Chapter 5

When his mate woke, he watched her wince as she moved. Lalani would need some tender-loving care.

“Good afternoon, Princess.”

“Afternoon? Did I sleep that long?” She looked horrified. “I’m so sorry. You should have shoved me off.”

“That’s never going to happen, Princess. The other dragons knew I would be scarce as our bond matures.”

“Is that a fancy way to say as we screw?”

“Making love is not the only part of bonding with one’s mate, Lalani.” He studied her face, trying to decide if she was embarrassed or if something else was going on.

“So, they don’t know we’re having sex?”

Oh, they know that.

“Khadar!” Her exclamation confirmed the thought of everyone knowing they were physically involved flustered her. Well, more than involved. Their bond had blown him away as well. He’d never heard of the mate’s brains being linked while the dragon was in human form—not without assistance.

“I understand, Princess. Know that everyone wishes us well and would never judge you.”

“Not the Petersons.”

“Wipe them from your mind, Lalani. They will not bother you again. Now, I am going to run a hot bath for you to soak away any tenderness. Then we’ll get something to eat before I show you around your new home.”

“Oh, I’d like that. Can you still get hot water?”

“Dragons are collectors. The nonelectric water heating system from years ago is still in working order.” He sat up and lifted her onto his lap.

“That has to be a hundred years old,” she marveled before remembering who she was talking to. “How old are you?”

“Not as old as the mountains, but close. Set Lettuce on the pillow. He needs more sleep,” Khadar instructed and paused for her to follow his instructions.

“Good girl.” He rose from the bed with her cradled in his arms and walked toward the bathroom.

“You’re kidding, right?”

“No.” He set her feet on the tile. “Go potty.”

Turning on the water to fill the tub while she used the toilet, he jumped into the clear-walled shower. Cold water pelted down on him from the wide showerhead. He saw her come back into the main area and stop to stare at him. Just the feel of her eyes on his shaft made it react. As she approached, staring at his body displayed under the cascade, she saw his shaft thicken and lift. Tempted, she opened the door and felt the frigid air gush from the large enclosure.

“Brrr!”

“Go check the water in the tub, Princess. It’s too cold in here for you.”

Pouting slightly, she let him close the door. He watched her walk the short distance to the tub, turning back around to watch him shower. His body couldn’t resist her allure. His cock had responded immediately to her interest.

The temptress rested one hand on the edge of the tub and leaned over to swirl the other through the water as if she were testing the temperature. The view of her bottom pointed deliberately his way, displaying her assets, made him dunk his head under the cold water as he struggled for control. She was already sore. He squeezed the base of his cock hard as he drowned himself.

When he’d regained his control, Khadar stepped back from the spray and looked for her. She sat on the edge of the tub, still focused on the shower. As he stared at her, resisting her allure with every fiber of his being, Lalani spread her legs and stroked a hand up her inner thigh. When her hand reached her pussy, he came out of the shower with a roar.

As he stalked forward, she widened her legs and stroked her fingers through her pink folds. He could see how wet she was already.

Hands behind your back!

She moved slowly, as if debating whether or not to comply. He knew she’d decided the minute she smiled at him. Locking eyes with him, she traced her wet opening.

Reaching his naughty mate, Khadar scooped her up with an arm around her waist. As she dangled over his forearm, he remembered to turn off the water before sitting down to drape Lalani over his lap. He landed his first swat before she understood what he had planned.

“Nooooo!” she wailed as his hand smacked her vulnerable bottom several times in succession. “I don’t want to get spanked, Khadar.”

“Daddy,” he corrected easily as he continued to spank her. Her skin took on a rosy hue. “What did I say?”

“Something I didn’t want to do. I suppose you want me to look at you, too,” she answered petulantly, staring at him.

Wrong answer.

As her spanking continued, Khadar watched her face. He saw the exact moment her mind stopped telling her to fight and she submitted to his control. When she drooped over his lap with tears dripping to the tile below her feet, he rubbed her pink bottom.

“You don’t let me have any fun,” she accused him.

“You were doing an excellent job of seducing me, Princess. But I know you’re already sore. Making love to you now would not be enjoyable for you.”

“It might be.”

He traced the cleft of her bottom to her drenched opening. Her body had enjoyed her spanking. Monitoring her expression, he pressed a finger into her pussy and stopped as she winced again. “My penis is much larger than my finger.”

She nodded her agreement before catching herself. Lalani looked down at the ground, unable to maintain eye contact as she whispered, “But I enjoyed our time together last night. I want to feel like that again.”

