This has to be the weirdest conversation I’ve ever had.
No matter her internal conversation, Charlie could feel the pride in his words. Being a dragon was important to him. It was who he was and he loved it. Not many people could say that about themselves. Her respect for the most annoying man on the planet grew exponentially.
“What else would you like to know?” he interrupted her thoughts.
She thought for a moment and decided to ask what she really wanted to know. “Sam said each of you has a marking of their dragon, kinda like a tattoo…” Nodding his head and standing before she finished, he fisted the hem of his T-shirt and was suddenly shirtless.
Charlie sat in stunned silence. Not only was the dragon that covered most of his torso awe-inspiring, the man standing before her was absolutely breathtaking. The beast’s head rested on the top of his right shoulder, the body and wings spread across his chest and abdomen, leaving the tail to wrap around his left hip. Of their own accord, her fingertips touched the tip of the dragon’s wing sitting right above the waistband of his jeans. An electric current shot up her arm, through her body, and landed squarely in her womb.
She jerked her hand away and squeezed her thighs together. Their eyes met. She knew by the way his pupils dilated, he felt it too.
Tentatively, never breaking eye contact, she let her fingers touch his dragon. Once again, she felt the spark, but this time was prepared. Her fingers traced the underside of the beast’s wings, moving upward until she had to stand to continue her exploration. The dragon seemed to come alive as her fingers traced the intricate design of a beast she thought only lived in children’s fantasies.
Charlie knew from her discussion with Sam that Aaron’s dragon was silver, but she’d never imagined the tattoo on his skin would be so literal in its depiction. The afternoon sun danced over the glittering scales as it shone through the kitchen window.
Reaching the beast’s massive body, she laid her hand flat against Aaron’s chest, gently sweeping the length of its back and onto his neck. She felt the intricate design ripple against her palm. The electricity she felt at first contact grew between them the longer her hands caressed his body. Normally, Charlie resorted to her clinical expertise and logic to deal with situations that defied explanation, but standing face to face with a fairy tale come true her imagination took over.
She saw the majestic warrior soaring across a deep blue sky, wings unfurled, head held high, basking in the glory of being alive. There would be sheer power resonating through his body. This beast knew he was at the top of the food chain, but had the dignity not to lord it over others. He was the epitome of nobility, a true master among the others.
The definition of the corded muscles in the dragon’s neck was another testament of his tremendous strength. She chuckled that the position of Aaron’s marking had her touching the back of the dragon’s neck while lightly grazing the man’s neck. His quick intake of air drew her eyes to his mouth. She watched longingly as just the tip of his tongue wet his bottom lip.
Acting on instinct alone, Charlie rose to her toes, leaned in, and laid butterfly kisses along his lip, following the path his tongue had taken. With her palms flat against his chest for support, she felt the thundering of his heart that mirrored her own. Unable to resist the man that filled her every thought, she sealed her lips to his, reveling in the feeling of completion that filled her.
Aaron groaned deep in his throat, the vibration teasing her hardened nipples as they pressed against his chest. She felt the warmth of his hands on her waist only a second before she was lifted in the air, spun around, and gently placed on the counter with him standing between her thighs.
Charlie tried to pull back and gather her wits, but Aaron would have none of it. He growled and pulled her tightly to his chest. Slammed his mouth to hers and demanded entry. Unable to do anything but follow where he led, she opened completely.
Her fingers dug into his shoulders. Her legs wrapped around his waist. His erection bumped against her excited clit, making her curse the denim that separated their bodies. Their hips moved in tandem, driving them higher. Aaron’s fingers slid under her ass, lifted her against his body, and he began walking towards the living room.
The sound of his cowboy boots striking hardwood told her they had reached the hallway and the little voice in the back of her head screamed, “Take me to bed or lose me forever.” Goose was nowhere around, but Aaron could fly and that was all that mattered.
