Page 20 of The Last Bachelor Dragon

“Nora, it’s too soon, there are still things you don’t understand,” he said. “There’s no hurry unless you’re still planning to go to Bermuda.”

“I’m not going anywhere, and there’s no reason to wait,”she said stubbornly. “The way I feel about you isn’t going to change, I want you, Max.”

Her words nearly took his breath away and the dragon inside him, sensing his mate’s willingness, went into a frenzy of need nearly overwhelming him. “You should know by now that I can be as stubborn as you can,” he ground out from between clenched teeth. “We have to talk more before we take the next step, Nora. It wouldn’t be fair to you if we didn’t.”

“Then you’d better talk fast,” she said, getting to her feet. “Don’t forget that every time you’ve tried to get the best of me, I’ve won. I’m not planning on that trend to stop anytime soon.”

He opened his mouth to ask her what she was planning to do and how she could get the better of him, but she was already sliding the straps of her sundress over her shoulders, a confident smile on her face. “You’d better talk fast. It won’t take me long to take this dress off,” she said, reaching behind her and sliding the zipper down. “I’m guessing you have about ten seconds to say what you need to and then I’ll be standing here in my bra and panties.”

“Nora, don’t you dare,” he growled, then jumped to his feet when she began to wiggle the dress down over her shoulders. “I can’t say this in ten seconds.”

“You’d better try,” she said, grinning at him. “I’m getting tired of waiting.”

The top her breasts were slowly coming into view and his body began to tighten and tingle, the creature inside him wanting to demand satisfaction. “Dammit, Nora, stop right now,” he said, grabbing her and pulling her into his arms. “Shifters mate for life. If you keep pushing this and I take you, you’ll be mine forever, you’ll belong to me. Do you understand what I’m telling you? We’ll be bonded forever, and there will be no separating us. You can’t fight the magic.”

“I’m tired of fighting. I don’t care if it’s magic, the island, or fate, I want you, and I’m not going to take no for an answer,” she said, stepping back from him and letting her dress fall to the floor. “I’m yours, Max, I have been since the day we met. Stop wasting time and take what belongs to you.”

Nothing else she could have said would have touched the dragon inside him more deeply, and he was overwhelmed with an overpowering ancient drive to complete the bond with his soul mate. Overriding the dragon’s urge to take Nora right there on the deck of the boat, he let his eyes roam over her body, then reached out and pulled her into his arms with a low growl of surrender that made her laugh.

Her laughter died away when he threaded his fingers through her hair, bent her backward, and slammed his mouth down on hers in a kiss so demanding she was trembling in only seconds. When he let her go, she wobbled on her feet and looked up at him with pleasure-filled eyes, then slipped off her bra and panties before turning and heading into the cabin.

***Nora***

For a moment Nora thought that Max wasn’t going to follow her, but she felt him step into the cabin behind her, and a slow smile spread across her face. A new feeling of power surged through her, tangling up with the throbbing need deep inside her, and she turned to face him, letting out a little gasp when she saw that he’d thrown his clothes off as he followed her. She froze, her eyes taking in his broad muscular chest, narrow hips and powerful legs, a throbbing need to feel his body against hers slowly beginning to settle over her.

When he reached for her, she went to him willingly,gasping when their naked bodies touched for the first time and pleasure rippled through her, carrying with it a promise of what was to come. Anticipation made it difficult to breathe, and then Max captured her mouth with his. She was lost to the passion that began to blossom between them, and she only thought of the man holding her in his arms.

His hands began to roam over her heated skin and this time she welcomed his touch, purring deep in her throat as he caressed her, his mouth still busy with hers. He found her breasts and cupped them with his big hands, then began to tease her hard nipples with his finger and thumb, moisture blossomed between her legs, and a tight knot of pleasure began to form deep inside her. She whimpered deep in her throat and Max broke the kiss, then grabbed her by the hips and threw her up into the bunk, a look of impatience on his face.

