Part 10 (1/2)

”Oh.” She tore her gaze off of him. ”Sorry...” Her cheeks blazed. ”No, actually I'm not... sorry that is. You can't whip that thing out and expect me not to look.”

He chuckled. ”You can look at my c.o.c.k any other time you want, just not right now.”

Julie was staring at the ground. ”I'd prefer it if you kept your pants on.”

He chuckled some more. ”I'm going to s.h.i.+ft now. Please don't be afraid.”

”I won't.” She hoped she wouldn't be. She prayed she wouldn't be but all bets were off. He was a wild beast underneath that human skin. A wild, overlarge reptile. A s.h.i.+ver ran through her. Fear and excitement. What a combination.

There was a cracking, pulling sound. It sounded like ropes being stretched to their breaking point. Julie had to look, how could she not? Her eyes flitted to where he was standing just a foot or two in front of her. Her neck craned as she watched him... expand, extend. Muscles rippled and roped. His skin broke out in scales. They were dazzling. The most beautiful hues of blue, green and even oranges. Gold. There were a ton of gold scales as well. They covered his chest... it expanded out.

His jaw elongated, fangs burst forth. His limbs cracked as they extended. His tail... oh my G.o.d... he had a tail. It lengthened. Wings sprang open. They were huge. So wide. She could almost see through them, yet she could tell that they were as strong as they were fine.

He lifted his great head and roared. A sound so terrifying, so powerful, yet beautiful. He was beautiful...period. His chest was a bright golden color. So rich, almost too bright to look at for too long. Coal lowered his head. His eyes locked with hers. They were the same dark orbs, only they were in slits now instead of whites and irises. She couldn't look away. So mesmerizing. Coal looked deadly, ferocious and mighty.

Without thinking, she raised her hand towards him. Coal lowered his head some and she rubbed him between his eyes. His skin... scales were warm to the touch. So smooth and soft. Next, she touched the scales on his breast. Just as warm only hard as metal s.h.i.+elds. They were like a built-in armor.

There was a soft rumble that emanated from deep inside his ma.s.sive body. If she thought he was big in human form, she was greatly mistaken.

”Wow.” She sighed. ”Just wow.”

He gave another rumble, deeper this time. When she looked into his eyes, they were sparkling with... humor.

Slow and steady, he began to flap his great wings. They hardly seemed to move as they beat in graceful arcs, he rose from the ground, moving vertically. Coal lifted and lifted until he was a few feet above her head, then he gave an almighty push with his wings and shot into the air.

Julie couldn't help but to laugh with excitement as he launched himself into the sky, moving almost too quickly for her eyes to register. Then he dropped like a great rock falling quickly, and then with an almighty stroke of those ma.s.sive wings he was soaring again. Julie laughed again as she watched him fly somersaults. Forwards and backwards, up and then down. He was showing off, for her. How cute! This arrogant barbarian, caveman was showing off. It was surprisingly touching.

In this moment, he reminded her of a young boy trying to impress a girl for the first time. He could be sweet, arrogant and down right bossy. There was a quirky side to him as well though.

Coal had slowed right down. He flew towards her, stopping a few feet above her head and slowly lowered himself down. His claws were huge and sharp looking. She should be afraid, but for whatever reason, she wasn't.

Julie lifted her arms so that he could wrap his scaly, talon tipped claws around her waist. She took ahold of one of his legs. It was like holding onto a narrow tree trunk. A scaly, hard as granite tree trunk.

Don't look down. Don't look down. His wings beat as they lifted up and up. Not so fast that her stomach lurched but quick enough that the windows seemed to grow bigger by the second. She looked up as adrenaline coursed through her. This was both nerve wracking and exhilarating all at the same time. It didn't take long and they were swooping over onto a balcony. Julie almost felt sad that the flight was over. She'd never experienced anything like it in her whole life. Okay, she'd experienced it twice but not like this. Not with her eyes open. Not with him... Coal. Not that it mattered.

The balcony seemed to have been built into the rock. The railing looked ornate, made from a dark metal that blended into the side of the cliff. The ground was cut rock. Her feet touched down. It wasn't lost on her that Coal held onto her for a few beats before letting her go. Only doing so once her feet were firmly planted on the ground.

