She clenched her teeth and pressed her eyes closed. Damn him. She was going to come any second, and he still hadn’t heard her out about a damn thing. She couldn’t let him win. But stopping herself from coming went against every instinct in her body.
“Screw you,” she groaned as her body orgasmed on his command. The tight clenching forced her entire body to contract painfully. She arched forward, groaning.
When the sensation began to dissipate, she pushed him away and rolled over, still throbbing. No matter how much she wanted to believe that he really was her mate and that he would someday treat her like the other girls’ mates, she couldn’t let him steamroll her like this.
“I can’t believe I let you touch me,” she said.
“Why do you remain angry?” he said, sitting up over her.
Angry as hell, she turned over and sat up. “Are you kidding?”
“Kidding? I do not jest.”
“Jesus. Don’t be so literal.”
“You wanted me to reconsider the plans for the city. Is that correct?”
“Yes. I do.” She stared into his eyes in the darkness. “I am an expert in urban planning. I have an advanced degree. I know what I’m talking about.”
“I am aware of your expertise,” he said.
“Then why don’t you listen to me?”
He sighed and looked away. “Draconians have a way of doing things. I have a way of doing things. It is difficult for me to change course when I am in the middle of a plan.”
“Don’t blame that on being a Draconian. I think that’s a Joss thing. I’ve heard from the other brides. Their guys had no problem changing their minds about things.”
“Draconians do tend to be extremely focused. But perhaps you are right. What is it that you would like me to do?”
“I’d like you to work with me on the plans for the city,” she said, hearing a hint of whining in her tone. She hated herself for sounding like that. This guy had reduced her to a child, and it made her stomach turn.
“I told you I would consider it. Why don’t you draw up your plans in the morning, and I’ll take a look at them.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I told you I would consider it before.”
She laid back down smiling. “Okay.”
“Now, let us continue.”
He pushed the sheet away and began to tug up her nightgown, revealing her still wet pussy underneath. He growled and pushed the gown over her breasts before yanking her legs wide and dipping his face between them. She sucked a gasp and her eyes went wide.
“Joss. God. What are you doing?”
“Licking your juices,” he said, growling. The vibration of his voice over her core sent a jolt of electricity deep inside her. “You taste so good.”
She was still sensitive from her last orgasm, and she bit her lip, her legs shaking. His hands grasped her breasts, rolling her nipples between his fingers. He licked her at a leisurely pace, running his tongue over her pussy again and again. Why? She groaned to herself. He could take her over with the flick of his tongue. She had to believe what Lexi had said. He would change, and then they could really be together.
Octavia gripped the bed and threw her head back. The sensations he gave her made her mind go blank with pleasure. Hands gripped her thighs, his fingertips pressing hard into her flesh as he licked her with his slick tongue. He flicked over her clit, and his tongue vibrated on her swollen mound.
“Fuck,” she gasped, gritting her teeth as she came. The second orgasm was like a well of hot water rising from deep within and spilling around her lower half. Her nipples hardened, and her head swam in a torrent of pleasure.
“My turn,” he growled, turning her over on her hands and knees.
“Oh…” she breathed.
His hands gripped her hips and his massive, stiff shaft pushed into the wet cleft of her pussy and ass. She trembled, leaning down on the bed. Her breasts brushed the soft mattress and she pressed her cheek to the fabric. He didn’t attempt to enter her. Instead, he slid his cock over her hot wetness.
She couldn’t believe how erotic it felt to have him using her body like that. Her pussy still clenched and throbbed from excitement. Octavia hid her face in her arms and just let go of everything—the aliens, the invasion, the devastation, the rebuilding. She let it all go and relented to the pleasure of his cock sliding up and down her slit.
In that moment, they weren’t Draconian and human. They weren’t rivals who disagreed over city planning. They were just two bodies feeding each other’s need. Two souls connecting in a blaze of passion. Part of her reached out to him, and she wanted to know him more deeply. She wanted to understand what made him tick, what made him the stubborn man he showed her.
He squeezed the globes of her ass tight around his cock, thrusting hard between them. The sound of his flesh slapping against her skin mixed with the sound of his heavy breaths. He growled behind her, and she could feel his cock grow wider.
Octavia gasped and glanced behind her. The look on Joss’s hyper-masculine face in the dim light of the bedroom made her pussy contract again. He clenched his teeth and his eyes rolled back. Hot come throbbed out of his cock, sending spurts of white seed spilling over her back. Octavia came right then. The friction of his stiff shaft rubbing over her, coupled with the look on his face when he came, made her explode.
She couldn’t believe that had made her orgasm. Maybe there was something to this semen thing after all. When he came, he didn’t let go of her. He didn’t let her move. His big hand rubbed the come all over her back and ass. When he moved his cock away, he rubbed come over her asshole and pussy, dipping two come-soaked fingers into her womb.
“Your cunt still throbs for me,” he growled.
