Chapter 27 Liz
Liz
Iwas emotionally drained. The encounter with Scott had taken more out of me than I wanted to admit, but there was a strange sense of lightness. I’d faced him without crumbling.
As I was about to turn toward my trailer, something pulled me toward the back of the RV park. I drove past Kade and Reese’s cabin and turned down another road.
I hadn’t seen Lucan’s cabin yet, but with the tug in my chest, I easily found it, even without spotting his truck parked on the side.
I pulled into the spot beside Lucan’s truck and cut the engine. For a moment, I sat there, hands still on the wheel, trying to process how much my life had changed in the past few weeks.
I’d sworn off men forever and had been embracing the single life, but now? I couldn’t see walking away from Lucan even if I tried. We were still learning about each other, but I knew deep down that he was my person. He always had been.
Before I could even reach for the door handle, the cabin door swung open. Lucan stood there, barefoot in nothing but a pair of shorts hanging low on his hips. The porch light caught the worried furrow of his brow.
My body responded instantly, a flush of warmth spreading through me that had nothing to do with the lingering summer heat.
I got out of the car and hadn’t even set foot on the first step when Lucan was already moving toward me.
“Is everything okay?” He pulled me into his arms, holding me tight against his chest like we hadn’t seen each other in years instead of hours.
I sank into the embrace, letting the solid warmth of him ground me. His heart thumped steadily beneath my ear.
“I’m fine.” The words were muffled against his skin.
“What happened?” His hands moved up and down my back in a soothing rhythm.
I pulled back enough to look up at him. “Scott showed up at Split Pine tonight.”
Lucan’s entire body went still, and his breathing paused. Something dangerous flickered in his eyes.
“Where is he now?” The question came out with a deceptive calmness that scared me more than shouting would have.
“I handled it. Told him no to everything. Money. A place to stay. Another chance.” A strange little laugh escaped me. “And the weirdest part is, I didn’t even feel guilty about it when I walked away.”
Lucan’s hands came up to frame my face, his thumbs brushing gently over my cheekbones. “You shouldn’t feel guilty for saying no and having boundaries.”
His intensity made it hard to breathe. I hadn’t realized how much I’d needed to hear those words until he said them.
He guided me up the steps and through the door of his cabin, closing it behind us. The space was warm with leather furniture, dark wood, and large windows that framed the forest.
“What do you need from me tonight?” he asked quietly, still holding me close.
“You.” I placed my palm against his chest. “I need you.”
He pressed his forehead against mine. “You have me. Always.”
I closed the last inch between us, letting the day fall away as his mouth met mine. His arms tightened around me as he deepened the kiss.
I didn’t pull away until my lungs demanded air. His eyes were dark, intense as they searched mine.
“Shower,” I whispered against his lips.
He nodded, taking my hand and leading me through the cabin to his bedroom. There was a king-sized bed and windows that would let in the morning light. The attached bathroom was spacious, with a walk-in shower big enough for two.
Lucan turned to face me, his fingers finding the hem of my shirt. “May I?”
The gentleness in his voice made my heart clench. I nodded, lifting my arms as he pulled the shirt over my head.
His thumbs brushed against my skin as he worked the button of my jeans open. The zipper followed, and he crouched down to help me step out of them. I steadied myself with a hand on his shoulder, feeling strangely vulnerable yet completely safe.
When I stood before him in my bra and underwear, his gaze traveled slowly up my body, not with judgment but with appreciation. I unhooked my bra, letting it fall away. His sharp intake of breath sent a thrill through me.
I hooked my thumbs in the waistband of my underwear and pushed them down, stepping out of them. Completely naked now, I watched as he quickly shed his shorts.
Lucan turned on the shower, testing the temperature before taking my hand again. The warm water cascaded over us as we stepped in.
Lucan grabbed a bottle of shampoo from the shelf and poured some into his palm. “Turn around.”
I did, closing my eyes as his fingers worked the shampoo into my hair. His touch was firm but gentle, working in slow circles over my scalp. I leaned back against him and sighed. “That feels amazing.”
He chuckled, the sound vibrating through me. “Tilt your head back.”
I did as he asked, letting the water rinse the suds away. He squeezed a generous amount of body wash into his palm. The clean, woodsy scent filled the steamy air between us.
He started at my neck, working in slow, deliberate circles. I closed my eyes, surrendering as his strong fingers kneaded away the tension I’d been carrying all day. Each stroke seemed to erase another layer of stress.
I braced my hands against the shower wall, letting my head hang forward. His thumbs pressed into the tight muscles alongside my spine, drawing a moan that echoed off the tile walls.
“You’re carrying so much tension here.” He pressed into the tight knot between my shoulder blades.
His hands continued their journey, sliding around to my stomach, then up my sides. The touch was no longer soothing; it set my skin on fire. Every inch he covered made me more aware of how close he was, how intimate this moment had become.
