Page 18 of Dragon Compelled
Just as I am focusing in on the subject of their conversation, Paige’s office door opens below me, and I see the strangers emerge. The woman is older with short graying hair and a stiff set to her shoulders that makes her gait short and clipped.
The male is much more relaxed and trails behind her as if content to let her lead. She says something to him in a low voice and then raises her arm to reveal a keeper tattoo just like the one Mag and Blossom have.
She recites a few words, and a portal appears.
The two of them step through it, and the portal seals shut.
I wait another moment to be sure they’re gone and then drop to the ground from my place in the rafters.
Paige’s door still hangs open, so I push my way inside and see her sitting behind her desk with her head in her hands.
“Paige.” Worry slams into me, and I rush over, bending to one knee as I reach for her. “I’m here. What happened?”
She lifts her head to look at me, and I’m relieved to see she is unharmed, though her eyes are red-rimmed from the tears streaking her cheeks.
“My love,” I say and don’t bother waiting for an invitation before taking her into my arms.
When she doesn’t protest, I make a decision and start for the door.
“What are you doing?” she asks.
“Taking you home.”
Instead of arguing like she usually does, she only sighs and buries her face against my neck. That alone has my worry spiking. I don’t put her down as I hit the button for the elevator and take her upstairs to the apartment we’ve shared since my arrival.
Paige clings to me, stirring a need that hasn’t been met in days. Inside our apartment, I shut the door behind me and turn the lock. It’s not enough to keep out any of the creatures who roam this library, but it’s a clear message to stay away if they know what’s good for them. Carrying Paige to the bedroom, I lay her gently against the mattress and stroke her cheek as I meet her gaze.
“I want to hear all about what happened today,” I tell her, “But not yet. Right now, I want to love you, Paige. If you’ll let me.”
She gazes up at me with desire reflected in her brown eyes. “Please,” she replies softly.
I lower my mouth to hers, reveling in the taste of her lips. She is addictingly sweet—a perfect flavor that has me craving her even as I’m already lost in her.
I deepen the kiss, and Paige responds, winding her arms around my neck. She slides both hands up the back of my neck and buries them in my hair, pulling me closer. Without breaking our kiss, I climb up and lower my body over hers, needing to feel all of her against me. After the stress of the last couple of weeks, I am determined to remind her what it feels like to be cared for. To be loved as though she’s the single most important person in this world and the next. Because to me, she is.
“Tell me what you need,” I whisper against her lips.
“I need you, Aries.”
“Show me where.”
She grips my wrist, moving my hand to cup her breast. “Start here,” she says with a mischievous smile.
“With pleasure.”
I squeeze her breast in my hand and claim her mouth with another kiss, this time with the full force of my need for her. Invading her mouth with my tongue, I draw sounds from her that match my own desire. She rocks her hips against mine, and I let go of her long enough to slip my hand beneath her shirt and brush my thumb over her nipple.
“Is this what you want?” I ask her.
“Yes.” She gasps, arching for more, and I’m only too happy to give it to her.
But the clothing between us is a barrier I can’t stand any longer. Drawing back, I note the disappointment in her eyes as I sit up.
“What is it?” she asks.
“I need to see you,” I tell her. “To feel all of you against me.”
I peel her shirt over her head and then reach back to unclasp her bra. Tossing both to the floor, I reach for her pants and peel those off too. Her panties are a tiny scrap of black fabric against her flawless body, and I inhale deeply as the scent of her lust hits me fully now.