Octavia shuddered and fell forward onto the bed, writhing with pleasure. The buzz of sex still burned her brain as she looked up at her mate. Joss had a sly smile on his face, as if he had some kind of secret only he understood.
“My dragon is sated. For now,” he said, crawling beside her on the bed.
She let out a long breath and rested her head on his chest. His heart bashed against her cheek in a frantic rhythm, and she ran her fingertips down his damp pecs. Joss put his arm around her and held her to him. It was the first time since they’d been together that Octavia felt he really cared for her.
The animal sex dazed her mind and made her need him. But having him hold her made her feel more attached to him than all the sex in the world.
Chapter 12
Joss woke to the sound of his dragon growling uncontrollably inside his mind. His mate still lay on his chest, her breath puffing over his flesh. The need of his inner dragon raged, and his cock stood stiff and erect under the blanket.
He never would have believed that he would feel so much for a woman who was not his first love. The emotions and desires that stirred inside his body and mind were overwhelming in their intense force.
Rubbing his eyes, he growled irritably. The woman was not ready for his cock. He would surely rip her in two if he tried to enter the tiny creature now. She needed more time. But that didn’t seem to matter to his dragon. Claws and fangs scratched and gnashed against the backs of his eyes.
He couldn’t stand the searing pain and stood with a quiet roar. He had to get away from the girl before he was forced to do something they would both regret. She could never carry his young if he damaged her fragile body.
He flicked the spot at the base of his neck that made his uniform spread out over his body. Today he would finalize the plans to begin construction of the new, New York City. He’d told his bride he would consider her designs.
He stood over the bed, looking at her curves rise and fall under the blanket. Joss had worked all his life to come to his position. It was only granted to him through his sheer determination, skill, and more than a little talent.
Before he had even left Draconia, he had decided to use the plans common for all colony planets. Earth was now a Draconian colony. Since
the Mulgor invasion, rebuilding efforts classified it as such.
Before the Mulgor had destroyed the infrastructure, they’d been classified differently. But now, Draconia was claiming this world as its own. He had his orders from the president. Colonize. Secure the native populations for further breeding.
The dragon inside his mind grumbled, reminding him that he had to appease his woman somehow. She would eventually come around and agree with him. The pheromones in his semen would see to that. But at the same time, her concerns were beginning to have an effect on him as well. He believed that the colonialization of Earth required the same architectural design as all other Draconian colonies. But his bride’s words were beginning to mingle with the sound of his inner dragons growling. Perhaps there was something to it.
He shook his head, trying to shake out the ludicrous idea of listening to a young human female about such things. She may have some human education, but he was still the Grand Architect of Draconia. He would always have more experience, skill, and knowledge than the human female. Reconstruction would go ahead as planned.
He strode out of his apartment and made his way down the hall to his office. His assistants and advisers were already present in the meeting room. He sat at the head of the table and looked into the eyes of the other Draconian males sitting around the table.
“Tomorrow, we will begin construction,” he said to his crew.
“But sir, the humans are objecting to our design. They refused to leave their camps.”
“These humans are ridiculous. They don’t know what’s good for them. They would rather live in squalor than in buildings with sanitation and running water. I can’t believe we are breeding with such infantile creatures.”
“What are we supposed to do if they won’t move?” one of his assistants asked.
“We will move them by force.”
“Sir? Is that wise?”
“We have orders from the president to reconstruct Earth and provide the human inhabitants with the necessities of life. We will do that. They are fighting against their own good. These irrational creatures make no sense.”
At that very moment, the door to his office pushed open and his mate walked through. She had a smile on her face that he knew would disappear as soon as she got a look at the blueprints on the holographic screen above the table.
“Can I use your tools to show you my idea for the new, New York City?” Octavia asked.
“You may,” he said.
She stepped further into the room and looked at the holographic screen. Her face fell and contorted into rage.
“What is this?” she growled, pointing at the blueprints.
“These are the plans for the reconstruction,” he said nonchalantly.
“You promised me that you would look at my plans.” Her tone was angry and hurt. It stung his heart unexpectedly. His dragon scratched at the back of his eyes, and for the first time, Joss felt regret.
“You can show me your plans later,” he said in a low voice.
“What difference will it make if you’re going to use your own plans?” she asked.
“You will have shown me. Perhaps we will use your plan in another city.”
His heart hurt. Maybe he had been wrong all along. The feelings stirring in his chest and his gut were foreign to him. He’d been so closed off to anything she had to say. After the pain he’d suffered the first time he’d fallen in love, he never wanted to feel that again. And he had steeled himself against ever being vulnerable to another woman as long as he lived.
But now, he was beginning to realize that it had been a mistake to close himself off to Octavia, his mate. He never should have treated her this way. He should have listened to her from the beginning.
“You fucking asshole,” she said. She turned on her heel and stormed out the door.
His dragon gnashed against his mind with his sharp teeth. Something was happening to him. Something was changing inside him. He was softening to this woman. These feelings, these gentle, affectionate feelings of respect and admiration were peculiar.
