Page 120 of Born in Fire

“I threatened to ban you from the coffee shop. And then I wrote my number on a napkin for you,” I say slowly as the images begin to take shape.

“Yes!” He smiles. “You remember.”

I nod. “Not all of it. But small pieces are coming back.”

“Good. That’s good.” His smile widens. “You’ll get it all back, eventually. And I’ll help with what I can.”

“I know.” I stroke his cheek. “Tell me more about this mate bond.”

“It’s a connection, an unbreakable bond that draws us together. Dragons experience it with their true mates, the ones they’re destined to spend their lives with. We only have one. And it’s kind of a ‘forever’ thing. But it almost never happens with humans. That’s why I never imagined that’s what I was feeling with you.”

“But I’m not human,” I remind him with a small smile.

“No.” His gaze travels over me with reverence. “You’re something extraordinary.”

“So then, that’s it?” I ask. “We’re um… bonded?” It seems too simple.

He shakes his head as his hand slides into my hair, drawing me closer. “The bond is forming, but it’s incomplete. Among dragons, it must be sealed with a ritual.”

“What kind of ritual?” I ask, though from the heat in his eyes, I can guess.

“A marking,” he says softly. “An exchange of blood during sex, when…”

“When you’re inside me?” I breathe, suddenly loving this idea.

“In every possible way.” His eyes grow intense. “It’s permanent, Juno. ‘Till death and beyond. I wouldn’t ask if—”

I silence him with a kiss. “Yes,” I whisper against his lips. “I choose you. Now and always.”

His mouth twitches up at the corners. “Then we’ll do it. We’ll make it official once this is over and—”

“No.” I shake my head. “I want to do it now.”

“Now?” He looks surprised.

“Yes,” I say firmly. “Right now. Right here with the Heartstone to witness it. I told you once before that we never know how much time we have left. Today just confirmed it. I’m not waiting to do what’s important.”

“God, woman, you’re going to be the end of me,” he groans as I trace a fingertip down his belly.

“Or maybe the beginning,” I whisper.

His control breaks. He pulls me to him, mouth claiming mine with desperate hunger. We sink to the floor beside the Heartstone, its light bathing us in golden warmth.

His hands explore my body with worshipful attention, as if memorizing every curve and plane. His fingertips trace from my collarbone down to the gentle swell of my breasts, pausing to circle each nipple until they harden beneath his touch. When he lowers his head to take one into his mouth, heat surges through me, pooling low in my belly.

“You’re perfect,” he murmurs against my skin, his breath hot as he trails kisses down my sternum, across my ribs, to the soft plane of my stomach.

I explore him in turn, my fingers following the defined muscles of his chest, tracing scars both old and newly healed. His skin is impossibly hot beneath my touch, a reminder of the dragon fire that lives within him. When my hand drifts lower, wrapping around his cock, his breath catches, eyes flaring in the Heartstone’s glow.

“Juno,” he groans, the sound rough and needy.

I guide him between my thighs, but he resists, sliding down my body instead. His mouth leaves a trail of heat as he positions himself between my legs, looking up at me before his tongue finds my clit. The first stroke sends electricity racing up my spine, my back arching off the floor. The man has a goddamn gift for giving head. His hands grip my hips, holding me steady as he tastes me with deliberate precision.

When he slides a finger inside me, curving upward to find the spot that makes stars explode behind my eyelids, I cry out his name. He adds a second finger while his tongue continues its relentless attention. The dual sensation builds rapidly, my thighs beginning to shake as I approach the edge.

“Not yet,” he whispers, pulling away just before I fall. “Together. For the bond.”

He moves up my body, positioning the head of his cock against my slit. Our eyes lock as he pushes forward, entering me with exquisite slowness. I feel every inch of him stretching me, filling me completely. The Heartstone pulses brighter, as if approving our union, its light dancing across our sweat-slicked skin.

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