Storm angled the knife, slicing the carrot.

“You seem preoccupied with something. Are you okay?” Jolene asked, stopping what she was doing so that she could turn to face him.

“I’m just feeling bad we couldn’t go swimming in the ocean like I promised.”

“That’s okay.” Jolene shook her head. “I don’t mind. This is fun too.”

“We’re cooking stir-fry for lunch as our fun thing to do for the day,” Storm muttered. “It’s boring as fuck.”

“It’s not!” She put her hands on her hips. “Are you telling me being cooped up with me is boring?” Then she widened her eyes. “Sex aside of course.” She pointed the knife at him. The one she’d been using to cut chicken with moments earlier. “That better not be what you are saying.”

“Not at all. I live for chopping vegetables…especially when I get to do it with you.” He chuckled.

“Now you’re teasing.”

"I'm enjoying myself just fine. I was just looking forward to taking you out, that's all." After what had happened the day before, they were tightening security around the lairs. That chopper had been far too close to home. It was forbidden right then for humans to leave the safety of the lair. There had been several reports of unknown helicopters scouting the area. They were probably looking for their friends. Hopefully, they found the wreckage soon so that things could go back to normal.

“Yeah, it was scary. Who were they and what did they want?” She took a sip of her white wine.

Storm shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“You said that it’s happened before. That these people started coming into restricted airspace after the first Bride Hunt?”

“Yep.” He nodded. “We went about things differently back then.”

"You said there were fewer background checks."

“Less! There were no background checks and no contractual agreements. The success rates weren’t as high either. Sometimes a female is not a good fit. We sometimes picked females who were just plain nasty. Females like that ended up going back home.”

“They knew about you. About this place.”

“I’m not sure how they managed to pinpoint where we were, we made them wear blindfolds, but yeah.” He nodded. Storm took a big sip of his beer.

“Well,” her eyes turned up in thought, “I think if someone knew you existed, it wouldn’t be that hard to learn where you might be located. I mean, these are vast areas of wilderness. There’s the ocean and the mountains. I think the main giveaway is the restricted airspace, together with the rest of the facts.”

If someone was to put all those together. “I think you might be right. The very thing that’s protecting us is also a dead giveaway.”

"They have no idea, though, where within all these thousands of square miles you are located? Not exactly."

"Thankfully not." Storm shook his head. "That's why they keep flying over. It's like they're working a systematic grid. If they keep trying hard enough, they might just find something."

“You have systems in place, right? Patrols that would alert you if they came too near?”

“Yes, but still. The thing is, even an old military chopper like the one from yesterday could do untold damage to a lair. A silver-infused missile, aimed just right ‒ or wrong, depending on how you looked at it ‒ could take out whole sections at once. What if the royal chamber was hit? We’re all at risk.”

“I’m sure it won’t come to that.” Jolene’s eyes were filled with concern.

"We were almost hunted to extinction centuries ago. That was when dragon slayers still carried silver knives and spears. Now they have missiles and bullets. All silver-infused. All waiting to find their mark. We wouldn't stand a chance. Our species could be decimated."

“Killing for the sake of killing.” She shook her head. “Surely not?” Jolene looked upset. Her eyes blazed. “Then again…I guess it happens all the time.”

Storm had a good idea of what they would be after. He didn't voice his suspicions. "You're right, it does happen all the time. Bloodlust runs strong in all of our veins, except many humans have no honor."

“The government would never allow it. They would put a stop to it.” She sounded skeptical.

“You can’t stop what you don’t even know is happening. According to the world, we don’t even exist. Easy pickings.”

“No.” She shook her head. “Don’t say that.”

“That’s why we need to take them the fuck out. We won’t go easily but, hey…” He lowered his voice to a rumble as he walked over to her, putting his hands on either side of the counter. This way he could close her in. “All this talk of war and death. It’s putting a serious damper on our afternoon.”

Jolene looked up at him through her lashes. “We have a lunch that needs cooking.”

He leaned in so that they were just half an inch apart, speaking directly into her ear. “And you have a pussy that needs eating.”

She gasped, her face turned pink. Jolene giggled when he picked her up.

Storm worried about whether or not she could sense his nervousness. He wondered if she would know. His heart beat wildly as he lay her out on the bed. "Let me help you out of these." He peeled off her leggings, placing kisses along her legs as he did. "Your pussy is about to become well acquainted with my lips," he murmured, only because it was something 'cocky him' would say. He didn't want to let on he wasn't feeling very cocky at that moment.

Jolene smiled, and giggled and smiled some more. Good, she didn’t notice his tension. Storm could relax a little. She was into it…thank claw!

When Storm knelt down on the bed beside her, she pulled her lip between her teeth and bit down lightly. Her gorgeous brown eyes on his. “Let me help you out of this as well,” he said, tugging on her blouse.

