by Amelia Jade
She looked up at him grumpily. “You know, that’s a pretty good line. Used it often?”
“Not fair,” he replied. “And no, I haven’t.”
It was true. He’d never used that particular phrase before. Because he’d never considered himself to be living his life with someone before. Oh they weren’t so interwoven like many dragon mates he’d met. But there was something intangible, something that bound him to her, and he believed it did the same back.
It terrified him, but he wasn’t going to deny that it existed.
“Very well. I suppose I’m not exactly brand-new to all of this either,” she admitted.
Zander very carefully did not say anything at all in response to that.
“Okay, now where?” she asked, walking around in circles on his back.
“Now straddle my neck,” he using the tip of his wing to indicate the spot.
“You have got to be kidding me.”
“Just do it,” he told her with another laugh, and spread his wings wide.
“Ooookay,” she said, very unsure of it.
But the moment she was settled he took off.
Riss screamed and screamed as the ground disappeared below them. Her hands dug under the edges of his scales on either side of his neck, pulling her tight as her face pressed against him.
Then all at once the screams became cries of delight, as he leveled off and she realized she wasn’t plummeting to her death.
“Oh Zander, this is beautiful!” she shouted above the wind as it whipped over them.
He wasn’t going particularly fast, using more energy than was necessary to keep them aloft. It wasn’t his preferred way to fly, but this way the wind was slower and therefore it was easier for Riss to see, and for the two of them to have a conversation while aloft.
“I can see everything from up here,” she went on, pointing out various places. “There’s my street. And that big thing there, that has to be the Cadian Hall, right? And—”
He banked around, swirling upward in a thermal plume of hot air.
Riss’s voice died as the Quicksilver mountain range came into view.
“Oh wow,” she said, so softly that only his enhanced hearing allowed him to hear it. “It’s breathtaking.”
Sunlight reflected off the snowcapped peaks of the giant rock daggers thrusting up from the earth. The glitter of the white tops was so powerful they could see it from the many miles away they were.
“This is what you see all the time?” she asked as he rose higher and higher into the air.
“Yes,” he said with a little laugh. “And it’s reactions like that, that remind me to stop and look every now and then, to appreciate this.”
“I can see why.” Riss looked around some more. “Thank you for this.”
“You are very welcome,” he said sincerely, glad that she had gotten over her initial fear, and would be able to enjoy herself as he took them over Cadia, showing her all of the territory that she’d never seen before.
***
They spent the day in the air, several hours of flying around. At one point another pair of dragons crossed their path and Riss got to see up close and personal the difference in flight ability between a Guardian like himself, and two normal shifters who were just happy to get aloft.
He dove and weaved through the sky while she laughed in delight, the other two dragons simply content to witness them as they awkwardly flew along to their destination, wings working far harder than was necessary.
At the end of the day, he returned to the stone and they walked back across town to her place. He thought about inviting her back to his apartment in the city, where he stayed when he wasn’t at the family estate or at the Academy. But he didn’t want Riss to feel uncomfortable, so he refrained. Instead he followed her home, their hands intertwined the whole time.
“So, are you going to take off on me again this time?” she asked as they reached the landing outside her doorway.
“Well, wouldn’t I have to be kissing you first before I could do that?” he said.
His tone was light and joking, but the look in his eyes let her know that he was well aware of the mood just then. There was no rain to distract them, no sudden rush into each other’s embrace. It was more of a slow burn during the day, embers flaring to light as fresh fuel was added to the fire.
The first flickers of flame appeared as he pulled her close with a gentle tug on her arm. She bit her lip, the look of anticipation stirring the winds in his soul in a flare of desire to do far more than kiss her.
A hand found his arm at the same time his fingers caressed her cheek, dropping until he could cup her chin, tilting it upward so that their faces were mere inches apart.
A tiny step forward closed that gap in half, and he felt Riss stiffen, her body going taut at his signal. Her own body swayed closer to him, lips missing his by fractions of an inch as they both took a deep breath.
Zander’s other hand found her waist.
Riss’s body stood still.
He tugged lightly.
She swayed once more.
His head dropped slightly.
She looked up at him, eyes widening momentarily before they closed just as his lips met hers. The dam broke, and Riss allowed herself to fall into the kiss completely, her fingers tightening around his biceps as she held him tight. The kiss was full and passionate, yet slow and delicate at the same time. There wasn’t the rushed heat of the day before, but instead a deeper, more fulfilling moment that wrapped them both up in it.
Neither pulled away as they explored each other’s mouths, their hands running over the body of the other, exploring it, learning it, and showing the other how much they liked it.
Zander’s hands pushed up the back of her neck and through her wind-stressed hair, fingernails scraping along her scalp. Riss paused in her kiss just long enough to make an appreciative sound before she threw herself back into him, her own hands coming up to grab his face and pull it even tighter to her as they rocked back and forth in each other’s embrace, uncaring of what the world at large might think of them.
Eventually they had to come up for air, and when they parted Zander was forced to take several deep lungfuls of air to help stabilize himself, so overwhelmed by the desire singing in his veins that he wasn’t sure what to do next.
