Chapter Twenty
Jenna’s mind filled with a thousand lights, and her body surged with need. Connor hadn’t just lit a bonfire on the rock ledge. He’d kindled one inside her too, and she couldn’t get enough of him. Her hands were everywhere at once, touching all the muscles that had been taboo. His thick shoulders, his iron-hard chest. The dragon tattoo inked into his upper arm, and the Special Forces one hidden beneath. The checkerboard of his stomach made a maze for her fingers to trace. His ass was all coiled power, too, and she yearned to feel him moving inside her.
“Connor…never…” she mumbled in desperate pants.
He stopped instantly and held himself an inch above her, rock hard. “Never?”
She shook her head, because that sounded all wrong, but she couldn’t get her tongue in the right place to speak. “I’ve never wanted anyone as much as I want you. Never needed it this bad,” she panted.
His eyes burned into hers. “Neither have I. Neither have I.”
Which said a lot, because he certainly had more experience than her. Not that it was her first time, but somehow, it felt like a first all the same. A first. A last. An only, or so her soul hoped — that she’d get to stay with this remarkable man for a long, long time. Living. Learning. Loving.
“Oh,” she gasped as his right hand swept along her ribs and cupped her breast. He dipped lower and kissed her there, too, first through her shirt and bra, and then—
With one quick rip, those barriers were gone, and he dove back down on bare skin. Scooping her soft flesh with one hand and kissing at the same time. Kneading, pinching, and sucking until she couldn’t see straight.
She plowed her hands through his thick hair, arching her back. And when he switched from one side to the other, she cried out again.
“So good…”
Which had to be obvious, but she couldn’t help it. She couldn’t help winding her leg around his either, or grinding her hips against his thick, hard cock. When Connor broke away and sat up, his eyes glowed.
“Not too fast?” he asked in a low rumble that made her blood surge. She’d barely shaken her head when he grunted, “Good,” and moved her up the bed in one smooth move.
Apparently, dragons liked it fast and hard. Which proved once again what a perfect match they were. She wiggled and lifted her hips, helping him strip her to the skin.
“And now this,” he murmured, reaching for the knife she still had strapped to her calf.
It was fun, holding her leg out and letting him take it off. But the best part was lying back once she was totally naked to bask under his gaze. Connor sat back on his heels, poised over her, his mouth open, his eyes glowing.
“So beautiful…” His chest heaved up and down.
Her chest was heaving too, and she couldn’t help but circle her own breasts while he watched. She bent her knees outward, and when Connor looked down, she felt the heat of his gaze on her, as hot and insistent as a hand.
“All yours, my love,” she murmured, unabashed. The words came from out of nowhere, yet felt natural on her tongue. Like she hadn’t just found her true love but rediscovered him.
Connor trailed a line of burning kisses over her abdomen, then pushed both hands under her ass like a shovel, raising her off the bed. When he dipped out of sight to kiss her, every nerve in her body exploded at once, and she arched back.
“Yes…”
His tongue was hot and insistent, and what it didn’t reach, his fingers did. She clutched the sheets and dug her heels into the mattress, opening every inch of herself to him. His stubble scratched her inner thighs, and his fingers gripped her like a vise. He made pleased little muttering sounds as he explored, and she pictured a dragon admiring his treasure. Stroking gold coins, fingering long, silver chains. Holding precious goblets up to the sun. But it was even better than that, because she was that treasure, that precious possession. That home he’d come back to again and again.
Her body shuddered when she came for the first — and second — time, but Connor didn’t let up one bit. The few times she peeked, the glow of the bonfire reflected off his glistening shoulders, giving his skin an orange glow. She turned her head just far enough to train her unfocused eyes on the fire, watching the crackling flames spin into the night.
Then she cried out and came for a third time. For a long minute, the only sensation that registered was that of intense heat reaching into every corner of her body, and she sighed. When she blinked and opened her eyes, her hips were back on the mattress. Connor was cradling her body, stroking her breasts, murmuring something in low, sweet tones.
