Page 55 of Always Say Yes to a Dragon

He pounded into me in sure, steady strokes. I had just enough strength to dig my fingers into his shoulders. Rasping scales and hard muscle and the way he moved inside me, and then he groaned, his thrusts growing erratic.

Hot jets spilled inside me as he convulsed. Then he withdrew and thrust his second cock inside, and I came on a scream. His thrusts drew out my orgasm into infinity, until I floated in space. Nothing but pleasure and Az’zael’s nips and hands and pinpricks from his claws to anchor me.

He shoved himself deep inside me one last time with a bellow before collapsing on top of me. He quickly rolled over, drawing me across his chest as he sucked in air.

I nuzzled into his chest. It was warm and nice. His bed was comfortable, and I’d barely slept last night.

Az nudged me awake sometime later. The sun was still bright, but my stomach growled. A quick glance at my phone confirmed it was a little before noon.

At least a dozen messages stared back at me. I ignored them. Last night, someone had posted pictures of me and Az on social media, and my phone had been blowing up since. I hadn’t figured out how to respond.

“Let me feed you.” Az’s rumbling voice broke into my thoughts.

“Sure.” I rubbed my eyes. “No, wait, I have something in the picnic basket.” Closer to a snack than a dragon-sized meal. I’d hoped we’d do that in a day or two, so I could have some time to actuallymake a nice lunch. This morning, I’d hastily thrown together a few sandwiches while my mind turned over all the reasons he should send me packing.

The rustle of cloth and the creak of tiny hinges from the living room drew me out of bed.I hope he likes it.

I grabbed the nearest piece of clothing off the floor—Az’s shirt—and wrapped it around myself before trotting into the kitchen. It was just as opulent as the rest of the house, with marble counters, spacious cabinets, and a massive island in the center.

Az had a sandwich in his hand. It had leafy greens and tomatoes poking out from under the bread.

“That one’s mine.” I rummaged through the basket. “Feel free to try it, but this one’s for you.” It was little more than a pile of meat between two slices of bread.

“Thank you,Arum.” He took it with reverence.

Half the sandwich disappeared in a single bite. Considering I’d thrown it together in an anxiety-induced fit this morning and it’d sat on the counter for several hours since, it probably wasn’t the best sandwich he’d ever had, but he chowed down on it like it was plated in gold leaf.

I took a few nibbles of my own meal, my stomach suddenly too full of butterflies to eat.

Once he’d finished, Az’s attention fixed back on me, his gaze tentative. “Will you consider taking the apartment now that you know what I meant by it? It’s just going to sit empty if you don’t.”

“So, um.” I grabbed a napkin from inside the basket and wiped my fingers. “I was really upset that I asked you not to give me one and you did anyway. Packing up and moving is a big deal, and I don’t like that you tried to make a unilateral decision for me.”

Comprehension dawned, his eyes going wide. “Oh. I didn’t…I thought you were playing coy. I didn’t think about the logistics…”

“Because you’ve never had to. I get it.” I started tidying up the counter, my mind floating back to the apartment and how upset he’d been when I’d turned him down. It felt less weird to take it when I realized that, if I ran it through dragon logic, it was a declaration of intent rather than a run-of-the-mill sugar baby gift he could take away at any time.

He wasn’t planning to kick me out at the end of the lease. He wanted tomarryme. And if we could get our communication in order… “I’ll take the apartment if you can promise to listen next time.”

“Yes. I promise to listen to you.” He dragged me into him and kissed me soundly. Not the panty-melting, filthy kisses he’d given me earlier, but a full-body, enthusiastic exploration. His hands roamed up my sides, down my thighs. Gentle, so gentle.

“How long should I put on the lease?”

I shifted against him. “It seems unfair to ask you to go by human standards.” He’d tried so hard to make me comfortable, even if he missed the mark sometimes.

“I can do four months. Or five. Maybe six, if you really think you need it.” But the corners of his mouth turned down, and his forehead wrinkled.

I nuzzled into his chest. I’d noticed he always relaxed with a little physical affection. “Az, I don’t know where you got that number from, but two to four years is way more common for humans.”

He recoiled. “Years?!”

I ran a hand down his arm. “Yeah, but I thought about it a lot last night, and this is so unlike any other relationship I’ve ever had that I’m willing to decide within four months.” Az had been so sincere, so open with his emotions. Unlike any man I’d ever met. It was one of the things that initially attracted me to him, that intensity, his open enthusiasm for everything. Four months of that, and I’d be a goner.

There was just the small part of me that believed it might be a front. All my boyfriends had been nice to me at first. It always wore off after the first few weeks.

His claws dug into my hips with little pinpricks. “Four months.”

“Yep.”

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