Octavia found something that she assumed was a towel and used it to dry her body. She wrapped it around herself and looked down at her dirty clothes on the floor. The last thing she wanted to do was put those back on. She’d have to just go with the towel for now and ask Joss if he could help her find some other clothing to wear.

  She walked out of the bathroom to find Joss sitting on the big rectangular mattress completely naked with a massive erection the size of her forearm.

  “What the hell?” she shrieked.

  “I was simply preparing for you,” he said, narrowing his brown eyes at her as if she had annoyed him.

  Seriously?

  She covered her eyes with her hands and waved the other one out in front of her.

  “I didn’t want to see that,” she said.

  “Didn’t want to see what?”

  “Your cock! Jesus, can we work up to that?”

  “I do not understand all of your human proclivities. It is crucial that we begin the mating process immediately. I did not wish to have a human mate, but my inner dragon has been roused into the most frantic state. If I do not appease him, I will soon lose my mind.”

  “I think you’ve already lost your mind,” she said, her hands still firmly over her eyes.

  “I assure you, I have not.”

  There was no getting out of this. She’d stalled as long as she could. It was the zero hour. The moment of truth. She was going to have to let him get off on her body.

  Chapter 8

  Okay, okay. I can do this.”

  She moved forward, keeping her gaze averted from his massive johnson. She crawled onto the bed, which felt surprisingly comfortable, and laid down with her head on the part that rose into a pillow.

  She stared at the ceiling, refusing to look at him. He turned to her and slowly crawled toward her, hovering over her body. She had her arms locked on either side, pinning the towel around her form.

  “Please don’t hurt me,” she whispered.

  “I’ve heard this works better if you are aroused as well,” he said in a low growl.

  “Well, that’s probably not going to happen.” She gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes closed.

  “I began work on the human mating resources while you were in the bath. I learned some things about the female anatomy that you may find pleasing.”

  She opened one eye and looked at him, biting her bottom lip. Was he serious? Well, if she could be “aroused” while he did his business, she figured that might help. At least a little bit.

  “Well…show me what you learned,” she said in a challenging tone.

  He growled, and she squeezed her eyes closed again. Octavia could feel the weight of his body move closer to her on the bed. A warm hand cupped her cheek and moved her face toward him. She drew a deep breath, smelling the scent of his skin and the warmth of his breath as he drew closer.

  His lips brushed over hers. “You used the aphrodisiac oil. I can smell it on your skin,” he said in a low voice.

  “I thought it was soap,” she muttered, her eyes still tightly closed. Her whole body was rigid, but she could feel herself beginning to respond to his touch.

  He kissed her again, this time more deeply. His tongue flicked over the crease between her lips, asking for entrance. She parted for him as his hand ran over her shoulder and down her arm. He was so warm against her damp body that was wrapped in the fluffy towel.

  His tongue pressed into her mouth, caressing her own. She let out a soft groan that only encouraged him to press deeper. His hand meandered down her hip and ran over her thigh before moving inward.

  Joss plunged his tongue in and out of her mouth as if he were telling her what he wanted to do with her pussy. Hot desire surged in her core, and she wrapped her arms around him, drawing him closer.

  His fingers crept up between her thighs and slid over her slit, sending a jolt of electricity through her core. She sucked a breath, and he pulled away.

  “You like this,” he said, as a statement, not a question.

  “Yeah. It’s all right, I guess.” It was better than all right. She’d never expected to be so turned on by him. He was an asshole. He was going to ruin her city even more than the Mulgor had. He had no respect for her or her people, but she was like a puddle of goo under his touch.

  His fingers explored further, pressing between her folds to find the slick heat of her sex. He growled against her mouth, plunging his tongue into her again and again.

  Joss ran his fingertips over her clit, caressing it in tight little circles. Her breath caught. If she could even breathe from how excited she felt and the pressure of his tongue inside her mouth.

  She could feel his massive cock, hard against her side. His fingers worked her wet desire with an expert skill she would never have expected from a total virgin. The “human female training material” definitely was extensive.

  Octavia could feel the flood of release rising higher with each stroke. He dipped his fingers further, using his thumb to rub her clit. Just before he pressed inside her channel, he growled and moved away.

  Her eyes popped open and she watched him kneeling over her, staring down at her body with deep lust in his eyes. Joss ripped the towel away from her flesh and threw it across the room. Octavia let out a startled yelp that only seemed to encourage him.

  “I must taste your sweet-smelling juices,” he growled. Wow. That was a change of tune.

  The man seemed possessed. He pulled her legs apart and dove in, dragging his tongue up her slit. He seemed determined to devour her with his big mouth. Sounds of pleasure rose from between her legs. He licked up her juices with such passion, all she could do was hold on for the ride.

  Her head spinning, she gripped his long blond hair between her fingers, arching her back and pushing her pelvis up for more. His tongue pressed inside her core and she lost it. With a screech of pleasure, she released, spilling more of her cream onto his tongue.

  He grunted with pleasure, licking up every last drop he could taste. Her body contracted and clenched on his eager tongue, each jolt running through her with electric pleasure.

