“Yes.” She whispered the word and, at first, she wasn’t sure if he heard her.
But then, his hands moved. His touches were slow, yet certain. There was no hesitation as he tugged on the neck of her dress with one hand while also inching the hem higher on her thighs with the other.
A tug on the dress was followed by a rending of cloth and then the cool night air bathed her heated skin. Goose bumps raced over her, puckering her flesh. Her plump nipple hardened further until it was a stiff nub.
“You glow in the moonlight.” Joey’s voice was low and sensual.
“I…”
“So beautiful.” He cupped her breast once again, molding his hand to the heavy roundness. “Do you see how you overflow my hand? So gorgeous. Heaven gave me the perfect woman. One who’s soft and sweet in all the right places. One who will catch my hardness.” He captured her nipple between thumb and forefinger, giving her a pinch. “Black dragons are hard, sweetness. Too hard for most. We need soft women, curvy women. Will you be my bit of softness? Hmm?”
She moaned and fought to form the words that lingered in her mind. She wanted to tell him to stop pushing. To make her come already so she could think.
“Maybe I’ll get the answer I need after I make you scream my name. Let’s do that, shall we?”
“Yes,” she hissed. She was all over that plan.
His warm hand caressed her hip, reminding her that he’d pulled her dress higher and higher. Blunt, callused fingertips teased the edges of her panties and dipped beneath the elastic. She was torn between the pleasure of his touch at her breast and the other near the juncture of her thighs.
The hand near her hip delved further beneath her undies, sifting through her closely cropped curls and finally cupping her mound. He didn’t penetrate her, didn’t slide between her sex lips and seek out her clit. No, he merely cupped her heat and made her moan with the teasing touch.
“Do you want me here?” he whispered against her ear, the warmth of his breath against her skin as teasing as his touch.
Instead of answering, she rocked against his hand, hoping to force him where she desired. Her wanting, the desperate need, grew by the second. Her nipple pebbled against his palm while her clit twitched. She craved him and her hedgie urged her to give him her ultimate surrender.
Not yet.
“Do you, sweet Katie?” He nuzzled her. “I bet you taste real sweet, don’t you? I’d like to find out some day.” She wondered if he spoke of her blood, or if he talked about licking her pussy.
Both sounded wonderful.
Joey rubbed her sex lips, fingers sliding over her heated flesh and she rocked against him once again, using the slight pressure to increase the small bit of pleasure coursing through her veins.
“Katie?” He pinched her nipple, plucking it and adding the tiniest hint of pain to her growing ecstasy.
“Please.” The word burst past her lips.
“Anything for you. Anything.”
Then he gave her everything.
Joey slid his middle finger between her lower lips, sliding through her cream and brushing her clit.
“You’re so wet for me,” he murmured.
Yes, she was and she almost hated herself for it. They had different lives, ones that were so far apart that she didn’t think they’d ever find a middle ground. She wanted small town life with a few close friends and a rundown farm. He wanted the flashing lights of a big city.
Then he circled her clit, rubbing that rough digit over the small bundle of nerves, and their differences drifted to the back of her mind. All she had now was sensation, pure pleasure and desperate need.
He kneaded her breast, teasing her nipple, every tug seemed to go straight to her pussy. The touch on her chest joined that of her clit, stoking the fire of her arousal. Her pussy clenched, silently wishing for his penetration, but she pushed that desire back.
Not today, not tonight, maybe not ever.
Katie leaned back against him, letting him take some of her weight as she lost herself to the sensations of his touch. She rocked and rolled her hips as she arched into his touch. She was torn in two with her need. She wanted his hands to never move almost as much as she wanted him to stroke her everywhere.
Joey tapped her clit, a rapid touch that had her whimpering with his strength and speed. “Joey…”
“Right here.”
She moaned when he alternated between soft presses and gentle circles, taking her from desperate to simmering and back again with each shift. “Please.”
She wasn’t sure what she asked for. Less? More? All of it?
No, not all of it.
He moved the hand between her thighs, finger leaving her clit. She whined with the loss and then gasped when he teased the center of her heat. “Do you want me here?”
He didn’t wait for her to answer. No, he simply pressed his finger into her, stroking her inner walls with his penetration.
“So snug and warm.” He licked her neck, sending a new shudder down her spine. “Wet.”
She was soaked for him, pussy preparing for his possession. He’d take her hard and deep, over and over again.
That single digit left and then returned with a second, stretching her pussy with his thick fingers. She gasped and the sound quickly turned into a moan as the heel of his hand pressed against her pulsing clit.
“Ride my hand, Katie. Take what you need.”
So, she did. She rolled her hips, riding his hand as if it were his cock, taking joy in his penetration. The wet squelch of his fingers plunging in and out of her filled the air, the sounds floating into the space around them.
Something else enveloped them, the scent of his arousal combined with the musk of her juices. It was heady, arousing. She knew it’d be even more overpowering when they finally came together.
Then she remembered they weren’t mating, and the thought diminished some of her desire. Joey didn’t let the lull continue for more than a breath, though. No, his hand picked up speed, the pressure increasing as he continued to torment her breast.
