Cadmium Dragon Read online

  The flames already roaring in him grew higher as he took over, stroking over her center. The soft fabric provided little separation between them, and she gasped, head jerking to the side from the sensation. He pressed a little harder the second time, stroking his fingers over her soft folds, and she grabbed at his thighs, nails digging into his legs .

  But as hot as this was, he wanted to feel her, touch her even closer. So he pulled down on the leggings a little, then brought his hand underneath her clothing. For several seconds, he just explored her soft skin, felt her slick wetness that made his digits buzz with erotic tension. All the while, she writhed beneath him, unable to escape him and not wanting to .

  And then his finger found her clit directly, playing and circling voraciously, and she came .

  It was the first of what Cadmium could only hope would be an endless number of orgasms for Casey. But still, he watched her intently, gauging every movement of her hips, watching as she closed her eyes against the frenzy of release coursing through her, memorized the feeling of her fingers as they dug into his legs .

  So perfect .

  One was never enough, though, and his finger went immediately to work on her again, making tiny circles and then pressing lightly with little flicking motions. Casey moaned, cried for more, tried to hold on to him, hold back the storm. But he was relentless, pushing her further and further until she came again, her body tightening beneath him, then arching back onto the bed in a flurry of muttered oaths and sexual release .

  But this time as she came to, her fingers found the belt loops on his jeans, pulling him forward .

  She was so cute when she was demanding .

  “Show me more. Show me everything,” she said, so caught up in her desire, so ravenous that Cadmium couldn’t help but beam with pride that he was lucky enough to have found such an amazing woman for his mate .

  Mate . That was going to be complicated .

  Thankfully, this was not .

  “You first this time,” he whispered, moving off the bed and taking her clothes off with him. She blushed, though she was already so flushed from arousal it didn’t matter. Then, true to his word, he removed his jeans and underwear, tossing them beside her on the bed, then came over her again .

  They were naked now, everything out in the open. And he couldn’t be more pleased, seeing her luscious curves beneath him, so soft and inviting and arousing. It didn’t hurt that she went wide-eyed perusing his manhood as he came over her .

  Apparently, whatever he was packing wasn’t normal. In the good kind of way. Even as a dragon, he was pleased .

  But this wasn’t about him. This was about Casey. And as his finger found her center one more time, he leaned down to kiss her neck, to pull her earlobe between his lips as he stroked over her. She rocked beneath him, hands aimlessly exploring his hips, his abs, his shoulders as he kissed her hard, sucking the soft flesh of her skin with his mouth while his hand moved between her legs in a heated rhythm .

  Then with shocked silence, a strained gasp, Casey broke again. Immediately, he covered her mouth with his, muffling the sound of her release, which was for his ears only .

  Granted, the rooms in this house were so large and so separated that none of the dragons should be able to hear what went on in anyone’s rooms. But still, she was his and his alone .

  Property of the cadmium dragon .

  She didn’t seem to mind or didn’t even realize he did it as her body pulsed with quick beats, shuddering against him as he pressed his body to hers. By the time she was done, her breaths were racing, her dark-brown hair splayed like a halo around her on the bed beneath .

  And though he could stop at any time, would stop if she wanted him to, Cadmium got the distinct impression she wasn’t finished .

  He reached into the pocket of his jeans on the bed next to her and produced a small foil packet .

  After Lead and Brittany had mated, Cadmium had asked about how dragons could have sex without mating. And though Lead tried to ignore his requests for information for days, blushing angrily every time Cadmium asked, he finally relented, giving him several of these things called “condoms” and telling Cadmium to go to Mercury if he wanted more information .

  “I have this, if you want to…” He trailed off, as the answer was already in her eyes, in the way they kept darting to his hips .

  “Do you even have to ask ?”

  Well, technically, yes, he should. But that was made more or less irrelevant by Casey as she grabbed the packet and tore it open, unrolling the small latex device over his dick. At first, it tickled, a much tighter fit than he would have preferred. But the feeling of her hands stroking his length and grabbing him lightly made up for that. She practically licked her lips as she did, and Cadmium couldn’t remember a time in his life when he’d been more turned on .

  Oh, he was going to make her come so hard .

  He grabbed her by the hips, pulling her up on the bed slightly as he positioned himself between her legs. Then, with one slow thrust, he came inside her, taking his time in case she needed a moment to adjust .

  But every second was ecstasy for Casey as she moaned, long and loud, showing him exactly just how good it felt. He almost came right there. She knew how to press his buttons just right. But he held on, withdrawing then pushing into her once more .

  And as it had been from the moment they’d started this, Casey was receptive, wanting everything he could give as fast as he could give it. Cadmium went into an even rhythm, thrusting swiftly, then pulling out a little more slowly and going in again. And aside from her harried moans, the only other sound in the room was that of their slick friction, coming together so tight yet somehow still the perfect fit .

  “ Cadmium , I — ”

  But whatever Casey had intended to say was cut off by her orgasm. She slapped her hands into the soft bedsheets, grasping them desperately as he felt her tighten around him, pulling him so close to the edge he nearly fell off. So instead, he focused on her, thrusting again and building another in his mate even as the first only began to taper off .

