“There’s something I have to tell you,” Adam said after sitting down as well. Julia felt her heart sink, knowing this was the moment she would lose it all. She knew something couldn’t be quite right for an amazing man like Adam to still be single. “I don’t know if you have ever heard of shape shifters, but I am a dragon. I know, it’s hard to believe but there is no easy way to tell you. I have to shift occasionally or my instincts will start to overwhelm me, but mostly it makes me stronger and more protective of those I love. Also, dragon shifters have mates, which is almost like a soulmate. It’s someone we are meant to be with, someone we can’t live without. Julia, I think you are my mate, I think we are meant to be together. I can’t stay away from you and I can’t stop thinking about you. I want to protect you and keep you safe and I worry about you.”
Julia just stared at Adam in disbelief. Could this be true? Before she could voice that question Adam stood up and when she blinked again, instead of Adam was a beautiful dragon. He wasn’t incredibly large since he fit in the living room, but he was a dragon nonetheless. When she blinked again Adam was back, looking at her in apprehension. “Alright. You’re a dragon. I can live with that,” Julia finally said. She had no idea what she had just seen but she could live with this if that was the only abnormal thing about him.
Adam stood up and held his hand out for her, which she took and let herself be pulled up from the couch before he pulled her into his arms completely. “You are amazing,” Adam whispered before kissing her passionately. Shocked at first to be kissed like that, she quickly kissed him back and she found that she didn’t want to leave the comfort of his arms.
When Adam started leading her towards the stairs, she let herself be led in that direction, excited to see where it would lead. His bedroom was masculine with dark woods but she barely noticed when he returned to kissing her, unzipping her dress in the process. Her own hands started unbuttoning his shirt and her hands slid under his shirt to feel his abs and muscular back, pressing him closer to her. “I’m in charge,” Adam mumbled as he stepped away slightly which allowed her dress to fall to the ground.
She felt exposed as he let his eyes slide down her body, knowing she was wearing lace lingerie that barely hid anything. He let his own shirt slide down his shoulders before guiding her towards the bed. “Lie down, face down,” Adam ordered softly and she didn’t even consider doing anything other than exactly that. It took a minute but then she felt him sit down on the bed beside her, and his hands went to her shoulders and started massaging. She sighed at how good it felt and how much time he was taking in making her feel good. When he got to her bra he unhooked it before continuing his back rub, sending tingles down her spine.
When he got to her lower back she wondered if he would stop, only to feel him slide his fingers into her panties and have him slide them down and off her legs. She knew she was fully nude now and she knew she was dripping wet, waiting for him to get to the point already. When she started to turn around he swatted her butt, eliciting a yelp from her. “Hey!”
“Hush. I’m in charge. Don’t worry, we’ll get to there eventually. This is called foreplay.”
“Hmpf,” Julia heard herself say but it was muffled when he swatted her again in response before starting to massage her butt. When he got to her thighs she thought she was going to lose it only to hitch her breath when his fingers slid up in between her thighs.
“Roll over,” Adam said softly and when she did, she noticed he was completely naked as well. She eyed him hungrily, noticing he was muscular all over, and smiled when she caught his eye and he was giving her the same hungry look. Adam leaned over her, straddling her, and leaned down to once again capture her mouth in his. When he shifted and stopped before sliding in, she looked into his eyes and nodded, giving him permission.
She was wet and ready, and he slid into her easily, causing her to moan loudly. He kept his pace slow and steady but she felt the pleasure building at a fast pace, almost unable to keep from coming too quickly. “Come for me Julia,” Adam whispered in her ear. The combination of an extra hard thrust with his breath ghosting over her skin as he did was too much for her and she exploded around him, clenching around him as she felt his release and feeling her toes curl. She lifted her knees slightly which caused her orgasm to last even longer, and when she finally felt it start to end, she was breathing hard and vaguely remembered having screamed in her release.
Adam rolled to the side and pulled her with him, before pulling a blanket over both of them. She laid her head on his chest, smiling at the comfort and how incredible she felt. She never wanted to let go, but she didn’t want to tell him that. She didn’t want to make it seem like she was trying to move things too quickly, and she had heard rumors that he had moved quickly with someone before and it had ended badly after he had gone pro. She didn’t want to be that girl.
“Marry me,” Adam said, much to her shock.
“I’m sorry, what?” Julia asked, lifting her head up to look at him.
“I’m serious. I don’t want to let you go. I haven’t felt this calm, this at peace and this complete in my life.”
“How about you propose properly sometime and I’ll consider it,” Julia smiled before putting her head back down on his chest, happy that clearly he was ready to move fast. She was putting her foot down though and expected him to propose properly if he was serious about it.
“Fair enough. Just thought I’d let you know I’m serious. We should get downstairs, Chris gets a little irritated when I ruin dinner by being late.”
Julia chuckled and rolled to the edge of the bed before sitting up. “I suppose that’s the downside to having staff.”
“I suppose so. I’ve never experienced this before,” Adam smiled before getting up as well. As she got dressed she couldn’t help but wonder how she had gotten so lucky, and when Adam wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck, she smiled.
