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“Regardless of your sexual preference, Mr. Dorado, I am here on behalf of Merlin Banking Solutions to help you during this transitional period back into society and to acquaint you with our new software and terms.”
Rei went still the second he distinguished the woman’s unique, husky voice. The timbre of it shot sparks of electricity down his spine. His ears were buzzing with the unique vibrations of her words. In fact, he was tingling all over with awareness.
Somehow, this account specialist had gotten past his assistant and was now intruding on his personal office. He’d have to thank Alameda later. His Dragon pushed forward. Grrr.
Fire ignited in his belly at the sultry throaty little sounds she made. Her sexy voice resonated with him. How would she sound first thing in the morning, last thing at night? He intended to find out.
This mysterious woman sounded good to his ears as she insulted him with her tongue. Naughty little kitten. An enticing mix of someone who was used to her asserting her intelligence and yet she seemed to still be getting comfortable with her authority. Fascinating.
Eyes closed Rei sucked in a long, deep breath hoping to sample her fragrance on his tongue. Her scent reached his nostrils sparking a deep, throbbing need to get closer to its source.
An intoxicating combination of sunshine, magic, and clean, fresh earth, her delicious fragrance strummed a feeling of intense awareness inside of him. Shifter. Yes, she was a supernatural, like him, but not a Dragon. In fact, there were no female Dragons far as he knew.
It did not matter. This woman’s unique scent tantalized his senses. Some sort of feline. Yes. But which one? A mystery he’d soon solve. Taking another breath, he held back a shudder of anticipation.
Delighted to find the small hints of her flavor were enough to ignite a flame in the deepest part of him. Lust surged through his loins so fierce he knew it was not simply because he’d gone without woman for over a century. This was the moment he’d been waiting centuries for.
Her delicate scent washed over him in waves. Fresh and bright, with something more around the edges, something magical that heated his blood and stirred his beast. Mine, his Dragon tensed and pushed against his feverish skin.
Was she as aware as him? He opened his eyes, knowing they shone with the gold of his dragon. He watched her closely for any sign of recognition.
A flash from her eyes, a drop of perspiration on her brow, a tremor through her limbs, anything. Anything to show him she too recognized the call. But she remained cool and aloof. Untouchable. A perfectly poised feline, standing tall for all her tiny stature would allow. Beautiful, for sure, and proud. As if she were completely unaffected.
We shall see about that, kitten.
Rei needed to get closer to her, but not yet. First, he wanted to absorb every detail about this woman. His woman. Raising his eyes, he started at the low heels of her travelling shoes.
Supple red leather covered her toes, revealing slim ankles and curvaceous calves. A woman’s ankles were considered highly erotic in his day. Staring at hers, he finally understood why. Biting back his need to growl, Rei continued his thorough perusal.
He’d become familiar with the fact that modern women wore much less articles of clothing than they had the last time he was awake. That said, he was not entirely prepared for the sudden, intense flash of possessiveness that raced through him. He wanted to bare his fangs at Alameda and crush any man who’d glimpsed her like this!
Another look and possessive fury was replaced with such intense lust that it hit him hard in the gut. He took in the skintight, knee length skirt that hugged her thighs and hips, showing off the indent of her tiny waist and this time could not contain the rumble of his chest.
The silky blouse she wore highlighted her ripe, full breasts and the soft womanly swell of her curves. Both skirt and shirt were navy blue, not a particularly sexy color, but with her creamy olive toned skin and red tinted lips, the result was outstanding.
She wore no jewelry, no other adornment than those assets the gods had blessed her with. And what incredible assets they were. Rei made a mental note to increase his prayers and offerings the next solstice.
With a raised eyebrow she waited patiently until he was finished looking her over. Still, arrogant beast that he was, Rei took his time. She was quite beautiful and demanded all his attention. Surely, his kitten could appreciate that.
Her shoulder length brown hair hung in a shiny and thick curtain, curling just around the edges. It was skillfully cut to frame her face and he found himself longing to bury his nose in the silky strands and run his fingers through it. A no-nonsense expression sat on her heart-shaped face, almost as if she was bored.
Liar, liar. Rei stared some more, noting with interest the way her breathing increased, though she did her best to mask it. Her reddish lips parted, a small coral tongue darting out to wet her lips.
Her smooth skin was glowing. Rei saw plenty of it between her sleeveless shirt and short skirt. Beautiful, but what struck him right to his core was her gorgeous eyes. Outlined just barely in dark kohl, they were mesmerizing.
Her eyes weren’t just blue. They were an ocean of blues, a myriad of greens, with limitless depths and stormy pools threatening to drown his soul and keep it forever.
Gladly, he thought, I’d willingly lose myself in her for eternity.
His mind went back to her statement and he realized he was being made fun of. She’d taken his request for a man to mean something he’d not at all been insinuating. Rei was very much a heterosexual Dragon, though he’d no issues with those who preferred the same or both sexes. Still, it was a statement that needed addressing.
“My sexual preference, kitten? Would you like a list, or shall I just teach you as we go?”
“Mr. Dorado,” she took a step towards him and he noted with joy the slide of her thighs against one another under her tight skirt as she walked. Oh, the visions he had of parting those sweet thighs. Grrr.
