Somehow, Ethan had managed to get a vehicle and extracted himself from the other members of The Club. He’d spent a few minutes behind closed doors with Mr. Cross, but he had soon emerged and ushered her out onto the street and into the car. It was an ordinary sedan instead of his flashy sports car, but he still held the door for her before going around to get in.
“I think your car is probably totaled,” he said quietly, his eyes fierce and sober as he watched the road. “But I’ll get you a new one. What kind do you want?”
“Don’t worry about that right now; it’s not important.” Resa hadn’t given a thought to her car. Nothing had mattered other than getting out of that awful place alive. And getting a shirt on, which the bartender had helped her with once they had come inside.
“Don’t worry about your cell or your computer, either. I can replace those very easily.”
She shook her head and looked out the window, wondering why things had to feel so awkward now. It had been easier when she had been a captive in his guest bedroom. “I appreciate it, but it’s not necessary.”
Ethan turned onto the highway. “I’d offer to take you home, but I don’t think it’s safe. I don’t know how much information the hunters had on you, or if they had relayed any of it to their other cells. It’s not hard to figure out where people live, so I’d rather you lay low while we wait things out.”
“Can I at least go by and get some clothes?”
Ethan’s knuckles whitened as his fists tightened around the steering wheel. “No, I think it’s best not to. We’ll have some things delivered.”
They said little else as they made their way back to his house. Resa’s heart jumped when she saw the mansion again, surprising her. She realized that she hadn’t really thought about her shabby apartment since she’d last seen it almost a week ago.
Ethan escorted her through the house, no longer holding her by the elbow or watching her to make sure she didn’t escape. He paused at her door. “Actually, come with me to the library. I think we should talk for a little bit.”
Resa nodded, swallowing the nausea that was washing over her as the reality of what she had just done hit her. It was the contrast of the nasty house the hunters occupied to Ethan’s lovely one, the difference between the way those men treated her and the way Ethan did. He had tried to portray himself as a grouchy, rich asshole, but only one of those things was really true.
They reached the library and he waved her to a leather couch while he crossed the room to a crystal decanter on a side table. “Whiskey?”
“Please.”
He handed her a glass with a generous shot and sat down next to her. “I know you’re going to want to write about this,” he said quietly.
Resa’s stomach stuck to her spine. This was going to be the hard part. He would offer her money or threaten her to keep her from sharing her story with the world, but it wasn’t going to work. She had literally gone through a trial by fire, and even a dragon wasn’t enough to scare her now. She took a slow sip of the amber liquid and felt the fire of it down her throat.
“I’ve already been writing it in my head, to be honest.”
Ethan nodded. “I had a feeling. But I want you to know that I don’t plan to stop you.”
“You don’t?”
“I blamed you for the fact that people are interested in dragons, but I was being a hypocrite. I wasn’t doing anything different with my software company; I just tried to find ways to justify it because I didn’t know how I could possibly change it. You can write whatever you want to, and you can even tell people that it’s real, and I’m not going to do a damn thing about it.”
Resa looked down as she rolled the glass between her palms and chewed the inside of her lip. “I’m surprised to hear you say that, but the fact is I don’t plan to market it as the truth. I want my story to be out there, but I still want it to be mine. A fantastic tale of fiction, as real as it might seem, isn’t going to put me in harm’s way of the hunters or get me interviews on the news. In fact, there’s no telling if anyone will even buy my story. But at least it will still be mine.”
She thought she saw the barest tremble of a smile on his lips as he stood and went to the window. “That’s entirely up to you. Would you humor me and stay here a day or two while I have your apartment checked out?”
“I don’t think that’s enough time.” Her mouth said the words without consulting her brain, but she knew it was right. She continued when he looked over his shoulder at her questioningly. “I still haven’t gotten a chance to get to know you, and I’d like to. Not for the paper or for my blog, but because I just need to. For myself.”
Ethan turned to her fully and slowly set his drink down on a nearby shelf. He was so sexy as he stood there in front of her. His head had nearly healed, leaving only a pale scar against his hairline. He smelled of fire and whiskey and cologne, a scent that had been driving her crazy. “As a man or as a dragon?” he asked huskily.
