Chapter 18 - Taylor

Dragons.

Mates.

What's next?

Flying pigs?

I shake my head at the insane situation that I find myself in.

Here I am, just a girl, sitting across from a dragon shifter who has just professed his love to me and told me that I am his soulmate.

Usually, a girl would love to hear that the guy she's had sex with thinks they are meant to be, but I have no clue what I am feeling.

I know without a doubt that I am attracted to TJ. I mean, who wouldn't be? But does that make me in love with him?

I think back over the past few weeks since we've been in contact again.

We butt heads, but we also tend to have a good time together. The sex is mind-blowing, and I hate to admit it, but he does make me feel loved.

I have never been with anyone else or been in love, but I imagine it has to be fierce, like my feelings for TJ.

"How do you know I'm your mate? What makes you so sure?" I ask, needing to know so I can figure out my own feelings.

TJ stares at me for a minute, not saying a word.

Did I break him?

He starts to stand and makes his way to the edge of my bed, "Do you mind if I sit?"

I shake my head no, letting him know that I don't mind.

"When we were younger, there was always something about you. I cared for you, and it bothered me, so I made mean comments to you, ones I never meant. I know now how my words negatively affected you, and I am sorry for that."

His apology comes from left field, but it feels good to hear. I open my mouth, unsure of what I am about to say, but he holds up his hand, alerting me that he isn't finished.

"When you left for D.C., a part of me always felt off. I never figured it had anything to do with you until you returned all those weeks ago. I saw you and my dragon went berserk. He wanted you, and so did I, from the moment you entered Druk Technologies offices. Then we talked and we each gave as good as we got. Every conversation with you thrilled me. I dreamed of you when I slept and thought of you day and night. There is something so enchanting about you, Taylor Montgomery, and I just know that you are it for me. I love you so much, and just want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side. If I have ever been sure of anything, it is that you are my mate."

My heart stops, and my mouth dries at his words.

They cut me right to the soul as I feel the same.

I wasn't sure exactly what words could describe how I felt, but hearing TJ lay everything on the table, I know what it is that I'm feeling.

Love.

Love for TJ Rubens.

The man destroyed me as a child but put me together as an adult.

There is just something about TJ that I cannot escape, and I don't want to escape it. I want to swim in it.

TJ stares at me and I take his hand in mine. "How does one mate, exactly?"

"It is intense and rather hard to explain, but I could show you? If that is something you'd want?"

I nod, "I want to, because I love you too."

TJ's eyes widen and a tear slips down from his eye.

"I hoped you did, but I feared I'd never hear you say it," TJ confesses in a low voice. "I love you so much, Taylor."

He pulls me into his arms and just holds me.

Feeling him around me, I feel almost complete. I want nothing more than to see what this mating is all about.

I break free from his embrace and place my lips on his own, claiming them as mine.

The kiss ignites love deep within my belly.

We slowly undress one another while trying our best to stay connected at the mouth. We are full of giggles and kisses as we take off our clothing.

"You are beautiful," TJ whispers into my lips as he cups the back of my head and pulls me even closer.

Our cores grind together until TJ slips inside of me.

I move on top of him slowly as I get used to his girth. As we had sex earlier, I am still ready for him.

"Repeat after me," TJ says, and I nod, barely paying attention. "Look at me."

I follow his command and our eyes meet. I see his eyes are now red-brown, and I swear I can see his dragon trying to break free.

"My mate, my love, my other half. Now and forever."

Something overcomes me and I respond, "My mate, my love, my other half. Now and forever."

As the last words leave my mouth, his body starts to glow the same warm red-brown color. The light takes over both of our bodies, and I feel it rushing through me. It makes me feel alive yet safe. Free, yet secure, and so full of love and compassion. The light bursts, and a pulsing sphere floats between our bodies before breaking into two halves. One part floats into TJ's chest where his heart is, and the other floats toward me. As it hits my chest, my entire body vibrates, and I orgasm at the same time as TJ.

It feels like a million orgasms are going through my body at once. Pleasure fills every pore, and then the pleasure morphs into pure true love as the glowing half fully goes inside my heart, encasing me with TJ's love.

I collapse onto TJ's chest.

"I've got you," he says as he holds me.

We are both panting as we come down from the highest of highs.

"Now that, I'm assuming, was mating," I pant into TJ's ear.

"It sure was, my love."

TJ holds me tight and doesn't let go for a long time.

We stay that way, connected at our cores as we soak up our true love.

Exhaustion overcomes me and my sight fades into darkness. I sleep peacefully knowing TJ is with me.

***

I wake up before TJ the next morning, but I remain by his side. I remember him saying it hurt when he woke up and I was gone.

Lying beside him, I take in his blonde bedhead. His hair isn't the longest, but his bangs are everywhere. He is a cute sleeper, and I move closer. He wraps his arms around me as he awakens.

"Hey," he says with a yawn before leaning down and kissing my forehead.

I feel completely whole being in his arms, and as I look up at him, I know that I truly am his mate. Everything he told me yesterday scared me but also made sense.

TJ is a dragon shifter, and he will always be here to protect me.

With all that happened last night, I almost forgot about the court case, and I frown.

"What's wrong?" TJ asks. "Your face is all scrunched up."

"I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

If we are going to be together, we have to put what happened behind us, and I need to be honest but the phone rings before I can say thing else.

Looking down, I see it is Lucille Yang calling me, one of my partners.

"Hello, this is Taylor."

"Taylor, long time no talk…"

There is an award pause.

"Yeah, how are things going in Washington D.C.?"

I hear Lucille sigh, "I should be the one asking you how things in New York City are going as I hear the case fell through."

"Lucille, I am so sorry."

"There is no need to apologize Taylor, Mr. Turnby fled the country which leads us to believe something fishy was going on with this case so we are glad that you decided not to show up to court. I won't ask why you didn't until you get back to Washington D.C. We have a flight scheduled for you in two days.

"Thanks, Lucille, Good bye."

"Bye, Taylor."

The phone call ends, and I feel relaxed in a way I wasn't expecting.

"Dylan's gone," I tell TJ.

"What do you mean?"

"Apparently, he fled the country after the case was dismissed."

TJ's brow furrows.

"He put you in a car with Carnelian and then ran away. Something fishy is going on."

I nod, not even putting those pieces together on my own.

"What do we do now?"

"We should go to Druk Technologies and tell everyone what's going on?"

"Why do they need to know?"

TJ looks at me with a guilty expression.

"What is that look?" I ask.

"Well, I'm not the only dragon shifter."

My mouth falls wide open. There is no way he's alluding to what I think he is.

"Lex, Liam, Pat, Damon, and I are all dragon shifters, and have been our whole lives. That's why we're so close."

Everything is starting to add up. It explains why Shane isn't TJ's best friend and why they are all always together.

"Wow." I don't even know what to say.

"Too much?"

I shake my head, "I think we should go to Druk Technologies and you can explain while we're on the way."

TJ smiles before pulling me down for a kiss.

"I love waking up next to you," TJ says between kisses.

"I love you," I respond.

TJ beams at me and I grin back.

In this moment, I know that I truly belong with TJ, and he belongs with me.