Page 38 of The Dragons’ Eternal Mate

I cocked my head to the side, offering him a gentle smile as my heart cracked open. “Bastian, your worth has nothing to do with what you can do for us. Me and the guys we care about you because you’re you. It was never the fact you were the Alpha’s son that made me love you. Don’t you know that?”

Bastian paused, mouth dropping open, his fingers tightening against and then releasing my thighs, eyes the size of dinner plates as he regarded me.

“You… love me?” His voice was strangled.

I took a deep breath, leaning back when I realized what I had said. I hadn’t meant to say that, but sitting here with him, I couldn’t deny it was true. We’d come so far since the beginning, and everything he’d done had spoken volumes. There was no putting a cat back in the bag once I’d said the word, and I realized that I really didn’t want to.

“Yes, Bastian, I do. Don’t get me wrong.” I eyed him, smirking slightly. “You’re grumpy, surly, a royal pain in my ass, but you’re also sweet, caring, and genuinely a good man beneath all that bravado.” I ran a hand through his hair. His eyes closed at the touch. “When you open up, when you let me see you, how could I not love you? You really don’t have a clear picture of yourself, do you?”

The concerned surprise disappeared from his face as he laughed roughly. “I wish I could see myself the way you see me. I think this would feel a lot less… I don’t know. Overwhelming?”

I smiled, smoothing my hand over his cheek. “Well, in the meantime, I’ll keep reminding you.”

“You really feel that way about me? After everything I did? Everything I said?”

I sighed, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him closer. “Bastian, I’ve seen a lot more of you now. Sure, there are still moments when I want to throat-punch you, but you’ve changed your ways, and I don’t feel the need to keep focusing on the past. Actions speak damn loudly. And you’ve done a lot to show you care, that you regret what you did. We have time to figure everything out. I’m not going anywhere. And I’m pretty sure if you even tried to leave, for some stupid reason, the moment you shifted into dragon form, you’d be right back here, your dragon at my feet, being a good boy who loves me so much.”

I grinned, wrapping my legs around him. I was being brave, spurred on by a desperate need to make Bastian understand he was more than Cyrus’s son. Our connection had grown. He’d proven he wanted things to be different, for the horde, for us, and he was taking the actions necessary. That spoke volumes about the man he was beneath the surface.

“You have a solid point.” Bastian pressed in closer, resting his forehead against mine. “And for the record, we both love you. Me and my dragon. Since the moment I saw you. Both versions of you.”

Tears prickled in my eyes, Bastian’s honesty like a balm over the scars of the past. I lifted his face, locking my eyes with his. “Kiss me.”

His stare flared. “What?”

“Kiss me, Bastian. I’m sick of waiting.” I didn’t back down, didn’t deny the growing heat inside me. “Now.”

As I pulled him closer, Bastian leaned in, our lips meeting. Sparks detonated inside me, a collision of stars as the bond we’d refused for so long took hold, grasping hard.

Electricity fizzled between us as our tongues danced, Bastian’s fingers digging into my hips as any sense of hesitation evaporated. My arms wrapped around his neck, and I squeezed, unable to hold back the desire building inside me. I’d wanted this man plenty, and now, the need to be close to him was almost overwhelming. Bastian wrapped his arms around my waist, and he began to lift me.

“We are not doing this on a fucking bathroom counter,” he growled against my lips.

“Next time?” I giggled, heat pooling in my belly when his hands tightened on me.

It seemed Bastian liked that idea. But I had to agree. This time, though, I wanted him in bed. I wanted him over me, looking into my eyes as we finally let our mate bond expand, seizing us completely.

He lifted me off the counter, and I clamped my legs around his waist as he carried me to the bed. Bastian set me down gently, following me, our kisses unending as he carefully pulled his arms out from under me, hands going to my face. His hips between my thighs, Bastian’s erection rubbed against me, making my mind spin in the best way possible.

I did my best to pour my every emotion into the kiss, our tongues crashing as he explored me.

Bastian leaned back, pulling his shirt over his head. I marveled at the sight of him, the way his muscles stood out like carved perfection. I went to take off the sweatshirt I’d borrowed, but Bastian’s hands clamped down over my fingers, stopping me.

“Let me. Please.”

With a smile, I nodded, moving my fingers. Bastian gripped the hem of the hoodie, smoothing it over my stomach as he leaned down, peppering my skin with kisses, not leaving a single section of my scars untouched. The emotions were nearly overwhelming, but they were good. Without a word, Bastian was telling me everything I needed to know.

He acknowledged what I’d been through, how I’d been changed, and wanted me, nonetheless.

It wasn’t surprising, but it was nice to be reminded.

The fabric went over my head soon after, and Bastian kissed me again as I sat up. I reached for his pants, undoing the button and zipper. Leaning so that his lips still touched mine, he shrugged off his jeans, his boxers going along with them. This time, I allowed myself to look down.

Oh, damn.

Before I could say anything, though, Bastian reached for my hips, scooting me to the end of the bed. His lips worked over my neck and chest, thumbs pushing off the straps of my sports bra before going to the waistband of my leggings. He slipped his fingers beneath the fabric and pulled on them, kissing my hips and thighs as he did.

My skin hummed, buzzing from head to toe as Bastian lavished me with such attention that I was boiling up, pumping hot arousal through my veins instead of mere blood.