Ariel felt her insides stretch to the maximum as Jett entered her, and she couldn’t help an involuntary gasp. The sound seemed to turn Jett on, because he shuddered slightly. Then he withdrew partway and thrust. Again. Again.

Ariel bucked into him rhythmically, in time to his thrusts. His chest was right on top of her face, and she licked his nipple, making Jett moan.

That’s right, my dragon, let me pleasure you.

Her throat fluttered as she began to purr.

She couldn’t believe how Jett could so easily make all of her weariness, all the hardship of the past few days, fall away. She realized now that he was absolutely right. She needed him. She couldn’t wait three months for his touch. Even a week might be too much.

He planted his arms on either side of her and lifted his upper body up so that she could admire his now sweaty chest. She watched his abs crunch repeatedly with each buck. She felt the spurts of pleasure as he drove deep inside of her and rubbed his pubic bone against her center.

She could see his face now. The chiseled features. The luxurious golden locks falling down on either side. The fiery eyes. Yes, she looked deeply into those eyes.

I love you, Jett.

The fluttering in her throat grew louder.

He returned her look with equal fervor and she could sense the requited love, the desire, in those eyes of golden flame.

She wrapped her fingers around his corded forearms. Those thick, muscular arms… all hers.

His bucking increased. Her toes curled as the pleasure built up inside her, and she knew her release was coming soon.

She let go of his arms and fumbled for the sleeve of the robe underneath her.

“No,” Jett said, his voice barely recognizable, sounding so gravelly. “Leave it. I want to look at you when I come.”

Balancing on one arm, he grabbed the sleeve with his other hand and ripped it away from her.

Oh no!

Her back arched as the pleasure exploded inside of her. She slammed the edge of her palm into her mouth and bit down as a loud moan escaped her lips.

“Jett!” she said. Her voice was muted by the hand. She hoped it was enough, because if anyone heard…

Jett convulsed on top of her and abruptly collapsed. His weight was crushing, but only for a moment. Ever attuned to her needs, he rolled aside.

“Wow,” Ariel said.

“Have I convinced you to let me do this every night?” Jett said.

Ariel didn’t answer. She was afraid she’d say yes. Already they were risking enough as far as she was concerned.

“I guess that’s a no,” Jett said. He paused. “Are you sure they’re treating you well here? There isn’t anyone whose ass needs a good kicking?”

Ariel thought of Walter right away. While it was fun to imagine Jett barging in during one of her “lessons” and giving the handler a bloody nose, it wouldn’t go over very well with the rest of the Steel Tower. No, she needed to handle Tower business on her own if she wanted to stay in their good graces and advance to any significant degree.

“Everything’s fine,” she told him.

“You sure?” Jett said. “You looked a bit weary when I first arrived.”

“Nothing I can’t handle myself,” Ariel said.

“Headstrong girl,” Jett commented.

“I learned from the best,” Ariel said

“The pride says hi, by the way,” Jett said.

“How are they?”

“Adjusting,” Jett said. “Life in Belgrade is… different, but not unpleasant.” He froze, tilting his head. Then he shot upright. “Someone’s coming. Quick! Get dressed!”

She hadn’t heard anything, but she knew his hearing was more sensitive than hers. She rolled off the robe that had served as a bedsheet and hurriedly slid it on.

Jett stooped over the electric light. He was already carrying his boots under one arm, with his jeans and dress shirt wrapped around them, and was otherwise still naked. He shoved the light behind some crates and turned it off. Absolute darkness descended.

The curtain in front of the window opened a moment later, allowing her night vision to make out Jett’s muscular form in front of it. He opened the window and gracefully leaped onto the sill, where he balanced athletically. He held out his free arm toward her and beckoned.

She hurried to him and he immediately scooped her up onto the thin windowsill. Holding her against his chest, he stepped out onto thin air, but didn’t fall. She hadn’t noticed, but his wings had emerged: he was hovering in place.

Jett reached inside and closed the window as far as he was able from the outside.

Ariel saw a door open on the far end and light poured into the storeroom. Jett flew diagonally downward, moving around to the other side of the tower and out of view as he descended.