“I was just thinking how I could have gotten so lucky.”
“I was thinking the same. To have found my mate after so many years. Come on, let’s go see what Chris came up with. Tomorrow I’d like you to tell Scott you resign. I don’t mind if you keep working but until the Mark situation is resolved I’d rather you didn’t, and after that’s resolved you can do something part time after we are done traveling and seeing the world.”
Julia briefly thought she should protest the order, but she found that the idea sounded incredible and she nodded. “Deal, but only if you help me clean out my apartment first. It doesn’t make sense to keep it now does it?”
“I’ll pay someone to do that,” Adam shrugged, smiling at her as they walked down the stairs. Julia realized that while Adam might have some dominant tendencies, especially in the bedroom, she liked it and she looked forward to spending their lives together. She wasn’t certain he was fully over whatever breakup he had gone through all those years ago, but for now they were together and they were happy and she was going to enjoy every minute of it.
THE END
Dragon Baller’s Bride
Shifter Romance
Chapter One
It wasn’t that Adam hated his career, far from it. He had loved the career he had just said goodbye to and he looked forward to retirement. The fact that his career had made him wealthy enough to retire at age thirty-three and live in comfort the rest of his life was an added bonus, especially since he intended to still do occasional work. For right now he was content with taking a break and figuring out what that work would be, but in the back of his mind he knew it would likely be either sports broadcasting or some sort of coaching. He also knew that wasn’t all that he wanted in life.
Something Adam had always wanted, but hadn’t been able to get yet, was to have a family. He wanted a wife by his side who he loved, and children running all over the house causing mischief. He wanted a little boy who would get caught with his hand in the cookie jar, only to look at him with big innocent eyes. He wanted a little girl who got into her m
other’s make-up, and as he washed her hands and face and scolded her, he would silently be laughing on the inside and know that as soon as he was alone he would let it all out. Then they would get to the teenage years and he’d be able to coach his children in the sport he loved so much while they pretended not to care about spending time together. None of that would happen though if he didn’t find someone to share his life with.
Growing up he had never thought it would be so hard. People were getting together all the time so it didn’t appear hard, but as he had grown older he had realized that relationships were hard work and those that made it were stronger because of all the trials they’d endured together. So far the women he had been with had all ended up leaving for one reason or another, even if he had felt that some of them could have been the one he spent the rest of his life with. Initially he thought it was his career, but as some of them stayed around longer and got used to his career, he wondered if it was his shifter abilities. It made him overprotective and a tad controlling, which many women liked at first and then realized they couldn’t live with. He didn’t want to force it, but he was terrified of not finding the woman of his dreams.
His back-up plan was to adopt and he had decided that if at age thirty-five he still hadn’t found the right woman, he would go that route. He had too much love to give and if he wasn’t meant to find a woman, he at least wanted kids. His overprotective nature would probably drive his children insane and he knew he would have strict rules, but he also knew that if nothing else they would be happy and healthy and want for nothing.
Part of this plan was to hire a younger housekeeper who would be familiar with the house when those children came along, and who would be able to help out when needed. He didn’t want a nanny, but he also knew he was a lousy cook and he didn’t want everyone to starve to death or live on takeout. With that in mind he had placed an advertisement in the paper without his name, in the hopes of finding someone. He wouldn’t be the one doing the interviews, his agent would, but he was confident he would find someone competent.
Only a few miles away Beth was sitting at the breakfast table, looking over the classifieds. She had to find a job, it wasn’t an option not to as she would end up homeless, but there wasn’t much around that she was qualified for. Over the past few weeks she had applied to so many jobs she had lost track, but nobody had called her back to discuss it further or interview her. It was frustrating and she had always hated it, but there wasn’t much else she could do. She was twenty-five and without family nearby, she was completely alone.
There were plenty days that she wondered why she had moved to this town to begin with, but in the back of her mind she knew it was because of Christian. He had been charming and she had fallen head over heels for him, but two years after moving he had told her he no longer loved her and he had told her to leave. He had been wealthy and she hadn’t had to work, so finding a job without much job history had been hard. The town of Eveline was beautiful and she had loved it, but it was also a town for the wealthy and everything was expensive. She didn’t fit in, and she couldn’t afford to stay much longer.
Several hours later, after sending out a few more applications, Beth’s phone rang and she looked at it in shock. It hadn’t rang in so long she had nearly forgotten what it sounded like but she quickly got over that and answered it. Five minutes later she hung up, shock evident in every part of her body. She had gotten an interview, but it was for a job she knew she wasn’t qualified for. She knew absolutely nothing about housekeeping and the interview was that afternoon, so after a moment’s hesitation she changed and ran out the door. The library had internet and she intended to spend the rest of the time before the interview looking up everything she could find about housekeeping.
The man she interviewed with had seemed impressed by her, and had told her she met all the qualifications for the job. The job would require her to live at the home she would be working at, and once there were children she would be asked to help out with them. She loved children, always hoping to one day have a large family herself, and the prospect of living with and working for a younger couple with younger children appealed to her. She didn’t even hear him tell her what her salary would be, accepting the job on the spot. She remembered thinking it was good pay on top of everything else, but her mind was focused on everything else. When he asked when she could start, she had blurted out that she could start immediately and he had laughed, but it had been a genuine amused laugh, not a mocking laugh. She was speaking the truth, as the lease on her apartment was up in a week and she had to get out of there.