Now she was locked in his passion, riding a growing wave of pleasure.
Each shift of muscle brought her closer to the crest, each slide into her and every gentle retreat shoved her nearer. Small bolts of pleasure assaulted her, sliding over her nerves and spreading to the tips of her toes. She moaned and gasped, crying out and urging him to go faster, push harder, delve deeper. She wanted to pull him into her, ride him until she screamed his name.
They were well on their way to that end.
“Joey…” Her pussy tightened around him, milking his fingers as she would his cock.
“You’re close, aren’t you?” he murmured.
Katie could only whimper.
He plunged deeper still, giving her what she needed, and her hedgie chittered in response. It was overjoyed that their mate could meet their needs. They had to only whine and he handed them what they desired.
Her human half was both happy and dismayed. With his every touch, she felt her resolve crumbling. No, she couldn’t give in just because he could make her come.
She was stronger than that, wasn’t she?
Maybe.
Katie shuddered as another overwhelming surge of bliss flowed through her. Soon, soon, soon.
“That’s it. Let go, sweetness. Give it to me,” he growled, his warm breath fanning over her heated skin. “Now.”
She found she couldn’t deny him, couldn’t disregard the order when her body ached to obey. With a roaring scream, she let the tsunami of sensation engulf her. She shuddered and moaned, screaming Joey’s name as the pleasure swept her away.
Wave after rolling wave sent tremors and trembles racing through her body, stealing her control. Her toes curled, breath stilling in her lungs, heart stuttering as she was overtaken.
And still he continued his rhythmic penetration. Still he continued tormenting her.
Another round of shudders raced down her spine and she found she couldn’t even
remain standing. The sensations stole her ability to think and to hold herself upright.
She let Joey take her weight, let him be responsible for her. He didn’t disappoint. He cradled her, the hand at her breast moving to wrap around her waist. The hand between her thighs slowed and she whimpered as he slid free of her body. With glazed eyes, she watched him bring his hand up and toward her face. If he thought she was about to taste herself, he had another…
No, he didn’t want to slide his fingers into her mouth. That was blatantly obvious when he slid them past his own lips and hummed. When he removed them, he flashed her a fiery smile. Flames lurked in his eyes and his teeth looked a hint sharper and longer than before.
“Delicious,” he purred and the fire in his eyes flared brighter. “I can’t wait to lap up the flavors from the source.”
Katie gulped as her pussy clenched. She wanted that, too. She wanted it and hated herself for the desire at the same time. This was a dangerous, tempting, alluring game. Her hedgie urged her to lay down, spread her thighs and invite him to take a taste now.
But if she wanted to remain in North Carolina, that couldn’t happen. Because, if it continued, if they moved past passionate caresses, she wasn’t sure she could ever let him go.
She eased from his embrace, stepping away as she tugged The Black Dress back into place. Honey would be furious when she realized it’d been stretched and torn. She clasped the ripped fabric to her breast, fighting to cover herself. She couldn’t be vulnerable, exposed, while she tried to push him away.
“That can’t happen.” Her heart cracked a little with the denial. “This… we’re not mating, Joey.”
“Sweetness,” he stepped closer and she backed off. The move silenced him for a moment and an expression she couldn’t decipher passed over his features. “It would be good between us, Katie. We’re mates. We’re meant for one another. We belong together.”
She shook her head, knowing he spoke the truth and yet… he didn’t. “No, you’re going back to the queen and the twelve in Miami. My place is here.” She sighed. “We have nothing in common, Joey. You’re…” she gestured at him, the wave of her hand encompassing his body. “You’re classy, refined. While I’m,” she repeated the move to encompass herself. “I’m ripped fishnets and boots.”
She needed him to understand and accept. If he didn’t, she knew she’d throw away her life and follow him to the ends of the earth.
“I disagree.” His words were soft, deadly almost. If he weren’t her mate, she would actually fear him. “And you’re going to give me a chance to prove it to you.”
“There’s nothing you can—”
“You owe me the chance, Katie.”
“I don’t owe you anything, we’re strangers. That’s another reason—”
Suddenly he was there, standing mere inches from her. “You’re making up excuses. There’s no harm in dating. If we find that nature made a mistake, if we can’t make it through a meal without wanting to claw each other’s eyes out, then I’ll walk away.” He ran a single finger along her cheek and she fought the need to lean into his touch. “But I don’t think that’s going to happen, do you?”
No. She wanted to scream the word, but she swallowed it instead. When she continued her silence, he stepped away from her, an indecipherable look on his face.
Then he stiffened, glance shooting around the empty space, his body wound tightly. Finally, his attention returned to her as he plastered a smile on his face. “Let’s get you home, then. Hmm?”
Chapter Seven
Service as a member of the twelve had taught Joey to keep a tight rein on his emotions, to only show what he wanted people to see. That ability stood him in good stead now. Coming down from the high of making his little mate moan and shudder before she came screaming in his arms, an uneasy feeling settled over him.
Like they were being watched.
The fine hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and his dragon was instantly alert. Scanning everything around them for any threat to their mate. His delicate little mate. She might be a shifter, but a werehedgehog wasn’t much hardier than a standard human. She could be crushed and killed easily in either of her forms.