Thankfully Riss wasn’t quite so frozen stupid.
She backed away from him with a smirk, her hand fumbling with the door, not turning around. At last she got it open, and backed inside.
Her gaze had so much in it, and yet it only had to say one word.
“Coming?”
Chapter Seven
Riss
Her heart rate accelerated faster than a race car as the big dragon shifter stepped forward, his powerful body filling most of her doorframe. She paused in her backtracking and reached up, brushing his unruly locks from his forehead.
“Gotta keep you looking presentable,” she teased.
“And how do I look from that angle?” he growled intensely.
Riss felt the breath leave her system at his animalistic noise. The beast in him was awakening, and directing itself at her. What was sex with a dragon even like?
A small portion of her brain noted that she wasn’t questioning whether she was going to have sex with him or not. That, in her brain, was already a foregone conclusion. Forget that she’d only known him a few days, and had gone on two dates. This was bigger than that. More powerful. This was no normal romance, she was sure of it.
Zander stepped forward, the door closing behind him. His hands grabbed her waist, and without any noticeable effort on his part, lifted her from the ground and pressed her against the nearby wall, holding her there so that she could look at him in the eyes.
“And how do I look from this angle?” he asked.
But there was no time to answer as he stepped into her space before her lips could form the words. This kiss was rougher, but not in a painful way. Zander would never hurt her, she kne
w that. His stubble brushed against her skin, but even that didn’t bother her. He was rough, but in the right ways. His hands squeezed her cheeks as he held her up, and his muscles pressed against her, but there was no pain.
No real pain, anyway. His teeth nipped at her lip, driving her wild as shivers snaked their way down her neck.
“I like this angle better,” she finally managed to get out. They broke away for a moment to look at each other, the tension building as neither of them moved, waiting for the other to do something next.
Riss could feel herself rising to the moment, preparing for what was to come. The gnawing ache between her legs that she’d resorted to appeasing in the tub the past few nights returned with a vengeance, and this time it knew she was going to satisfy it.
The angle of their embrace had caught his shirt under her, pulling it even tighter over his thick slabs of muscle as he held her aloft. He was a feast for her eyes as she looked him over, getting heady from the flow of blood.
“Let’s get rid of this,” she suggested, tugging at his shirt.
Zander nodded mutely, putting her down as her hands lifted it up. He bent at the waist and allowed her to remove the shirt. Her eyes went wide as he stood up without it, the perfectly defined partitions of his body falling back into place, revealing a sculpted statue worthy of the gods.
“Oh my,” she said weakly.
The powerful shifter stepped toward her, and she hesitated as he went to start undressing her.
Zander froze. “Is everything okay?” he asked cautiously.
How did she tell him? That yes, everything was perfectly okay, and yet she was also more terrified than she’d ever been before. Not about having sex with him. That she was excited for. No, it was the idea that he was going to see her naked, and would compare her body to his.
Riss was okay with her thick curves, but she wasn’t comfortable with showing them off. Especially not to someone who didn’t have an ounce of fat on them. The contrast between the pair couldn’t have been more stark.
And yet…
“It’s been a long time,” she said.
Zander relaxed. He ran a finger up her arm, blazing a trail of goosebumps across her chest and up her neck until he hooked it under her jaw and drew her close to him with the lightest of motions. Warm, thick lips covered hers as he kissed her slowly and fully.
“It will be okay,” he promised, breaking the kiss to whisper in her ear. “You just have to trust me.” Fire walked its way across her jaw as he kissed his way down to her neck.
Riss felt her knees threaten to buckle at the sensations his touch evoked within her.
“Okay,” she said, as she acquiesced to it.
The dragon shifter took the hems of her shirt, his eyes locked upon hers, intense passion blazing away. The black long-sleeve came away as he pulled it over her head, exposing her soft stomach and large breasts to his hungry eyes. Riss felt her nerves calm slightly as he devoured the sight of her almost-naked upper body.
“You are gorgeous,” he rasped, his voice catching as she stepped back, gaining a modicum of her nerve back.
“Thank you,” she said, and reached back to undo the clasps of her bra.
The wordless sounds emerging from his mouth brought her nipples fully erect, reaching out as if begging for his fingers, or perhaps even his mouth, to lavish them with attention.
Zander bent down and swiftly did just that, taking one of her sensitive nubs into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it with a gentle flick that made her gasp at the exquisite pleasure he was inflicting upon her.
He quickly had her riled up and ready for more, fingers and tongue working in time with each other to choreograph a symphony of delight that was only just beginning. Riss couldn’t wait for the rest of it to be played out.
Recovering some more of her courage as Zander worked hard to show her that he liked her the way she was, Riss reached out and hooked her fingers through his belt loop, pulling his waist tight against her. The angle prevented him from continuing his ministrations, but it did allow her hands to drag up his legs until they found what she was looking for.
Zander jerked as she ran the palm of her hand along the hard bulge of his shaft, tracing the outline through his jeans as it strained to be set free.
“What’s the matter?” she teased in her best seductive tone. “Nervous?”
