She looked shocked when he gave the timeframe.
He shrugged. “I was on a hunt the day I found you. I set out that day expecting to win a female.”
“You sound so sure.”
“Without being arrogant, I am one hundred percent sure I would have been successful in my endeavors. Unbeknown to me, the hunt was called off. It happened when you crashed.”
“When I was fire-balled?”
“Yes. I am telling you all of this so that you can understand my mindset on this. My mindset in general. I set off that morning expecting to find the female I was going to spend my life with. I think you were running away from your life.”
“No, I…” She stopped. He could see that she was deep in thought.
“I’m not saying you weren’t…aren’t trying to find your sister. All I’m saying is that there was more behind it. You’d caught your ex with another female just the day before. You were running. Might still be running.”
“Maybe you’re right.” She nodded a couple of times, still in thought.
“We are in two different places in our lives. I think that throwing sex into the equation would complicate things.”
She nodded once. He was happy to see that she looked disappointed. It was a step in the right direction.
“Let’s get back onto human soil and find your sister.”
Her eyes brightened. “That’s a fantastic idea. I would be able to rest more easily knowing she is okay.”
“You can already rest a little easier. It sounds like Beck is with her. He is highly skilled. If anyone can keep her safe, it’s him. From what I have heard, she is highly skilled herself. The two of them must make a formidable team.”
“And what then?”
“Then you need to go back to your old life.”
Her shoulders slumped. Page didn’t look like she relished the idea, which made him want to fist-pump the air.
“You need to see your ex and clear things up. Maybe,” he swallowed hard, “you still have feelings for him.”
Page didn’t say anything. Fuck! He’d hoped she’d tell him he was wrong. That it wasn’t true, but it never came.
“Right now, you are running, Page. Thing is, I want you running towards me, not away from something else that just happens to take you in my direction.”
“You’re right.” She licked her lips. “About all of it. Okay, so we eat, get some rest and then we head out?” She raised her brows in question, looking at him expectantly.
Mountain cleared his throat. “There’s just the pesky business of making it look like I’ve claimed you, without actually claiming you.”
“Oh yes!” she sighed. “That’s true. How do we do that? What will they look for?”
“My scent will need to be on you.”
“That’s easy.” Page waved a hand. “We’ll sleep in the same bed. I mean,” her eyes widened, “that’s if you’re okay with that?”
“Of course. I don’t want things to become awkward between us. I’m afraid that sleeping next to each other wouldn’t be enough though.” Not even close.
“We could spoon.” She raised her brows.
He pushed out a laugh. “Still not nearly enough.” He shook his head. “Although spooning sounds great.”
“Oh, not enough huh?” She narrowed her eyes in thought. “We would need to make it seem like we had sex but without actually having sex?” She raised her brows.
“Yep, that’s right.”
“How do we do that?”
“I need to get my scent all over you. Look, I would understand if it’s not what you want. I’ll have a team of males escort you back to your home.” He shook his head, running a hand through his wet hair. “I doubt Granite would allow me to take you myself. If I don’t claim you, I can’t stay with you. This will need to end. It will be up to you, but—”
“I was ready to have sex with you. I understand where you’re coming from and you’re right, I’m not ready for a relationship. Although Shaun and I are broken up, things between us haven’t…they haven’t been resolved. I’m almost a hundred percent sure it’s over.” She looked solemn. Her eyes were locked with his. “I’m pretty sure I want to explore this thing between us.”
“Almost? Pretty sure?” He swallowed down his disappointment.
She winced and then smiled. “I need to see him. It’s the only way I’ll know for sure and even then,” she shrugged, “I can’t say I’ll know exactly how I feel.” She took his hand. “All I know is that I enjoy being with you. I like you very much. There could be more there. I just…I…” Another shrug. “It’s confusing. There’s too much going on.”
“It’s okay.” He meant it. He could understand where she was coming from. She’d come to the dragon lands to find her sister. This was never meant to happen.