“You will, Princess. I promise. But now, you need to let me take care of you.” He lifted her from his thighs and sat her on his lap. Tilting her face up, Khadar kissed her tear-stained cheeks.

“Now. Let’s get you into the tub so Daddy can bathe you.”

Khadar rose and lowered her gently into the water. Her hiss when the hot water touched her bottom made him hide a smile. Soaking would take the sting from her punished bottom as well.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, Lalani.”

“You’re still…”

Her voice trailed off as he lowered himself to kneel next to the tub. He guessed, “Naked?”

She nodded and then added, “Hard.”

Picking up a soft washcloth, he dipped it in the water before answering. “That’s going to happen frequently around you, Princess.”

“Do you need me to help you?”

“Help my cock?” he asked, not sure what she was offering as he dispensed sweet-smelling soap on the damp cloth.

Another nod confirmed that guess, and he took her arm to wash. He spread lather over her skin before answering, “I will give you permission to touch or taste me another day, mate. Today is not good for you.”

“Really?” When he nodded, she followed that with, “But that’s not fair to you.”

“My cock will be fine if we stop talking about it.”

She considered that for a few seconds then started giggling. “Sorry, Daddy.”

“You are not. Lying to Daddy gets you spanked faster than not following my directions,” he warned. “Close your eyes so I can wash your face.”

“I’m not in trouble?” She tilted her face up for him to clean it.

“No, Princess. You’re adorable, and I can’t believe how lucky I am to have you as my mate.” He pressed a kiss to her lips before reining himself in and continuing her bath.

“I think I’m lucky, too.”

He rewarded that with a kiss against her palm as he washed her arm.

“What would have happened if I’d never come back to Wyvern?”

“I would not have had a mate until you passed away. Then the next possible mate would have to be born and mature,” he explained.

“That could be years!”

“I hope you would have had a very long, happy life if we hadn’t met,” Khadar assured her.

“Even if that meant you were alone?”

“Yes, Princess. Whether you’re my mate or not, your life is important. I would never wish that away. Toes next,” he requested.

She lifted one foot out of the water to wiggle those digits at him. He cradled her heel in his hand and cleaned her foot, paying special attention to her toes. Lalani couldn’t keep herself from giggling. Her somber mood dissolved.

“Ticklish much?” he said with a grin.

“Not normally. I think you have the magic touch.”

He winked and said, “Indeed.”

Khadar washed her leg and softly smoothed over her pussy, washing her arousal away. He cupped her bottom with one hand and lifted her off the tub floor to whisk between her buttocks. She realized he was going to take care of her completely. Allowing her to settle back down on the porcelain, Khadar cleaned her other leg.

“Keep your legs spread. Let the warm water ease your soreness,” he commanded as he moved onto her torso.

His soft and soothing touch shouldn’t have aroused her… But this was Khadar touching her. She knew how he could make her feel. When he didn’t use any of his super sexy Daddy moves, Lalani was disappointed.

“No pouting, Princess. I will enjoy your sweet curves completely at another time.”

“I feel better now,” she assured him.

“I’m glad.”

Snorting at his obvious stubbornness, Lalani dropped one hand from the edge of the tub into the water. A plume of water spouted up and splashed over Khadar’s powerful chest.

“I didn’t mean to do that,” Lalani assured him.

“Right,” he answered skeptically.

“No, really. I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted, Lalani. Next time, I’ll know it’s not an accident.”

“Yes, Daddy.”

In a short time, he finished bathing her. Khadar rose smoothly to his feet. “Stay there until I come back to help you out. It will be a few minutes before the water cools.”

“Um, Daddy.”

“I know, Princess. Being near you excites me.”

As he walked away, she waited to feel pain as the mate bond stretched between them. There was some discomfort, but the link had eased.

Princess. I am close.

You can still hear my thoughts?

Yes. Our connection is strong. If it bothers you, I can show you how to dampen it.

Sitting in the warm water, she wondered how much of what was going on in her brain she wanted him to know. Was it healthy for him to know what she was thinking? What if she got furious?

She waited for Khadar to comment on that thought, but he was quiet. There were many things that he decided for her. This seemed to be something she had control over. Lalani liked that Khadar trusted her either way. What man wanted to know if their woman was looking at another man?

Khadar appeared in the bathroom wearing jeans that hugged his thick thighs. As she devoured his appearance, Khadar walked toward her. She held up her hands for him to help her from the tub. Instead, he leaned over her to grip each side of her torso and lifted her effortlessly out of the water.

“You will not look at other dragons,” he breathed. That telltale flash of green told her to tread lightly.

“Of course not, Daddy,” she assured him as he wrapped a towel around her.

“Good girl.”