His hands slid down to my shoulders, then lower to cup my breasts. I gasped as his thumbs brushed over my nipples, sending sparks of pleasure straight to my core.
The body wash was gone now, and one of his hands traveled lower, across my stomach, until his fingers dipped between my legs. I spread them slightly, giving him better access. He quickly found a rhythm against my clit that made my breath hitch.
I reached behind me, gripping his thigh for support as my knees weakened. He moved his fingers farther down and easily slid two fingers inside me.
“Lucan,” I gasped, my head falling back against his shoulder.
He grabbed the detachable showerhead, bringing it down and letting the water crash onto my clit. His fingers moving inside me and the pressure of the water was overwhelming, pulling a cry from my throat as pleasure built rapidly inside me.
“That’s it,” he murmured against my ear. “Come for me.”
My body obeyed, pleasure crashing through me. I shuddered against him, grateful for his arm keeping me upright as my legs trembled.
When I could breathe again, I turned, meeting his hungry gaze. He kissed me deeply as he turned off the water.
Before I could step out, he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around me, rubbing gently to dry me off. He quickly toweled himself dry before leading me to the bedroom, the towels forgotten somewhere behind us.
The sheets were cool to the touch as I lowered myself onto the bed. He followed, his body covering mine as he captured my lips again. His mouth trailed down my neck, across my collarbone, and lower still. Every kiss, every touch felt like he was memorizing me.
He moved back up, and his expression was so tender it almost hurt to look at.
“I want the bond.” I surprised myself with the certainty in my voice.
Lucan went still above me, his eyes searching mine. “Are you sure? There’s no rush.”
I nodded, bringing a hand up to touch his face. “I’m sure. I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, they glowed with an intensity that took my breath away.
“Will it hurt? The bite, I mean.”
His lips curved into a gentle smile. “Not in the way you’re thinking. Just a little pinch, especially because you’re open to it completely.” He paused, his gaze growing more intense. “You are, right?”
I looked into his eyes. “Yes. I’m sure.”
Lucan’s eyes darkened, his pupils expanding until only a thin ring of blue remained. He brushed his lips against mine. “I’ve waited for you for so long.”
His fingers trailed down my sides, leaving goosebumps in their wake. Every touch felt magnified, as if my skin was suddenly more sensitive, more alive under his fingertips. I arched into him, seeking more of that delicious contact.
He shifted us, rolling onto his back and guiding me to straddle his hips. The change in position made me momentarily self-conscious, being so exposed above him, but the pure awe and desire in his eyes chased away any insecurity.
“You’re perfect.”
I placed my hands on his chest for balance, feeling the steady thud of his heart beneath my palm. The position gave me a sense of control that I hadn’t expected to need but deeply appreciated. This was my choice, my moment to move forward.
Lucan’s hands settled on my hips, his thumbs tracing small circles on my skin. I leaned down to kiss him, a slow, deep meeting of lips and tongues that left us both breathless. He pulled me closer as the kiss intensified. The feel of skin against skin was intoxicating, his heat seeping into me.
When I sat back up, I reached between us, guiding him to where I needed him most. The sensation of him slowly filling me drew a gasp from my lips. I sank down gradually, adjusting to the fullness.
Lucan’s fingers tightened, his eyes squeezed shut as if fighting for control. When I was fully seated, I paused, feeling the connection between us. His eyes opened, and I could see flecks of something brighter, almost purple, swirling in their blue depths.
I began to move, setting a rhythm that had us both breathing hard. His hands guided my hips, encouraging me to find what felt good.
“Liz,” he groaned, his voice strained. “You feel amazing.”
He cupped my breast, his thumb brushing over the sensitive peak. I gasped, my rhythm faltering briefly before picking up again, more urgent now.
As the tension built inside me, Lucan sat up, wrapping an arm around my lower back to keep me close. The angle had me crying out, my nails digging into his shoulders. His face pressed against my neck.
His lips brushed the spot below my ear where he said he’d mark me. “I can feel how close you are.”
I teetered on the edge of something that felt bigger than a physical release. I trembled with the effort of holding back, but I didn’t want it to end.
His teeth scraped across my skin, gentle at first, then more insistent. The slight pain mingled with pleasure in a way that had me gasping. My hands clutched at his shoulders, his back, needing something to ground me.
When the climax hit, it was like nothing I’d ever experienced. In that moment of perfect vulnerability, Lucan’s teeth sank into my neck.
There was a brief, sharp pinch, quickly consumed by a flood of sensation. It felt like being filled with liquid warmth that spread from the bite through my entire body. I could feel him, not just where we were joined, but emotionally. He filled spaces I hadn’t known were empty.
“Mine,” he growled, his voice deeper and rougher than I’d ever heard it. He pulled back to look at me, his eyes shifting to his dragon. “You’re mine now.”
And I was. I knew it with a bone-deep certainty that should have terrified me, but instead, it was like coming home.