She expected him to spread her legs and take her right then, would have welcomed him eagerly if he had, but instead, he slid into the bed next to her, leaned over, and took one stiff peak into his mouth. Already writhing under him, she cried out his name when he switched to the other breast, his hand slowly trailing down her stomach, then slipping between her legs. He nudged them open, then slipped a finger between her folds, his mouth still busy with her breasts as he began to stroke her swollen nib.

Waves of pleasure instantly overwhelmed her and all she could do was cling to him as he sent her soaring over the edge, her breath coming in short gasps. When the last wave of sensation finally drained away, she became aware of a need much deeper inside her, an empty feeling that she instinctively knew only Max could fill.

Spreading her legs wider, she opened her eyes and looked up at him. “I need you now,” she said. “Take me now, Max, I need you inside me.”

He slipped between her legs with a growl, then his eyes locked on hers, and he buried himself deeply inside her with one powerful thrust of his hips. A whirlwind of sensations rushed through her, pleasure, affection, and something deeper she believed was the bond between them, and she lifted her hips to him needing more. Max drove himself into her over and over, his growls of pleasure filling the little cabin as he took them soaring together, and she felt the tension inside her begin to grow again.

It was Max spilling himself inside her, his swollen manhood pulsing and swelling as he thrust into her which finally sent her tumbling over the edge, her nails digging into his shoulders. When he finally collapsed on top of her, still buried deep inside her pulsing heat, she welcomed his weight, afraid that she was going to float away on the cloud of satisfaction that was slowly engulfing her.

Long minutes passed, the only sound their labored breathing and the water lapping against the boat before Max rolled off her with a satisfied sigh. “You’re mine now,” he said, gathering her into his arms. “I don’t know why I spent so much time fighting this. You are the perfect woman for me.”

Resting her head on his chest, she let out a long sigh. “It feels like we were made for each other,” she said, then looked up at him. “We fit together perfectly.”

She felt her cheeks turning pink when she realized what she’d just said, but Max just laughed. “Yes, we do,” he said. “But just to make sure, maybe we should try that again. I would hate to be wrong about something so important.”

Before she could say anything, he flipped her onto her back and slid his hand between her legs. Any protest she might have made fled from her mind when his fingers began to explore. Letting out a long sigh, she wrapped her arms around his neck, surrendering to the wonderful feelingssurging to life, feeling the warmth of the bond between them slowly spreading through her.

They finally fell asleep as the moon began to descend in the sky and the stars began to fade, the passion between them still pulsing strongly and wrapping them both in a cocoon of happiness. A few hours later, as the first streaks of light brightened the horizon, a breeze began to blow, a current captured the boat and slowly pushed it back toward the island.

Deep in a cave back on the island, hidden behind a beautiful waterfall, the island began absorbing the power fueled by their connection and the source of its magic. An ancient crystal began to glow brightly, sending out waves of light. The island’s inhabitants were unaware of the magic slowly building deep inside the mountain, but would welcome it when they needed it in the coming battle.

CHAPTER 14

***MAX***

Max woke with the first rays of sunlight and reached for Nora, but her side of the bed was empty, filling him with disappointment. He’d been dreaming about waking up with her for days. Sliding out of the bunk, he climbed the steps and emerged on the deck just as the sun broke over the horizon with a brilliant show of pinks and purples, and he froze for a second, taking in the sight before him. Nora stood facing the sun, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, her hair a blonde halo of wild curls, eyes closed, the sun kissing her cheeks, and he was sure that he’d never seen anything more beautiful.

A wave of love so powerful it stole his breath exploded inside him. It was quickly followed by a burst of happiness when he realized that she was his, and all the disappointment vanished. They would have the rest of their lives to wake up together; one morning wasn’t going to make any difference, and his reward for an empty bed was more than worth it. Desire quickly bubbled to the surface when he thought about what was hiding under the blanket, and a smile slowly spread across his face.

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