Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Dragon
Her lips are already parted, and I dive my tongue in between them.
I promised I wouldn’t do this again.
I meant to keep that promise, but she wouldn’t stop talking. She makes me talk about things I don’t want to talk about.
She makes me think about things that I don’t want to?—
She groans.
She groans into my mouth, and my need for her escalates.
She’s a wildfire, and I’m consumed by everything about her. The ache in my chest matches the swell of desire inside me.
I pull back for a minute and gasp for air. Her eyes—wide and filled with a heady mix of anticipation and confusion—meet mine. She bites her lip.
Damn.
So sexy.
I promised myself no more, but every cell inside me craves her.
She makes me lose control.
“Stop.” I pull myself away. My hands are shaking. “We can’t do this.”
But even as I speak those words, they ring hollow in my ears, defeated by the pounding of my heart.
I’ve told her who I am, that I am evil, I am sin, but still…
Still she won’t stay away from me.
She kisses me with a passion I’ve never known.
I’ve told her I’m not gentle. Hell, I’ve shown her.
And she lets me.
She lets me do what I need to do.
I look at her, and there’s something in her eyes that haunts me. A glimmer of defiance, a look that says she knows exactly what she’s walking into but does it anyway. She’s not afraid.
She reaches for me and gently strokes my cheek. It’s a tender motion. A comforting one. The touch of her skin against mine sends electricity coursing through my veins.
“Please,” she murmurs, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m not afraid of you, Dragon. I’ll never be afraid of you.”
Her voice is like a balm to my soul, soothing the tempest raging within me. I know I can’t resist her now. The allure is too powerful.
But still I fight. “You should be, Diana. You should be very afraid.”
My heart clenches as our lips meet once more. She grasps the back of my neck and pulls me closer, forcing me to confront the depth of feelings I have for her.
She’s mine and I’m hers.
Fuck.
In this moment, we belong to each other.
But then she pulls away.
She’s panting lightly, her chest heaving. Her eyes are wide and glistening under the dim light.
“I have to tell you something,” she mumbles, her voice coming out as a nervous whisper. “I’ve been keeping something from you.”
My heart drops to my stomach, and a cold shiver runs down my spine. I pull back slightly, looking into her eyes, which are shimmering with vulnerability. Dread pools in my stomach, and I prepare myself for the worst.
“Tell me,” I coax her.
Taking a deep breath she says, “I’m not what you think I am either, Dragon.”
The world around me seems to crumble as I try to make sense of her words. The confusion is overwhelming; it feels like a storm is raging inside me, tossing my emotions haphazardly. The atmosphere between us grows tense. A knot of unease tightens in my gut as I digest her revelation, her eyes never leaving mine.
“What do you mean?” I ask, keeping my voice steady, hoping to mask the unsettling fear spreading through me.
“I have secrets too, Dragon,” she whispers.
“You’re a member of the Steel family,” I say. “What kind of secrets could you possibly have?”
“You know a lot of them.” She blinks, bites her lip. “It’s all come out. My family…”
“So your family isn’t perfect.” I take her face in my hands. “Who the fuck cares, Diana? You have enough money to last your lifetime and more. You’ve never had to work a day in your life.”
She scoffs. “Are you forgetting I lost my job today?”
“No, I’m not forgetting that.” I let go of her face. “But damn it all, Diana. I’m sorry about that. I am. But it means nothing, really. Maybe the job meant something to you, but you’ll get another, and if you don’t? Your lifestyle won’t change one fucking bit.”
“Fuck you!” she hollers at me. “Fuck you to hell and back, Dragon!”
She moves to slam the door that adjoins our rooms, but I stick my booted foot in the crack, denying her.
Oh hell no. I’m as hot and bothered as I’ve ever been, and I want her.
I ache for her.
“Move your damned foot,” she grits out.
“Fuck you, Diana.”
“Fuck you too.”
I wrench open the door and grab her. “With pleasure,” I whisper into her ear as I bite harshly into her lobe.
She gasps out a breath, but she doesn’t squeal at the pain.
Instead, she arches against me, a moan escaping her as she tilts her head to give me better access. I pull her closer.
God, the anger.
