don’t want Leo to get scared of wolves.”
Jonathan nodded. “Any news of that dire wolf?”
In response, Henrik shook his head. “If he’s still around, he must have gone into hiding. I went out again at night to circle the mountains, but couldn’t pick up anything unusual.”