Page 13 of Courted By the Grumpy Dragon (Monsters of Saltford Bay #2)

Chapter Eight

Kraxon

Morning light slants through the dormer windows, painting gold patterns across rumpled white sheets.

Nina sleeps beside me, her breathing soft and rhythmic, her body curved toward mine in unconscious trust. Her face holds none of its usual animation in sleep, just peace.

Her lips are slightly parted, dark lashes resting against cheeks so soft they look like velvet.

The weight of her head rests on my shoulder, her hair spread across my pillow in a tangle of brown waves. Her scent clings to everything, now mingled with my own to create something entirely new and impossibly right. Cinnamon and honeysuckle. Softness and warmth.

I've never watched someone sleep before. Never wanted to. Yet I find myself cataloguing every detail of her: the small freckle near her left ear, the slight furrow between her brows that appears even in sleep, the delicate pulse at the base of her throat.

Something has uncoiled inside my chest, a knot I didn't know existed until it released. The sensation is foreign but undeniable, a warmth centered directly behind my sternum that wasn't there before.

The Heart's Fire. The unbreakable bond that forms when a dragon finds their mate.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Yet, it’s the best thing that ever happened to me.

My wings twitch with the need to shield her, to wrap her in protective warmth and keep her safe from anything that might disturb her rest. I hold them still through sheer force of will, though it feels like fighting gravity.

I was seven when my father first explained the Heart's Fire to me. "It's rare," he'd said, golden eyes serious as he adjusted his wings. "Most dragons never experience it. But if you're fortunate enough to find your mate, you'll know immediately."

Later, in my teenage years, I'd dismissed it as romance, an outdated tradition from times when dragons lived in isolated clans rather than integrated into society. I never expected to feel it myself. Never wanted to.

Yet here I am, watching a human librarian sleep in my bed, feeling as though some essential part of my soul has shifted irrevocably to accommodate her presence .

What will this mean for my carefully structured life? For the firm?

Most importantly, what will it mean for Nina?

She stirs against me, stretching like a cat, her body sliding against my scales in a way that immediately elevates my temperature. Her eyes flutter open, unfocused at first, then warming as they find mine.

"Morning," she murmurs, voice husky with sleep. Her smile is tentative, testing.

"Good morning." My voice sounds different to my own ears, softer than usual.

She doesn't pull away as I half-expected her to do. Instead, she burrows closer, her fingers tracing patterns along the scales of my chest. Each touch sends ripples of pleasure across my skin, and I fail to suppress the immediate release of pheromones that fills the air between us.

Nina inhales deeply, her pupils dilating.

"Cinnamon again." Her smile turns teasing. "Does that mean what I think it means?"

Heat blooms beneath my scales. She has no idea how much I want her. Well, my already erect cock pressed against her side is a good hint.

"Yes." I see no point in denying it now. "Dragons release pheromones when aroused. But it doesn’t happen for just anyone. These particular pheromones I’ve never released before. These are only released for a dragon’s mate. His Heart’s Fire."

"Mates? Heart’s Fire?" She props herself up on one elbow, her hair falling forward to brush my chest. "Is that what we are now?"

An unfamiliar pinch of fear squeezes my throat at the idea that she may not want to be mated to me. That this was just a fling to her, something unimportant that she would just as soon forget .

"To me, yes." I force myself to meet her eyes, to show her the vulnerability I've hidden for so long. "Finding a true mate, a Heart’s Fire, is rare, even among dragons. I've never experienced it before, but it’s unmistakable. It’s also irrevocable."

Her expression shifts to wonder rather than the alarm I feared.

"So when you warned me last night about dragons mating for life..."

"I meant it." I trace the curve of her cheek with my thumb. "The pheromones, the heat, the way my wings respond to you. They're all signals of the bond forming."

She places her palm over my heart, her touch gentle but deliberate.

"Is that why they call it Heart's Fire? I can feel it. You're warmer here than anywhere else."

I cover her hand with mine.

"My people believe the fire that keeps a dragon alive finds its true home in their mate. It's an ancient concept, but..."

"But you feel it." It's not a question.

"Yes." The admission costs me less than I expected.

Nina studies my face for a long moment, then leans forward and kisses me. Unlike last night's desperate passion, this kiss is deliberate, exploratory. Her lips move against mine with gentle curiosity, and I allow her to set the pace, to discover what pleases us both.

When she pulls back, her eyes hold mine steadily.

"I should be freaking out right now. Twenty-four hours ago, I barely knew you. Now we're talking about mate bonds and forever."

"Are you freaking out?" I ask, throat tight.

"That's the weird part." She traces the line of my jaw, fingers lingering on the scales there. "I'm not. This feels right. I mean, it’s insane and I should get my head checked at the clinic, for sure. But it feels like finding a book I've been searching for without knowing what I was looking for."

Her words release something final inside me, and the tightness loosens in my chest. She’s accepting me, accepting us. I pull her closer, capturing her mouth again as heat surges through my body. She responds instantly, her hands exploring the textures of my skin with newfound confidence.

