“You’re not asking if I offer to give Neo time off so he can make the trip with you. Maybe I’ll offer a couple others the chance to see a little bit of the world if they go with you and help you with the details.”
“Oh, no. You don’t need to send people to help me move,” Gwen started protesting as soon as the words were out of Teya’s mouth. Neo’s sister stopped her with a look.
“When’s the last time you moved?”
“Um...” Gwen’s voice trailed off.
“You’re still living in the same home your guardian left you more than fifty years ago. There will be more to moving here than you realize. I can send a couple people with you, people who will know how to handle details that will just bog you down and make this harder.”
Gwen seemed to wilt. “You’re right. It’s going to be more than just boxing up a few things and selling a flat. I don’t have the faintest clue where to start, other than shipping the things I want to keep here, of course.”
“That’s all right. It’s not your strong point. You have others and believe me, I will make use of them.” Teya’s smile turned friendly. “In time, I’ll figure out just what all your strengths and weaknesses are. Don’t worry though, I rarely use them to torture people.”
Gwen opened her mouth to reply, then stopped and frowned, as if she’d just registered what Teya said. She blinked then laughed, shaking her head. “I’ll have to get used to this. You don’t behave as I am used to an alpha behaving.”
“We are a little different around here,” Teya chuckled. “But part of that is because while I will be your alpha, I will also be family, and family is special.”
“That it is. I haven’t had a family in a long time.” Gwen’s tone turned sad, and Neo squeezed her leg where his hand still sat on her thigh, making her look at him. “What?”
“We have each other now. We will never be alone again.” He couldn’t help the sadness that washed through him when he thought about how lonely she must have been. How hard it had to have been for her since her uncle passed away.
“Give me a bit to look this over and see if any changes need to be made, then I’ll be in touch.” Teya fell silent for a few seconds as she glanced down the page in front of her, then looked back up at them. “What are your plans for this evening?”
Neo looked at Gwen, who shook her head. “We don’t have any, why?”
“Let me make a couple calls, maybe I can put something together. I’ll be in touch.”
Neo knew they had been dismissed and stood, pulling Gwen up beside him.
“Send Rachel in on your way out, please.” Teya called as they headed for the door.
Neo waved one hand to let her know he’d heard, then followed Gwen out of the office.
18
Whatever Neo’s sister had been trying to put together hadn’t worked out and Gwen spent the evening with Neo in his apartment. She’d been relieved when he said Teya hadn’t been able to make it work and that they would end up doing whatever it was another night. The whole thing with Ellis and trying to figure out how to catch him had taken an emotional toll, and by the time evening rolled around, she didn’t know if she had it in her to socialize.
Gwen didn’t know if Neo saw how exhausted she was, or if he felt the same way, but when he’d suggested having dinner delivered instead of going upstairs, she’d almost burst into tears with relief.
They ate, spent a while curled together on the sofa talking, and then when Gwen could barely hold her eyes open, they went to bed. On the way into Neo’s bedroom, Gwen noticed it was not yet 9:00 p.m. and wondered if maybe jet lag was catching up with her.
She stepped out of her clothes, briefly considered finding one of Neo’s shirts to wear to bed but discarded the idea before slipping in between the sheets and curling up next to him. Feeling him pressed against her, the heat of his body seeping into hers, she wasn’t as tired as she’d been a few seconds before.
Neo’s arm slid around her belly and pulled her closer, even though they were already skin to skin. Heat pooled low in her belly, and she couldn’t resist the urge to slide her foot up and down his leg. The caress of his skin against hers sent sparks of heat through her entire body.
“I’m trying to be good here, but you’re making it difficult.” Neo’s breath feathered along the back of her neck as he buried his face in her hair. His voice vibrated through her, hitting nerves she hadn’t been aware of. Gwen arched into him, unable to keep her body still. She ached to have his hands on her, to feel his touch on her skin, inside her.
“Oh, I want you to be good, but not that kind of good.” Reaching back with one hand, she scraped her nails up his leg.
“Are you sure?” His mouth moved to the curve of her neck, and his hand slid down her belly. “You’re tired, and I don’t want to pressure you.”
“You’re not. I’m asking.”
A low growl rumbled through Neo’s chest and through her back, a sharp sting on her shoulder told her he’d set his teeth into her skin. Gwen was unable to stop the whimper of need escaping her throat. Neo’s fingers dipped into the cleft between her legs, pressing lightly. Her whimper turned to a low moan.
Gwen wanted to beg for more, but words escaped her as Neo’s touch transformed her from a woman to a writhing ball of need. She tugged and pulled at him, trying to get him closer. To get him to fill her with the thick, full cock she felt pressed against her back, but he wouldn’t co-operate. His hands roamed. A squeeze of her ass, then a caress across her hip and up her stomach. He rolled her nipples between his fingers before tugging until she cried out. Not in pain, but desire. She loved every time he laid his hands on her. The teeth in her neck never left, only tightened if she tried to pull away. That alone made thick moisture leak from her core. Her body tightened and pleasure washed over her. She couldn’t stop herself from calling out his name.
