He held back, teasing her, moving his cock up and down her slit, teasing her clit, massaging every inch of the outside of her pussy while the inside yearned for him.
“If you want this, then look at me,” he instructed.
She hadn’t realized that she’d closed her eyes. She opened them and locked them onto his face. His handsome, chiseled face.
Then the image of the dragon came to mind, lying on top of Xai’s human face. It was like she was able to see both sides of him at once. The man, the dragon.
Both were hers.
“I want you, Xai,” she said.
As though saying his name was the final thing that pushed him to action, he finally pushed inside her, little by little, stretching her, causing every inch of her to celebrate the feel of this man.
When he was finally fully sheathed, he lay on top of her, his heavy body pinning her to the sofa. She whimpered with urgent need as she lifted her hips, needingmore, more, more.
“Oh yes,” she groaned.
He thrust powerfully, moving with slow, smooth, and even strokes. His leanly muscled hips moved sinuously, slapping against her with audible force. Every time his cock traveled in and out, in and out, she felt herself slipping toward the precipice of a truly thunderous climax.
His body strained against her own, taut as a bowstring. She let out a scream as the orgasm crashed into her and overwhelmed her. His seed spurt inside her, warm and invigorating, and fueling her climax to even greater heights.
Then they were clutching at each other, arms and legs entangled. She nuzzled her face into his powerful shoulder and sighed.
Yes…
FIFTY-FIVE
Crimson light filtered through the bedroom curtains, painting Zina’s skin in shades of ruby. She stirred beneath the sheets, consciousness returning slowly as warmth enveloped her from behind. A strong arm draped possessively across her waist. Xai. The dragon elder whose heat now radiated against her back like a personal furnace.
Zina lay still, savoring the moment. His steady breathing tickled the nape of her neck, each exhale a reminder of their night together. Never had she imagined herself here—wrapped in the embrace of a being who’d lived five centuries, whose power could level buildings, yet who’d touched her with such tender reverence.
She shifted slightly, turning to study him. In sleep, the stern council elder transformed into something softer. His light brown hair fell across his forehead in disarray, his strong jaw relaxed. One small patch of burnished copper scales remained visible on his forearm—evidence of how thoroughly she’d dismantled his legendary control.
Unable to resist, Zina traced her finger along the scales’ edges. The texture fascinated her—smoother than they appeared, warm to the touch. As her finger moved across them, the scales shimmered in response like ripples across a golden pond.
His breathing changed, growing shallower. The arm around her waist tightened imperceptibly.
“See something interesting, lioness?” His voice rumbled against her ear, rough with sleep yet tinged with amusement.
The endearment sent a shiver through her body. Something possessive and primal in the way he said it—not diminutive but acknowledging her true nature.
Zina shifted to face him, their noses inches apart on the pillow. The golden-brown of his eyes had intensified overnight, tiny flecks of amber catching the strange light.
“I’m wondering how many women throughout history have seen the great Xai Emberwylde with bedhead.” She reached up to brush a strand of hair from his forehead. “I’m guessing not many.”
His lips curved upward, revealing a rarely seen dimple in his left cheek. “Significantly fewer than you might imagine.”
“Their loss.” She traced her finger along his jaw, still marveling at her newfound freedom to touch him this way. “You make quite the pretty picture in the morning light.”
Xai captured her wandering hand, bringing her palm to his lips. “And you’re dangerously distracting.”
The heat in his gaze sparked an answering warmth low in her belly. How could he affect her so strongly with nothing more than a look? A week ago, that same intensity had intimidated her during his inspection of her spa. Now she recognized it for what it was—desire barely contained.
She leaned forward to close the distance between them, but froze as the strange quality of light finally registered in her brain. The crimson glow filtering through her curtains wasn’t sunrise.
Xai noticed her hesitation, following her gaze toward the window. In one fluid motion, he rose from the bed, crossing to the curtains. His muscular form silhouetted against the fabric as he pulled it aside.
Crimson moonlight spilled into the room, painting his bare chest in blood-red hues. The scales that had been confined to his forearm now spread across his shoulders in response to the unnatural light.