Page 9 of Tempest Blazing (The Dragonne Library #3)

Tess

His hand came up to stroke my hair, fingers threading through the strands with surprising gentleness for someone who could crush stone with his bare hands. "I've got you," he said simply.

Something in his tone made me look up. The expression on his face had shifted—his eyes darker, more intense.

Through our mate bond, I felt a low thrumming energy, like the vibration before an avalanche.

It wasn't just comfort radiating from him anymore.

It was something primal, something possessive.

Mason bent, pressing his lips to the top of my head. A comfort kiss. Nothing unusual for us. But then his mouth moved lower, brushing my temple, lingering there as his breathing deepened.

"Mason?" I whispered, feeling the shift in his energy through our bond—a warm, amber glow turning molten.

"Need to make sure you're safe," he growled, voice rougher than before. His lips found my ear, hot breath sending shivers down my spine. "My gargoyle... he needs to know you're protected."

Understanding dawned. This wasn't just comfort anymore. This was something tied to our newly formed mate bond. Something awakened by the threat we had just revealed.

His mouth trailed down to my neck, and I gasped as he pressed a hot, open-mouthed kiss to my pulse point. My hands, which had been resting lightly on his chest, curled into his shirt, pulling him closer without conscious thought.

"Tell me to stop," he rumbled against my skin, even as his hands tightened on my waist. "If you don't want this—"

"Don't stop," I breathed, tilting my head to give him better access. My body was already several steps ahead of my brain, heat pooling low in my belly. "Please don't stop."

A growl vibrated through him, and suddenly I was pressed against the nearest bookshelf, Mason's powerful body caging me in.

Around us, the library's lanterns dimmed slightly, as if the sentient building was giving us privacy.

The scent of old parchment and leather bindings mingled with Mason's stone-and-cedar aroma, creating an intoxicating blend.

"Need you," Mason said, his voice barely human. His eyes had taken on the silvery sheen that indicated his gargoyle nature was close to the surface. "Need to feel you. Need to know you're mine."

My heart hammered against my ribs. This wasn't the gentle, careful Mason who had been my friend for years.

This was something wilder, something unleashed by our bond and the threat of danger.

Through our connection, I could feel his protective instinct surging like a tidal wave—ancient, powerful, unstoppable.

And god help me, I wanted it.

"I'm yours," I assured him, reaching up to touch his face. The skin beneath my fingers felt warmer than usual, his gargoyle magic surfacing. "All yours."

His hands found my hips, lifting me slightly so we were perfectly aligned, my back pressed against ancient tomes that had probably witnessed centuries of secrets. But none quite like this, I thought wildly as Mason's mouth claimed mine in a kiss that was all hunger and need.

His tongue swept inside, tasting me, claiming me. I moaned into his mouth, my arms winding around his neck to pull him closer. Through our bond, I felt his satisfaction at my surrender, his primal need to mark me, claim me, remind both of us who I belonged to.

"Tell me what you want," he demanded when we broke apart, both panting. His hands were already working at the buttons of my blouse, thick fingers surprisingly dexterous. "Tell me, Tess."

"You," I gasped as his fingers brushed against my skin, leaving trails of fire in their wake. "I want you. All of you."

His smile was predatory. "Good. Because I'm taking all of you."

My blouse fell open under his skilled fingers, and he made a sound of approval at the lacy bra underneath. "Pretty," he murmured, tracing the edge where fabric met skin. "But in my way."

With a flick of his wrist, the front clasp opened, and my breasts spilled free into his waiting hands. I arched into his touch, a moan escaping me as his thumbs brushed over my nipples, sending jolts of pleasure straight to my core.

"So responsive," he growled approvingly. "Always so fucking responsive for me."

His mouth replaced his hands, hot and wet and demanding as he sucked and licked.

I threaded my fingers through his short hair, holding him to me as pleasure sparked through my body.

The cool hardness of the bookshelf against my back contrasted deliciously with the heat of Mason's mouth, creating a sensory overload that had me gasping.

"Mason," I moaned as his teeth grazed sensitive flesh. "Please—"

"Please what?" He looked up, eyes gleaming silver now. "Use your words, Tess. Tell me exactly what you want."

Heat flooded my face. Mason had never been this demanding, this dominant before. It was new territory for us, and my body was responding with embarrassing enthusiasm.

"I want you inside me," I managed, holding his gaze despite my blush. "Now."

He chuckled, the sound dark and promising. "Not yet. First, I'm going to taste you."

His hands moved to my pants, unfastening them with swift efficiency. I lifted my hips to help as he tugged them down along with my underwear, leaving me half-naked before him while he remained fully clothed—a power dynamic that sent another thrill through me.

