Maybe when it was the right person, he supposed.
Mate, his dragon said again, but he could barely focus on anything but the way her curvy body seemed to be entwining around him more tightly with each passing moment. First, her legs, wrapping around his thighs, pulling him in deeper than before. Then her arms, clutching his shoulders as he held himself over her, chest to chest. Then even her head as Sierra buried herself in his shoulder, rapid breaths getting more rapid as their bodies collided.
But as overwhelmed as she seemed to be, Beck just held Sierra steady, one arm coiled around her while he kept them both propped up with the other hand. He couldn’t even sense the room around him, just her hot breath on his chest and the bite of her nails digging into his back, making him smile as he thrust faster.
Then, with a ragged sound, Sierra came first, her pussy clenching around him and pulling Beck far past the edge he’d been skirting for a long time already.
She screamed his name. And Beck heard rather than actually felt himself say the word, “Mine,” somewhere between the white-hot pressure of the initial release and the waves of pulsing, core-shocking orgasm that pumped through his veins as his cock jerked inside her.
Everything seemed to stop around him as Beck swore while he came, arm still clutching Sierra to him like she was more precious than dragon treasure, more precious than freedom or the wild land he’d called home for so many years.
More precious than life itself.
For a long minute, they just caught up with each other, and Beck enjoyed feeling little aftershocks go through Sierra until she, too, finally slumped against the bed with a long sigh. Then, slowly, he pulled out and went to the bathroom to clean up before coming back into the room.
Sierra just looked over at him with a satisfied, utterly pleased smile that gave him thoughts about doing what they’d just done all over again.
He wanted to just stay here. Hold her forever. Pretend he could live a life that a monster like him had no business having.
Instead, he’d just take the night and hold her close until the dawn came.
So he got in bed, pulled the covers over them both, and did exactly that.
11
Sierra awoke the next morning, fully rested and still in disbelief at how awesome her night with Beck had been.
Beck was an absolute monster in the bedroom, in the best way possible. She’d never known a man could be like that, so tender and so strong yet able to bring so much joy.
It was a night she’d never forget with the best man she’d ever met.
Speaking of, she yawned and looked over to his side of the bed, only to find he wasn’t there. She frowned.
Where is he?
As if in response to her thoughts, he entered the room, already handsomely dressed in his work clothes, holding a large tray arrayed with tasty-looking breakfast foods.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” he said, striding over and setting it on her lap. His gentle grin made warmth spread over her. “I thought you might be hungry after what we did last night.” He stopped to let his steely gaze rake over her. “You sure do look beautiful today.”
She blushed. “Thank you.” Part of her couldn’t believe that they’d actually slept together, but it had just felt so right with Beck, and it felt even more right now.
This sweet man bringing her breakfast in bed after pleasuring her senseless.
“I could get used to this,” she said.
“You better,” he replied, sitting on the bed next to her. “‘Cause now that we’ve done it, I can’t promise we won’t do it again.”
“I’d like that,” she said quietly, picking up her fork. She’d love it.
Beck just nodded and ran a hand through his beard, looking satisfied. “So what’d you want to do today?”
“Well, you’ve been working so hard on the ranch,” she said, taking a bite. “I thought maybe we should go out and have some fun.”
His gray eyes gleamed curiously. “What did you have in mind?”
“There’s a weekly hoedown in town that I always go to.” She grinned. “Think you’d be up for it?”
“Darling, I’m up for anything you want,” he said. Then his eyebrows furrowed. “Still, I don’t remember the last time I went out dancing.”
Sierra laughed at the thought of this big, stoic, grunty man line dancing. “Why? Has it been that long?”
He shook his head. “Nah, it was only a few months ago. Hell, the reason I can’t remember is probably that I did more drinking than dancing. In fact, can’t say I did any dancing.”
“Oh, well, if you don’t like dancing…” she began to say, but he reached out, holding her face in his huge hand and caressing her cheek with his thumb.
“Dancing’s fine.” He reassured her. “I just never really got into it ‘cause I didn’t have a partner I wanted to dance with.”
“And now?”
He smirked and was about to respond when a flash of white caught both of their eyes through the window.
“Oh no,” she said, standing up out of bed and pulling down the window shades to get a better look. “It’s Ross.”
“Ross?” Beck said, scowling as he looked out the window as well. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
But apparently it wasn’t just Ross this time. As he stepped out of his overcompensatingly extravagant car, five of his cronies also exited the vehicle.
“Stay here,” she said, moving to get dressed. “Let’s see if I can handle this peacefully.”
He held out a hand, shaking his head. “No, I’ll take care of this.”
“But—”
“He brought a car with five men to deal with one woman,” Beck growled. “I don’t feel peaceful about it. Stay here.”
“What’re you gonna do?” she asked.
He
