Chapter 6
six
VI
Eli stripped out of his wet pants while I wrapped a towel around myself. He didn’t have any spare clothes, and I didn’t have another towel in the bathroom, so I grabbed the dirty blanket I’d left on the floor the night before and handed it to him.
Poor, poor cupcake blanket.
I’d give her a good wash when everything was said and done. Assuming everything was, at some point, wrapped up.
He dried himself off as much as he could with it, then held out his hand.
“Yep.” I accepted it, only a little reluctantly, and we walked the short distance to the kitchen. All I had on was that towel, but he was holding the excess blanket over his hip, so I didn’t feel underdressed.
Instead of looking for actual breakfast food, he grabbed a dish full of cupcakes and carried them to the table with us. I was so drained that I didn’t mind the sugary meal, and immediately took a bite as soon as we were seated.
We ate in silence for a few minutes, our arms brushing as we demolished every last one.
When we were through, Eli grabbed my half-empty gallon of milk from the fridge, and two cups from the cabinet. I didn’t ask how he knew where to look. He had probably poked around during the night when he ate the rest of the spaghetti, if he had actually done that.
I didn’t bother grabbing a cup from Eli. I just screwed the lid off and lifted it to my lips. My mouth had been dry all night.
Eli’s gaze was amused when I finally set the jug down. He picked it up and drank the same way.
I didn’t give a damn about the germs.
We’d already kissed. And had our mouths on each other’s bodies. Sharing milk wasn’t any more intimate than that.
My eyes drifted to the sink. I wanted a glass of water, but was so exhausted that getting up sounded impossible.
“Are you still thirsty?” Eli asked, apparently following my gaze to the faucet.
“I think I might always be thirsty after last night.”
“It’s hard being a sauna, huh?” He didn’t wait for an answer, taking both empty cups to the sink and filling them one after another. Instead of sipping one, he set both of them down next to me before he put his hand on my bare thigh. My towel left most of it revealed.
“You have no idea.” I drank the first cup quickly, but held the second in my hand, sipping it slowly. I needed my stomach to settle before I guzzled more water. “You were going to tell me about scents. And flirting.”
“Was I?” He snagged the cup from my hand and drained it, then took both of them to the kitchen and refilled them.
“You’re dodging my questions. Are you scared , Eli?”
“Nah. I don’t get scared.” He sat back down beside me, and put one of the cups back in my hand.
“Then tell me.”
He stared at me for a long moment.
I sipped my water again, waiting.
He finally sighed. “Dragons have much better senses of smell than humans, but only as far as our mates go. As we get to know each other, I’ll learn your scent thoroughly enough to know your emotions based on the way you smell alone.”
I blinked.
He waited.
That was…
Wow.
A lot.
Too much?
Yeah, too much.
But it wasn’t like I could do anything about it.
So, I finally bobbed my head. “Okay. And the flirting?”
His expression grew sheepish. “Can we talk about cupcakes instead? Or spaghetti? Your pasta is delicious, by the way. I couldn’t stop myself from eating all of it last night.”
My eyes narrowed.
“We could talk about sex instead. Or?—”
“Eli.” I cut him off. “Stop avoiding the question.”
“Alright. I don’t want to tell you, so let’s make a deal.”
I scowled.
“Don’t turn it down before you hear it. I’m willing to offer you a flight to any place you want, in exchange for putting off the conversation until after heat.”
“A flight on your back?”
“Preferably. But if you’d rather, we can catch a plane. I’m thinking we go to another city or country, and ride heat out there. I’ll book the nicest hotel I can find, anywhere you want.”
“You’re offering me a vacation ?” My voice rose with the question. “What the hell is the flirting about?”
“Do you accept the deal or not?”
Would it kill me to wait two weeks for the story behind whatever he was avoiding?
Possibly.
There were few things I despised as much as the unknown.
But I couldn’t afford vacations by myself, and refused to accept money from my parents or Randa. It had been years since I actually got a break.
So…
I’d survive waiting.
Somehow.
“Anywhere I want?” I asked.
“Anywhere,” he confirmed.
“Switzerland, then. Take me to Switzerland for heat and I’ll let you keep your secret for two weeks.”
