Page 45 of Shifting the Flame
Then he was inside her, filling her in one deep, relentless thrust. Danica gasped, her fingers digging into the couch as he set a brutal pace, each stroke hitting that perfect spot inside her.
"Oh, yes," she panted, pushing back against him, meeting every thrust with equal fervor.
Asher's hands tightened on her hips, his breath hot on her neck. "That's it. Take me just like that."
The slap of skin against skin, and the way his body moved over hers—it was primal and intoxicating. She could feel the delicious tension coiling tighter inside her, her body trembling on the edge of release.
"Asher, I'm?—"
"I know." His voice was rough, his fingers digging into her flesh. "Come, Danica."
And she did. Pure pleasure exploded through her, her body clenching around him as she cried out. Asher's rhythm faltered. His own release soon slammed into him with a loud groan, his hips jerking against her as he spilled deep inside her.
They stayed like that for a long moment, both breathing hard, their bodies still connected.
Danica turned her head, catching his lips in a slow, lazy kiss. "We're going to be late," she murmured against his mouth.
Asher chuckled, pressing one last kiss to her shoulder before pulling away. "Worth it."
She straightened, putting her panties back on and adjusting her dress as he grabbed his clothes. Her skin was flushed, her body still humming with satisfaction.
A few minutes later, Danica studied her reflection in the guest bathroom mirror, dabbing at her smeared lipstick with a tissue. Her brown eyes sparkled with lingering satisfaction, and her cheeks flushed with a glow that makeup could never replicate.
"Quickie with a dragon shifter during an event," she murmured to herself, smoothing her hands down the crimson silk that hugged her curves. "Not exactly covered in the event planner handbook."
She reapplied her lipstick, then ran a brush through her tousled hair, trying to tame the telltale signs of Asher's eager fingers. Her body still tingled with aftershocks, tiny electric currents pulsing under her skin where he had touched her.
No man had ever made her feel this way—like she was burning from the inside out, consumed by a fire that only he could stoke. What terrified her wasn't the intensity, but how quickly she'd become addicted to it. To him.
She stepped back, examining the full picture. The red silk dress clung in all the right places, making her pale skin glow against the rich fabric. She'd never be able to wear it again without remembering how it felt bunched around her waist as Asher's hands gripped her hips.
"Get it together," she whispered, applying a final touch of mascara. "You have a festival to close."
When she emerged into the foyer, her breath caught. Asher stood waiting, his broad shoulders filling out a perfectly tailoredtuxedo. The red vest and tie beneath matched her dress exactly, as if they'd planned it. His green eyes darkened as they swept over her.
"Come here," he commanded softly.
Her body responded before her mind could process, drawn to him like gravity. When she reached him, he traced one finger along her collarbone, his touch feather-light.
"Every man at that ceremony will envy me tonight," he said softly, pulling her against the hard planes of his chest.
His mouth then claimed hers with devastating thoroughness, and Danica wondered if she'd ever get tired of the way he kissed her—like she was oxygen and he was drowning.
EIGHTEEN
DANICA
Danica's heels clicked against the sidewalk as they quickly approached the town square, her fingers interlaced with Asher's. "We made it with three minutes to spare," she whispered, leaning into Asher's solid frame.
Asher's mouth quirked. "If we hadn't gotten so... distracted, we'd have been early."
"I think we can both agree it was well worth it." She squeezed his hand, heat rising to her cheeks at the memory of being bent over his couch just twenty minutes earlier.
The crowd parted as they approached, smiles and nods greeting them from all sides. Danica was struck by how genuine most of the welcomes felt—a stark contrast to the whispers she'd overheard a few days ago. She scanned the faces, looking for any sign of hostility or the person who might have left that threatening note.
"Mayor Ectorius!" An elderly woman with silver hair clasped his free hand. "What a wonderful festival. Best one in years!"
"Thank Danica for that," Asher replied, his thumb stroking the back of Danica's hand. "She's the creative genius behind it all."
