Beaufort Creek Shifters (10 book series)
The Dragon’s Pretend Marriage Chapter 7

Milton

To resist Brandi would induce madness.

I knew that. She knew that. I think the rest of the world was aware of it at this point despite the fact that it was supposed to just be a convincing performance. But each great presentation needed to feel convincing, didn't it? Every performer was distinctly aware of their need to allow those emotions to resonate within so they could exude magnificence.

Brandi was all magnificence, all glittering joy. Though hesitance trickled into her features, something else lingered just beneath the surface. Something primal. Something utterly foreign to us both. Yearning.

Light splashed over her features, multicolored lasers echoing from the surrounding game stations. Noise invaded my ears yet I heard none of it, choosing instead to focus on the steady rhythm of her heart. I fought my way through the plastic water, cupped her face, and planted a kiss so heavily on her lips that she sank into the ball pit.

A grueling moan shortly followed. She fought against the plastic current, using my shoulders to hoist herself up. One leg wrapped around my torso-and then the other. She arched toward me, sequins sparkling with the movement of her body. The heat of her lips sucked me down, so far down that I lost myself to her vibrating moans.

She broke the kiss. "I want you."

My heart jolted. Nothing sounded better coming from her. Perhaps there were better things lingering behind those luscious lips, but none of them mattered. Not really. Only her invitation. Only the sweet sensation of her rolling her hips against me. I met her gaze, smoldering with heated desire as I slid her dress up. "Whatever you want, moonbeam."

Shifting her position took effort. As I struggled to press her to the plastic wall of the pit, she unwound my belt and unzipped my pants. The quickness with which she did this sent a few bolts of electricity to my heart. I snatched her chin and tilted her head back, exposing her supple neck.

There it was-her main artery. The poor vein bulged, a river outlined by her delectable flesh. It beat furiously beneath her flesh as I dragged my thumb over her throat. The more I teased her, the harder the vein bulged, until she was a shuddering mess beneath me. She cupped my cock, already hard from the alluring sound of her breath. Just her breath. That alone was a conundrum, the strangest thing to have occurred to me. If her breathing pattern made me hard, what would happen when I finally claimed her? A growl resonated in my chest. "Take off your panties."

"I thought you'd never ask."

I tightened my grip on her chin. "I wasn't asking, moonbeam."

Her pupils exploded as she released my cock. She shucked her panties down, white lace tangling around her knees as she debated how she would undress without letting me go. It was adorable to watch-but I had a solution that would serve us both.

I tore the fabric and tossed her panties aside. She squeaked as I yanked her back into place, urgently pressing my c**k to her warm slit. Arousal soaked my shaft as I drifted between her folds, echoing the shivering mewls with broken grunts of my own. We were just rubbing against each other right now. Why did it feel so good to do it?

Those delicate lips parted, releasing a soft whimper. Her plush tongue appeared next as her eyes crossed, inspiring my hand to drop from her chin to her throat. The expression intensified when I applied pressure.

I smirked. "Pull your dress down."

Her eyes focused on me. "The zipper..."

Right, she'd needed help with that in the closet. That wasn't an issue.

My free hand flew to her zipper and yanked it down, revealing more of her shoulders. She slid the fabric down her arms, exposing her white bralette. She tugged those straps down as well and then teased me with her cleavage.

I groaned while pressing my thumb to her throat. "Moonbeam..."

"Yes, sir?"

Sweet gods, she was going to make me nut before I could even get inside her. How was she doing this? Why was she doing this? We had all night.

I struggled to meet her gaze. My eyelids were too heavy, too weighted by desire. "Be a good girl and take off your bra."

"Make me."

That simple challenge did things to me that I hadn't felt in ages. There were plenty of women out there who liked to do a little role-playing.

But Brandi? Like this? It was intoxicating to have her in this position. Vulnerable, pliant, and exposed were things I hadn't assumed would happen. Yet here we were.

And here I was delaying it.

She arched into me. "I said, make me."

Once is a challenge. Twice is begging.

My smirk turned malicious as I squeezed her throat ever so gently and tugged her bra the rest of the way off. Her breasts plumped from their cups, nipples pointed and perky already from teasing her.

She shivered while reaching back to grab the wall. Hips bucked in my direction, exposing more of her slit to my cock. She rubbed me in long, slow sweeps, taking her time to trace every inch of me from base to head. The more I delayed my plunge into her entrance, the less control I had over my eruption.

