Chapter Eighteen
Ezra was ready for a fight. No way was he going to let Sam leave. What he wasn’t prepared for was for her to grab him by the face and plant her lips on his.
Inside, his dragon went from growling to practically purring like a kitten, the damn creature was so happy.
He didn’t know what to think of Sam. She was unlike any other woman he’d ever met. He’d known his share of gorgeous, intelligent, and sexy women, but Sam eclipsed them all.
She’d shown the same enthusiasm for the cheap trinkets lining his office walls as she did for the gold, silver, and jewels in his larger safe. Come to think of it, she’d seemed more enthralled by what was down in his office.
Nor did she believe he’d destroyed the ships he’d gotten the treasure from, when it was a logical conclusion to reach. After all, he was a sea drakon. He could travel the ocean scuttling boats at will. And maybe some of his brethren had, although most drakons would not harm innocents. But if a boat filled with Knights of the Dragon happened to be crossing an ocean… Let’s just say he wouldn’t condemn any drakon for sinking the damn thing.
“Stop thinking and kiss me,” Sam demanded. She was right. The rest could wait. He had her warm and willing in his arms. Nothing else mattered.
She was his. He didn’t like the continued talk of her leaving. While it warmed him to know she was concerned about him, it made his blood run cold to imagine her out there in the world alone with the Knights searching for her.
He slid his tongue past her lips, claiming her sweet mouth as his own. Her moan of pleasure went straight to his dick, making the damn thing stand at attention and demand release from the confines of his jeans.
He knew he had to get out to the Easton and talk with his crew, check out the man representing the Knights. Dawn was long past, and he knew his crew would already be hard at work. The first thing they’d do is send down divers to assess the shape of the Integrity. They need to see if the holes could be patched or if there was too much damage to refloat her. They would have also contacted the proper authorities about dealing with the fuel on board the vessel. Last thing anyone wanted was a fuel leak polluting the area.
Sam went up on her toes and pressed her warm body against him. She was only wearing one of his shirts, but it was still too much. He needed to feel her skin against his.
He grabbed the front of the garment and ripped it open. Buttons bounced off the floor and one pinged against the windowpane.
She went back down on the soles of her feet and smiled. “You keep that up and you’ll soon run out of shirts for me to borrow.”
The rays of the morning sun caught the red in her hair, turning it into a fiery profusion of curls. There were shadows under her eyes, a reminder of just how trying the past couple of days had been, but there was a soft smile on her face.
He slid his hands under the cloth and slipped it down her arms. She let the shirt fall to the floor, leaving her naked in the sunshine.
Ezra fell to his knees in front of her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She left him speechless. He buried his face against her warm stomach, nuzzling her soft skin.
“Ezra?” She tunneled her fingers through his hair and tilted his head back. “What is it?”
He shook his head. He didn’t want to talk, not now when she was naked in his arms like an offering. He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve such a treasure, but he would do everything in his power to be worthy of her.
He wished it were summer. There was a field that filled with wildflowers not five minutes from the house. He wanted to lay her down on the sweet clover and make love to her while the hot breeze brushed her skin.
It was much too cold to do that in November, but with the sun reflecting in through the window, he could easily imagine how it would be.
He reached out and snagged the comforter from the top of the bed. Maybe it would be better to take her there, but the bed was still in shadows. The sun hadn’t penetrated that far yet, and there was a sunbeam on the floor around them. He shook out the comforter, making a comfortable pallet for them to use.
“What are you doing?”
Would she understand, or would she think him odd for wanting to make love to her on the floor when there was a comfortable bed only feet away? “I want to love you in the sunshine.”
Sam knelt in front of him. “I’d like that.”
He slid one hand over the crown of her head. “I love your hair.”
She laughed. “It’s out of control. I need some products to tame the curls.”
He buried his head in the wild locks and inhaled the scent of his shampoo. It smelled even better when mingled with her unique perfume. “I love your curls.”
He kissed her slowly, ignoring the lust gnawing at his guts and the hard throbbing of his cock. He wanted to take his time. She deserved no less. This woman was willing to risk everything to protect him. Other than his brothers, no one had ever been willing to sacrifice anything for him. Not even the woman who’d bore him. As soon as she’d discovered what he was, she’d tossed him out of her home. He knew she would have killed him if she’d known a way to do so.
It still made his heart ache all these millennia later.
Sam ran her hands over his chest and shoulders, returning his kiss, deepening the contact. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. He lifted her and eased her onto the comforter. It was thin, not nearly as soft as she deserved.
“Maybe we should use the bed.” What was he thinking, taking her on the floor?
She shook her head. “No, I like it here.”
The white bandage on her arm and the bruises marring her soft white skin were visual reminders he needed to be careful with her. He could cure her completely with his blood, but that wasn’t something he was prepared to do unless it was absolutely necessary. She was already dealing with a lot. He wasn’t sure how she’d react to the idea of drinking his blood. Best to wait until she’d had a lot more time to get used to what he was and what that meant.
