by Anna Lowe
He cruised down the main road and up a long hill, then turned right at a fork Cynthia indicated.
A fancy, carved sign flashed by. Saranac Lakeview Club? He eased off the throttle.
“Not sure this is a good idea.”
It looked like a country club. Even if he were allowed in, he’d feel like an alien. Besides, that was not the kind of socializing he had in mind for the night.
“Trust me,” she said, smoothing a hand over his ribs.
He nearly snorted. He couldn’t trust a dragon. Even if she meant well, she was far too young and innocent to understand how things worked.
“Trust me,” she echoed, pointing straight ahead.
And fool that he was, he obeyed like a well-trained dog. One of those big, dopey ones who lived under the delusion that humans were in charge.
Cynthia pointed him down one side road after another, making a big detour around what had to be the main entrance of the club. He grinned when they rejoined the main driveway, having bypassed the security gate. Smart girl.
They passed a branch-off that reeked of horses, and another one with a sign that said, To the green. Rich-people talk for golf course, he supposed. Yet another sign said, Teahouse, and he cackled out loud.
“What planet are you taking me to?”
Cynthia laughed, too, and the sound was music to his ears. “Don’t worry. We’ll stay right here on earth. See that trail? Take that.”
Trail was right, because the asphalt petered away, and bushes swatted his jeans from both sides. The track climbed up and around, going rocky enough in places that he had to stick a foot out to balance the bike. How the hell did a nice girl like Cynthia know about a place like this?
She chuckled, and he frowned. Could she read his thoughts at times, the way he caught glimpses of hers?
After a while, the trail dipped, and they cruised back downhill. Trees blocked the view of wherever they were going, but he could see a patch of open moonlight ahead, and once he negotiated the final turn…
“See?” Cynthia said when they came to a grassy clearing on the shore of a long, silvery lake.
Her voice held a hint of awe and satisfaction. And no wonder. It was amazing. All that water, reflecting so many stars. All those acres of forest, blanketing the hilly landscape. Crickets chirped, and air was filled with the scent of fir trees and…raspberries?
Across the lake stood a thick-beamed Adirondack lodge that opened onto a huge terrace. People milled around, and the notes of a band carried across the water, underpinning the sound of fluttering leaves. But on their side of the lake…
Cynthia slid off the bike and motioned to a little house built over the water. “That’s my dad’s boathouse.”
Cal nearly laughed. Of course. A boathouse. One bigger than the trailer his father lived in, the last time Cal had checked.
The funny thing was, Cynthia didn’t strike him as a snob. More like desperate to prove she wasn’t snobby. The kind who volunteered at soup kitchens and such.
“Nice,” he said, and it was. Like a postcard of Adirondack fall in its full glory, but in real life.
She led him around the deck and stood gazing over the lake.
“Nice night to fly,” she murmured, holding her arms out like she might shift.
Cal resisted the urge to step back and give her space.
“Nice night to run,” he murmured back.
A sad silence ensued, because if that didn’t highlight their differences, what would?
He closed his eyes, trying to imagine a way around that. There was nothing his wolf loved more than running through the woods at night. Flying didn’t really appeal but, okay. It wasn’t Cynthia’s fault she was a dragon and had a skewed sense of the world. Surely they could find a way to enjoy a night out together. She could fly while he ran to an open hilltop, like one he could see across the lake. Once there, he could point his muzzle at the moon and howl in glee. Sooner or later, Cynthia could swoop overhead, circle, and finally land. Hell, they could even make a game of it, chasing each other across the landscape until they decided on a place to settle down and watch the stars.
Someday, his wolf sighed.
But, damn. He was getting ahead of himself. He shuffled a little closer and sniffed her scent, finding it laced with hope, fear, and arousal.
Cynthia blushed, making him go hard all over. She was thinking what he was thinking, for sure.
“I feel like I’m supposed to make small talk,” she said. “You know, like “Tell me about yourself.””
