Chapter 13
As the fur fell behind them, Lyrian heaved a sigh of relief. She thought she’d never get a chance to be alone with Brad. Everyone had wanted to talk to him, pat him on the back, and welcome him back.
Didn’t they realise she had a very private reunion she wanted to have with him? Weren’t they all aware that their mating night had been interrupted by all this?
Oh, a few people certainly were. Nate had teased his brother a couple of times, a wry understanding in his eyes. He was in the same position, sharing longing looks with his own new mate. But there had been less attention on them, and they’d managed to slip away at least an hour ago.
But Lyrian and Brad had been caught talking to Ostrian. For the first time since she’d met him, the old dragon had wanted to chat. And chat. And chat.
He’d spent nearly an hour telling them about the history of the dragon’s departure from England, and how he’d figured out that dragons needed humans to help them produce life dragons.
In all fairness, it had been a fascinating story. At any other time, Lyrian would have loved to hear more. Brad had seemed fascinated too, but his hand caressing her thigh under the table had told her that he was either doing a very good job of pretending, or he was better at dividing his attention than she was.
But now they were finally alone. Lyrian swept all that into the past and focused on her mate. Taking his hand, she drew him towards the pile of furs in the middle of the room.
“Good idea,” Brad said, following her without hesitation. “I intend to take my time this time, so lying down is a good plan.”
Lyrian giggled, excitement and anticipation running through her. “I thought so.” She sat down pulling Brad with her.
Brad settled himself on the furs in front of her and reached out to cup her cheek, his fingers warm and gentle. “I’ve missed you so much.”
Lyrian should point out to him that they had been apart for less than a day. That a separation like that would happen plenty of times in their lives together for one reason or another. But she didn’t. She knew exactly what he meant. “I missed you, too.”
Her eyes filled with tears. This separation had been so much worse because she hadn’t known what was going to happen, or when she would see him again. The time apart had seemed to stretch on forever, with no end in sight.
Yet, it had ended, and they were together again. She needed to trust in that. That no matter what happened, they would find a way. She’d almost lost sight of that belief when they’d been apart.
Luckily, she was pretty sure she knew exactly how to strengthen that belief for the future.
Reaching out a hand, she cupped his cheek, rubbing over the stubble he hadn’t had a chance to shave for a few days, enjoying the rough feeling. “I love you, Brad.”
The words brought an instant smile to his face, the expression so full of love that Lyrian felt her heart would overflow. “I love you, too,” he said softly. Then he put his other hand up to her other cheek and pulled her in for a kiss.
Heat flooded through Lyrian as soon as their lips touched, all the pent-up need and want and longing that she’d been holding back for the last day becoming instantly alight. Now that their separation was over, she wasn’t sure how she hadn’t been achingly aware of this need the whole time they’d been apart.
It was so great it consumed her. It couldn’t possibly have come out of nowhere, could it? And she couldn’t have been suppressing a feeling this strong so well that she’d been unaware of it.
But that must have been what she’d been doing.
She’d worried so much about being able to separate her love for Brad and her responsibility to the clan, but when it had come down to it, it had just happened. Oh, not that she hadn’t been worried about Brad the whole time, but it had been tied to being worried about her clan. He was part of her clan, a very important part for her, and taking care of her clan had been taking care of him at the same time.
Relief flowed through her along with desire. She could do this. She could be a princess and Brad’s mate at the same time. The two were connected, intertwined, not separate and opposing.
Brad pulled back for a moment and looked down at her, his eyes dark. “I was so afraid that I wouldn’t see you again.”
The raw need in his voice echoed the need in her heart. “I was too,” she admitted. For a moment, she let herself remember that scared feeling, how powerless it had made her feel. Then she pushed it away and forced a smile. “But we don’t need to be afraid. This, what we have together, it’s stronger than any force that might try to push us apart. We can make it work.”