He lifted his eyebrows. “That’s random, but okay. Am I allowed to know why?”
“I wrote a paper about a small town there when I was in middle school and have wanted to go ever since,” I admitted.
“Done. Are we flying on a plane?”
“Not if you can get us there just as fast.”
His lips curved in a wicked grin. “Faster, actually. Give me twenty minutes to book a hotel, and we’ll get going. Should be there by the evening.”
“Evening there, or here?” I checked.
“We’ll find out when we get there.”
I snorted. “You’re not much of a planner, huh?”
“Not unless I have to be.” He winked. “My phone’s almost dead, do you have a charger? Can’t book a hotel without it.”
“One in my room, and another in the kitchen.” I gestured to the corner where the charger was.
He squeezed my thigh, then crossed the room and plugged his phone in while he tapped on the screen. He asked me for the name of the town I wanted to see, and ten minutes later, said we were good to go.
After I put on some leggings and a t-shirt, I threw a few necessities in a big backpack along with a couple changes of clothes. We locked my apartment on our way out, and stepped around to the back of the building. There wasn’t a whole lot of privacy, but supernaturals were just a part of life.
“Ready, Spaghetti?” Eli’s voice was playful, his eyes gleaming.
“How long have you had that rhyme waiting?” I asked, tugging my hair out from beneath the backpack’s straps.
He grinned. “Months.”
“Figures.”
His grin widened. “Don’t chicken out when you see how big I am.”
I snorted. “That one too, huh?”
“Yep.” He handed me the cupcake blanket.
I made a face, but tucked it in my backpack. “Poor cupcake blanket.”
“We can leave it in the washer at my place when we stop to grab my clothes.”
I hadn’t thought about his clothes, but I supposed we couldn’t do anything in Switzerland if he didn’t have stuff to wear.
My gaze lowered to his backside, and lingered.
Hot damn.
The man was too attractive for his own good. Definitely too attractive for my good.
Eli stepped forward, and shifted.
I couldn’t stop my eyes from widening as he transformed. His tall, strong body grew and stretched until there was a massive dragon in front of me. His scales were silver, his wings tucked in close, and his eyes bright with heat’s fire.
I missed the blue, though.
“Are your eyes usually blue in your dragon form?” I wondered.
“Probably. My brothers’ are.” He spoke into my mind, and it still felt intimate. Not quite as surprising as before, but definitely intimate.
“You guys look really similar.”
“Coming from the girl with an identical twin.”
“It wasn’t an insult.”
“I didn’t think it was. We’re all gorgeous bastards.”
A snort escaped me, and I stepped up to his side. “Humble, too.”
“I’ll add it to the list of my best qualities. It’s a long list.”
I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t hide my smile. Lifting my hand to his side, I set it on his scales and brushed my fingers over the smoothness. He probably would’ve felt warm if I wasn’t stupidly sweaty, but I was.
The urge to knock on the scales hit me, and I didn’t bother suppressing it. My fist rapped lightly, twice, but I didn’t hear the knock, knock I expected.
“Who’s there?” he asked.
I had to bite my lip to stop myself from grinning. “Butter.”
“Butter who?”
“We butter get going, because it’s going to be a long flight.”
He snorted so loudly, I felt it against my palm. Steam escaped his nostrils, too. “Somehow, you just got even sexier, Spaghetti.”
“Since when do stupid jokes add to someone’s sex appeal?”
“Since they make you smile, and lighten the mood. Lift up your arms.”
“Why would I— oof .”
His tail settled against my chest hard enough to knock some of the breath from me.
“Sorry. I’ve never done that before.” His apology was quick, and genuine. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” I mumbled.
“Alright. Just stay still for a second.” With that, he lifted me off the ground with his tail, and set me on his back.
The angle was different, and it took me a minute to find the most comfortable position. When I did, I ended up molded to the back of his neck, my arms around him too.
“If I get sweaty, don’t let me slide off,” I called out. “As bad as it is to be a sauna, I’d rather not die just yet.”
He chuckled into my mind. “We’re mated, Spaghetti. If you die, I die too. I’d sooner give up my wings than let you fall.”
“It’s safe to assume that wings are important to dragons, right?”
“More important to a dragon than anything except his mate.”
