Matching Dragons Chinese Zodiac Romance Series Book 6 (6 page)

Lok sniffed. A sugary, blossom-like fragrance teased his nostrils and a light weight draped across his lap and chest. A blanket?

He peeled one eye open. Nope. A woman. Kadence. When—and why—had she snuck onto his lap?

Her slumbering breaths played in a lulling rhythm, her cheek resting against his chest. He wanted to stroke aside the hair falling across her face, but a pressure weighted his hand.

Hers.

Her slender fingers entwined with his. He frowned at the sight. Had he ever held the hand of a human woman? Likely not, yet Kadence’s warm hand clasped in his sent a spark of peace through his veins.

He liked this.

Holding a woman, breathing in her scent, and savoring her heart beats.

No, not
a
woman. Kadence. Any other female would not soothe him as she did. What had brought her to do this? Was the pearl still in control?

Much of this was new to him. He might know what she was, but he had no experience with the inner workings of a dragon-pearl bond. He only knew she had to choose him.

If he could assume his true form and wield his powers, he could manipulate her choice. Dragons often did. Yet the notion of tricking Kadence into accepting him left a bitter taste in his mouth.

This was different. Her human free will would come into play. If there was one thing dragons valued as much as pearls, it was freedom.

He refused to take hers from her. Even if it meant…

No.
He clenched his jaw, tensing.

Kadence moaned, her lashes fluttering open, revealing sparkling violet depths. A slight curve lifted the corner of her mouth, but as she continued to blink, her eyes narrowed and the smile evaporated.

“Hey, you’re on my lap.” He raised a brow, chuckling.

She shifted around, facing away from him and pressing her lush ass into his groin.

His cock twitched, hardening the more she squirmed. “Will you stop that?”

At his sharp reprimand, she gasped, then her pulse raced as she likely felt the pressure of his thickness against her bottom.

Yeah. That.

Her fault. She stilled in his lap, as though unsure how to get off him without awakening his lust further.

Too late. He snared his fingers in her hair and angled her head to seize her mouth. One small taste and he’d release her.

She moaned, rocking, her ass rubbing against his rigid hard-on.

Maybe two.

The chain clinked; her hands clutched the arms of the chair.

Hell yeah. He grabbed her ass and shoved her to grind against him.

She did, undulating her hips in an erotic rhythm that threatened to make him come.

“
Argh
, Kadence,” he growled against her lips, his hand snaking around her and tucking under her skirt to peel aside the lace blocking him from her sweet sex. Slick honey met his fingers as he inched them closer to her core, circling before thrusting two in deep.

She cried out, gasping and squeezing his fingers hard. He matched her pace, pumping into her while she rode his hand, sliding in two more fingers to stretch against that tight heat. His cock throbbed and pressure built in his ballocks, threatening to explode if he didn’t get to sample where his hand was.

Bloody hell, he wanted to. Longed to sink into her wet warmth and pour himself into her. Dragons couldn’t impregnate humans—their reproductive systems weren’t compatible—but they sure could fuck them.

She bucked against him, her pussy gripping his fingers as though she was close to coming. But not yet.

He stilled, digging his free hand into her ass to prevent her from rocking. “You’re not going to come for me yet, little one. Not until I tell you to.”

“No, please,” she whimpered. Small spasms constricted around his fingers, growing stronger. She was so damn close, a few more strokes would push her over the edge.

Hell, not like this. He wanted to watch her when she did.

He slipped his hand out from her sex, smirking at her pouting mewl, and drew his fingers to his mouth, dipping them inside.

Fuck.
His eyes shuttered as her honey exploded across his tongue. She tasted of purity. Raw, untapped power. Like mining for a gemstone deep in the earth’s core. A precious jewel, untainted and unexposed.

Seizing her hips, he twisted her around to face him, coaxing her to straddle him. This time, he studied her face while his fingers delved under her skirt, skimming against her swollen nub.

Her breath hitched, and she drew her bottom lip between her white teeth. “Yes, please.”

He could get used to her panting pleas. To having her beg him for release. He circled his thumb across her bud, easing his fingers inside her clenching sheath.

She clamped down on his hand, rocking against his hips. Bracing one hand on his shoulder, she dipped the other between them and snapped open his jeans to grip his rigid erection. Her warm fingers pumped along his length while she rode his hand.

She was fucking beautiful. A siren who knew exactly what she wanted and begged him to give it to her.

Hard.

Her plump breasts bounced as she undulated; he tore open the front of her dress and freed them. The rosy peaks pebbled, tight little nipples that demanded attention too.

He slid his free hand along her back, drawing her close enough to flick his tongue across her breast, making her pearly skin glisten. As she spasmed around him, he growled and jerked his hips upward, grunting while hot spurts shot from his cock. He groaned, his release magnifying with each of her airy cries. Dragons didn’t orgasm like humans, so his ejaculation lasted minutes instead of seconds, his cum evaporating into the air.

During an orgasm was probably the one moment where a dragon could be caught vulnerable. His vision clouded and his pulse thrummed in his ears. He tuned out the world. As the buzz dissipated, he cracked open one eye.

Kadence stared at him, lips parted and eyes round.

Oh, yeah. Humans didn’t do that.

His hips finally stopped jerking, his arousal easing into satiation. Smirking, he leaned forward and stroked his thumb across her cheek. “Well, what did you expect?”

She swallowed hard at his jest. “What are you?” Her question was airy, her muscles tense, but he didn’t scent the rancid stench of fear on her.

Any answer he’d like to give her, he couldn’t, so he kept his mouth shut.

“You’re not human, so what are you?”

He remained silent.

Her fine brows drew together.

“Does it matter? It’s not my first time with a human. If you’re concerned. I can assure you all parts match up.” A rumble vibrated his chest. Next, he’d be teaching a class.

