Author: Jaci Burton

“Jenna.”

She met his gaze and he lifted against her, then slammed it home, rocking against her with a strong rhythm that balanced her right on the peak several times, only to pull back and take her up again. And each time, he rocked against her clit, conscious of her pleasure, her needs.

This man was magic.

She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. He swept his hand under her butt and held her close. Lines of strain tightened his features as he quickened the pace of his thrusts. She knew she wasn’t going to be able to hold on as he began to slam against her, one right after the other.

“Tyler. That’s going to make me come.”

“Then let’s go, babe.”

He bent her knee, drew her leg up, and pounded hard, tunneling faster and faster against her. And then he kissed her, his tongue licking against hers. The sensation rolled south and the waves of orgasm rushed over her. She moaned against his lips as her climax hit her hard. She dug her nails into his skin, bucking against him as the sweetest pleasure of all rocked her. And when he groaned and came with a burst of thrusts, she held on to him, loving the feeling of him tightening and shuddering around her.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her while they both settled and breathed.

Wow. That had been…amazing. It wasn’t like she’d never had great sex before, but that had been…Wow.

Yeah, they had chemistry all right.

When he withdrew he left for only a second, but came back and pulled her into his arms again.

She had an idea that maybe he’d want to leave right away. Some guys did, were uncomfortable with the after part of sex. Ty didn’t, just continued to stroke her body, drawing lazy circles over her skin with the tip of his finger.

She didn’t know what to do now.

She couldn’t remember the last time she had a guy in her house. She was picky. And busy. And maybe she preferred her own company over just bringing home random guys. She’d done plenty of that when she’d first moved out and gotten her own place at nineteen. Her rebellious, independent stage, when she’d first tasted freedom without parents and big brothers looking over her shoulder. That had been fun, but it had grown old fast. She’d been young, but more mature than most of the guys she’d brought home.

Men were often boys in disguise, and she had very little patience for the games they played.

Not much had changed in the eight years she’d been out there dating. Men were pretty much all the same, much to her disappointment. Then again, she didn’t get out much to meet different types of guys. She was usually trapped at the bar, and she already knew those types of men were not her type at all.

So why was one of those types of men lying in her bed?

Because he was tall, built, gorgeous, and she’d wanted to touch his hair.

Yeah, well, she’d touched his hair all right. Among other things.

“You’ve gone quiet on me, Jenna. Are you tired?”

She lifted her gaze to his. He was studying her. “Not tired. Reflective.”

He propped his head in his hand. “Sex reflective or wedding reflective?”

She laughed. “Neither. Or I don’t know. Maybe a little of both.”

She waited for the panicked, after sex, deer-in-the-headlights look a lot of men got.

Nothing. He just seemed interested.

“Tell me what’s on your mind.”

“I was thinking about Mick and Tara’s wedding and how much my life has changed in the past several years.”

“Yeah?” How so?”

She searched his face. “Do you really want to hear this?”

He drew imaginary circles over her shoulder and seemed in no hurry to bolt. “I really want to hear this.”

“I moved out of my parents’ house when I was nineteen. It was such a freeing experience for me, because before then there was my parents and Mick and Gavin.”

His lips quirked. “A lot of supervision, huh?”

She sat up and scooted back against the pillows. “Like you wouldn’t believe. I was taking college classes, so I spent the first semester at the dorms. Hated that. The girls were all bitches, into their social worlds and clubs and partying all the time. It didn’t take me long to figure out college life was not for me. The partying was too heavy and too loud and too all the damn time. I was one of those rare freshmen who was interested in getting an actual education. I couldn’t study, so I moved back home. Huge mistake.”

“Because once you’re out, you can’t go back?”

She laughed. “Yes. That was it exactly. I couldn’t live with rules and people breathing down my neck anymore. Not that I was out there being wild or crazy or anything. Not then, anyway. I just needed my own space. So I got an apartment and lived alone for the first time in my life.”

“That must have been fun.”

“It was.”

“And then did you party?”

She laughed again. “Hard. Nothing like that taste of freedom with no restrictions. So much for me ragging on the hard partiers at the dorm. I was such a hypocrite when I ended up doing the same thing as soon as I got my own place.”

“Yeah. Been there. But eventually you have to grow up and be responsible.”

“True. And it didn’t take long for my grades to slip and for me to realize that college life wasn’t for me.”

“Is that how you ended up at the bar?”

“More or less. I dropped out of college after my second year, took a year off to travel and clear my head.”

“Where did you go?”

“Went up to Canada with some friends, then over to Paris, Germany, and then London. More wild and crazy times.”

He rubbed her wrist, then trailed his finger up her arm to where her banded tribal tattoo circled her biceps. “Is that where all the tattoos came from?”

She shivered at his touch. “Here and there.”

He sat up and swept his index finger over her shoulder, across her neck, and behind her ear, fingering the piercings in her ear. “And what about these?”

