Chapter 31

THIRTY-ONE

“ Y ou’re limping,” Quinn accused as they navigated the icy terrain.

“I’m walking with dignified caution,” Kai corrected, trying not to wince. His wounds burned despite her initial treatment.

“Right. Because that’s totally different.” She slipped under his arm, supporting his weight despite their height difference. “Stubborn dragon.”

“Bossy scientist.”

“I believe the word you’re looking for is ‘helpful.’“

“I believe the word I’m looking for is ‘tiny.’“ But his arm tightened around her shoulders as he chuckled then immediately regretted it as pain lanced through his side. Quinn felt him tense and stopped walking.

“Let me check those bandages.”

“I’m fine?—”

“That wasn’t a request, Your Scaliness.” She guided him to a relatively flat rock. “Shirt off.”

His eyebrows rose. “Demanding.”

“Medical necessity.” But her cheeks pinked as he complied. “Though I’m starting to think your impressive abs are some kind of evolutionary adaptation designed to distract from how terrible you are at self-preservation.”

“You think my abs are impressive?”

“I think you’re deliberately missing the point.” She replaced the blood-soaked bandages with clean ones, her touch gentle despite her sharp tone. “These need proper cleaning. The palace has medical facilities?”

“Yes, but?—”

“No buts. Unless it’s yours moving toward the infirmary.”

“Did you just make a joke about my?—”

“Medical terminology only.” But her lips twitched. “Though I suppose I should document all aspects of dragon shifter physiology. For science.”

“Of course.” He caught her hand as she finished with the bandages. “And what other aspects require scientific observation?”

Her breath caught as he pulled her closer. “I... that’s not... I mean...”

“Yes?” His other hand cupped her cheek. “Please, continue your scientific analysis.”

“You’re doing it again,” she accused softly.

“Doing what?”

“Looking at me like... like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you want to devour me.”

His eyes shifted to molten gold. “Perhaps I do.”

The air between them crackled with tension. His thumb traced her bottom lip, and she swayed toward him unconsciously.

“This is a bad idea,” she whispered even as her hands settled on his chest.

“Probably.” He leaned closer, his breath warming her lips. “Should I stop?”

Instead of answering, she closed the distance between them. The kiss started gentle, almost hesitant, but quickly blazed into something more. Her fingers threaded through his hair as he pulled her closer, mindful of his injuries but unwilling to let go.

When they finally broke apart, she rested her forehead against his.

“That was...”

“Scientific observation?”

She laughed softly. “Shut up and kiss me again.”

He happily complied.

The walk back to the palace took longer than necessary, punctuated by frequent stops that had nothing to do with Kai’s injuries and everything to do with the magnetic pull between them. Each kiss grew more heated, more desperate, until they barely made it through the palace doors.

They traipsed through the castle, seeing almost no one on their way to his quarters. “Your wounds,” Quinn protested weakly as he backed her against the wall of his chambers. “We should?—”

“Already healing.” He traced kisses down her neck, drawing a soft gasp. “Dragon metabolism.”

“That’s not scientifically—” Her words cut off in a moan as he found a sensitive spot beneath her ear. “Okay, maybe we can study dragon biology later.”

His laugh rumbled against her skin. “I look forward to your thorough investigation.”

She pulled back enough to meet his eyes, her own dark with desire but also uncertainty. “Kai... this changes things.”

“Only if we let it.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “You’re still you—brilliant, stubborn, completely impossible. And I’m still?—”

“An overprotective dragon with control issues?”

“More like ‘devoted to you,’ but that works.”

Something vulnerable flickered across her face. “I’m not good at this. The whole... feelings thing. Science makes sense. Data makes sense. This...” She gestured between them. “This terrifies me.”

“Good.” He caught her hand, pressing it over his racing heart. “Because you terrify me too. Every time you put yourself in danger. Every time you challenge me. Every time you look at me like I’m more than just a king or a dragon.”

“You are more.” She rose on tiptoes, brushing her lips against his. “You’re my impossible dragon.”

The last of his control snapped. He lifted her easily, her legs wrapping around his waist as he carried her into the bedroom. Her hands explored the planes of his chest.

“Still think this is a bad idea?” he murmured against her lips.

She smiled, pulling him closer. “Probably. But since when do I follow the rules?”

The last coherent thought he had was that his tiny, fierce scientist would be the death of him.

And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Quinn’s delightfully curvy body lay on the bed before him, covered in a sheen of glistening sweat from his kisses all over her body. Her scent and her taste were thick in his senses, clogging his thoughts with nothing but her sweet, naked perfection.

He crawled between her thighs, urging them apart. He gripped his shaft with one hand and pushed her open. Kai pressed forward, inserting the head of his throbbing cock inside her.

Quinn’s eyes fluttered closed, her mouth making an O as he glided deep inside her. His eyes watered at the tight yet soft sensation of his cock sheathed in her pussy. He bore down on her with the first thrust, her legs splaying out wide, feet lifted into the air. Her toes did a little curling dance while he rocked his hips into another thrust.

Kai helped himself to both of her gorgeous breasts with his hands, pinning her and massaging the plaint flesh. Her eyes rolled back, and a guttural, undulating moan ripped from her throat. She writhed as much as she was able, restrained beneath his bulk.

He continued pounding away, clamping his teeth on a groan while he fought not to come inside her. It was too early. He intended to hear the delightful music of her orgasmic screams again before he let himself blow.

Kai thrust powerfully, enough that the headboard cracked against the wall. He felt her body grind into his own, limbs turning to jelly as she screamed out another climax. He let himself come too, at last, filling her with his seed.

He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his forearm and then lay atop her. She immediately embraced him with all four limbs, crushing him tightly against her.

His cheek pressed against her own, he found her ear a short distance away. “You’re so beautiful when you come, Samara.”

She shivered against him, hugging him a bit tighter.

“You like that? I like how your eyes glow when you come, Kai,” she whispered back.

“Really? We’ll have to give each other more of what we like.”

He pulled away enough to kiss her. A tender kiss, which deepened into one of ownership.

He ran his hands along her body and began to move his hips, readying them both for the next round.