Page 24 of Vex (Dragon Brides #12)

Luisa was acting rashly.

Not the first time.

But the stakes had never felt so high.

The past week at Vex's estate had been beautiful torture. Every morning brought shared breakfasts where his fingers would brush hers as he passed the fruit preserves, sending electricity up her arm.

Every afternoon meant long walks through his gardens where he'd take her hand to help her over uneven stone paths, his palm warm and calloused against her skin.

Every evening ended with conversations that stretched deep into the night, sitting close enough on the library sofa that she could smell the smoke that always clung to his skin.

They'd talked about everything and nothing—her childhood in the undercity, his responsibilities as a lord, the strange customs of different worlds they'd both visited. He listened to her stories without judgment, shared pieces of his own past that she suspected few people ever heard.

One night, they'd stayed up until sunrise. She'd curled against his side while he told her about learning to fly, and she'd felt more at home than she had anywhere in her life.

Despite all that the easy intimacy of their conversations, despite the way his eyes followed her every movement with barely contained hunger, he maintained a careful physical distance that was driving her slowly insane.

He looked at her like he was dying inside.

But he hadn't kissed her.

He hadn't done more than hold her hand.

She was about to explode with want.

The constant arousal was becoming a serious problem. She'd catch herself staring at his mouth when he spoke, remembering exactly how those lips had felt against her skin. The memory of his hands on her body haunted her dreams, leaving her to wake each morning aching and frustrated.

She was a big girl, and it was time to do something about that. Clearly, one of them had to be brave.

It felt a tiny bit unfair that as the human she had to be brave. He turned into a giant, fire breathing beast and could lob balls of flame at people without effort.

Which was maybe why he couldn't take the leap.

Dragons didn't have to be brave.

But humans who'd survived the undercity of Aetis? They knew how to take risks when the potential payoff was worth it. And Vex was worth every risk she could imagine taking.

Her outfit was a tiny bit out of character. Normally, to do what she was doing, she'd just wear something that would fit in … a staid suit, an evening gown, sturdy trousers, nothing to call attention.

She'd never thought to do it in a lacy skirt and sheer black top that hid nothing.

The fabric was gossamer-thin, so delicate it seemed like it might dissolve under a touch. The skirt barely qualified as clothing, more suggestion than coverage, and she'd forgone underwear entirely.

If this didn't get his attention, nothing would.

If this did work, she'd have to send a thank you note to whoever at the IDA had put together her mistress wardrobe.

Vex had an office that overlooked the forest. It was very conventional. A terminal at the desk, a dragon-proof safe bolted to the floor, a somewhat comfortable chair.

The space was purely functional, all clean lines and expensive materials. Afternoon sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting geometric patterns across the dark wood floor.

And the somewhat comfortable chair was getting less comfortable by the second. She'd hacked his system forty-five minutes ago, and it should have set up an alarm. Really? What kind of security did the man have? She'd already made mental notes of what to fix.

If this worked.

It was going to work.

A shadow passed outside the window, a dragon landing behind the house.

Showtime.

Luisa had left the door open a crack. Vex always kept his office sealed shut. He hadn't forbidden her from entering. He'd even invited her to set up a workstation in there if she wanted.

She hadn't touched it.

Until today.

A few minutes later, Luisa heard footsteps on the stairs.

Her heart rate kicked up as the sound of his approach grew closer. This was it, no backing down now. She bent over the desk, fingers flying across the keyboard in a meaningless pattern that would look appropriately suspicious to anyone walking in.

Vex opened the door. "Hel—what are you doing?" He stopped dead in the doorway, his greeting cut off mid-word as he took in the scene before him.

Luisa shoved the keyboard away, eyes wide, and sat back in the chair.

Vex sucked in a ragged breath when he got a good look at her shirt. Or lack thereof.

Smoke began to curl around him as his eyes darkened, pupils dilating as he stared at her with draconic intensity. His nostrils flared, and she could see the exact moment his control began to slip. When he exhaled, wisps of smoke escaped his lips.

"What are you doing in here?" Vex repeated; it was nearly a growl.

"Nothing!" Luisa pushed back from the desk and stood and let him get an eye full of the skirt. It barely brushed the edge of her ass. "You definitely didn't just catch a hacker trying to infiltrate your system." She paused and waited.

He stepped fully into the room and closed the door behind him with calculated precision, the soft click of the lock engaging somehow managing to sound both promising and threatening.

