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“Yes.” Then she wiggles in my lap and grinds down. The notepad slips from her fingers to the floor. Her heat soaks through her panties into me. I slump against the chair and forget every word I know. I grab her hips and pin them in place. If she moves again, I’m going to lose whatever shred of composure I have left.

I pull myself upright and meet her eyes. “You should not provoke a dragon, Aya. You’re playing a very dangerous game.”

“I like playing games.” She doesn’t even blink.

My dragon pushes up hard. “I’m going to bend you over this desk in a minute,” I growl.

She chews her bottom lip and thinks it over. Then she puts her hands on my shoulders to climb off my lap. “All right, I’ll stop pushing.”

I catch her wrists and haul her back down. Her eyes go wide when she drops onto my erection. It’s worth every bit of self-control I’ve burned through this morning. I grip her thighs and stand up with her in my arms. She yelps and locks her legs around my waist with her heels digging into my back.

“Ezra,” she gasps.

“Too late, Aya.” I hitch her higher against me. “I’m making sure you get hydrated and fed. Then we’re going again. You guaranteed my dragon that.”

She clings to me and rubs her nose over my fresh claim mark. It throbs under her touch. My dragon keens low and desperate, and my knees almost buckle. I stop short and wait until I can trust my legs.

“And yes,” I rasp. “We are going to see the Mer today. We’ll meet up with Amari at the Academy and go over my notes for the planetarium while we’re there.”

She lifts her head. “Really? Because I was thinking we could…”

“Enough, my stubborn wolf.” I carry her out of the office and down the hall toward the kitchen. “I promise you, we’ll see them. And I’ll listen to you.”

She plants a kiss under my ear. “I love you, Ezra.”

I groan. “I love you too. We are never getting out of this cabin if you don’t stop.” I boost her up to pop her ass, and she squeals and laughs into my shoulder.

I set her down on the kitchen island and step between her legs. She hooks her ankles behind my back and yanks me closer. I slide my hands under her shirt. Her skin is warm and silky as I drag my fingers up her sides. She arches into me when I cup her breasts. I brush my thumbs over her nipples until they harden, and she gives me a breathy moan that goes straight to my dick. Her scent thickens with want.

She pulls me into a kiss that shuts my brain off. Her tongue is hot and slick on mine. I roll her nipples between my fingers while she whimpers against my lips. I’m rock hard in my sweatpants and grinding, this close to tugging her panties aside and taking her here.

She’s panting when she breaks the kiss and drops her forehead to my shoulder. I keep my thumbs moving in slow circles. I physically cannot make myself quit touching her, and I’m not trying very hard. My dragon hasn’t stopped purring since she bit me. I feel it in the roof of my mouth. Whenever her heart kicks under my hand, he gets louder.

I rest my chin on her head and breathe her in. He’s drunk on the bond, and I’m no better. I keep trying to think straight, but I can’t do it. I could bend her over any surface in this kitchen.

My father warned me that the early weeks after the bond completes feel like losing your mind. He wasn’t exaggerating.

She looks up and catches me staring. “You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“Looking at me like you’re about to eat me.” She pokes my chest.

I lick my lips with my eyes between her thighs. “I’m considering it.”

She laughs and gives me a shove. I don’t budge. I run my hands down to her hips. I should be getting food and water in her. I need to go over my notes before we meet Amari. Lauren wants us back in Ash Clan tonight. None of it gets me to stop.

“Hydrate first,” I order. “Then food. Then I deal with you properly.”

She sits up straight and raises an eyebrow at me. “You better.”

I pinch her nipple through her shirt. She squeaks and swats my hand. I kiss her again and go grab the pitcher from the fridge. My dragon sulks about every step I take away from her.

25

AYA

Ezra tucks his wings in as we touch down on the path leading to the Academy. I wiggle free and hop to the ground. My wolf loves the pine and the sweet flower gardens along the main walkway. She wants to tear off across the grass the way we used to. I grew up racing these halls and getting in trouble in every building here.