He slid a hand over hers. “Is that what you want?”
“Not really,” she admitted.
He exhaled. Thank God.
You know what she wants, his wolf whispered.
He turned, and she did, too, bringing them face to face. Slowly, he brushed his knuckles down her cheek. The moonlight gave her a pale, mystical look, which was fitting. She was the fairy princess, and he was the lone warrior who’d been entranced by her magic spell.
“What do you want, then?” he asked, needing to hear it from her. “What do you really want?”
Cynthia bit her lip, and a flurry of heated images escaped her mind. His cheek twitched. Yeah, he wanted that too. But he didn’t want to rush her.
She looked at her feet, then at his. It was funny, what a chameleon she was. She could go from proud and bristling to shy and uncertain. Which was the real her?
Both, his wolf murmured with a sultry wink. She’s both. Shy about some things, bossy about others.
Cal snorted. Shy and bossy would be a great combination in bed, but that wasn’t what this was about.
His wolf froze in confusion. It isn’t?
Cal nearly rolled his eyes. No, it wasn’t. This was about getting to know Cynthia. About letting fate reveal the next few steps of its plan, whatever that was.
Cynthia took a deep breath and looked him directly in the eye. “Dance. I’d really like to dance.”
He blinked. Now, that wasn’t what he’d been expecting. But the music drifting across the water did have a nice, steady beat, and he was aching to hold her close, so…
He took her hands and flashed an apologetic look. “Watch what you wish for.”
She laughed. “I’ll be the judge of that.”
She stepped closer, fitting right into the space between his arms and chest. He tilted his head, counting the beat before taking his first step. The second step followed smoothly, as did the third. And after that, he didn’t even have to think about what he was doing. It just came.
Fate really did have something planned for them because, damn. The dance flowed, all by itself. Their bodies meshed perfectly, and their feet never touched, although they were less than an inch apart. Even with his eyes closed, he knew just when to sway and how much. He peeked, wondering if Cynthia was subtly steering the way. But her eyes were closed, too, and a wistful smile played over her lips.
Destiny, his wolf whispered. It’s destiny.
He sniffed, concentrating on her amazing scent. A scent that reflected her character, because it reminded him of exotic flowers in a fancy bouquet, but with a few dandelions and daisies snuck in. Classy, yet grounded. Beautiful in its complexity.
When Cynthia rested her cheek on his shoulder, her hair cascaded over his back, tickling him sensuously. Her hands felt small and delicate in his, but her grip was firm and sure. She closed her eyes, frightening him with her trust. Making him vow never, ever to violate it.
One song ended and another started. When that one ended, they kept moving as if following an entirely different beat. Like the beat of their pounding hearts or the rhythm of the blood pumping through their veins. Cal spread his fingers, combing them through her hair. Tilting her head gently…
Kiss her, his wolf growled as he looked down at her.
He could. She was that close. That eager.
Kiss me, the shine of her cheeks said.
Yes. Kiss her, a voice that might have been destiny said.
He’d ne
ver felt more like a puppet suspended by a couple of strings, but he didn’t care. He wanted her. She wanted him.
When their lips met, every nerve in his body fired at the same time. Every muscle flexed in a reflex to claim her, and his wolf fangs pressed against his gums. Cynthia wound her hands around his neck, whimpering into the kiss. Her lips opened under his, and he’d never tasted anything so good.
Did all dragons have some kind of special mojo or was that Cynthia’s unique something that drove him wild? He pulled her closer, kissing deeper. He slid his hands up from her waist, letting the soft flesh of her breasts fill his palms. When he swept his thumbs over the points of her nipples, they were already high and hard, and she groaned.
His mind fast-forwarded to tantalizing images of the two of them in bed. He saw Cynthia arching under his body, naked and begging for more. He saw himself, thrusting into her, filling her again and again.