So, I was going to be fine.
I’d never flown with a dragon before, but I loved both roller coasters and airplane flights, which Randa had compared it too. How bad could it be?
“You good?” he checked.
I confirmed, and without further ado, he launched us into the sky.
Adrenaline coursed through me as the wind whipped through my hair. My lips stretched in a massive, uncontrollable grin as I held on tightly, my gaze moving over the forest and city below us.
Somehow, Scale Ridge was even more beautiful from above.
My heart beat rapidly, in the very best way.
Eli seemed to let the wind currents take the lead, flying up, down, and side to side without warning or reason. As soon as the excitement started to fade, he changed position or course, reigniting my fire.
Heat still had me sweating, but the cooler temperature in the clouds helped me from overheating.
We didn’t fly for long before we landed in front of his cabin. I’d driven past it every time I went to Elodie’s place, so I was well-acquainted with the way it looked from the front.
The large home had expansive windows, dark gray siding, and a gorgeous porch. It was built much more modern than August and Elodie’s place, but I preferred modern to cozy when it came to décor. Modern homes were open and airy, in a way that made them feel clean and comfortable to me.
I’d never lived in a modern house, of course. My parents’ mansion was stiflingly traditional, and I’d been paying my own way since I graduated high school. That meant shitty apartments, second hand furniture, and small kitchens when I wasn’t at work.
I didn’t love that way of life, truthfully.
Who dreamed about cooking in a small kitchen? Not me.
But I was happy with it. Proud to have a place to call my own. Glad I’d taken responsibility of my own life and choices, paying for my education, housing, and food.
If I had the money?
Well, I’d probably move to a house like Eli’s. I thought it was gorgeous, and I hadn’t even been inside.
Eli shifted forms suddenly, and I took a sharp breath in as his body tilted with the change. My chest collided with his bare back, and he caught my thighs, holding me up in a piggy-back position.
“Well?” he asked, carrying me up the steps to his front door.
“Well what?”
“Well, how do you feel about flying?”
Oh.
Should’ve figured that out myself.
Too late.
“It’s a blast,” I admitted. “You may have just created an addict.”
“Phew. You’ll support my addiction, then.”
“Guess so.”
He readjusted my position, lifting me higher on his back.
“You can put me down, E. I have feet.”
“I’m enjoying the feel of your tits on my back too much for that.”
A sharp laugh escaped me, and he tickled the inside of one of my knees, making me kick my leg out. It didn’t hit him, but made him snort.
He pulled the door open without using a key or typing in a code, carrying me inside without pause.
“You don’t lock your door?” I asked, surprised.
His house wasn’t a mansion, but it was a nice place. Who wouldn’t lock that up?
“Nah. I like to live on the edge.”
“If we ever live together, you’ll have to start locking it. My paranoia cannot handle that.”
He sighed dramatically. “Difficult woman.”
“It’s not too late to walk away.”
“Oh, it is.” He carried me through the simple, pretty living room.
I only got a glimpse of the kitchen, but it may have been the most beautiful one I’d ever seen. Sleek black cabinets. Smooth, white marble countertops that stretched up over the backsplash and behind the range hood.
It was a chef’s wet dream.
“How much is your monthly payment here?” I asked him, hoping I could afford half. He’d made it sound like us living together was inevitable, so I might as well consider moving in with him.
An incredible kitchen would be worth a bit of a higher price tag than what I was paying. I couldn’t afford a whole lot more, but I could do a little. And if we were splitting it, it’d be more manageable, obviously.
“No monthly payment. Just utilities and whatnot. Only a few hundred bucks.”
“You paid for it upfront?” My voice raised with the question.
“Mmhm. I’m not young, Spaghetti. And hasn’t Randa told you that dragons are paid well?”
“Yeah, but I didn’t ask for numbers . Talking about money makes her flustered, so I avoid it.”
“Well, money’s not something you and I will have to worry about. Makes life easier that way. We could sell this place and buy something else if you want, or move in to your apartment if you’d rather. Unless you want to live at the mountain mainly, which is also fine.”
