Chapter 2
two
VI
Eli didn’t let go of me for more than a few seconds through the last hour of the party.
Or as we sent off the bride and groom, and I wiped away a few escaping tears.
Or as we made our way out to the parking lot.
Or as we walked to my car.
He knew which one it was. I wasn’t sure if I should find that weird or alarming.
“Do you have your truck here?” I asked him, as I sat down in the driver’s seat. He held the door for me.
“Yep. I’ll come back for it.” He closed my door behind me.
Going back for it wasn’t a big deal when you had wings.
But that meant?—
He sat down in my passenger seat and buckled up. The smooth way he moved cut off whatever I’d been thinking. “Ready?”
His hand skimmed the top of my thigh over my dress, and heat gathered in my abdomen again.
“Surprisingly, yes,” I admitted.
He grinned while I pulled out of the parking space. Soon enough, we were on the road, headed toward my apartment. It was only a few minutes away, which was convenient.
“You know this is insane,” I said as we went
“Why is it insane?” His hand was still on my thigh, high enough to make me wet even though he wasn’t touching me where I wanted him to. He was moving his thumb back and forth though, which made me want him more.
“We’ve been enemies for years, Eli.” Two years or so, if I was remembering right.
“More like rivals,” he said.
When I flashed him a dirty look, I found him grinning again.
The man was always so happy .
Part of me was annoyed by that, but the other part of me wanted that for myself. Maybe even craved it.
“Whatever you want to call it, it makes us insane for doing this,” I said. “I’ve heard of hate sex in books and movies, but I’ve always thought it was BS.”
“We’re not going to have hate sex, Spaghetti. We’re going to… ease the tension. Blow off some steam. We’ve never hated each other. I just like to see you riled up.”
I had more than my fair share of tension to ease. And I wasn’t going to bring up the loneliness.
“I’ve noticed,” I said.
His hand slid a little closer to my core, tucking the fabric of my dress deeper between my thighs. “It gets you going, though. I can smell it.”
My body clenched a little tighter. “Every damn time.”
“Me too.”
The fighting turned him on?
That was news to me.
Good news, but… news.
“Really?” I asked, unable to stop myself.
If Eli was lying to me, I wanted to know before we went any further. And while I didn’t get along with him most of the time, I did trust him not to lie to me.
“Give me your hand.”
I pulled into my apartment’s lot and parked the car, then did as he’d instructed. He guided my hand down to his cock, and wrapped my fingers around the rock-hard length straining against his dress pants.
My body flushed. “That’s not proof. You’re horny because we’re going to my place to have sex.”
He unbuttoned his slacks, popped the zipper down, and slipped my hand beneath the waistband of the black boxer briefs he had on.
I had to bite the inside of my cheek when my hand slid over the massive, silky length of him. He wrapped my fingers around the head of his cock, and they slid over the slickness that was the proof he offered.
He wanted me.
Badly.
“That’s still not proof.” My voice strained a little.
Shit, I wanted him too.
He wedged his hand a little deeper between my thighs. “Guess you’ll just have to take my word for it.”
“Guess so.”
His fingers pressed lightly to the front of me, my dress still in the way. My hips arched, and he lingered for a moment before he said, “Ready to go inside?”
“Yeah.” I shut the car off and forced myself to release the sexy heat of his erection. He slid his palm free of my dress.
We opened our doors together, and he captured my hand as soon as we met at the front of my car. He laced his fingers with mine, letting me lead the way to my apartment since he’d never been there before. I’d moved after Randa sealed her bond with Jasper, not needing the three-bedroom place and not wanting to pay for it alone.
I led him to the first-floor apartment, number 11.
“This isn’t as nice as your last place,” he said, his forehead creased with what must’ve been concern. “Are you safe here?”
“I’m fine.” I wasn’t talking about the state of my finances with an after-wedding hookup. Especially when he was my twin’s husband’s brother.
Which made me feel kind of weird about the whole hookup thing, but I’d known Eli long before Randa and Jasper got together. So, it was fine.
Or fine ish , at least.
I was too horny to care.
Unlocking the door only took a second, and I led Eli inside. He maintained his hold on my hand, following me in. His expression was curious as he looked around the space.
“Well?” I asked, waiting for his criticism.
“It’s very… pink,” he said, as he took it in.
I’d painted everything a dusty shade of rose pink that I loved. My new landlord didn’t care if I changed the place. It had been in bad shape, and I’d been sad, so I went to the hardware store and picked my favorite color out of all the samples.
“I wouldn’t have taken you for a pink girl, Spaghetti.”
“It makes me happy,” I said, trying to tug my hand free from his.
He didn’t let go.
Instead, he towed me into the kitchen. “I’ve never seen the ceilings and baseboards painted the same color as the walls.”
“It’s a trendy thing. The blog I read called it color drenching . I would’ve left the ceilings white if I could, but they reeked of smoke, and were yellowed.”
Eli grimaced.
“It turned out gorgeous, too. I’m totally painting my next ceiling the same color as my walls,” I added.
He found the stack of Tupperware full of cupcakes on my countertop, and pulled the lid off the top one, still without releasing my hand.
