The words unleashed him. He thrust deep, stretching me until I cried out, half pleasure, half pain.
“Sorry, sorry,” he murmured, kissing my jaw, my lips, moving gently until the ache gave way to heat. Our tongues tangled. Muscles deep in my core contracted, demanding more.
I rolled my hips, urging Thorne to thrust harder. Thankfully, he understood the unspoken command, driving, rocking. Together, we found a delightful rhythm. Lost to the sensation, I grasped his broad shoulders, trailing my nails down his spine, causing him to shudder.
“Blessed flames.” His fingers twisted into my hair as he held my head captive, his lips plundering my mouth.
Our bodies met in a straining tangle, sweat-slicked and frantic. Thorne’s mouth blazed a trail of heat across myshoulder to my neck, where his teeth nibbled my flesh. I liked his teeth here, feeling no threat, only hunger. He should mark me. It was only right that I carry his brand as well as his flame.
Higher. Higher, I flew, chasing the bliss until…
“Come, Princess. Come for me,” Thorne commanded, and the tension building inside of me exploded, flinging me into the atmosphere where I soared. Sparks shattered. Flames ignited my vision—red, orange, yellow. The center of my chest detonated, sending heated jolts pulsing through my veins.
Thorne’s roar filled my ears, his shaft swelling larger than I even thought possible. He pulsed deep, causing the muscles of my sex to spasm, taking me higher still. I cried out, floating in that magical place of ecstasy. Mindless, I soared before slowly coasting back.
I floated in the aftershocks, a cooling ember drifting to earth. My fire spent.
Thorne collapsed onto me, all heat and muscle, and I grunted beneath the weight until he rolled to his side. We lay there, panting, staring up at the ceiling as if it held answers.
“That was…” I pressed my swollen lips together, searching for a word big enough.
More. A lot more. Everything, actually.
“Yeah,” he said, proving even less eloquent than I.
Our breathing slowed. The heat between us faded into a warm haze. And then, like an unwelcome guest, regret crept in, sharp and cold at the edges.
If Thorne sensed how deeply that moment had shaken me, he’d be unbearable. I could already see the smug grin, the mocking innuendo, the way he would twist this into a meaningless encounter.
And it was meaningless, wasn’t it? It should have been. At least that was my intent when I’d kissed him.
I’d made my choice. I’d taken what I wanted. No strings. Nopromises. Just incredible sex with a maddeningly gorgeous dragon shifter.
Onmyterms.
So why did my chest ache like I’d given away something I couldn’t get back?
I pushed the thought aside and summoned my most casual smirk. “That was fun,” I said, giving his rock-hard abs a quick pat.
I stood, snatched his shirt from the floor, and pulled it on like armor.
Indifferent. Unbothered. Untouched.
Thorne sat up as well, watching me dress. As I fastened the buttons, I turned and found him glaring at the ground.
“What’s wrong?” I nudged his leg with my bare toes.
“Nothing,” he rubbed his forehead, a deep furrow between his brows.
My stomach chose that moment to let out a dramatic yowl. I rubbed the aching hollow beneath my ribs and gave him a breezy smile. “I’m going to search for Myrna and beg for food. Thanks for the swimming lesson.”
“Sure,” he grumbled in a distracted manner. This was not the face of a man who’d just been ravaged by a sex goddess.
Still, I refused to let him ruin my happy glow. He could sulk all he wanted. I felt good—powerful, even.
He’d been right, taking something for myselfwasempowering. And I meant to do it again—louder, brighter, unapologetically.
Chapter Twenty-One
