Chapter 24: Chapter 24

Erin shook her head slowly in wonder. “I’ve never seen any place like this,” she said. Her words echoed through the room and bounced back to them. She grinned and called, “Hellooooo!” Hellooo, hellooo, hellooo. “You want to know my favorite part about this room?” she asked excitedly.

“Yes. Tell me.”

“You didn’t make your bed.”

He huffed a surprised laugh and ran a hand through his sleep mussed hair. He cast the unmade bed a self-deprecating look and shook his head. “Seb is the only one who has ever been in here, so there doesn’t feel like a need to waste the energy on making it.”

“I don’t make my bed either. Do you want to know my second favorite part about this room?”

He dipped his chin once, his eyes going serious.

“I like that besides you, only Seb has seen it.”

“And now you.”

She canted her head and smiled. “Exactly.”

“Possessive,” he accused.

“Slob,” she retorted.

His smile lifted and fell. “Sexy,” he rumbled low, stalking her as she backed playfully toward the bed.

When the backs of her legs hit the carved wooden footboard, she folded onto the plush mattress behind her, never taking her gaze from his as he approached. He was all silver eyes and flexing muscles with every lithe step he took. Even with his uneven, scarred skin, Julian was beautiful in ways that made her heart stutter. “Mine,” she whispered.

His lips crashed onto hers as he hovered over her, keeping his body weight from pressing her into the comforter. Her legs spread for him instinctively, just to give him room to settle against the apex between her thighs. Rolling his hips, Julian pressed his erection right at the spot she was most sensitive. Arching her back against how good he felt right there, she offered him her neck, something she’d never done for another man.

A satisfied rumble vibrated from Julian chest and made a quick puh, puh, puh sensation against her skin. “Fearsome Erin, offering your submission so soon.” Julian leaned forward and clamped his teeth onto her neck, hard enough to draw a moan from her lips, but not hard enough to break the skin. He released her and murmured against the base of her throat, “No need to submit to me, love. I like you how you are.”

Love. The way he uttered that word dumped heat between her legs. She wanted to feel the burn of his hot skin against hers. As if he could read her thoughts, he pulled the hem of her shirt upward and over her head in one smooth motion, then unsnapped the back clasp of her bra with an easy snick. With one finger, he hooked the front of her open bra and pulled it from her arms. He blinked slowly as he dropped her undergarment off the edge of the bed, then dragged his gaze back to her bare breasts. Now the insecurity set in. Julian had lived for eons and had likely been with countless women over the course of his existence, while she was a novice who, at age thirty, had only managed to sleep with one college boyfriend and her crew mates. And none of those times had she encouraged them to look at her body.

“You’re beautiful.”

“I’m freckled.”

“I’m scarred. Does it make you want me less?”

She shook her head and answered honestly, “I think it makes me want you more.”

Julian leaned forward and sucked gently on her earlobe, then whispered, “I like your spots.” Easing back, he traced a constellation of them over the tip of her shoulder.

Nervously, she said, “You must have very good vision in the dark.”

“Impeccable vision.”

“Faaantastic.”

Julian angled his head, and his eyes narrowed slightly. “Can you not feel how hard I am between your legs, Dangerous Erin? Can you not feel how badly I want you? How badly I want to be inside of you.” He leaned down, drew one of her nipples into his mouth, and grazed his teeth against the sensitive skin there as though he was punishing her. “I’ve never seen a woman so beautiful. Now,” he murmured, rolling her on top of him until her legs straddled his hips, “own me.”

Eep! Own him? She was more of a wiggle around on the bottom and hope for an orgasm type of gal, but Julian—sexy, dominant, apex legendary predator, Julian—was handing her the reins in his bed. “I don’t think I’ll be very good at this.” Where the hell had her confidence run off to?

Julian grabbed a pillow from above him and fluffed it under his neck, then linked his hands behind his head. With a crooked, cocky smile, he said, “Take my pants off.”

Right. She could do that. Look sexy. She scraped her nails down his hips as she fumbled with the elastic band of his thin pants. He tensed under her and made an inhuman hissing sound. She thought she’d hurt him, but when she muttered, “Shit,” and looked up to apologize for what a horrid seductress she was being, his eyes were narrowed to hungry slits and his smile turned positively wicked.

“Do that again.”