“I’ll be careful,” he promised.
“I know you will.” There it was. Trust. She offered it easily, but he knew it was a gift beyond price, and one he would work to make certain he never lost.
He knelt beside her and ran his hands over her shoulders. They were slender but strong. She’d carried much on them this past year, dealing with the death of her friend and her involvement with the Knights.
Her arms were sleekly muscled and her hands bore calluses. He rubbed one with his thumb. Sam chewed her bottom lip, something she did when she was nervous or thinking. “Occupational hazard,” she apologized.
Sam worked digging and handling artifacts most people would never see outside of a museum. “I love your hands.” He brought one of them to his mouth and kissed the rough skin. She sucked in a breath when he nipped at the pads at the base of her fingers.
He placed her palm against his heart, allowing her to feel the rapid beat, to know how much he wanted her. Sam’s eyes widened and then lowered until they were only half open. A smile played at the corners of her lips.
He dragged her hand down his torso until he reached his erection. Without prompting, she wrapped her fingers around his hard length. He sucked in a breath, loving the feel of her hand stroking him in such an intimate way.
She was a pagan goddess, all fire and life, lying in the sunbeam. He stroked his hands over her soft stomach, smiling when she gave a sharp inhale. The firm mounds of her breasts were a temptation he could no longer ignore. He cupped them in his hands and ran his thumbs over the taut nipples. They were dark pink, like wild strawberries, not quite ripe on the vine.
Her grip tightened on his shaft, and he was forced to remove her hand. He kissed her palm and lowered it back to her side. “I plan to taste every sweet inch of you.”
…
Sam had fallen into an erotic dream she had no desire to ever wake from. The sun was reflecting through the window, heating the small space around them. And what the sun didn’t heat, Ezra did with his sheer presence. The way he was looking at her was making her blood simmer. Even though she was naked, she wasn’t the least bit cold.
There was an unhurried quality that hadn’t been present in their previous lovemaking. It was as though they had all the time in the world, even though she knew that wasn’t true.
The world was waiting for them, and the Knights were searching.
But none of that mattered when Ezra was touching her with his large, capable hands. The way he was looking at her with his turquoise eyes stole her breath.
This massive, powerful man treated her like she was the most precious woman in the world. Tears stung her eyes, but she wouldn’t allow them to fall. She didn’t want him to think for one minute there was anything wrong, not when everything was finally right. It couldn’t last, no matter how much she wished it would, but she’d take this time as the gift it was and cherish it forever.
Ezra ran his thumbs around the edges of her nipples before finally stroking them. Her breasts ached and a throbbing began low in her belly. If he touched her, he’d find she was already wet and ready for him.
But he seemed in no hurry. True to his word, he took his time. He lapped at her skin before drawing the taut bud of her breast into his mouth and sucking. She panted for breath, her skin tingled, and the ache between her legs grew exponentially every time he touched her.
Ezra truly was larger than life. He would tower over most men, but it was more than that. There was something intrinsically powerful about him, an aura of confidence and energy that would exist no matter what his physical size. Everything about him was unique, from the color of his eyes to the intricate tattoo that decorated the left side of him.
He stroked his hands over her arms, careful to avoid her injury. He traced the contours of her torso and hips. His hair brushed against her. It was soft and thick and added another sensual layer to her already overloaded senses.
He laved attention on her other breast before working his way lower, leaving a trail of kisses down the center of her stomach. He nipped at the curve of her waist and dipped his tongue into her navel.
Never had a man taken such time to arouse her. But he wasn’t done. He ran his palms over her thighs, widening her legs before kissing the inside of her legs. Her entire body was electrified, her skin tingled and every cell quivered with anticipation. Heat rolled off Ezra in waves, cocooning the space around them so that no chill could touch her.
She reached out, needing to touch him, to reassure herself he was real and not a dream-induced fantasy. He took her hand in his much larger one and held it. His biceps bunched and his shoulders rippled with tension, but his touch was so gentle.
He kissed her palm and released her. Keeping his gaze locked on her, he lifted her thighs over his muscled forearms and leaned forward. She was wide open to him, all of her revealed to his view. He licked his lips and then her core.
She cried out, unable to hold back as sensual fire shot through her, bringing her close to finding release but not taking her over. “Ezra.” She wanted him inside her, wanted to feel the pulse of his cock as it stretched and filled her.
“Not yet.” His words were gruff, a sure sign he wasn’t nearly as cool as he wanted her to believe. She fisted her hands in his hair and pulled him closer. If he wasn’t going to fuck her, he had to put his mouth on her. She was strung so tight she knew it wouldn’t take much to send her catapulting over the edge.
He lapped at her slick folds, teasing and stroking before finally finding her clit. Her entire pelvis jerked when he sucked on the small nub. She shook her head and arched her neck. She wanted him to keep going. She wanted him to stop. She had no idea what she wanted.
