While not the night that Nora had originally wanted, it went smoothly enough. Cain didn’t join them for dinner, and as Ashton was beginning to understand the concepts he learned in school, he breezed through his homework. After Ashton was done, he helped Nora take care of dinner and ran off to get ready for bed.
Nora had pulled herself together and was almost out the door when she heard the now familiar and deeply desired voice behind her apologize. Cain said, “I’m sorry I wasn’t at dinner. What did you make?”
“Spaghetti,” Nora said. She cursed herself for not turning around to look at him. How hard was it to look him in the eyes while talking to him?
“There are leftovers in the fridge,” she added quickly.
A glance over her shoulder and a moment later, once their eyes met, she knew it would be very hard to talk to him while she was looking him in the eyes. She wanted to pull away, leave, or look down, but it was as if he had her rooted to the spot. What was this magic he held over her?
“Why?” she whispered.
“Why what?” Cain took a step toward her.
“I have known you for three days, and yet you consume every thought I have, and I can hardly find a thing in my house, because I catch myself looking for you. Why?” Her voice dipped low in anguish, and she wished she could cover what she was feeling with a nonchalant smile.
It wasn’t that easy. It would never be that easy if Cain was around. She didn’t want it to be.
With him she was forced to confront thoughts and emotions she had deemed foreign to her, but here they were making introductions in double doses. The heaviness of it all weighed her down and she didn’t want to walk. She felt her knees began to tremble, and a familiar thickness rose up in her throat.
Cain closed the distance between them faster than she could blink. His hands were up to her face, and his thumbs rubbed her tears away before they could reach her chin and dive ungracefully down to stain her shirt. She hadn’t even realized she was crying until she felt him trying to clean her face of pain and confusion.
“Why is it so hard to be away from you when I don’t know you? Why do I feel like I know you?” Nora gasped.
One hand went to her chest and the other went to hold his arm. She had every intention of pushing him away, but she only managed to pull him closer.
He stepped in, in an attempt to shield her from further pain. His voice was thick as syrup, as he said, “I know. I feel the same way.”
His confession shocked her senseless. She pushed him back an inch to look closely into his eyes, and then she would have collapsed if it hadn’t been for the arm he was quick to put around her waist.
“Why?” she asked again, seeking an answer and yet hoping there was none.
Cain’s only reply, the only one Nora was willing to accept, was lowering his head to hers and closing the gap between them. Ashton was in his bath and could not interrupt. All they had was each other and the depth of fire that burned across their skin with every intensifying touch.
Even through her sweater, the heat of his palm on her back, seared through her, pushing her deeper into him. When his tongue snaked out to meet her, her legs finally gave way, and she relied completely on him to hold her up physically, to meet her emotionally, and to provide her with the spiritual experience she was praying for.
The fire that had ached in her stomach earlier that day was alive, now, and cauterizing any wound she had been picking at. Any fear she had was being healed by his kiss; being sealed by his tongue.
Chapter 7 – Cain
For the first time in a while, Cain shifted and went flying. He knew Nora was going to see the girl, June, and something about it made him uncomfortable with it, but he couldn’t stop it. What he could control was shifting and going for a trip. It was extraordinarily calming feeling the wind brush over his scales. His dragon sang of freedom, loving the release, but, he was equally anxious about the Nora’s welfare.
Throughout the rest of the day, Cain was stuck in meetings about possible upcoming missions; what needed to be prepared, and Marshall’s case was on the table for discussion again. It was all exhausting, and then Cain could smell Nora’s cooking.
Every dragon sitting at the table could smell what she was cooking, but Cain forced them out the back door. He didn’t need them meeting Nora and her getting scared of the amount and size of Cain’s coworkers, if he could call them that.
He was lucky to catch her, just as she was leaving, but she was stiff towards him. It seemed it took everything she had just to look at him. His heart ached to hold her, and to assure her that he wasn’t bad.
When she had asked why she was feeling the way she was, Cain’s heart had soared higher than he had while he was flying, and the only response he could think of was to kiss her.
He was grateful he had. Her lips were cool to touch, and he wanted nothing more than to make them swollen red with heat. He nudged her lips with his tongue, and tasted every part of her.
The stoked fires, which had been building in him since he had pushed her out the door that first night, finally simmered to warm coals. Everything with him pushed itself in line to match her. Likewise, he could feel her body pressed up against his, warm and growing hotter to match the intensity he was giving her.
She took everything he gave and she gave back as much. Her body arched toward him, begging and wanting more. He cursed the sweater dress she wore that day, but decided it was probably a good thing.
If he could get under her clothes easily, then he would not be able to control himself. This dress offered restraint, gave him an opportunity to slow things down and enjoy the feel of her mouth on his; all her curves under his hands, and the playful tug-of-war in their mouths. He nipped her lip.
He didn’t just want to give her reckless passion but also delicate comfort and carefully considered protection. He forced himself to slow down, to pull back, but whenever he pulled back she pushed forward.
It was Cain who broke the kiss. He pushed her hips away, and looked down at her to see if she was alright. Her face was soft and not flushed with anger.
Nora looked relaxed, and for once her shoulders weren’t tense. She wasn’t thinking about how to make someone better or what she needed to do tomorrow. She looked perfectly content, and Cain was pleased that it was because he was there.
I told you, she is ours, his dragon hissed with delight.
Yes, Cain began, but you never mentioned a mate.
I did not need to. You already suspected it the moment you felt the heat in her touch and the calming wave in your gut. His dragon was right.
Since the night when he first saw Nora, he had suspected there was a connection, but he didn’t dare hope. He didn’t want to betray the memory of Ashton’s mother so quickly. Mates were rare, but if Nora was his, he could no longer deny his desire for her.
“Don’t go,” Cain said, his voice barely more than a husk.
“I have school tomorrow.”
Cain cursed. Tomorrow was Thursday. Of course she had to go to work.
“I’ll take you,” He said, desperately trying to get her to stay.
A shadow passed over her face, and he could feel her muscles tightening. He wanted to pull her close and assure her that it would be fine. Whatever was hounding her couldn’t come to them.
“We won’t do anything. Just don’t leave.” He couldn’t keep his own pain he felt in their separation hidden from his voice.