Long lights ran down the twelve-foot ceiling, in an ever-curving pattern that was reminiscent of water flowing downstream. The soft honey glow reflected on the white marble floor, creating a peaceful feel.
A child’s giggling echoed, following the bang of a door, loud in the otherwise silent hall. My favorite red pumps clicked with every step, and the sound bounced off tall, white walls.
Potted ferns, spaced halfway between doors, warmed the space but only slightly. I liked modern and minimalist for sleek functionality, but it lacked the character of more classic decorating. A designer had created the look, not me.
I stopped in front of the door marked four, took a breath, and knocked.
Fire and clouds mingled in the air, the scent of dragons and masculinity seeped into the hall, and into my lungs.
The door opened, and Quentin stood in the frame.
He didn’t wear a suit jacket, just pants and an untucked shirt. His feet were bare, and his silvery blue tie was not yet tied. Best of all, his long, dirty-blond hair was tousled instead of tied back. It was hard not to run my fingers through it. I’d finally caught him unpolished, and it made him all the more tempting.
“Good morning, Ariana,” he said in the way that promised all the contact I wasn’t ready to commit to.
“Hi,” I said. “Is Slade in?”
“You just missed him,” Quentin said.
“Do you know where he went?” I asked.
“I imagine he is on the ferry headed to the Brightwater,” Quentin said. His features tightened. Not a good sign.
“What aren’t you telling me?” I asked.
“I don’t want to displease you,” he said.
I frowned.
“Slade knows about the threatening messages left by Mr. Pelletier.”
“Oh, shit,” I said, and grabbed Quentin’s arm. “He’s on a warpath?”
Quentin nodded. “Assumingly one that ends with Mr. Pelletier in tears, and perhaps blood. All three of us are appalled by Pelletier’s flippant disregard for manners. And to treat you in such a way...deserves consequences.”
I stopped listening and started running. Shit. Shit. Shit.
I scrambled to the elevator that was closest, the public one, and mashed the down arrow. Come on. Come on. I always forgot that the car wasn’t waiting just for me, and therefore took time to arrive. Time I didn’t have.
Slade taking his frustration out on Pelletier was a PR nightmare. Sure, the slimy bastard deserved it, but that wasn’t the point.
A metallic sound came from the elevator shaft, a puff of air, followed by a ding.
The doors slid open, and he was there. Slade. It was almost like the first time I saw him, when he was standing in the elevator holding that hideous sofa. His massive frame took up nearly as much space without the sofa as he did when he’d held it. He was so tall, so broad, and I found myself in awe of those powerful arms as much now as I had been the first time I’d seen him. This time I didn’t take a step back. This time I smiled.
“Just the man I was looking for,” I said.
His smile spread from ear to ear, and he stepped out of the elevator.
There was something about that grin that I couldn’t resist. It was honest, genuine, just like him.
“I was worried that I’d find you at the Brightwater,” I said.
“Think before you act,” he said. “It’s saved my butt more than once.”
“I’m glad you didn’t go,” I said. “And I’m glad you’re here.” I laced my fingers with his. My hand felt tiny in his, and there was a rightness to that connection. I felt at ease with him, like life was just a little simpler. It was exactly what I needed.
“Me, too.”
“I don’t know whose day it’s supposed to be today—” I said.
“Sunday’s your day for rest,” he replied.
“Okay,” I said. “I thought maybe since I blew you off on Thursday that we could hang out for a bit, if you’re not busy.”
“Never too busy,” he said.
I led him to my private elevator, the one that opened up just outside my penthouse.
Slade touched the copper-plated detailing on the gate before following me inside. “Fancy.”
“When I bought the Arrow, it was for the structure of the building,” I said. “I loved the way the Halo of businesses wrapped around the courtyard like a castle wall. And I fell in love with the view. The little details are a bonus.”
The elevator went up one floor, and when the doors opened, I was home.
“Here we are,” I said as I unlocked the door to my place.
Slade took a tentative step onto the dark maple hardwood and froze.
I didn’t think much about it when I was alone, but I understood why Slade might be surprised by what he saw. The living room had a big TV and a big couch. I loved to sit by the fireplace, much like I did in my office. I liked my furniture big and comfy instead of the modern look of the rest of the building. Instead of whites and creams and golds, everything up here was blue and green. I liked sky and I liked trees.
I wished I could see it through Slade’s eyes. I wondered what he thought.
I left my heels by the door and headed for the kitchen.
“Can I get you a beer?” I asked.
“Have any of that Hiber-Nation IPA?”
“Yep,” I said, and pulled two longnecks from the fridge.
The metal caps popped off under pressure of the opener, letting out the earthy scent of hops.
“Have you eaten?” I asked.
“Not since breakfast.”
“Hungry?” I asked.
Slade stood in the doorway and leaned on the frame. I loved the way he filled the space. It was his broad shoulders, his expansive chest. It was his thick sinewy muscles, and the gentleness behind his massive strength. It was his square jaw, his easy smile, and his genuine sincerity.
“Always.”
“I bet your mom spent a fortune on food when you were growing up,” I teased.
“Plenty of vegetables,” he said.
