While he ate dinner, Alex encouraged Elaina to dominate the conversation. With luck, the distraction would help his food digest and not swell with sickness over his lies.
Her voice reflected her excitement as she told him about her day. His suggestions for the jewelry appraisal company had met with her approval, and before long, the conversation turned into her gushing about his thoughtfulness. He let her believe his attention to detail was special for her, rather than his standard operating procedure when it came to business.
At least, it had been his normal approach. The consequences of his sloppiness when it came to Elaina pointed out the cost of failure. He vowed to do better by her.
She finished her tale and regarded his now-empty plate. Her tone became tentative. “Are you sure about all this? I mean, you’re putting your business name on the line for me.”
“For us,” he corrected. “I told you, I’ll do whatever it takes to make this work.”
That whatever encompassed things he couldn’t admit without losing her. So much for ever having a simple evening together like a normal couple.
“That reminds me. I have a surprise for you.” He placed his napkin on his plate. “I picked up something on my way home, and we’re going to play hide-and-seek and see if you can find it.” He guided her to the hallway. “I’ve hidden a diamond tennis bracelet somewhere in the house. Can you feel it?”
She matched his playful attitude, and for the next fifteen minutes, she walked several feet, stopped and concentrated, and then set off again. The manor’s maze of hallways forced her to make a few unnecessary turns, but she never went in the wrong direction. Finally, she stood in front of the beach landscape painting in his office.
He reached for the latch on the frame, but before he could reveal the safe, she touched his elbow. “Let me try it first.”
Her grip on his arm tightened with her effort, but nothing happened.
He wrapped her into a hug. “You’ll get there. I’m proud you were able to find it in this huge house.” Then the meaning behind her attempt sank in. “Safes don’t stop dragons?”
“It depends on the dragon’s strength. Unless an item has been abandoned, every piece has a base attachment to its owner. Things like sentimental value, security measures on the house itself, and safes all increase the level of attachment. Now that I live here, the house security doesn’t hold me back, but the intention behind a safe does.” She circled her fingers on his chest. “It would be near-impossible for me to overcome that barrier yet, but you’d just acquired the bracelet, so I was hoping for a miracle.”
“You’ll be able to soon. I have no doubt of that.” He opened the safe. “What about now?”
“Now you’ve taken away the safe’s intent to protect its contents.”
The way she spoke made it sound as if his safe was conscious of its purpose. He was still puzzling over that when the bracelet appeared in her hand. The sconce lights around his office reflected in the hundreds of tiny facets on the string of diamonds.
Glittering sparkles shifted with each tilt of her palm. “It’s beautiful.”
“Just like you.”
“I–I don’t know what to say. I haven’t earned this.”
He took the bracelet and latched it around her wrist. “This is the first payment on my promise to provide you with treasure for keeping your side of the bargain and not taking things anymore. You deserve it if I say you do.” He caressed her face. “And I say you do.”
“Oh, Alex.”
The glow of her eyes intensified, and she leaned into his hand. Static electricity whispered over his skin as the bracelet bonded to her. Providing her with energy made every penny he’d spent worth it. He could do this. They could do this—if she’d let him.
“I need you to tell me only one thing—is this what you want?”
“Yes.” Her voice sounded choked. “I do. I want you more than you can imagine.”
“Then this will work because that’s what we both want.” He stroked her lips. “And I can imagine quite a bit because I want you just as much.”
“Don’t make me prove how much I want you.” A sharp tap against his abdomen brought his focus down to where she waved her pointy nails. “Are you going to take these clothes off, or am I going to slice them off you?”
He undid his tie. “Let’s save that demonstration for less expensive clothes.”
He spotted his open office door. She caught his meaning and stretched out her arm. The door slammed shut on its own.
He rocked back on his heels, and his gaze shot to her.
An impish light shone in her eye. “You taught me I could do that the other day when you had me push the jewelry away to return the pieces.” One tip of her mouth curved up. “Did you know those doorknobs are solid brass?”
Just when he thought he’d accepted that she wasn’t human, something new reminded him how special she was. And every crazy dragon thing stoked his urge to take her.
He made quick work of the rest of his clothes. Chair, sofa, or desk? Oh hell, might as well go for the full CEO-sex-in-the-office fantasy and take her on his desk.
A sweep cleared his desktop of the quill pen, lamp, phone, and stack of papers from his briefcase. Her lips quirked at the pile on the floor. He half-sat-half-leaned on the wood and hooked his finger, beckoning.
She ignored his demand and reached behind her, under the shirt she’d borrowed from him. A series of dance-like motions of her arms released a lacy white bra, which fell to the rug. His cock hardened at the slow torture.
Her gaze never left his as she undid the button of her jeans and eased the waistband down her thighs. One bare foot and then the other gracefully stepped from the material.
The smooth curves of her calves captured his attention. The sight of her legs under his shirt distracted him from being annoyed. She hadn’t come to his summons yet, but God, he could get used to this. Her underwear joined the heap on the floor, and only then did she sidle closer, her hips swinging in temptation.
He reached for those hips as soon as she was near and drew her toward him. She’d left on his shirt—and nothing else. And that fact was a bigger turn-on than he’d thought possible.
