Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 55059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Yep, she was going to give that a hard pass.
Choosing a pale amber frosted perfume bottle, which had hummingbirds on the outside, she opened it to place a small amount on her neck. The subtle fragrance was exactly what she wanted—she didn’t want Ryu roused from his sleep because of a strong scent.
Not able to come up with anything else to delay the inevitable, she finally stepped out of the room.
Ryu was sitting up in the bed, staring at the door with an expression that had her tummy doing flip flops, but it was simply too late to turn back now.
Maybe not? She wrung her hands and started to turn around.
“Eira.” His deep voice stopped her in her tracks. “Where are you going?”
“I forgot something in the bathroom,” she told him shakily.
“What did you forget?”
Grumbling her confession under her breath, she wished she had never left the safe confines. “To stay there.”
Ryu softly patted the bed beside him. “Come here, darling.”
Swallowing a gulp, which he might have heard, considering the frown that formed on his forehead, she slowly walked toward the bed.
“You know I would never hurt you, Eira.”
She sat down on the edge of the bed, putting as much distance between them as possible.
“I’m just curious—” She started to ask but had to clear her throat when she heard the fear in her voice. “There isn’t a chance you’ll lose control and change into a dragon when we’re … you know …?”
“Making love?” Ryu offered the words she couldn’t seem to form.
“Yes.” She had to clear her throat again. “Making love.”
However, he was not appeased with her pretend bravery.
“It would be nice if you didn’t sound as if you were about to walk to the guillotine.”
Was Ryu aware that when he became frustrated, she could see the reflection of his dragon in his eyes?
Scooting a bit closer to him so he wouldn’t think she was such a child, she confessed her worries, “I’m not worried about being beheaded. I’m afraid you’ll flambé or eat me.”
Ryu’s expression gentled after hearing her legitimate concerns. He ran an even gentler finger just under the neckline of her gown. “I’m not going to be able to make any promises, as I expect there to be a lot of fire when we make love.” His wicked smile had her insides suddenly quivering. “And I can’t promise not to eat you.”
She stared at him, too paralyzed to jump up from the bed when he kissed the throbbing pulse at the base of her throat. “You won’t?” she asked huskily as she was reminded of the pull and need that had been overtaken by her nerves from knowing that tonight was the night and there was no longer a reason to delay their mating.
“Nope,” he growled out in a sensual tone that curled her toes. “But you can bite me back, and I won’t complain.”
“You’re playing with me, aren’t you?” A small giggle escaped her, which had her hand covering the silly noise.
“No …” Lowering one sleeve of her gown, Ryu kissed her bare shoulder as he pulled her down onto the bed with him. “You look so beautiful.”
Looking into his eyes, she could no longer see his dragon’s reflection but her face. Humbly, she wondered if that was really the way he saw her. With him, she did feel beautiful, as if they were not only fated mates but soulmates, too, like Itako had said … were they?
Any thoughts she had just obtained whispered away as Ryu rolled onto his side and leaned on his elbow to gaze upon her. When his hand lay upon her belly, he started bunching up the nightgown, and it not only tugged the nightgown downward at the neckline, but it also rose from her ankles.
“That’s a slick move,” she told him.
“I’m glad you approve.”
Raising a brow, she gave him a disapproving look. “Depends on how you learned that trick.”
“I must have learned it in another lifetime.”
She wasn’t taken in by his innocent front, nor had she picked up the hint of his words, too enthralled by his eyes that remained on her chest as the gown slowly lowered to expose her breasts until they were naked beneath his dragon-like raptor gaze.
She jumped when his tongue circled her nipple, but the hand at her waist kept her on the bed. His breath felt hot on her flesh. Instead of frightening her, the sensations fanned her own flame of desire.
Surprised at how quickly Ryu was raising her passion, the word soulmates entered her mind, making her wonder if they were not only fated mates in this life but perhaps soulmates in every life …
Belief began to fill her as Ryu began making love to her for the first time, but the sensations were too familiar. This wasn’t only the second time he had covered her nipple with his mouth, nor kissed her as if her kisses were nectar that he would never get enough of.