I was lost. His taste. His strength. The deep, husky sounds he was making, hummed against my lips. His mouth moving against mine, firm and possessive. His hands skimmed my body, pulling me closer, squeezing me tight. Heat spread out in waves from where his body pressed against mine, my core throbbing with a primal beat. Now. Yes. Need you…

I jerked back, blinking him into focus.

His stubble still tingled along my skin, my lips swollen from his kiss. His hips rocked forward as he nipped at my neck, his hard shaft digging into my stomach.

My heart thundered in my ears, at war with the pulsating ache of my libido finally kicking into overdrive. I shivered at the sharp nip of his teeth digging into my skin, a low rumble of pleasure humming across my collarbone.

My head fell to the side, giving him room to work his magic, my hands roaming down his back and digging into his gorgeous ass. Holy smoking sexscapades. I wasn’t a shy, retiring virgin or anything, but it had been a while. A Sahara level dry spell.

His large hand palmed my breast, thumb scraping over my nipple in a slow, torturous tease.

Dry spell or not, it had never been like this. Consuming. Overwhelming.

Utterly devastating.

He pressed a kiss to my neck, nuzzling as he inhaled deeply.

It was the touch of a lover, and so much more than a quick fuck with no strings attached. I had to tell him, make him see that this couldn’t be anything serious. I hadn’t planned on this happening, but I now knew I couldn’t walk away without this memory to sustain me.

I could only hope and pray that he could live in the moment with me. No regrets.

“Owen?”

“Hmmmm?” He licked the lobe of my ear, then tugged it into his mouth, his hips moving in a slow circle, nudging my thighs apart inch by inch.

I bit back a moan as friction caught fire in just the right place, my hands betraying my next words by digging into his ass and holding him against me. “I still have to leave.”

His mouth descended on mine, his tongue sweeping in as if trying to erase my words, trying to coax new ones to form. That I’d stay, submit to him. That I’d be his.

Dragging my hand up between us, I gripped his jaw, until his eyes found mine and held. “I can’t register and I’ve run out of time. I’m leaving. Tonight.” I bit my lip, sucking back a sob as a look of utter devastation flashed through his beautiful green eyes. But then it was gone, as if I’d imagined it.

Heat burned bright, determination darkening his eyes to a shimmering gold. “I can protect you from whatever it is you’re running from.”

“You can’t.” No one could. Didn’t he think I had tried to find a way to stay? Dante’s offer flashed through my mind, but I couldn’t. I just … couldn’t.

His jaw flexed as he ground his words out, “You’re my fated mate, Briana.”

“I know.” It was unheard of—dragons only ever found their mates with each other—but I couldn’t deny the connection between us. I waited for the panic to consume me, send me running as fast as I could, but I couldn’t move. My soul ached for him, sorrow and loss spilling from the void inside my chest and pressing against my skin. For the first time in a long time, I wanted to hear my true name spoken out loud. Just once more, and only by him. I bit my tongue until the urge passed, stroking my thumb over his bottom lip. “But I’ve still got to go.”

His mouth swept across mine, and I let him, savoring his touch. “Right now?”

My hand slid into his hair, gripping at the roots. “You can’t persuade me to stay.” Rather than pushing him away, I tugged him closer, stealing another kiss.

His grin was pure wolf. “You’re not exactly shoving me away.”

One hand on his ass, the other in his hair—yeah, he had a point. “I thought it only fair that you should know the facts.”

His hand slid underneath my ass, lifting me onto the cabinet. He pressed between my legs, grinding against me. “Before we fuck, you mean?”

Having lost my grip on his ass, I poked him in the shoulder. “You’re not playing fair.”

“I’m playing the only card I’ve been dealt.”

My answer was lost on a squeak when his fingers curled into the waistband of my pants, yanking them down and stripping them off. Crouching between my legs, he smoothed his hands up my calves, then my thighs, then hooked his thumbs into the soft flesh, spreading me wide.

I could have stopped him. Could have slammed my legs shut.

He gave me every opportunity to say no.

But I didn’t. I wanted him, just for tonight.

And he knew it.

His mouth latched onto me, his tongue sliding into my core and licking deep, kissing me like he kissed my lips. Slow and languid, he built the tension inside me, coiling it tighter and tighter, adding a finger, then another, massaging me from the inside out.

I arched above him, my head tilting back and meeting the wall, thighs clenching and the heels of my feet digging into his shoulders. My fingers clasped the edge of the cabinet as my eyes rolled back, wave after wave of release ripping through me, pulsating and throbbing as I whimpered though gritted teeth.

Not missing a beat, he stood, ripping the towel off, his hand wrapping around himself as he pumped and teased the large shaft, angling himself between my legs. With a yank, he had my ass balancing on the edge, my hand slapping down behind me for support. His cock teased my entrance as he tugged my tank top off, tossing it over his shoulder with a low growl.

Rocking in small circles, he slid his thick shaft through my slick heat, rubbing over my sweet spot again and again as his mouth closed over my nipple, his large hand cupping and offering up my breast for him to feast on.

“Mmmmm … delicious,” he growled, nipping at the puckered flesh before turning to its neglected mate, lavishing it with the same attention. He rocked harder against me, his heavy cock sliding up and across my stomach, teasing and taunting the bundle of nerves hidden between my thighs.

Trailing my free hand down his back, I dug my nails into his muscular ass. “Quit teasing,” I muttered, but it came out a whimper. Heck, no. I didn’t whimper. Quick as a flash, I slid my hand between us and took the matter in hand, stroking him forcefully, squeezing until his mouth grew wild, his teeth biting and grunts rasping out against my skin.

“Fuck,” he hissed, letting my nipple go with a pop. Pushing my hand away, he thrust inside me, impaling me slow and steady, stretching me perfectly. Strain cut sharp lines across his muscular frame as he gritted his teeth. “Fuck, Bree,” he breathed, slanting his mouth over mine and stealing my air, his hips pressing forward until we bumped together. His arm curled around me, pressing me as close as two people could possibly be.

My legs trembled, his taste invading my mouth, his scent surrounding me and sucking me into a world where nothing else existed. Just him. Moving inside of me, working my body into a ball of neediness, nerve endings spiking with every sharp thrust of his hips, every jerk of his hand against my hip, dragging me closer, digging deeper. Breath mingling, my soft cries merging with his hoarse groans, we writhed in perfect synchrony, our bodies created to fit together. Wild and imperfect, fingers tugged and pulled, pressing and stroking, murmurs of nonsensical words falling from ours lips, imprinted into sweat slicked skin.

I stifled a moan, biting into his pec, salt sharp on my tongue as he thrust faster, harder, coaxing sounds from me that were more animal than woman. I couldn’t get enough. Needed more. Needed to feel all of him. Straining, my toes stretched and back arched, my ass lifted into the air, an offering as he pounded into me, animalistic and raw, my shriek splitting the air as all the air in my body was squeezed out of me, muscles contracting and mind spinning.

His roar vibrated through me, heat scalding my insides.

I collapsed into him, his arms coming up and wrapping around me, holding me close enough that I could feel his heart stutter in his chest.

Without words, he picked me up and carried me into the bedroom, following me down onto the bed and covering my mouth with his.

He wanted more.

So did I. I could only hope it would be enough.