Their Runaway Mate (7 page)

"That's a mild way to put it," Kylan muttered.

"Your interest?" Her eyes were wide with surprise. When they didn't answer, the flush on her cheeks deepened. She knew what they meant. "You said
our
. Do you mean both of you?"

Dillon stared into her eyes, which had darkened considerably since they'd started this conversation. "You like the idea of us wanting you."

Her face was a pretty sort of crimson color now. She plucked up another box. He recognized this one as salt. She stirred a bit into the powdery mixture.

"You've said you are in isolation," she said to Kylan. "What does that mean? Is this a punishment? Like jail?"

Kylan looked surprised. "No, nothing like that."

"Well, then?"

"Two of Kylan's parents died recently," Dillon said when Kylan didn't answer right away. "This is how dragons mourn. But I guess, traditionally, it also has to do with how some dragons deal with grief."

Jasmine eyed Kylan. "You mean…"

"Grief can lead to dragons going rogue," his chief said quietly. They both watched Jasmine for her reaction. "So they put this band on my wrist and it keeps me from shifting. It is a two-week mandatory isolation."

"That isn't what I was going to ask you, but thank you for being honest with me." She put her spoon down and rounded the end of the island. She pulled Kylan into a hug. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

He sat awkwardly within her embrace. Dragons didn't console one another with hugs and tender words. "Um, thanks."

She loosened her arms and peered into his eyes. "I lost my parents when I was a little girl. I don't remember my dad, but I miss my mom," she said. "I know what it's like."

Dillon's own chest warmed with emotion and he wasn't even involved with the moment. Kylan simply nodded.

Jasmine circled back to the kitchen again and grabbed some milk and eggs out of the fridge. She wiped a tear from her cheek, leaving a streak of flour in its place. Then they watched in silence as she finished mixing up her batter and poured it into a pan. After she placed the pan in the oven, Dillon offered to do the dishes. They talked about the cabin and the weather, anything but what was probably weighing most on each of their minds, as they waited for the loaf to bake. Still, the conversation was strangely easy and comfortable.

When Jasmine pulled the loaf from the oven, Dillon stole a glance at Kylan. His chief's face was easy to read because it matched his own thoughts exactly.

This little, curvy redhead, who believed she was afraid of dragons, was perfect for them and their clan.

Chapter 8

J
asmine used the faded dish towel to pop the cooling loaf out of the pan. She had wondered if the tiny oven, which likely didn't see much use in the cabin, would function properly, but the crust was perfect. Now if only her life was as easy to put together as her aunt's favorite spice loaf.

She should be angry with these men—these
dragons
. Kylan had been one of the orchestrators of this whole Dragon Agreement fiasco and Dillon had been at her home when the other dragons destroyed it. But anger wasn't there.

"Can you believe that, Kylan?" Dillon rubbed his hands together. "She baked something, just like that." He snapped his fingers. "No recipe or anything."

The men both hummed in appreciation as the sweet mouth-watering aroma floated through the air. She cut thick slices of the warm, moist bread. She pushed the pieces toward them, then licked the crumbs from her fingers. Dillon's eyes locked onto her mouth, and he moved his own lips together as if imagining her taste. She glanced at Kylan. His attention was zeroed in on her too. Slowly, his heated gaze rose to her eyes, and his mouth opened slightly. If they'd been closer, she could imagine him leaning in for a kiss. Heat rushed to her cheeks, and she dragged her hand away, breaking the tension. She hadn't meant her action to be erotic.

But in that one moment, desire stirred within her and she was roused to new sexual possibilities.

Kylan broke a corner off his slice with his long fingers. Now it was her turn to track his motion as he lifted the piece and placed it between his lips and slipped it inside. She shivered as his mouth closed around the food. What would it be like to sample those lips? To feel them on her skin?

He nodded after his first taste. "This is amazing."

She swallowed. How could watching a man eat excite her? As someone in the food industry, she'd watched plenty of people eat and she'd never been affected before. Not like this. She'd never experienced this thrill. And man, did she enjoy the smiles on their faces as they savored the first few bites.

No, it was more than that. Or less complicated, perhaps. She quite simply liked them.

