Page 53 of Medusa

“That was beautiful,” Maddie said shakily. “Love you, too.”

“Come here, babe,” Jaden said, opening his arms, and she straddled his thighs, burrowing into his embrace. She shuddered and he pressed his lips to the top of her head. “What’s on your mind?” he murmured into her hair.

“Why did they take you?” she whispered.

“Oh. Well…” he trailed off, embarrassed. “My brothers and I… We only lose fights on purpose.”

“What?”

“We’re really good at fighting.” It wasn’t a boast, just a fact. “And if we won all the time, it would be boring to watch.” He ran the pad of his thumb over the top of her shoulder, feeling the soft skin and fragile bones underneath. “So, umm, we roll a dice. One in six chance that we lose the fight that day. Typhon is a bookie. And apparently he lost a lot of money on one of my fights recently.”

“Oh no,” Maddie breathed. “Is that why that poor man was beaten, the night we met?”

“Pollux. Yeah, poor sap.” Jaden took a deep breath. “Typhon figured out that I threw the match. Wanted me to work with him, throw the matches he told me to. I refused. He… took offense.”

Maddie snorted, burying her face in his chest.

Jaden hesitated and rubbed her shoulder again. “When a dragon shifter mates for life, he gives his mate a bite to mark her as his, warning off other predators. Can I give you my bite, Maddie?”

Maddie shivered in his hold. “It would protect me from bastards like Typhon?”

Jaden growled deep in his chest. “It would act as a warning to men like him that you’re not to be messed with unless they want to deal with me.”

“And it’s permanent? Like getting married?”

“Stronger than marriage. It’s a permanent bond between us.” He couldn’t see her face and he wondered if he was going too far, too fast.

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

Maddie sat up and he could see she was beaming with happiness. “Yes, I want to be bonded with you for life.”

“Wow.” Jaden felt a little dazed by her love and trust. “You’re amazing.”

“What do I need to do?” She tilted her head to the side and swept her hair out of the way. “Hold still?”

Jaden chuckled. “It works better if at the height of ecstasy.”

“Yours or mine?”

“Both. Think you can handle that?” Jaden smirked.

“I can’t wait.” Maddie rested her arms over his shoulders. “Does this mean we get to have sex now?”

Jaden leaned forward and pressed a feather-light kiss to her shoulder. “I was thinking more along the lines of making love.”

“You are such a romantic!” she gasped, goosebumps spreading from the point of contact.

“Don’t tell my brothers or I’ll never hear the end of it,” he mock-growled.

“Your secret’s safe with me,” Maddie replied, pressing their foreheads together. “What’s the difference between having sex and making love?”

Jaden smirked at her. “Don’t forget fucking. The difference is in the speed and intimacy, I think. When you visited me at work, that was fucking.” Her breath caught each time he said the word, making him want to kiss her.

“When you brought me here that first night, that was having sex. We didn’t know each other yet, so there wasn’t as much intimacy. But now…” he trailed off as he gently traced the outline of her spaghetti straps, the skin under the pads of his fingers smooth and freckled. He dipped underneath the material, over the top of the swell of her breasts. He didn’t understand how women’s clothing managed it, but somehow this skimpy little tank top managed to give Maddie some amazing cleavage, even though her breasts barely made a handful each.

“Now?” Maddie prompted breathlessly.

---