Just make yourself at home,” I drawled.
He flashed me a grin and lifted me smoothly onto the countertop. Our gazes were finally level, and he stepped up between my thighs. “I will. Thanks.”
I rolled my eyes.
He plucked a cupcake out and peeled the wrapper off, biting into it. His eyes closed, and he nodded. “Damn, woman.”
My cheeks warmed a little.
I wasn’t used to being recognized for making good food. At my old job, I was in the back of the house, cooking and managing the kitchen. At my new job, I just altered recipes for cakes, cupcakes, and bread. All my extras went to a halfway house down the street from my apartment every two or three days.
The massive dragon shifter polished off the cupcake in two more bites.
He would probably eat everything in Tupperware Mountain if I gave him twenty minutes alone with it.
“Did you come here for me, or for the cake?” I asked.
His eyes met mine.
There was heat in them.
Enough to make my panties wetter. I’d have clenched my legs together, if he wasn’t standing between them. His erection pressed lightly against my center—too lightly.
“I figured you’d rather I dull my appetite with sugar so I don’t keep you up all night.”
Shit.
He silenced me with that one.
And made me hotter.
“I don’t have anywhere to be tomorrow,” I said.
His lips curved upward. The smile was predatory, in a way that just made me want him more.
He leaned in and kissed me.
It was soft, and sweet.
And that wasn’t what I wanted.
I grabbed his face with my hands, parting his lips with my tongue, and he responded immediately.
His hands found my ass as his tongue moved with mine.
It was natural.
Easy.
Perfect .
He pulled me against his erection, hard enough to make me moan into his mouth. There was too much fabric between us—way too much fabric.
Getting free of my long dress was going to take a minute, though, and I didn’t want to stop. So I just kept kissing him.
And kissing him.
And kissing him.
Eli worked the dress up to my thighs as we made out.
When they were bare, I wrapped my legs around his waist, pinning him tighter to my clit.
He released my mouth long enough to pull the dress over my head, then let his gaze trail slowly down my figure. My black pushup bra made my small chest look bigger, and the gray thong I had on didn’t hide a damn thing, tucked between my folds after the way we’d been grinding on each other.
“I could get off at just the sight of you, drenched with how much you want me,” he said, his voice low.
It didn’t hold a shred of his normal playfulness.
The words were raw.
Hot.
Honest.
My heels were still hooked around his hips.
I used them to tug him back to me, and undid the button on his slacks, pushing them down.
He didn’t give me the chance to free his erection—he just grabbed my thighs and hauled me off the countertop. We only made it a few steps to the couch before he had me on my back on the furniture.
Eli parted my thighs wide, and tugged my thong out of the way as he lowered his mouth to my core and licked me.
His tongue dragged over my entrance, and my hips rocked.
He followed it up to my clit, and sucked, lightly.
I swore, my body jerking in response.
His hot eyes met mine. “Like that?”
“Yes. Shit .” The word escaped in a hiss as he traced his tongue around my clit.
His fingers held my folds open for him, moving slowly over the wet, sensitive skin as he licked me.
I’d never gotten off on someone’s tongue before, but he finally slid a finger inside my channel, and I went off like a damn bomb.
Cries escaped me as I rocked desperately against his face, chasing the climax while he devoured me harder, and faster. When the pleasure ended, I pushed his face away a little, and he let me put the distance between his mouth and my core.
“Holy hell,” I panted.
He kissed down my thigh. “Should I grab another cupcake?”
It took a moment for the question to register.
He’d eaten a cupcake to dull his appetite for me. His words.
He was saying he wanted more.
And was asking if I did too. Or if I wanted him to eat a cupcake instead.
The bastard was offering to leave without getting off.
That was… sweet.
Stupidly sweet.
And that only made me want him more.
“You can have them for breakfast tomorrow,” I said. “I haven’t even gotten you naked yet.”
The words came out before I could realize exactly what I was promising him.
All night .
I wanted it, though.
I wanted it desperately .
His eyes practically burned. “I can arrange the nudity.”
“I can do that myself.” I sat up, capturing his dark blue tie and using it to pull him closer to me. He moved with me, letting me take the lead.
“It’s not a bowtie, unfortunately,” he said, his eyes on my face as I started pulling the knot undone. He was referring to the guy earlier. The one I’d been attracted to.
“I don’t want a bowtie.” I tugged it free, and started on his buttons.
He watched me closely as I made my way through them, one by one. And pushed the fabric off his chest, running my hands over the thick, hard planes of muscle.
I was starting to understand what Randa and Elodie said about hot dragon sex. The muscles on Eli alone were enough to make me wet. And knowing that he could get off as many times as we wanted, without getting tired or needing a break…
Damn.
I tugged the undone button on his pants. His cock jerked against the zipper, and I pulled it down.
He groaned when I dragged my hand over the hard length of him through his boxer-briefs.
His entire body tensed when I pushed the fabric down, freeing him entirely.
His cock bobbed for me, dripping with his desire.
I’d never been with a man who wanted me that desperately.
It made me feel sexy.
