Smiling still, I entered the chambers, closing the door behind me. It had taken two more days after calling him out on my confinement, but I had finally persuaded Caz to let me leave the rooms. Not far, and only to mostly unpopulated areas of the citadel. Andneveralone.
But it was something. I knew he was keeping me there for safety. I was a weak dragon among the most powerful, and a stranger to boot. Nor did I hold any protections from him, unless he could announce me as his mate.
I rubbed my chest and the green lines beneath my shirt. Mate markings.
There was no denying what we were. Not now, not after that.
But I had meant what I told him about holding back. I wasn’t going to bask in the bliss of mating and the mate bond while Ella and Milly were out there somewhere alone. It wasn’t right. I would do better by my friends.
It was a convenient excuse as well. Because the other half of my reluctance was born from the simple fact ofwhoI was mated to. He might want to be known to me as Caz, and nothing more, but it wasn’t that simple. It couldn’t be.
Accepting being his mate meant accepting being the ice tyrant’s mate. Going from the bottom to the top of it all. Dropped in among the elites and their vicious games. Without experience. Without strength. I would be a child at their mercy, and truthfully, I needed to discover for myself if that was worth the tradeoff.
The sound of running water came from the bathroom of one of the other bedroom chambers, so I paused. The door was open. He must not have expected me to come back so soon.
Reaching out for the handle to pull it closed, I paused when I heard a pained noise.
Was he okay? Had something bad happened to him while we were gone? I stepped up to the doorway.
Safety. That was why I was going to look inside. That was all. No other reason, other than making sure that Caz was okay and not hurt or wor-ohmygod.
Caz was in the shower. Naked.
Of course he’s naked. He’s in the shower.
But he wasnaked. Slabs of muscle were drapedacross his body frame, stretching his skin taut as he—
Oh, fuck.
I did not stare as he worked his rock-hard cock back and forth, groaning with each stroke, the head of it swollen and thick.
Caz was hunched over, resting his head on his left hand and looking away from me. I could see the entire show with his body actually twisted slightly toward me. A smattering of hair darkened the center of his chest, and I could see the beginnings of what looked like a tattoo appearing over his shoulder and around his ribcage.
“Anna …”
I stifled a gasp, clamping my lips tight as he moved faster.
Caz was moaning my name while jerking off. My name.Me.
Things became slightly unclear. My skin tingled fuzzily as I stared wide-mouthed at his thick cock being fisted by his hand, stroking the shaft with controlled speed. His left obliques popped into view as he cursed, and I bit down hard while he came with my name on his lips.
This man, thisman, his arms bulging, ass popping, cockthrobbing, was getting off to the thought of me.
I wanted to rush him. Strip my clothes off and run into the water with him. My body could easehis pain, his frustration. I could make him better. Iwantedto make him better, on an innate and primitive level that terrified me.
Already roused by the sight of our mate naked and hard, my dragon spread its wings and roared, eager to do just that. Run to him. Touch him … and let go. He would take control there. Rip our clothes from our body, pin us to the wall, our eyes locked together as he lowered my needy pussy onto his cock.
Fuck. I wanted it badly. My nipples chafed against my bra, eager to be free. To be touched, teased. Licked.
Fresh heat between my legs screamed somethingelsethat wanted to be licked. Licked and tasted and pleasured.
I swayed, nearly giving in as Caz’s cock began to harden once more. He pounded on the shower wall, and the growl in his throat was one of anger.
Anger? Frustration? I watched without blinking as his hand twitched, moving toward his cock, wrapping fingers around his shaft, and beginning to stroke once more.
I wanted to stay. But I couldn’t. It wasn’t right. He didn’t know I was there, and I wasn’t going to go to him if he did. Although if he turned right now and called my name, I might not be able to resist. Every inch of me was screaming for him. I needed to go to him. To be taken by him.
Maybe even claimed by him.