“Both.”
His electric blue eyes met hers directly. “You don’t know how glad I am to hear you say that.” He had her in his arms in a second, his muscles holding her tightly against his hard body as he kissed her.
Resa softened in his arms, forming herself to him as she touched her fingertips to his angular jaw, relished in the softness of his thick stubble, and pulled him down on top of her. The leather of the couch was cool and smooth, but Ethan’s body was on fire as his hands explored her hair, her ribs, her hips. She arched herself against him, eager for more of his touch.
“I need you,” he whispered against her neck. “I’ve needed you from the first moment I saw you, but I knew it when I found you on the roof of my office. You’re strong, and beautiful, and so damn stubborn, but I need you so badly.” His grip was strong as he massaged his way up her leg and cupped her ass.
“Take me,” she whispered. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so turned on in her life, and she needed him more desperately than anything else. Even the book could go flying out the window, as long as she could have this with him. “Please, if there’s anything you do for me, let it be that.”
He didn’t let go of her as he removed her clothes, keeping one arm around her waist and his lips pressed against her neck. His strong hands peeled back the thin material of her panties, and he moved down on the couch to kiss each breast as he freed them from the confines of her bra.
Resa undid the buttons on his shirt and ran her hands across the strong planes of his chest, letting her thumbs linger in the soft down of hair before she pushed the garment off his shoulders. She ripped desperately at his belt buckle, eager to feel his erection without a layer of denim in between them. Soon enough, she was rewarded with his hard member between her hands, the soft skin stretched tightly over it. Resa traced the surface of his cock with her fingertips, pleased that Ethan wasn’t driving that expensive car to compensate for anything.
Skin-to-skin, Resa could feel his heat like she never had before. It filled the room and consumed her, burning her to her very core. She quivered with excitement as her bare breasts lay against his chest, and his hardness pushed against her. Widening her legs to let him in, she wrapped them around him and clung tightly as he entered her.
The moan he let out turned her on all the more, knowing that he did for her what she did for him. Resa bucked her hips against his and traced her lips along his neck, reveling in the way he filled her up. Their heartbeats synchronized, the pulse vibrating out through the universe. Ethan had saved her life in so many ways, and this final joining was the only thing she lacked. Her core grew wet and slick as he pounded into her, waves rippling through her body and begging him never to stop.
Ethan obliged, roaring his pleasure as he came. When he finished, he scooped her up off the couch and carried her out of the library in his arms, bending his head to kiss her breasts as he walked.
“Where are we going?” she giggled, seeing their clothes lying abandoned on the library floor as they came out into the hallway and Ethan turned toward the stairs.
“To my bedroom,” he replied roughly. “I don’t think I’m done with you yet.”
Ethan carried her carefully up the stairs and laid her down on the plush down comforter. His eyes locked with hers and a playful grin spread across his face. Bringing his lips to her neck, he slowly began to nibble on her soft flesh. She closed her eyes to take in every beat of pleasure. She felt his fingers wrap around her hips and his tongue lightly caressed her nipples as they tightened with anticipation.
Resa’s hips began to squirm as her lips let out a soft moan. “I can’t take it anymore…you’re driving me crazy,” she managed to whisper. She felt his warm breath on her stomach as he let out a teasing laugh and slowly planted a trail of kisses, making his way down between her thighs.
Ethan took his time as his tongue explored her folds for the first time. Her hands reached down and she gasped, running her fingers through his hair as he used his mouth to playfully suck on her clit. He slipped a finger inside her and began to work in a steady rhythm, all the while using her moans as his cue to speed up or slow down his approach.
Resa gripped the duvet as fire and tension built within, and moments later, her back arched, a flood of pleasure shooting through her core. She cried out, her body shuddering as sheer ecstasy rippled through her. As she rode out the ebbing waves of her orgasm, he continued his ministrations, ensuring she experienced every last exquisite sensation.
“That was incredible,” she breathed, melting into the bed and relishing the euphoric buzz that hummed through her.
Ethan made his way up beside her and spooned her, holding her close as he smiled against the back of her neck. “You’re incredible, Resa,” he murmured, and within seconds, both drifted into a deep, blissful, satisfying sleep.