I wanted to make him feel that way, too. So I pushed on his chest, silently telling him where I wanted him. His eyes opened, taking me in again as he lowered himself to his back on the floor for me.
When I wrapped my mouth around his cock, he swore viciously.
His hands buried in my hair, his grip tight enough that it hurt just a little. “I’m not going to last,” he warned, his voice so animalistic it was nearly feral.
“Good. I want to taste you.” My lips brushed the head of his cock as I spoke.
His face twisted in a snarl.
His grip on my hair tightened.
It hurt, but in a way that I loved. A way that told me he was going to lose control, and quickly.
I bobbed over him, taking a few inches of his thick erection in my mouth, nearly to my throat.
He swore again, gritting his teeth. “Fuck, you’re good at that.”
I took him deeper, and he roared, his hips jerking as he tugged my hair, pumping his pleasure into my mouth.
It didn’t taste the way I expected. It was nothing like a human man’s. Not salty. Not unpleasant. It tasted… fresh. Good, somehow.
I licked the head of his cock clean when his climax ended. He groaned, dropping his head to the rug and loosening his hold on my hair.
“Damn, Spaghetti.”
For once, the nickname didn’t sound like an insult.
It sounded almost… reverent.
Maybe I liked it when he called me that.
“Randa and Elodie said dragons don’t need a break between sessions,” I said, my eyes on his and my lips still brushing his cock. The way it jerked for me told me he wasn’t done. Not entirely, at least.
“We’re not talking about them.” His eyes moved over me slowly. “I’m nowhere near ready to end this, if that’s what you’re asking. I’ll want you long after you’re done.”
“Good,” I said.
His eyes flashed, and he grabbed my shoulders before he rolled us both over. My head hit the rug, and I stared up at his thick cock. Something about having him positioned over me like that was even hotter than taking him in my mouth the way I had.
He didn’t stay there long, though.
Eli kneeled between my legs, opening my thighs again. His finger dragged over my slick center, sliding inside me slowly, as if testing me.
My breathing grew shallower.
“I should fuck you with my fingers first, to give you time to adjust.” His voice strained with the words.
He didn’t want to fuck me with his fingers.
“I’m so wet, it won’t matter,” I said. “I need you inside me, now.”
His chest sort of… rumbled.
Almost like a growl.
It was hot, whatever it was.
I took in a sharp breath when he lined himself up with my center, then filled me in one rough motion.
A cry escaped me as he bottomed out, and my head hit the rug harder.
“Vi?” His growl was lower.
More animal than man.
It was so insanely hot.
Why had he stopped moving?
“Tell me you’re okay,” he commanded.
“I’m good,” I moaned. “So good. You’re just huge. Don’t stop.”
He laughed, the sound coming out much lower and grittier than earlier. “Not a chance.” He pulled out and thrust in again, slower.
I couldn’t stop myself from moaning again.
The pleasure controlled me.
Maybe Eli controlled me.
And I didn’t want him to stop.
He thrust again, a little harder, and I groaned as a spark of something hot blazed in my abdomen, spreading through my veins. I had no idea what it was, but the feeling was intensely good.
“Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Eli snarled, shaking his head as he started to pull out. “Spaghetti, we?—”
The motion sent me over the edge.
I screamed, my hips jerking and my body writhing as hot, intense pleasure flooded me from my head to my toes.
It was insane.
Completely insane.
I’d never felt anything like it. Never even dreamed of feeling anything like it.
Eli swore as he slammed into me, harder and faster, until the heat of his pleasure was leaking out of me despite our intertwined bodies.
I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut as I tried to recover from the intense release.
“That was amazing ,” I whispered, too wrung-out to speak any louder.
“Vi,” Eli said.
There was something in his voice.
Something dark.
Worried.
Maybe even a little panicked.
“I’m clean, and I have an IUD,” I said without opening my eyes. “We’re fine. You can’t get diseases, and I?—”
“Viola.” Eli cut me off.
His voice was so harsh that I finally looked at him.
And stared for a long moment.
His eyes had been blue before. I knew that with complete and total certainty. I’d stared at those gorgeous blues more than I cared to admit.
But they weren’t blue anymore.
They were full of flames.
And the last time I’d seen a man with flaming eyes was when Elodie met August.
When there was a potential mating bond between them.
“Shit,” I whispered, before I slid out from beneath him.
He let me go.
I grabbed his pants off the floor and threw them at him, yanking a big gray blanket off the couch to wrap around my bare body. Our pleasure was rolling down the insides of my thighs, but I refused to acknowledge that.
Not when my world had all but just imploded.
Eli hadn’t put his pants on by the time I was covered up by the blanket. Which, I realized, was printed with white cupcakes on it.
Cupcakes .
Lovely .
I pointed to the front door, my hand trembling. “Get out.”
He didn’t move at first.
Just took in a long, slow breath. Then let it out.
“Get out now ,” I commanded.
He still didn’t budge.
So, too stunned to do anything else, I walked my shaking legs into the kitchen long enough to grab my phone. Then went into my bedroom to hide out until the man decided to leave.