Page 24 of Her Dragon Outlaw

My voice is small, even to my ears. Cody is silent, his entire body still as he considers my words. His lips are firm, though his face appears relaxed. The subtle difference in his expression draws my attention, making me wonder what a man like him thinks about.

“The last relationship I was in, I was cheated on. I can’t say I didn't see it coming. I work a lot. There are weeks when I’m constantly on call. And the women I tend to try with, I don’t think I ever really knew them, not in the ways that matter.”

My hand was over his large one before I could think. “What do you want?” I ask looking up at him.

“I want someone I can grow with, someone I can change with,” his eyes drop to my lips, and when they're back on mine there's interest, curiosity. “A family,” he repeated my words.

Time slows, his body moves forward, his eyes lower and I know he’s going to kiss me.

I can feel it as sure as I could feel my heartbeat.

Then he stops, clearing his throat as he leans back. His biceps flex as he awkwardly scratches the back of his neck.

“You want to go for a swim?” he asks.

21

CODY

Ever since we arrived at the lakehouse, we have been all over each other. Casual touches here, soft smiles, there—we are practically honeymooning in this place. At least, that is what I would believe if I let myself. I keep myself at a distance most of the time, but when Lori offers physical comfort, I take it. I am only human – and dragon – after all.

A few days after we arrive, we walk down to the lake together. The sun shines so brightly that we shield our eyes with our hands, but once we are in the lake—in just our underwear, I might add—the placid, crystal-clear water cools us down completely.

“I haven’t felt this relaxed in years,” Lori says, wading into the deeper end of the lake.

The sun shines on her hair in the best way, turning it into a brilliant light gold. She is so beautiful right now that I can barely reign in my passion for her. It would feel so good to kiss her right now. Her lips look so soft and when I brush her skin and it feels amazing. I get little sparks racing through my body every time we casually touch, something so addictive and wild.

“Me either,” I say instead of lunging at her like I want to. My dragon roars inside me, telling me to kiss her before I lose her. “I didn’t think I could be this relaxed.”

“With our stressful jobs, it’s hard to even conceive of it.”

I nod, wading out to the deep end with her. I end up on my back, and so does she, and we float for a while as the sun sinks higher in the sky. I may or may not push myself closer to her, but who is to say? When our hands and shoulders touch, another spark races through me.

I turn my head to gaze at her. She meets it with her own, her eyes so brilliantly blue that I cannot focus on anything else. What would it be like to drown in those deep, ocean eyes? When she dips her body back into the water, it breaks the spell. I follow her lead.

When she moves towards me, I am ready. She laces her arms around my shoulders and pulls me to her—I am only happy to be pulled and my arms wrap around her waist. Our lips meet in a fierce kiss that shocks me to my core. True to word, her lips are incredibly soft, still a little wet from the lake water, and plump against my own.

I pull her to me as much as I can while we tread water, our bodies hot despite the chill of the lake.

“I’ve wanted this for a while,” Lori says between biting kisses. “Too long.”

“Me, too.” Two words are not enough to cover how much I have wanted this, so I show her by licking at her lips and gripping her—not too roughly, just enough that she keens under my touch.

She groans. “Come on, let’s get out of this nasty water.”

I laugh and follow her as she swims to the shore. She takes my hand and pulls me along the jetty, her feet hitting the wood with wet splats as she runs. Mine do, too, and it turns into a game: she pulls me, I follow, and by the time we hit the stone steps to the house, we are laughing so much my lungs ache.

Being with her is the best cure for the sickness of the heart. I have been so lonely all this time, but when she pushes me down onto the sofa with that look in her eyes that spells trouble, I do not feel lonely anymore. I feel saved.

She climbs into my lap and kisses me again. My hands cling to her hips, still wet from the lake. She tastes of lakewater and the sweetness that only she has: a sweet Lori taste. I kiss her and kiss her until we are both breathless.

“Please,” she whispers. “I want you to fuck me.”

I nod. “Of course. Anything.”

She reaches into the waistband of my underwear and pulls me out. I am already firm, but grow firmer as she strokes my cock. Her hand fits around me perfectly and I shudder under the pleasure of her touch. I am fully hard and aching when she pushes her own underwear aside and lowers herself onto me. The wet heat of her coupled with the plush softness of her mouth pull me into a world of bliss.

She grinds on me and I keen into her mouth. She swallows my sounds greedily, pulling me deeper and deeper until I am fully seated.

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