Not happening.
Keeping the soft smile on his face, Joey bent down and picked her up. She shot him that look again, the one somewhere between embarrassment and need, but he carried on. No matter what she thought, her weight was never going to be a problem for him. He understood women were weird about these things, though.
Bending his head, he brushed his lips against the soft spot just under her ear. She caught her breath at the touch, a sexy little sound in the back of her throat. He could sense the tension between her and her hedgie, the mental argument pressing at his mind, but he ignored it. Didn’t pry.
Nice to know he had an ally.
“You’re wrong, by the way.” He kept his voice soft as he strode to the top of the hill, all his senses still alert as he assessed the wind and air conditions. Fastest way out of here was in the air. He couldn’t sense another dragon in the area and there wasn’t anything else big enough to try and take him on. Not on the wing anyway.
“Oh?” She sounded distracted, her fingers playing with the edge of his t-shirt. Her touch was slowly driving him crazy, but he kept his mind on the job. It was that or lay her on the ground and take her here and now.
He could “persuade” her, he knew he could. Easily. But he didn’t need a mate who was pissed as hell at him. For an entire lifetime. Dragons, and therefore their mates, lived a long time. He was a mean bastard, but he wasn’t about to condemn her to a life of misery like that.
“I’m not refined.” He leapt into the air, letting his change explode through him in the same moment. A second later, his wings caught the updraft, beating powerfully to take them high into the air. In fact, I like a woman in fishnets… especially if I can rip them off.
He fed her images of what he wanted to do to her. Nothing too kinky, he didn’t want to scare her, but kinky enough that the scent of her arousal wrapped around him again like a fine perfume. It crawled over his skin, into his nostrils and under his scales, infiltrating his bloodstream to wrap around his heart.
“No fair! No showing me sexy stuff in my head!” She still kept to speech as a method of communication, and he felt a little pang that she wouldn’t relax enough to communicate as mates should. Pushing the small hurt away, he chuckled, the sound like a mountain moving within his chest.
How about I just show you for real?
She squeaked and he felt her irritation, as well as the heat she was trying to hide. It was no good though, she couldn’t hide it from him. Frustration rolled through him as he beat wings to take her home, sliding silently into her mind long enough to lift the location before retreating. He was even a good little dragon and didn’t have a nosey around while he was in there.
“No! No showing. You promised!” Her outraged squeak was punctuated by a slap across his scales. He chuckled in amusement again, a small burst of flame lighting the sky ahead of them. For a moment he thought he saw something in the corner of his eye, another dragon keeping pace with them, but when he turned, there was nothing there.
Odd.
Actually, sweetness, I didn’t promise anything of the kind, he said silkily, but was cut off when she gasped.
“Hey, why have you brought me home?” She sat up in his front paws as he circled over a couple of small buildings. “What about my car? I can’t just leave it at Jasmine. It won’t be there in the morning!”
Her distress over the vehicle made him frown. It was a heap of junk only fit for the scrap yard, yet she sounded almost in tears over it. He touched down, folding his dragon form back within the man and looked at her.
“I’ll fetch it. I just wanted to get you home…” He paused and grinned, adding a cheeky little twinkle to his eye. “You seemed in the mood, didn’t want to ruin my chances by picking up that hunk of junk.”
She gasped, eyes wide
before she wriggled to get free of his arms. God that felt good. No, not good, fucking amazing.
“You asshat! You are so not getting lucky now! Go pick my car up!” she demanded, glaring at him when he put her down. That was fine, better that she should be mad at him than he tell her the truth. That he wanted her home safely and as soon as possible because there was something out there. “And don’t you dare scratch my baby!”
“I managed to carry you without scratching you, didn’t I?” He arched an eyebrow, then grinned slyly. “Actually maybe I should come in, check you over for scratches…”
She stood in front of him, so close he could feel her body heat and glared.
“Car!” She poked him in the chest. Hard. “Get wingy and fetch. Now!”
He bit back his smile. She obviously didn’t realize how cute she was when she was mad. Or quite how dangerous he was. To say he had a lethal reputation was an understatement. Not Katie. She wasn’t a dragon and had obviously lived under a rock for most of her life. She had no idea who he was, or of his reputation, and she wasn’t scared of him. He had the feeling even if she had known, it wouldn’t have made a bit of difference. She still wouldn’t have been scared of him.
He kind of liked that. Actually, he really liked that.
“Okay, on one condition.” Her expression set but he ignored it. “I’ll fetch your car, but you agree to a date. Tomorrow. My choice this time. Deal?”
The silence stretched out between them, and he could practically see the cogs working behind her eyes as she considered it from every angle. He waited, managing to slide a hand around her waist and ease her closer while she thought about it. Did she realize she was so easy to read? At least for him…
“Okay…” she agreed grudgingly. “But nothing weird. And I want my car back, like yesterday.”
“You got it, sweetness.” Not wanting to push his luck, he dropped a quick kiss on her lips and backed up. “In the house,” he ordered, pointing to the door. “I want to make sure you’re safe before I go.”
Dragon Her Feet Page 6