Even though they were dragons.

She couldn't reconcile the malevolent beast in her dream to the two thoughtful men in front of her, but the evil ones did exist—like that Maryk one. She bit her lip, shocking herself at where her mind was going.

She braced her shoulders. She could do this. She was independent. An entrepreneur. She made decisions fast and responded to new challenges all the time. God, now she sounded like an infomercial for an online college.

Besides, starting her own business was a far cry from trusting two of the very beasts she'd been running from. Two sexy, tempting beasts.

Her pulse raced as she turned to Dillon. His gaze was pinned to her. His strong jaw moved in a slow and sensual rhythm as he chewed. She could only imagine what else he could do with his mouth… and it was all X-rated. The glint in his eyes suggested he knew exactly what wicked thoughts were filling her mind.

She tried to shove them aside, because regardless of the sexual energy whirling over them her decision couldn't be postponed. Everything depended on one question: Did she trust them? She almost couldn't believe it, but she did. She breathed in deeply to steady her nerves. "Okay, I'll stay with you until you have an opportunity to talk to the Dragon Council."

Kylan eyed her. "Was there a possibility you wouldn't have stayed?"

She smiled at them. "Of course."

"So we have two weeks." Dillon crossed the kitchen to her. He closed the distance between them, until his broad muscular body was only a few inches from hers.

Wow, he was even more handsome at this proximity. His dark hair fell over his forehead as he tilted his head toward her. She wanted to touch the stray hair, confirm if it was as silky as it appeared.

"During that time," Dillon continued, "will you let us try to persuade you to…?" He let the suggestive implication dangle in front of her.

"Persuade me to do what?" Was he really proposing what she thought he was?

While she'd been focused on Dillon, his partner had approached her from behind. Although Kylan didn't touch her, he stood close enough that heat cascaded off him and warmed her back. The two men were so tall, big… powerful. No one had made her feel petite before, but these men did. And safe. She'd never felt this safe with anyone before. She'd always had to protect herself.

"What he means is," Kylan whispered in her ear, "will you allow the possibility of mating with us? We want to get to know you better."

Her skin tingled at his seductive tone. "As in sex?"

Dillon's eyes twinkled. "Or you could call it mind-blowing bliss."

Her body throbbed at the promise. She'd only be here for two weeks and then she could leave at the end—no, not could, she
would
leave at the end. Her life was waiting for her, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy herself for a bit. A little holiday with two smoking hot men sounded pretty damn awesome.

"Kylan is still going to approach the Dragon Council about reversing what's happened, right?"

"Can't we enjoy our time together until that happens?" Dillon's gaze settled on her lips.

She fought the desire to lick them, entice him.

"How would that work? With both of you? At the same time?" Her voice trembled, betraying how interested she was in the proposition. She'd heard rumors about dragons and their lovers. Were they true?

"Since the beginning of time dragons have mated with human women, because dragons are only born male. It has always been difficult to find willing mates…" Dillon let his finger slide down the side of her neck, tracing the line from her earlobe to her collarbone. "So there are always two dragons in every mate bonding. It is integral to our way of life and our culture. The two of us would be devoted to you, both out of bed… and in it."

Jasmine's heartbeats sprinted at both the intimacy of Dillon's touch and his explanation. Then Kylan touched her hips. The heavy weight of his hands sent tingling ripples over her. She resisted the urge to lean back against him. His fingers played at the hem of her T-shirt for a few tantalizing seconds—perhaps giving her the opportunity to stop this—before sliding under. Her sharp intake of breath at his hand dancing over her bare skin made Dillon's eyes glow green.

His dragon side was coming through, but she wasn't scared. Nope, being afraid was the last thing on her mind as Kylan pulled her against his body. His hard length pressed against her bottom.

"I'm not very girly," Jasmine blurted out. It was a risk to voice her concern—what if they stopped?—but she had to be honest. Earlier they'd said they needed the balance of a woman's energy. "I've been accused of being headstrong and manly. What if my energy isn't feminine enough? You probably need someone else."

