Dragon Desire: Emerald Dragons Book 2 Read online

  “Wow.” It was so cliché and she felt ridiculous after saying it, but damn, the dude had a nice-looking cock! It was long and thick, but fell just short of being intimidatingly so. She had no fear of having him inside her, just anticipation.

  She went to squat down to her knees, but Torran shook his head. “No, not today. Today is about you.” His voice was calm, yet it carried with it an undeniable command that she couldn’t disobey.

  He leaned forward and slowly undid her jeans, his fingers easily peeling the fabric down her legs until she too had jeans wrapped around her ankles. Then he picked her up and spun her around.

  “I would prefer to look you in your face,” he rumbled in her ear, one hand grabbing her breasts, the other between her legs, preparing her for what was to happen next. “But that just doesn’t seem practical today.”

  “I guess not,” she agreed, biting her lip.

  Lilly shivered, caught firm in his web, trapped but not wanting to escape either. When he pressed himself up against her opening she gasped despite herself. Her left leg began to shake in anticipation, wanting what was coming next, needing it. Needing him.

  Torran was losing control as well, and he slipped inside of her quickly, pushing in deep as fast as she could take it. Lilly shook when the warmth of his skin made contact with her legs and ass, warding off the chill cold of late fall with sudden ease.

  He groaned and didn’t move for a moment.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, trying to look back.

  “Fine. You’re just tight,” he gasped. “It feels too good.”

  “Too good?”

  “I am unsure if I can keep my control around you. My attraction is too strong.”

  Lilly pressed back into him, rocking on her feet. “Then don’t. Lose control. Take me,” she begged. She was beyond horny now. Torran’s slow rhythmic thrusting was only making the issue worse as warmth poured from between her legs.

  He growled and thrust harder. Lilly couldn’t keep her cries down. They echoed into the forest around them, growing louder every time his swollen cock crashed up against her.

  The throbbing between her legs grew worse. Her clit demanded more attention, ready to send her over the edge, into the abyss of warm sweet pleasure that was orgasm. As if he could read her mind, Torran slipped a hand between her legs, hunching over her much smaller form. His long arms allowed him to find the pulsing nub, and he caressed it with all the care in the world.

  Lilly meanwhile was slamming her ass back into him as hard as she could, trying to force the next orgasm to come. Her entire body tightened, locking down as she was finally swept over the edge of the falls, carried into the mistiness beyond. Everything shook and she clamped a hand over her mouth as she screamed. It was the most brutal, pounding orgasm her body had ever experienced. She felt like it was ripped from her body.

  Warm juices exploded from between her legs, coating his cock. That was too much for Torran, and before Lilly had finished her first climax another ravaged her body. Each spasm happened in time with Torran as he filled her, his groans sounding more like a roar as he thrust into her over and over again for what felt like an eternity.

  “Did we just do that?” she gasped as he slipped from within her and they began the awkward cleanup dance that always ensued post-sex.

  Torran was breathing so hard he could only get out one word. “Yeah.”

  “Okay.”

  He handed her a piece of cloth, which she realized he’d torn from his own shirt.

  “You look like an idiot now,” she laughed, pointing out the ragged tear from the waistline of his T-shirt. “You’re going to be freezing on the way back.”

  Torran smiled. “I’ve been wearing a T-shirt this whole time, but now that I’ve torn a chunk out of it you’re worried I’ll be cold?”

  Lilly dropped her head, shaking it. He was right of course. How had she missed that?

  Because you were too busy staring at his eyes. Or his shoulders. Maybe it was his chest.

  “Hey,” she said suddenly, pulling her pants up and seizing on the thought in her mind now before shit hit the fan. “Can I do something?”

  Torran looked down. He was still naked, his semi-hard cock dangling between his legs, coated in both of their pleasure. “Again? I suppose.”

  Lilly closed her eyes, scrunching her face up and hoping that her face wasn’t glowing like an oven element. It certainly felt like it was. “Not that, I just…” Without saying more she reached forward and lifted his shirt, filling her eyes with the glorious sight of his ripped abs.

  “If you want me to remove my shirt, all you need do is ask.”

  “No no. That’s okay. I got what I wanted,” she said, trying to sound more confident than she was. Except of course, that could be misinterpreted to mean having sex with him.

  Which she had wanted. But now she desperately wished she hadn’t. Reality was coming crashing back, and despite how damn good he was with his hands and his…his…with other parts of his body, Lilly should not have done that.

  It was a mistake, and now she had no way out without appearing mean.

  And they lived together. She’d totally forgotten that in the heat of things. This wasn’t just someone she could pretend she’d see again and then ignore their texts and calls. No, she was going to have to see him every day. Eat meals with him.

  She found herself wishing a black hole would open up and swallow her right then and there. It would certainly be easier for one, and less painful for another. Worst of all was the fact that she’d instigated it.

  But she had just left a terrible relationship. Oh, and she was three months pregnant. This was not the time for a dalliance, no matter how lip-lickingly gorgeous he was, or how often he batted those mysterious green eyes at her. It was interesting to realize that despite having spent so much time around him the past few days, she still felt like he was this hot stranger that she barely knew.

