“You’ve always liked to push the boundaries.”
He grunted in agreement. “Though mostly I like to be alone. I find peace in the forest, even this one.”
Even this one—so far from our home in Ukraine. Granted, I wasn’t widely traveled despite being as old as a middle-aged human, but in my opinion, there wasn’t anything as special as the primeval forests growing around House Devana. Deep in the Carpathian Mountains—yes, the jokes write themselves—some of the last old-growth forests of Europe remain untouched. House Devana’s extensive lands backed up to the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, and Queen Christabel heavily sponsored all the parks’ conservation efforts.
We grew up running with the wild wolves and bears. Though none of those creatures could match Ezra’s size when he shifted to his bear, which was closer to the prehistoric cavebear than the modern grizzly. House Ursula built big-ass bears. Growly on the outside…
Pure cinnamon roll on the inside.
How I managed to spend so long deliberately missing the tenderness gleaming in his gruff brown eyes, I’ll never know. I curled my fingers in his shaggy beard and gave a playful tug. “I didn’t expect our queen to let us have time alone. Maybe we should pretend she doesn’t know so you can punish me for being naughty.”
His eyes simmered. Lines grooved deeper around his mouth and between his brow. “You always did like sneaking around.” Playing along with me, he glanced at the bathroom door he’d shut behind us. “We’d better hurry. There’s no telling how long she’ll be. The fucking dragon’s lust burns as hot as his temper. He won’t last long.”
I slipped my hands down to tug Ezra’s jeans open. “Don’t let him hear you say that.”
“Fuck him. Or better yet, I’ll ask the general to fuck him again.”
“Not even Mehen deserves to be manhandled by the general.”
“The fuck you say.” Ezra laughed, shaking his head. “I’d pay good money to see that shit again. The crazy motherfucker loved every second of it too. Both of them.”
“The dragon manhandled me once.”
“I remember. I was on guard duty, but it was still hot as fuck picking up snippets in our bonds.” He paused for a moment, his heavy eyes missing nothing. Especially the way my pulse thumped in my throat. “Does the warcat want to be manhandled by the grizzly?”
I shook my head, letting my hair fall into my face. So I could peek up at him through the tumbled mess. “The dragon might have teeth and claws, but he doesn’t have a hook.”
“You don’t get the hook until our queen joins us, remember? So what do you want in the meantime?”
I licked my bottom lip, drawing his gaze to my mouth. “I thought I’d blow the grizzly. If you think you can last longer than the dragon will.”
Ezra’s hand clamped harder on my nape, making my knees weak. He jerked me closer, glaring down into my eyes. Big and tough as always, but his dick was rock hard and trying to tear its way out of his underwear.
My offer—request?—was subtle but from the look in his eyes, he picked it up just fine.
Usually when we played together, I got to be the mouthy brat so he could punish me. He enjoyed it simply because I loved it, but the punishment was for me. Not him.
This was something just for him. His pleasure.
In all the years I’ve known him, I never gave him a blow job. Why waste time sucking his dick when he could use the hook and drive us both mad with pleasure? Especially me, because I’m greedy that way.
I started to drop to my knees, but his grip tightened. His eyes narrowed. For a moment, I thought he was searching my face for an ulterior motive, but he stared at my mouth. His jaw flexing.
I licked my bottom lip, and a shudder wracked his big frame. “Is the big bad bear afraid of little ole me?”
“Yeah,” he admitted, shaking his head. “Guess I shouldn’t have joked about the dragon cause I’m about to drop a load before you even get that tempting mouth anywhere near me.”
“Good.” Dropping to my knees in front of him, I let my lips curve into a sultry, cocky grin. “I’ll make sure to purr while you shove your cock down my throat.”
EZRA
This iswhy I don’t fucking care about anything or anyone.
Staring down at Daire on his knees, I fought to keep my cool. The aloof, grumpy loner didn’t need anyone.
I didn’twantto need anyone.
Yet here I was. Needing him. Needing Shara. Feeling like a goddess-damned blubbering idiot at the thought of anything hurting them. Keeping them from me.
