by Eliza Gayle
Physically, yeah. Emotionally not so much. Tears were already welling in her eyes as she answered him.
Did he hurt you?
She shook her head, unable to even think about her fear or the truth she would have to share. She snapped that internal compartment closed to deal with later.
What truth? he asked.
"Not yet, Drago. First, we have to get Connie. I couldn’t find her when I escaped."
She is already safe with Mac. That’s part of the reason I was so close when you came out on the roof. We found her tied up and gagged at the address she texted to you.
She buried her face into his back and hugged him tighter. He’d gone to great lengths to find her.
I did not do it alone. But I would do anything to keep you safe. I hope you believe that.
Quiet tears streamed down her face. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for saving me.”
You are shaking.
“I’ll be okay. Once that psycho is behind bars, I’ll be just fine.”
Her statement must have sparked something in Drago, because he turned sharply and dove back down in the direction of the building she’s jumped from.
“What are you doing?” she gasped, holding on even tighter.
Making sure your psycho gets what he deserves.
Her stomach plummeted at the thought of facing the cold, dead eyes of her captor once again.
Don’t worry. He can never touch you again. I’ll make sure of that.
A sudden blast of heat radiated from Drago’s dragen body, giving her the only clue she needed as to what might come next.
“Drago, you cannot kill him. You have to stay in control and let Mac and the other police do their job.”
Ha! he said.
She wrapped her arms around his big body as best she could so that more of her touched more of him. She spread her fingers wide and caressed his back in a side to side motion.
“Please, Maxim. Let the police take care of him. You don’t have to take on that burden. I'm safe thanks to you.”
I cannot take the chance that he gets away.
She sighed, feeling every ounce of determination in his words. “For me then. I don’t think I can take any more violence tonight. Take me away from here.”
Soon, my sweet. Very soon.
He said—or rather thought nothing else as he raced toward the building, with her clinging to his back the entire time.
As they approached, she peered around him as best she could to see what he saw. It had only been a few minutes, but the idiot still stood on the roof with the knife at his side. Had he not seen the big ass dragon swoop in and catch her?
No. He cannot see me unless I allow it. I don’t always have perfect control over this body, but have figured out most of the magic that comes with it.
Wow. He was seriously full of surprises.
Before she could ask another question, he swooped down to the rooftop with his feet down as if he planned to land somehow. Afraid to look, Jami buried her face in his hide once again.
But they didn’t land. Instead she heard a piercing scream followed by the harsh flap of Drago’s wings as they soared back into the sky.
She took a slow breath and counted to three before opening her eyes to see what he’d done. They didn’t land and Drago didn’t kill him, but he had used his talons to pick the man up by spearing him with said claws in the shoulders and was currently holding him captive as they flew across the sky.
“Drago, what are you doing?” She tried not to sound hysterical, but was pretty sure she’d failed. “And where are we going? You don’t need more violence to stain your psyche. Let him go.”
Of course, she didn’t exactly want Drago to listen. This crazy asshole had scared her to death and threatened to kill her. Even seeing him again traumatized her.
You are shaking again.
“I just want this to be over. I want to get as far away from here as we can get. We have so much to talk about and I have so much to learn. We don’t need vengeance to make this work.”
Drago made a snorting noise, but said nothing else. Jami frowned. What the hell? If she couldn’t convince him not to kill, what kind of mate would she make? If mates were like wives, then she would fail miserably.
A short while later, Drago coasted his big body downward and she marveled at the sheer beauty of him as he flew across the night sky. Every move he did with grace and he had an uncanny ability to ensure her safety as his rider.
Now she felt like that chick on television, except she wasn’t a queen and she had no desire to conquer anything more than the war on drugs and maybe one day she could finally beat her sister Savannah at chess.
Oh God, she needed to call her sisters. They were never going to understand any of this. Before she could get too far down the slippery slope of her family woes, Drago slowed down and hovered by flapping his big, powerful wings that probably stretched a good city block.
Another cry from the psycho Drago held with his claws alerted her to the fact he’d released him. Jami peered around Drago and spied her captor sprawled at Mac’s feet.
“Thanks for not killing him. I sure as hell didn’t need that paperwork. But we still have a lot to talk about,” Mac said.
She wasn’t sure if Drago had responded since she didn’t exactly know how this telepathic stuff worked, but he lifted into the sky and they flew off into the darkness without another word.
This time she simply held tight and tilted her head so she could watch their trip. She stared in complete awe as they flew above and past Serenity. As they got out of town and away from the city lights, the sky darkened and the stars popped out. Their sparkle creating a swath of beautiful light to guide their way.
At least that’s what she imagined it did. She truly had no idea how Drago’s senses worked as a dragen. There were so many things she wanted to ask.
There will be plenty of time to answer all your questions, beautiful.
Jami smiled. In a short span of time she’d grown accustomed to his voice in her head and it comforted her. And the other voice had disappeared completely. At least she hoped it wasn’t coming back.
