by Cecilia Lane
“I’m fine,” she chanted. “I’m fine. Fae, Zane. He was fae. Skies above, I was so worried when he dropped you from the sky.”
“It’s okay,” he pulled her close and rocked them back and forth. “You’re safe, Izzy. You’re safe, and I’m never going to let someone like that get near you again.”
After a moment, he pulled back and cast a look to the wrecked van. With a sigh, he shook his head. “I’m going to shift and fly us back to town. But Izzy?”
“Yes?”
“No calling me a reindeer.”
“Of course you’re not a reindeer. No reindeer I know can char a polar bear in ten seconds flat.” She widened her eyes and tried her best to keep her face smooth. “I am, however, a little concerned what the taxi fare will be.”
Zane scrubbed a hand down his face. “I am not a taxi.”
“Tomayto, tomahto,” she said in a shaky voice.
Chapter 11
Zane landed in the very middle of the town square, careful not to crush any snowmen under his claws. Quick steps carried him close to the entrance of the inn, where he sank low to the ground. Within seconds of Izzy landing in the snow, he pulled back on his dragon and stood on two feet in front of her.
Izzy turned without a word and cracked open the door of the inn. Coast clear, she jerked her chin for him to follow her inside. “Here,” she said, reaching into a cubby and drawing out a pair of sweatpants and a shirt. “From the emergency stash.”
Zane shoved himself into the clothes, then eyed his mate. “Are you okay? Really?”
“Zane…” she started, slashing her eyes away from him. She chewed on her lower lip before dragging her gaze back to his face. Something uncertain swirled in the mossy green, and his dragon roared.
He’d fucked up. She became a target because of him. He’d been distracted, but for all the wrong reasons.
He’d thrown himself into tracking Erik when he should have stayed at Izzy’s side. The bastard wouldn’t have gotten to her if he’d been there.
And now she was done with him.
Fitting. He’d almost killed her.
Fire burned in his center, so hot and intense it was a wonder he didn’t burn from the inside out. Claws added to the pain, and his tail lashed in agitation. His skin crawled with the feeling of that bastard in his head. He’d been locked away, screaming with rage and unable to do anything.
Until she saved him.
He still didn’t understand what broke the spell, except that Izzy was at the very center of the magic.
“Tonight put a lot of things into perspective,” she said softly. “One thing is clear, you never know when a crazy polar bear is going to try and use you as punishment against your mate.”
Zane grunted and glared at the floor.
“And that’s why I don’t want to wait. You’re meant to be mine, Zane.”
He flicked his eyes to her face. Bright green watched him, her inner animal poking through. Crystal clear honesty tinged her scent before twisting to something lighter and airy he’d come to associate with something ridiculous coming out of her mouth.
Her mouth twitched with a teasing smile. “You were a little iffy there for a while, but you got your head on right and came around.”
“Izzy—”
She cut him off by leaning up and pressing her lips to his. One touch, one electric touch, slammed through him. His hands found her hips and hauled her close as he licked deep into her mouth with all the promise of what he wanted to do to her body.
He eased back and trailed kisses across her jaw to press a kiss to the soft spot under her lobe.
“Invite me upstairs, Izzy,” he breathed against her ear.
She inhaled sharply but didn’t pull away. Didn’t deny him, either. Her scent swelled with her arousal and he nearly dropped to his knees right there in the lobby. He’d almost lost her. He’d almost lost himself. He didn’t want to wait another second to prove just how much they belonged together.
And she, of course, couldn’t resist teasing him more. “And if I don’t?”
Clear skies, she was going to drive him insane.
“Then everyone still out and about might get a lesson on the birds and the bees.”
Her laugh sounded strangled to his ears, especially when he rolled his hips against her. The hard length of his cock pressed against her belly and served as further proof of how much he wanted her.
His mate. She was his mate.
Izzy lifted her eyes to his and slid a hand between their bodies. Zane let off a low growl as she squeezed and stroked him through his jeans. “Take me upstairs, dragon boy,” she told him in a sultry tone. “Make me yours.”
He was blind to the journey upstairs. Maybe they passed other guests, maybe they didn’t. The rest of the world blurred at the edges, leaving Izzy as the only thing in focus.
The suite door banked against the wall as they crashed over the threshold. Zane reached out blindly for the knob, then slammed it shut behind him. His next step carried him right to Izzy. Hands going to her cheeks, he tilted her head back and plundered her mouth.
She met each twisted stroke and tangle with one of her own, refusing to back down. Refusing to submit. Not that he expected anything else. Or wanted it. She breathed as much fire as possible without having a dragon of her own. He never wanted to douse those flames.
More. He needed more. Blackberries and heather and thick, sweet arousal tinged the air and wrapped a hot grip around his cock.
The objections piled up deep in his mind. He hadn’t been there for Izzy. He’d put a target on her back. That fucker Erik almost stole her away before he had more than a taste of what life would be like with her.
A wing snapped out and swept the pesky thoughts aside. One blast of fire burned them completely and left him with nothing but a ravenous need to strip the woman in his arms down to nothing and taste every inch of her skin.
