Page 27 of Dragon Prince of New York

The strokes of his tongue fall into a steady rhythm with the ringing of the phone, staccato and firm. A finger penetrates me and then another. I cry out, louder than the ringing, adding my voice to the wet noises between my legs.

Heat builds at the base of my spine, a burning pleasure, impossible to control or hold back. It races over me, sizzling in its intensity. I’m caught in it like a single flame in a brush fire. I come calling his name, “Cyrus!”

He works me through my orgasm, stretching it as I shake uncontrollably. With the last notes of my pleasure, the phone cuts out. Cyrus kisses my clit. “That was beautiful, little flame.”

His lips find mine in a kiss so tender it almost makes me cry. “Shh, Ra'ia, shh. I know.” He brushes sweaty tendrils of hair from my face, laying gentle kisses on my cheek.

The phone goes off again.

“Ignore it,” I repeat his words back to him, gliding my hands down his chest to the button of his pants. I work it free and slip my hand inside, rubbing his length along the outside ofhis boxers. My mouth waters, remembering those gold tattoos and how badly I want to trace them.

The doorbell rings. Cyrus furrows his brows. He reaches for my phone next to our legs just after it stops ringing.

“Midas,” he says with a frown and a shake of his head. Getting up, he picks up his phone from the floor, and his frown deepens.

I prop myself up on my elbows. The euphoria of a moment ago washes away in nerves. “Do you think everything’s okay with Jess?”

He doesn’t respond because he’s calling Midas back. I wiggle my pants up and pick up my phone, dialing Jess while I straighten my shirt. “No answer.”

Cyrus nods, “Same.”

The doorbell rings again. With a worried look, Cyrus heads for the stairs, and I follow a few steps behind, trying to keep up with his long strides.

When he opens the door, it’s Jethro, looking more serious than I’ve ever seen him. My stomach twists into knots of concern. I lean against Cyrus’s back, one arm wrapping around his waist as I look over his shoulder, needing his closeness.

Cyrus flinches, unwraps my arm from around him, and takesa massive step to the side. The rejection is so pointed, so impossible to miss. Jethro’s eyes widen, then narrow.

Regret lodges in my throat. Why did I think he would stop being hot and cold with me just because I let him eat me out? All it proves is that he’s attracted to me. It doesn’t prove I’m relationship material. I’m clearly not. Cyrus might want me in private, but now, when it really matters, he’s showing his true colors.

Something snaps inside me like the line of an anchor being cut. I told myself I wouldn’t chase after men who didn’t chase me, but here I am, right back where I was with Tim, standing next to a man who’s embarrassed to be seen with me.

I’m not doing this again.

Hugging my arms over my chest, I force myself to smile at Jethro. “Is everything okay?”

“Well…” He pauses and looks from me to Cyrus. “Our Ra’a has gone into labor.”

Chapter 15

Cyrus

“What?!” Finley’s panic ispalpable, but it’s not as strong as the hurt I saw on her face when I stepped away from her. It’s for her own good, but she doesn’t know that, and I don’t know how to make her understand without telling her what I am, what her sister and Midas are.

And they don’t want her to find out, not like this.

So I’m stuck.

Shackled between duty and desire, caught between my mate and my responsibility to my brother. Add to that the worry that someone might find out what we just did and… yeah, I’m fucked.

I can’t let them kick me out of the horde. It’s not just for my sake, it’s for hers. Once I tell her everything, it’s my greatest hope that she’ll want to mate with me, become a dragon, andthat can never happen if we don’t have a horde.

“Jess isn’t due for another three weeks.” Finley’s voice is quiet, worried.

The need to offer her comfort is too strong to ignore. Despite my concerns, I put my hand on her shoulder, a casual enough touch, entirely appropriate under the circumstances, or at least that’s what I tell myself.

Finley dips her shoulder away from me and steps back.

It's like a claw to my heart. Jethro looks at me, and I silently plead with my friend to save his questions for when we can speak in private.

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