by Amelia Jade
“You know, the last time we did this in here,” he growled into her ear, “I had to take it easy on you.”
Harlow opened her eyes, seeing the mischievousness there. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Vanek set her down, spun her around, and pressed her up against the steel piping of the nearest float. “Don’t move,” he ordered, his voice powerful and commanding.
Harlow nodded, letting him take her arms one at a time and place them above her head. Whatever he was planning, it was hot. She’d never seen him take charge like this, and her body was reacting appropriately.
Metal clattered against metal, and Vanek reappeared at her side, a length of steel in his hand. This wasn’t pipe, but thick rebar. He also wasn’t wearing a shirt anymore. That part she was okay with.
“What are you going to do with that?” she asked nervously.
Vanek grinned, and the muscles of his chest swelled as he slowly bent the bar. The display of strength was impressive, but when he stepped forward and deftly wrapped it around her wrist and the metal piping it was pressed against, Harlow gasped.
He was making restraints out of solid steel rebar. A second later her other wrist was firmly secured to the frame, leaving her breathless as Vanek ran his hands up her sides. Strong hands dug underneath her shirt, cupping her breasts as he stepped closer.
“I really hope you locked the sliding door behind us,” she whispered, warmth beginning to pool between her legs as his breath drew goosebumps down her spine, the heat of his presence spurring her arousal.
“Of course I did,” he growled, one hand dipping across her soft stomach and between her legs.
Harlow gasped in surprise and delight as he slipped below her waistband and dragged a fingertip over her underwear. She was scared about someone walking in on them, but Vanek seemed positive that it would be okay, and she trusted him. Implicitly.
Hands gripped her waist and pulled it toward him, until she was bending at the hips, her ass sticking out. Vanek’s thumbs grabbed the tops of her pants, and in one swift move pulled them and her underwear to her ankles.
Harlow shivered at the contrast between the cool air of the warehouse and the heat she felt anywhere his hands touched her. Trying to step out of her pants, she was stopped by a firm hand holding her still. Harlow froze, swallowing hard
“Now that’s better.” Vanek spoke with approval, and she bit her lip knowing that he was pleased by the view.
There was a rustling of fabric and suddenly bare skin was pressing into her from behind. She hissed at the blast of warmth, like someone had just opened the doors to a furnace. Her skin tightened when Vanek pushed a finger between her legs, finding her clit with ease and drawing slow rhythmic circles around it until she was panting and pulling hard at the restraints, desperate for more.
“Tell me you want it.”
The unexpected voice in her ear made her jump, her back arching as she felt his hard cock pressed up against her ass. Fuck, he felt so good. She just wanted him inside of her. Now.
“I want it,” she moaned, gyrating her hips as best she could against him, hoping it would feel good enough to convince him to take her. “Please, Vanek. Don’t tease me.”
Rough hands lifted her shirt over her breasts and removed her bra, leaving them both dangling from her neck. Her grabbed her hard and held her pressed against him, the low growl in the back of his throat driving her arousal to new heights.
She was more than ready for him, feeling the wetness as his fingers withdrew, replaced by something larger. Harlow bit her lip, not daring to speak lest she say something that would make him stop.
Vanek wasn’t wasting any more time however, and she pulled hard against the restraints as he pushed fully inside of her, reminded once more of his phenomenal strength when they didn’t budge despite her struggle. Stars exploded across her vision as he withdrew and slammed hard into her ass again.
“Fuck me!” she ordered, somehow feeling in command despite her precarious position.
Her mate’s growl split the empty room, and her cries rose to match him as he held her hips tight and thrust into her with abandon. Her entire body rocked with his actions, the impacts igniting something fierce and carnal within her. She bit down on her arm, stifling a scream as one massive hand moved around her waist and began to move across her clit once more.
The combination of his long hard cock pounding into her and the delicate touch of his fingers was too much, and Harlow knew she was going to explode in mere moments, the touch of her lover too blistering hot to ignore.
“Fill me, Vanek,” she asked. “I want to feel you explode inside of me. Cum with me. I’m so close!”
His growl became a full-fledged roar, her name bursting from his lips as he did what she begged for. Fire filled Harlow, Vanek’s cock pulsing deep inside her at the same time she shuddered through a blast of ecstasy so intense it left her legs weak and unable to support her. Only the strength of Vanek kept her from hanging by her arms as he emptied the last of his load inside of her.
The two of them leaned heavily against the steel cage, gasping for breath as they recovered from the lovemaking. The intensity of it had caught her by surprise, the furiousness of her desires awoken by his touch in ways she hadn’t known existed to her.
“I hope you aren’t feeling too weak,” she gasped a few moments later. “Because in case you forgot, you showoff, that was steel you tied me up with.”
Vanek chuckled, slowly withdrawing from inside her before lifting her underwear into place. “You’re lucky we’re in public, otherwise I might just pretend to be that weak,” he teased, reaching up to unclasp her.
Harlow’s knees buckled as she was suddenly set free. Vanek swept her up into his arms, holding her to his chest. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.