“I understand that you’ve been away for a while,” she spoke again recapturing his attention. Straightening her shoulders, she continued, “I can request another specialist, a male one, but he won’t have my expertise or knowledge-”
“Don’t worry, I already changed my mind, Miss?”
“How do you know it’s Miss? I could be married,” she said, tilting her head to the side.
Rei’s Dragon snarled at the thought. Es meus.
A sense of rightness flooded Rei’s system as he staked his claim even if only to himself. Her red lips widened into a sly grin and he had the feeling she was toying with him.
Flaming balls, he cursed in his mind’s eye, a joyful refrain this time. This sassy, beautiful woman with the red heels, ocean eyes, and a wicked smile was perfect for him. He was sure of it.
She is my mate. My Fated Mate.
Rei sucked in another breath, nice and slow, desperate to get more, even the smallest hint of her essence inside of him. He stood up, forcing himself to move slowly.
A small smile started in the corners of his mouth then spread widely across his face. He was not unattractive to females, on the contrary, he’d often been sought after when out and about in society. He simply never cared about his looks before and only hoped she’d find him pleasing to the eye.
“Are you claiming to be married then, sweet kitten?” he circled his desk noting the door to his office was closed and the two of them were alone.
At some point Alameda must have left the room, not that it mattered. Rei had one singular focus at the moment, and it wasn’t his assistant.
“Uh, why do you ask?” She faltered at the nickname.
“Because if you are, I must apologize for I will soon be making you a widow,” he growled.
“What? You’d kill my husband if I had one? Are you crazy?”
“Then you are not married! Wonderful!”
“Oh my gods, you are crazy!” She exhaled.
“And you are indeed a Miss?”
“Yes. No. I mean, Cora. My name is Cora Tesouro.”
“Cora Tesouro,” he savored the sound on his tongue, “such a beautiful and apt name for my own heart’s treasure,” he lifted his hand and brushed a dark strand of hair away from her soft cheek.
“Um, I’m here to show you how to use our soft-software,” she mumbled the words as Rei dipped his head.
The magic spell that seemed to weave itself around him the second he’d caught sound, scent, and sight of her had his large body swaying closer to her softer, smaller one.
Rei was lost. In her eyes, in her scent, in the sweet taste of her plump lips. He used both hands to run his fingers through her hair, skimming the sensitive skin at the base of her neck.
She tensed, nostrils flaring. He recognized the signs. She wanted to bolt, to deny this thing between them.
Oh no you don’t, kitten, he mused. He’d waited far too long to find his one. This beautiful creature was all too aware of who he was to her. Mate. Mine.
That should definitely make things easier. His heart filled at the thought. After three hundred plus years of walking the Earth, he had finally found the one being in the universe created just for him.
Yes, his Dragon hissed inside his head. The air was thick with their arousal. He knew he should wait, take the time to talk with her, get to know her, but he couldn’t help himself. They were not normals bent on some mating game.
They were different, stronger, faster, able to distinguish with absolute certainty that they were meant for one another. A powerful need to touch her crashed through him.
In that moment the entire world disappeared, only the two of them existed. He had to lay his hands on her, to stake his claim, to feel her softness wrapped in his arms. He had to claim her. Now.
Rei tugged on her neck. Pulling her closer, gathering her to him with a tender gentleness he hadn’t known he’d possessed until he’d executed the movement.
Finally, she stood flush against him. Her sinfully luscious body pressed into the hardness of his muscled frame. Her breathing quickened, as he savored the feel of her curves against him. She was the perfect foil to his roughness.
Cora, he repeated her name in his head. She was soft and sweet smelling as a woman should be. Perfect. Being near her created a longing in him he had never felt before. Not with Tricia Cadela, not with anyone.
With good reason. This woman was his mate. The knowledge made him feel more alive than ever before. She was his reason. His what, where, and why.
Awareness slammed into his gut. He was damned near to bursting through his jeans with wanting her. Es meus.
“Cora,” her name became a low growl on his lips, a prayer of sorts.
She closed her eyes in response, her supple body swelling, the sharp points of her breasts biting into his chest through the layers of fabric that separated them. His claws lengthened; chest rumbled. He wanted her. Now.
“I need you, Cora,” he breathed the words into her mouth, sealing his lips over hers in a tender meeting that left them both breathless.
“Excuse me, Rei?”
The sound of an intruder came crashing down into the little bubble the two of them had created. Rei snarled, eyes glowing, teeth bared as he turned his head to stare at his unwelcome assistant.
“Um,” Severino gulped, “The, uh, contractor needs a word?” The thin man’s shock was clear on his face and Rei’s Dragon felt slightly appeased by what he saw there.
He is smart to fear us, the beast snarled. Rei agreed. His wiry assistant’s untimely interruption was about to cost him more than a little discomfort!
“Get out, Alameda,” Rei commanded.
“But-”
“Now,” his voice dropped even lower, a mere whisper that seemed to shout louder than if he had raised his voice.
But it was too late. The spell was broken. His cherished mate was pushing against his chest, backing out of his embrace. Ocean eyes wide as she shook her head at him. No.
“Flaming balls,” he cursed softly and ran a hand over his face.
