Angus reached across the table, capturing her chin within his grasp. “Look at me.” When she didn’t, he forced her gaze to his. “I’ve never experienced fulfillment with any woman like I have with you.”
She smiled as he softly stroked her lips and caressed her cheek. “I don’t know what came over me,” she suggested. “There’s so many emotions driving through me.”
“We’re bonding,” Angus said quickly. “It’s proof that we’re a match. My mark burns,” he admitted as he lightly touched the area beneath his collarbone. “Your behavior is erratic. That’s perfectly normal.”
“Mine, too.” She scratched the area where the birthmark was through her clothes and flinched several times. “How long will this continue?”
“Once we’ve claimed—I mean courted—and we consummate our relationship for the third time.” He smiled as he cocked his head to the side, searching the depths of her eyes.
“Oh. Well.” She laughed nervously. “Better get cracking.”
“Can’t believe you’re at a loss for words. That’s something I’m not used to seeing.”
“Oh, stop messing with me.” She swatted at his hand and looked around, thankful that not many people were having lunch at the outside bistro. “Feeling kind of silly here, but I need to tell you some things I discovered last night. Something about me.”
Angus leaned on the tiny, round glass table. “Oh?”
“My grandmother told me I was special.” She paused for a few minutes. “Look, here’s the CliffsNotes version. “When I was a child, my mother and her boyfriend argued so much it terrified me. As I grew older, their arguments became worse and the fires started. Grandma helped me to suppress the dragon within, said I couldn’t allow anyone to know my true nature. Anytime I stressed, fires started. Granny raised me, and I discovered my birthmark on my hip. As I matured, it somehow became the shape of a dragon.”
* * * *
Angus’s heart went out to her after hearing Julia’s entire story. “So you never knew your father?”
“No. I have no pictures, letters, or anything. Just bits and pieces my grandmother told me.”
The pain in her voice was so obvious it tugged at his heart. Now he knew and completely understood why she had been so angry when he questioned her parents’ whereabouts. Her life had been no bed of roses, but Julia was a fighter in spite of the obstacles she’d faced as a child. “I’m so sorry to hear that.” He reached for her hand and was relieved when she allowed him to clasp it within his grasp.
“My mother died of a broken heart soon after she left. I think because she sent my father away. She wasn’t happy, you know.” She bowed her head in sadness. “We didn’t even know his name.”
Angus squeezed her hand and offered her a handkerchief to catch the flow of tears. Her body convulsed a few times as she fought to regain her composure.
“Oh, dear Lord. I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she confessed. “I feel so stupid.”
“You’re doing what you’re supposed to. Your grandmother told you crying helped to purge the negative feelings. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask. I’m here for you, Julia.”
“You don’t know how much that means to me,” she said before snatching off the sunglasses and dabbing her eyes. “Oh God! I’ve felt so alone for the longest time. How can someone carry on through life, not knowing what they are and where they come from?”
“When dragons are born into the human realm, they adapt to a human way of life. The arguments acted as a catalyst and your dragon fought for acknowledgment. The fires were signs of the essence being stifled. You have never been taught to control your power. Have you set any recently?”
She nodded. “The other night, after what happened in your office, when I went home. I had so many visions that overpowered me, thought I was going out of my mind. I didn’t really feel like myself.”
“That’s completely normal,” he assured her. “It’s one thing to conceal the dragon; it’s another to completely deny it exists.”
“I know that now. I wanted to forget everything about my family all those years ago. It was so damned easy to do. It felt like the right thing to do at the time. Moving on with my life was the best thing for me.”
“I know you did, and there’s nothing wrong with moving on. Now I’m here to help you with accepting your true nature. That’s what a faithful mate does.”
“The night you caught me in your office, I saw visions of a world I’ve never seen before, but somehow I felt a feeling I’ve never experienced before. It was something very powerful, pulling me in that direction. I wanted to be there and nowhere else for the moment. It’s more than a tapestry, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “It’s the doorway to Pyreer.”
“I touched it, but there was nothing but solid wall behind it.”
“Now you know where I usually disappear to throughout the day. Sometimes I need to retreat and free my dragon. That portal allows me access to my dimension without attracting attention.”
“I see,” Julia said with a smile. “It all makes sense now. And I thought—”
His eyes became intense. “You thought what?”
“I thought you went off somewhere with someone else in the office.”
“You obviously don’t know me well, do you?”
She shook her head and chuckled. “No, I didn’t, but I’m getting to know you now.”
“How do you like what you’ve learned about me so far?”
“So far, so good. I feel like I’ve known you forever.” She squeezed his hand. “Take me home. Now, please.”
Angus noticed her chest heaved uncontrollably and that she shifted in the chair. Holding his head back, he inhaled deeply. “You’re wet.” His cock stirred within his slacks. If it weren’t for the passersby, he would have jumped over the table and taken her.
“How do you know?” she squirmed in the chair.
“A dragon knows when his mate is in need.”
“Then you know to take me home,” she whispered.
There was no need for Julia to say anything else. Angus called for the waiter and paid the bill in cash.