The anger between us has only fueled our desire.
“You’re impossible,” she breathes out, her voice shaking.
“Ditto,” I whisper back.
She locks her gaze with mine as we stand in silence.
“I’m not running away.” Her words hang heavy in the air between us, challenging, defying.
I pull back slightly, taking in her flushed cheeks and wild eyes. “Is that so?”
“Yes,” she says firmly. “I’m staying right here.”
Her proclamation sends a thrill through my veins. Something in my brain screams at me to let her go—to save her from the twisted, dangerous world I inhabit. Yet another part of me—the dark and possessive side—yearns for her. Wants her wrapped up in my twisted world.
I cup her face, tracing her delicate features with my thumb. “Do you understand what you’re saying? You’re diving into a world of shadows. A world you may not escape from.”
“I know,” she says, a stubborn glint in her eyes. “But I also know that running away won’t solve anything. I want to face it all. With you.”
Her words pierce through the haze of my thoughts like a ray of light cutting through the darkest night. They beckon me closer to her, tugging at the chains of restraint I have so firmly put on myself.
I look at her, lost in the depth of her conviction. Her eyes are bright and determined, shimmering with an inner fire that is equal parts captivating and terrifying. And in that moment, I truly am lost in her. There’s no escaping her pull.
“Diana,” I whisper, “you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”
She shakes her head, her gaze never wavering from mine. “You keep saying that, and you’re wrong, Dragon. I may not know every single thing about you, but I know exactly what I’m getting myself into. And I choose to be here.”
A rush of emotion sweeps over me—fear, elation, frustration.
And then one that surprises the hell out of me.
Gratitude.
Gratitude that this woman—this beautifully stubborn woman—chooses me over the safety and predictability of her old life.
I let out a sigh, running my fingers through my hair. This is all so messed up. So complicated.
Could it ever actually work?
She lets out a breath, her body visibly relaxing in my hold. But there’s still an edge of tension to her, a wariness that suggests she knows the rocky path we’re about to follow.
I lean in and capture her lips with mine, savoring the softness and the sweet taste of her. It’s a gentle kiss, filled with promise and acceptance. She wraps her arms around me and pulls me closer. We stay like that for a few moments, locked in an embrace that speaks volumes.
When we finally break apart for air, I gaze into her eyes. “You’re sure?”
“Dragon,” she murmurs with a small smile. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
The conviction in her words stirs something deep within me—something primal and possessive that brings out the fierce protector in me. It’s a feeling I’ve never known before—a raw, untamed emotion that makes my heart pound.
I pull her closer, wrapping my arms around her in a silent promise. A promise to protect her, to fight for her. To face every challenge and battle, every demon that threatens to tear us apart.
“Diana,” I say, “I’m not good at this. At expressing how I feel.”
“I’m not asking you to. But know this.” She grabs me by my upper arms. “Whatever secrets you have, whatever demons you’re fighting, whatever reasons you think we can’t work—we’ll face them together.”
Those words…
God, she has no idea of my secrets. I’ve only begun to divulge them.
They eat at me, take over me. Sometimes possess me.
But in this moment, I’m going to possess her .
I’m going to fuck her. I’m going to fuck her hard because that’s the only way I know how to fuck.
I crash my mouth onto hers again, pouring all my pent-up frustration and desire into the kiss. She responds and slides her hands up my back, her nails biting into the skin through my shirt. I growl, the sound vibrating through our connected lips.
She pulls back and gasps for breath, her chest heaving beneath mine. I scoop her up in my arms and carry her to the bed in my room. I toss her down onto it, and she bounces slightly before settling against the sheets.
I kick off my boots and sit on the bed next to her. “Last chance to back out,” I say.
“I’ve been here before,” she says. “I know what going to bed with you is like.”
Her voice is steady, but the slight quiver in it gives away her anticipation. And even with the darkness that we’re stepping into, I can’t deny the thrill that courses through me at her words.
“I’m counting on it,” I whisper, before pressing my lips to hers once more.
This time the kiss isn’t gentle or probing—it’s demanding and raw. She tangles her fingers in my hair, tugging hard enough to make me gasp.
