FIFTEEN
Jae noticed the spark dull in Avery’s eyes the moment he mentioned her not dating in two years. He almost wanted to take the question back, but curiosity wouldn’t let him. He needed to know that she was emotionally available to be with him.
“I was engaged,” she said.
He hadn’t expected that. Then again, Avery wasn’t a dragon. And even his brothers Tor and Clacher at one point almost married others that weren’t their mates. Still, to know his Avery had been engaged clawed a hole in his stomach.
“What happened?”
She took a sip of her drink and smiled as her plate was removed and a clean one placed in front of her. A tray of different desserts were brought out and placed next to them.
“He died. He was a soldier. He was on his fourth deployment but he didn’t come home from the last one.” The raw emotion in her voice and the scent of her pain made the moment even harder to bear. “We were taking things easy. That was his last deployment. He was going to switch jobs and we were going to get married.” She glanced up, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. “He was a really good friend.”
“I’m sorry.” He hated seeing her hurting.
She shook her head and took another drink. “I didn’t feel for Darren even half of what you’re making me feel.”
His chest squeezed and happiness spread through him. “You didn’t?”
“No. But I knew him all my life. He was a good friend so it hurt for him to die. He was a nice guy.”
He realized then that she wasn’t upset over losing a lover. She was upset over losing her friend. “So why did you choose not to date after?”
She shrugged and glanced at the cart, picked a chocolate mousse cake with vanilla ice cream and put it on her plate. “It was easy not to.”
He was fascinated by her way of thinking. “What do you mean easy?”
“Think about it. Dating is all about games. What men want. What women want. Nobody is ever truthful and if they are, it is rare. I didn’t want to play games, so I stayed out of the dating scene.” She snorted and took a bite of cake. A soft moan sounded from her, making his dick hard. “Believe me, it wasn’t hard to do.”
“I understand.”
“What about you? Why aren’t you married with ten kids right now?”
He wasn’t sure how to explain it to her, but he tried. “I’ve spent my entire life looking for my mate.”
She frowned. “I thought only wolves had mates.”
“No. My kind does, too. My two brothers, Tor and Clacher, have already found their mates and have children with them.”
“How do you know you’ve met your mate?”
“We get matching marks.”
She choked on her ice cream. “Have you gotten a mark?”
“No. So if a woman gets a mark, what does that mean?”
He shrugged. “Probably not my mate, but we couldn’t be sure until a male gets his mark, too.”
She went quiet for a moment. “Does your brother Ker have a mark?”
He shook his head. “No. Right now we are both searching for our mates.”
“So what does this mean for us?” she asked, pushing the plate away, leaving most of her dessert uneaten.
He grabbed her hand across the table. “Fuck the mate mark, Avery. I want you. Only you. I know my feelings won’t change.”
“But how can you be sure?”
He wasn’t, but he knew in his heart this—what he was feeling for her—was more than lust. This need to be with her, to show her the amazing world she’d been missing and bring her as much happiness as possible had to be more than desire. His heart told him it was love. He might not have felt human love before, but if he fated mates felt the instant connection to each other, why couldn’t he feel instant love for Avery?
“Do you believe in love at first sight?”
Her gaze shot up from her plate to meet his. There was shock and hope in her eyes. “I don’t know. I’m starting to think so.”
After dinner, he called the limo to take her home. He sensed her struggling with something so he didn’t push her to speak to him. They rode in an amicable silence, her hand in his.
As they neared her home, her internal struggle became obvious, until she turned to face him in the seat next to him.
“Jae?”
He loved how she licked her lips. “Everything okay?”
“There’s something I want to say, so I’m just going to say it.” She probably didn’t realize she was squeezing his hand, not that he minded. He’d let her touch him all over if it meant having her near. “I want you. I’ve never wanted a man with this depth of emotion. It scares me a little, but,” she leaned closer and the scent of her desire woke his dragon. This was the first time his animal was interested in her. “I can’t leave this car tonight without knowing.”
“Knowing what?”
She leaned so close, he had to fight his instinct to grab her and hold her tight.
“How it would feel,” she whispered, brushing her lips lightly over his. “How you would taste…”
All bets were off at that point. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her on to his lap, pressing their lips harder together. He thrust his tongue into her mouth and she came alive. Her arms wound around his neck, her tongue rubbed over his, flicking back and forth, driving him fucking crazy.
The kiss turned deep. Hot. He ached for more of her. It felt as if a long lost part of him had unlocked and his heart was rejoicing for the intimacy. He drove his fingers into her hair, holding her head in place so he could suck on her tongue, slide his lips over hers and savor her like the finest wine he’d ever had.
Her desire grew, the scent of her need filled the inside of the limo. It was fucking hard to not take her then and there. But he didn’t want the back seat of a car as his first time with Avery. Even if it was a limo.
She deserved more. She deserved everything. What no woman had ever made him feel, she had managed with just a few days. Now that he’d had a small taste, he wanted more. The beast inside him hungered for a proper feast of her body. He wanted to consume her and bring her to the heights of pleasure. He would, too. Soon.
The limo stopped and he pulled back, cutting the amazing kiss short. She was panting, her breaths as ragged as his. Her pupils were dilated and desire was bright in her gaze.
“We’re here,” he grumbled.
She blinked. “Oh.”
Slowly, she slipped off his lap and back to her seat. He’d have her like that again. On his lap. In the back of the limo. Many fucking times. And he’d watch her come as the light of the moon hit her face from the back window.
He opened the door and helped her out. She was quiet as he walked her to her door. He waited until she had the front door open and was ready to watch her walk inside before he went home.
“Jae?” She smiled, a sexy, sultry smile that made his cock hard.
“Yes, beautiful?”
“Knowing is good. I think it might get me in trouble.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because…I think I want more.” She took a step in front of him, grabbed the front of his coat and pulled him down.
He kissed her again, a short desperate taste of the one woman he couldn’t get enough of. She was sweet, warm and made his heart race. She slowly pulled back, her tongue swiping over her lips as if she couldn’t get enough of his taste. Fucking hell that was sexy.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this? For us?” he asked.
She smiled wider, making his stomach clench. “Yes. This isn’t something I can deny.”
He cupped her cheek and met her gaze. “Give us a chance, Avery. Give a relationship between us more than a passing thought.”
She bit her lip but he sensed her acceptance before she spoke. “Okay. This is not how I would do things but you’ve managed to turn my life on its head and I kind of love it.”
That smile she gave him made up for every moment he’d spent searching for the woman that was right for him. He no longer cared if he ever got a mate. He had her. “I will never play any games with you. You mean too much to me.”
She nodded. “That’s all I need to hear.”
“Are you busy tomorrow?”
She grabbed the hand he had on her cheek and held it to her face. “No. I’ll never be too busy for you.” She looked at his lips again and he had to tell himself groping her in front of her house wasn’t all that romantic. “If we’re going to give us a go, I’m not putting up any excuses. What do you have in mind?”