He swore and let his forehead fall against hers. “Don’t torture me any more.”
“You don’t think I should make you pay for all those months you kept the truth from me?” She stroked him, her thumb making slow circles.
“No. Yes. Which one means you’ll stay with me?”
She laughed without meaning to, joy buoying her up, and guided him to her entrance.
He pushed inside her.
Her breath stopped. Words stopped. Hermindstopped, her heart stopped mid-leap, every part of her still and focused on the sensation of Corin entering her.
“Remember to breathe,” Corin whispered in her ear, as though he was reminding himself, as well. And then they were moving together, the whole world narrowed down to their two bodies, to a lovemaking so slow and intense it was like nothing she’d ever imagined.
When she climaxed, it built in slow waves, over and over, each one surely the last until the next one came, stronger and all-consuming. And it was Corin, all him, buried deep inside her as he whispered half-words, half-groans in her hair, coaxing her through pleasure that would have sent her flying apart if he wasn’t there to keep her whole.
But that wasn’t enough for her. She reached for him, burying her hands in his hair and pulling his lips to hers. “Now you,” she whispered into his mouth. “I want you. I wantthis.I’ve wanted it for so long. Please—”
She pushed up against him, angling her hips to take him in, and he groaned and thrust deep into her.
“Oh god, Maya,” he whispered into her hair. “You don’t know how long I’ve dreamed about this.”
She pulled his head around to kiss him. “Yes, I do.”
“Of course you do.” He groaned. “I could barely look at you, the first time we met. It was torture.”
“Monthsof torture.”
“A year. More. Seeing you every day, hearing your voice, smelling you, imagining what you tasted like—imagining what you wouldsoundlike—”
He gripped her hip, lifting her to drive himself more deeply inside with each thrust. She’d thought she was done, but herbreath turned ragged as her body informed her that, just maybe…
“Hm?” Corin stared down at her, his gaze speculative. A knowing smile stretched across his face and he thrust into her again, watching for her reaction as he pulled out so, so slowly.
And entered her again, playing with speed and roughness until he coaxed another gasping orgasm out of her, and only then did he half-laugh, half-groan, and come inside her.
“You’re relentless,” he told her, rolling over and carrying her with him.
“Whose fault is that?”
He kissed her neck. “I am more than willing to take the blame, so long as I can also provide the remedy.”
For a few minutes, she let herself lie quietly by his side. She still hadn’t caught her breath. She wasn’t sure she ever would again. Or, if she did, it would just mean her body was recovered enough to jump on him again.
She had sand in her toes and dune-grass in her hair and nothing she’d ever done had felt that good before.
She pushed herself up on one elbow to look at him, even though her body wanted nothing more than to collapse in happy exhaustion against his chest. “Why haven’t we been doing that all along?”
Corin’s chest stopped moving for a moment. When he breathed again—well. She’d broken the magical post-coital moment, but what was new?
“Because I thought it wouldn’t be enough for me.”
“I mean, I’m sure we can add that to the schedule as many times as we want to…”
“Not this.” He cupped her face in one big hand. “There is more to being a dragon’s mate than sex, and that part of me will not be sated until I claim you as my own.” His eyes flared with dragonfire and he tensed. “Which I can never do.”
“Right.” His magic. Hisduskfire.There had to be a trick to it that would let them be together without danger—surely other dragons in his clan got married without cursing each other. “When you sayclaim…”
“There is a ritual. It involves my hoard, and my magic.” His touch lightened. “I swore I would never hurt you. I will not break that promise.”