Jesus. Was she a dragon or a witch? He’d never craved anything more urgently. Cynthia, too, he guessed. She snaked a leg around his, giving him space to explore. He dipped his head, nipping and kissing her neck, then her collarbone, nearly drunk with desire.
Stop, cried the one rational corner still functioning in his mind. Think this through.
He could have snorted. How the hell was he supposed to think when his body was on fire?
Don’t stop, Cynthia’s body begged, calling him onward.
He pressed his face against her neck. If he caved in to instinct, he’d all but savage her. And despite the sensual heat pouring off Cynthia, he had the sneaking suspicion she didn’t have a lot of experience in bed. Which meant he had to take it slow.
She likes it hard and wild, his wolf insisted. Believe me. She’s not all good girl inside.
Cal didn’t doubt it, but something told him they’d have to work up to that. For now…
“Cal,” she whispered, pulling him back up to eye level. “I want you so much.”
He leaned forward, locking her body against his. “Believe me, I want you, too.”
Her chest rose and fell with every pant, but he held her, slowing her down to make sure she was sure.
Cynthia took another deep breath then stepped back firmly. “Come inside,” she said, tugging him toward the door. “And please, please don’t make me beg.”
He decided not to point out that please, please qualified as begging, at least in his book.
“Lead the way,” he said, and damn it, his voice was husky with more than just desire. There were all kinds of unfamiliar emotions mixed in there, too.
Cynthia pushed the door open and led him up a creaky set of stairs to a loft. The room there had a nice, big futon, a huge, triangular window, and a tiny balcony opening onto the lake. Cynthia turned and settled back into the embrace they’d been in downstairs, nice and snug in his arms.
“Kiss me.”
Her words were a whisper. An order. A plea.
He came closer, making a plan and vowing to stick to it. He would kiss her hard but love her gently. He would let Cynthia set the pace. And when she was ready, he’d ease into her, giving her time to adjust. When it was time for him to really move, he would clench his teeth and stay in control. There would be time for wild later. Maybe even time for claiming. But for now…
He gazed into her eyes as he leaned in, not just for a kiss, but for a whole future, or so it seemed.
“As you wish,” he whispered before covering her mouth with his. “As you wish.”
Chapter Three
Cynthia opened her mouth under Cal’s kiss, finally understanding where the term burning with desire came from. She was more confused — and turned on — than she’d ever been in her life. How could anything so rushed and out of control feel so right? How could she possibly know Cal was the one?
Destiny, a voice whispered in her ear.
She’d been telling herself it was just infatuation, but now, she wasn’t so sure. And as for destiny…
She knew the legends, of course. That there really was such a thing as a destined mate, picked out by fate to complete a perfect match between two lonely souls. That the instant a shifter laid eyes on her mate, she knew, and when they bonded through a mating bite, they would never be lonely or uncertain again.
Wolves, she’d heard, were particularly tuned in to fate, and could devote years to finding their destined mates. But dragons came from ancient, noble stock that had all but bred those instincts out of themselves. Her parents had been introduced by their parents, who’d been determined to preserve pure family lines. And her parents had already discussed possible mates, giving her a range of suitable suitors to choose from.
Frankly, she’d never really given it much thought. That had all seemed so far off. Of course, she would take a mate someday. Everyone did, right? But first, she had to finish her degree and gain experience in the family business. Eventually, she would mate and have kids. That was the way it went.
But suddenly, that all seemed so dull and emotionless. So mechanical. Her parents loved each other, but they didn’t exactly burn with passion. Of course, they were older, so maybe that was just the way it went.
She frowned. Was that her destiny, too?
It’s not, her dragon insisted as she gazed into Cal’s amazing gray eyes. He is our destiny.
She really ought to slow down and think, but she couldn’t, and she didn’t want to. She was too busy turning to putty in Cal’s hands. One touch, and he’d earned her trust. One kiss, and she’d been ready to turn over her whole body. She was already stripping out of her clothes and helping him out of his like she’d done that a dozen times in the past.