Before she had a chance to completely return to herself, Neo was moving. He rolled her onto her back and knelt over her. She lifted heavy lids to look him in the eye and found him smiling down at her, a pleased look on his face. Before she had a chance to ask what he was up to, he lowered his head and captured her mouth in an intense kiss. He lined himself up with her opening, and in one smooth thrust, he sank balls deep into her.
The intense sensation of him filling her, the full, tight feeling made her body clench and seize as she cried her pleasure into his mouth. He pulled back until Gwen was afraid he was going to stop. She grabbed his arms just in time to feel him reverse directions and thrust deep inside her once again. Her neck arched. She struggled to breathe. Her lungs didn’t want to draw air as wave after wave of pleasure washed through her. Unable to stop herself, Gwen’s fingers curled, digging into Neo’s skin as he continued driving her over the edge of sanity with every thrust of his hips.
She was screaming his name, not for the first time, when with one final thrust, he stiffened in her arms, groaning out her name before collapsing on top of her. They lay sweat-soaked and panting for several minutes before either could move.
After a while, she pushed at him, needing him to move so she could get up.
“What’s wrong?” Neo had caught his breath but was still laying over her like a limp noodle.
“I need you to move, unless you want to be laying in a puddle for the rest of the night.”
“I don’t mind the wet spot, babe.” She heard amusement in his voice, “It’s a sign of a job well done.”
“I’m not talking about that. I need to tinkle.”
“Tinkle?” Neo rolled to the side, freeing her to get up. “That’s cute.”
Gwen stood, stopping beside the bed to turn back to him. She put her hands on her hips and frowned. “Are you making fun of me?”
“No, I’m just amused by you.” He rolled toward her and reached out like he was going to pull her back onto the bed. Quickly, she stepped out of reach, then high-tailed it into the loo to do her business.
Gwen woke to the shrill ring of her phone. Eyes h
alf open, she reached for the nightstand only to find the phone missing. A low light came on behind her.
“Hello?” Neo’s voice behind her sent chills up her spine as bits from the night before flashed through her mind. “No, she’s right here. Just a moment.” His arm wrapped around her, phone in hand. “Sorry, I thought it was mine. It’s your alpha.”
Taking the phone, she put it to her ear. “This is Gwen.” Her voice was still thick with sleep, and she wished it wasn’t so obvious she had just woken.
“I assume that’s the dragon you’ve been sleeping with?” Grigor’s voice held a note of something she didn’t recognize.
“Um...” she didn’t know how to answer, it really wasn’t any of his business, as long as she did the job he was paying her for.
“Never mind. I just wanted to let you know we’ve signed the treaty as is and are only waiting on the alpha there to do the same. You can come home any time you like.”
“Thank you, sir. There are a couple things up in the air here, but I’ll let you know what’s going on as soon as it’s decided.”
“Sounds good. And Gwen?” Grigor seemed to be waiting for a response.
“Yes?”
“Good job. The contract is exactly what I had in mind.”
“Thank you.” She disconnected the call and stretched to put the phone on the night stand in front of her. That’s when she realized that sometime between when she’d gone to bed and now, she and Neo had switched sides. Probably after they’d had sex. She rolled back to Neo and snuggled into his arms, reveling in the sensations of security and contentment that filled her when his arms were around her.
“What was that about?” Neo’s voice was soft as his face was tucked into her neck.
“Grigor was letting me know they’d signed the treaty. All it’s waiting on now is Teya and it’s finalized. He told me I could come home now.” She frowned. “He seemed to expect me to come back and live there like nothing has happened.”
“Do you think he expects to not let you move?” Neo’s arms tightened around her as if just the idea of losing her was too much.
“I don’t know, but the treaty he just signed will prevent that.”
“What do you mean?”
Gwen rubbed her face against his arm where it laid under her head. “I put a clause in that states they don’t have to accept the new mate of any member of the clan, but they can’t prevent the clan member from leaving to join his or her mate. It’s not worded like that, of course, but that’s what it says.”
“Why would you do that?”
“To keep them from refusing to release me.” She rolled over to face him. “Rhiannon had already said you weren’t welcome to join the clan, and I’ve seen them refuse to release dragons before, claiming they were too valuable to let them go. I didn’t want it to be an issue between us, or anyone else.” She stretched up and kissed his lips. “What time is it by the way?”
“A little after three.”
She groaned. “Obviously, he didn’t think about the time difference.”
“Or he didn’t care.”
“Now I’m the one who doesn’t care.” Gwen wrapped one arm around him, tucked her head under his chin and closed her eyes. She needed more sleep before facing the world.
19
Waking up with Gwen tangled around him was something Neo could get used to. He watched her sleep for a while, enjoying the soft, innocent look on her face. The breeze from the overhead fan blew a strand of hair across her face, making Gwen wrinkle her nose and rub her face against the pillow. Neo wanted to see it again so he tickled the tip of her nose, ever so gently, with his fingertip.
Gwen made a face, her nose wrinkling and twitching. He couldn’t help but chuckle. Gwen opened one eye and gave him a baleful look.
“Messing with my sleep can be dangerous.”