She tipped her head back and let out a crazy laugh that made him look up.
“You don’t have to worry about not living up to expectations,” she explained, patting him with the little coordination she had.
He kissed her belly. “Good thing.”
She panted for another long minute, feeling like jelly. Almost purring like a cat cuddled in its master’s lap.
Which was a little scary, because as much as she trusted Connor, she didn’t want a master. She wanted a partner. The real thing. So after a few controlled breaths, she sat up under him and nudged him back. Which was a tricky operation, because you didn’t move a body like Connor’s unless he decided to comply.
“My turn,” she whispered, motioning for him to lie down.
He tilted his head, and his eyes sparked enough to make her hold her breath. That was his dragon, staring back out at her, and she could practically hear the beast growl.
You want me to what?
Maybe dragons preferred maidens who lay back and let themselves be ravaged. And on many levels, that worked for her. But somehow, she knew it wasn’t enough. Connor, she figured, would agree to just about any ground rules. But the dragon peeking out from his eyes — he would take some taming, for sure.
“Lie back.” She patted the bed, practically cooing. You can trust me.
His eyes flared. I trust no one, she imagined the dragon grumbling.
That message rang all too true. Did his dragon even trust itself?
“Trust me,” she murmured. “I’ll make this good.”
Slowly, gradually, Connor leaned back. For a while, his abs bunched at his centerline, refusing to relax. But eventually, his lower back settled on the mattress, followed by his shoulders. He held his head up, though, watching her.
“Seems only fair, you know.” She trailed a hand across his stomach. “You taste me…”
His eyes were twin flames.
“…I taste you.”
She popped the button of his pants and slid the zipper down slowly. Then she stopped and palmed every long, hot inch of him through the material.
“Need a little help, though,” she admitted once she got down to ridding him of those clothes.
Connor looked serious — dead serious — and she wondered if he’d ever let a woman call the shots before.
“Trust me,” she whispered one more time.
He nodded slowly and helped her get his pants and boxers off. Then he settled back, watching her like a tiger. Or a dragon, she supposed. A vigilant dragon, ready to jump in and wrestle back control.
She cleared her throat. Yeah, well. Even a mere human could teach a dragon a thing or two.
She straddled him and dragged her body up and down his until his eyes glassed over. Then she covered his mouth with slobbery kisses that hinted at what she had in store. Her hips started rocking, and with his hands nudging, it would have been so, so easy to discard her plan and sink down on his cock there and then. To roll over and hand the reins to him, letting their bodies connect at last. But she fought off the urge and followed the thin line of hair down his centerline instead. Down his chest, down his belly. She circled his navel a few times while shifting her legs into the right place. Then she reared up on her knees and swept her hair back.
Connor’s eyes blazed. He didn’t move a muscle, though a tic started up in his cheek. His dragon was close to its limits, she sensed. So she rubbed her lips together and leaned down before the beast could seize control. She didn’t want him pushing her head down or guiding her in. She wanted to show him exactly what she could do.
So she did, starting with a long, lollipop lick that started at the base of his thick shaft and traveled slowly to the straining tip. She fluttered a few kisses over him there and blew lightly, making him shake. Then she went back to licking, up, down, and around. Again and again, until she couldn’t tell whether the hungry moans in her ears were his or hers.
Connor sank back into the mattress, weaving his fingers through her hair, letting her set the pace. A pace that grew faster and hungrier with every second that ticked by, because he tasted that good. Her senses filled with him — sight, smell, taste, touch — until she was bobbing up and down, taking him deeper every time.
When she gulped a quick breath of air, she caught the haggard sound of Connor’s breath. He was close to coming, and part of her wanted to take him that far. But another part wanted him to come inside her — deep inside her — their first time.
So after two more mind-blowing sucks, she released him with an audible pop. Connor moaned, every muscle coiled tight. In an instant, she crawled up his body and plunged her tongue into his mouth, sharing the taste with him. Their tongues tangled, and his hands gripped her ass.
She pulled back to look into his eyes, and for the space of three hammering heartbeats, they paused.