“What I’m trying to say is, I want to keep exploring this. I understand about the sex. I get it, but I don’t want this to be over. I’m not ready for a relationship but I’m not ready to walk away either.” He watched as her throat worked. “Let’s do this claiming thing. I can tell you have something in mind. How do you plan on getting your scent on me?”
He pushed out a breath through his nose.
“Just tell me already.”
Mountain swiped a hand over his face. “I need to come on you multiple times.”
Chapter 14
He expected shock, which he got. Even though it lasted all of a second. Then he expected horror. Maybe a flinch, or an outright ‘no’.
He never expected the slow smile or the scent of arousal. This female was something else. “You’re okay with that?” He had half expected her to tell him to go to hell.
“Yes.” She nodded. “I’m fine with it. I had a feeling it would be something along those lines. Multiple times though?”
He nodded. “Yep. You up for that?”
More arousal and a nod. “I think I might owe you after...” Her cheeks flushed.
“You don’t owe me anything. You’re not going to do any of the work either.” Mountain meant it.
She pulled in a sharp breath. “How are you going to…you know…if I don’t help out?”
“We should probably eat first.”
She nodded, folding some hair behind her ear.
He gestured to where a big tray was sitting on the table next to the main door. “Shale brought it just now, when Obsidian was here.” He was seriously worried about the male.
“Oh, so that was the loud clunk I heard after he came in.”
“He threw down the tray when he saw my brother and me. You go take a seat.” He pointed to the dining-room table.
Mountain placed the tray of food on the table. There was a garden salad. Mashed potatoes, gravy and a couple of huge steaks. “Those are the biggest steaks I’ve ever seen.”
“Elk steak,” Mountain said. “Here.” He put down a plate with a serrated steak knife and a fork. Then he placed one of the sodas from the tray, in front of her plate, and did the same for himself. Mountain put a couple of napkins on the table. Then he went to his closet and pulled on a fresh pair of pants. Loving how her eyes tracked his every move.
“I’m so hungry.” She opened her soda and took a big gulp. “I hadn’t realized until now,” she said as he returned to the table, taking a seat.
“Yeah, me too.” He sat down next to her and for the next while they dished and ate in silence.
“Your brother is nothing like you,” Page finally said as she put her knife and fork down, half a steak still on her plate.
Mountain felt a pang. “He’s never been very social, but he was never this bad either. I’m not sure why but he’s slowly become worse over the last few years.” He ate the piece that was on his fork.
“For a little while there I thought he might…hurt me.” She licked her lips.
“I don’t think so.” Mountain shook his head. “He’s ultimately a good male. Obsidian once told me that he thought people talked too much and that what they say is mostly unnec
essary. He said that was why he preferred his scales. Being around people makes his head hurt.”
“So, he likes to just be alone?” She shrugged, putting her napkin on the table next to her plate.
“I don’t think so.” Mountain cut another slice off his steak. “I’ve caught him staring at the she-dragons. Like he wants to approach them.”
“Why doesn’t he?” Page asked.
“It’s not like he hasn’t tried. They won’t have anything to do with most of the males. There aren’t many of them, so they can be picky about who they spend time with. He used to try to talk to one from time to time but was cut off at the knees. They were nasty about it too. I stay away from them now.”
“Now?’ She gave him a half-smile.
“I haven’t been with a she-dragon in a very long time.” He smiled back. “I prefer being with females who actually want to be with me. Females who…” He shrugged, trying to come up with the right words.
“Females? As in more than one?” She pretended to be offended.
He snorted out a laugh. “No, smartass, I’m a one-female kind of guy.”
She smiled, looking sad for a moment. “I’m a one-guy kind of girl, although you would never say it.”
“You’re broken up, and we’re not even having sex. Not really.” He shook his head. “Stop giving yourself such a hard time.”