  “Oh God,” she moaned, pulling against him. She wanted to kiss him again. Really kiss him this time, like she meant it.

  He rose over her and pressed his lips to hers. She could taste herself on his mouth. Her legs shook as he sank between them. His long, stiff shaft pressed against her belly.

  Octavia wrapped her arms around his chest and her legs around his waist. She took a deep breath and let it out, looking into his eyes when he released her from his kiss.

  “What’s this claiming thing all about?” she asked, heady with passion.

  “I cannot claim your tight little cunt or bite you with my sharp teeth until you are ready, little human mate,” he growled.

  He pulled back and rubbed his cock over her wetness. She sucked a sharp breath and trembled.

  “I will spill my seed on you now,” he said. He continued to rub himself over pussy as it throbbed from release.

  She groaned, wanting more, wanting to be filled. In that moment, she wasn’t thinking about their differences or that they were essentially enemies. All she could think about was how much her body begged for him to be inside her.

  He pulled up on all fours and gripped his huge cock in his massive hand. Looking her straight in the eye, he began to stroke himself up and down, harder and faster with each pump. Octavia felt herself flush with desire, meeting his gaze with equal intensity.

  She glanced down and his stiff manhood, assessing the size of it. Lord, that thing will never fit inside me. She snapped her gaze back to his eyes. They sure as hell could have a good time trying, though.

  The sound of his hand slapping up and down on his cock filled her ears. It made her wet all over again. She spread her legs wider instinctively and arched her back, thrusting her breasts into the air.

  He growled and pumped harder. Hot, white semen gushed from his cock, spreading over her cocoa skin and tight chocola
te nipples. The sight of it on her body made her pussy clench.

  Joss didn’t break his gaze. He forced her to look into his eyes as he rubbed the hot seed into her tits. He cupped the globes of her breasts and tweaked at her nipples, massaging his semen into her skin.

  Her mouth dropped open with excitement and need. He rubbed a finger on her lips and she sucked it into her mouth before he scooped up the hot semen and thrust his fingers into her tingling pussy.

  Octavia groaned and her back came up off the mattress from the force of arousal. His fingers pumped in and out of her, thrusting the semen deeper into her core.

  “Holy crap, you’re a dirty boy,” she said, giggling when he finally rolled over on the bed beside her, spent.

  “I am not dirty. My seed is quite clean,” he said, his tone displeased.

  “Dirty as in kinky.”

  “It is not curled either,” he said, staring at the ceiling.

  “Where did you learn English?”

  “I learned from the information computers yesterday on the journey to Earth.”

  “You missed some important phrases.” She giggled and turned over to rest her head on his chest.

  “It is irrelevant,” he said sleepily.

  Great. Back to that.

  “Way to ruin the afterglow,” she muttered.

  “Stop talking,” he said, rolling over to sleep. “I grow weary of your words. I must sleep now. My journey was long and you are exhausting.”

  A blanket moved up from the bottom of the bed and covered them both in a warm, fluffy hug. If she hadn’t been so pissed, she might have enjoyed it.

  She had to admit, she was tired, too. There was no way she could sleep next to this jerk. She growled and pealed out of the bed, stomping out of the room. She went to the bathroom and put on her stinky old things.

  Screw this guy. He was so rude. They’d just shared something so special. He’d totally blown her mind. When their eyes had been locked, she’d believed he felt something. She’d felt something. It was deeper and stronger than anything she’d ever experienced before.

  Then he just went back to being a superior jackass. She shook her head, feeling like an idiot for falling for it. Her mom always told her, women feel more than men when they have sex. She had to protect her heart if she didn’t want to have it broken.

  She walked out of the bathroom and past Joss as he slept on the bed. Typical dude, already passed out from sex.

  Too bad she was bound to this guy for the rest of her life. Screw that noise. She didn’t care if he was going to lose his mind or what. He was a big fat dick, and she didn’t want anything to do with him.

  She stormed out of the bedroom and through the rest of the apartment until she came to the front door. She stood there staring at it. It didn’t have any doorknobs. How the hell was she supposed to get out?

  She was literally imprisoned in this apartment with her worst nightmare. “Open, damn it!” she growled, kicking the door.

  The door slid open.

  Chapter 9

  Octavia stormed down the hallway to the elevator and rode it downstairs to the first floor. She passed some Draconians and a few human women but it didn’t stop. No one stopped her either. She was out of here, and she didn’t care what anybody thought of it.

  She certainly didn’t care if Joss went insane from his crazy dragon. It served him right as far she was concerned. She looked out into the muddy snow over the expanse of Central Park. It would be a long walk back to the refugee camp. But anything was better than being stuck in an apartment with a man who obviously had no respect for her.

  As she walked, she realized that she was mostly hurt by the fact that she thought what they’d shared meant something to him. She had been prepared for empty sex. But it hadn’t turned out to be completely empty. Then, after letting herself feel vulnerable and open to him, he continued to treat her like an inferior idiot.

  She realized that someone would undoubtedly come to get her before the end of the day, but she wasn’t going to just sit around and allow herself to be disrespected. Besides, she wanted to see her friends and make sure everybody was okay back at the camp.

