Chapter 7
We satin silence for a few minutes, before I finally went over to the couch and picked up my laptop. It could be either a tablet or computer, which I loved.
Opening it up, I went to my emails and started going through the messages I’d received for work.
Jasper continued cleaning my things while I typed up an email explaining the temporary mating process I’d gotten myself roped into. I emphasized that I had no control over anything but would do my best to get my work done early just in case. I didn’t know how the woman who owned the company would respond, but I couldn’t not send the email.
I forced myself to sketch out the start of my next art piece when I finished that. My entire body hurt, and I was sweating so badly I could see it on my borrowed gray tee, but I needed to get something done.
The response email came in faster than I expected—and surprised the hell out of me.
It was a text from the woman who owned the company, Sue.
Sue
We’re already ahead, four weeks won’t kill us. If you can’t get anything done until then, we’ll figure something out
But I’m going to need photographic evidence of this potential mate bond
Since there’s a dragon shifter involved.
I stared down at it.
Was she serious?
She had to be serious.
She was obsessed with books; that was why she’d started the company in the first place. So I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised by her message. Our conversations were always casual, but she was still my boss.
Me
How many pictures?
Sue
How pretty is he?
I looked up at him for a moment, still doing the dishes.
Me
Fucking gorgeous
Sue
Two, then
One just of him and one of you two together
I’ll only circulate the second one
I bit my lip, and almost laughed.
I’d been worried about losing my job, but my boss just wanted to see a picture of a sexy dragon shifter.
Readers.
That was going to be an awkward thing to relate to said dragon shifter, though.
“Jasper?” I asked.
He turned his head.
“I have a weird request.”
He waited.
“My boss loves fantasy books. She says it’s fine if I end up not getting anything done until heat’s over… but I told her you’re a dragon shifter, so she wants a picture. One of you, and one of both of us together.”
He blinked.
An awkward moment passed.
“Is that even legal?” he finally asked.
“Probably not, but weird shit happens when you’re a professional artist.”
He blinked again, then dried his hands and turned toward me. “Go ahead.”
Oh.
That was easier than I’d expected.
I took a quick picture of him, then crossed the space between us and stood beside him without touching him. Though I held my arm out to try to position the camera, I couldn’t get both of us in the picture.
“Your arms are too short,” he said, taking the phone from me. “Is she sending this to anyone else?”
“Probably. I wouldn’t be surprised if she posts it on her social media, too. Readers love stuff like this.”
“Then we can’t look like we don’t know each other.” His free arm went around my waist, his hand catching my hip.
He eased me to his bare chest, and when my cheek met his skin a moan tore through me.
My eyes closed.
Bliss.
Touching him was bliss.
The temperature of my body dropped in a heartbeat, cooling me off instantly.
The pain vanished.
I all but melted into him, turning my face to his skin and pressing myself against him more completely.
“You were in pain?” His voice was tight.
“Yeah,” I mumbled against him.
His fingers dug into my hip. “You didn’t say anything.”
“I handled it.”
“I don’t want you to handle it, Miranda. You’re my mate.”
“Temporarily.”
“I don’t care how long it lasts—right now, you’re mine. I don’t want you in pain.”
“I have to fight heat on my own.” I finally peeled my face off his chest. “You can’t help me, remember? You get all beastly. If we want to avoid sealing the bond, I have to deal with it myself.”
His expression grew darker with every word I said.
His lips twisted in a snarl when I finished.
His body shuddered, and I could tell he was fighting his instincts again.
“No one gets through heat without a bond when one person shoulders the responsibility,” he said, through gritted teeth. “Ask Elodie. She and August got through it because they became a team.”
“Becoming a team made them fall in love, Jasper. You seem like a good guy, but I don’t want to fall in love with you.”
He shuddered again, harder.
I saw it in his eyes when he lost control, his entire body tensing as he did.
“You belong to me.” His lips crashed into mine, and he kissed me.
