Mine.
After the night of the reckoning, I’d been careful. Taylor was a precious gift, and I wasn’t about to lose her because I wanted her to be mine, completely and fully, right now.
I wanted that though, so it was like winning the love lottery all over again to hear that she was ready.
“You’re sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. I’ve been sure. How many times do I have to tell you that you’re the love of my life for you to believe that I’m sure?”
Oh.
I loved her love words.
Just like I loved her pet names and the way she petted my chest with affection shining in her eyes and the way she lit up every time I walked into a room.
But none of that was her telling me that she wanted to complete a ritual that would fully bind us, soul to soul, for the rest of our lives.
“I needed the words, sweetness.”
“I love you. I want you. I’m you’re mate. Please make it official.” She looked up at me, her gray-blue eyes soft with love…and a little puffy with sleep. “Are those enough words for you?”
“How did I ever get so lucky?”
“Funny thing,” she replied, “I was thinking exactly the same thing.”
I tried to kiss her, but she squealed and hopped out of bed. “Bathroom first,” she called over her shoulder.
She bounced onto the bed and tackled me less than two minutes later, her breath smelling of minty mouthwash.
She tasted like heaven to me, a fact I couldn’t convince her of, even though she admitted that I always tasted of smoke and cinnamon and sin. Whatever sin tasted like.
As Taylor’s mouth met mine, I was reminded exactly what sin tasted like.
And love.
It tasted like pure, clean air with a hint of cherry.
The cherry blossoms scent of her wasn’t her shampoo. It was simply her.
The purest of air, cherry blossoms, and love. That was Taylor.
We kissed, and as I rolled her underneath me, I opened my heart to the love of my life, the woman of my dreams, my mate.
Binding between mates didn’t happen spontaneously. For us to have started to bond, there must have been acceptance on both sides.
But to complete the connection was an intentional act.
“Will you be my mate?” I asked.
“Yes.” It sounded like a plea straight from her heart.
I paused, my cockhead nudging her entrance. Only when she thrust her hips forward, searching for me, did I enter her. One thrust and the warm heat of her clasped me from base to tip.
I fell forward, overcome by the sweet pleasure of her gripping me so tightly. I struggled for control, not easy when I was surrounded by her snug heat.
She whimpered and wiggled, and when I didn’t immediately move, said. “What’s next?”
I shifted my weight, looking for more leverage, and I withdrew, almost to the tip, and slammed back inside her again, my balls smacking against her with force. Not a part of the ritual, simply because I couldn’t not.
Her eyes, so soft and loving before, now burned with passion. I held her gaze as I let my fire build. Green fire, the truest form of my magic, filled me up to overflowing.
She looked at me, trusting, loving. “Will it burn?”
“No, sweetness, not like you mean.”
With my cock buried inside her and my heart wide open, I let the fire wash over both of us.
I began to move, my body taking over.
She moaned and fisted the sheets in her small hands as I thrust again and again. The sounds of her breathy moans drove me into a frenzy.
When I couldn’t hold back my orgasm any longer, I panted into her ear, “I love you.”
Then, balls deep inside my sweetness, I sank my mating fangs into the flesh of her shoulder.
She screamed and milked my cock as she came.
I thrust once, twice, three times and collapsed on top of her.
The magic lingered, sparking in the air around us.
Not that I could see them with eyes closed, but I could feel the zing and snap.
“Oh. My. Gawd.”
I smiled into her neck. That Southern twang came out at the damnedest times.
“I feel all tingly.”
“Uh-huh.” I still couldn’t bring myself to open my eyes; the postcoital lethargy combined with the expenditure of all that magic was kicking my ass. But I rolled over so that Taylor was sprawled on top of me.
“And my neck doesn’t hurt at all.” I opened my eyes to find her studying my mouth. “You did bite me, right? I didn’t hallucinate being engulfed by green flames and being bitten?”
“No hallucinating.” I smiled and lazily hugged her closer.
“Are you okay, babe?” When I didn’t immediately affirm my exceptional health, she scowled. “Seriously, Bain. You look wiped.”
“Uh-huh. That was a lot of magic. I’ll be good after a nap.” And a huge meal and at least three days to recharge my magic.
Her fingers pushed my lip up, obviously looking for fangs. When she didn’t discover any, she kissed me softly.
“Where did your fangs go?”
“Away, never to be seen again. They only descend when a dragon mates.”
Her lips twisted to the side. “Which you only do one time.”
She sounded just a little bit worried, so I stirred myself from the sleep that was attempting to overtake me. “One time. Just with you. No one else. You’re my girl. My forever. My love.”
I fell asleep with my mate bundled against my chest and the image of her warm, satisfied smile.