Taming the Beast

“Because you deserve so much more. But I do.”

My head jerked up. “You do?” It came out a whisper, a hope floating through the air.

“I tried not to. I was never meant for love, sweetheart.”

What was he saying? My pulse sped up, skipping erratically.

“I lost the gamble, and you’re the one that’s going to have to live with the consequences.”

“I don’t care about what you did before, don’t you see—”

He cut me off with a wry smile, “Not that gamble.”

“Oh.” My head spun, trying to keep up.

“I gambled with my heart, even though I didn’t know the stakes, didn’t even know I was playing, and you won, sweetheart.” He searched my face, intensity burning in his eyes. “It’s not too late for you to reset the game, if you really want to.”

I leaned forward, pulled by the flicker of vulnerability. “Why would I want to do that?”

“Like I said, there are consequences.” He lifted one shoulder in a half shrug, his dark hair falling down into his eyes.

“And those are?”

“Me. As your mate. Forever.”

A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of spending my days

with this man. At being able to touch and kiss him whenever I wanted to, him touching and kissing me, taking me to bed and exploring together. “Mate? I thought shifters only mated their…”

“True mates? Yep.”

My mouth fell open, lips flapping in the wind. “Me? Us?”

“You. I suspected the moment I saw you, and I knew for certain the second our lips met. You’re mine and I’m yours.”

“You didn’t say anything!” And that hurt, like a punch to the stomach. He’d removed me from the decision making process entirely.

“I was trying to save you from me.” He spoke slowly, as though explaining the laws of quantum physics to a kindergartener.

“I don’t need saving! Asshole,” I added under my breath.

“Correct answer.” His mouth crashed down on mine, his one hand sliding around my waist and yanking me up against his hard chest, and his other hand smoothing across my cheek and trailing down along my jaw. His warm breath heated my skin, firm lips nibbling and smoothing across mine, coaxing and entreating, daring me to answer. His skin was rough with days old stubble that prickled my lips and chin. His strong arms held me, surrounding me and anchoring me to the here and now. Air crashed in and out of my lungs, sensations trickling out through my limbs, dancing across my skin, and tingling with every stifled groan and sharp intake of breath. His or mine, I didn’t know. I began where he ended, and he in turn.

Lust bubbled up in my stomach, sweet and hot and oh so tempting. A gentle press against his chest and he pulled away, but not too far, enough that I could speak, but not miss him. This close his features blurred, his eyes the only thing still clear and sharp. “What does this mean?” I asked, tempering the urge to drag him back down and finish what he’d started.

“You only have to say yes.”

“Then what?”

His voice dropped to a low, throaty growl, “Then … we mate.”

Chapter 8

Bastian

I was flying higher than I’d ever flown as a dragon, soaring through the clouds, high on joy and love.

Yes.