* * * *
Once in the privacy of Angus’s home, the lovers kissed uncontrollably and inhaled one another’s scent. In their haste, they’d left a trail of clothing from the living room to his bedroom. Soon they were against the wall near the entrance of his bedroom.
“Close the Venetians,” she pleaded. “It’s too bright in here.”
“Do you trust me?”
Julia quickly nodded and released a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding as he continued delivering silky kisses all over her neck. He looked at her and narrowed his eyes.
“I refuse to close the blinds. I want to see every inch of your delicious, naked body. Come here.” Angus pulled her in front of a large full-length mirror next to the door. “Look at us.”
“What are you doing?”
He pulled her in front of him, holding her arms at her side. “Soaking in all that beauty. The beauty of us, as a couple.”
Julia tried looking away, but he gently forced her to look at them both in the mirror. “Now, tell me what you see.
“You and I standing here, butt-ass naked.” She laughed.
“Seriously, Julia. We’re opposites on the outside, but so much like each other on the inside. I see two perfect beings who have taken charge of their existence.” He ran his hands along the curves of her body. “You’ve hurt my feelings.”
“What do you mean?”
“How could you think me to be such a shallow man?”
“Okay, seriously, you’re losing me, baby.”
“You thought I would never be interested in you because of your size?”
“I don’t want to talk about this.” She held her head down. “Why are we even having this conversation?”
“Because it needs to be discussed,” Angus said sternly. “Human society has planted a false reality of what women sho
uld look like, making it hard for them to accept themselves for who they are.”
“Angus, I simply assumed in the beginning you only dated petite women. That has nothing to do with my self-confidence, trust me. I’d never change for you or anyone else; you should know that.”
“Good. Even though you’re confident, I still need to tell you just how beautiful you are. Every man should tell his woman that. You’re a beautiful woman, Julia Jones. I love you for who you are. This is my declaration to you.”
She glared at herself in the mirror. It wasn’t the first time. For years, she always looked in the mirror, accessing and accepting herself, in an effort to forget the insults etched into her memory from her mother’s lover. She smiled at the contrast of their skin and the beauty of their physiques. They did make one hell of a couple, and it turned her on. But she did have to answer him, tell him why she thought he’d never want her.
“I’ll admit. The scars my mother’s lover inflicted on me as a child took some time to heal, but I’m better now. If anything, he helped make me a stronger person.”
“Good. You exude an aura of power and pride when you’re in the office. Everyone sees you as being confident and strong.”
Julia held her head up proudly. “We’re a damned good-looking couple for sure,” she admitted.
“Also know we’re never making love in the dark. As I said before, I want to see your body. It turns me on.”
Julia laughed. “Why is it that you always seem to make me laugh when I’m trying to be serious?” She smiled as his hands glided over her body. “I mean, I work out, and even though sometimes I feel I could stand to shed some pounds, I’ve been happy with myself all these years. Just that my mother’s boyfriend used to make fun of me as a child, so I’ve got some demons haunting me at times.”
“We’ll exorcise those demons together.”
Julia turned toward Angus and hugged him. “These past few weeks have been the best of my life.” She needed to tell him that. She had never felt such a need to express her feelings with any man. It was a great relief to release them instead of smothering them, as she had been taught to do most of her life.
“Good, baby. That’s real good, because I need you in every aspect of my life. I love you and don’t ever want to let you go.” He carried her over toward the bed and gently laid her down. She sucked in a breath as Angus flicked his tongue over the small mound of her lower tummy until she shuddered.
“Yes, baby,” he crooned as his kisses dropped lower, to the place that burned for him.
“Angus!” She called his name several times as he flicked his tongue over her swollen flesh. To her disbelief her orgasm was abrupt but lasted longer than any other she’d experienced.
Julia spread her legs wider to give him access as he crawled up her body and kissed her passionately. With a groan, he focused his attention on her breasts. Angus sucked one dark areola then the other into his mouth as he gently caressed the large globes in his hands. Her hands buried themselves in his mane and traveled down his neck to his back as she arched into his mouth.
“I want nothing more than to bury my face between your legs, but I’m too damned close to the edge. See what you do to me!” His dragon stirred beneath the surface, egging him on.
“Please,” she begged. “I’m on fire. I need you inside me right now!”
At her command, Angus went deep in one stroke then held still as Julia bucked beneath him. When her lips lifted to meet his, he thrust deep inside her, gliding in and out of her slick tunnel.
“Oh my God!” she moaned, her fingernails scratching his back as he held her pinned to the bed.
“I need to take you from behind!” His voice was raspy and demanding. Before she could speak, he’d turned her over on her belly, propping her behind up in the air for his access. Placing a hand on her back, Angus eased her forward to rest on her knees and forearms. He moaned at the sight of her ass tilted up, in perfect position for him to slide deep inside of her.
“Nice,” Angus hissed before exploring Julia’s swollen folds and easing a thick finger deep inside her crevice while stroking his cock. Biting his lip, he rubbed his engorged member against her plush ass cheeks, occasionally brushing against her weeping slit.