“That was a lot of options.” I bit my lip, still on his back. “I don’t know about the mountain, since I’ve never been there, but I would like to live by Randa. I also love this place, though. What I’ve seen of it, at least. I definitely don’t want to stay in my apartment if we’re living together. It’s barely enough space for me on my own.”
“We’ll figure it out after heat’s over.” He finally set me down on the edge of his mattress. The blankets were all over the place, a sure sign that he didn’t bother making his bed.
I usually didn’t either. Though I kept my place mostly clean, it seemed like a waste to spend time making a bed I was just going to sleep in a few hours later.
“Give me this.” He eased my arms out of the backpack, then unzipped it and pulled the cupcake blanket out. He was still naked, and I couldn’t stop myself from staring at his ass and erection, depending on which one was facing me.
After he disappeared from the room for a moment, putting it with his dirty laundry, he returned with the bag and stepped into his closet.
My gaze remained fixed on his body, my temperature seeming to rise as he packed himself a few changes of clothes. The hotel we were going to had laundry services, so we wouldn’t need to worry about bringing enough clothes to last the whole trip.
The wetness between my thighs got more intense as I watched him. There was no reason for it to make me so horny… except heat.
Heat was proving to be a real bitch.
Eli finally turned toward me, but he only made it one step out of the closet before he stopped.
His nostrils flared.
The fire in his eyes grew.
A shudder rolled his shoulders.
I bit back a groan at the surge of lust in my middle.
Damn, I wanted him.
“You can’t sit on my bed smelling like that and expect me not to fuck you, Spaghetti.” Eli’s voice was strained.
Gravelly, too.
“Heat is ridiculous,” I managed, balling my fists to keep myself from reaching toward him. He wasn’t close to me; reaching out would’ve been silly.
But it would’ve brought him closer to me.
He wouldn’t have been able to resist if I reached for him. I knew that, somehow.
“I’d want you this badly even without heat,” he said.
“You wouldn’t.”
Eli gave me a warning rumble. “I would. Keep arguing that point, and I’ll have to prove it with my mouth.”
I didn’t ask where he’d put his mouth.
We both knew.
An image flashed in my mind.
I was on my couch, while he feasted on me.
My temperature rose.
The image had come from his mind. He was remembering the night before.
Another mental picture hit me. One that hadn’t happened.
Me, bent over my apartment’s kitchen countertop. Eli’s fists were full of my bridesmaid dress, my thong pulled to the side while he drove his cock into me.
Holy hell.
I needed a fan. A really, really big fan.
A glass of water, too maybe?
A third image followed.
We were in the bathroom at Randa’s wedding reception. My back was against the door, his hands were in my hair, and our clothes were on the ground. My legs were around his hips, and his cock was buried inside me.
I choked out, “Control your thoughts, E.”
The image didn’t disappear.
Not immediately.
“I’m trying,” he gritted out. “You smell too fucking good.”
“I’ll just…” I forced myself to my feet, stumbling a little as I stepped toward the bathroom.
I’d never been so turned on in my life. It was ridiculous, and insane, and?—
“Walk away from me, and you’ll end up pinned to the wall while I take you.” His growl was low.
Animalistic.
Delicious.
A shiver rolled down my spine.
I wanted that.
I wanted it badly .
We were supposed to be leaving, though.
And I was supposed to be putting distance between us.
I let out a slow, shaky breath.
My legs were unsteady.
My heart was beating rapidly.
Was I even going to be able to get on his back if we didn’t do something to sate our lust?
It seemed unlikely. I was drenched, and so horny I was starting to feel nauseous.
So, I forced myself to stop thinking.
And I ran.
Eli’s snarl tore through the air as I skidded around the doorway, turning sharply.
I didn’t even make it out of the hallway before huge, hot hands landed on my waist.
My chest met the nearest wall a heartbeat later.
Eli pinned my wrists above my head with one hand and shoved my leggings and panties down with the other. I gasped when he pulled my thighs open, then filled me in one rough, fast motion.
He was thick.
Hard.
Perfect.
He pulled out and thrust back in before his teeth brushed the place my shoulder met my neck.
A shudder rocked my entire body with the sensation.
I had no idea why it felt so good, but it did. It really, really did.
“What are you—ohh.” My breath staggered as his teeth brushed the skin again before he bit down harder.