“I figured you for a meat and potatoes kind of guy,” I said, and handed him a beer.
“I like those, too.”
I smiled. “What don’t you like?”
“Liars,” he said. “Bad manners. Anything that hurts you.”
Sweet. He was always surprising me.
“I meant food,” I said, as I scoured the fridge for something to eat.
“I don’t like bananas.”
“I don’t have any of those,” I said. “So I guess we’re safe. What looks good?”
Slade moved in behind me. His chest expanded and pressed against my shoulders as he inhaled. I breathed him in, the fire and smoke of the dragon, the metal that clung to his skin.
He put his hand on my stomach, just above the waist of my pants.
“You do,” he said.
I leaned into his chest. He was so big, so hard.
I didn’t want to ruin the moment. I didn’t want him to back away, but I had to tell him. “I want to explore this connection I feel with you,” I said. “But I need you to know that I care for Taylor and Quentin, too.”
I expected him to pull away. He didn’t.
“I don’t mind.”
Hot breath tickled my neck. His palm flattened, fingers stretching over my stomach. I wanted more.
“I think you’ve done more than kiss Taylor,” he said. “I don’t mind, though. Well, except I wish I could touch you, too. I’ll share you with them, if you’ll have me. Anything if you’ll have me.”
I put my hand over his, pulled his fingers down into the waist of my pants.
He wrapped his other arm around me, squeezed my breast through my blouse. I gasped as his fingers slid down into the lace of my panties.
“Oh, yes,” I moaned.
His cock pressed hard against my back.
More. I wanted more.
As if he could read my thoughts, Slade teased my clit with two fingers.
/> His jaw was rough against my bare neck, his lips soft as he kissed me there.
I slid my hand up his thigh, and a deep sound of approval rumbled through his chest.
“I want to touch you,” I said.
He shifted his hips so I could reach his zipper. I pulled down his fly, feeling his massive bulge as the zipper came down.
I reached inside the cotton tent of his briefs and found what I was looking for. Hard, thick. His skin was soft to the touch. I could hear his breath quicken as I gave him an experimental squeeze.
He quickened his fingers on my clit, and I gasped.
With his thick girth in my palm, I squeezed my fingers around and stroked his length. He groaned and pushed himself against my hand.
The tip of his finger eased into my opening, and I knew I wouldn’t last long. I wanted him to come with me. I stroked him faster, collecting the moisture at the tip with my hand and sliding it down with each stroke.
“I’m close,” he said.
“Me, too.” My breaths were ragged.
“Come for me, Ariana.” His lips brushed my ear and I wanted to obey.
“Come with me,” I breathed.
He delved deeper inside me, finding that spot that tipped me over the edge. I gasped as pleasure surged.
His body tensed at my side as he came with me, groaning. “Ariana,” he whispered. “Anything for you.”
As I floated down from my high, Slade held me, and I was content. Last time, with Taylor, I’d been less sure about this, even though I’d wanted it more than anything. But he’d talked me through it and now—now I knew we weren’t doing anything wrong, none of us were.
“You okay?” Slade asked.
“Very,” I said on a sigh.
“Just want to make sure you don’t have any regrets.”
“No regrets at all.” I turned and met his earthy brown gaze. No, I didn’t regret what we’d done. I craved more, and not just from him, but from all of them.
I cleared my throat, smiled at the thought, and stood on tiptoes to plant a quick kiss on his lips. He wrapped his arms around me, and it felt right.
“I think we were picking lunch,” I said. “How about Caesar salad?”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Taylor
A couple of days had gone by, and Whitesong Security was mostly on damage control. Pelletier’s temper tantrum hadn’t yet turned into the PR nightmare that Ariana feared, but she was still scrambling to get the money she needed for the research position she wanted to fund. Slade, Quentin, and I were always waiting in the wings, ready to lift her up or whatever she needed, but she was totally capable of handling things on her own in the public sphere, and she had us coming up with security schematics for a couple of new clients the agency had picked up.
“They’re not as big as Pelletier,” she said, practically spitting his name while she and I shared Chinese take-out on Tuesday, “but if we take on enough of them, they should make up for the difference of whatever his badmouthing does to us.”
“Can we get the money together for the blindness research thing?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
I set the box of General Tso’s chicken on the coffee table in her penthouse and leaned forward on the couch. “I’m really sorry. Let me know if there is anything at all that I can do.”
“I just need to take my mind off it,” she said.
I had some ideas on how to do that.
We hadn’t taken things any further after that night at the Marquess Hotel in New York, but it had been on my mind. Pretty much constantly, if I was honest with myself. The butter-yellow dress she was wearing didn’t help. It hit mid-thigh when she was sitting down, and she’d taken off the cream-colored pumps she’d worn with it. She looked soft, caressable.
Her posture changed when she noticed me looking at her, and she lowered her gaze.
“Sorry,” I said, gesturing to the food. “Go ahead, eat.”
She used her chopsticks to pull a sliced almond from her take-out box. With a very deliberate gesture, she set the almond between her teeth. “Why do you look at me like that?” she asked.
