“I want you, Everly,” he said in a rough whisper.
My breath sawed in and out of my lungs, my nerves setting on fire. Every shift of our bodies awoke a new part of me, pulling every nerve ending to attention and focusing it on Draven and our bond.
“You have me,” I said between deep breaths.
Just as I felt that knot in my stomach beginning to loosen for a fall down that dizzying cliff of pleasure, Draven took my hands in his and raised them over my head, locking me in place. He buried himself deeper with a thrust that knocked my pulse up a beat, no mercy that time. My spine arched to meet him, thighs hugging his hips as he continued the vigorous tempo. He dominated every part of my body, telling it what to feel. How to move. Controlling every sensation that crept to the surface. As he kissed my throat, he growled and thrust harder, each time testing how far he could push into me.
Glowing veins began to tear from Draven’s sternum and spread across his skin. His lips devoured mine, his tongue moving inside my mouth and deepening with each thrust. He let go of my hands and immediately I took hold of him, desperate to claim him like he had claimed me. I scored my nails up his hips, along his ribs, and down the hard muscles of his arms. I could feel the tingle of my own touch spread through my limbs, finding the line between us to be blurry now. I was thirsting to experience everything Draven had to offer. Curious how deeply we were connected.
I felt invincible. Free. My wrist began to burn. It was a sensation I was coming to enjoy and all around us the candle flames seemed to brighten as my body tightened for the oncoming climax. Draven snarled against my neck, his face sinking to my shoulder with the last few hard pumps of his hips. I wove my fingers through his hair and lifted his head up to face me as the tension of our bond began to ignite.
“Draven,” I panted, locking my gaze on his fiery eyes. “I’m yours.”
Suddenly the tension shattered into an explosion that raced through my stomach and through every limb. Draven kept driving himself deep inside of me and we both crumbled into a storm of euphoric satisfaction. Gods, he wasn’t giving me a break. Wave after wave washed through me. I cried out, my skin humming, every powerful sensation ending only for a new one to take its place.
The cool air of night whispered over the sweat dampened flesh of my bare body as Draven lowered his head to caress my breasts with his mouth. He cupped a breast in his hand and kneaded it gently, bringing his lips back up to my mouth when I was finally drained. He kissed me with care, his fangs pricking my tongue as I slipped it into his mouth.
“It would be too late for you now anyways,” he panted against my lips, his cock still hard inside of me. “I’m never letting you go.”
Boneless and relaxed beneath him, I smiled and pushed his hair away from his face to see him clearly in the light of the bright candles.
“I should hope not,” I whispered. “This is all your fault. I said I’m yours. That doesn’t mean I don’t expect you to work for it,” I smirked.
Draven smiled back at me, bracing himself on his elbow so he could trace my face with his fingers. Pushing my hair off my shoulder, his eyes diverted to the scars and tattoos that just barely peaked around toward my chest. He rubbed his thumb gently along the markings and looked at me with another grin that filled me with a second wave of energy and inhuman resilience. My body sizzled with hunger once more and I found myself rocking my hips to feel Draven’s cock move inside of me. He answered with a little push of his own.
“I could do this all night,” Draven mused, kissing the corner of my mouth.
“Don’t tease me.”
“Never.”
I hesitated for a second, savoring everything about that moment. The heat of his body coiling around every nerve ending. The smell of vetiver and smoke lifting from his damp skin. His eyes were never more vibrant than in that moment, every shade of orange, red, and gold intertwining inside his irises. I felt myself sinking into Draven’s thoughts the longer I stared. I heard his breath roll inside his lungs. Felt an affection so grand it made my heart shutter. It was his. For a split second, I saw what I was to him and suddenly there was not even an ounce of question left in my thoughts.
“I love you,” I finally said, the words now rolling off my tongue with ease.
