When the elevator door opened, the dragon man ushered her inside and hit the button to go down. Terra stared at him as his happy movements stilled.
“Listen.” He cocked his head and gave her a sidelong look. “About last night…”
This shut Terra’s gaping mouth. The pain of his rejection boiled up in her, and she turned her eyes to the door. “You don’t need to explain about last night. I understand perfectly. I can take a hint.” Her jaw locked up against her anger.
“No.” He practically yelled the word as he turned on her.
Before she could respond to his sudden movement, he had her pinned against the wall. There was an overwhelming need in the way his mouth pressed to hers. She gasped in surprise, and he took advantage of her parted lips to deepen the kiss. Warmth raced through her as desire melted her in his arms.
Rubbing his hands down her sides, he worshiped at her lips. She moaned softly as his tongue sought out hers, rubbing against it in a very carnal dance that left nothing to her imagination.
The plastic bag with her things slipped from her fingers as she raised her hands to hold him to her. Suddenly, the rejection from last night didn’t seem so important. She held on as his hands slid farther down her sides to her hips. They paused there for a moment before slipping lower. Grabbing her thighs, he hefted her up so she was pinned between him and the wall of the elevator. The hard length of his arousal pressed into her as he ground his hips against her, fitting them together as much as their clothing would allow. Heat pooled low in her body as she tugged him closer, needing more from him.
The high-pitched ping of the elevator door rang out, and Terra yanked her head back from him, gasping for breath. The door slid open on the ground floor, but he ignored it as he trailed a line of kisses down the side of her neck and onto her collarbone.
Ignoring the heat and need racing through her, Terra pushed against his shoulders. The door of the elevator stood wide open for anyone to step in if they wanted to. They were going to get caught!
Slowly, he pulled back and looked at her. The pupils of his eyes had gone from being round to the almond shape of a cat’s. He blinked a few times before closing his eyes and leaning his head forwards to rest against hers.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he tried to get his breathing back under control. “I should not have done that.” Carefully, he released his grip on Terra’s thighs and let her slide down until her feet rested on the floor.
She held on to him, unsure if her legs would support her. Wow! There wasn’t just desire in that kiss. There was passion and a need that Terra didn’t understand. It pulled at her, wanted her. It terrified her.
Slowly, her dragon man’s hands came up to her shoulders, and he pushed himself back from her. “Without knowing who I am, I don’t have anything to offer you.” He opened his eyes and stared at her. His pupils were still slitted like a cat’s.
Terra stared at them. No. Not cats’ eyes. Dragons’ eyes. His dragon was staring out of his eyes at her.
Reluctantly, he released her and turned to pick up the things they had dropped. “Forgive me my error,” he said softly. “Relationships with dragons are more complicated than with others.” He tucked both of their bags into one hand and turned towards her. “We have to be more careful when choosing partners. Dragons mate for life.” He held out his free hand to her.
This bit of news shocked her. No wonder he had rejected her last night. How could she blame him for it? If one bout of sex could tie you to someone for life, she sure as hell would want to know who her partner was before banging him. But, then again, there were celebrity dragons that had partner after partner.
“From sex?” she asked as she took his hand.
He chuckled and pressed the button for the lobby again. “No. But sex can have a lot to do with it.” When the door opened back up, he pulled her into the lobby. “Securing a mating bond is a complicated process, but it starts with an act of emotional intimacy. And there aren’t many things as intimate as a really good orgasm.”
Terra had to hand it to him there. If done properly, a good bout of sex would bring people closer together. She had never really stopped to think about how bonding the experience could be.
“So you can’t have sex?” With the way he responded to her in the elevator, she was sure he was far from virginal, but one could never make assumptions on those things.
The noise he made in his chest confirmed her thought. Oh, he had been there many times!
“I enjoy sex as much as the next man.” He found a table in the small breakfast area and placed her in a chair as he talked. “But casual sex with a potential mate can lead to… lasting issues.” Dropping their things on the chair next to her, he released her hand, then pulled off the leather bag and placed it on the floor next to the chair. “Wait here, and I’ll bring you breakfast.” With that, he turned and left her at the table with their things.
Wait, what? Terra stared at the dragon man’s back as he went over to the bar and pulled out two plates. What the hell was going on?
Her mind ran over the conversation again and again. Okay, so she understood that casual sex was out, but what was this whole deal about a mate? She considered him and his calm façade as he filled the plates with choice bits from the bar. What was wrong with him? They had just had one of the most passionate moments in her life… in an elevator. She was still all messed up inside, but he was amazingly serene. And what was the deal with his eyes?
He came back over with two heaping plates of food.
Terra’s eyes widened as he set one down in front of her. There was no way she was going to make it through all of that.
“Juice or coffee?” he asked.
Looking up, Terra met his gaze. “Both.” His eyes were still weird.
He nodded and went to get their drinks.
Still confused, Terra watched him until he returned. “What’s going on?” she asked.
Sitting down, her dragon man raised a questioning eyebrow at her.
Terra raised her hand in the air and waved it around. She wanted an explanation for everything, but she didn’t know how to voice the question. Apparently, her movement was enough for her dragon man to get the idea.
He smiled and nodded to her plate. “Why don’t you eat, and I’ll try to explain.”
Agreeing, Terra picked up her fork and started into her food.
8
A wave of pleasure rippled through Alex as he watched Terra take that first bite of food. He closed his eyes, trying to contain the feelings washing through him. It wasn’t the fact that he found enjoyment in watching her eat; it was the fact that he had just fulfilled one of the basic needs of his instincts—providing for his mate. And right now, his instincts were riding him hard.
Drawing in a deep breath, Alex opened his eyes back up and looked around. He always loved the way the world looked when he was in dragon form, but this was the first time he had seen it that way in human form. His dragon was so close to the surface that it would take nothing to pop out scales. Just that passing thought sent a ripple along his shoulders and down his arms. It was probably a good thing that Terra had gotten him a long-sleeved shirt. A half transformation like he was experiencing usually signaled some form of mental break. Had anyone seen the blue tint to his skin, they would have been on the phone to the authorities, and he didn’t have time for that now. There were more important things to do, like telling Terra what she needed to know. Only then would his dragon back down again.