Afraid Ashley would move away once the enormity of the words hit her, he placed his hand over hers and decided what the hell, he'd be honest, too. "I have a truth, too, if you want to hear it. But fair warning—it'll change everything."
She tilted her head, a few wisps of dark hair escaping over her shoulder. It took everything Wes had not to lean over and blow the strands away before placing his lips on her bared skin.
Her husky voice rolled over him as she said, "Tell me, Wes. That way I don't feel like such an idiot for blurting out how I imagined us naked together."
Okay, she hadn't said that exactly. More images flashed into his mind—Wes taking her from behind, against a wall, in the shower.
And she wouldn't be docile and only out to please him, either, simply because he was clan leader. No, his human would be as fierce as him and not hold back. Part of him wanted her to scratch his skin and leave a mark, just to remind him she'd been in his bed.
And just like that, all the years of trying to ignore how much he wanted her faded away.
His dragon growled. Tell her and then convince her she is ours to protect, to hold, to fuck, and so much more.
A tiny bit of rationality returned to his brain. We can't go that far.
Why not? I bet she has a way around it.
Maybe, but let's take this one step at a time.
Before Wes could lose his nerve, he leaned closer and murmured, "You're my true mate, Ashley Swift. If there was any way to have you that didn't result in us both giving up what we treasure most, we'd be home and a lot less dressed right now."
Her breath hitched as her nails lightly dug into his shirt.
What he wouldn't give to have those nails scoring his back.
Fuck, his control was slipping.
Ashley replied before he could even begin to put it back into place. "I didn't think dragons could resist their true mates."
"Many can't, but I'm not most males, Ashley." He moved to her ear. "Although you saying that you want to fuck me and maybe even date me cracked my control a little. So tell me—what happens next? Is there a way for us to be together that I don't know about? Do you never want to see me again and then transfer to somewhere like Florida? Tell me what you want so that I can start making plans."
His dragon hummed in approval, but all Wes could think about was how he'd screwed up. ADDA employees and dragon-shifters simply didn't mix. The rules were set up that way specifically.
However, he'd said the words, and he sure as hell wasn't taking them back.
Whatever Ashley said in the next minute or so would determine his future.
Chapter Four
Ashley's heart thundered to the point she was sure any dragon-shifter within a mile radius could hear it.
Sure, she'd figured Wes was attracted to her, especially after his heated glances tonight. But she'd never imagined she was his true mate.
According to every ADDA report she'd read, dragon-shifters had a hard time staying away from their fated male or female. And even the strong ones avoided touching their true mate lest they trigger their dragon's need for sex. She sure as hell hadn't heard of any of them holding a true mate close and keeping their control solidly in place.
And yet, Wes had his hand over hers, his mouth at her ear, and hadn't slipped into any mate-claim frenzy or frantic need to fuck her until she was pregnant.
r /> She'd known he was strong, but he had turned out to be far stronger than she'd imagined.
What she wouldn't give to say, "Yes! Take me home right now and claim me."
However, doing so would signal the end of her job with the four dragon clans in the greater Tahoe area. Maybe to some that wouldn't be a big deal, but Ashley had been ushering in all kinds of changes over the last couple of years.
Could she really give it up and all but let the dragons fend for themselves?
Something niggled at the back of her mind. Something about special allowances for clan leaders in good standing. However, before she could think harder on it, let alone reply to Wes, a pair of unfamiliar male voices filled the air. "Step away from the woman, fucking dragon trash. The poor lady is going to need a shower now, five times over, just to get rid of your stench."
Wes leaned back slowly, but before he could reply, Ashley stood tall and placed a hand on his arm to stay him.