“Oh yes,” she said sleepily, resting her head against his chest. “Perfectly okay. And hungry. Can we get food?”
Vanek just laughed, the sound music to her ears.
“Of course we can, my love. Of course we can. Chicken nuggets or pizza?”
“Fucking perfect,” she whispered, not even answering the question.
“Pardon?”
“Nothing.” She nuzzled into him some more.
Absolutely perfect.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Vanek
“Come on,” he said, tugging at her arm.
Behind them the sun was just about finished setting below the mountains. Corde and Kylie were out for the evening, giving the two of them the place to themselves for the next few hours. Although they had nothing nefarious planned, Vanek knew his mate, and just looking at her made it hard for him to keep his hands to himself. That sentiment wasn’t going to last.
But while it did he wanted to take advantage of it.
“Where are we going?” she asked, half-exasperated, half-smiling at his boyish eagerness.
“To the roof!” he shouted, pointing upward with their joined hands.
“To watch another sunset?”
“I suppose, but I wanted to show you what I’d planned to the first time I took you up there. So no getting too distracted.”
Harlow rolled her eyes with extreme exaggeration. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s you that’s always distracting me.”
Coughing to cover his laughter, Vanek gently pushed her forward toward the stairs and the elevator. “Okay then, you comedian,” he said, making it clear he disagreed with her analysis of the situation. “Let’s go.”
Giggling, she danced down the stairs, beckoning him as if he were the one taking forever. “Let’s go then, mister. I want to see whatever it is you’ve got planned.”
Vanek grabbed her by the waist and pushed her up against the inside wall of the elevator, kissing her furiously.
“I told you that it was always your fault,” she sputtered between kisses, not trying to fight him off.
He put her down, punched in the code to take them up a floor to the roof and
stuck out his tongue at her.
The door opened seconds later, a warm breeze gusting in, sending his long hair flying. Taking her hand, he brought her up to the edge of the helipad, where he had her stay put.
“Wait here,” he said. “Close your eyes.”
“What?”
“Just trust me and close your eyes without peeking. Please?”
Harlow must have sensed how important this was to him because she dropped the teasing and nodded, closing her eyes and putting her hands over them.
“I’ve wanted to show you this for some time now,” he said cautiously, stepping back until he was in the center of the helipad.
Behind them the sun disappeared and the shadows grew lengthy as its light faded. Vanek swallowed nervously, glad that Harlow couldn’t see the anxiety on his face just now. It shouldn’t be that big of a deal, but it was to him. She’d expressed disbelief and doubt all along, and he wasn’t sure how she would react.
But she needed to see.
For only the second time since he’d been awakened, the only other being back at Fort Stark under heavy supervision, he changed into his dragon. The transformation was nearly instantaneous, and he was momentarily disoriented at the sudden difference in his body. Huge crimson wings burst from his shoulders and his body disappeared behind him as his neck jutted forward.
The world seemed to shrink in perspective as he grew in size, thick armored scales covering his entire body, glinting with bright red coloring in the remaining light, the sunset drawing out the slight orange accents in his crimson coloring. His wings flapped slightly in nervous agitation before tucking themselves in alongside the bulk of his body.
“Vanek?” Harlow called nervously at the noise and the way his wings sent air rushing over her.
“Okay, you can look,” he said, his voice deeper and thicker as it emerged from his snout.
Harlow’s hands dropped away as she opened her eyes in surprise. “Oh my—Ack!”
She stepped backward in shock, forgetting she was at the edge of the helipad and fell down the stairs.
Or would have if he hadn’t moved with lightning speed, his wing darting out and catching her in its soft embrace before she even hit the first step down.
“Uh, thanks,” she said as he tilted it upward, setting her back on her feet.
“You are most welcome.”
He waited awkwardly as she looked him up and down, shuffling from side to side to gaze at his entire body. Without speaking, Harlow walked down his side, tentatively reaching out to press her hand to his scaled flank. She recoiled at first but quickly grew bolder and left her hand there as she walked, down one side, and then back up the other.
“Well?” he asked, his massive dragon heart beating faster with each passing moment where she refused to speak.
“One thing is for certain,” she said at last, moving to stand in front of him.
“What’s that?”
“You are closer to fifty feet. I’m sorry for insulting you with the thirty-foot comment.”
Vanek stared at her, the humor taking a second to penetrate past his other thoughts. Then he shook his head, and dragon laughter boomed out from the top of the apartment tower as the two of them broke the tension. During some part of it he returned to his human form and the pair of them sank to the steps leading up to the helipad, holding each other while they laughed some more.
“For once a guy wasn’t bragging when he corrected me on his size,” she said, prompting even more laughter. “I’m getting used to not being disappointed by you on that front,” she said, winking.
He grinned and lifted her back up to the helipad, pushing her down on her back as he mounted her.
“Well, we wouldn’t want that, now would we?”
“No,” she said softly, her words almost lost on the wind. “No we wouldn’t.”
“I have one last thing for you,” he said, reaching into his back pocket.
“More surprises?”