Although if he heard every thought she had, she might have to be more careful about what she chose to think about.
You can tell me to stop and I will. I do not wish to violate your privacy. This just happens to be the only way to communicate during this time. And I’m feeling sensitive to your needs. I need to make sure you are cared for.
She leaned as far forward as she could and wrapped her arms around his scaled body. She’d never had anyone other than family take this kind of interest in her. It was both comforting and surprising.
And now she was flying. She’d either fallen into her weirdest dream ever or she now lived in a different world.
We’re almost there.
She looked down and saw nothing but darkness.
“Where are we going?”
The only place I know we can both be one hundred percent safe. Home.
Chapter Eleven
Drago easily found the clearing behind his house and quickly landed without jostling his passenger anymore than necessary.
It had been a long time since he’d carried someone with him in the sky. Sondra had been the last and she’d been a child at the time.
Now he had his mate on his back and it would have been so easy to just keep flying. He’d brought her to his American home, but it hadn’t been easy to resist the lure to take her to his real home in Russia.
It was hard for him to believe how quickly his mindset had changed. One minute uninterested in a relationship of any kind and the next feeling compelled to do everything in his power to make this woman safe and happy.
She’d certainly intrigued him from the start. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected when he’d gone hunting for the woman who identified his sister’s body instead of him, but it hadn’t been a sweet and sensitive woman with haunted eyes and a fierce passion for her work.
> Her ability to stand up to him when she needed to, drew him even closer. He couldn’t wait to explore everything else about her. Drago stilled his mind as Jami climbed from his back. Already he missed her touch.
The fact he’d nearly lost her as quickly as he found her still threatened to drive him mad. He would have to constantly fight the need to lock her away from the world.
As soon as she stood clear from his immediate space and out of the danger zone, Drago changed. He fell to his knees as the power of the dragen abandoned him.
“Drago, are you all right?” Jami ran over to him and crouched beside him, her arm going around his bare shoulders.
“I am fine. Or I will be in a few minutes. I haven’t used that much power in quite some time. It tends to leave me weak and ravenous.” He stood and faced her, watching her eyes go wide as she got a good look at him.
“I take it you don’t mean food,” she said, staring pointedly south at his naked human form.
He smiled as the evidence of his full need for her stood full and proud. “Usually a veritable feast and about twelve hours of sleep will restore me, but apparently that is not the case this time.” He stalked forward one slow step at a time. To his pleasure she did not shrink away or object.
“What do you need?” she asked, keeping her gaze locked to his.
“My mate. I need the woman born for me. The woman who will own me for the rest of my life. I need to feel her heart beat with mine so I know that she is safe.”
“Oh, I see,” she said, dropping her head to look at the ground. “Shall we go get her then?”
Drago froze for a moment before he took one final step forward. “Going to be a funny girl, huh?”
She smiled so wide, it nearly lit the night sky. It certainly fired his blood to see her like this.
“You don’t like funny girls?” she asked, placing her hand lightly on his chest.
“I like you.” He reached up and rain his fingers through her hair. “I like that you are sweet and kind and especially that after what had to be the worst day ever, you could find something to make us both laugh.”
“You don’t look like you're laughing.”
He gave her a small smile. “I tend to laugh more on the inside.”
The sweet sound of her giggles filled the night, making him want to take her right here, right now. However, she deserved better than their first time together to be on the grassy ground of his backyard.
Inspired, he scooped her into his arms and sprinted across the yard toward the pool house. He entered the code at the door and rushed them inside. Going for the first flat surface, he set her on the dining table, pulled her legs apart and stepped between them.
“Drago,” she gasped, her breath shaking.
“Are you afraid?” he murmured at her ear as he rolled his hips against hers.
“No,” she gasped when he trailed his mouth down to her neck.
“Tell me you want this too,” he said, pulling her shirt over her head. He then trailed his fingers against the heated skin of her stomach and waist. He reached for the clasp of her bra and stilled. “Do you, sweetheart?”
“Yes,” she panted out.
He leaned forward and bit at her neck as he removed and tossed away her bra.
She grabbed at his arms, her small nails nipping at his skin. She could draw blood and he wouldn’t care just so long as she kept touching him. He eased back so he could study her. From the hooded eyes full of desire, to the long, graceful neck that beckoned him. There was no part of her he didn’t want to ravish.
Her hands roamed too. Across his shoulders and down his arms, she began tracing the many tattoos etched into his skin. With every new touch she made him burn.
He bent forward again and pressed his lips to soft, sweet skin. The swell of her skin was as soft as silk and as sweet as candy. But when he lifted his head again to take her mouth, she looked uncertain.
“Do you trust me to take care of you?” he asked.
“Drago, I jumped off of a building for you. I think trust is a foregone conclusion at this point.”
He smiled again. Damn, she made him feel good. Even more so when she cupped his cheek and kissed him. Overwhelming heat flared between them from that kiss, rendering him mindless and sealing them together forever whether she fully realized that yet or not.