Now, Ariana West was not a stupid woman, I reasoned. She knew she was attractive; she had to know. The only reason she would be asking me about why I was looking at her like she was a goddess and I was a sixteen-year-old boy who’d never seen a girl was because she wanted to hear me say it.
“You’re beautiful,” I said simply. “The sight of you relaxing, being comfortable, and so close to me—it’s intoxicating.”
“Really,” she said, crunching the almond thoughtfully. She stared back at me, her gaze assessing. Finally she said, “Did you mean it, the other night, when you said there were as many ways to love in this world as there are people?”
I nodded.
“So if I took off my dress right now, and showed you the different places Slade touched me on Sunday, you would be fine with that?”
I held back a groan, gulped, and said, “More than fine.”
“He seemed concerned that you’d touched me in...certain places...and he hadn’t.”
“Concerned, huh?”
She stood up and reached behind her. I could only stare, breath held and heart pounding, while the sound of a zipper filled the room. I tightened my fists on the edge of the sofa, trying not to leap up and grab her in my arms. This moment would be so much better if I let her have her way.
The sexy grin on her face was only the first half of my reward. Then her dress fell to the ground, revealing her lean figure in a lacy bra and panty set, and I figured I could die happy. Her dark eyes were on me, so I let her see me slowly take in her entire body. Pert breasts, perfect handfuls. The womanly curves of her tummy and hips. Her long, shapely legs.
“Turn around,” I growled. “I want to see your ass.”
She gave a soft giggle and turned sideways, paused so I could admire her profile, and then spun around so her back was to me. Her lovely, heart-shaped ass looked utterly grabbable. I could just imagine my palms skimming over it, directing her as she rode me.
“Holy fuck,” I said. “You know that this view has ruined me for all other women, ever.”
She turned her head to glance over her shoulder at me and winked. “Better look now, because the view’s about to change.”
She strutted toward the windows. I was half enraptured by the swaying of her hips and the muscular form of her butt cheeks in the lace panties, half puzzling over her words. She reached a large window and fumbled with the latch at the side.
I jumped up. “What are you doing?”
“This is my personal escape route,” she said. “When’s the last time you stretched your wings, dragon man?”
“If we just jump out your window, won’t people see us?”
“It’s dark outside, but the Arrow and the surrounding area are protected by a cloaking charm. Even if a human were to look up and notice our outlines against the sky, they’d only remember the shape as a flock of birds.” She smiled. “So, are you down?”
I practically ripped my shirt in my rush to remove it, and shoved my pants off. Standing before her, completely naked, I waited to see what she would do next. She slowly unhooked her bra and let the straps fall down her arms, revealing her glorious breasts. Then she slid off her panties. She closed her eyes as the dragon light surrounded her, and I knew she was about to shift.
Sex would have been more fun, but I hadn’t flown in weeks, so I closed my eyes and concentrated on my shift, too. My bones cracked, muscles tore and reformed, and I felt my dragon form expanding outward.
When it was done, my eyes flew open. Ariana perched at the edge of the giant window, turning her long amethyst neck to look over her shoulder as if to say, “Are you coming?”
I huffed and stepped forward. She dropped out of sight momentarily, and I looked down to see her catch an updraft above the Halo before aiming herself at the forest beyond.
I leaped after her and allowed my wi
ngs to catch me immediately. It felt so good to move in this way, to let the dragon out and soar. In the darkness, the trees below us all looked the same, but I knew the leaves were varying shades of yellow, orange, and red. We were nearly to October, and the changing season brought with it the sense of harvest and cooling temperatures.
Ariana slowed her flight so I could catch up with her. I allowed one of my wings to brush against hers briefly. A gesture of hello, a gesture of gratitude. She was sharing her territory with me, another dragon, and it meant a lot.
We looped around the forest, and I took in the sights below. Ariana swung her long neck around to peer at me. My heart felt like it was soaring even higher than we were. A moment later, she looked below us. A small clearing appeared, nestled within the forest. Arrowing downward, Ariana made for the ground. I waited to see what she would do, and flew in a circle above her.
She shimmered, her amethyst scales brightening in the darkness, enfolding her in light. A moment later, she stood in the clearing in her human form, completely naked. I gazed at her, feeling a warmth in my chest. Her beauty took my breath away. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen her naked, but I had the feeling I’d be struck by her beauty every single time.
Ariana. My Ariana. I knew it in my heart—we were meant to be.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ariana
Expansive emerald wings flapped above the clearing, creating a frigid gust. The autumn air stung my bare skin and whisked my hair from my neck and shoulders. A shiver through me, and gooseflesh followed.
The golden glow of the full moon shimmered on Taylor’s scales and cast a halo around his massive form. His wings beat softer as he lowered himself into the clearing, until his thick claws landed on the forest floor.
His dragon form was nothing short of majestic. His long neck arched up through the trees, his snout was sharp, and horned at the end. Expansive wings lifted, reaching out over the surrounding treetops, then just as quickly, he folded them in. His eyes were dark vertical slits, and they were trained on me.
I waded through tall shoots of wheat-hued wild grass to reach him. It had been so long since I’d seen another dragon, since I’d flown with anyone else, since I’d touched another dragon’s scales. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed that connection until I felt it again.
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