“Jenna,” he growled, reaching for her.
They rolled, and he thrust inside her with one smooth, hard stroke.
No condom. No barriers. Which was reckless, but at that moment, she couldn’t think straight. She moaned, arching her body. Connor withdrew and immediately thrust deeper. He repeated the action again and again, moving her body up the mattress in strong, deliberate strokes. His face was a mask of concentration, and he didn’t utter a word. He didn’t have to because his hands said it all, stroking hers softly while keeping them pinned over her head. She tightened her legs around his waist, urging him deeper. Arching higher and higher while he delivered everything she’d ever wanted and more.
“Yes…”
Her body wound painfully tight, and his next hard thrust pushed her over the edge. She cried out, exploding with pleasure, seeing only a blur.
With another hard pump of the hips, Connor bottomed out and groaned. He threw his head back, showing his teeth, and exploded inside her.
Flying. She was flying. Her eyelids fluttered. Was this what a dragon felt when it launched off a cliff? This sweet rush, the thrill?
Connor held her tightly, and she imagined swooping through time and space. Eventually, his grip softened as if he were lowering her to the ground. Cushioning her head with one hand, touching her hands with the other. The glow of his eyes was softer but just as intense. She studied him, watching his lips move without forming words.
“So good.” She sighed.
His jaw clenched, and he covered her mouth in a deep, searing kiss. Her legs tightened around his waist as an aftershock of pleasure hit, and Connor started moving inside her again. One thrust, then another, answering her cries. His mouth stayed on hers, making her dizzy. When his cock pulsed one more time inside her, his tongue pushed against hers, and a burst of heat swept through her body. She arched hard, moaning with indescribable pleasure, and crazy images filled her mind. Like spreading her arms for a swan dive but never hitting the water, just gliding through the air. Or winding her long, leathery neck around Connor’s and flicking a tail. Even better, she imagined raising a huge muzzle to the moon and crooning with her mate.
For one brief instant, she was a dragon. Then Connor pulled away with a sharp gasp and muttered. “God. Sorry. Are you okay?”
He cupped her face and pushed her hair back, calling desperately, “Jenna. Jenna…”
She let herself float a little longer before blinking and looking at him. Why did he look so worried? She’d never felt better in her life.
“Mmm,” she cooed, melting into the sheets. “That was so good.”
Connor dropped into the crook of her neck, muttering to himself.
“Hey,” she whispered, running her hands over his back. What was wrong? Okay, they’d totally forgotten a condom, but something told her that wasn’t what worried him. “That was great.”
His mumbles were barely audible against her skin. “Shouldn’t… I shouldn’t have—“
“Shouldn’t what?”
He rolled to one elbow and cupped her cheek. “That heat. The brand. You felt it, right?”
She grinned as wide as a Cheshire cat. Oh, she’d felt it, all right. “In case it wasn’t obvious, that was great.” Was she going to have to report every separate orgasm to him?
“It was a brand, Jenna.”
She rolled her tongue around her mouth, savoring the taste. It reminded her of the Flaming Bob Marley she’d once had — not that a cocktail could give her the high Connor just had.
He looked so serious. Did that mean a brand was bad?
“What if I liked it?” She ran her leg along his. “What if I want you to do it again?”
“It’s a brand, Jenna. Do you understand what that means? My dragon wants to claim you.”
She took a deep breath. “What if I want to be claimed?”
His throat bobbed, and he looked down at the tangled sheets. He ran a thumb gently over her collarbone as his brow furrowed.
“Or don’t you want me?” she asked. A prompt, not an accusation.
His head snapped up, and his eyes were fierce. “I want you more than anything, Jenna. I want you so much it scares me.”
She stared at him for a moment then got her trembling lips to speak. “Doesn’t scare me.”
Which was a bit of a fib, because he was a shifter, and that was a whole different world she hadn’t truly explored yet.
He looked deep into her eyes, and finally, a faint smile spread on his mouth. “Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me.” Then he relaxed into the mattress, tugging her back until they were comfortably spooned. He cuddled her close, nuzzling the back of her neck, making her want to purr.