It was such a demanding decision to make. Teasing her would be far more gratifying, yet teasing her would also push me closer to exploding.

She knew that. She was challenging that. She was challenging me.

And I was more than happy to meet that challenge.

I leaned back while yanking my tie the rest of the way off. As soon as my silk shirt was torn open to expose my chest, her attention switched to my body, eyes rounding out to drink in every bit of me.

That was when I pierced her. Shock and elation contorted her features. She choked while arching toward me, her dress bunched around her midsection as she met my gaze with a mixture of fascination and betrayal.

That look meant everything to me.

I wanted to see more of it.

Her entrance hugged my cock as I plunged deep. Arousal slicked my descent, easing me so deep inside her that I shivered once I was fully submerged. Brandi choked again.

It made my heart quiver to see her like that.

I bowed forward and stroked her cheek. "Breathe, moonbeam. Come on."

A few ragged huffs broke out. She wiggled under me, her hands circling the back of my neck as she clung to my body. Her thighs clenched around me as her entrance quivered around my c**k.

"That's it-keep breathing," I urged her. "Go on, breathe. Good girl..."

Rapid gasps for air turned into slow, intentional inhalations. She wiggled on my cock, rolling her hips a few times to encourage me to move. I slid my hands to her back, cradling her like she was the most precious jewel in the entire world. And in a lot of ways, that was true.

In my world, she was the crown jewel. She was the knockout of the season. She had impressed my parents, charmed the social scene of Beaufort Creek's elites, and made everyone in the surrounding vicinity highly invested in our achievements. She was immaculate.

I had to make sure she knew that.

I reared back, inching my way slowly back inside her. "Keep breathing..."

She whimpered as she took me all over again, every bit of me. While she nipped her lower lip, she kept her eyes on me, gems swelled with affection and unable to tear away. I had to admit I was feeling much the same-and maybe I even looked the same. Who cared?

It was her and only her. The way I looked wasn't important. How I felt was far more engaging than how I looked.

And that was probably the first time in my life I had ever thought such a thing.

Brandi dug her nails into my shoulders. "Stop thinking and just do me, darling."

She didn't have to tell me twice.

The wall steadied our position, making it easier to piston between her legs. Hot magma crawled up my body as I plunged into her with heavy thrusts that threatened the sturdiness of the wall. She bowed toward me, hugging me so tightly to her body that I had no choice but to focus on how she felt instead of how she looked.

I wanted to see her face. I wanted to know how she looked when she came.

Her whimpering moan dragged a growl from my lips. I grabbed the panel behind her, fixating on the point between her thighs that had me hypnotized. I drilled her relentlessly as she clawed my upper back, making tantalizing sounds that billowed in my ear. All of it was her. Nothing else existed.

Nothing else mattered.

In a matter of seconds, Brandi became my universe.

The swell of her breasts, the desperate clasp of her lips, and the striking pain of her nails grounded me firmly inside her. She shuddered while clinging to my body, a rapid succession of convulsions drawing a cord between us. The more she shook, the harder it became for me to contain myself.

A low bay split her open. She stiffened under me and then gyrated uncontrollably, gasps capping every moan that left her lips. I buried my face into her neck and let myself unwind, thrust after thrust depositing more of me into her.

I had to get deeper. I had to fuse with her. I had to make sure we never separated.

And then, it was over.

Arcade sounds exploded in my ears, dragging me kicking and screaming back to where we were-in my private game room. In the ball pit.

Soaked in sweat and fluid.

I lifted my head and gazed at the woman in my arms. She was a pile of loose limbs and broken phrases, doing her best to speak. And absolutely failing at it.

I chuckled weakly. "Easy now, moonbeam. Let's get you out of this pit."

More incoherent babbling. A chuckle. A lifeless sigh.

She wrapped her arms around my neck as I hoisted her from the pit. Plastic balls scattered everywhere while I attempted to walk with my pants around my knees. Then, my ankles. Then, my feet.

I paused. "Moonbeam, stand up."

She tightened her arms around my neck. "No."

"Darling, please. I have to pick up my pants. Come on now...that's a good girl."

I smiled as she stood shakily next to me, using one of the games to keep herself from falling over. Once my pants were fixed, I scooped her up, feeling only mildly bad about her tits still hanging out of her dress.

We were only a few doors away from my bedroom. She would be fine.