As much as she needed to come, she didn’t want to do it alone. Ezra had been alone for far too much of his life. She tugged on his hair until he looked up at her. “I want you,” she told him. “Now.” When he would have pulled away and gone back to what he was doing, she shook her head. “I don’t want to come by myself. I want to be with you.”
…
Ezra’s heart swelled until his chest threatened to burst. His lips were coated in her sweet essence, the perfume of her arousal filled his nostrils, and her smooth skin was like velvet beneath his questing fingers. His plan had been to bring her to orgasm at least twice before he took her. He should have known better. Sam had been derailing his plans since the first moment he’d set eyes on her.
And he wouldn’t have it any other way.
The lonely part of his soul yearned to be joined with her. The dragon part of his nature wanted to claim her, and the man just wanted her happy.
“Ezra.” She opened her arms to him. “Come to me.” He could no more deny her than he could stop the rising of the sun. He sat back on his heels and licked his bottom lip. That drew a low whimper from her. The sound vibrated through him, making his balls clench.
He stretched out over her, supporting his weight on his forearms. “Put me inside you.” This was all about her. What she wanted. What she needed.
She didn’t hesitate, reaching between their bodies and finding his cock. She brought him close and angled her pelvis so the broad head of his shaft was touching her opening. He swallowed, afraid he was going to lose it before he got inside her.
“I love you.” She wrapped her legs around his thighs and dragged him toward her. He was so stunned by her words and her actions, he jerked forward, burying himself to the hilt. Her slick channel rippled around him, stretching to accommodate him. But even that pleasure was nothing compared to the explosion going on in his brain.
“You what?”
She shook her head and drew him down so she could meld their lips together. Physical need took over, roaring through him like an out of control locomotive. He began to thrust, slowly at first, but quickly gaining speed.
He swallowed her moans of pleasure, taking them inside him. Some primal part of him snapped the leash he used to keep it tethered, and he fucked her as though he could meld them together.
He shoved a hand under her bottom and tilted her hips so his pelvis brushed against her clit. He slammed into her again and again. He couldn’t stop kissing her, unable to release her luscious lips. Sam was his.
His.
He wanted to stamp his possession on her body, mind, and very soul. She’d said she loved him. He didn’t know if her confession had been brought on by their lovemaking or if she truly meant it.
At this point, he didn’t care. She’d said it. That was all that mattered. Oh, he knew he should care, and probably would later, but right now, he wanted to revel in the sensation of belonging to and with someone for the first time in his life.
He knew he was being too rough, knew he should stop or at least ease up, but the dragon side of his nature had taken over. No, not taken over, but joined with his human half in an effort to tie Sam to him.
He pumped his hips, his lungs burning, his balls aching. Still, he didn’t stop. He slid forward and caught her hands with his, twining their fingers together. Her nipples brushed against his chest. He wanted to roar, but that would mean he’d have to stop kissing her.
It happened so fast it took him by surprise. The slow burn started in his balls and shot through his cock. His orgasm slammed into him. He threw back his head and roared, managing to get enough control at the last second to temper the sound. Still, the windows rattled and furniture shook.
He ground his pelvis against Sam as he continued to pump in and out of her welcoming warmth. She cried out, and he felt the telltale squeezing of her core around his shaft and knew she’d found satisfaction. He couldn’t stop thrusting, didn’t want to ever stop. The unending pleasure finally cooled the heat of his lust to allow a moment of clarity. He had to stop before he hurt her. Like a bucket of cold water dumped over his head, that brought him back to his senses.
“Sam.” He released his grip on her hands and cupped her face. Her eyes were closed, her lips parted. Perspiration dotted her forehead. “Look at me.” Had he hurt her? He would never forgive himself if he had.
“Hmm.” Her eyelids fluttered open, and she smiled.
The tension bled from him like air from a deflating balloon. If he’d hurt her, surely she wouldn’t be smiling at him. “Did you mean it?” Maybe it wasn’t fair of him to ask her that while she was still reeling from her orgasm, but screw fair.
“What?” She blinked, and her mouth turned down in a frown. “Did I mean what?”
“You love me.” Talk about needy. God, he was losing his mind. He’d never wanted anything as much in his life. He’d give up every treasure he owed to hear her say those three words and mean them.
Sam glanced away and sighed. A weight settled over his heart, crushing the small bubble of hope he’d protected there. He shouldn’t have asked her. It was far too soon for her to know her feelings. He should have kept his mouth shut and just enjoyed the feeling of having her come apart in his arms. “Sam?”
She turned back, and he could see her gathering herself like she was getting ready to deliver him a blow. She licked her lips. He wanted to kiss her so she wouldn’t speak, but that wouldn’t change a thing.
She gave a decisive nod. “Yes. Yes, I do love you.”