Page 13 of Dragon Falling (Dragon Intelligence Agency 1)

Stopping short as he reached the door leading to the vanity, his head instinctually lifted as his nose went up in the air. Filling his lungs with a succulent scent he'd been longing to be reunited with, the Guardsman whispered, "There it is again." His voice was soft, almost wistful. Something no one had ever accused Ranger Evans of being. "Somebody in this place smells just like Ellie.”

“Or, you are willing her into existence,”Carrodoc chimed in.

"But, you just said…"Running his fingers through his hair once again, Ranger snapped, before taking a deep calming breath and starting again."Whatever, I refuse to ruin this time thinking about the mistakes I've made. I'm going to rest, relax, and recuperate, then get my ass out there and stop the threat to my Mate."

“And then…?”The Dragon King's laugh sounded more like rocks rolling around in a dryer, which made Ranger smile.

“And then, I’m gonna knock on Ellie MacLeish’s door, throw her over my shoulder, and have my wicked way with her until she agrees to spend forever by my side.”

“Solid plan.”

Ranger could hear the laughter in Carradoc’s voice and appreciated the sentiment. It wasn’t often that the Dragon King laughed or joked. Only where Ellie was concerned, and only when they were discussing forever with their Mate.

“I thought you’d like it.”Pushing through the hypnotic aroma that only grew stronger with each passing second, he headed into the bathroom and straight for the shower.

Kicking off his boxer shorts and grabbing a towel, he tried to ignore his hard on, chuckling to himself, “See what happens at the mention of her name, Bucko? All the blood leaves your brain.”

Turning on the water, loving that it was instantly steamy hot, he stepped under the spray, sighing blissfully as the hot water doused his wild curls and ran down his back. Eyes sliding shut, once again, Ellie's gorgeous face was all he could see.

From one heartbeat to the next, his imagination took over. His lips tingled with what he knew her lips would feel like, the sweet taste they would leave on his own. His blood raced in his veins. The scales of his Dragon materialized. Brilliant blue and red hovering over his body as the air filled with pure white magic, and his cock pulsed against the bottom of his abs.

He wanted his Mate more than he wanted his next breath. Shame his hand would have to do until he could claim the lovely Ellie.

Fisting his erection, unable to stop his hips from thrusting forward, Ranger tried to go slow. Wanted to make it last. Tried with all his heart to hold onto the image of his Mate.

Visions of his hand being Ellie's, the soft sounds of her sweet moans, the feel of her body moving against his was all too much. He couldn't hold back. The sensory overload of just his thoughts was incredibly, wonderfully, and blissfully overwhelming. He had to come, and it had to happen right that minute.

Up and down, fast and furious, he worked his hard cock. Breathing raggedly, barely able to keep his balance, Ranger threw out his free hand, his palm slapping against the tile as he fought to stay upright. "Oh, Ellie. Oh,mo grá. Yes. Yes! YES!" His groans echoed off the granite.

Coming so hard he was sure his eyes crossed and he might never be able to exit the shower, Ranger collapsed against the wall, his cheek pressed up against the tile. "Son of a bitch," he panted. "I have to get better at holding back. At this rate, Ellie will think I'm some inexperienced, randy teenager."

Waiting until he could once again move without being lightheaded, Ranger finished his shower, feeling better than he had in ages. He was also hungrier than the Bear Shifter, Beau, he’d met while searching for the Chimera with Banning, one of the Dragon Guard Berserkers recently returned from the dead.

Foregoing a shave, deciding that part of relaxing and being on vacation was ignoring the stubble on his chin, he scratched at the coarse hair covering his jaw and snickered, “Momma Barbara said it adds to my mystique." Leaning closer to the mirror, he barked out a laugh, "Hope she didn't mean that I look like a mysterious homeless guy.”

Finishing up by brushing his teeth and taming his hair the best he could, the Guardsman grabbed a pair of jeans and the light green T-shirt Momma Barbara said brought out his eyes. Shoving his feet into his favorite, well-worn boots, he took one final look in the mirror, shoved the keycard for the door to his room in his back pocket, and headed for breakfast.

Out in the hall, that aroma, Ellie's scent, was stronger still. Ignoring the urge to knock on the door across the hall just to see who had checked in after him and if they knew his Mate, Ranger forced himself to turn around and head for the elevators.

Exactly two steps, and he was spinning like a top back the way he'd just come. Every last breath exited his body in a sharp exhale that ended in a loud, "What?" He couldn't move. Hell, he wasn't breathing, and his heart wasn't beating, how in all the world did he think he was going anywhere.

How could it be? Was he dreaming? Had the whole morning been some illusion or delusion concocted by his crazy brain?

Then she turned. Their eyes met. Her gasp, the way her pupils got so big he could barely see the gorgeous emerald of her eyes, the pounding of her heart – it was all too good to be true.

“Ellie,” he whispered. “How are you he…”

Throwing back her shoulders, brows furrowing, her growl of frustration froze the next words on his tongue. She was breathtaking. Even more beautiful than even he remembered. Although caused by anger, or embarrassment, or hurt feelings, or everything all rolled into one, the blush on her cheeks only made his Mate more beautiful.

“Damn, she’s gorgeous,”both man and Dragon breathed in unison.

Marching towards him, her head held high and her eyes looking past him like he wasn't there, Ranger almost let her get away, before reaching out and gently grabbing her wrist. Feeling the flutter of her pulse under his fingertips, his heart instantly fell into sync with hers, but it was her gasp and the way her scent kicked up to a twenty on a scale of one to ten that had him blurting out, "Please don't go. I need you."

Stopping midstride, the woman that held his heart and soul in the palm of her hand didn't turn around. Her eyes stayed front. For precisely three heartbeats, she didn't move, didn't breathe, didn't blink.

Then, so slowly that he tracked every single movement of every single strand of her lovely red hair as it flew over her shoulder, Ellie turned the full force of her emerald glare on him and sneered, "And when did you come to this miraculous realization? When did it dawn on you that you needed me? As you were driving away and leaving me? Or all the days, weeks, and months that you didn't call?"

Moving so quickly that he shocked even himself, Ranger stood right in front of his Mate, so close, the heat of her body had his cock rising all over again. "I have regretted what I had to do every damned second of every damned day." Leaning just the tiniest bit closer, wishing he could kiss her right that very moment but knowing she would punch him in the nose, or worse yet, kick him in the balls, he smiled, letting everything that he felt for her shine in his eyes as he asked, "Please have breakfast with me. Please give me the chance to explain."

When she started to turn him down, her lips parting as her head began to shake, he hurried on. "Please, Ellie. I know I don't deserve it but give me a chance. If after I explain, you still want to tell me to go to hell, then I will."

Head falling forward, her shoulders bouncing with barely contained chuckles, his Mate, the only woman he would ever love, sighed, “Ya’ know what?” Looking up, her sparkling eyes meeting his, she teased, "If for no other reason than to watch you grovel…" Shaking her head, she exhaled. "What the hell? What's the worst thing that can happen? I throw my OJ on that pretty shirt of yours?"

Damn near jumping for joy, hardly believing his ears, Ranger refused to let go of her hand as he turned around, stepped back to stand by her side, and with his free hand, motioned towards the elevator, "After you,mo chroí. Breakfast, and hopefully not your OJ, is on me.”

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