His hooded eyes trailed over me. “No, Jess, there is no casual when it comes to us.” He leaned in the doorway, his relaxed pose all sexy. “I have two thoughts about what we do until this mate bond is sorted. The first centers on exclusivity. I want it. I demand it. I will kill any males, besides my brothers, who touch you inappropriately. If your second mates comes along … well, we will deal with it.”
There was the dominant dragon shifter that had been missing in the last few hours of gentle play. I had forgotten for a short period that Braxton was a badass – okay, I hadn’t forgotten, he wore badassery like a second skin, but he had been tempering it slightly. No more apparently.
“And the second?” There was a hitch in my voice, anticipating what he might say.
He straightened, his presence filling the small bathroom.
“Nothing that happens here will ever change the fact that I love you. I have always loved you. Since we passed puberty, well, it has been as … more than friends. You’re my choice, Jessa.” There, he’d said it again. Stronger this time with no hesitation. He owned his emotions without missing a beat. Damn, he was perfection.
My heart did something weird, like it stopped beating for about thirty seconds. I was trying to draw in air, but there seemed to be a shortage in this room or something. I shook my head a few times, before stumbling two steps and throwing myself at him. He anticipated the movement and caught me with two hands wrapped around my thighs. Our mouths met in the hardest of kisses.
I wasn’t sure when I fell in love with Braxton. Probably it had always been there for me too. I had been particularly harsh and dissatisfied with ninety percent of my past lovers. For a reason I’d never really stopped to identify. But I was well known for never committing; I ran when things were getting serious. The longest relationship I’d ever had was with my Compasses, and that is why I held so strongly to the “friendship only” thing we were rocking.
I had been so afraid that if I started anything with any of them, my commitment-phobia would kick in and ruin everything. Guess I couldn’t hold out any longer with Braxton. You could only fight fate for so long, especially with true mates. I was never acknowledging a second mate – seriously, that notion could just eff the hell off.
Our kisses tapered off. I squirmed as the need to be naked with him again overwhelmed me. But for now, the growling of my stomach was slightly stronger. I was lowered back to my feet, my Converses sinking into the soft carpet. Wait, how did we get out of the bathroom? This male had my senses all over the place.
We didn’t touch again as Braxton led the way from the room, but all this did was increase the tension radiating between us. It was as if we’d broken the seal on the attraction and now there was no tempering it anymore.
The trip out of our silent home and down the elevator was over quickly; we set off for the food street. “So what are we going to tell everyone?” It never crossed my mind for a moment that we would keep it secret. But I also loved my other Compasses and I didn’t want to hurt them with this new development.
Braxton actually chuckled. He was in a mighty good mood today. “I don’t think any of them are going to be surprised. They’ve been waiting for this to happen for a long time.”
Shit, was I the only one who hadn’t been placing bets on the inevitability of me and Braxton hooking up?
“We just tell them the truth?” I wanted to make sure we were on the same page.
He found my gaze. “Yes, we tell them the truth.”
Okay, I could do that.
The chattering of hundreds of supes and the distinct smell of the five races hit me hard as we stepped into what seemed to be a central gathering place in the sanctuary. It was around lunchtime, and all of the restaurants were full. I took a moment to enjoy the delicious scents, and my brain starting making a list of what I wanted from each and every place.
What? I was hungry.
Then I heard my name. “Jess! Brax!”
I recognized Jacob’s white hair reflecting the artificial sunlight. Still not touching, which seemed to be more obvious than if we’d been holding hands, we crossed the hundred yards to reach our friends. Everyone was there, the Compasses, Mischa, Louis, Quale, even Grace, who I hadn’t seen much of. And suddenly I saw him … I took off at a run.
“Dad!” my shriek was loud enough to have heads turning, but I didn’t care.
Jonathon Lebron was out of his chair and across the path in seconds, his alpha power surrounding me with the warmth and comfort I’d missed. Strong arms encased me as he pulled me into a firm hug. Just the scent of my father was enough to kick-start countless memories flashing through my mind. Some were shitty, like the years after Lienda had left him, but most were amazing. Besides the Compasses, my dad was the single most important influence in my life. He’d taught me to fight, helped me through my first shift…