His mouth left hers; nibbling along her jaw and kissing the little spot behind her ear that he somehow knew would drive her wild. She gulped air, trying to clear her mind, but all she could do was feel. Goose bumps rose all over her body at his whisper at her ear, “Which door is your room?”
“I’m upstairs, but the guestroom is the door on the right,” she breathed, finding even that a difficult question to answer with her mind lost in the sensual haze the man she was presently wrapped around created.
Their forward motion stopped and Aaron’s hands moved across her ass and under her shirt. His hands on her bare skin unleashed a flood of sensations and emotions so strong Charlie was sure she would spontaneously combust. He skimmed her ribs, massaging as he went, until his thumbs rubbed the sides of her breasts, and then moved to gently tease the tips of her peaked nipples.
Charlie arched her back, threw back her head, and moaned. The markings on her back continued to tingle. Nothing had ever felt as good as his hands on her body did in that moment.
“You are absolutely gorgeous,” he breathed, his low, baritone voice rumbling through her body. “Which makes what I am about to say one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in all my years. I…”
Aaron’s hands left her breasts. Charlie was unable to stifle her disappointed groan. Just as her lips were about to touch his again, she realized she’d missed the rest of his statement. Her eyes popped open and she said, “What did you say?”
“Well…I…”
Before he could continue, Charlie slammed her hands against his chest, unlatched her ankles from behind his back, and struggled to get loose. “Put me down you as…”
His hands tightened on her ass and he pulled her back until their bodies were flush, touching in every possible way. With an air of authority and between gritted teeth, Aaron rumbled, “Charlene. Stop. Hold still.”
The strength of his grip and the force of his voice stopped Charlie cold. She looked him square in the eye and said the first thing that popped into her mind, “Did you just call me Charlene?”
“That’s your name isn’t it?” Any other time she would have laughed at his smartass response, but on the heels of being stopped when she was more turned on than she’d ever been in her life, Charlie snarled, “It’s Dr. Gallagher to you. Now put me down.”
She saw the twinkle return to his eye but couldn’t be bothered with why. She wanted as far away from the biggest asshole she’d ever met in her life and she wanted that to happen immediately. His next remark shocked her into silence. “I will not. And you will listen to me.”
The grin she loved to hate came to his lips. She thought about slapping it away. He slowly turned, sat on the edge of the bed, and positioned her across his lap without ever breaking eye contact. She could feel his erection against the outside of her thigh, could see his pulse pounding in the vein in his neck, and heard how he struggled to regulate his breathing, so she had no clue why they were sitting and talking instead of getting naked. They sat for the count of five, just looking into one another’s eyes before he spoke.
“Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I want nothing more than to make love to you. I want it more than I want my next breath. More than I want to feel the sunshine on my skin. More than I want to wake to another day…” She started to interrupt but his fingers magically appeared against her lips, effectively silencing her words. The grin left his face.
“I have wanted you from the moment I met you, but I promised myself when we were finally together, I would savor every moment. That it would last for days upon days.” He paused and she could feel the importance of what he was saying, but had no idea what he was talking about.
Something big is happening and I’m clueless…perfect.
She saw a slew of emotions cross his handsome face before he finally began again. “Sam told you about my younger brother and his…issues?”
She nodded.
“Rian has a lead on where he may be hiding. We’re going to find him tonight.”
He leaned forward until their foreheads almost touched and she could feel his breath on her cheek.
“Our first time will not be a quickie and I will not leave you when it’s over. I’m sorrier than you’ll ever know that I let it get as far as it did. I truly only came over to apologize and talk.”
His grin returned and he added, “I will admit, I like this…” he motioned between them, “better than arguing, but it will have to wait until tomorrow.”
Aaron kissed the tip of her noise, set her feet on the floor, and stood beside her. Her eyes landed on his naked chest and she sighed. “All right, Mr. O’Brien, I’ll let you off the hook this time, but if we’re just gonna talk then we have to get the hell out of the bedroom and you have to put your shirt back on.”