by Rinelle Grey
“What are you doing? Ohh…” Verrian grinned at the new position, his hands going to her hips and holding her firmly.
His hips rocked ever so slightly under her, and she could feel him, hard and strong, even though the layers of clothing.
Despite the added distraction, it was far easier to undo his buttons with both hands, and it took only a few moments for her to release them all, and push the sides of his shirt aside, running her hands over his strong chest.
Her fingers traced the dragon tattoo on his skin.
He was a dragon. Her dragon. Tonight anyway.
Tomorrow she would have to be sensible and cautious again. But tonight, he was all hers.
Verrian’s hands dipped lower, caressing the inside of her thighs, then brushing over her mound. Lisa let out a moan.
They’d drawn things out long enough, hadn’t they? This was slower than their first time. A little anyway. If she ripped his clothes off and begged him to take her now, she wasn’t going to regret rushing later, was she?
What the hell, she was going to regret not being able to do this again no matter what they did. What did it matter how long this took?
She unbuttoned his jeans, slipping her hands inside to feel his hardness.
It was Verrian’s turn to moan. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?” he demanded, his voice ragged.
“Me?” Lisa protested. “I’m just an ordinary human. You’re the one who’s a dragon prince. How am I supposed to resist that? I’m just responding to the dragon magic you’re putting out. You’re the one who’s making this amazing.”
Verrian’s eyes darkened, narrowing into slits. “There’s no magic involved in this. This has nothing to do with dragon magic. You think this is normal for me? I can assure you it’s not.”
His words were surprising enough that Lisa paused her movements.
She’d been blaming all this on the Mesmer bond, and how it had affected them both. But if that was the case, shouldn’t Verrian have experienced this before?
That it felt different to him too, threw her. What did that mean?
Her thoughts shied away from the obvious possibility. It couldn’t mean that there was something special between them. She wasn’t going to fall in love. Not even remotely. This wasn’t love, it was lust, pure and simple.
She ran her hands across his hardness, watching his face contract in desire, trying to convince herself that this was all just physical attraction.
“Maybe this is the way it is when dragons and humans mate?” she suggested.
“If that’s the case, I see a long future of connections between your people and mine,” Verrian growled. He pulled her down again, silencing any reply she might have made with a kiss.
Lisa didn’t mind. She didn’t want to follow that train of thought any more than he did.
Chapter 11
Lisa’s suggestion that the intensity of his feelings for her had something to do with mating with a human had surprised Verrian. He tasted her lips, slipping his tongue in between them. Was that amazing taste because she was human?
Could he, for example, get the same response if he mated with her human friend?
Olivia certainly didn’t smell the same as Lisa, and even though she’d obviously been attracted to him, he’d had no urge to mate with her.
Somehow, he suspected that this intensity was entirely due to Lisa herself, and nothing at all to do with her being human.
But that thought didn’t bring him any comfort.
It only increased the urgency he was feeling.
Maybe, just maybe, if he mated with her again, and got it right this time, not rushed, but a truly stupendous mating effort, then he would be able to push her out of his mind.
With that thought in mind, there was only one problem.
“How do you get rid of these human clothes?” Verrian pulled at the waist of her pants, not wanting to take the time to deal with the buttons and zips.
They were neat and tidy and useful when one was navigating a world full of people who were uncomfortable with nakedness. When one wanted to mate, they just got in the way.
Lisa though, grinned at his struggle. “They’re easy,” she said.
And to prove it, she slipped the zip down on his own pants, taking advantage of the easy access it offered.
Verrian bit back a growl. She was teasing him.
He’d show her.
He gripped each side of the waistband with a hand, and pulled.
The button popped off disappointingly easy, and the zip just slid down after that.
It wiped the grin off Lisa’s face though, replacing it with wide eyes and ragged breathing. “If you’re in that much of a hurry then…”
She rose onto her knees and edged her pants down, revealing exactly the sort of skin he wanted to see.
Verrian laid back on the bed, his hands behind his head, watching her.
God, she was beautiful.
He could gaze at her all day.
His body responded as she straddled him again, testing his vow to take it slowly. He wanted to sink himself into her, over and over again.
It drove him wild that he would have to be satisfied with just once.
Could he do it? Could he make love to her, then go and sleep in the other room.
Well, there was no harm in sleeping here, naked next to her, was there?
His body responded instantly to that thought, leading to other thoughts of curling up around her naked body.
He knew that if he did that, he’d be tempted to mate with her again.
And again.
And again.
He’d never felt like this about any woman before. He’d slept with many, but after all of them, he’d been happy to walk away, looking forward to the next new experience.
Lisa moved off him, lying down on the bed to pull her pants, both pairs, off the rest of the way.
The heat emanating from her naked body sent him wild with want. The fact that he shouldn’t just made him want her more. Was it the forbidden that was so fascinating? So tempting? But that didn’t explain why he felt he just couldn’t get enough of her.