“I know, and I know you are ‒ a one-woman guy that is. What about a human woman for Obsidian? If you ask me, he’s lonely. A woman would help bring him out of his shell.”
“Are you serious? You met him. He leans a little more towards his animal side. Okay, a lot more towards that side. He would scare a human. He’s banned from taking part in the Stag Run, as well as from participating in the hunt.” Mountain felt guilty. “He tried to enter this last time round. Granite wouldn’t hear of it.”
“Poor thing! I’m sure he just needs the right person in his life.”
“Poor thing?” Mountain chuckled. “You are making him out to be a puppy dog.”
“He’s no puppy dog, just misunderstood maybe?”
“Yeah, definitely misunderstood.” His heart squeezed. Page seemed to understand, even though she didn’t even know Obsidian. “I don’t think there is a female out there capable of taming him. I will spend more time with him when we get back.” Shit! ‘We’. He had said we instead of ‘I’. A big assumption. “I need to try to reach him,” he continued, hoping she hadn’t noticed. “Like I said, there is a good male in there somewhere. I know it.”
“You sound like me right now, defending my own sister. It’s weird how we have more than one thing in common.”
Mountain wiped his mouth, putting the napkin on his now empty plate. “Not so weird.” He reached over and took her hand.
She blushed. “I guess.”
He kissed her hand. “Are you tired?”
“I should be.”
“Does that mean you’re not?” His heart thumped faster.
Page’s cheeks turned a rosy red. “Shall we do this thing? I mean, unless you’re tired? You’re the one who ran for hours with me on your back.”
“I’m not tired at all.” He traced a finger down the inside of her wrist, watching as her pupils dilated. It was back. Her arousal was in full force. He could practically taste it on his tongue.
“I think I might still be a little hungry.” She bobbed her brows.
“You still have steak,” he teased.
“Who’s the smart-ass now? I’m hungry but not for elk, I’m hungry for dragon.” She pushed her chair back.
“Oh, really now.” He pushed his back as well.
“Oh, yes. When you talked about coming on me…would my mouth be a good place to start?”
Mountain closed his eyes and groaned. “I think that might be a perfect place.”
“Good.” She dropped to her knees right there in front of him. “At the table?” he asked, quirking a brow.
“Why not?” She bit down on her lower lip as she pulled the t-shirt over her head. Page was incredibly sexy. His dick hardened up to the point of pain and his balls pulled tight.
Then he had a thought. Why now? Fuck! Mountain didn’t want her doing this because she felt she had to, or because she felt she owed him. Mountain cupped her jaw. “You don’t have to do this. I could speak with Granite. I don’t want you doing this because you feel some sort of duty…” He stopped talking when she narrowed her eyes.
“I want to be here. Duty?” She snorted. “Hardly! I will admit that…sex with Shaun felt like a chore. Whereas this doesn’t…not at all.” She rolled her eyes. “I really didn’t want to bring him up. Not right now. I don’t want to have a conversation about him. Save to say that I don’t feel that with you.” She smiled, looking so beautiful he felt the air catch in his lungs. “I want to give you pleasure. I want this.” She licked her lips as her gaze dipped back to his cock.
“Okay then,” he managed to grind out. His voice had dropped about a hundred octaves.
“Okay then.” She gripped the elasticated band of his pants.
Mountain lifted his ass and she pulled them down. His cock sprang free, slapping against his stomach. He pulled them all the way down, stepping out of them. Mountain opened his legs for her.
Page moved in. “Ooooh! Someone wants this.” She giggled.
“You have no fucking idea.” He shook his head, watching as she leaned in closer and closer. “I have a feeling I’m not going to last very long,” he rasped. “Don’t judge me based on—” He groaned long and deep as her mouth closed over him. “Holy shit,” he growled as she sucked him down. As her hand fisted his cock.
His hips jerked forward, and he held his breath. Her lips were wrapped so sweetly around his girth. Up and down, his cock hit the back of her throat and he jerked again. “Shit!” he rasped, trying hard to hold on.
