Fated for the Dragon Read online

  She stopped suddenly, ducking her head shyly. Isaak watched her, his heart in his throat as a blush burned its way across her dark skin.

  “I guess I got a little carried away there,” she said, flashing him a small smile. “Sometimes I forget myself a little when I’m talking about my work.”

  “No, not at all,” Isaak hurried to reassure her. “It’s so... it’s so wonderful to see someone who genuinely loves what they do.” He was speaking truthfully. He’d grown cynical after spending so much time in the business world – it seemed like most people there were only in love with money. “I knew you were passionate about it from the moment I read your letter.”

  Josie looked at him, eyes wide. “You... you read it? I just assumed your lawyer would have passed on the details and...”

  “‘I know this is an unusual request, but Calauria represents a rare opportunity for me to continue my work,’” Isaak quoted from memory, the words that Josie had written coming to his mind easily. “‘It is my hope that, with your permission, I may be able to contribute something not only of value but of beauty to the ornithological community’.”

  The words had moved him. His initial instinct to reject the request had melted before them. What could he have done, except say yes?

  Josie was staring at him, her mouth open in surprise. Finally, she blinked, seeming stunned. “I – I don’t know what to say,” she said softly. “It’s... well, so often... I mean, I’m used to people dismissing my work as not important, or boring, or whatever else.”

  Before Isaak knew what he was doing, he found himself leaning forward, reaching out to take her hand. “No, of course it’s not any of those things,” he said, watching as she looked down to where his hand covered hers – not with surprise or alarm, but with a strange heat in her eyes that he knew was also in his. “Not if it brings you happiness. If I have learned anything here, from everything that I’ve been through –”

  Isaak’s voice caught in his throat.

  What am I saying? What am I doing?

  He wasn’t sure he knew himself, except that Josie made him feel something he hadn’t felt in years.

  It wasn’t only a sense of calm – the raging beast within him finally tamed by her presence. It was something else too: a tightening in his chest that made him feel breathless, a warmth on his skin that felt almost like the sun.

  She attracted him irresistibly, in a way he’d never known before – and, from the way she was looking at him, her lips slightly parted, her eyes focused on his mouth, he knew she felt it too.

  But I can’t...

  Isaak tried to shake himself free of her power, closing his eyes and turning his head.

  It’s too dangerous... I’m too dangerous. Just because the monster is quiet now doesn’t mean it’s gone...

  “Isaak...”

  At the sound of her softly saying his name, Isaak found he couldn’t keep his eyes off her any longer. Opening them and turning to look at her, he found her face tantalizingly close to his.

  He licked his lips, swallowing heavily, as a groan wound its way up from his throat.

  “Josie...” he began to say, before at last, her lips met his.

  Chapter Five

  Josie

  Oh my God. Oh my God!

  A thrill of excitement, like a spark shooting down a fuse, ran through Josie as Isaak’s lips touched her.

  Heat flared in her belly, and she felt dizzy as desire welled up within her, blocking out any semblance of rational thought.

  The only thing she could think in that moment was just how badly she wanted him.

  This isn’t like you, she tried to tell herself as she opened her mouth, allowing Isaak’s tongue to slide between her lips. You’ve never lost your head over a man. Not even one as handsome as this.

  But as Isaak raised his hand to run his fingertips gently over her cheek, all doubts immediately fled her mind. There was nothing but the sensation of his lips against her, the touch of his fingers against her skin.

  It was like being touched by an open flame – the heat of him was indescribable. Josie gasped as he pulled back slightly, and opened her eyes to find herself staring into the brilliant green of his own. She could see the hunger in them – hunger for her.

  She swallowed. No one had ever looked at her like that before, with such a desperate combination of desire and longing. She had never even thought she could inspire it. She’d always been awkward, bookish, nerdy. Not someone the boys – or later, the men – had ever really looked at twice, except to appreciate her boobs.

  But there was no way she could doubt the sincerity of Isaak’s craving for her. It was there in his eyes, which seemed to burn from the intensity of his desire.

  “Josie...” he whispered, his voice hoarse. “Josie, I –”

  “Shhh,” she said, raising her hand to press her fingers against his lips. “You don’t have to say anything. I want this, too...”

  As she leaned forward to kiss him again, Josie wondered at her own boldness. Had she ever taken the initiative like this before? Kissed a man like this? Not that she could remember. And given how few kisses she’d had in her life, she figured anything like this would probably have stuck in her mind.

  She’d never felt anything like this before.

  Lust seemed to rampage uncontrolled throughout her body, bringing it alive. Goosebumps spread over her skin as Isaak’s hands – his large, strong hands – slid from her shoulders to her waist, drawing her closer to him.

  “Isaak,” she gasped as she felt his body against hers – hard and flat and unyielding against the softness of her breasts.

  As he lowered his head to kiss trails of fire down her jaw and throat, Josie threw her head back, closing her eyes, allowing herself to become lost in sensation. His fingers in the valley of her waist were firm, holding her in place as he kissed lower, across her collarbones and to the tops of her breasts.

  Maybe, she thought, as fire throbbed through her veins, maybe this is what he does, like some mythical beast... he lures willing maidens to his island and then ravishes them...