That it felt like it would take a whole lifetime to learn every inch of her. That he wanted to explore every part of her over and over again, convinced it would never get old.
He bent down and stripped off his own pants, that she had so thoughtfully unfastened for him, throwing them in the vague direction of the floor.
Then he covered her body with his own.
Her arms went around him immediately, pulling him close. He could hear the urgency in her breathing.
The same urgency welled up in him. A need to claim her as his own.
Tomorrow, he would have to accept that he could never mate with Lisa again. Tonight though, he could pretend that she was his.
That she always would be.
Verrian kissed her, the need adding urgency to the desire that coursed through him. He ran his hands over her body, trying to feel every bit of her. He didn’t want to miss any inch of skin.
Lisa seemed to be feeling the same need, her hands roaming his body, every touch sending a flurry of heat cascading through him.
Verrian let the urgency build, every muscle in his body tensing, until he could stand it no longer. Just as Lisa whispered, “Please, Verrian,” he slipped into her, feeling her warmth envelop him.
She gasped softly, her nails digging into his back.
That only spurred him on. Verrian pulled back and thrust into her again, enjoying how perfectly they fitted together.
He was made to do this. No woman had ever made him feel so amazing.
He savoured every thrust, every little moan she gave, every stroke of her soft folds as he buried himself into her, repeatedly, as though that would sate this hunger that wouldn’t leave him alone.
Lisa’s head tilted back, her fingers grasping his arms, a low moan escaping her throat.
Verrian could feel her convulse around him as she
climaxed, the contractions setting off his own explosive orgasm.
He buried himself into her as deeply as he could, then wrapped his arms around her, not wanting to let her go.
She was breathing deeply, her voice gasping as she said, “That was amazing. I didn’t think it could get any better than last time, but it did.” Her voice sounded incredulous.
Verrian couldn’t have said it better himself.
Before he could stop and savour the moment, it hit him.
It was over.
That was it. He could never mate with her again.
Of course, all that thought did was make him want to. He felt his body respond almost instantly, swelling while still inside her, startling him.
Surely he couldn’t go again already?
But he could. He gave a few experimental thrusts, passion building almost instantaneously, especially since Lisa’s eyes widened, and her body rose to meet his.
How easy would it be to mate with her again? To have it done, and finished, and to move on to what came next.
He wasn’t even sure, of course, if this would trigger the mating bond. It wasn’t like he’d withdrawn. Would it really be making love a third time?
Could he sneak in another chance?
“Are you… do you think we should?”
Lisa’s words were as incoherent as his thoughts, but they did serve to remind him that he wasn’t the only one who would be bonded for life. He couldn’t do that to her. He had no right.
“No, we shouldn’t,” he agreed, and reluctantly withdrew.
It was one of the hardest things he’d ever done.
Chapter 12
A cold chill of air conditioned breeze washed over Lisa as Verrian rolled off her, raising goosebumps on her skin.
Disappointment hit without warning, swamping her in its icy wave.
For a moment there, she’d thought he was going to go again immediately.
Her body heated again at even the thought, and she couldn’t help wriggling a little in delight. She’d been more than ready to go a second time. She was now.
She bit back a sigh. If only they could.
If only a simple mating wouldn’t mean they’d be bonded for life.
It scared her a little that she hadn’t even though to refuse him. If he hadn’t pulled back, she might be bonded to him right now. Now that she wasn’t in the heat of the moment, that realisation was like a bucket of ice cold water on her desire.
Lucky one of them had some self-control.
Lisa bit her lip. Pity one of them had some self-control. If Verrian hadn’t stopped, then the deed would be done. They’d be mated.
And they could sleep together any time either of them wanted.
This was insanity. Why was she even thinking this?
She’d joked about human/dragon sex being something out of the ordinary, but even that didn’t explain what she was feeling. There had to be dragon magic involved, didn’t there?
“I’m sorry, I… almost lost control there,” Verrian said softly. “It’s just that you’re so tempting.” He ran a hand down the side of her bare waist, stirring desire again before Lisa could stop it.
He was doing it again, and he wasn’t even trying. “You’re the one who’s tempting,” she growled. “Are you using some sort of magic on me?”
That had to be why she’d been ready to throw everything away for sheer physical ecstasy.
She just had to remind herself that being stuck with one person for the rest of her life wasn’t worth it, even for amazing sex.
She and Verrian barely even knew each other. They’d met less than a week ago, and in that time they’d spent more time hiding from his enemies than anything else. She had no idea what sort of a life partner he’d be.
And she wasn’t looking for a life partner anyway. She did just fine on her own.
Verrian shook his head vehemently. “No dragon magic this time, not even the Mesmer bond. Unless it’s some sort of holdover. I’ve never had it be like this though.” He raised himself on one elbow and looked down at her, his eyes narrowing into dragon eyes. “It must be you.”
“Me?” Lisa protested. “I don’t have any magic.”