  “Keep going. Don’t stop,” she begged, pushing her hips into his and quickening their pace even more as he went faster and faster. Each second was like fire, so hot it could consume yet so pleasurable there was no escape but release. It was as though they were one person, moving together in tandem, both pushing the other’s pleasure as far as it could possibly be pushed .

  And then Casey came, so hard, and Cadmium felt himself thrown beyond his inhibitions with her. He thrust all the way into her, so deep, as white sensation slammed its way through him like dragon fire, and she cried out even louder, locking her legs around him as they orgasmed in unity. Each second felt like an eternity as Cadmium tried to keep his eyes open, desperate to see his mate come even as he lost sensation in his fingers, his toes, even his legs .

  Like water slowly draining out of a bathtub, the sensation gradually subsided. But the feel of her wetness, still sheathed around him, set off tiny jolts in both of them, until Cadmium was sure Casey was finished .

  She was spent. More than even she probably knew. But that was a good thing .

  He pulled out carefully, then jumped into the bathroom to clean up before returning to the bed with Casey. He cleared off any discarded clothing, then pulled the bedsheets around both of them .

  “Is this all right?” he asked, and she nodded weakly, still in a haze of sexual euphoria .

  She was practically asleep before he’d even fully nestled around her, wrapping his arms and reveling in the feel of the soft curves against his body. But as sleep began to overtake his senses and he lay there exhausted and satisfied, he couldn’t shake the niggling questions in the back of his head .

  It was as though this whole thing was just a wild ride, something humans called “roller coasters,” with turns and dips and falls. But even though tonight had been the most erotic, most elating experience of his considerably long life, he couldn’t tell the future .


  Cadmium just had to hope that he and his mate were both headed to the same destination .

  Because without her, he was nothing .

  * * *

  “G ood heavens, what is this ?”

  A loud voice woke Casey, and she stirred slowly to see a naked Cadmium standing in front of the window, muscled back and perfect, tight butt tensed as he stood glaring down at the backyard .

  She blinked for a moment .

  Cadmium. Naked. In her room .

  Cadmium, the hot guy on her route who was nice to her, who’d invited her to stay .

  She pulled the sheets up around her as a full-body blush of embarrassment made it impossible to move. She’d been so wanton. Felt so free with him. Been too turned on by him to think straight .

  It wasn’t her fault .

  And she wasn’t going to feel bad about it because, as she remembered, they’d both had an amazing night .

  So then why was her lover standing at the window and cursing at something as he paced, naked ?

  Possessiveness waved through her, and even though she knew she had no right to feel that way, she couldn’t help hopping out of bed (on feet that felt fuzzy and weak) and grabbing a robe to throw over his shoulders .

  He looked around at her as she tossed the robe on, struggling to get it as high as it needed to be, and smiled at her warmly. His long blond hair was free and tousled and rakish in the morning light .

  He looked like a man who’d been made love to, and she still couldn’t believe she’d been the woman lucky enough to do it .

  “You’re awake,” he said. “How are you feeling ?”

  “You shouldn’t just stand at a window, naked,” she said, trying to tie his belt once he’d pulled the robe fully over his shoulders. She had the sheet wrapped around herself, and he looked down at her affectionately .

  “What about you ?”

  “I’m covered,” she said, still flushing .

  “I’ll get you a robe as well, then,” he said, walking to his closet and pushing hangers of clothing aside until he was satisfied. He came back with a robe in green velvet that was far too big for her, but he insisted on helping her into it nonetheless. She couldn’t help smiling as he tied the belt around her and pulled her in against him for an embrace .

  It just felt so good to be held by him. So right. As she looked out the window at the snowy landscape, she sighed. She’d heard it was beautiful when it snowed in New York, and now she knew for certain .

  This place, this man, all of it felt so magical that she wasn’t sure how she fit in. Yet she felt a part of it. Like it could be home .

  But she knew she was probably being delusional and getting too caught up in a daydream because this man and this house were just that beautiful .

  “What are you thinking?” he asked. “You don’t regret what we did last night ?”

  “Hell no,” she said frankly. “I practically forced you into it.” She reached up to stroke his face, and when he leaned into it, her heart made a little jump in her chest. To think she could affect this big, handsome man in any way… It felt so powerful .

  His eyes looked like sparkling root beer in the morning light, and his tanned skin appeared smooth and refreshed, as if the night had been good for him as well .

  And was it just her, or did he seem a little less stressed? Maybe she was just imagining it .

  “Anyway,” she said, pulling away from him but leaving her hand in his as she walked to the window. “Why did I wake up to you naked and cursing? What’s bothering you ?”

  He pulled her even closer to the window and looked down with narrowed, suspicious eyes. “Look at that. What just happened ?”

  “Snow?” she asked. “You mean you’ve never seen it ?”

  He shook his head. “Is that normal ?”

  She laughed. “Where are you guys from? You can’t be from New York if you’ve never seen snow .”

  “I… We are from somewhere else. That’s true .”

  “Where is it ?”

  “You wouldn’t know it,” he said. “Most people don’t .”

