Page 42 of Never Feed a Dragon

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.

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