How to Fuck a Dragon: 101.

“No, I… I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. Excuse me.” She shoved off him, tugging down her skirt as she scurried to the bathroom.

Delicate, Lok.
He grimaced at himself. Way to earn her trust. Joke right after sharing a tender moment.

Pretty sure that wasn’t how humans did it.

Whatever gains he’d made, well, shit. He’d obliterated them.

Nicely done.

***

Kadence splashed cool water on her face, but her cheeks were still flaming. What the hell had overcome her, that she’d done
that
…with
Lok
.

Seriously?

Lok, who wasn’t even human. What a way to confirm her suspicions.

So what was he? And why wouldn’t he come out and tell her?

This must be some kind of game to him. A sick game. The chain around her wrist glinted at her, taunting.

She made a habit of at least learning a guy’s species before she slept with him. Time to demand some answers from Lok.

After drying her face with a hand towel, she marched from the bathroom, following the chain to the closet, where Lok was stripping.

His bare, muscled back greeted her, flexing with an insane amount of brawn. Her throat dried, her demands withering away with her breath.

“Time to go.” Ignoring her, he tugged on a crisp blue shirt, re-shackled his wrist, and headed for the door.

“Wait. I haven’t changed yet.”

“Haven’t you?” He glanced over his shoulder, his dark swirling eyes piercing. “You feel different. I know you do.”

His gaze dropped to the floor and he pressed his lips into a grim line.

“What do you mean?” Either Lok was babbling nonsense again, or he knew something about her she didn’t. Her gut told her the latter. She treaded forward. “Lok? Answer me.”

Instead, he gave his head a slight shake. “Get dressed. Our ride is waiting.”

Her shoulders sagged while she stared at him, closing off. Whatever intimacy they’d cultivated was buried now.
Focus. Right.
She had more important things to worry about. Like saving Mel.

After Kadence changed into a leather skirt and a pink tank top, they headed toward the shoreline. An enormous yacht bobbed beside the dock.

“This is our ride?”

“Well, we are headed for the bottom of the ocean.” Lok brushed past her and strode along the dock to the large white vessel.

She sprinted after him. “Yeah, but I hired a sailboat.”

“I changed your reservation. Thought we should travel in style.” Winking, he dismissed her and headed inside the glass-encased upper cabin. A few minutes later, the engine roared and the boat sped off. Kadence planted her hands on her hips, tapping her nails. This was her mission, yet he was making himself awfully comfy in the commander’s seat.

If it wasn’t for this stupid chain…

Lok emerged from the cabin, peeling off his shirt as he strode toward her. “I’ve set our course. Time to sit back and relax.” He plopped onto a lounge chair and unfastened his end of the chain so fast her eyes couldn’t track the movement.

He tossed his shirt onto the table beside him, reattached the chain, and stretched out, closing his eyes.

“Really? You’re sunbathing?” Glaring at him, she tapped her foot. “You owe me answers, buddy.”

“I don’t owe you anything, little one.”

That did it. Fury spiked through her veins, pumping hot blood through them. “Oh yes, you do. You can start with what species you are.”

“You’re not ready to have your mind blown yet.” Chuckling, he winked at her, then settled into a fake slumber again.

“Try me.”

His brows drew together and he opened his eyes again, this time those darkest blue depths raking her as though to strip her bare. “Come back when you’ve done some soul searching. I’ll be happy to answer your questions then.”

Really.
That was all he was going to give her? Soul searching? Huffing, she planted her ass on the lounge chair beside him and scowled at the turquoise ocean. She’d been a teenager when she’d first stumbled into a club intended for supernatural species, namely, the creatures of the Jade Emperor’s world. Enthralled, she’d dragged her sister along the next time. And the next. Until she spent more time engrossed in fantasies than reality.

All of this leading to that fateful night when she’d chosen the wrong asshole to sleep with. The Monkey King.

If she’d never stepped foot inside that first club, none of this would have happened. Mel wouldn’t have gotten sick.

And Kadence wouldn’t have met Lok.

Was she doomed to fall for supernatural jackasses? Seriously. Human assholes weren’t enough?

The truth was, she’d never really contemplated why she’d been drawn to that first club. Deep inside, restlessness had always prodded her. She’d wanted—needed—to believe something greater controlled her fate. That there was a reason why her mother had rejected her, and her destiny meant better things were on the horizon.

Where she’d ended up wasn’t better. Her sister was dying and it was her fault. A hot tear slid down her cheek and she swiped it away, sniffing at another threatening to fall. Maybe Lok was right. She’d avoided searching for the truth inside herself because she was afraid of what that would entail.

What kind of person chased after supernatural beings, anyway?

A
jadie
, that was what. Oh yeah, Kadence wasn’t the first human to become entranced with the Jade Emperor’s world. Some of their kind even sought out humans like her, a tantalizing erotic experience for both sides.

The whole interspecies thing wasn’t as weird as it sounded. None of the men she’d slept with were that bizarre. A couple of shape-shifters. A few frat-boy demi-gods. That kind of thing.

Not one of them had been like Lok.

So what the hell was he?

Lok’s attempts to relax were met with a protesting spike of unease, demanding he possess the pearl.

Possess Kadence.

If anything, their intimate moment had driven a deeper rut in the chasm between them. Any suspicions she’d likely had about his otherworldly nature were confirmed.

A sniff from her direction cut into his musings. Kadence was crying. Dammit. He’d sought to provoke her, to push her to the limits of what she’d come to accept about herself.

Not make her fucking cry.

The truth about her nature would be easier to accept if she already suspected she was different. Special. Powerful.

He shuffled his feet to the side of the lounge chair and leaned in toward her. “Hey.”