Brad gave her a lopsided smile. “Yeah, we seem to have. I’m not quite sure how, but somehow, it all seemed to turn out all right in the end.” He shook his head, as though he couldn’t quite figure it out.
“If you trust in our love for each other, then you’ll realise that there is nothing we can’t overcome together,” Lyrian said firmly. “That’s what love is, it’s determination to let nothing stand in the way of being together. A determination so great that there’s nothing it can’t overcome.”
Brad stared at her for a moment, his eyes searching hers. “But what if there’s something out there it can’t overcome?” His voice was doubtful, but Lyrian could hear a note of longing in it. A wish to believe, even if he struggled to. “There are so many things that could come between us, the police nearly did. It was just luck that it all worked out the way it did.”
“Luck, or determination? There’s a fine line between the two.” Lyrian gave him a smile. It was a hard concept for him, she could see that. And it might take him time to realise that it was true. But he already knew in his heart, his actions proved that. “Was there any moment when we were apart when you were prepared to give up on trying to get back to me?”
Brad shook his head immediately, without hesitation. “It wouldn’t have mattered what happened, I would have spent the rest of my life trying to get back to you.”
Lyrian smiled. “See. That’s determination. That’s why you are here. Not luck. We make our own luck.”
Brad caressed her cheek, staring into her eyes, his expression caught between hopeful and disbelieving. “You really think so?”
“I do,” Lyrian said firmly. She kissed him, letting every bit of the way she felt about him, how determined she was to never to let him go, flood through her. Hopefully he could feel her determination. Hopefully it would help tip the scales towards believing.
He kissed her back with a passion that matched her own, something, at least, certain in his mind. Love swelled in Lyrian’s heart.
They fell back onto the furs in a tangle, their lips never parting.
Lyrian ran her hands over his body, unable to get enough of the feel of him, of his abs under her hand, of the strong muscles in his arms as he pulled her hard against him. She could feel the heat of his body through his clothes, warming her in a way she never expected to experience.
Somehow, she wasn’t even quite sure how, they divested each other of their clothes. Lyrian groaned as she pressed herself up against Brad. The lack of clothes was better, closer, but it wasn’t enough.
Luckily, he seemed to feel as impatient as she did. He rolled over on top of her, his weight pinning her to the furs, and Lyrian moaned with need. “Brad,” she whispered. “My mate.”
She still found it hard to believe that he was hers. It had been a long journey, and there had been times when she’d doubted that they would make it to this point, but every struggle, every moment of hardship and doubt, had been worth it.
“My mate,” he returned, the words almost a growl. He kissed her with a fierceness that sent heat flooding through her.
Lyrian shifted her hips under him, bringing her legs up and wrapping them around him. His groan of pleasure only encouraged her. She shifted a little under him, tilting her pelvis to bring them even closer.
He held back for a few moments, saying breathlessly, “I wanted to take things slow, to take my time in pleasuring you.” His protest sounded both disappointed and pleased.
“Later,” Lyrian growled back at him. “Right now, I want to feel you inside me, to know you are mine and always will be.”
That was all the encouragement he needed. He thrust into her with a groan, filling her fully. A moan of pleasure escaped her lips.
“I will always be yours.” Brad’s voice was breathless as he proved his words with his actions. “There is no place I’d rather be, than right here, right now.”
Lyrian clung to him as a whirlwind of desire caught hold of her, swinging her around and around, carrying her higher and higher. But Lyrian knew that Brad would never let her fall. His lips met hers as glorious ecstasy flashed through her, carrying her higher than she’d ever flown, and leaving every cell in her body tingling with pleasure.
Brad groaned at the same moment, thrusting into her and holding, murmuring her name over and over, kissing her passionately.
Lyrian pulled back to gasp for breath, and to stare into his eyes.
He smiled lovingly at her. “Next time, we are going to go a little slower,” he insisted.
“We’ll see,” Lyrian teased, then gasped, as he kissed her again, desire already stirring.