My entire world vanished as his teeth cut into me. It wasn’t even somewhat painful, though.
The most intense orgasm of my life crashed into me, rocking my body and mind as he bit me.
The pleasure went on for what felt like forever before he finally released my neck. I was so slick between my thighs that he had to have found his release too.
My forehead hit the wall, my chest rising and falling quickly as I panted through the aftershocks of the pleasure. “What the hell was that?”
“Dragon shifters bite their mates. It gives you some of our power temporarily. Strengthens you in the process.” Eli’s tongue dragged lightly over the place he’d bitten me. It didn’t hurt. There was no soreness, or pain. “Seemed like it felt good.”
“Better than anything I’ve ever experienced.”
His free hand found my core, his fingers brushing lightly over my clit.
“What are you doing?”
“Wringing another orgasm out of you before you come to your senses and push me away.” His tongue dragged over the bite mark again. “I don’t have control right now. If you want me to stop, you’ll have to say so.”
His fingers circled my clit lightly, and my hips jerked.
Even if I’d wanted to, I didn’t think I could physically force myself to push him away. Not when he was touching me like that, making me feel so good.
And I didn’t want to.
I didn’t want him to be my mate .
But I didn’t want him to stop, either.
He worked my clit, fucking me while he did. My t-shirt was still on, my leggings around my knees, but I didn’t give a damn about that. Every ounce of my attention was focused on his hands on my wrists and core, and his cock filling me.
I came quickly again.
Too quickly.
We both did.
My eyes closed, my cheek pressed to the wall as I struggled to get enough air through my lungs while I came down from the high. My inner thighs were absolutely drenched in my pleasure and his, and the sensation brought some awareness back.
Only a little, but it was enough.
I finally realized where we were.
Who Eli was.
Who I was.
And just how little sex really mattered compared to the huge significance of everything else that had gone down the night before.
We’d sealed a mate bond.
We were going through a magical marriage process that wanted us to procreate.
We were mates .
And having sex was only going to complicate that. The more we did, the more the lines would blur.
So, I had to stop us.
Even though his hand and cock were still between my thighs, making me feel incredible.
Some things were more important than orgasms.
Like not being cheated on.
I wasn’t going through that hell again.
Memories of my ex flicked through my mind, but I shut them down before Eli could get a glimpse of them. No way in hell was I bringing it up. He didn’t need to know any of that.
If we were forced to be mates, we’d have to figure out a way to do it without a romantic relationship of any kind, because I wasn’t touching that shit with a twenty-foot pole.
I tugged my wrists free, and he released his hold with a growl. My hand found his, pulling it away from my core, and he didn’t argue or fight me.
He also didn’t pull out, though.
And I wasn’t sure I had the mental willpower to make him.
His hands slid over my bare hips, the fingers on his right hand slick with our release.
My stomach clenched, my body tightening around his erection, and his teeth brushed my shoulder again.
“Eli,” I said, forcing the word from my mouth. “Stop.”
He went still, though it took him a moment to get there.
I took in a shaky breath. “We need to get going, remember?”
I didn’t want him to feel rejected. I wasn’t rejecting him . I just wasn’t willing to risk developing feelings. I still hadn’t recovered from the last time those bastards struck.
“Your scent changed.” His lips brushed my neck, instead of his teeth or tongue. “Why?”
“I remembered that we’re going to Switzerland.”
It was a lie. Complete bullshit. But I didn’t think he knew my scent well enough to figure that out, yet.
“Excitement, then?”
He was trying to figure my emotions out.
I barely understood my own feelings, so that was a pipe dream.
“I have no idea.”
It was the truth.
“I need to clean up so we can go,” I said, when he still didn’t pull out.
He let out a long breath against my skin. “Alright.”
His reluctance had me biting my lip to stop from smiling.
“No showering. I want to smell myself on you when we get to the hotel,” he warned.
“Fine.”
He nipped at my neck. “Thank you.”
“Mmhm.”
Eli’s hands went back to my bare hips, and he slowly pulled out.
My body ached immediately. The thick pressure of him was exactly what I wanted. Hell, maybe it was exactly what I needed .
But I was going to have to survive without him, because no way in hell was I risking my heart again. It had barely recovered the last time.