Page 60 of Dragon Awakened

"I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you," I vow.

Something inside her breaks. "You better."

And there's so much still to be fixed between us, but all at once, the wall she made that's kept me at arm's length splinters. A crack appears that I can see daylight through, and it's the brightest light I've ever felt.

"I promise," I swear, my heart expanding.

Our gazes connect, and it's like it was, back in my garage, when I first laid eyes on her again, and our mate-bond blazed into being. Brilliant tendrils of connection whirl through the air, silver strands unfurling between us. My skin prickles with awareness, everything in me too tight. The foot of space between us yawns, and it's too much. I need her.

I've always needed her.

So much.

But I hold myself back, keeping my impossible, insatiable desire for her in check. Our mating connection howls, demanding to be satisfied. I'm hard and aching, and I can't breathe, but I haven't earned the right to touch her, hold her, kiss her, claim her.

But she doesn't care.

In the next moment, she's throwing herself at me, wrapping her arms around me, and I choke on relief and need and wanting. I clutch her to me, just breathing in her scent--the same as I remember and yet different. Warmer and darker, and something shimmering within me stirs.

My dragon breathes fire into my ribs, and flickers of flame dance across my skin.

"Ember," I murmur into her hair.

"I know, I know."

Her soft breasts press into my chest, and she shifts until she's sitting astride my lap. The heat of her pressing against my cock sends every bit of blood in my body rushing south, and I'm trying so hard to be a gentleman here. I hurt her; she's been gone for months. I've been working for an evil dragon king--trying to subvert him at every step, but still. And she's been fulfilling an ancient prophecy about bringing light to shadow and uniting dragonkind.

There's so much more to think about right now besides sex.

"Storm," she gasps, grinding down on me, and I see stars.

The fated mate connection hooks itself into my chest and yanks. Bright light feels like it twists itself around us, tying us together, and my body cries out. Fully hard, I try to focus on the emotional connection between us, but my cock is pulsing, and she's so warm and feels so good.

And I thought I'd never get to touch her again.

"We don't have to," I groan, my lips grazing her cheek.

She lets out a soft, breathy sound that goes straight to my cock. "I've been through this before," she says, and yeah. That's a slap. But it's also a reminder. "A fresh mating bond--it's always like this."

"Like what?"

"Like need." She coasts her hands down my back, sending a rush of fire racing up my skin at the contact. "Like I can't get close enough."

I shake my head. "That's no different."

She pulls away enough to look into my eyes. Her own irises burn with purple flame. "No different--?"

"I've never been able to get close enough to you."

But fuck if I'm not determined to try.

Unable to resist a second longer, I crash my mouth into hers, and it's like water after years in the desert. It's freedom and love and lust and so much fucking regret.

I never should have let her get away. But I have this second chance. Nothing stands between us anymore; the gods themselves entwined our paths.

Gasping against my lips, she kisses me back as if she's missed me as much as I've missed her. I can taste her pain, though, and all I can do is try to soothe it.

"I'm so sorry," I breathe between kisses. Each one feels better than the last, and how is that possible?

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