  Maybe Joss wouldn’t come for her. Maybe the whole mating impulse thing was just an excuse. How the hell was she supposed to know?

  Besides, she didn’t really care if he went crazy.

  Then she remembered the look in his eyes when he was above her. The way he’d locked his gaze onto hers. The way it made her feel in her body and her soul. That sense of attachment he created in her only made her hate him more.

  By the time she made it back to the refugee camp, her feet were freezing cold from trudging through the deep snow. She went to the communal bonfire and sat beside the warm glow on a broken, discarded lawn chair.

  “What you doing back here?” Ashley said, a line of children walking behind her. “I thought you got matched with a Draconian or something.”

  “Thanks for the concern,” Octavia said, irritated that her best friend hadn’t been more worried about her.

  “Octavia, don’t be like that.”

  “Weren’t you worried about me at all?”

  “I was worried when you decided to go storm down to the consulate in the first place. We all found out that you’d been mated with a Draconian when the secretary brought back Dan’s truck. Why did you do it?”

  “It was the only way that I could get close to the architect who is reconstructing New York City.”

  “And did you talk to him?”

  “Yeah, I’ve talked to him. That’s not all I’ve done with him.”

  “What you talking about?” Ashley asked, looking back at the children with concern in her eyes.

  “I was matched with the grand architect of Draconia, believe it or not,” Octavia said, moving her cold, numb feet closer to the fire.

  “Really? What is he like?”

  “He’s exactly like the kind of person who would draw blueprints that would turn a grand old city like New York into a series of cellblocks.”

  “And he let you leave?”

  “Let me? I don’t know. He’ll probably come for me. Apparently, Draconians go crazy if they don’t claim their mates.”

  “I don’t think this conversation is appropriate for the children. I’m sorry, Octavia. I have to go.”

  “It’s fine. I understand.”

  “Please don’t be angry with me,” Ashley said.

  Ashley walked off with the kids and Octavia heaved a heavy sigh. She was being a jerk to her best friend, and Ashley totally didn’t deserve it. All Octavia wanted to do was protect her people and her city from the mess the Draconians were making. They’d already made such a mess of everything else. Now they wanted to make a mess of the reconstruction process. It wasn’t fair. It was like being taken over by completely oblivious idiots. She just couldn’t accept it.

  That’s when she saw a dark figure sweep across the sky on wide-spread wings.

  Here we go.

  The dragon swooped down and landed behind the refugee camp. Joss had probably sent one of his flunkies to drag her back to the Draconian compound. Well, whatever idiot accepted that mission was in for a challenge. She didn’t intend to go back to that jerk ass without a fight.

  She didn’t expect to see the very man she’d left storming into the camp. He stood on the opposite side of the fire, his arms crossed, glaring at her.

  “What are you doing?” he demanded.

  “What are you doing?” she mocked.

  “You are contractually obligated to stay with me until the claiming process has been completed.”

  “Then sue me,” she said, crossing her arms and digging in her heels.

  “Your justice system is in a shambles. What is to stop me from taking you back by force?”

  “Nothing, I guess. That’s the kind of man you are. Dragging tiny women half your size back to your dungeon of horrors.”

  “Dungeon of horrors? Why is everything you say so irrelevant and dramatic??
??

  “Why is everything you say so insensitive and ridiculous?”

  He sighed and stepped around a lawn chair to sit down beside her. “Obviously, we are having a misunderstanding.”

  “Obviously.”

  “I will try to adapt more to your needs. I understand most of the other males who have been mated with human females have gone to quite a bit of trouble to adjust to their mates’ particular tastes. There are many brides already in the compound, and I’m sure they could help you adjust to life among Draconians.”

  “What about you?” she asked, raising her eyebrows questioningly.

  “I will do what I must. What is it that you require?”

  “You could start by not saying that everything I say is irrelevant.”

  “I could attempt to do that.”

  “You could change the design of your plans for the reconstruction of New York City.”

  “Impossible.”

  “Then it’s impossible for me to go back with you.”

  “Don’t forget, little human, I can force you.” His eyes grew wicked and hard. She knew he wasn’t joking. Considering what she knew about Joss, which wasn’t much, she didn’t put it past him. She’d never heard of other Draconians being that way. But before the Mulgor invasion, everything had been different.

  “Will you at least consider listening to my suggestions?”

  “I will…consider listening,” he said carefully.

  Octavia knew she was not in a winning position. She played her hand, but she knew she didn’t have any more cards. The commercials on TV before the Mulgor invasion always made the Draconians seem like such big sweethearts. Joss definitely was not living up to that expectation. Still, she wasn’t going to test his sincerity.

  “Okay,” she finally said. “I’ll go back with you.”

  “What are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

  He stood and rolled his shoulders, looking down at her with that stony gaze. Her stomach lurched. How could she have had any feelings for a man like him? She felt like such an idiot for falling for such an obvious play. They walked out of the camp, and he flicked a spot on his Draconian uniform that made it retract. He stood naked in the snow, seemingly impervious to the cold.