  Okay, maybe she wasn’t technically a maiden, but Josie didn’t think a few awkward, unsatisfying fumbles with her single college boyfriend really counted.

  Especially not when compared with this...

  They seemed to fit together perfectly, her soft curves complementing the hard angles of his muscular build perfectly. It was almost as if they had been made for each other, Josie thought, though she was aware of how silly that sounded.

  We only just met, after all, she told herself as she ran her hands up his arms, filling them with the muscles of his shoulders as he kissed her.

  She hissed in a breath as his fingers at last slipped beneath the bottom of her shirt, sliding against the sensitive skin of her sides.

  Isaak pulled back a little, looking down at where the tips of his fingers rested against her as if he was mesmerized. Finally, he seemed to tear his gaze away and look her in the eyes.

  “Josie. You don’t have to – even now, if you don’t want to –”

  She could tell by the way the muscles of his jaw clenched as he spoke and the harshness of his voice that it took every ounce of control he had to utter those words. She looked at him in wonder, eyes wide.

  How could he think I don’t want to...?

  “Please, Isaak.” Josie had to put a lot of effort into finding the power of speech. “I want this. I promise you. Please...”

  That was apparently all he needed. He swept forward, catching her lips in a searing kiss, his fingers tangling in her hair. Josie found herself being pressed back against the couch they’d been sitting on, Isaak’s strong, heavy body above her.

  It only made Josie want him more – to feel every inch of him against her. Inside her...

  His desire overwhelmed her, seeming to drive her higher and higher with every kiss, every touch. Josie could hear her heart pounding in her ears, her skin aflame with pleasure, heat throbbing between her legs.
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br />   Isaak slowly lowered his head, kissing her throat again, but this time he dipped lower, his fingers fumbling with the buttons of her shirt.

  Oh God...

  She had never felt so turned on before in her life. Isaak’s every touch, every kiss, seemed to fill her with fire, sending ecstasy spiraling through her. She reached down, finding the hem of his shirt and pulling it up. He raised his arms to let her tear it from his body, tossing it away without a second thought.

  Josie couldn’t hold back her gasp as his body was finally revealed to her: the hard, flat planes of his pecs, the sharp V of his hips, the ridges of his abs. A trail of dark hair ran down his belly, leading to the waistband of his pants, which Josie could see were already straining against the fullness of his erection.

  She swallowed heavily as she looked at him. He was positively godlike in his perfection.

  While she had stared at him, Isaak’s fingers had been busily at work on the buttons of her shirt, finally opening it and revealing her breasts, cupped inside her bra. Considering the last thing Josie had been expecting to happen today was to be swept off her feet by the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen, she wasn’t exactly wearing fancy lingerie – but Isaak barely seemed to notice. Instead, he simply lowered his head to her breasts with a groan, running his tongue over her soft, sensitive skin, and making her arch up off the couch with a desperate moan.

  She cried out as he took a nipple between his teeth through the material of her bra, biting gently, teasingly. She writhed beneath him, catching her lower lip between her teeth as he relentlessly tormented her with his lips and tongue.

  “Oh God, Isaak...”

  She almost didn’t recognize the sound of her own voice as she moaned out his name, breathless and desperate. She wanted more of him – everything he had to give her – and she wanted it now.

  Reaching down, she began fumbling with the buttons of his pants, only to find his hands on the zip of her shorts – almost as if he had read her mind. He kissed her again, his tongue sweeping into her mouth, as his hands slid beneath her panties, sliding them down her thighs. She was soaking wet, and she knew he could feel it now. But just when she thought she could get any wetter, his fingers brushed against her clit, making her cry out as her back arched up in pure ecstasy.

  His fingers against her sent wave after wave of heat through her body, pleasure coiling in her belly. She clutched at his shoulders as if to anchor herself, but she was powerless against the tide of her own bliss. Isaak was relentless, his fingers drawing sensation from her body until she could feel herself ready to explode.

  Her climax came suddenly, making her cry out his name as she squirmed helplessly beneath him. She spread her thighs even further apart as she came, coating his fingers in her wetness. Sharp pleasure seemed to pierce her to her core, her hips jerking up as her fingers dug into the hard muscles of his shoulders.

  For a long moment afterwards she simply lay still, trying to catch her breath. She had never felt anything like that before.

  “Oh, wow,” she murmured, eyes still closed. “That was... that was...”

  When she opened her eyes she found him looking down at her, his eyes still alight with that strange green flame. The loose curls of his dark hair fell down over his forehead in waves, his lips slightly parted – as if just watching her had made him breathless.

  “You’re beautiful,” he murmured, his voice sounding almost reverent. “So beautiful...”

  I could say the same to you, if I could just get my head together enough to speak, Josie thought as she reached up, drawing him down to kiss her.

  Bizarrely, although she hadn’t spoken the words out loud, she somehow had the feeling that Isaak knew... that somehow, he could tell exactly what she was thinking.

  Don’t be so silly, Josie scolded herself as she kissed him, hot and hard. One good orgasm and you go crazy? Who do you think you are? Smiling into the kiss, Josie let herself be carried away once more. She could already feel her desire building again.