She raised her brows. “The perfect gentleman all of a sudden. Normally you just rip my clothes off.”

“There’s a time and a place for everything. This is about being patient and taking things slow.”

“I like that.” Her voice had turned husky.

Storm undid the buttons on her top and peeled it off. Her bra was a thing of fucking beauty. It was turquoise and lace. “You have the most amazing tits I’ve ever seen on a female,” he rasped, tugging on the cups so that her boobs spilled over. Her nipples were pink and succulent looking.

She giggled. “I’m not sure that’s a compliment.”

“I’ve seen plenty of breasts, so trust me, it’s a compliment.” He leaned in and swirled his tongue around one of her puckered beauties.

When he pulled up, her smile had widened. “You’re not supposed to talk about previous conquests.”

“Why not?”

“It spoils the mood.”

“Let’s do a quick check.” He pulled her lace panties to the side, feasting his eyes on her glistening pussy. “That’s what I thought.”

“That’s not…” She moaned when he leaned in and licked her slit. This couldn’t be all that different from fucking. Find her sweet spots ‒ good thing he already knew where those were ‒ and push them. Not too hard. Stroke them was probably a better way to describe it. “Let’s teach this gorgeous pussy of yours how to French kiss.”

She laughed. “You’re so rude.” Her little nub lay nestled between her folds. He found it and licked it. She whimpered, her breathing turning ragged.

Good. This was working. Crystal had given him two tips when it came to going down on a female. Just two. He closed his mouth over her clit and sucked on it. The sucking thing was tip one. A female’s clit was the same as the tip of a male’s cock and should be treated in a similar fashion. He needed to give Jolene head.

“Oh god!” Jolene groaned.

Bingo! It seemed the she-dragon might know her stuff. He licked a couple of times and suckled on that baby again. “Oh, good lord!” Jolene gasped, grabbing his hair so tight it pulled at the roots.

Storm smiled against her pussy. This was working. He pulled her legs over his shoulders and shredded the panel of her underwear for better access. “Feels good,” Jolene mumbled, he could hear she was smiling. She was panting too. Panting plenty.

Everything in him told him to suckle her while fingering her hard. He wanted her to come hard but then he remembered Crystal’s second tip. He needed to prolong her pleasure. He wasn’t allowed to be too impatient.

He circled her clit with his tongue, listening to how her moans turned slightly frustrated. Then he inserted a finger into her tight channel. Just the one. Slow and easy. Her moans reignited. She even rocked into his hand. One quick suckle had her crying out, but he quickly eased off. Not too hurried.

Minutes later and she was begging. “Storm, please…oh god…Storm!” she moaned when he suckled on her. She groaned loudly when he let her clit go. “Please…god…please.”

Aside from loving how she tasted, he loved driving her crazy. It was time, though, to step it up a level, so he added a second finger, plunging them both into her dripping pussy. Her moans turned to keens. "Please, Storm, oh, please." Her hands tightened on his head some more. At this rate, he was going to be bald by the end of this.

Jolene was close. So very close. At this point, he could be cruel and ease off a whole lot, or he could let her come. Call him impatient because he couldn't wait anymore. Storm grinned before crooking his fingers and thrusting just that little bit deeper. He closed his mouth over her clit, loving how she screamed his name. Her thighs closed around his head. Her hands pulled on his hair.

He slowed as she came down. Working his hand slower. Using his tongue instead of his mouth.

When he looked up at her, her head was flung back. Her eyes closed. Her chest heaving. “That was…that was…”

“Good?” he asked.

“No.” She shook her head, still lying flat on the mattress. Her legs were still slung over his shoulders.

“Not good?” Damn, did he screw it up? Did he get it wrong and not even know about it?

“It was the best,” she mumbled.

“As in the best you ever had?” he asked, sounding skeptical. It couldn’t be.

“I know stupid things like that are important to you.” She looked up for a second, letting her head fall back. “So, I’m telling you. Yes, it was the best!”

“What?” Storm frowned and he frowned hard. “How can I be the best at something I’ve never done before?”

She lifted her head, looking at him through still hazy eyes. “What? That was the first time you’ve ever gone down on a woman?”

Storm swallowed thickly. Shit! He hadn’t meant to tell her that. “Yes,” he nodded, feeling like an idiot, “that was the first time.” He shrugged.

Jolene smiled. It was sweet and shy and yet really sultry all at once. “That explains things.” She let her head fall back onto the mattress.

“What does that mean?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” she said.

“No really,” he climbed on top of her, caging her in with his body. “Tell me.”

“Nah, I don’t think I will.”

“Then I might need to punish you.” He lined up with her opening and pushed inside her. So tight. So damn good!

Jolene’s mouth dropped open. Her eyes hazed over. “I think I might like your form of punishment.”

“Me too.” He thrust again and again until both of them were spent.