  “Small town , huh ?”

  “Something like that,” he said, eyes darting to the side. Once again, she got the feeling he didn’t want to talk about something, and she didn’t particularly want to bother him. She was having fun with him, the weekend of a lifetime, and she didn’t want to do anything to mess that up .

  “Anyway, snow is fun. We should go play in it .”

  “What is it, exactly ?”

  “Um, it’s tiny bits of frozen water,” she said .

  “Then it is cold,” he said flatly .

  “Yes,” she said .

  “My friends and I aren’t very good with cold,” he said .

  She pouted. “But it’s fun. I think you’d like it. Everyone should have a chance to play in the snow .”

  “Perhaps you’re right,” he said. “Why don’t you hop in the shower here, and I’ll go down to my room before anyone sees me come out of here. After breakfast, we’ll see if the others are up for it .”

  “Are you hiding that you did something with me?” she asked, her heart sinking slightly. “Are you ashamed ?”

  “No,” he said immediately, eyes widening in concern. “Never. I’m immensely proud. If I could, I would carry you out there and brag about my conquest and make them all jealous. But the rules here are… kind of complicated, and I probably shouldn’t have been up here with you .”

  She nodded. Maybe as roommates, they had some sort of agreement on how to bring women home and etiquette and all that. The whole situation was weird to begin with. Plus, neither of them had planned for what happened last night. She supposed it was fine to keep their spontaneity secret .

  “Okay,” she said, not wanting to let him out of her sight but knowing it was probably good to separate and get her thoughts clear for a moment. “I guess I’ll see you downstairs .”

  “Text me,” he said with a grin. “So I’ll know you’re coming .”

  A hint of anticipation tightened her stomach. “ I will .”

  Chapter 7

  C admium tried not to gloat as he sat there thinking about his night with Casey, but it was hard. Like his dick would be if he thought too much about it .

  The other dragons were oblivious to his odd mood, caught up in looking out at the snow and talking about it. They’d seen it on TV, sure, but that was different than being surrounded by it, and the dragons were currently treating it as a hostile entity .

  “It’s everywhere,” Arsenic said darkly. “You say Casey wants to play in it ?”

  Cadmium shrugged, leaning back in his chair, which he’d positioned by the large window in the kitchen to keep an eye on the snow. “That’s what she says. I think she expects us to enjoy it .”

  Chromium seemed the most curious and currently had his nose almost pressed to the window glass as he looked out. “I want to see what it feels like .”

  “I’d like to study it was well,” Cobalt said, walking forward with a cup of coffee in his hand and sipping it lightly. “The texture and feel is sure to be unlike anything on Drakkaris with our tropical climate .”

  “True,” Cadmium said. “And as long as we wear winter clothes, we will be fine .”

  Cobalt raised an eyebrow. “Have you bought any? I noticed you had boxes and boxes piled up in a spare room, but I wasn’t sure what was in them .”

  Cadmium hoped his embarrassment didn’t show as he gave them an easy smile. “Sure. I have winter armor. It was on sale .”

  He was about to get up and go find the boxes when he heard a beep on his phone. He walked out of the kitchen to look at the text, heart beating rapidly .

  “Just finished getting ready. Be there in a minute .”

  His heart warmed at seeing her words. It was almost better than mind-reading, which wasn’t possible with humans anyway. He booked it to the room full of boxes, tore a few open, and nearly tripped as he carried a huge armful of clothing into the living
room, hoping to be back before Casey got downstairs .

  He dumped the clothing on a couch and looked up just in time to see her coming down the stairs and heading for the kitchen. She stopped for a second to give him a secretive grin, then put a finger to her lips in a shushing motion, her eyes teasing him .

  He followed her into the kitchen, keeping a safe enough distance, and a frisson of heat moved through him. Somehow, keeping what was happening strictly between them made it all the hotter .

  Besides, it was his mate. No one needed to know what was happening. That was cadmium dragon business only .

  He sat at the table on the other side of her and sipped the cup of coffee that he’d set out. He’d already finished his breakfast and waited patiently as Chromium served her homemade donuts and apple cider, which she thanked him for happily .

  The dragon in him growled at anyone else making her smile, and he told it to calm down and shut the fuck up. She wasn’t his yet, and he wasn’t going to scare her off .

  “So tell us what we’re supposed to do in this snow,” Arsenic said drily. “I’m not sure I understand the point of it .”

  “You don’t have to do anything,” she replied. “I like to just tromp around in it, you know? It’s fluffy and you can make stuff out of it. Throw snowballs .”

  Chromium lit up at that. “I like the sound of that .”

  Cobalt smiled. “I’m up for it .”

  “It seems silly,” Arsenic said .

  “Don’t be a spoilsport,” Cadmium said. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to .”

  “Nonsense,” he said. “There’s never enough to do around here. I’m coming out .”

  “Good,” she said. “I haven’t really got a chance to do this since I was a kid. I’m kind of excited to see someone experience snow for the first time .”

  They chatted about their plans for the rest of the day and whether Lead and Brittany would show up soon, and then when breakfast was over, they all tromped into the living room to put on clothes .