  “I want you,” Isaak breathed when they finally broke apart. “God, I want you so badly.”

  Josie licked her lips, staring up into his incredible eyes. “Then take me,” she whispered, before she had time for second thoughts.

  For a moment, fire flared in his eyes with a luminous intensity. Josie barely had time to gasp at the sight before he was kissing her again, his tongue thick and strong, plundering her mouth and driving all thoughts from her mind.

  There was nothing she wanted more than to feel Isaak inside her, sheathed to the hilt. Once again she began to reach for him, only to find his warm fingers already there, unbuttoning his pants before shucking them down his hips.

  Isaak groaned, throwing his head back as her fingers closed around his thick, heavy shaft as it sprung free.

  Josie swallowed as she began to stroke him, feeling his thickness and length against her palm. He was huge, completely filling the curve of her hand. Her mouth began to water, just thinking of how he would feel inside her, how he would fill her to perfection.

  “God, Josie,” he groaned into the crook of her neck as she continued to slide her hand up and down him. His hips jerked, as if seeking more contact, and Josie knew neither of them could wait any longer.

  Lifting her head, she gently took the upper curve of his ear between her teeth, and heard him moan in response.

  “Please,” she whispered as she released him. “Please... do it now...”

  Isaak groaned, nodding. Before Josie knew what was happening, she found herself pressed back against the couch, his hands on her buttocks, lifting her hips toward him. And then, his cock was pressing at her entrance, sliding into her slowly, filling her to the brim.

  “Oh,” Josie moaned as he was finally all in, letting her head fall back, savoring the feel of him inside her. He felt perfect, just the right size for her. Once again, the thought entered her head that it was as if they had been made for each other – but then, just as quickly as it had come, the thought fled as Isaak made his first thrust.

  “God,” he whispered again, eyes alight as he looked down at her. “Josie, God, you feel...”

  He never finished the sentence. Josie squeezed herself around him, and he threw his head back, groaning. She marveled at the sight of his long, bronzed body above her, the cut of his muscles strong and sharp, his sinew straining against his skin as he moved.

  His thrusts into her body were strong and deep, finding the right spot within her every time. Already, Josie could feel ecstasy beginning to uncoil inside her, her nerves lighting up with pleasure.

  Josie cried out, her fingers clutching at his arms – and then, just when she thought she could take no more, he leaned down over her, catching her lips in a kiss, his abs pressing against her clit with every thrust.

  She squealed into his mouth, digging her fingernails into his back as white-hot pleasure tore through her. Her heart hammered in her ears, but she could still hear Isaak’s desperate, panting breaths, the small groan he made every time he sunk into her.

  Bliss began to flood through her in wave after wave, building toward her climax. Distantly, she could hear her own voice as she cried out over and over again.

  Just as she thought she could take no more, her climax exploded through her body like a tidal wave, lifting her in its relentless rush into pure ecstasy. Her nerves sang with pleasure, her belly filled with fire as she came.

  Isaak’s own climax came only moments later – she felt every muscle in his body grow taut as he groaned out her name. His hips jerked once, twice, and then he relaxed, covering her body with his.

  They lay there together, sweaty and breathless, Josie’s arm slung limply around his neck. For a long time, all she could do was lie still, trying to get her breath back, and wondering if, after this, she would ever feel normal again.

  Her entire body felt alive – and it was like nothing she had ever felt before. She hadn’t known it was possible to feel this good.

  “Wow,” she manage
d to gasp out when she finally had enough breath back to speak. “That was... I mean... wow...”

  Isaak heaved in a breath before he finally shifted away from her, his cock slipping from her body as he did so. Josie missed the feel of him inside her immediately, but then he wrapped his arms around her, drawing her to him.

  This is a pretty good trade-off, she decided as she snuggled close to his side.

  “Josie,” he murmured after a moment, his voice a low rumble in his chest. “I... I’m sorry, I lost my head.” He leaned up, resting on his elbow and looking down into her eyes. “I didn’t mean for this to happen when I asked you here. I promise you.”

  Josie wasn’t sure how or why, but somehow she could tell the sincerity of Isaak’s words. He really hadn’t brought her back to his palatial villa with the intention of seducing her.

  Licking her lips as she stared up into his utterly gorgeous face, she hoped her certainty of this wasn’t just a product of wishful thinking.

  “I didn’t either,” she said. “I mean... I don’t usually... I haven’t had many...”

  She could feel herself starting to blush as she spoke.

  Shut up, Josie, she quickly told herself before she could blurt out any more embarrassing things. Maybe he’d like to know when you last visited the OB-GYN as well?

  “No. I know what you mean.” Isaak reached out, brushing a sweaty strand of hair back behind her ear. “I haven’t either.”

  Josie blinked in surprise. Again, she didn’t doubt what Isaak said – something within her told her he was telling the truth, however unlikely that might be. Men who looked like Isaak – and, she had to admit, who had Isaak’s kind of money – would have had women absolutely throwing themselves at him. Had be really not taken advantage of the fact that he could fill his swimming pool with panties if he’d wanted to?