Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 78142 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78142 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
I slide her hand away from my crotch. “We’ve been through this.”
“I know. Doesn’t change the fact that I want you. And you clearly feel the same way.”
I swallow. “Sometimes what we want isn’t good for us.”
“Oh, I know.” She licks her bottom lip.
I grow even harder.
“I’m not just talking about you, Diana. I won’t be good for you, but you won’t be good for me either.”
She lifts her eyebrows.
“What? You never stopped to think about that? Every coin has two sides, Diana. I’ll ruin you, and you’ll ruin me right back.”
She blinks. “How could I possibly ruin anyone?” she asks, her voice dripping with innocence.
I chuckle. “People like you never see it. You live life with a silver spoon in your mouth. You don’t know what the real world is like.”
Her eyes narrow. “That’s where you’re wrong, Dragon. You know what my family’s been through.”
I nod slowly. “I know some of it. And finding out your family used to be involved in human trafficking is horrific, I won’t deny that. But you didn’t live it, Diana. It didn’t happen to you.”
She gulps then, audibly, and tears well in her eyes. “Not to me, but to my brothers and my father.”
This time I widen my eyes.
She turns her head away, wiping her eyes. “I can see that’s news to you.”
“Fuck,” is all I can say.
“It’s not something we talk about.” She grabs a tissue and dabs her eyes. “In fact, it’s not something I even knew until a year ago. But our family isn’t all riches and light, Dragon. We have our dark secrets too, and they might be just as dark as yours.”
“Maybe,” I say. “Maybe not. But you’ll never know because there are some things I never talk about.”
She takes a step toward me again. “Would you like to?”
“Hell no.”
“If you want to talk, I’ll be happy to listen. I will hold every word you say to me in confidence. And if you don’t want to talk?” She stands on her tiptoes and brushes her soft lips against mine. “I can help you with that, too.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Diana
He parts his lips and shoves his tongue between mine.
Another kiss, and it’s perfection.
Yes, it’s dark, and yes, it’s Dragon, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.
I’m curious about his background—everyone is—but right now, I can be content just to kiss him.
Maybe let him take me to bed.
Perhaps I’ll take him to bed.
What the hell am I thinking?
Except for once, I don’t want to think.
I’ve spent my life thinking, being the good girl.
Keeping myself out of trouble after trouble found me—naïve, unsuspecting me—freshman year at that homecoming bonfire.
No, not now.
No more thinking.
For once I’m going to do without thinking.
And right now, this is the best kiss I’ve ever had.
Dragon is a dragon. I swear he’s breathing fire into me. My entire body is hot, molten.
How long has it been since I’ve been with a man? Too damned long.
I break the kiss with a loud pop.
His eyes are narrowed, smoldering in their intensity.
“Are you sure?” he says, his voice cracking.
I nod.
“You’d better be damned sure, Diana. Because once we start this, we’re going to finish.”
I nod again.
“Say it. Say the words, Diana.”
“The words, Diana.” I smile.
He pushes me against the wall, not gently. “Damn it. This isn’t a game. If that’s what you think it is, I won’t play.” He scowls. “I don’t play games with women. I don’t play games with anyone, for that matter. But I sure as hell don’t play games with women I want to take into my bed. If you’re not all in, this isn’t happening.”
My God, he’s angry. And I can’t blame him. Why did I decide to joke around at that time? Bad timing on my part for sure.
“Dragon, I—”
He claps his hand over my mouth. “Stop right there. The only words I want to hear from that succulent little mouth of yours are, ‘Dragon, take me to bed and fuck me.’”
It’s funny. I grew up with two brothers and a potty-mouth sister, but I don’t often use those words.
Still, as they come out of Dragon’s mouth, they send jolts of electricity all through me.
He removes his hand from my mouth. “What do you want to say, Diana?”
I open my mouth, ready to say what he wants to hear.
But nothing comes out.
He nods. “Just as I thought.”
He turns.
Oh my God, he’s going to leave.
And I may never see him again.
Except that’s not true.
My sister’s married to the lead singer of his rock band. Of course I’ll see him again. I’ll probably see him more often than I see most men.
“Don’t,” I say.
He looks up at me, meets my gaze. “Don’t what?”
I open my mouth to tell him not to leave, but different words altogether come out.
“Take me to bed, Dragon. Take me to bed and fuck me.”