She lay back, her hair spreading like dark silk across the green, her eyes watching him with a mixture of trust and hunger that made his chest tighten. The first silver edge of the moon appeared over the canyon rim, casting a pale glow across her skin.
Rune knelt beside her, his movements deliberate. This wasn't about possession tonight, though his dragon clamored for the claiming mark. This was about devotion.
He started with her silk blouse, undoing each button with slow precision, his fingers brushing the warm skin beneath. The fabric whispered open, revealing the lace bra that cupped her breasts, and he unhooked it, sliding the straps and shirt down her arms until she was bare to the waist. Her breath caught, but she didn't speak. She simply watched him worship her with his eyes before his hands continued.
He removed her jeans next, the denim sliding down her lean legs. Then her lace panties followed, then her shoes. When she lay completely bare before him in the moonlit clearing, Rune felt a surge of possessiveness so profound it nearly stole his breath. Not because she was exposed, but because she was offering herself—this brilliant, fierce, independent woman was giving him her vulnerability.
"You're so beautiful," he murmured, his voice thick with need.
Then he leaned down and began his pilgrimage across her skin. Starting at her neck, he kissed the pulse point where herlife beat strong and steady. Then down her collarbone, tracing the elegant line with his lips. When he reached her breasts, he paused, giving each the attention they deserved. He lavished until she arched beneath him, gasps turning into moans that echoed in the quiet clearing. His dragon purred with satisfaction at every sound she made.
"Rune," she breathed, grabbing at his hair.
He then worked his way down her stomach, kissing the bronzed skin marked by years of fieldwork under the blazing sun. Then down her thighs, where muscle curved strong from hiking and climbing. Down her legs to her feet, then back up again, a slow ascent that brought him finally between her thighs.
She was already wet for him, her folds glistening in the moonlight. The sight made his cock ache with need. But he ignored his own hunger.
This is for her.
He leaned in and licked her slowly, a first taste that drew a loud gasp from her lips. Then he dove deeper, learning her with his mouth—the sensitive folds, the perfect peak of her clit, the hidden depths where his tongue could explore. She grabbed his hair, her fingers tightening, guiding him where she wanted more.
He obeyed, thrusting his tongue in rhythm with the rising tide of her pleasure, feeling through the bond how tightly she coiled, how close she hovered to breaking. When he inserted two fingers inside her, thrusting in counterpoint to his tongue on her clit, she shattered.
Her orgasm exploded outward, her body arching off the mossy ground as convulsions rocked her. But Rune didn't stop until she was fully sated, until she fell back onto the moss with a sigh of deep contentment and a smile of pure satisfaction lighting her face.
He stood then, peeling off his own clothes—his henley, jeans, boots, and boxers—until he stood naked before her. She stared up at him with barely leashed hunger, her eyes dark with renewed need.
"Get down here," she commanded, her voice husky.
He lay beside her on the moss. "Take what you need."
She climbed atop him, straddling his hips with that natural grace he adored. Her small hand braced against his chest as she reached between them with her free hand, guiding his hard cock to her slick entrance. When she sank down on him slowly, the feeling was perfection. She was tight, warm, and perfectly made for him. Then she began rocking back and forth, the motion maddening. His dragon roared again, demanding the mark, the completion of their bond.
Not yet, even as he began thrusting up into her.Not tonight. But soon.
Their rhythm soon turned primal. He grabbed her ass, guiding her as friction built to unbearable heights. Within minutes, her second orgasm ripped through her, and she collapsed against his chest as her inner walls clenched his cock with devastating force.
His own release followed, violent and hot, his seed spilling deep inside her as his body shuddered under hers. The bond sang between them, brighter than ever, yet still awaiting its final seal.
They lay there for long minutes under the moonlight, her head pillowed on his chest as his hand stroked her back.
"You mean the world to me," he said quietly, the words feeling both terrifying and right.
Maple turned her face. "I feel like this is where I belong."
He knew then, with absolute certainty, that he would do whatever it took to stop fighting himself. He would keep this woman by his side. The old fear—of loving too much and losingher—still lingered, but it had been overshadowed by a newer, more compelling terror.
The fear of never getting the chance to love her at all.
FIFTEEN
MAPLE
Maple woke up to a sensation she'd never experienced before—profound contentment. Sunlight filtered through the tall windows of Rune's private chambers, casting golden patterns across the ancient tapestries that adorned the walls. But it wasn't the opulent surroundings that made her heart flutter with unfamiliar peace. It was the solid warmth of Rune's chest beneath her cheek, the steady rhythm of his breathing, and the protective weight of his arm curved around her waist.
This is what safety feels like,she thought, marveling at how her body seemed to fit perfectly against his, as if they'd been sleeping entwined for centuries rather than a single night.
After their lovemaking in the moonlit clearing, they'd returned to his chambers for an intimate dinner by the fireplace—just the two of them, sharing wine and conversation that ranged from ancient dragon lore to her most embarrassing archaeological mishaps. She'd expected him to politely suggest she return to her guest suite afterward, giving them both space to process the emotional intensity of the evening and the devastating vulnerability he'd shown her.
