He tilted his head, a cocky gleam in his eyes. So gorgeous, so tan. “I notice almost everything about you. When are you going to get that?”
“It just makes no sense, because I—”
“I don’t want to hear you say anything else about yourself unless it’s a good thing. I don’t want to hear you be mean right now.”
She went silent at that. When had she become so cruel to herself in her head? When had she started to internalize all the words of the bullies until she couldn’t even see whose words were whose anymore?
“I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t think you were beautiful. Inside and out.”
“You barely know me,” she exclaimed.
“Then let me know you better.” At that, his mouth covered the tip of her earlobe, kissing it as liquid warmth coursed through her body, igniting her senses with an incredible, forceful lust.
“Yes. Do that,” was all she could reply before his lips moved from her ear to her mouth. But this time she wasn’t holding back. She immediately gave in, letting him inside as his tongue caressed the inside of her mouth, slick and strong as it entwined with her own tongue.
While they kissed, his hands found hers, pressing her gently into the bed, encompassing and protecting her so wholly that her entire world seemed to begin and end with Dante.
I’ll make your romance novel heroes seem like ice cubes compared to how I’d set your body on fire. His words from before echoed in her mind as he owned her with the things his mouth could do.
And then his hand found the button of her sleep shirt, and Ella knew he hadn’t been exaggerating. If anything, he’d been underplaying the situation, and she was about to find out how much.
Eight
Dante couldn’t believe Ella had actually asked him. He’d been waiting, his body tortured by the sweet scent of her in the air, the little glances she was giving him. But he had to make sure she was in it all the way. That it was her choice. Because she was already nervous enough about men and touch, and he didn’t want to add to that. He wanted every interaction between them to only increase her trust in him.
And at the same time, the gold dragon had been wanting to pleasure his mate ever since he’d laid eyes on her. And now that she’d agreed to at least one night, Dante was going to make sure he made it a night so good she’d want to experience a thousand times more.
No more playing. No more agonized waiting. No more awkward glances and sexual tension.
Just pleasure.
Dante undid the buttons of Ella’s soft sleep shirt quickly, revealing a white camisole beneath it. In the fabric, he could make out her nipples, and he eagerly kissed them over the soft cotton, making Ella moan with desire.
He’d never been so hungry for a woman in his entire life. For Ella, he was insatiable.
For a moment, he kissed along the edge of the fabric along her collarbone, teasing it with his teeth as she watched eagerly. Then he pulled it up and held both her breasts in his hands, squeezing the silky flesh gently.
He could see the slight flush of her cheeks despite her tanned skin, which satisfied Dante, since any sign of her arousal was perfection to him. And as he pressed his thumbs lightly over her nipples, she writhed beneath him, twisting slightly into the thick bedsheets. Her scent, floral and spicy, filled the air around them. And even though Dante had previously never much been one to obsess over olfactory experiences, Ella’s scent was as unique as it was arousing and only further confirmed what he’d already known all along.
Mate, the dragon beneath his conscious mind growled possessively.
But as much as he wanted to jump all the way and take the first step into fully claiming Ella, Dante knew he was getting way ahead of himself thinking that.
No, he would pleasure Ella fully, satiate her present desires, but leave her wanting more. Give her a taste, so to speak, of the pleasure he could offer. And in the meantime, it would give them time to deepen their emotional connection so when the time was right, he would reveal his true self to her and then make her his forever.
He lowered himself to one nipple, kissing it and then suckling it while he squeezed the creamy flesh with one hand. Beneath him her curvaceous perfection tantalized him, the feel of her hips on his thighs making him even harder than he already was.
On many occasions, he’d imagined what her curves looked like beneath the unflattering clothes she wore. He wished she knew how beautiful she was and that there was no need to hide anything.
Well, except this. This gorgeous, soft nakedness was only for him. He’d kill anyone else for looking.
While his left hand continued to caress her breasts, taking in the feel of her skin and committing it to memory, his right hand teased at the hem of her pajama pants, and he caught a glimpse of the white lace underwear she wore beneath.