It felt exhilarating to be flying with him like this, and while she trusted Jett completely, it was also slightly terrifying. She clung to his bare chest tightly, not daring to look down. She probably wouldn’t see too far in the dark anyway. Then again, with her night vision…

“Guess I was a bit loud during my climax,” Ariel whispered to distract herself.

“My fault,” Jett said quietly. “I should have let you bite down on the robe.”

“Or maybe our chattering was too noisy afterward,” Ariel said.

“Probably a bit of both,” Jett said.

“I love how you can do that with your wings, by the way,” Ariel said. “Fling them out at will, I mean.”

“I know you do,” Jett told her.

“Don’t get cocky,” she said.

He grinned, planting a wet kiss on her lips. Then a moment later he was depositing her on the windowsill to her room, bending the clotheslines with one foot so that she could enter without snagging on them.

After pulling herself inside, she turned around, touched her fingers to her lips and waved.

He touched his own lips and turned his palm toward her in farewell.

“Until tomorrow night, my lioness,” he said softly.

Before she could answer, Jett dropped from view.

She leaned outside but couldn’t find him. He had probably already dropped to the ground, vanishing in the foliage that surrounded the base of the tower there. She looked up, seeing if she could spot the storeroom, but it wasn’t visible on this side of the tower.

She crept back to her bunk and pulled herself into the bed. Michelle’s breathing remained uninterrupted.

With a contented sigh, Ariel closed her eyes. She was still glowing inside from Jett’s touch. She could still see his sexy body, lying above her, bucking…

“Was that him?” Michelle said suddenly.

Ariel’s eyes shot open. Her heart suddenly pounded in her chest. She had no idea what to tell her friend. She had been so certain that Michelle was still asleep. But it had all been an act.

“It’s okay, I’m not going to tell anyone,” Michelle said.

Ariel was somewhat relieved to hear that, but still had no idea how much she could really trust Michelle. She had only really known her for a week, after all. Though admittedly, it felt longer.

“It’ll be our secret,” Michelle continued. Ariel heard her friend shifting in the upper bunk, and then her head peered past the edge to look down at Ariel. “I swear I won’t tell.” She extended a fist with the little finger crooked slightly. “I pinky swear.”

“Pinky swear?” Ariel said. “I haven’t done that since grade school. It’s childish, and kinda makes me think you’re not serious.”

“I am serious,” Michelle said. “Close friends do it, too, you know. The pinky swear originated in Japan, where if someone broke the promise, they were supposed to cut off their little finger. It’s that serious.”

“You would know that,” Ariel said. Then she sighed. “All right, we’ll pinky swear.”

She reached up and wrapped her pinky around Michelle’s and shook.

“Okay, so you’ll tell me now?” Michelle said.

“Wait, is your phone off?” Ariel asked.

Michelle grabbed the phone down from where she had it charging on the headboard. A flash came from above, and then faded.

“It is now,” Michelle replied.

“Take the battery out.” Ariel grabbed her own Tower phone from the tiny nightstand and popped out the battery. “I don’t trust these Wayfarers not to eavesdrop.”

“Just a sec,” Michelle said. “Okay, got it.”

Ariel heard the soft thuds as Michelle replaced the phone and battery on her headboard.

“Yes, it was him,” Ariel said. And she explained, very softly, what had gone on between the two of them.

“Flying to your window, scooping you up in his arms,” Michelle said. “So romantic. I wish I had a man like that. Someone who would give up everything to be with me. Someone who’d visit me in the night, risking arrest at the hands of the Wayfarers.”

“Is that what will happen to him if he’s caught?” Ariel said.

“I don’t actually know,” Michelle said. “But I assume so. He is breaching their security to get to your room after all.”

They talked a bit longer, but Ariel was only half listening. She decided she definitely wouldn’t allow Jett to visit outside of Friday’s and Saturday’s. The fewer visits he made, the less chance of getting caught. They’d just have to satisfy themselves with the weekends. She figured she’d probably be too tired during the week to see him anyway.

She finished talking with Michelle and closed her eyes.

She slept, dreaming of Jett’s hard body atop hers.