“You mean... like in the garden?”
“Yes.” His voice was husky.
Liane felt as if her entire body had been set ablaze. And it was taking all her self-control to not close the space between them. The thread or magic or whatever it was that was drawing them together felt pulled taut. They’d been dancing around with one another for weeks. And it was driving her mad, but it was a relief, in a way, to know it wasn’t just her. Erich felt it too.
“I want you, so bad it hurts, Liane, but there’s a fine line between a dragon’s desire and obsession. If I give in, I may never be able to let you go.”
Her stomach tightened, and she pressed her thighs together. “What if I don’t want you to let me go?”
“You shouldn’t want me. You should be terrified of me.”
“But I want you too. Ever since that night, I can’t stop thinking about you.”
“The night in the garden?”
Liane’s heart hammered so hard, she feared it’d beat out of her chest. She couldn’t hold back anymore. She stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Before that,” she said, tilting her head up to meet his golden eyes.
If the raven was right, there was light and dark in everything. Including her. Including Erich. Whatever magic dwelled in them seemed to fit together like puzzle pieces. She wanted to spend forever learning about him, and magic, and how it all fit into the goddess’, and the ancients’, plans.
Liane trailed a finger over his chest, pulling back the tattered remains of his shirt to circle his pectoral before closing in around his nipple. He shivered under her touch but didn’t move to stop her. Liane leaned forward and licked his clavicle. His body trembled as if it were taking all his restraint not to move.
“You wouldn’t hurt me—I know it,” she said as she kissed a trail down his chest, her hands slowly roving down to his hips before hooking in the front of his pants. The pants were torn, exposing his thighs. She wanted to lick every inch of him in the way he’d done for her.
“I could.” Erich’s chest heaved.
She slid her hand down, inching her way toward his shaft, as he stared at her, eyes blazing. When she grasped hold of him, he was hard, twitching. She stroked it up and down a few times as she nibbled at his throat, gently grazing his scaled flesh with her teeth. He was nothing like any lover she’d had before. Most men would have crumbled by now, but she admired his restraint, and she’d tease him as long as he could last.
After one last tug, she let go, and she heard him moan in disappointment. Then she undid the last shreds of his pants and sank down onto her knees in front of him. His cock stood at attention before her.
“Liane.” He said her name in the release of a ragged breath.
“I want to return the favor. May I?” she asked, looking up at him through her lashes.
“Please. Or I might explode.”
She wrapped her hand tightly around his member and then licked him from base to tip, swirling her tongue at the end before taking him fully into her mouth. He bucked against her, hands balled into fists at his sides, as she sucked. Until she took one of his free hands and guided it to the back of her neck. His hand tangled in her hair gently, as if he feared putting too much pressure on her. She licked around the tip of his throbbing shaft, lapping up his dew. Seeing him hold on to this much control was a surprising turn-on. Feeling him tremble, his thigh muscles taut as if he were using all his restraint to keep from spilling his seed into her mouth.
But then he touched a clawed hand to her cheek. His scales brushing her soft skin sent sparks along her neck.
“Not yet. I need to be buried inside you when I finish.”
He grasped her nape as he sank down to kneel before her, then he kissed her. His fangs pressed against her lips, and the grip on her neck held her close, as if to prevent her from escaping. His kiss was fierce and primal, fangs scraping her lip, as he gently bit and sucked, leaving her aching for more. She pressed her breasts against him, dying for friction, to remove the layers of fabric between them, but also, not wanting to rush things either.
Her hands explored his shoulders and his back, and she gently scratched downward as he put his hand on her waist, pressing her up against his hard length and letting her grind her sex against him with only a thin layer of cloth between them.
He kissed down her jawline, then her neck, raising gooseflesh along her body, as he pulled at her stays. He slowly stripped each layer, kissing her exposed skin—her shoulder, the top of her breasts. He swirled his tongue around her nipples one by one, before he lightly nipped at each of them, his fangs grazing against the taut peaks until she was grinding against him.
She rode him, feeling the buildup of pressure growing, growing, and she gasped with pleasure. Then he grasped each of her breasts in his hands, pinching her nipples between his fingers as she ground against him, her head thrown back in ecstasy.
Erich’s hands roved down over her sides, over her skirts, then he hitched them up, tearing the fabric of her undergarments with a claw. With his knuckle, he pressed against her bundle of nerves until she was slick.
“Are you ready? I need to be inside you,” he growled against her neck.
“Yes,” she gasped.
Erich flipped her over onto all fours, pushed up her skirts, and parted her legs with his. He cupped her exposed ass, sending a shiver over her as she arched backward into him, pressing his shaft against her opening.