“Not at all,” he replied, gently flicking one of her nipples, making her jerk.
“Good,” she replied, working his belt and button free. “Wouldn’t want you screaming or anything.”
Zander’s angry rumble at her teasing remark died abruptly as she dropped to her knees in front of him, pulling his jeans down carefully over his cock, setting it free. It became a low-level growl as her thick fingers wrapped around his shaft, gripping it firmly in front of her face.
“Keep this up,” he said as she went to work with her tongue, “and I promise I will make you scream.”
A shiver of delight ran down her spine. “Do you promise?” she asked, hovering over the end of his cock.
Zander nodded.
“Good,” she said slyly and took him deep into her mouth, savoring the feeling of him jerk in surprise, blood surging into him, making him harder than he had been just a moment earlier.
There was no more talking for the next few minutes as she devoted her full attention to pleasuring him. With her wet lips firmly around his shaft, her hands were free to run up his legs and across his hard stomach, feeling the outline of each individual muscle as she went. It served to further emphasize just how outrageous it was that she was sucking the dick of a man who was so ripped he could be used as a dummy in an anatomy class.
Just then though, she was concerned with one part of his anatomy as it began to buck and pulse in her mouth. She moved one hand to the base of his cock and began to stroke it up and down as she sealed her lips firmly around the tip.
“Riss,” Zander groaned from above as warmth filled her mouth.
She swallowed as fast as she could, but there was a lot, and some of it pushed past her seal, dribbling down her chin. Maintaining her attention on Zander, she waited until he was done before she allowed herself a giggle, using a finger to clean up the spillage. Zander looked at her with glowing eyes, and much to her surprise, a still-rigid cock.
“You’re gonna put that to good use, right?” she said with a very gentle flick of her finger against the tip.
Zander growled and reached down, easily picking her up and laying her on the nearby couch. Riss felt her blood practically boil at the way he manhandled her around like she was nothing, simply putting her where he wished.
Her hand shot out as he made to drop to the ground in front of the couch. “No, I want you,” she said in her own passionate growl, pulling him back until he was standing over her. “Now,” she commanded.
“Are you sure?” he halfheartedly protested.
“Positive. You can make it up to me later if you feel that bad,” she said with a wink. “Right now though, you need to fuck me. Got it?”
A primal grin spread across his face. “Got it. But I’m going to need more room,” he said with an eye to the couch. Again he picked her up, this time lowering her down to the carpet.
Zander positioned himself between her knees, and Riss braced herself for what was to come. That first moment when a man entered was the most shocking and delightful moments ever. It felt unbelievably good, and yet was so…unique as well. She craved it badly, and yet would still be slightly sad when it was over.
“Holy shit,” she hissed as his first few inches slid in. “Fuck, that’s a thick cock,” she said, her insides protesting, unused to such an intrusion for too long.
“Are you okay?”
“Oh hell yes,” she moaned. “More.” Her legs wrapped up around him, pulling him inside of her. There were a few moments of pain, but that twisted with the pleasure to produce a blissful agony that was driving her wild.
She whimpered as Zander slid all t
he way inside of her, buried to the hilt as his hips bumped against hers.
“Fuck me,” she growled as he opened his lips.
Riss didn’t care if he’d been about to ask if she was okay. The throbbing pressure between her legs was increasing, and she needed him to do something about it. His cock pulled out of her, and then reversed course, thrusting deep once more.
“Yes,” she said, the word practically a moan as it was drawn out.
Zander propped himself up with one hand and cupped her head with the other, pulling her up so that she could watch his cock fuck her. He started slow and built up the pace, never spending too long before going faster again, keeping her on the edge of her toes.
“Don’t you stop,” she said fiercely, her eyes boring into his as she pushed one of her hands between her legs, easily finding her clit and beginning to rub it.
Zander’s eyes widened as her walls tightened around him instinctively, and she threw her head back with a loud cry as his hips picked up the pace to another level. Her climax drew nearer as they continued to fuck.
At one point he picked her up and rolled over, so that Riss was on top. But his muscles held her aloft with ease, so she had to do nothing but splay her fingers across his chest and enjoy it as he thrust up into her with abandon.
“Bend me over,” she said, her voice practically challenging him, as if he wouldn’t dare.
But Zander was game and he flipped her over, pushing her head to the carpet and hoisting her hips in the air. She waggled them at him, but her moans became cries as his cock thrust into her suddenly and without warning.
Big, powerful hands found her hips and began to pull her back against him, even as he pushed forward into her. His cock was deeper than it had ever been, and she slid her hand between her legs once more, the hard nub of her clit practically crying out for attention.
It only took seconds for her to fall over the edge. She began to shake in his hands, but Zander kept her still, his cock slamming into her from behind over and over again, her breasts bouncing wildly as she came around his cock.
The tightening of her insides around him must have triggered Zander’s own orgasm, because he pulled out from inside her and she felt hot, sticky fluid splash across her ass and even up onto her back as he groaned loudly, uttering her name repeatedly as they both finished together with a shudder.