The servants had undoubtedly seen worse.

More, my dragon begged. More of her to treasure. More of her to hoard.

"Insatiable," I whispered when I reached my bedroom door. "Unreasonable."

Brandi perked up. "What did you call me?"

I laid her out on my bed, marveling at her exposed skin. Delicious threads wove between us wherever I ran my fingers. She exploded with goosebumps. And then, she shivered.

I smiled gently. "I called you beautiful..."

***

Why did I do that?

A tall glass of orange juice sat next to my plate. Sunlight bathed the cement around me, the umbrella above breaking the bright beam with a circular shadow that encased me. One of my servers brought a silver tray and set it in the center of the table. When he turned to me, I waved him toward the door. "See if she's awake. See if she's ready."

Only once he'd disappeared did I allow myself to think any more. Why did I let her sleep in my bedroom?

While a cool breeze tickled my hair, a rogue ray of sunlight split through the shadows onto the table. It bounced off the silver tray and penetrated my vision, deepening the grumpiness that crowded my soul.

A woman. In my cavern. In my room.

What had come over me? Had I been feeling sentimental about drilling her to pieces in the ball pit?

And of all places, the ball pit-that was where I liked to lounge with a glass of whiskey. It had been stupid to have s*x with her in there. It would take forever to clean and sanitize. I would have to pay my cleaning people extra for all that fluid that had gotten everywhere. Sweet gods, what's wrong with me?

Thought after thought barreled through my mind. I shook my head as I reached for my orange juice, chugging about half of it down by the time the terrace doors opened.

Brandi emerged from the tinted windows wearing a stylish pair of white sunglasses and a white maxi dress. In seconds, I was on my feet and pulling out the chair across from me. My hands swept over her shoulders. My mouth met the crown of her head. "Did you sleep well? Was it alright?" I fussed over her hands. "Did you get the lotion I left for you? The special one? Was the silk pillow alright?"

She beamed at me. "I'm surprised you have a silk pillow."

I stepped back and scraped the back of my neck with a sheepish grin. "You need a silk pillow for your hair, right? I was just worried. I mean, I didn't assume you would stay. I mean, it's not like I'm totally unfamiliar with any woman's needs, individual as they are. I mean-"

"Milton," she cut in with a chuckle. "Sit down. I'm fine. Good morning, darling."

"Good morning, moonbeam."

When I returned to my chair, I kicked myself.

Why was I pouring myself over her? Why was I bothering to care at all? I had just been thinking about how it was such a mistake to allow her to sleep in my chambers. She probably tore off the bedsheets with all the tossing and turning she did last night. And those wolves she kept mentioning-not even by name! Just wolves. Those wolves are there again, Milton. What did that mean?

She adjusted her sunglasses and leaned toward the table. "What's under that?"

I plucked the lid from the tray. "A breakfast spread made for the gods."

"Gods of Appalachia?"

"Far too many. They wouldn't be able to share this one."

She giggled. The sound was more delicious than the breakfast sausage I'd had the cook fry up. "You're cute when you're nervous."

"I'm not nervous."

"Ah, then your thumbnail must be fine right now. Right?"

She was right again. I peeked in my lap to find myself picking at my thumbnail. Again. In her presence.

I didn't understand how she kept doing that to me.

Without acknowledging her observation, I started filling up our plates with food. "You did wonderfully last night, Brandi. Truly spectacular."

"Your parents are nicer than you make them out to be."

"I meant in the arcade."

Her smile lost its sunny sheen. "What?"

"That was more personal than I thought it would get." Liar, liar. "Your commitment to the real thing is something to be praised. I want you to know how much I appreciate it."

Her shoulders sank. "Right. The real thing." She plopped her chin into her hand. "How could I have forgotten this is all fake?"

It was fake.

Wasn't it?

I bowed my head after setting her plate in front of her. She hardly even looked at the food. I could hardly look at my food either. "We should go out for brunch or something if you're not particularly hungry right now." "No, I've lost my appetite."

More lies. "Then we should have brunch. In public. For everyone to see."

"Of course. We need to keep up our performance." She stood abruptly and headed for the double doors. "We can't let our reputations fall under any scrutiny, can we?"

She went inside without another word, leaving me with a feeling of confusion and failure while I bent over my plate.

Failure-somehow I had failed her.

And somehow, it made me feel like the world's biggest loser.