“It was a whim.”

“I like them. They’re sexy.”

She liked him touching her ear. She liked him touching her anywhere.

“And the tats? Were those whims, too?”

“They all mean something to me.” She held out her arm. “The sun, moon, and stars remind me that no matter where I am, my family is always looking at the same sun, the same moon, and the same stars. It comforted me when I set out on my own and when I traveled all those years. Despite wanting my freedom and this big sense of adventure I had, eventually I got homesick. That’s when I got the tattoo.”

He circled her upper arm. “This one?”

“The tribal band on my arm was a bonding experience with friends in England.”

“Now tell me about the dragon.”

She smiled. “He’s my protector. I had a really good friend who was a tattoo artist. I’d known him since high school, and I loved his art. He drew it for me and I fell in love with Edgar at that moment, knew I’d have to have him on me.”

Tyler arched a brow. “Edgar?”

Her lips lifted. “That’s his name.”

“You named your dragon Edgar?”

“Shut up.”

“Roll over onto your stomach and let me look at him.”

She frowned. “You’re not going to make fun of me, are you? Edgar is special to me.”

He cupped her chin and kissed her. “Jenna, I’d never make fun of something that means so much to you.”

Her stomach clenched again. Damn this man for getting to her.

She was still kicking him to the curb after tonight. He wasn’t the right guy for her.

“Now get on your stomach so I can see it. Him.”

She smiled. “Okay.”

TYLER SWALLOWED. WITH JENNA’S HAIR SHORT, THIS tattoo had always teased him. Without getting close to her, he could only catch glimpses of color and parts of a shape here and there, but he never knew what it was, only that it was green and wrapped partially around her neck. It was like a tease, because she often wore jewelry that hid the tat, which only made him want to see more.

And now that he could, now that he had her naked…

Of course now that he had her naked, he could think of a hundred other things he wanted to do to her body, but he still wanted to see the tattoo.

The tail wrapped around the nape of her neck, the tip ending at the side of her throat. It grew slightly thicker below her neck and weaved around the bumps of her spine.

Whoever had done the art was damn good, because it looked like it was moving. He traced it with his fingers, the color and drawing so realistic he expected to feel the dragon’s scales.

There were even talons and wings.

The damn thing was beautiful. Of course it should be, since it graced the back of such a beautiful woman.

He swept his hand over her back, touching the dragon, but mostly loving the feeling of her muscles flex and relax under his hand.

Making love to her had been nothing short of everything he had imagined it would be…and more.

Jenna loved sex, was unashamed about her body, and he wanted to do it with her over and over again. She was slender and beautiful and responsive, and his dick got hard just thinking about being inside her again, tasting her again, touching her like this.

But he already knew he was going to have to put on the brakes because for Jenna, this was a one-time deal.

He wanted more than one time with this woman.

The dragon’s talons dug into her left hip. It was nearly three-dimensional.

“This tattoo is amazing.”

“Thank you.”

“How long did it take from start to finish?”

“Three months.”

“Wow. That’s dedication, on your part and the artist’s.”

He massaged her back, keeping his touch light and making sure he swept his hands all the way down to her lower back, letting his fingertips linger right at the top of her butt.

He pressed a kiss to her shoulder and turned her to face him.

Her breasts were small ripe peaches, her nipples round and tight. And sensitive as hell, which he really liked. He massaged them with his hands, then swiped his tongue over one nipple, watching it tighten. Her breath caught as he dragged his tongue over the bud, then squeezed her breasts together so he could roll his tongue over one, then the other, teasing and tugging her nipples with his lips and teeth.

Her waist was slender, her hips the same, and her legs were a knockout, clearly her best feature. He touched her all over, keeping his massage light and easy, heightening the sensation for her minute by minute until she was writhing under his hands.

Smoothing his hands down her ribs and over her belly made her breath catch and her hips rise up.

She wanted more, and he wanted to give it to her. He could play with her body all night.

And when he smoothed his hand over the top of her sex, teasing his fingers just above her clit, her eyes darkened.

“Touch me.”

Her whispered words made his dick throb. He slid his hand down over her sex, cupping her. She was hot, wet, and when she lifted against him, he coated his fingers with her moisture and rubbed it over her clit, concentrating his movements around the piercing. Her lips parted and she gasped when he touched her there. He petted and caressed her clit, then dipped lower and tucked his fingers inside her while rubbing the center of her universe with the heel of his hand, making sure to give her pleasure in both spots.

She grasped his wrist and pumped his fingers inside her, then raised her legs, planting her feet flat on the bed so she could lift her hips and drive her pussy against his hand.

Oh, yeah. He leaned over to kiss her, and she grabbed his hair, obviously deep in passion now as he fucked her with his fingers and drove her over the edge. Her cries and moans undid him, and he pulled his fingers out, flipped her over on her stomach, and grabbed a condom.