14
Belle
She felt his hands tremble as they circled her arms. Gently, Blayze tugged her closer. His eyes became burning pools of desire. The heat from his body spread through her limbs. He lowered his head in slow motion: a gesture meant to convey patience and the fact that Belle could stop this at any time. She went up on her tippy-toes to meet him. When their lips finally met, flames ignited.
Belle melted into his embrace. The regrets that had clung to her since fleeing turned to ashes. This kiss held the same passion he had expressed that night, yet more emotions were added. With the desire came honesty, understanding, maturity, possessiveness, and a deep abiding love. His lips were slow, hot, and indulgent. She felt cherished and adored.
Her hands circled his neck, found his pulse, and knew it quickened for her alone. Parting her lips, she breathed in his warmth and asked him to deepen the kiss without words. He made an unintelligible sound as his tongue slid into the opening.
His big hands followed her curves, discovering their secrets and memorizing the path. His touch wasn't hurried or demanding. It was a slow dance, inciting need and stoking the fire. Soon, she was enveloped in his arms. Her softer body plastered to his muscular one. She was so much smaller than Blayze, but they still fit perfectly together. Perhaps it was due to the fact that her feet were no longer on the ground. He had lifted her to meet his kisses. One of his hands was under her round bottom, holding her aloft. To ease his burden, she wrapped her legs around his waist.
He moaned into her mouth. Two steps and they were under the shelter of the trees. A thick patch of grass made for a soft-landing place as he laid her down. Belle refused to let go of her grasp of his neck. She pulled him down on top of her. He balanced on his powerful arms, making sure not to crush her with his weight. Her fingers traced his rugged face, noting the changes pain and stress had wrought. Reverently, she touched the stitches on his head and asked, "Are you certain you're well enough to continue?"
He smiled softly and replied, "I am certain I would die if I did not." He bent to give attention to her neck. Giving in, Belle let her hands roam over his skin. She was amazed to find no hint of the scales he had worn just minutes earlier. There was no indication of where the wings had sprung from. His chest was a marvelous mass of muscles, and his abdomen still sported a six-pack, despite his torments.
While she wandered over his body, he had managed to shove her t-shirt up and unclasp the delicate lace beneath. He grew still and gazed down at her, mesmerized. He wet his lips, as though anticipating a tasty morsel. The hunger in his gaze made her squirm. She arched, lifting her torso in invitation. When his lips surrounded a plump nipple and gently sucked it, she lost all her inhibitions. Grabbing him by the hair, unheeding of his injury, she forced him to remain in place until her body gave her release from the pressure. She shook and convulsed as it came.
Belle was shocked by how easily he had brought her to the finish line, but she craved more. She wanted to have his body joined with hers, feel his need deep inside, and give him pleasure to replace all his bad memories. Her hands shifted between them, unbuttoning the jeans he had hastily donned after his flight. Once they were loosened, her palms gripped his backside and felt his hard muscles tense as she squeezed. She helped him wriggle out of the pants and heard his sigh when his stiff member was no longer trapped in the tight denim.
Glancing down, seeing his large, swollen desire, she could feel her own body respond. The tension built inside her and she wouldn't last long. She tried to undo her own jeans but fumbled it in her haste. Blayze brushed her hands aside and did it for her. He whispered, "Slow, my love. We have waited a lifetime. Savor it."
His words and tone reached something inside her, perhaps her soul. She was hypnotized. Her muscles relaxed, and the urgency fled. Raising her hips, she allowed him to ease her jeans completely off. He began worshiping her body at her toes, nibbling on them before moving upward. As his tongue grazed the underside of her knee, she giggled, and he grinned. He teased her, lavishing the inside of her thighs with attention, yet ignoring the prize at the apex.
Belle tried to entice him to touch her where she most wanted it by spreading her legs. He didn't take the bait, although she knew he stared intently at the soft, swollen outer lips. She was bare; not even one red curl covered the tempting sight. His hot breath made her shiver as it hit the dampness. To her dismay, that was all the attention it got. He moved back up to her mouth. She whimpered.
