Page 21 of Dragon Unleashed
“Please, just give me time. I need to find a way to get you homesafely.The people here, they’re only doing their jobs, but if they find you—”
“Their job is to kill me. You’ve made that quite clear.”
Paige takes a deep breath. “Please, Aries.”
Nearly shuddering at the sound of my name from her lips, I consider her request. While I do not believe anyone here possesses the power required to match me in strength or speed, this is a world I am unfamiliar with. I have no weapons, no allies. Therefore, challenging anyone could be a potentially deadly mistake.
Getting home to save my family outweighs my prideful desires. “Very well. I will allow you time to find a way to send me home. But I must return,” I add, staring into her depthless gaze. “My family is counting on me. Myworldis counting on me.”
Paige swallows hard. Her gaze flicks down to my mouth then back up to my eyes so quickly I nearly miss it.Mine.The single word runs through my mind, but I beat it down.
Coming here must have fucked up my senses because, in my world, in my home, this woman is not my mate. She cannot be. And there is too much at stake should I choose wrong.
“Thank you.” She stands and crosses to her kitchen to fill a glass of water from the tap.
I follow, transfixed by the clear water pouring from the silver tube. “What magic is this?” I reach around her to turn it on then flick it off again. The water stops and starts with the move of a lever. It’s magic, though I’ve never seen an enchantment quite like this before.
“Umm, running water?” Her close reply catches me off guard, so I look down, surprised to see she’s standing between me and the sink, a mere breath away. Her eyes lock on mine, her warm gaze traveling over my face just as mine does hers.
This woman is beautiful chaos. I’ve known her for less than an evening, and already I know that she is the exact opposite of the mate my mother has described me needing.
But when I see her—
My thoughts die in that moment because Paige grips my neck and yanks my mouth down to hers. Her lips are soft and pillowy. Inviting, even as all logic dictates I pull away. An inner warning that disappears as her tongue runs along my lips, beckoning them to open. My beast stirs as I sweep my tongue over hers and forget all the reasons why this is unthinkable.
In fact, I stop thinking at all.
Reaching down, I grip that perfectly round ass and set her on the counter. Moving between her legs, I keep my mouth firm on hers, my hands sliding up her sides and skimming those perfect breasts I long to hold in my hands.
Her nipples are hard as I graze them through her shirt, and she leans further into me. I slide my palms up her neck, cupping the sides of her face, and bury my fingers in the thick strands of her sunlit hair.
Paige is an explosion of flavor. Heady cinnamon with a punch of Captain Morgan’s ale. My cock is so hard it’s damn near painful. And when the delicate scent of her arousal slams into me, I nearly lose the battle to resist my urges.
Mine.
Paige moans, soft and throaty. I press up against her hot core, my promise of what’s to come.
At my intimate touch, she stills. Her mouth leaves mine, and she squeezes her eyes shut as if the separation pains her. With both hands, she presses against my chest and shoves me back. I stare at her, our breathing ragged.
Her eyes open, her gaze colliding with mine. Immediately, her cheeks redden, and she covers her face. “Whoa! Holy shit, I am so sorry,” she wails.
“Sorry?” I echo, thoroughly confused.
She jumps down from the counter and shakes her head. “Stupid, stupid, stupid,” she mutters to herself. “Gotta stop listening to those audiobooks.” Muscles quivering, she continues to shake. Fear pushes through my lust.
What if she is ill? Where is the nearest healer in this world? How will I help her? “Are you all right?” I question, reaching for her. “Do you need to see a healer? Is something wrong?”
“Wrong?” She looks back at me, dazed, lips swollen from our kisses. “Ugh.” She shakes her head and mutters, “My nipples are so hard they might shred this shirt, but—oh fuck, I didnotjust say that!” She shakes her head, her gaze darting everywhere but mine.
I study her, trying to understand the reason for her misery. Lips puffy and red from our kiss, she looks utterly delectable. Already I yearn for another taste.
“Listen. That was a mistake. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
I don’t reply, both dumbfounded by the fact that it was she who stole the kiss in the first place and the fact that the bond I feel for her just grew tenfold after touching her just once.
Now it’s my turn to feel the cool claws of fear.What if—
“Use the blanket from earlier. You can sleep on the couch,” she says, interrupting me. Paige starts to go and then turns back, adding, “Please don’t leave while I’m asleep.” Then she spins on her heel and marches across the room to the bed chamber where she’d had me dress. She slams the door behind her while I remain standing, staring after her like a fool.