Draven blinked slowly, the intensity of his gaze becoming the gentle calm of golden and orange hues again, just like when he’d first entered the room. I stared in awe, tracing his cheekbone with my thumb. I wanted him to say it back so badly it hurt, but his beauty was a comfort no matter how he chose to reply. He smiled.
“I love you, Everly,” he said, sincerity making his words sound like music. “I’m yours forever.”
~ Epilogue ~
Persephone Grant
. . .
I sat on my sofa, a cup of hot tea in my hands growing colder by the second. I just stared out the window, watching a boring day roll by. Without my sister, I wasn’t very creative when it came to thinking up ways to pass time. The house felt empty. I was at a job I hated and I disliked the coworkers even more than the work itself. I was going nowhere fast and being alone only accentuated the fact that my life was falling apart.
Looking down at my phone in my lap, I contemplated calling the hospital. I just wanted to see how Artemis was doing. Then again, it had only been four hours since I’d visited. Biting my lip, I refrained from calling and tried to distract myself with a sip of tea. Then it rang. I quickly picked up, swiping the screen to answer before I even knew who it was.
“Hello?” I said, putting my tea down on the side table.
“Ms. Grant?” a man’s voice spoke. “This is Benjamin Baleford from the museum.”
“Oh,” I shook my head, unprepared for that particular call. “Right. Uh...how can I help you.”
“Well, I’ve gone over your information and I passed your records and resume to my boss for review. I wanted to tell you that you have the job. If you’re still interested, that is.”
“I got it?” I said, standing up with excitement. “Really?”
“Yes. Well, you’d need to come in to fill out some paperwork, but—”
“Right. Of course. I can come in anytime.”
“Perfect. How is tomorrow morning?”
“Yes. Great. I’ll be there. Um...will Mr. Valentyne be there?”
“I’m afraid not. He’s away right now on business, but I’m sure you’ll meet him soon. He’ll be your boss before the week’s over.”
“That’s not a problem. I’m sure he’s a busy man. I’ll come in tomorrow then. Thank you, Mr. Baleford.”
After hanging up the phone, I took a moment to revel in the fact that I’d gotten the call I had been wanting all week. I got the job I’d been after and perhaps it meant things were about to look up. Perhaps the universe would turn things around for Artemis as well.
Smiling, I took my tea from the side table to reheat it in the microwave. As I waited, I leaned back against the kitchen counter and smiled faintly at myself. A job at the museum. I’d be doing something I loved for the first time in a long time. I’d be helping make a difference, even if it turned out to be a small one. I had read up on the vision Mr. Valentyne had for the new exhibit he was funding and I couldn’t wait to sink my ideas into it. In a matter of minutes, I’d gone from thinking I was going nowhere to working under one of the most respected Draak in Wrenhil. Well, most famous, anyways. I’d never met him, but I’d heard plenty. He was a Blue Breath. Intelligent, well-connected, and passionate about Draak and human history alike. I found myself wondering if I’d be able to pick his brain anytime soon.
Once my tea was reheated, I fished it out of the microwave and started back toward the sofa to relax. Just as I was sitting down, my phone beeped, notifying me of a new story that had popped up in my messages. It was from a news blog Artemis followed and asked me to keep up with since she’d been confined to the hospital. I didn’t usually read the articles, but this time I took a glance to see if I should set the story aside for Artemis
to read on my next visit.
Explosion at Draakir building in Sector 2 kills multiple gala attendees. Number of deaths not yet confirmed.
Reading on, I skimmed a list of confirmed attendees who were at the event. I wasn’t sure why I wanted to go through it. It was big news, obviously, but news often brought my mood down. But, I read the list anyways, wondering if I recognized any names.
Annette Mirva
Draven Tempest
Sorrin Forbes
Everly Ghlass
Lukan Hale
Alistair Raiden
Baliss Torgrun
Killian Valentyne
I stopped reading after that.
Ash Bringer (A Storm of Fire: Paranormal Dragonshifter Romance Book 1) Page 33