If her eyes hadn't been on him, she wouldn't have seen the change. It was much quicker to go from dragon to human. It was like everything pulled in on itself. Within two seconds, he was a man. A very naked man. She had to work to keep her eyes from drifting. Coal slid his arm around her and drew her against his body.

He was warm and big. She pretty much fit in the crook of his arm. His hand curled around her hip possessively.

”You are mine.” His voice was rough, with a smoky edge. Smoky funny that, since he was a dragon.

Mine.

Wait just a minute with the mine s.h.i.+t. She was about to say something when he cleared his throat. ”If anyone asks, you are mine. Do not dispute it or you will be fair game.”

”Oh... s.h.i.+t! Okay. I'm yours.” It felt weird saying it. She had never belonged to anyone before. No parents, no siblings, no sense of belonging. Not ever. Till now. It was horrible and oddly comforting and all at once.

Coal squeezed her side. ”Don't let go of me unless I-”

”Yeah, yeah, unless you have to make someone bleed.” Her heart was pounding. She could hear the roar of the blood as it rushed through her veins.

Coal sniffed and then gave a chuckle. ”You like the idea of me fighting. You may not want to admit it but you're enjoying this.”

”Um... no.” Half-hearted.

He smiled down at her. ”You like the idea of me fighting for you. You are a strange female, Julie.” Oooh the way he said her name. It gave her b.u.t.terflies. It shouldn't give her b.u.t.terflies.

He leaned in. ”You say you don't want me. You don't like that I called you mine...” he paused. ”I felt you tense when I said it. Yet, you like looking at me naked and you want me to fight for you. You like my dragon as well.” He said the last like it was important to him.

She shrugged. ”I like animals and I've always enjoyed watching wrestling and those cage fighting matches. I told you, if you let it all hang out there, I'm looking. Aren't you going to get dressed now?”

Coal shook his head. ”I left those tattered rags at the base of the cliff.”

She giggled. ”Isn't it dangerous to fight without pants?”

Coal grinned. He was really cute when he smiled. ”No. Dragons are honor bound. We would never purposefully hit below the belt.”

”Purposefully?” She raised her brows.

His smile widened. ”Accidents happen but we are able to heal and regenerate quickly.”

Julie choked out a laugh.

”The thought of my d.i.c.k being ripped off or badly burned amuses you?”

Julie put up a hand. ”Why is it that every conversation we have is about your... man part?”

”I don't know; why do you think that is?” He raised his brows, his mouth quirked up at the sides and his eyes were bright with amus.e.m.e.nt.

”Oh no...” She huffed. ”Don't turn this around. Forget it.”

He leaned in close, his mouth was close to her forehead. ”I think...”

The door to the terrace opened. ”Are you going to hang here all day?” A tall, blond guy with a broad smile stuck his head around the jamb. He had the most beautiful blue eyes and was good looking in a preppy kind of way.

His shoulders were broad. He wasn't wearing a s.h.i.+rt. He had similar tattoo type markings to Coal, only his were silver instead of gold. From what she could gather, that meant that he wasn't of royal descent.

Coal growled low in his throat. It sounded like a warning. ”Flame.”

”Relax, my lord.” Flame closed the door behind him. He held clothing in his hands. Thank G.o.d he was wearing a pair of blue, cotton pants. They reminded her of lose fitting yoga pants or the type of garment a martial arts person would wear. His smile didn't falter. ”I won a female. Her name is Pauline.” He took a step towards them and handed Coal the clothing.

She felt Coal relax as he took the pants. He put them on, one pants leg at a time. Thank G.o.d! Not looking, down there, was becoming difficult. Not that she wanted to look, it's just well, she was a woman and he a man and he was naked and hung and... thank G.o.d he was dressed.

Flame patted Coal on the back. ”I would never try to take what is yours.” Flame looked at her for the first time. ”I am Flame.” He extended a hand and Coal growled. He sounded like a p.i.s.sed off lion or bear. A big, vicious man-eating beast.

She elbowed him. ”Stop it!”