Page 56 of The Dragon Recruit
I can’t risk him kissing us on the mouth.
Then tell him not to. Antony is different from other males. He won’t lose control and start a frenzy.
How she wanted to believe that.I’m not sure if we should go that far. I still don’t know what he found out earlier, and we could be needed at any minute.
Kai and Trina are watching Birkwood, and the others should be arriving soon as well. We can take an hour off.
As she eyed Antony, standing so close she could feel his heat, she teetered. It’d been a long time since she’d been naked with anyone. And while she wasn’t embarrassed about nakedness, it would make her vulnerable. The most vulnerable she could be, apart from having Antony inside her as she orgasmed.
Antony gently brushed her cheek with his fingers, up to her forehead, and down the bridge of her nose. The light touch soothed her, and he murmured, “Don’t feel pressured, Iris. Tell me to sod off, if you want. Not that I’m giving up, mind you. But I never want you to do something you don’t want to do.”
Her dragon said softly,Let him in a little bit more. Have some fun. Be something other than a Protector.
She’d been close to giving in, and her beast’s words were a type of permission. So she laid a hand on Antony’s chest and stroked, back and forth, loving how his breathing picked up and heart raced. “I want to see your body. Show me.”
The corner of his mouth ticked up. “As you wish, my dear. But come. We need more space.”
He took her hand, gently tugged her to the living room area, and gestured toward the sofa. “Sit down. Feel free to touch yourself, if you want. I won’t mind.”
She snorted. “You make it sound as if you’re a professional stripper.”
“You have no idea what I’ve had to do over the years. I once had to take off my clothes in front of a hen party. I ended up with far too many penis necklaces around my neck by the end.”
As she gaped, he winked and moved a few feet away.
Her dragon spoke up.Don’t be jealous. Just sit down and enjoy.
I’m NOT jealous.
You are. And that’s okay. But I want to watch our male.
Iris didn’t even argue with her beast. As soon as she sat down, Antony started humming some beat. She was about to ask what the bloody hell he was doing when he undid the first button on his shirt, and the next, and she forgot about everything but the skin he revealed.
By the time he finished the last one, she itched to caress the dark hair mixed with gray on his chest. His rather firm, defined chest, crisscrossed with a few faint scars.
Damn, he was sexy.
As he tossed away his shirt, revealing his upper half, he made an exaggerated flexing motion, as if he were a bodybuilder, complete with an expression that looked as if he were constipated.
Iris burst out laughing, and Antony grinned. “What?”
“You really don’t want to know because it’s not the least bit sexy.”
“Now I’m curious.” He stepped closer, squatted down, and put a hand to either side of her hips. Without his shirt, his heat and scent surrounded her. And she wanted to pull him close, feel his skin against hers, and do more than tease.
But she couldn’t go all the way, couldn’t risk a mate-claim frenzy. So she told the truth. “You looked like you needed to take a shite, is all.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Whilst I was going for comedy, I try to avoid bathroom humor.”
Her lips twitched. “Aye, I can’t see you playing fart sounds with your hands and armpits.”
He leaned in until his face was only a few inches from hers. “Is that what you want, Iris? Fart sounds?”
“Of course not. I heard more than enough of that during my time with the army. Men in their late teens and early twenties find bodily humor the funniest thing ever.”
He chuckled. “Men of all ages, I’m afraid.” He moved a hand to cup her cheek, and Iris leaned into his touch. “But all that matters to me is you laughed. And it’s part of my new mission to make you do it as often as possible.”
Her heart raced as his heated gaze never moved from hers. Some people said Iris could be intimidating, but Antony wasn’t fooled.