"Believe me, you are incredibly feminine. In all the right ways." Kylan's laugh rumbled over her as he squeezed the swell of her hips and tugged her more snugly against him. "It's been less than twenty-four hours and I can already feel your energy's influence on me."

He was confusing sexual want with her energy, but she didn't correct him. Her body had been humming with need since she'd seen him pleasure himself the night before. She'd tried to smother it, but now, under the men's touches, desire exploded through her. She wanted this. Wanted them.

Dillon stared into her eyes as he stepped closer to her. His body was now flush with hers in the front, while Kylan held her from the back. "May I kiss you?"

They already had her sandwiched between their impressive, powerful bodies. She throbbed with awakened need, which, given their heightened senses, they would already know. Why ask permission to kiss her now?

Both men grew still as they waited for her answer.

She leaned her head back against Kylan's shoulder and licked her lips. "Yes."

As Dillon lowered his face to hers, his unique scent enveloped her. Where Kylan's was of the earth, Dillon's scent reminded her of the mist at the bottom of a waterfall. His lips brushed over hers lightly, then he moaned quietly as he settled his mouth against hers.

The heat from Kylan's breath fell across her ear, just before he pressed an open-mouth kiss along her neck. She shuddered at the sweet seduction in their kisses.

No, not sweet. There was nothing
sweet
about the want they were teasing out of her so easily. It was hot and dirty.

***

Kylan shut his eyes and savored the feel of Jasmine's luscious curves pressed tight against his body. As his tongue traveled over her silken skin, her scent grew stronger and more enticing. She was as turned on by this as he was. Not every woman wanted to bed two men, and even fewer would be interested in two dragons.

Jasmine wasn't like that.

She could be a good mate for them if she let herself.

She was headstrong, a bit bossy and sexy as hell.

He moaned in her ear as she leaned against him. Her trembling arms rose to encircle Dillon's neck, drawing him closer too. Kylan shifted his hips, pressing the evidence of his arousal against the cushioning softness of her ass. She shuddered in his arms and reached around to hold him tight.

How could he get any harder?

He wanted her. Naked and panting on the bed. Now.

Dillon ended the kiss and met Kylan's gaze. His primary's eyes were glowing, and Kylan knew his own were probably going dragon too. He tensed, stopping until Jasmine noticed. Dillon looked down at her and waited.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she stared into Dillon's eyes and tried to draw him back down for another kiss.

Kylan exhaled. She hadn't freaked out. She hadn't pushed them away.

Dillon brushed his lips over Jasmine's mouth quickly, then turned her in their arms so she faced Kylan. Her lips, swollen and reddened from Dillon's kisses, turned up in a smile.

"Kiss me," she breathed.

Her command undid him. He crushed his mouth to hers, pouring all his desire for her into the kiss. She surrendered to him, curling her fingers into his shirt, and held him close.

His hands were still under her shirt, resting on the sweeping curve of her full hips. He wanted to feel more of her. He explored upward leisurely, letting his fingers dance over her velvety skin until they reached the lacy edge of her bra.

She loosened her grip on his shirt to raise her hands to his shoulders, giving him more access to her breasts. He moved in immediately and filled his hands with their delicate weight. Her nipples jutted against his palms, as if begging him for more. His thumbs nudged the hardened peaks and she whimpered against him. A fresh hot wave of her arousal surged through the air.

Dillon drew her shirt higher, exposing her smooth white skin. Kylan broke the kiss with Jasmine so Dillon could remove the garment. As soon as they'd wrenched the clothing from her body, she grasped Kylan again.

She clung to him as he returned to nuzzle the tempting softness below her ear. His stubble scraped along her skin and she trembled. She dug her nails into his flesh as she tilted her head further to the side, as if giving herself to him. Her heat streamed over him and a potent cocktail of her heady scent flowed from her pores and teased his tongue.

He lapped at her skin as Dillon's fingers tugged at her pants. She squirmed and pushed her clothing down over her hips as soon as the buttons were freed. Eager. So very eager for them.

Then she gasped and arched against Kylan. He wasn't sure what Dillon had done, but he wanted that to happen again. He wanted her control to snap until all that remained was impulse and sensation.