Mason knelt before me, lifting one of my legs over his shoulder. His gaze was hungry as it swept over me. "Beautiful," he said, his voice reverent despite its roughness. "My mate. My Tess."

Then his mouth was on me, and coherent thought fled. I cried out, my head falling back against the bookshelf as his tongue found my most sensitive spot. Through our bond, I could feel his satisfaction, his possessive pleasure at reducing me to desperate whimpers.

"That's it," he encouraged between licks. "Let me hear you."

I couldn't have held back if I tried. Every stroke of his tongue sent sparks of pleasure racing up my spine. My hands found purchase in the shelves beside me, gripping tightly as the sensations built.

"Mason," I gasped, feeling the tension coiling tighter. "I'm close—"

He doubled his efforts, adding a thick finger inside me, curling it to hit exactly the right spot. The dual stimulation was too much. I shattered, crying out his name as waves of pleasure crashed through me, my inner walls pulsing around his finger.

Through the haze of my climax, I was dimly aware of Mason standing, hastily removing his clothes.

The cool library air kissed my heated skin, making me shiver—or maybe it was the intensity of Mason's gaze as he revealed himself.

All powerful muscle and hard angles, his body was a testament to the warrior beneath the gentle exterior.

His arousal stood proud, intimidatingly large, a testament to his desire for me. Through our bond, I felt his need—raw and urgent.

"Need to be inside you," he growled, stepping back between my thighs. "Need to feel you around me."

I nodded, beyond words, reaching for him. He caught my hands, pinning them gently but firmly above my head against the bookshelf with one of his.

"Stay like this," he commanded. "I want to watch you take me."

I swallowed hard, nodding again. With his free hand, Mason guided himself to my entrance, the blunt head of him pressing against me. Despite how ready I was, there was always that moment of resistance, that brief second of wondering if I could accommodate him.

"Relax," he murmured, his eyes locked on mine. "You can take me. You always do."

I took a deep breath, forcing my muscles to unclench. Mason pushed forward slowly, stretching me, filling me inch by delicious inch. I moaned at the exquisite burn, the feeling of completeness that only came when we were joined like this.

"Fuck," Mason grunted when he was fully seated. "So tight. So perfect."

He began to move, using the bookshelf for leverage as he thrust into me. The ancient wood creaked slightly beneath us, the sound mingling with our heavy breathing and the slick noises of our bodies meeting.

"Mine," Mason growled, his rhythm never faltering. "Say it, Tess. Tell me who you belong to."

"Yours," I gasped, the word torn from me as he hit a particularly sensitive spot. "I'm yours, Mason."

His grip on my wrists tightened, and he drove into me harder. Through our bond, I could feel his primal satisfaction, his need to claim and mark and possess. It was intoxicating—being wanted this much, being needed this much.

"No one else touches you like this," he said, his voice rough. "No one else makes you feel like this."

"No one," I agreed, wrapping my legs around his waist to pull him deeper. "Only you."

Something in my words seemed to snap the last of his control. Mason released my wrists, grabbing my hips instead as he pounded into me. The change in angle sent bolts of pleasure through me, and I knew I was close again.

"Come for me," Mason demanded, one hand sliding between us to circle my most sensitive spot. "Come on my cock, Tess."

His crude words, so unlike his usual careful speech, pushed me over the edge.

I came hard, my inner muscles clamping down on him as waves of pleasure crashed through me.

Mason groaned, his rhythm faltering as my release triggered his own.

He thrust deep one final time, his body going rigid as he emptied himself inside me.

For several long moments, we stayed like that, connected and panting. Mason's forehead rested against mine, our breath mingling in the small space between us. Through our bond, I felt his contentment, his satisfaction, his unwavering devotion.

Finally, he shifted, carefully withdrawing from me and setting me gently back on my feet. I wobbled slightly, my legs unsteady, and he steadied me with a small smile that was pure Mason—tender and protective.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice back to its usual gentle rumble as he helped me straighten my clothes.

I nodded, feeling a flush creep up my cheeks as reality began to reassert itself. "More than okay."

His fingers traced my jawline. "I'm sorry if I was too rough. My gargoyle—"

"Was exactly what I needed," I finished for him, leaning into his touch. "Don't apologize."

Mason was quiet for a moment, his eyes searching mine. "Things are changing, Tess. My gargoyle... he won't be able to stay passive anymore. Not with the threats you're facing."

I looked up at him, seeing the fierce protectiveness in his dark eyes, now returned to their normal color.

"If someone threatens you," he continued, "I'll be there. No matter what rules I have to break."

The promise should have worried me. Instead, it warmed me from the inside out.

"I know," I said simply, reaching up to touch his face. "And I'll be there for you too."