“That was just a little puff,” he said at last. “If I bit you and branded you deeply, we would be mated.”
She covered his arms with hers, pressing them tightly against her chest.
“But you didn’t bite me,” she said. Or had he? She’d been flying so high, who knew?
“No.” His fingers circled a spot on her neck absently.
She pressed into his hand. The idea of a vampire biting her was terrifying. But Connor biting her to make her his mate?
Hell yeah.
“So it doesn’t count?” she asked, let down for the first time that night.
He kissed her shoulder. “Yes and no. It’s like a mark. Like…saying you’re mine. Keeping other guys away.”
She laughed out loud. “I don’t want any other guy.”
He squeezed her closer, like even if she wanted, he wouldn’t let her go.
A quiet minute ticked by, and when she moved, she heard a little sound of surprise.
“This is nice,” he whispered, touching the tattoo on her lower back.
She grinned. “You like it?”
One coarse finger traced the blue dolphin, and he chuckled. “A mermaid with a dolphin tattoo.”
She laughed back, pointing to the design that curled around his arm. “A dragon with a dragon tattoo.”
That made him laugh outright, and she touched her chest, then his arm. “A mermaid…with a dragon. A real one.”
He didn’t reply right away, and when he did, his voice was mournful. “Yeah. A mermaid and a dragon.”
Well, okay. So they weren’t the world’s most conventional couple. Who cared?
“Hey,” she whispered, turning in his arms. She popped a kiss on his lips and smiled, ready to lighten the mood. “We don’t need to figure everything out tonight.” Then she tilted her head to the bonfire that still crackled away. Not quite as high as before, but the embers in the center glowed as brightly as she did inside.
When he raised his hand to touch her shoulder, the bonfire crackled, and she spotted a long, jagged scar on his upper arm. There was another scar on his ribs and a thinner line closer to his hip, but not a mark in between.
“Shifters heal fast,” he whispered, catching her looking.
She touched his shoulder. “Even from this?”
He shrugged. “Wasn’t too bad.”
She wondered if those scars came about in human battles or shifter wars, though she didn’t dare ask.
“No big deal,” he said, pulling her closer.
“No big deal?” She shook her head. “Surely some things can kill a dragon.”
His eyes drifted to the bonfire, and she wondered if he was picturing a near miss. When he spoke again, his eyes were darker, his voice huskier. “We’re pretty tough. Maybe not so much around here…” He smiled faintly as he pressed her hand to his heart. Then he pointed to the center of his chest and went grim. “And here. Get a dragon right between the chest plates here, and, yeah. That would pretty much end it.”
She gulped as he pressed her finger to his sternum, showing her the spot. She patted his chest, trying to lighten the mood. “Plates, huh?” She used the excuse to touch his hard pecs, then teased. “Or do you mean scales?”
He huffed. “Snakes have scales. Dragons have plates of armor, like thick leather.”
She grinned. For all his disdain of the dragon elitism, Connor had a pretty strong streak of dragon pride.
“And here I am, all defenseless,” she murmured.
He laughed — a genuine laugh that made her grin from ear to ear. “I’d hate to be the guy who thought that.”
For a minute, they grinned at each other like a couple of kids. Then she sighed, closed her eyes, and settled in against his big, bare chest. “God, this is nice.”
“Better than nice,” he growled, holding her close. “Good night.”
She giggled and peeked up at him. “Oh, I’m not going to sleep, mister.”
He stiffened. “You’re not going to leave, are you?”
She snorted. “Leave?” Never, she almost said. But she’d told herself to keep things light, so she flashed him her best smile instead. “Hell no. Just resting up for a little more fun.” She wound her leg around his, already feeling the first tingles of lust rekindling in her core. “Unless you’re too tired…”
He snorted and turned her in his arms again, snuggling her close while gently cupping her breast. Hinting at more to come very, very soon.
“I’ll show you too tired,” he whispered, kissing her ear.