Page 10 of The Virgin's Chosen Dragon

There were a few groans, but buckets and shovels appeared in people’s hands, and they all followed Pierce down the beach. Theo was careful to keep his distance from Eden, determined not to let his body’s irrational response to her ruin his fun, and when he found a good place, he stopped and began to dig. It didn’t take long to find a little catch of clams, and he gently pulled them out, put them in his bucket, then moved further down the beach, his eyes scanning the ground for the telltale hole in the sand.

He'd just added a half dozen more clams to his bucket when a familiar scent came to him on the breeze. He froze for a second, then, inhaling another deep breath, sat back on his heels. Not surprised to see that Eden was only a few hundred yards away from him, he started to get to his feet but instead found himself watching her, wondering what it was about her that drove him so crazy.

The answer didn’t come to him, just as he knew it wouldn’t. Instead, desire began to flood his system as he watched Eden laughing and giggling with Barbie as they threw clams into their buckets. He didn’t know how long he’d been watching her when she looked up and saw him sitting there, and the smile on her face got even bigger.

“Isn’t this fun?” she called. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”

He had to take a deep breath before he could reply. “Wait until you taste them,” he said. “There’s nothing better than fresh seafood, and you can’t get any fresher than this.”

“I can’t wait,” Eden called back, then got to her feet. “Barbie and I are having a contest to see who can find the biggest one, I think I won, but she hasn’t given up yet. Maybe you could be the judge.”

Trying not to panic as she walked over to him, her hips swaying, her breasts peeking out at him, he took several deep breaths. “Sure, I’d be happy to,” he said, hoping his voice didn’t betray him, then got to his feet. “Let me see what you’ve got.”

Eden stepped up next to him, close enough that her scent filled his lungs, then held her bucket up to him, brushing her breast across his arm, and his body went wild. He looked down into the bucket, his heart pounding, his palms sweaty, and tried to get control of himself, ignoring the little voice in the back of his head telling him to kiss her. But it was sheer torture not touching her, and he knew he only had a few minutes before he lost control and gave in to the driving need almost overwhelming him.

***Eden***

Eden realized as soon as she stepped up next to Theo that he was tense, every muscle in his body was vibrating with effort. She looked up at him. “Are you okay?” she asked. “You seem like you’re upset about something.”

“I’m okay,” he said, forcing a smile. “I’m just trying to work through something, but I’d love to see this big clam you found.”

She smiled at him, noticing the look in his eyes for the first time, and her heart began to pound. “Umm…Will you hold my bucket for a second?” she asked, suddenly very aware of how good he smelled. “I think it’s at the bottom.”

After shifting the clams around in the bucket, she came up with the biggest one and held it up. “Look at this one. It’s huge,” she said, hoping he couldn’t see that her hands were shaking. “I bet it's a hundred years old, I wonder if it……”

Her words were cut off when a big spay of water came shooting out of the clam and hit her right in the face. She let out a little squeal, dropped it back into the bucket then covered her face with her hands, feeling the gritty fluid dripping down her face.

“It spit on me,” she said. “No one told me they could do that.”

She heard Theo set her bucket down, then felt him tugging on her hands. “It’s okay, Eden; it was just sea water and sand,” he said. “It won’t hurt you. That’s how they make those breathing holes we’ve been looking for. If you’ll move your hands, I’ll wipe it off your face so it doesn’t get in your eyes.”

She dropped her hands but didn’t open her eyes, even when she heard the rustle of clothing. “Okay, hold still,” Theo said, cupping her chin with one hand. “This will just take a second.”

A soft cloth brushed against her forehead and cheeks, Theo’s scent filled her senses, and she realized that he was using his shirt to wipe her face. Her legs started to get wobbly, and she sucked in a deep breath of air, hoping it would stop the desire beginning to build inside her, then remembered she wanted this. When she opened her eyes, still a bit dizzy from the power of what she was feeling, Theo wasgrinning down at her, his bare chest only inches from her face.

“Oh, thank you,” she stammered, tearing her eyes away from his chest. Then, she gasped when she saw the look in his eyes. “Are you going to kiss me again?”

“I was giving it some serious thought, but I know I shouldn’t,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re too young for me, Eden. As much as I want you, it would be wrong. I would feel like I was taking advantage of you.”

“You want me?” she asked, a bit stunned. “No one has ever wanted me before.”

He groaned, “I find that hard to believe,” he said. “You’re a very beautiful woman.”

Her cheeks turned a very attractive shade of pink. “Would it make any difference if I tell you that I want you to kiss me?” she asked, shocked at her own daring. “We’re both adults. You’re a little older than me, but I don’t see what difference that makes.”

“A little older,” he said. “I’m thirty, Eden. You can’t be more than twenty-two. That’s eight years.”

“I don’t care,” she said, taking a step toward him, her heart beginning to pound at the thought of what she was about to do. “If you don’t kiss me, then I’ll kiss you.”

“Eden, don’t……” but his words were muffled by her lips and all that came out after that was a groan.

Unsure what to do, she remembered Barbie’s advice, and she followed her instincts, wrapping her arms around his neck and rubbing her body up against his. A sound that could have been a groan or a growl rumbled from deep in Theo’s chest. His arms closed around her, and his tongue slipped into her mouth, deepening the kiss. All she could do was hold on as she was assaulted by one wave of pleasure after another, her body tingling and tightening deep inside.

When Theo finally gently pushed her away, he stared at her for a second. “You can’t do that again,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re playing with fire, Eden; I don’t want you to get burned.”

“Why don’t you let me worry about myself,” she said, grinning at him. “If that was anything like what the real thing is like, I’m willing to risk getting burned a little. What about you?”

“Woman, you have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said, then pulled her back into his arms and slammed his mouth down on hers.

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