  You know him a little better now.

  Her insides groaned. How had she given in to lust so easily? Couldn’t she control herself around him, even if he was hot?

  The answer was obviously no, which meant she was going to have to do damage control on the situation. No matter how she approached that, one thing was for certain.

  It wasn’t going to be pretty.

  Chapter Seven

  Torran

  If this didn’t do it he didn’t know what would.

  The ranch kitchen, a massive thing with more gadgets and storage and appliances than he even knew what to do with, was ablaze with action.

  Eggs bubbled slowly on one part of the stove, bacon crackling and popping on another. Pancakes were nearby under a pair of plates to maintain their heat. Fresh veggies and more eggs were on standby in case an omelet was called for. Glasses of orange juice and water were in the fridge, ready at a moment’s notice. Coffee was pouring from the machine, its delicious aroma mixing with that of the food to create a delectable scent.

  The only thing missing was Lilly. Where was she?

  Torran frowned, flipping the bacon and turning the eggs as well. That done, he had a few moments to dash upstairs to her room and knock on the door.

  “I’ll be out in a minute.”

  He frowned harder. Lilly sounded strained. Like she was under duress of some sort. Moments later his acute hearing picked up the sound of vomiting. Yanking his hand back, Torran stopped himself from barging in to see what was wrong. If Lilly needed his help, she would call for it, he had faith in that.

  Otherwise she would probably continue to avoid him, like she’d done since they came back to the ranch the afternoon before. Although she’d made a valiant attempt at conversation on their return journey, it had been more than evident to Torran that she desired nothing more than to forget anything had happened.

  He probably hadn’t helped the situation, chattering on about every inane thing he could in an effort to keep her attention focused on him. In hindsight he had kicked himself for not noticing her disinte
rest, but he couldn’t go back and change the past. Things had happened. They had had sex. She couldn’t deny it, even if she regretted it.

  Reluctantly Torran left her door, hoping that she would be true to her word. After all, he needed to get back downstairs to the food before he burned any of it. That wouldn’t do. His return trip was much slower and more subdued, lacking the enthusiasm of his initial dash to try and fetch Lilly for breakfast.

  Maybe she didn’t even want to eat with him. That could be as well. He eyed the entire spread.

  “Shit. You did it again, you idiot,” he muttered to himself.

  Maybe there was time to clean up the excess to which he’d gone, so that he didn’t scare her away again. Lilly had made it clear she needed time, and Torran had just gone ahead and ignored that, making a clear show of his affection by fixing such a complete breakfast. He was still standing in front of the stove contemplating how best to dispose of most of the food when Lilly wandered in.

  “Um. Hi,” he said, feeling lame and stupid. Why the hell was he acting like such an idiot around her? This wasn’t him; this wasn’t his style. He was supposed to know better. Torran should be calm, cool, and collected. Not tripping over himself in an attempt to impress her. That was not the way to keep her around.

  Even now he could see her eyes, wide at the sight of so much food, unsure of how to react.

  “You made all this?”

  “Yeah. I overdid it. A lot. I’m sorry. I should have just left it alone.”

  Lilly smiled wanly. Was her face a little pale? Her cheeks devoid of some of their natural ruddiness that he loved so much? It was tough to tell, but he thought so. Torran wasn’t going to ask though. Not now. He’d already embarrassed himself too much, acting like a lovestruck teenager in front of Lilly.

  He watched as she fetched herself a plate, putting a tiny scoop of scrambled eggs and two pieces of bacon on her plate. His eyes strayed to the massive amounts of extras.

  Idiot.

  Trying to control his features so that his dismay didn’t show, Torran busied himself with cleaning up. Maybe if he took long enough she would finish her meager meal and leave so that he could perhaps relax and not let her see how embarrassed he was of his actions.

  “This is good bacon,” she mumbled around a piece of it.

  “Palin sent it all over. There’s some more stuff in the fridge, veggies and drinks and what not. So we’re stocked up now.” He shrugged. “He also said something about bringing us a spare truck, but we’ll see when that happens, if it does.”

  Palin didn’t owe him anything, and Torran wasn’t going to count on the emerald dragon’s generosity after he’d been treated like crap at their hands just a few short weeks ago. If it happened, amazing, but he needed to get things going himself. It wasn’t like he was poor, after all. Palin had just had more time to settle in.

  “That would be nice. Though I’d prefer a couple of four-wheelers so we can get around the property. That’ll make our job easier.”

  “Agreed.” He let the subject drop, not wanting to talk about anything right then.

  When Lilly was almost done with her food he piled his plate high, uncaring what she thought as he scooped heaping piles of eggs beside stacks of bacon and loaded up pancakes on a second smaller plate before setting them at the far end of the table. She wanted space, and from here on out Torran was going to give it to her.

  He was halfway done with a mouthful of egg when she spoke up, her plate empty.

  “Listen, Torran.”

  Here it comes, he thought. The speech. Just get it over with, please. His ego couldn’t take much more. Although he continued to eat, he dipped his head to acknowledge he was listening.

  “About yesterday. Um.” She stopped, seeming unsure of where to go from there.