I explore her body with my hands as our tongues battle. Every gasp and moan she lets out reverberates through me, fueling my fire.
I push her shirt over her head. She fumbles with the buttons of my jeans. I help her, kicking them off. Desperation fuels our movements.
God, the hunger.
I’ve had her before, but I feel like I’m an untried adolescent getting into a girl’s pants for the first time.
I crave her.
Ache for her.
Having her only makes me want her more. Need her more.
I trace my fingers along the lace edge of her bra and brush my thumb against her nipple through the thin fabric. She arches beneath me, a soft sigh escaping her.
“I want to hear you, Diana,” I growl in her ear. “I want to hear you scream my name.”
Her cheeks flush, which only spurs me on.
I reach behind her and unclasp her bra, discarding it. I look at her. Take in the beauty of her breasts before taking one nipple between my lips while I tease the other with my fingers. She claws into my back as I torment her tits, and her moans intensify, her body writhing beneath mine in delicious agony.
She grinds against me. Every gasp she makes is like kindling to the flames, every sigh a whip to my control.
I trail kisses down her abdomen, her skin quivering underneath my touch. I hook my fingers into the waistband of her panties and pull them over her hips.
“Dragon…” Her voice is hoarse, lusty.
I revel in it as I explore every inch of her. I commit each gasp and whimper, each twitch and sigh, to memory, as if I’m a man wandering the desert and dying of thirst and she’s my oasis.
We settle into a certain rhythm—a syncopation that comes from a mixture of familiarity and desire. We’ve done this before, but if possible, I want her more than I did that first time, that second time.
Will I ever get enough of Diana Steel?
She grips the sheets beneath her when I spread her legs and dive into her sweetness. In less than a minute, she clenches around my finger. Her voice grows hoarser with every gasp, her eyes fluttering shut.
“Look at me,” I command, my voice husky.
She opens her eyes to meet mine. And I see it—the intensity of this moment between us. A raw, untamed desire that can’t be quelled by anything other than pure, unadulterated passion.
I thrust into her.
Her gasp is music to my ears. I lose myself in her, each thrust dragging me deeper into a vortex of pure ecstasy. Our bodies are slick with sweat, and I pound into her hard and fast, taking what I need. And as much as I need to fuck her, I have an equal need to give her something too.
Her name escapes my lips like a sacred chant, echoing around the room and amplifying the primal urge driving me forward.
“Dragon…” she moans. “Don’t stop.”
I clench my teeth and tighten my grip on her hips, unable to hold back the low growl that rumbles from deep within me. Each thrust brings her closer to the edge, her body writhing beneath mine with every stroke.
The sight of her coming undone underneath me intensifies my need for release.
God, the sight of her beneath me, her chest heaving with exertion and anticipation.
“Say it,” I growl, my voice laced with a mixture of demand and desperation. “Say you need to come. Say you love me inside you. Say you need it. All of me. The good and the bad. The sin, Diana. Say you need the sin.”
She hesitates for a moment, a flicker of uncertainty flashing across her features. But then she swallows hard and meets my gaze dead on. “Dragon,” she whispers, her voice trembling. “I need you .”
I plunge into her depths, an eruption of sensations traveling over every inch of me. Diana arches her back to meet my thrusts. The pleasure is blinding, all-consuming, as I lose myself in her.
“Diana…” I breathe, the storm within me threatening to break free.
“I’m close…” she gasps out, her voice trembling.
I lean down and capture her lips in a fierce kiss as I increase my pace.
Her moans are swallowed by our joined mouths, her breath hitching as she tightens around me. I pull away from the kiss, resting my forehead against hers as I fight for control.
“Dragon,” she moans again, her fingers clenching and unclenching on my back.
With a shuddering exhale, I let go, our bodies convulsing together.
The sensation is electrifying—an explosion that shatters my senses and leaves me gasping for breath.
I collapse beside Diana and pull her into my arms as we ride out the aftershocks together. The room is silent except for our panting breaths, both of us trying to come down from our high. Her fingers trace idle patterns on my chest, a small smile playing on her lips.
I press a soft kiss to her forehead.
I love you.
The words are caught in my throat.
But they’re there. I just can’t say them.
Because everything I love turns to shit.