His balls were posed for explosion…already. Then again, he’d been on edge for days. Ever since seeing this female for the first time.
She swirled her tongue over his tip, those gorgeous eyes of hers moving up to meet his. Although her mouth was solidly around him, he could have sworn the edges of her mouth turned up in a smile.
He could just imagine what she was seeing. His eyes would be wild…maybe a touch panicked since he was about to come and in under a minute. She’d never want sex with him after that. No fucking way! A male who couldn’t go the distance. Best he hold on a little longer. Even if it killed him…and it just might. He was sweating. He could feel it gather on his brow. His teeth were clenched. He held the arms of the chair so as not to grab her hair and all-out fuck her mouth. Couldn’t do that.
Couldn’t!
Even though that was what she had done to him. Boy, had she ever. He thought about the sounds she had made. About how her pussy had spasmed. He couldn’t wait to have her in that way. To make her come with his dick. He couldn’t—
“Fuck!” he groaned. Shouldn’t have pictured her coming. Shouldn’t have imagined how her pussy would feel. Telling her he was about to come would have been the gentlemanly thing to do. He had planned on letting her know. On giving her the option of pulling away.
No such luck!
He groaned her name as he let go. Let go? Nope. Not the right description. Forget letting go. He was pushed over the edge. Free-falling had never felt so fucking good. His cock went off like a cannon.
Her eyes widened but she kept working him with her mouth and her hand. Oh, that hand. Putting everything into it. Her eyes on him. Filled with lust. Page swallowed him down as he shot off. He watched her throat work.
Swallow.
Swallow.
Swallow.
He grunted and groaned and grunted some more, sounding like a rabid animal. At one point his eyes rolled back. At least, that must have been what happened because everything went black. Maybe he passed out from the sheer, intense pleasure? It took a long while, but he finally came down. He let go of the armrest and it clattered to the ground. Broken. He’d rippe
d it clean off. “What the—?” His voice was guttural.
Page giggled. “I’m so glad you weren’t holding the back of my head, or my neck or something. I could have died.”
“Me too,” he groaned. “You have one hell of a mouth, sweetheart.”
“You’re still hard.” She was eyeing him like he was candy and she had a sweet tooth.
Mountain nodded. “It may not have seemed like it just now,” he grinned, “but dragons usually have stamina. We can go multiple times.” He winked at her.
“You’re one big tease.” She gave him a disapproving look.
Mountain could scent her arousal. “You didn’t think I was going to leave you hanging, did you? That’s not my style.” He picked her up and began walking to the bed. “I need your scent on me too.”
She leaned in and kissed him. Her lips soft. He could scent himself on her. He liked it. Liked it a little too much. He would be hurt if she decided to go back to her ex. It didn’t matter that they hadn’t had sex. He had feelings for Page and they were growing by the minute.
Mountain lay her down on his bed. He moved between her legs, loving her cry of pleasure as he laved her clit. He had a feeling it might be a while before they went to sleep, despite the long night they had just endured. Some things were far more important.
Chapter 15
The next day…
Granite’s nostrils flared as he entered the male’s office. His eyes narrowed just a smidgen and his nostrils flared a second time.
Stay cool!
Stay calm!
The fact of the matter was that they hadn’t had sex. He may have Page’s scent all over him. The opposite was also true, but they hadn’t actually done the deed. Maybe Granite would pick up on that.
Stay calm!
His king might suspect, but he wouldn’t be able to tell for sure. He couldn’t let his actions give him away. He refused.
Mountain turned to the second male in the room and was shocked to see the Water king standing there. “My lord.” He inclined his head.
“You know Torrent,” Granite said. “Introductions aren’t necessary. I was just explaining to Torrent how you recently claimed Page. The slayer’s sister.”
Dragon Guard: Earth Dragons Series: Book 1 Page 13