Her hands slipped under the hem of his shirt and a satisfied purr rattled in her throat. The sound was music to his ears, something he wanted to hear every time she touched him.
With his hands on her hips, he backed her further into the room. They came to a hard stop on the backside of the couch, and he spun her around and dragged down the zipper of her dress. The fabric pooled at her feet as he ran a hand up her spine and unhooked the clasps of her bra.
Izzy threw him a look over her shoulder, but he wasn’t done. He dropped to his knees and bit her hip. Her sharp inhale sent a shiver down his spine, but it was the thickening scent of arousal that made him painfully hard.
Zane helped her out of her boots, then hooked his fingers in the waist of her leggings. He rolled them down and down, exposing inches of creamy skin he wanted to lick and nibble to find out what made her flinch with a tickle and gasp with pleasure.
He rocked back on his heels as she kicked them off her ankles and finally stood naked in front of him. Gloriously, unabashedly, beautifully naked.
He ran a hungry look up from her feet to the apex of her thighs. Her arousal thickened the air and made his mouth water. Higher, to the hips he wanted to grip as he slammed into her from behind. Her soft middle called for a thorough exploration with his lips, as did the full mounds of her breasts.
Zane leaned forward and sucked one of her nipples into his mouth. His hand closed around her other breast, massaging her and rolling the other tight peak between his fingers.
“What about you?” she asked, reaching for his sweats.
He reached over his head to yank off his shirt, and stalked her backward. “What about me?” he repeated.
Her knees hit the bed, and he followed her down, pressing her back as he chased her lips for a quick kiss.
He didn’t stay long before reversing course. He left a trail of biting, sucking kisses down her neck, then made a detour for another hike between the valley of her breasts. Up one slope, down another, hand caressing whichever one his mouth wasn’t exploring.
Zane kissed her ribs and across her navel, th
en made a slow journey from one hip to the other. Another little bite had her stomach flexing with a sharp breath, and he chuckled against her skin before dipping between her thighs. Her breaths turned to tiny, begging groans as he kissed from her knee to the juncture of her body, repeating the tease on the other side and coming so, so close to what waited for him at the center.
He licked slowly up her heated flesh, groaning when the first drop of her arousal hit his tongue. Hard need rode him, and he satisfied the desire coursing through him with a deep lick into her center.
Her nails dug into his scalp as he swirled his tongue around her clit. Demanding and insistent, he flicked the delicate bud until her hips rolled hard under him.
Zane wrapped his arm around her to hold her in place, unwilling to let her buck away from the pleasure he intended to give her. Intended to feel clamp around his length just as soon as he slid deep into her hot, wet core.
His shoulders spread her wide and he slid a finger inside her, curling just enough to catch that sweet spot he knew he’d find. Izzy cried out at the stroking touch, back arching, but he didn’t slow or stop.
He added a second finger, pumping deep into her. Her breath heaved out of her in hard pants and her hips rolled and shook. Her fingers dug into the blankets as she rocked her hips, offering more of herself to him. More that he took.
He swiped his tongue through her folds, swirling around her tiny nub. Flicking, sucking, eyes never leaving her face, he was rewarded with the best show in the world. Her lids screwed down tight as she arched into him again, crying out as her inner walls clamped and pulsed around his fingers.
More. Every inch of him demanded more. More of her sweetness on his tongue. More of her release on his fingers and cock. Swirling his tongue in lazy strokes, he watched her drift back down in hazy bliss, determined to work her up all over again.
Her fingers twisted in his hair and he let off a growl.
“Zane,” she hissed, eyes glowing. “Get up here.”
Whatever his mate commanded.
Izzy pushed to her knees as soon as Zane started toward her with silver in his eyes. Her stomach dropped to her toes with that look. She doubted she’d ever get used to seeing it on his face or feeling the same desire echoed in herself for him.
With a hand on his shoulder, she gently pushed him back. He’d had his chance to learn and explore her body. She deserved the same opportunity.
She pressed her lips to the hollow of his throat, then slowly kissed her way over one shoulder. She bit him gently, not breaking the skin—yet. Still, his sucked breath made her core clench and ache for that final sealing of their bond. She wanted his mark just as much as she wanted to give him hers.
Her hands spanned his pecs and slid down his tight stomach while her mouth followed with the same nibbling kisses he’d given her. She even paused to flick her tongue over the flat circle of his nipple, chuckling when he let off a warning growl.
He had abs for days, which shouldn’t have surprised her. Keeping aloft probably required some ridiculous core strength. Probably helped create those deep cuts over his hips that pointed like an arrow to the bulge hidden behind thick cotton.
Izzy pressed her palm to his length and let off a short purr. Dragging his sweats down his legs, she freed his impressively hard cock.
She wrapped her hand around his shaft, sliding the silky skin back and forth before lowering and licking the head of his cock. Saltiness burst over her taste buds and she purred again, the sound echoed by Zane’s delicious groan.
Licking her lips, she flattened her tongue and slid down his shaft and back up again, pulling away to swirl her tongue around his tip. His growl urged her on, and she took him deep, as far as she could manage, until he touched the back of her throat. She worked her hand around the inches she couldn’t swallow, moving up and down stroking and sucking, enjoying every dang second of his ragged breaths.