  “It was fun, but…” he provided.

  Lilly’s shoulders drooped. “It’s not like that. Look, you’re a nice guy. You seem like a good person. But you literally rescued me from a terrible spot just a few days ago. I listened to my hormones, not my head, and that’s how we ended up in bed. Sort of. That’s besides the point,” she said with a wave of her hand.

  “I would have come to get you whether I knew we were going to sleep together or not,” he told her. “I want you to know that. I did not try to use what happened as a way to have sex with you. That was not my intent.”

  She smiled weakly. “I believe you. I really do. The thing is though, right now I don’t need a lover. Or a bed partner I guess. I need to find myself. There’s a lot going on that you don’t know about, and I have to get that all sorted before I can let myself consider the idea of being with someone.” She blinked rapidly, clearly holding back tears.

  If this were that hard for her, why did she have to do it then? Clearly both of them wanted more. He could feel it deep inside him on an instinctual level. Just like she called to his dragon, Torran was confident that Lilly was drawn to him, needing the strength, support, and care he could offer her. She’d never had it before, and he would ensure she never needed to look elsewhere. Why wasn’t it clear?

  Maybe, he wondered darkly, maybe it’s because she’s a human. That could be the difference between finding his mate in a dragon and doing the same in a human. Torran found himself desperately wishing that he’d spent more time talking to the Sleeping Beauties, as Rowe had taken to calling them. They had all mated with humans to his knowledge. If he’d just listened maybe he’d have an idea of what the hell to do now.

  “Do you understand what I mean?”

  He jerked, realizing he’d not responded to her question. “Of course. I…” It was his turn to pause, searching for words. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, or cause you any distress.”

  Lilly nodded. “I know. I’m not mad at you. I just don’t want you to think we’re suddenly going to be jumping in to bed with each other. I can’t be that person right now.”

  That’s not what I want you to be…

  Of course he couldn’t say that though, because then he’d have to tell her more, and he was positive that Lilly didn’t need more stress on her shoulders. Certainly not in the form of being made aware she was mated to him and would be spending the rest of her life with him.

  “What do you need from me?” he heard himself ask.

  “I need a friend.” Her voice cracked, but she held her composure. “I’m so lost right now, Torran. Everything I knew is just…just gone.”

  “I can be your friend,” he said softly. “I will always be your friend. I will do my best to adhere to that, but you should be aware that—” He stopped himself yet again from uttering the truth.

  “Aware of what?”

  He got up and walked over to her. “Nothing. I’d be happy to be your friend.”

  “Thank you,” she said as they embraced. “I was scared of how you might react.”

  They parted and he took up her hand, trying not to notice the reaction from her when their skin touched. He felt it too, but he’d been expecting it. There was a reason they were drawn together; she just wasn’t ready to accept it yet. “I’ll protect you. There is no need to be scared around me,” he said softly.

  Lilly nodded, and after letting her hand linger just longer than a friend would she pulled it back. Thanking him again for the food, she left the kitchen.

  As she departed Torran felt his insides crumble.

  Why did this have to hurt so much?

  Chapter Eight

  Lilly

  “Just what the hell do they want us to do?”

  The pair stood side by side, facing the trio of barns on the property. The middle one was huge, absolutely dwarfing the flanking ones. It was one of the biggest barns she’d ever seen. Lilly was partially curious as to what they were going to find inside, but also a little nervous. Not just about that, but about the job they’d been handed as well.

  “To figure out what needs doing, so that when the controller gets here they’re able to get up to speed better.” Torran spoke like he knew w
hat the hell that all meant.

  “Right. But isn’t this controller dude supposed to be the one that figures out what the farm needs to get up and running? Like, they know this stuff. We don’t. Right?”

  “Right. Mostly.” Torran started walking forward and she matched him, needing almost two full steps for one of his.

  “Mostly? What, are you some sort of farm guru now?” she joked.

  “I mean, there was a Farmer’s Almanac on the table. I read it.”

  “You did?”

  “Mostly.”

  “How much is mostly?” she asked, calling him out.

  “The covers and the table of contents.”

  Lilly laughed. “You’re unbelievable!”

  It felt good to laugh. Really good. She’d done a lot of it over the past few days, as they settled in to life on the mega-ranch. The ranch and the accompanying building that housed the farmhands were now cleaned up and repaired to the best of their abilities given the supplies they had on hand. Torran had given Palin a list of things he needed to do some of the larger repairs, but now it was time to start tackling the other buildings.

  Torran. She smiled to herself, happy with the way things had gone. The first day had been awkward after having the talk. Neither had been entirely sure how they were supposed to go about interacting with one another. It hadn’t taken long for that barrier to fall, however, and she’d come to enjoy his presence.

  Both of them had slipped up a few times, being more flirtatious than intended, but when the other had refused to go with it, things had just sort of died out. The irritating part was just how easy it was to switch from friendly banter to flirting with him. It was like she wanted to go that direction, and only her promise to herself was preventing her from opening the floodgates again.

  Feeling a dull throbbing reminder from between her legs about just how wonderful it could be if she did go down that route again, Lilly bit her lip and forced herself to focus on the task at hand.