“I feel like I should have brought you something.” I scrubbed my hand across my head.
She chuckled. “Brought me something like what? Happiness? You already did that.”
A rush of pleasure warmed my whole body, and Artemis shifted, making himself comfortable. He was at ease tonight, restful.
“No. Like flowers.” The idea sounded dumb as soon as I voiced it. “Chocolates, maybe.”
“I don’t need anything like that.” She walked slowly toward me before stopping right in front of me. “You said you wanted to show me something?”
I sucked a deep breath and nodded.
“I’ve already seen it,” she blurted, ruining the solemn moment, but I laughed as she clapped her hand over her mouth.
“Maybe I’d like to show you again sometime.”
“I’d like that.” She hooked her fingers into my belt loops and drew me closer until my hips sat flush with her body.
I looked down, my gaze landing on her skin, her eyes, her lips, and her mouth parted as I watched, her breaths coming as soft pants. The temptation was too much, and I bowed my head, leaning into her.
Our lips met and hers were so soft, and her tongue slid against mine with a mixture of innocence and passion. Before I fell too far under, before I all but drowned in her, I moved back a little.
Her eyes flicked open, her startled gaze meeting mine.
I rested my forehead against hers and swallowed, suddenly anxious. It skittered through me, scraping along my nerves like unwanted sand in my ass-crack after a day at the beach. I closed my eyes. That was a dumb thought right before I spoke to Beth.
I took another deep breath, and Bethany parted her lips like she was going to speak, but I couldn’t let her say anything until I did.
“I love you, Bethany.” For a moment, the words hung in the air between us, fragile and easily dismissed.
I waited with my breath tight in my chest.
“I love you, too.” Her voice was so quiet I should have had to strain to hear her, but even Artemis heard, and an intense growl of ownership vibrated through my chest.
I swept her back into my arms, lifting her to me and cradling her to my chest, right against my heart. It beat faster, wildly almost, but I didn’t want to excite Artemis, so I drew a calming breath.
Now wasn’t about my dragon. Now was about showing Beth my love. My devotion. How I’d utterly fallen for her in the few short weeks since I’d met her, even though I resisted it at first.
I laid her on her bed. “I love you,” I said again as I shed my clothes and climbed up beside her. “I’d like to show you how much.”
She nodded, the moment slow and almost uncertain like she’d caught that my tempo was leisurely and more serious. But then she sat up and tugged her dress up her body to take it off, revealing delicate lace underwear with small stitched flowers.
I skimmed my hand across her abdomen. One day, hopefully, my baby would grow in there. Her muscles fluttered delicately under her skin at my touch, and I smiled before pressing a kiss over each of the movements.
She lay back down with her head on her pillows, and I glanced up her body, between her breasts to meet her gaze as she watched me. Then, I lowered my head again and kissed a path to her mouth. Her arms wound around me, holding me close, and I kissed her slowly, reverently, worshiping her with my lips and tongue.
I skimmed a hand across her breasts and lowered the thin straps to create the room to slide my fingers inside, where I could touch her hardening nipples. She gasped a little, and I lowered my head, flicking my tongue across the lace and sucking her nipple through the fabric.
When she wriggled and reached around her back to take her bra off, I chuckled. “It doesn’t matter what speed I go, you’re always impatient.” But as her bra slackened, I drew it away from her body to lay her bare to me and swirled my tongue across her sensitive skin. She pushed her fingers into my hair, and her breath came in pants as she moved her hips, writhing slowly.
I slipped my hand down her waist and played with the band of her panties where it sat against her skin.
“Yes.” She breathed the word, and it was all the permission I needed.
I followed the fabric down and pressed my fingers between her thighs. She widened her legs in answer and arched toward me.
“You’re already so wet.” I could feel it through the lace.
“Because I want you.” She arched again, pushing herself to me.
A rush of love for her filled my chest, and Artemis stirred before settling again, safe in the knowledge we were loving our woman.
I drew her panties down, and nuzzled her thighs, kissing the skin and breathing her scent. When I kissed closer, higher, she shifted away.
“No. Not there. I want you inside me.”
“Just one taste…” I was so close, but I watched for her reaction first.
She nodded, and lapped my tongue against her, taking it over her clit and listening to her breathing rate change.
“Please, Maddox.”
That was all it took, the sound of my name on her lips, and I shifted over her, maintaining the contact between our bodies as I moved. Awareness of her prickled through me, and my hard cock brushed over her thigh. The heaviness of it excited me.
I dropped another kiss on her breast, taking things slowly, teasing her a little. Teasing myself too, because I wanted her, but I also wanted to hold back. I wanted to love her instead of just fuck her.
I moved my hips, stroking the underside of my shaft against her leg, and the skin of my cock tightened as I hardened further.
Artemis huffed a sigh. He didn’t understand