“Izzy,” he snarled, hands tight in her hair.
He tugged at the strands in an attempt to pull her away, but she only growled and lifted her eyes to meet his. Bright, hungry silver watched her. The veins of his neck stood out with the same tension that nearly vibrated up and down his frame.
Another gentle tug, and she growled again. Black claws tipped her fingernails and pressed into his hips.
Zane’s breath whooshed from his lungs and his hands stilled in her hair. A low, rumbling growl worked out of his throat, but the noise wasn’t a warning. It vibrated against her skin, simmered in her veins, and yanked her attention back to his face.
Hot, hungry, pure desire brightened his eyes and nearly stopped her heart.
“Izzy,” he groaned in pure desperation. “At least turn around so I can get another taste of you.”
Good skies above. The sheer honesty on his voice tightened her core with a need she hadn’t known she even possessed. Even when he could lounge back and let her do all the work, he craved her just as much as she craved him.
She needed more.
Izzy gave him one final lick before pushing to her knees and straddling his waist. His hands landed on her hips as his eyes roved slowly up her frame, pausing to take in her waist, her breasts, before finally locking on her face.
A slow smile hitched up one corner of his mouth and he pushed up, a hand going to the back of her neck. He pulled her close and nibbled her lower lip. “Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are?”
She reached between them and wrapped her hand around his cock. She stroked him once, twice, then kissed the tip with her lower lips. A pleased growl rattled in his throat. “Maybe some idea.”
She locked eyes with him, and her movement stuttered to a stop. So big, so utterly huge and important, was the emotion staring back at her. Everything was in that look. Love and lust, hope for a future, pure gratitude that they’d been given this moment. They’d come too close, too fucking close to losing it all.
They needed to make the most of the time they were given.
Zane’s hands went to her hips and he surged inside her, a low growl rattling in his throat.
Izzy pressed her hands against his chest to keep her balance as the room swam with the rush of pleasure. Her body stretched to take every thick inch of him, the feeling overwhelming in the most delightful way.
“Need you,” he groaned, urging her upward, then dragging her back down again.
She found the rhythm quickly, hips rising and falling in time with his thrusts from below. Heated eyes darted from where their bodies connected, up to her bouncing breasts, to her face, as if he couldn’t get enough of her.
Their hips met again and again, pleasure singing through her veins as pressure built in her middle. Her fingers flexed against his chest as he gripped her hip, guiding her into a faster pace. The fingers of his other hand closed around her nipple, pinching and rolling pleasure straight to her core.
“Close,” she moaned. “So close.”
And then the world shifted.
One second, he had her by the hips. The very next, he had her pinned under him. His breath hissed from between clenched teeth as he slid deep inside her without missing a single stroke.
His fingers dug into her thigh and drew her leg high up his waist, deepening his thrust and filling her even more.
He pulled his hips back, then sank into her again, a groan dripping from his lips. “Fuck,” he growled, retreating and returning once again. “Fuck, Izzy, you feel so good.”
She slid her palms up his arms and to his neck, pulling him into a devouring kiss. She licked and nibbled her way across his lips, moaning each time he slid fully inside her.
He eased back and pressed his forehead to hers, mouth falling open with his exhale. Bright, bright eyes locked with hers, and nothing could have torn her away at that moment.
She barely breathed. Hardly even dared to think. They were locked in something so… so… impossibly intimate, she didn’t know what to do. The look on his face, the pressure building in her core, the expanding feeling in her hear
t were everything she expected from her mate.
“Zane,” she breathed. Her eyebrows drew together as the rest of her body coiled tight. Pressure built and built until it left her panting and writhing for that final bit that’d crack her right open and leave her blissed out of her dang mind.
He was there, too. His muscles strained under his skin and those slow, maddening strokes sped up. He braced a hand next to her head and slammed into her over and over, control completely snapping as he drove them both closer to their releases.
“Come for me,” he growled, eyes flipping to silver.
Power rippled off him, as strong as an alpha’s order. A shiver rocked through her, then gained momentum. She wanted to obey. Needed it. Craved that final shattering pleasure that raced down on her faster than an avalanche.
She arched into him with a cry, inner muscles gripping him hard. Pain flashed for a brief second as his fangs sank into her shoulder, and utterly disappeared as she turned her head and marked him with her own bite.
Zane slowed, thrusts turning shallow and uneven as he carried them both through the last of their aftershocks. When they were both spent, he rolled to the side and drew her close, fingertips tracing random patterns over her skin.
They stayed silent, gazes locked on one another for a long moment. Warmth spread through her center and wrapped around her heart, in what she could only describe as the happiest she’d ever been. Hope, joy, and every other good emotion unfurled inside her like the best sort of Pandora’s Box.
All because of the dragon staring deeply into her eyes.
“You’re the best Christmas present a girl could ask for,” Izzy whispered. “Even if you’re not a reindeer.”
Zane shook his head with a quiet laugh. “You’re the best present, too, Izzy.”
She felt his smile as he leaned forward to press a kiss to her lips.
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