“Cal,” she mumbled, lying back on the bed.
He came down over her, kissing her hard, driving all thought to the edge of her mind. And when his head dipped to her breast, her mind blanked completely. Was he really going to—
He caught her bare nipple between his lips, making fire rush through her veins. She arched right off the mattress, practically yowling with need. Letting her legs flop open, she hoped he’d touch her where no man had ever touched before.
Yes, she was a virgin. And for twenty-one years, she had been just fine with that. But in the space of twenty-four hours, she’d gone half out of her mind with desire. She’d spent the previous night touching herself in ways she’d never dared to before. And now that she was in his arms…
She gulped, taking stock. Was she nuts, turning herself over to a tall, dark stranger, letting him do anything to her he liked?
Her pulse soared, and her dragon practically drooled. Yes. Yes. Yes!
She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on one thing at a time. Like the hard mass of his muscles under her hands. His shoulders were round as boulders. His chest a pair of flat, muscular plates. His abs were etched with hard lines, and below that…
She blushed and yanked her hand away.
Cal broke away from her breast and flashed a wolfish grin that made the tiny scar on his chin stretch. “Hey. I liked that.”
Her cheeks burned, but she forced herself to utter the truth. “I did, too.”
His smile grew as he rolled the flesh of her breast around with one big hand. With his free hand, he grasped hers and guided it down.
“Nothing’s off limits, you know.”
Cynthia’s breath caught. No one had ever said that to her before. She led a privileged life, but it was full of rules and boundaries. She had to be nice but not too nice. She had to study hard to make the best schools so she could take over the family business someday. She had to represent her family and carry on traditions.
And until now, she’d never so much as peeked over the fences that hemmed in that neat, pre-determined life. Yet Cal made her want to leap over them in a single bound.
“Nothing off limits? Not even this?” she asked, faking confidence as her fingers brushed his cock.
“Especially not that,” he said, turning back to her breast.
She closed her eyes, relishing both sensations
. One was Cal kissing her soft flesh, and the other, her own fingers, exploring his hard shaft. The tip was soft and silky, but the rest was steel-hard, and it pulsed in her hand. When she worked up the nerve to slide her hand up and down, she was startled to hear his breath hitch.
“Am I doing this right?” she murmured.
“Hell yes,” he groaned.
She smiled. Maybe the wild wolf didn’t mind being tamed, at least a little bit.
She repeated the motion, gliding over him, marveling at his size. Worrying how he would ever fit inside her and how that might feel. But then Cal switched from one breast to the other, and she cried out in a whole new wave of need.
“Yes,” she groaned. “Yes…”
He went on and on, making her whimper with need. Touching. Kissing. Exploring her. Not just her chest but between her legs with a soft, careful motion that put her totally at ease. Then he ramped up the intensity, making her howl.
“So beautiful,” he rumbled in a voice thick with lust. Then he ducked down, trailing a line of kisses down her belly to—
She gasped, but he pressed her down gently. “It’ll be good. I promise.”
She forced herself to lie still, chanting quietly to herself. Nothing is off limits. Nothing is off limits…
His fingers moved expertly over her sensitive flesh, and gradually, she relaxed, enjoying it. When he probed deeper and circled around, she started swaying. Then he pressed over her clit, and—
Cynthia’s eyes snapped open. Was that his tongue?
A moment later, she clutched the sheets because, wow. That was his tongue, and it was doing the most exquisite things. Rolling around. Flicking. Teasing. Making her head spin. She shifted her hands to his head, furrowing her fingers through his thick brown hair, keeping him close. The tension in her body spiraled higher and higher until finally, she couldn’t hold back anymore. She cried out as her body convulsed in sheer ecstasy.
Cal held her, and held her, and held her…
“Liar,” she murmured when she could finally speak.
Cal had cozied up beside her, giving her time to recover while gently circling her belly. His eyebrows shot up, and he looked genuinely hurt. “Liar?”