There was simply no way he could go back to the life he led before he met her. He would move both heaven and earth to keep her at his side.
He deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue against hers and pulled her close until the soft swell of her breasts pressed against his hard chest. So much heat. He gloried in every ounce of it while his cock stiffened into a hard, painful spike of hunger.
Soon the heat between them imploded and desperation sank in as he burned hotter than ever before. He unbuttoned her jeans and ripped at the zipper keeping him from his treasure. Dragen’s liked treasure and they went to great lengths to find it and make it theirs.
She whimpered as he bent forward to swirl his tongue into the indent of her belly button as he pulled of her pants. Her nipple hardened under his fingers that worked over her, making him groan as need inside him built to the breaking point.
“Maxim,” she moaned. “I need more…”
A low snarl ripped from his throat as he agreed that they had waited long enough. He pulled her silk panties out of his way and placed his mouth on her.
Her body writhed and her fingers pulled at his hair as he feasted on her perfect flesh. He dove for her sweet spot and wrapped his tongue around it until she cried out. Over and over he repeated until her legs shook against him and she gasped for breath. Determined to give her every possible pleasure he moved lower and pressed his tongue deeply inside her.
His groans increased, causing vibrations against her designed to drive her mindless.
“Maxim!” she cried.
Hope and the heat of emotion flared inside him. There it was. That moment he craved from her. The sound of his first name on her sweet tongue as he loved her. She was on the verge of her orgasm and his unruly cock throbbed with the most painful hard-on he’d ever had.
“Yes. Oh God. Maxim, I’m coming.”
She screamed his name again at the very moment her body seized as he continued to feast on her, unable to stop.
When he finally ceased, he lifted her off the table and carried her into the bedroom. His heart pounded, heavy and powerful and his pulse raced for the moment he would be inside her. He gently laid her on the bed, admiring her curves before he kissed her. First soft and then harder as he poured every emotion and want rushing through him into her.
This connection between them felt raw, powerful and unique.
Right now, he needed her to know how desperately he ached for her. She looked down at his erection and her eyes widened.
“Don’t worry, I would never hurt you.”
“I know,” she said. “I’m just surprised by your—uh—size.”
Drago crawled over her, taking note of the flawless skin and nudged her legs apart until he could settle his hips against hers. “I’ve never wanted anything or anyone like this before,” he admitted, brushing against her seam. “I want to do everything to you. I want to hold you down and fuck you, but I’d also like to take my time with each stroke so I can explore what makes you tick."
When she rolled her hips, he groaned long and low.
“More,” she whispered, squeezing his backside. “Please.”
She didn’t have to ask again, but he appreciated it dearly.
He eagerly pushed into her slowly, filling her as her body squeezed him tight. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he struggled for breath. When his hips bumped hers he closed his eyes and made himself hesitate. He needed to allow her body to accommodate his size, but she felt so damn good he wanted to savor it before it ended too soon. And it would end soon. No way could he last like this. Not this time.
He pulled out of her as the heat he carried inside him flamed to
life.
“Maxim!” she cried. “Your eyes, they’re red and gold.”
He could well imagine that the dragen part of him stared back at her. How could it not with this much pleasure and intensity rolling through him. It was like losing control all over again. And for the first time in his life he actually felt in sync with that part of him. As if the part that had always been broken had finally been fixed.
That realization loosened something in his mind. He’d finally found that elusive ‘thing’ that made him complete. A beautiful and caring mate, that he wanted to be more than just a sexual companion or potential mother to their children.
“Oh wow, Maxim. What's happening?”
He looked down at her to see her eyes wide and looking wild. Thinking about what she meant to him had made his dragen fire come alive and was in the process of intertwining them together.
“It’s the fire that lives deep inside me,” he panted, tilting his pelvis to increase the friction between them.
“Ahhhh,” she moaned.
That sound would now forever be etched in his mind as one of the sweetest things he’d ever heard, right behind her crying out his name.
“You are incredible,” he murmured between nips at her neck and shoulder. And he was completely losing his mind over her. So much for the tight leash of control he liked to maintain. With her, nothing would be normal. Being around her had a way of making his mind flat line sometimes.
“I’m going to come,” she cried.
Drago gripped her hair as he repeatedly plunged into her, all the way, to the hilt until he got the one thing he wanted more than anything else.
“Maxim!” she screamed as her body convulsed.
His name being ripped from her lips was so damned perfect. It was simply heaven on earth. Watching her thrash from side to side and come apart underneath him made it even better.
As her body clutched at him, his climax roared up his spine, letting him know he didn’t have long. He quickened his thrusts until his breath came in gasps and his body jerked with every stream of heat he blasted into her.
Jami’s body continued to pulse around him as he leaned down and rested his forehead on hers. She ran her hands down his back, holding him as they both waited for the aftershocks to subside.