“Lucky for me, I know how to tame your beast.” He lowered his lips to hers and gave her a long, slow kiss. He wasn’t trying for more, just trying to show her he cared for her by pouring all the emotion he felt for her into the kiss.
The alarm went off, signaling the beginning of the day. Reluctantly, Neo pulled away and rolled to shut off the alarm. When he turned back toward her, he found her sitting up and stretching.
“Awww, I was enjoying that.”
“I was too, but things are happening today.” She swung her legs off the far side of the bed and stood. “I expect to hear from your sister soon, then I can make some more solid plans about the future.”
“Is that what you’re waiting for? The future?”
Gwen stopped on her way to the bathroom and turned back to look at him. “No, I’m not waiting, but I want to get through this so we can put it behind us. I want to not have to tip-toe around because of politics.” She came back and leaned down over him. “I want to be able to bind myself to you, and I can’t do it until this business is done.” She dropped a light kiss on his lips then stood and disappeared into the bathroom.
After a moment, Neo realized he wasn’t breathing and took a deep breath. She wanted to be bound to him. This had all happened so fast, from no hope, to having a mate who wanted him. Not that he would trade any of it for the world. He would take even a single day with Gwen over a thousand years without her. He was blown away she was ready to bind her life to his, especially so soon.
Neo was still lying in bed when Gwen came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her body and another on her head.
“You planning to lie there all day?” She went to the chair where her suitcase sat and dug through it.
“No, but you were in the bathroom so why move until I could get in there?” He climbed out of bed, stepped up behind her, wrapped his arms around her middle, and leaned down over her bent back to drop a kiss below her ear as he said the words he had been certain he would never feel. “I love you, Gwen.”
She straightened and turned in his arms before standing there a moment, watching him. “I know you love me, I can feel it.”
“You can?” He frowned.
“I can. It’s in your every touch, your every kiss and caress. Yes, the sex is good, but I’ve had good sex before. This is different. You want to comfort me when I’m feeling down. You want to make sure I’m happy and have whatever I need or want. Those aren’t things just anyone does.” She cupped one cheek as she met his gaze. “I appreciate them. I do.” Stretching up, she kissed his lips. Then turned back to the suitcase to gather her clothes.
Neo turned for the bathroom, a little hurt. She had said she knew he loved her, but she hadn’t told him how she felt. He tried to dismiss it. His dragon roared in his head. It’s just too soon. He told his other self. It will come in time. I just need to give her time.
When Neo finished in the bathroom, he found the bedroom empty. He pulled on a pair of slacks and a shirt before heading for the kitchen. He needed a cup of coffee. Stepping into the tiny kitchen as he rubbed one hand over his face, Neo smelled coffee. Glancing around the small room, he found Gwen standing next to the coffee maker, a steaming cup in her hand and another under the spout.
“You made coffee.” Neo immediately wanted to slap himself for stating the obvious.
“Here, this one’s yours.” She pushed the cup in her hands at him. He accepted the mug and took a sip while she picked up the other and did the same. He watched her for a moment, unsure what to say, then took his cup into the living room and sat on the sofa. It was early still and he wasn’t a morning person. It always took at least one cup of coffee, if not two, to get his brain functioning.
Gwen joined him on the sofa. After a few moments, she set her cup on the table on the other side and turned to face him. “I need to say I’m sorry.”
Neo frowned, not sure what she was talking about. She’d done nothing she needed to be sorry for, at least not that he knew about.
“I was raised in a very reserved manner. We never told our loved ones we care for them, we showed it with the little things we did. Small gestures to show
someone how much they meant to us.” She paused and looked down at her hands a moment, they were folded together in her lap, the knuckles white as if she was stressed about something. He wasn’t sure where she was going with this. “It didn’t occur to me until after you’d gone into the loo that I should have said I love you too.”
Neo shook his head. “I don’t want you to say it just because I did. I would rather you wait until you’re sure. I know it’s fast, maybe too fast.”
Gwen laid a hand on his leg, stopping him as he stared into her eyes.
“Stop.” She smiled a soft, happy smile, as if something he’d said amused her. “I feel it. I do love you. I’m just not used to being so plain about it. It will take me some time to get used to the way you just say how you’re feeling, but I don’t want to change that either. I love it, just like I love almost everything else about you.”
“Almost?”
“Well,” she looked away, “you have this snore that could wake the dead.”
“I do not!” He pushed at her, not hard, just enough to get her to lean back a little. It was then he saw a grin had spread across her face. “Oh, I see what you’re up to. You’re going to pay for that. He set his mug on the table beside him and closed the distance between them. He tickled her while she screamed, laughed, and past the point where tears were running from her eyes until she begged him to stop.
“You’re going to make me tinkle.” She gasped for breath.
Neo leaned back on his heels. “Maybe then you’ll remember not to tell blatant lies.”
“Or I’ll remember why I do it.” She stood and headed for the bedroom. “I’ll be right back.” Neo watched as she disappeared then picked up his mug and took a long drink.
Maybe it isn’t too soon after all, Neo sent to his dragon. His other half didn’t say anything, just let a low, content purr rumble through Neo until he felt it in his bones.
The Dragon Chronicles_City of Sin Page 26