"I will give your beautiful softness what it deserves at a later time," he soothed her. "I need to feel you surround me, join our hearts and souls. I wish to make you mine for eternity. Will you consent to be my mate?"
Belle's heart rejoiced. She wanted this man forever. There would be obstacles to overcome and the question of who's planet to call home. None of it mattered. Wherever Blayze chose to be, she would be home. "I give my heart and soul to you freely. Make me yours forever."
She could tell that Blayze took this joining very seriously. This wasn't lust. It was love and a lifetime commitment. The Talonian ceremony would be a formality to announce their love to others. This moment in time was the real mating. There would be no going back.
"My soul melds with yours as our bodies complete the joining. It is my heart's desire that makes it so. Every weredragon has his own way of committing and mating. This is mine." His stiff, hot staff pushed gently at her opening. She grew bold and reached down to guide him, drawing her knees up to make it easier. Inch by inch he went deeper. Her eyes widened as the tension built. He was sweating, and Belle was panting by the time he was sunk to the hilt.
He froze in place for a moment, his face contorted with the effort to hold off his release. In control once more, he pulled out halfway and then impaled her again. He moved faster and faster each time. The blood rushed from Belle's head, pooling in her core. She was throbbing, so close to release it hurt. She used the one word he couldn't resist, "Please."
He thrust as deep as he could, using his thumb to put pressure on the nub that would set her free. She screamed as the end finally arrived, lasting a virtual lifetime. Blayze filled her with his seed, as hot as lava from a volcano. He shuddered and declared, "Mine, all mine."
Afterward, she laid in his arms content to bask in his love. Blayze slept briefly; he had overextended himself by transforming, flying, and making love so soon after surgery. Belle was watching his handsome face as he slumbered when he suddenly tensed. He cried out, the nightmare becoming too real for him to stand. He jerked away, dropping Belle to the ground. He stood as if ready to fight. His chest heaved, and he shouted, "Never!"
Belle was shocked by his outburst. She knew he was still dreaming and she needed to wake him quickly before the violence escalated. Should he use dragon fire, he might accidentally scorch her. She knew better than to touch him. He was so big, strong, and angry it would end badly. He would never forgive himself if he harmed her.
Calling out, she said, "Blayze, you're free! You're safe. Feel the wind. Smell the water. I'm here. Wake up, my love!"
He began to shimmer. She recognized the sign of the beginning of transformation. Something awful was bound to happen if he became a dragon while remaining in the nightmare. She yelled, "No! Don't do it. Blayze, stop! Please!”
The shimmering ceased, as if by magic. His body jerked, and he awakened. He turned sad eyes to Belle. "What did I do? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine. We're both okay. You had a nightmare. It must have been terrifying. Come and sit down. I'll get you a drink or something. You just did too much too soon, that's all," she soothed.
"It was more than that, and you know I am right. I am damaged. Yes, I am healing, and the transformation made me whole, as much as I can be. However, there is damage that cannot be repaired in any form. The anger arises without warning. I cannot be trusted."
"Yes, you can. It will get better. You've been through an ordeal that most others wouldn't survive. We'll get through this together. We're mated, remember?" Belle replied.
"I should not have done that. It was foolish of me to believe I was completely healed. Maybe if I was on Talonia and had the use of the waterfalls and volcanoes, it might be different. But here, I am not trustworthy," Blayze argued.
"Don't talk like that. Don't you ever say our mating was a mistake! Now you've angered me. I love you, and I trust you. You didn't harm me, and you listened to my pleas. If you try to get out of this mating, I'll never forgive you. Vows are intended to be kept. I'll go to Maxxus if I must. You're not dumping me!"
Blayze smiled wryly. "I could not break our bond even if I wanted to. It would bring far too much pain to us both. Our souls are joined. To tear them asunder would destroy me. You are all that stands between me and going mad. Only you possess the power to soothe the beast. There is magic in that one word. When you use it, I cannot disobey," he explained.