It was harsh.
Rough.
Delicious.
His tongue parted my lips, and he dragged me closer, until his erection was pressed against my abdomen.
He tasted even better than he smelled.
I didn’t try to stop myself from kissing him back, just as brutally as he kissed me.
Or from wrapping my legs around his hips, positioning his erection exactly where I wanted it, and putting his hands on my ass.
When my back hit a wall, I used the hard surface to arch against him harder.
Our mouths warred.
Our tongues battled.
His hands slid closer and closer to my core.
And I loved every second of it.
I was absolutely soaked when his fingers finally dragged down my back entrance, finding my center.
I gasped into his mouth when his thick finger teased my slit.
And moaned when he slowly filled me with it.
“My mate, so fucking wet for me.” His lips moved against my mouth.
I couldn’t disagree.
Didn’t want to, either.
“Give me more,” I breathed into his mouth.
He pulled out and added another finger before he slid them both inside me. “Needy little thing.”
“Apparently.” My laugh was shallow.
I was too occupied with the way his hand felt inside me, his erection against my clit.
It was amazing… but I still needed more.
“How close can we get without sealing the bond?”
“How close do you want to get?” He bit my bottom lip lightly, dragging his teeth down it before he let it pop free.
“Close.”
“If you let me inside you, we seal the bond.”
Dammit.
I’d been hoping we could just avoid finishing while he was in me or something, because shit, I wanted him.
He captured my lips again, kissing me until I pulled away, panting.
“I still need more, Jas.”
He pulled out long enough to add a third finger—and when he slid them inside me, I couldn’t help but groan.
“Oh, that feels good.”
“My cock would feel better.” His growl was low.
Sexy.
I arched my hips against him, and he kissed me harder.
Rougher.
“You taste amazing.” I rocked my hips until he hit me just where I wanted him.
The pressure was intense—so intense, I lost control.
My hips jerked as pleasure rolled through me hard and fast.
He kissed me through it—and I didn’t know if he realized what had happened.
He hadn’t recognized it when he bit me.
“I got off,” I moaned into his mouth. “That was me climaxing. Get used to the feel of it. I came when you bit me, too.”
His fingers hooked inside my core, and I nearly screamed as he found a place inside me that no one else ever had before.
The pleasure hit so intensely, I forgot to breathe. He roared as he came with me, and that only made me hotter.
“Inhale, Miranda,” he snarled.
I sucked in a breath, his mouth still against mine. My core was wet with his pleasure as much as my own.
His sanity returned as we caught our breath together, and there was something in his eyes I couldn’t read.
I eased my feet back to the floor one at a time.
“I’m going to shower,” I said, my voice shaking a little. “Need to wash my hair.”
Jasper watched me, his gaze intense as I made my way slowly into the kitchen. I was wobbly—really wobbly.
After I grabbed the shampoo and conditioner Elodie had sent, I walked to the bathroom, ignoring him even though I could feel him watching every single step I took.
My mind returned to the conversation we’d been having before he kissed me.
The one where he told me we needed to be a team, and I told him no.
My lips turned down in a grimace.
We were a mess… and I didn’t even know if I wanted to try to fix that.
What I did want was a nap. Hopefully one not plagued by heat’s filthy dreams.
I just needed to text Sue back first. The one picture of Jasper would have to be enough.
After I started the water, I pulled up my photos, and my heart nearly stopped.
The most recent picture was of the two of us.
My cheek was against his bare chest, my eyes closed, and my face blissed-out. He was staring at me, a look in his eyes so intense I almost wanted to call it hungry.
My face flushed.
I couldn’t send the sexy picture… but I couldn’t ask him to take another one, and I couldn’t not send one.
So I let out a long breath and texted both pictures to Sue, followed by a quick message.
Me
GTG for a bit. Phone will be off until tomorrow
As soon as it sent, I shut the device off and set it on the counter, climbing into the tub.
Another bath sounded heavenly.