Contract in hand; Beth was once again sitting at the kitchen table that evening. She had finally looked it over more carefully, and finally she realized why the pay was so good and why she had to sign a nondisclosure agreement. She wouldn’t be working for a young couple; she would be working for Adam Jones. Rich and handsome Adam, the football player she had followed for so many years. The comment about future children had her curious, but she knew she wouldn’t ask. Instead she would focus on not screwing this up and being the best housekeeper he had ever had.
Chapter Two
The morning of the day she was to report to Adam’s house Beth looked around her studio apartment one last time. She had been told movers would come to take all her furniture to storage and to label the boxes she wanted with her, as they would be taking them to the house for her. She would have a suite to herself and as it was already fully furnished, she wouldn’t need most of her belongings. She had been told she could wear whatever she felt most comfortable in while working and her suite would be hers completely. Nobody would enter it without her being there and once there would be children it would be off limits to them. She was expected to keep the house clean, without having set hours, and to cook for Adam and any guests he might have. Otherwise she could do what she wanted. She had been told Adam would be there to meet her and would show her the house, after which he reportedly had a meeting somewhere.
On that thought she looked at the clock and realized she had to leave or she would be late, which wouldn’t make a good impression on her first day. She had long since sold her car to pay for rent, but it was only a few miles to the house so she intended to walk. It was a beautifully warm morning and as she walked down the street, she felt content at getting to stay in the area. Christian had stayed, along with his new girlfriend, and while she saw him on occasion she tried her best to avoid him. He never tried to talk to her when they did see one another and she was glad for it, as she wasn’t sure she wouldn’t just punch him in the face first chance she got.
Arriving right on time Beth rang the buzzer at the gate, only for the man she would be working for to come down the driveway around the same time. He looked as beautiful as she imagined from his pictures, all muscle and strong physique while walking with a grace she wished she possessed. His smile was almost blinding and she found herself looking around as opposed to him in an effort to remain standing upright. It wouldn’t do to fall flat on her face on her first day; it would probably be a deal breaker.
“I’m Adam, you must be Beth. Did you take a cab?” Adam asked as soon as he was near her and had opened the gate.
“No, I walked. I lived not far from here.”
“You can keep your car here; there is plenty of parking in the garage. I’ll have one of my men get it, for now; let’s walk up to the house. The buzzer down here rings in the entryway and in the security office. Normally security would answer it, but I let them know I was already on my way down to meet you. There are cameras everywhere, so you are certainly safe in here.”
“I don’t own a car, and this is beautiful,” Beth said, trying to keep the embarrassment out of her voice as she looked around in awe at the beautiful landscaping all around her. It was clear he had gardeners as she was fairly certain it took a lot of work to keep it looking like this.
“I’ll make sure to show you where I keep the keys to the SUV then, since you’ll need something to drive to g
et groceries and such. You would have had access to it anyway, so that’s not a problem. If it’s low on gas, simply let security know and they’ll have someone fill it up.”
“Thank you,” Beth said softly, feeling embarrassed that she hadn’t even thought about groceries or needing a car but thankful that he was so understanding of it. He hadn’t even blinked an eye at her statement that she didn’t have a car, though she was sure he was mocking her inwardly.
“You’re welcome. Anytime you need anything, let me know and we’ll make it happen. This will be where you live and I want it to be comfortable for you as well. I made sure the pantry and fridge were stocked with my favorites, just to get you started, but otherwise I’ll leave it up to you for future weeks. I’m not allergic to anything. I’ll show you around the house and then I’ll show you your room. Are you from around here?”
“Not originally. I moved here a few weeks ago and haven’t left since. I was close to moving though; there aren’t many jobs around here.”
“I must admit I have no idea about any of that, but considering how small it is I could see that. What brought you here?”
“A guy named Christian, as stupid as that sounds. He left me for someone else.”
“That’s his loss then. It wouldn’t be Christian Collier, would it?”
“It is,” Beth said in hesitation, hoping they weren’t friends or something.
“Never liked that guy and the woman he is with now is a real piece of work. I occasionally see him at the country club. He’s always flaunting his money even though he is much less wealthy than seventy-five percent of the members there. I can’t stand when people act superior. I can’t see someone like you with him so I daresay you are better off now.”
“He changed when he got that inheritance and moved here.”
The house had come into view and Beth couldn’t help but admire it. It was done in beautiful yellow stucco, which glowed in the sunlight. Each window had a flower basket hanging from it and it truly looked picturesque. As they walked through the front door she expected big and imposing, but instead she saw a beautifully decorated home. The colors were light, the wood medium dark and the furniture looked comfortable. It was very obvious that it was meant to be a family home, not a bachelor pad, and she instantly fell in love with it. She also instantly knew there would be a lot of cleaning involved even though a lot of these rooms were likely never used.
Jocked Up: Sports Romance (A Secret Baby Second Chance Romance) Page 60