Legs trembling and teeth clenched, she protested. “Stop teasing me, dammit! Please, fuck me now.”
“Whatever you desire.” Nudging her legs wide apart with one big leg, and then, so easily and without effort, he gripped her hips and slid deep inside of her.
She met him thrust for thrust while fisting the bedcovers, her cries of pleasure edging Angus onward. Wildly he pushed into her, pulling out only to push back in harder and faster.
The grunts he emitted turned her on, slowly pushing her on the edge of orgasm. Her breasts swung freely with every thrust, and the sounds of their lovemaking made her want more—need more. “Angus! Please don’t stop!”
“Don’t plan on it,” he growled in between thrusts as he slid one hand down her belly and covered her navel. “Baby, come for me again. Come hard for me.” He moved his hand up, across the side of her waist as he thrust into her, hard, fast, relentlessly taking his own pleasure.
The smacking sounds of damp flesh colliding intoxicated her. Their moans, his grunts, and the sheer breath of him made her dizzy with uncontrolled need. She cried out, pushing her hips in unison in an attempt to claim more of his length before she began to come. The steady escalating pleasure overwhelmed her, and she screamed in ecstasy. That’s when she felt something else stirring deep within her.
“Come, my ebony goddess! Come hard for me,” he groaned, thrusting into her harder and less controlled than before. “Julia!” Angus slowed his actions more and more until there was no motion. He held himself deep within her. “Let yourself go, baby!”
“Angus, I—” She threw her head back and allowed herself to be swallowed by their bonding and her dragon essence.
“God . . . can’t hold on any longer.” Angus held off coming as long as he could. “Sweet, merciful . . . ”
He continued stroking her into a frenzy as her body spurred him on. Together they came, Julia’s body milking him, and his, helpless to resist the sweet, delectable spasms that overpowered his body.
She felt her muscles clenching around him, milking him for all he had and more. Julia wanted more. She slid her hand between her thighs, caressing her clit, pinching it until she came again.
Spent and completely sated, she collapsed under his large body. Angus lay on top, licking her shoulder before gliding his tongue down the center of her back and back up again. “You alright?”
For a few seconds she couldn’t speak or move. Julia smiled as his fingers stroked her hair. “Wha—what happened?” she asked once she was able to breathe again. “I felt energized while we were making love; now I’m feeling completely drained. Feel like something is coming over me, never felt this way before.”
“You’re fighting your change,” he admitted, rolling over on his side and pulling her possessively close to his body. “You’re fighting what you are.”
“I’m scared.”
“Don’t be. I am here for you and will be with you throughout your change. Soon you’ll learn to shift at will.”
“What will I become? I mean, how will I deal with this . . . change?” She shuddered. “What the hell will I look like?”
He hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head. “You’ll deal with it the way you’re intended to. Trust me. The dragon is a part of you. There’s no need to stifle it any longer and no need to worry what you’ll look like.”
Julia wondered about many things as she nestled within Angus’s arms. Confusion set in, and it and her future seemed cloudy at the moment. “What is it like in Pyreer?”
“We don’t have to hide who we are there.”
She turned to face him, suddenly armed with many questions. “Do we have to live there all the time? What about your company? Are you ready to give that up?”
“
I’d prefer it. You will be happy, I promise. Furthermore, Draguun Incorporated will be turned over to Bjorn, so I’m not worried about the company.”
“But what if I’m not happy there? I’ll miss it here. My place is here, in the hu—”
“You’re not human; you never were,” Angus interjected. “You cling to a world which will never fully accept the dragon in you.” He searched the depths of her eyes. “Why do you want to stay so badly, in a world filled with hatred and judgment? You’re analyzing things too much.”
“Because, it’s what I know.” She released an agitated sigh before sitting up in bed. “It’s all I know.”
His dragon coiled beneath his flesh, sensing her reservations. “You know me. I am the one you’ll be with, forever. It’s too late to turn back now, Julia. Do you really wish to spend an eternity here, in the human realm?”
She stiffened when she saw amber flames form within his eyes and scales dance beneath his flesh. This time, Angus wasn’t taking no for an answer; she felt it deep inside. Fear mingled with excitement, and this made her core clench. The urge to submit to him strong, but she was determined to fight it every step of the way.
“I’m not ready, and you can’t make me do something I don’t want.”
“I can’t lose you. I refuse to be apart from you. You are mine, Julia.”
Angus’s voice was rough and unrecognizable as he clutched the bedcovers in his hands, shredding them down the middle. She backed away as his face changed, and for the first time she saw his dragon instead of quick glimpses like she had seen a few times in the office.
Slowly, she eased herself toward the edge of the bed as her heart thumped erratically against her chest. “Now Angus, we can discuss this rationally.”
“I need you—now. You’re mine!” His words were mangled and barely recognizable.
“Or not!” Fight-or-flight senses kicking in, Julia leaped from the bed and headed for the exit, but Angus was faster than she. She felt strong arms snake around her waist, and he tackled her to the plush brown carpet of the floor. She struggled in vain as his hands clamped against her wrists, pinning them to the floor. “What are you doing?”
Claiming Julia Page 6