“Unbutton the top four buttons,” he ordered, his voice rough with need.
Her tongue darted out and wet her lips, and her delicate fingers closed around each button. As soon as her hands dropped out of the way, he nosed the material aside and sucked a good portion of her breast into his mouth. Desperation drove him past gentleness. How he could need her so much he didn’t know, but he wanted to take her and claim her hard.
She didn’t seem to mind. Her spine arched, and her head tipped back, giving him easier access.
“Yes, Alex, yes.”
His mouth moved to her other breast, and his teeth bit at her skin. Raw desire consumed his thoughts, and he wanted to fuck her until she couldn’t take anymore.
He nudged his knee between her legs. She moaned and angled herself to press against his thigh. Her wetness spread across his skin. And if she was wet already, that meant he didn’t need to wait any longer.
His fingers slipped under her shirt, and he lifted her onto his lap. She understood and knelt on the desk on either side of him. Once she was in place, he yanked her down onto his aching cock.
They cried out as one, and he kneaded her ass with his craving. Her half-lidded eyes showed her pleasure.
He pressed into her hips, and she followed along, riding up and down his flesh. She was so slick and tight. And he was...
Home. Home to the only place that mattered—being with her.
All too soon though, she wasn’t going along with his lead. Instead, her slow, torturous movements were driving him mad. His fingers dug into her skin to force her down onto him, but she was too strong.
She rose up on her knees to tease his tip and refused to indulge his wishes. Her hips circled, adding to the cruelty. The heated glow in her eyes proved that despite her lack of experience, she knew exactly what she was doing, daring him to overpower her.
That was a dangerous proposition. Tonight was not for holding himself back.
He gave her one last bite on her nipple in warning and stood, gripping her legs around his hips. A sexy mmm vibrated her body in answer. He swung around, facing the end of his desk, and laid her out before him, her legs dangling off the edge.
Now this was more like it. The view of her presented for his pleasure filled him with unrestrained lust. Even better, this position gave him all the advantage while leaving her none.
Finally. A need to control something raged through him, building until he couldn’t deny it any longer. She was his to conquer. His to dominate. His to own. He seized her wrists and pinned them next to her shoulders.
A growl escaped him. “You’ve been a bad girl.”
She batted her lashes and bit her lip, feigning contrition. “I know.”
“I must punish you now.” He plunged into her as hard as he could.
She gasped. “I know.”
“You”—thrust—“will do”—thrust—“what”—thrust—“I tell you.”
The force of his movements slid her across the desk several inches. He yanked her close again and ground into her. She moaned and wrapped her calves around his hips.
He shoved into her, harder and deeper, unconcerned with the brutality of his action.
“You”—thrust—“will”—thrust—“obey”—thrust—“me.”
“Yes.” Her voice was breathy. “I will obey you.”
He punctuated each word with another sadistic thrust. “You. Are. Mine.”
Her legs tightened around him, and her hips lifted off the desktop. The better angle encouraged him to double his vicious motions.
“I. Own. You.”
Her walls clenched on his cock with a squeeze that matched his ferocity. “Yes.” She gasped again. “I’m yours.”
One last violent thrust seated him deep into her tightness. His release came with his husky declaration. “Forever.”
Her legs shuddered and fell limp. She regarded him with languid eyes. “Forever.”
After a moment, his mind cleared, and he noticed the odd angle of his desk. What the hell had just happened?
He’d broken his desk—his solid cherry wood desk—with the force of his driving movements. He’d attacked her with enough aggression to leave any other woman bruised and unable to walk for days. He’d completely, one hundred percent, lost control.
His stomach twisted, and he unhanded her. “Christ, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
She blinked and gave him a slow smile. Her arm stretched in a sensuous movement. “Don’t you dare apologize for that.” Her grin deepened. “Or else I’ll have to punish you.”
Her reaction eased the clenching in his gut, but his legs shook with the aftereffects of his assault. Hell, he might not be able to walk for days.
“I don’t think I’d survive.”
“Then you should do what you’re told.” She sat up and pressed their chests together. Her sharp nails trailed across his back. “Shouldn’t you?”
He managed a smile at her reminder of their dual-domination game. “I suppose.”
She approved of his answer and teased his lips. But even as he enjoyed their kiss, his fears about his behavior refused to leave him alone.
He’d never acted that viciously with anyone before, much less a woman. She didn’t deserve to receive the force of his frustration at everything else in his life.
And yes, he needed to keep her, but all the talk of obeying and owning? Where had that come from? On every level, he’d failed her, and he’d failed himself.
What the hell had happened to his famed self-control? The discipline he’d always prided within himself—from his lack of tears during his father’s beatings to his business acumen—had abandoned him.
Beyond the façade he’d hidden behind, he’d discovered something very dark and dangerous inside himself. Something that endangered his ability to have a relationship with anyone, much less the woman who brought his monster to the surface more than ever before. Something that revealed how deep his similarities to his father went. Something that scared him.
He vowed not to let it take hold again, even if that meant keeping an emotional distance from her. He wouldn’t surrender his control. And he hoped he could keep that promise.