“Really?” Verrian growled. He bent and kissed her, his lips feverish. Then he pulled back. “That feels like magic to me.”
She couldn’t deny it. Every time he touched her, it felt like magic. If he wasn’t doing it, then what was?
Could it be..?
Lisa shook her head. Of course it wasn’t. You didn’t fall in love with someone in a week, no matter how good looking they were.
This feeling denied all logic, that much was obvious.
And that made it dangerous, especially now. “We’re going to have to be careful,” she said. “Whatever this is, if we give in to it again…”
She didn’t have to finish the sentence. The intense look in Verrian’s eyes said he knew, just as well as she did.
And he was just as tempted to test it.
“Right,” he agreed, reluctantly. “Then it’s probably best if I get up and go out and sleep in the living room.”
He didn’t move.
It didn’t help at all that he was having as much trouble stepping back from this as she was. It made it that much harder to dismiss this as her being tempted by the lure of a dragon prince. She couldn’t see any reason why he’d feel this way about her.
She could even imagine that she’d fallen in love with him, even though she didn’t want to. He was so gorgeous and perfect, of all the men she’d ever met, he was the only one who she could even imagine giving her heart to. Since no one would ever live up to him, both in and out of bed, it was easy to imagine she could give up exploring at this point.
But that he’d fallen in love with her too? At the same time?
What were the chances of that?
So slim, it was almost inconceivable. Lisa wasn’t going to pin her hopes on that sort of coincidence.
But Verrian still wasn’t moving.
What if this was something more? What if this feeling indicated that they were meant to be together? What if it meant they could be happy together? To have a real connection?
No one had ever made her feel the way Verrian did. Like she was someone special. Like being with her was exciting and wonderful.
A lump rose up in her throat, making it ache.
Was there really any chance she could have that fairytale love that they talked about in the movies?
Did it even really exist?
Of course not. Lisa berated herself for even thinking of it. Everyone knew that only happened in the movies. In real life, these feelings of lust and desire were dampened by the everyday slog. If she stayed with Verrian, she’d lose this. Even the memory of it would fade under the realities of life.
Better to keep it as a magical memory.
“I need to have a shower,” she said abruptly.
Verrian didn’t say anything, even though she gave him a moment to, so she got up and headed into the ensuite, not looking back.
Trying to pretend she wasn’t disappointed.
The whole time she was showering though, she couldn’t help remembering their lovemaking in vivid detail.
Not helping.
She tried to focus on something else.
But she couldn’t come up with anything.
Everything in her life right now just brought her thoughts right back to Verrian. If she tried to think about work, she worried that he’d be bored while she wasn’t home. If she thought about Olivia and what she and Kevin might be up to, it just reminded her that it couldn’t have been anywhere near as good as her and Verrian’s evening.
Eventually, she gave up and turned the shower off.
Her heart was thumping as she stepped out of the bathroom and took her first glance at the bed.
It was empty.
Disappointment swamped her. She’d almost psyched herself up to the inevitable if he was still lying naked in her bed.
No
w she had no excuses.
Lisa glanced to the door into the main room. It was slightly ajar, but not far enough for her to see anything. She strained her ears, but could hear no sounds.
Perhaps Verrian was already asleep?
Somehow, she doubted it.
She lay down in her bed, trying to convince herself that she could sleep.
But it was a long time coming, and when it did, it came with dreams where every desire was thwarted by the fear of being bonded for life.
Chapter 13
Verrian bit back a sign of frustration and turned off the song. Even the human’s music wasn’t holding his attention today.
Not surprising really. Yesterday had been an… interesting day. Mating with Lisa had been an experience that wasn’t going to fade in a hurry. Made all the worse by the fact that he couldn’t repeat it. A low growl emanated from his throat at the thought.
Why did he feel this way about her? Was it simply because he couldn’t have her? Or was she right, and there was something special about dragon and human matings? He hadn’t had a chance to talk to Taurian and find out if this was the way he’d felt about his human mate, Karla.
Then again, Taurian had chosen to mate with Karla, so he must have felt something out of the ordinary. Maybe he wasn’t the best person to ask.
He probably needed to talk to Lisa. He hadn’t wanted to, last night, but now that it was done, maybe they needed to.
They’d barely said two words to each other all morning. Verrian had been afraid that if he talked to her or spent too long looking into her eyes, he’d take her back to bed, bond or no bond.
Lisa seemed to be suffering from the same concerns.
Now she was gone, he’d thought of so many things he wished he’d said to her.
Maybe if they talked this over…
Probably a good thing she wasn’t here.
Trouble was, even though she was absent, she was all he could think about.
He needed a distraction. A big one.
He stared at the desk, and suddenly the card that Raven had given him last night jumped out at him.
He’d almost forgotten it in his preoccupation.
His experience singing to a group of humans didn’t outshine making love to Lisa last night, but it did distract him a little.