Mmm, the dragon liked her claws. Eyes on his face, Erin grabbed the elastic on either side of his hips and dragged it slowly down his thighs, clawing him gently as she unsheathed him. Julian shivered, and under her touch, gooseflesh raised from his skin. The breath she exhaled was still shaky, but her hands had stopped trembling. His skin was like hot tap water that was almost uncomfortable to touch but still bearable. She liked that he ran hot. Finding her bravery, she looked down at his long, thick shaft. It was red and swollen, ready for her, and already a drop of creamy moisture sat on the tip. She smiled and bent down to taste it before she could change her mind. The second she touched her mouth to his dick, his hands went to her hair, gripping her gently as he drew a knee up on one side of her and let off a soft, helpless groan. Holy sexy balls, he was hot. Julian curled his hips forward as she slid her mouth over him. She thought he would shove her where he wanted with a grip as strong as his, but he didn’t. He kept his hands gentle in her hair, guiding but not forcing. She eased off him, then back down, circling him with her tongue.

“Fuuuck,” he gritted out as she took more of him. His abs flexed every time she slid her mouth over him, and relaxed when she pulled slowly off.

She wasn’t scared about what he would think anymore or insecure about the way she looked. Now, she was molten in her middle, and her want for him outshone any hesitation.

She unsnapped the button to her jeans and ripped the zipper slowly down.

“Touch yourself,” he whispered as he watched her shimmy out of the rest of her clothes.

Feeling like a goddess under his intense gaze, Erin straddled her knees on either side of his hips and locked her arm near his ribs. She rocked forward, arching her back as she ran her hand between her breasts and down the center of her stomach, lower and lower until she touched the top of her sex.

“More,” he said, voice sounding breathless now as he wrapped his fist around his shaft and drew a long stroke.

She cupped herself gently. “Like this?”

He nodded jerkily and pulled another stroke of himself. “What do you feel?”

“Wet.”

Julian moved so fast, he was a blur. Her stomach dipped as she went from hovering over Julian to under his body on the bed. Breath quick and shallow, he pressed her knees apart with his own and curved his powerful hips against hers. His shaft slid into her by inches, and she gasped at how good he felt inside of her, stretching her. He drew out and bucked into her again, deeper this time. Erin clawed his back and bowed against the bed. “More,” she demanded, using his own word.

A long, low rumble filled the room and rattled against her skin as Julian plunged into her so deeply, he pressed onto her clit. She moaned his name and clutched onto him tighter as he eased out and thrust into her again.

“Fuck, how can you feel so good?” he asked breathily. His lips collided with hers as he thrust into her again.

God, he was big. If she hadn’t been so ready for him, this would’ve toed the edge of discomfort, but right now, all she could do was close her eyes and absorb every sparking sensation that exploded in her middle every time he buried himself inside her.

The pressure between her legs was so intense she gripped the back of his hair and raked her fingernails across his back to anchor herself in the here and now. She was at risk of floating away. Of losing herself and not retaining the clean-edged memories of this moment. And she wanted to remember everything because this, right now, felt important. It felt all-encompassing, as though her life was taking an unexpected fork in the road, and at the edge of her path would be a cache of wealth so much more valuable than riches.

Happiness lay in front of her now.

Julian's grip at the base of her neck tightened as he kissed her and thrust into her hard, faster now. His control was slipping, and damn she loved this. Loved to hear that prehistoric growl in his throat. Loved to feel his hands tightening against her skin. Loved to feel him swelling even bigger inside of her. She was close. So close.

As if Julian could feel her tipping over the edge, he grabbed her wrists and slammed them down against the bed above her. He lifted his torso and stared down at her, watching her face as her body exploded around him. “Julian!” she screamed, arching her neck back as her body pulsed with pleasure.

A snarl lifted his lip as he closed his eyes and slammed into her, then froze. Jets of warmth throbbed into her, and he bucked erratically as he uttered her name through clenched teeth. “Erin.” And as he emptied himself into her completely, he lowered himself flush against her, hard chest against her soft breasts, and he bit her exposed neck again. Just a clamp of his teeth as her aftershocks pulsed on, and then he replaced the sharp edges with soft kisses.

And when her body had gone still and sated, he eased out of her and pulled her close against his chest. His skin was warm against hers, but it felt good here in the cold cavern of his lair.

He let his lips linger on her forehead and he rubbed her back gently over and over, as if he was helpless to stop touching her now.

Erin smiled against his skin.

Own me.

Julian Ferrari had it all wrong.

He was the one who owned her now, body and soul.

***