"I didn't?" he asked. "Then what are you doing at my desk? At my computer? Do you know what I do to people who try and take advantage?" He moved closer, each step measured, closing the distance between them.

I sure hope so, she thought.

"You've got it all wrong," she breathed. "Is there anything I can do to make you understand?" She traced her hand across her stomach, just under her breasts.

Vex's nostrils flared, and he breathed out smoke.

"I was coming to talk to you, you know," he said.

"Haven't we done enough talking?" She was so sick of talking she was ready to tape her mouth shut … or find another use for it.

He grinned and swaggered forward, and for a second, he was the Lord Vex from Aetis all over again. But Luisa saw through it. It wasn't the act.

No, this was her Vex.

He was just allowing himself to have fun.

"On the desk," he commanded.

Luisa perched on the edge of the polished wood surface, hands folded primly in her lap and knees pressed together with an innocence that was completely at odds with her scandalous outfit.

Vex stalked closer until he stood directly in front of her, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his skin but not quite touching. His scent surrounded her—smoke and cedar that made her mouth water with want.

"Let's see what you've taken from me." He traced a hand down the sheer fabric of her arm. Then his fingers curled into the sleeve, and he tugged.

It tore away like tissue.

The delicate material parted with barely any resistance, leaving her right shoulder and arm completely bare.

Vex's eyes followed the path of exposed skin with ravenous attention.

He reached for the other sleeve, this time gripping it with both hands and pulling until the entire top came away in tatters, leaving her naked from the waist up.

"Looking for contraband," he murmured, his voice rough with barely contained desire as his hands came up to cup her breasts. His palms were furnace-hot against her sensitive skin, and she couldn't suppress the soft moan that escaped her lips as his thumbs brushed over her already-tight nipples.

His mouth followed the path his hands had taken, lips and tongue lavishing attention on the curve of her breasts before he drew one nipple into his mouth. The sensation shot straight to her core, making her arch against him as he sucked and nibbled with devastating skill.

"Nothing there," Vex murmured, kissing her breasts once more. "Open your legs." The command was ragged.

Luisa's legs fell open.

Vex's hands settled on her inner thighs, his touch gentle but possessive as he traced patterns on the sensitive skin.

His fingers moved higher with agonizing slowness, teasing closer and closer to where she needed him most. When he discovered her lack of underwear, his breath hissed out between his teeth.

"Such a naughty thief," he growled, his voice thick with approval and desire. "Coming into my office dressed like this, with nothing underneath." His fingers stroked along the outside of her sex, barely touching but enough to make her hips jerk toward him involuntarily.

When he finally slipped two fingers inside her, she cried out at the sudden fullness, her inner walls clenching around the welcome intrusion. He worked her with precision, his thumb finding that sensitive bundle of nerves while his fingers moved in a rhythm that had her writhing against the desk.

"So wet," he said. "Do you get off on stealing from people?"

"Only you." It was so, so true.

He increased the pace of his fingers, curling them in a way that hit that perfect spot inside her. When her orgasm finally hit, it tore through her with devastating force, leaving her crying out his name as her body convulsed around his fingers.

Before she had time to recover, she heard the sound of fabric rustling as he freed himself from his trousers. Then he was positioning himself between her thighs, the thick head of his cock nudging against her entrance.

He thrust forward in one smooth motion, filling her completely and drawing a moan from both of them at the perfect fit.

Finally, she could touch him. Her arms came up to wrap around his shoulders, pulling him closer as he began to move inside her.

The feel of him was everything she'd been craving during their week of careful distance—the solid weight of his body against hers, the stretch and fullness as he claimed her.

Her second orgasm built more slowly this time, a deep, rolling wave that seemed to start in her very core and spread outward until every nerve was singing with pleasure.

When it finally crested, it pulled him over the edge with her, his movements becoming erratic as he spilled himself inside her with a groan that she felt as much as heard.

Vex collapsed back into the chair, pulling a mostly limp and sated Luisa with him. She was a ragdoll, too full of pleasure to do more than slump over him.

"Did you want to talk about something?" Luisa asked sometime later, her lips moving against his shirt.

He was still wearing most of his clothes.

That was a problem. But she wasn't about to move to solve it.

"We can talk about it in bed," he said.

And without giving her time to respond, he picked her up and carried her out of the office.

* * *

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