“I’m running low,” he admitted. “But one last one won’t hurt.”
He withdrew a white rectangular box a few inches wide, about half that high.
“What’s this?” she asked curiously, sitting up.
“They’re for you.”
“They?”
“Open it and see,” he said with a finger wag, not wanting to spoil the surprise.
Harlow pulled the box open and he smiled with satisfaction at the stunned look on her face.
“Vanek,” she gushed. “They’re gorgeous! Are you sure?”
He nodded. “Yes. Yes I am.”
Harlow pulled the contents out, holding up the teardrop-shaped earrings to gaze upon them admiringly.
“They need one last thing though,” he said, reaching up to brush her hand with his.
“What’s that?” she asked, gazing at the diamond-encrusted silver jewelry.
“Some of me,” he whispered as flame jumped from his hand, appearing out of nowhere and filling the inside of the empty teardrop with red-orange fire, the little light sparkling off the various diamonds, creating a mesmerizing effect.
“Oh Vanek.”
He smiled, pushing her hand, urging her to put them on.
Nervous of the fire, but quickly discovering it was cool to the touch and wouldn’t burn her, she hooked the backs through her piercings, letting them dangle freely.
“I love you,” he said, brushing a tear of happiness from her cheek.
“I love you too, Vanek. Both parts of you,” she said, leaning in to kiss him.
She was absolutely perfect.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Harlow
They carried the last few boxes out of the elevator and into Vanek’s room.
No, she corrected herself. Into their room. She was officially moving in, and it was now their place, no longer just his. Which is why there was now a wonderfully fluffy pillow on the bed. Vanek had grumbled about it for days, but she’d not relented. Not even after finding it hidden away in the corner of a closet after he’d claimed not to know where it was.
She loved her stubborn dragon, but he would just have to accept some realities.
“Okay, where does all this stuff go?” he asked, taking out knickknacks and the like, spreading them across the bed.
“Those go on that shelf in the main area that I had you set aside,” she said, pointing at a trio of reindeer. “Those two can probably stay boxed.”
“What’s this?” he asked, still unpacking.
Harlow looked up, her breath catching in her throat. In his hands was a worn envelope, the coloring turned from white to yellow with age. On the front of it was the simple scrawled word in a handwriting she recognized.
Harlow.
She shook her head, looking away as her eyes watered up. How had that made its way in there? She’d thought it was safely buried away somewhere.
Vanek came over to sit next to her. “Harlow? What is it?”
“It’s from my father,” she said, furiously blinking back the tears.
“Oh. Oh,” he said again as the importance of it registered. “Are you going to open it?”
Harlow went to shake her head negatively, but something stopped her. After all these years she’d avoided acknowledging the contents of the letter. She’d run and run, never settling down, never opening herself up to the pain. Never wanting to give him the chance to explain himself for leaving her behind.
But that was before. Now she had Vanek, her dragon mate, and her life was changing.
“Okay,” she said hoarsely, fingers moving unfeeling as she gently opened the old paper, careful not to rip the letter within.
The paper was old and crinkling, the lettering faded with age, but still legible.
Dearest Harlow,
I know this must be tough for you to understand, with me leaving like this, but I want you to know that it’s not because of you. My heart aches at the thought of the separation of the next four years, but I need you to know that this is something I have t
o do. I cannot simply sit by any longer and not do my part.
You’re probably too young to remember Uncle Ben. He was my brother, and he was killed six months ago by cowardly attackers, attackers who dislike our country and our way of life. They struck at innocent civilians, and many of them perished. I have to do something, Harlow, in his name, and the name of all those who died. It’s hard to explain, but when you’re older I promise I’ll talk about it with you until you get it.
For now, know that I’m not leaving forever. I’m coming back home to you and Mom. We are still a family, and after my four years are up, I’m going to be home forever with the two of you. You are more important to me than anything else, and I’m not going to miss your life as you grow up. I promise to come back. I’ll be there when you graduate high school. And college, if you choose. I’ll be there to walk you down the aisle, my love, if that day comes.
I love you, Harlow. I hope you can forgive me one day.
Xoxo
Daddy
The tears were falling freely now, and Vanek took the letter from her numb fingers before they could ruin the ink. Great heaving sobs racked her body.
“He wasn’t going to go,” she cried, almost wailing at the pain in her heart. “He was coming back.”
Vanek for his part said nothing, and just held her tight as her agony soaked his shirt.
“He was coming back. All these years,” she said, each word a challenge to get out. “I hated him. Loathed him for leaving us, for choosing a life of a soldier over us. And now I find out that he didn’t want it after all?”
She collapsed into more tears as hatred welled up. No longer was it directed at him, however, but at herself.
“How could I have done this to him?” she whispered.
“Hush,” Vanek said, his fingers caressing the side of her head as she stared into the abyss. “It’s going to be okay. I guarantee he understands. It’s not too late, Harlow.”
She sniffed hard, her nose stuffy and starting to run. “Not too late for what?”
Vanek kissed her forehead gently. “To forgive him.”