He hadn’t felt anything like this for quite some time. And as he examined them more, he realized that his feelings for the human woman where boundlessly greater than anything he had ever felt for his first love.
He stood from the table with a start, realization sparking in his mind. He had been a fool. A damned fool. His human female was an expert in his own field, and he had rejected her because of his wounds from the past. He pinched the bridge of his nose, ignoring the questions of his assistants as he walked away from the table.
“Sir? Sir?”
He didn’t answer; he simply strode out the door. He had to find her and tell her how he really felt. It was time to give her everything she deserved. The respect. The love. The reverence that his mate should have had from him from the very start. If she would ever even speak to him again. He could see how he had betrayed her, hurt her. He wouldn’t blame her if she refused him and allowed his dragon to drive him mad.
As he stumbled down the hallway, emotions crashed inside his body and his dragon thrashed inside his mind. He barely heard the pinging of his communication device on the inside wrist of his uniform. The insistent pinging continued until he stopped and slid two fingers down the inside of his wrist.
“Grand Architect Noro,” Commander Or said. “Might I have a word with you?”
“Now is not the best time,” Joss said, cringing from the pain.
“It is imperative that we speak now, before any construction begins.”
“What is it, Commander?” Joss said, holding his hands to his temples to try to drown out the sound of his dragon’s screams. He felt as if his skull would crack in half. The pain was overwhelming, and he could barely hear as Commander Or continued to speak.
“It has been brought to my attention that you haven’t altered your reconstruction plans.”
“Yes,” was all Joss could say through the pain in his mind.
“You have to understand, Architect Noro, this type of housing is completely inappropriate for a city like New York. Especially since you plan to build it right over Central Park. New York City is a monument for humanity. It’s more than just a city. It’s the center of art and culture, finance and fashion. We cannot turn New York City into a Draconian mining colony.”
“I’m beginning to understand that, Commander Or.” Joss could barely stand. This was the madness of the mating impulse. He had gone against the instinct of his dragon and was paying the price. He’d disrespected his bride. He’d hurt her. He’d done everything in his power to make her feel small, and his dragon did not agree with his behavior.
“Your bride is an expert in the field of human city development. Why are you not taking her suggestions seriously? Every other Draconian male who has been blessed with a human bride has given her all due respect. Many of our brides have crucial jobs that add exponentially to the power of our mission. We cannot do what we do without them.”
“I’ve been wrong,” Joss said. “I’ve been a fool. All along, I believed I was the superior one. But that couldn’t have been further from the truth. My bride has been trying to tell me. She has been so brave and strong, and I have disrespected her. I deserve the insanity my mating impulse would bring without her.”
“I wouldn’t go that far, Grand Architect Noro. Go find your bride and apologize to her. Listen to what she has to say. She is a native of the city and an expert in her field. I am sure that the two of you together can create something that would be acceptable to both Draconians and humans alike.”
“Yes, sir,” Joss said.
Commander Or disappeared, and Joss continued down the hall, barely able to stand. He had to find her. He had to tell her that she had been right all along.
Chapter 13
Octavia went back to her apartment and began packing her things. She was going to run away. As far away as she could possibly get. She had failed to convince Joss to listen to her about the needs of her city and her peo
ple. She could not stand to watch the last vestments of New York be turned into Joss’s dystopian vision.
She knew that her friends back at the camp would miss her, but she couldn’t face the shame of her failure. Everyone had been counting on her from day one. As soon as the reconstruction council had begun, she’d been a primary member. After she had been mated with Joss, her new mission had become convincing the Draconians to build a better city. She’d failed in that, too.
When she was finished shoving her things in her bag, she made her way to the door, hoping she could slip out of the building without anyone noticing. She’d get a ride on one of the barges that came across the water and make her way out of the city forever. Just as she stepped in front of the door, it slid open. Joss walked through and stared at her with the strangest expression on his face, somewhere between pain and insanity.
Octavia took a step back, terrified of the look in his eyes. Was he angry? She didn’t know what he was capable of. He’d already shown her that he was willing to disrespect her to the very core of her being.
“What are you doing?” he asked, looking down at her bag.
“I’m leaving,” she said, lifting her chin up defiantly toward him.
“I deserve that,” he said.
His words took her aback. He deserved it? Something had definitely changed. Had he come to his senses? She didn’t want to stick around to find out. He’d been a massive prick the entire time they’d been together, and she wasn’t counting on him changing in any significant way.
“Well, sounds like we’re on the same page,” she said, stepping around him to the door.
“Before you leave, please allow me to apologize to you.” His words were labored and pained. She turned around and looked at him. That was different.
“Go ahead. Apologize,” she said, gripping her suitcase handle.
“I should have listened to you from the very beginning. You understand things about human culture and civilization that I will never understand. You are also an expert in your field, and I have belittled and devalued your expertise. It was not only disrespectful to you as a human being, it was also disrespectful as a Draconian. We value expertise, and I did not value yours.”