Nina shifts her weight, rising to straddle me, the sheets falling away to reveal her naked form in the morning light. I can't breathe for a moment, overwhelmed by her beauty, her soft curves, her sleep-warmed skin, her tousled hair framing her face.

"You're staring," she whispers, a flush spreading across her chest.

"You're beautiful." My hands settle on her hips, the contrast between my golden scales and her soft skin mesmerizing. "I'll never tire of looking at you."

She smiles, leaning down to kiss me again as she shifts her weight. I’m already painfully hard, and she takes me inside her in one fluid motion. We both gasp at the sensation, the heat, the perfect fit, the rightness of our bodies joining.

My wings deploy fully this time, spreading beneath me and arching above us to create a golden canopy that filters the morning light. Nina's eyes widen as she looks up at the translucent membrane.

"They're beautiful," she breathes, reaching up to touch the nearest wing.

The contact sends a jolt of pleasure so intense it nearly undoes me. Wings are the most sensitive part of a dragon's body, rarely touched by anyone but family or mates. The sensation of Nina's fingers exploring the delicate structure is exquisite torture.

"Does that feel good?" she asks, watching my reaction closely.

"Too good," I manage, my voice strained. "If you continue, this will be over very quickly."

She smiles, wicked and knowing, and deliberately strokes along the wing's edge again while rolling her hips against mine. The dual sensation is overwhelming, pleasure spiraling from two points to meet in the center of my being.

I grip her hips harder, guiding her movements as we find a rhythm together. She leans forward, her hair creating a curtain around our faces, her breath mingling with mine. Every movement brings us closer, the Heart's Fire in my chest expanding until it feels like it might consume us both.

"Kraxon," she whispers, her voice breaking around my name. "I feel it, too. The fire. It's inside me."

Her words unravel my control. I sit up, wings still extended, wrapping my arms around her to hold her against my chest as we move together. Her fingers find my wings again, more confident this time, exploring the sensitive membrane with deliberate intent.

Then I feel her walls quivering around my shaft, her release rolling over her like thunder.

She screams my name, and I let go. Release claims us both simultaneously, her body tightening around mine as waves of pleasure wash through us.

The sensation is more intense than anything I've experienced before, not just physical but something deeper, soul-deep, as though the bond between us is being forged in fire .

Afterward, I hold her against my chest, wings still partially extended, feeling more complete than I ever have. Her heartbeat gradually slows to match mine, her breath warm against my neck.

"So," she says after a long, comfortable silence. "This is going to complicate things, isn't it?"

I trace patterns along her spine. "Professionally? Yes."

"The estate case—"

"Will proceed as it should." I tilt her chin up to meet my eyes. "My ethics as a lawyer remain intact, Nina. If the second will is fraudulent, I'll find proof. If it's legitimate, I'll honor it, regardless of my personal feelings."

My phone buzzes on the bedside table, the screen illuminating with an unknown number. I consider ignoring it for a half second before my professional instincts take over.

"Do you need to get that?" Nina asks, her body still warm against mine.

"It could be important," I admit reluctantly.

She nods, making no move to pull away as I reach for the phone. I frown, as the number is not one I recognize. I keep one arm around her as I answer.

"Kraxon Ashbane speaking."

My wings instinctively tighten around Nina at the voice on the other end.

"Mr. Ashbane? This is Trina Voss." The voice is hushed, nervous. "Delilah Vance's assistant? I need to speak with you. About the will."

My mind immediately shifts to professional alertness, though I don’t let go of Nina .

"What about the will, Ms. Voss?" I keep my tone neutral, professional.

"Not now." Her voice drops even lower. "I can't talk here. She might hear me."

Nina looks up questioningly, sensing the change in my posture.

"Where would you like to meet?" I ask, maintaining control despite the surge of anticipation.

"The Wandering Gnome. Eight o'clock." Trina's words come fast now, almost frantic. "Tell no one. Please. I'm risking everything just calling you."

"I understand. I’ll be there."

"I have to go," she whispers before the line goes dead.

I lower the phone slowly, my mind already shifting through the implications. Trina Voss is one of the witnesses to the second will. If she's reaching out in secret, frightened of Delilah overhearing...

"What is it?" Nina asks, reading the tension in my body. "What's wrong?"

I look down at her, still wrapped in my wings, her body warm against mine. Just moments ago, I was lost in the perfection of our connection. Now reality intrudes, sharp-edged and demanding.

"It's Trina Voss," I say, seeing no point in keeping secrets from her. "She wants to meet about the will."

Nina sits up straighter, hope flaring in her eyes.

"It could be the break we need, or it could be nothing.

" I brush a strand of hair from her face, torn between the desire to stay in this moment with her and the urgency of what might be our only chance to save the library. "I don’t want you to get your hopes up just yet. This might not be all you’re hoping it is. "

She nods, then kisses me softly. "What time is it now?"

I glance at the clock. "Just after six."

Her hand slides down my chest, reigniting the heat beneath my scales.

"Then we have time."

And we make the most of it.