"What's wrong?" I asked as I parked on the shoulder.
Instead of answering, he unbuckled his seatbelt and crawled onto my lap. Somehow he managed to straddle me in the tight seat, licking his way into my mouth and grinding against my now painfully-hard cock before I knew what hit me. He tunneled his hands through my hair and reached between us, fumbling to undo my pants.
"I know you want me, Maks," he panted. "I need you. Why won't you fuck me? I don't care where we are. You just had me in a stairwell. Please, just do it already."
"Devin, st-stop, oh, fuck … baby … yes." He'd finally managed to free my straining erection, and for a moment I forgot myself. My dragon roared to life, and my vision blurred from the heat rising within me. I could see my eyes reflected in the mirror behind him, glowing with the fire that blazed inside. For him. "No," I ground out, coming to my senses. "Wait, love. I have to-oh fuck, yesssss … " He wasn't waiting, and now I was the one panting. "I need to … tell you something … first."
"Tell me what?" he asked, frustration making his voice tremble.
My hands were already on his ass, kneading it, but I made myself stop and lift him off me in an attempt to clear my head. "Dev, listen. I want to do more than just fuck you, and you need to know that before you say yes."
"You can do whatever you want to me," he said, pushing his long bangs out of his face impatiently. "Really, Maks. Whatever it is, it doesn't matter. I want you, and my answer is already yes, to anything. Please, just … do it. I'm yours."
"I'm talking about more than just sex," I said. "I want to do more than just fuck you. You're my fated mate, my other half, my … my everything. I want a family with you. I want you forever."
I tried to imagine how that would sound to a human. Was it too much? I swallowed. Yeah, that might have been too much. Then again, I still had to tell him that I was a dragon … so as a matter of perspective, letting him know that he was it for me, even though we'd only known each other for a month, really sounded kind of tame by comparison.
But he'd gone still, and he wasn't saying anything, which had me a little worried.
"I love you, Devin," I added desperately, my mouth going dry as I said those words for the first time … ever. "I know you might think it's too soon, but I know."
He cocked his head to the side, his eyes softening and a smile playing over his lips. "This is why you've been waiting to fuck me? Because you love me?"
"Yes. Actually … no." I groaned. I was not good at this shit. "I mean, yes, I do love you, but no, that's not why. There's something else."
His glasses had been knocked askew when he jumped me, and now he straightened them out and raised an eyebrow, squirming into a more comfortable position as he waited for me to continue. Actually it was more than just "comfortable." It was distracting, and he knew it.
He was wiggling that sweet little ass on top of me in a silent dare for me to do something about it. I'd wanted him for too long, and good intentions or not, there was only so much I could take. I was going to have to kiss him again. But just once. Just a quick taste before I got back on track with doing the right thing.
This time, he was the one who pushed me away after a few minutes.
"Okay," he said breathlessly. "What else?"
"What else?" I repeated. I knew it was important to make sure he understood what he was getting into, but the feel and taste and utter perfection of him were too much. I was lost.
He put a hand on my chest, holding me back when I leaned toward him again. "Maks, please tell me anything else you need me to know-right now-because if you keep kissing me like that and then don't fuck me? I don't think I can handle it."
He was right.
"I'm a dragon," I blurted out, eager to get it said already and get back to what we'd been doing.
"A what?"
"A dragon."
"I don't know what that means."
"Wings. Scales. Breathing fire. I'm really big."
"A … dragon?"
I nodded.
"Is this a sex metaphor?"
I shook my head, and he stared into my eyes for a moment as if waiting for the punch line. When it didn't come, his face fell.
Okay. I sighed, scrubbing a hand over my face. He hadn't seemed to mind the "I-want-you-forever" thing, but the dragon bit had definitely been too much.
16
~ Devin ~
I kept stealing glances at Maks. He still looked like … Maks. I still wanted him. I kept waiting for him to tell me he had been kidding about the weird dragon thing, but he stayed silent. I didn't know where he'd been intending to take me, but after the awkward conversation on the side of the road I'd asked him to turn around and head back to the city.
He had, and now, as he drove, I couldn't stop looking at his eyes. I had to admit, the way they reflected the glowing tail lights of the cars ahead of us looked almost supernatural. I rolled my eyes, stifling a sigh at my own ridiculousness. I was desperately searching for reasons to believe him. What did it say about me that I didn't want him any less, even now that he'd revealed his inner crazy?
It didn't help that he didn't look upset. A sexy little smile kept flitting over his mouth, as if he had a secret that he couldn't wait to share. As if he thought that what he'd said to me wasn't a deal breaker.
And, God, the worst part was that I wasn't sure whether it was.
I wanted him.
I wanted him.
Oh my fucking God I still wanted him.
"I don't think Luke and Sarah would appreciate it if I took you home tonight," he finally said, glancing at me for a second.
Jesus. It was dark out now, and the lights reflected in his eyes danced like bright flames. When he turned them on me, I felt the heat of his gaze move through me. I swallowed, looking away as I realized that I was searching for signs that couldn't exist.
"Will you come home with me?" he asked.
I didn't even know where he lived. In the month since I'd met him, he'd always come to me. But he was right about Luke and Sarah. It was their wedding night. Wherever his home was, it only made sense-for their sake-to go there tonight. A part of me knew that I was just looking for an excuse to say yes, a reason to justify still being with him, at least for a little while longer. But no matter how rational I tried to be, I couldn't bring myself to say no. I nodded.
He smiled, reaching for my hand. "We just have to drop the car off to Dane and Wes," he said, his smile growing bigger when I didn't pull away from his touch. I knew I should, but I just … couldn't.
"This is their car?" I asked, trying to distract myself. He was rubbing little circles on the back of my hand with his thumb, and it felt so good that it made me want to cry.
"Yeah, they let me use it whenever I visit."
"Visit?"
Oh, God. I really didn't know anything about him. I realized that my hands were shaking, and he gave me a tender smile as he squeezed the one he was holding. I desperately wanted to go back to the part of the day when I had still believed that we were meant for each other. I squeezed my eyes closed, unable to lie to myself. I did still believe it, but now it made me feel anxious instead of excited. Who was this man?
"Where do you live, then?" I asked him.
"Wisconsin."
I blinked, still desperately hoping for a sign that he was kidding. Wisconsin.
Wis.
Fucking.
Consin.
I couldn't. I just couldn't.
I stared blindly out the window, neither of us speaking again until he pulled up at what I assumed was Wes and Dane's house. They weren't home, but he dropped the car keys off inside the house and scribbled a quick note, then took my hand and led me into their spacious backyard.
"What now?" I asked, pulling my hand free and crossing my arms. Trying not to be irritated at the way he still looked like he was trying not to laugh at me.
"You said you'd come home with me."
I frowned, not appreciating the joke. He'd told me he lived in Wisconsin.
And then he did laugh at me, as if he thought my irritation was cute. He also stepped closer, pulling my arms open and wrapping them around his waist. Kissing away my crankiness for a minute. I melted against him, embarrassed that it worked. God. I didn't know what to make of him.
"It's okay, baby," he said, his hand cupping my cheek as he looked down at me the way he had in the car, before the dragon thing. As if he really meant it when he said he loved me. "I know you don't believe me, Devin, but please trust me. I would never hurt you." And then, as if he could read my mind, he gave me his sexy half-smile and added, "I do love you."