Mated To The Dragon Of Manhattan (A BBW Paranormal Romance Book 1) (10 page)

He spoke in a low, gravelly voice. "So, so beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous."

I couldn't wait any longer to feel him inside of me. Fingers flying, I unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, and pulled them, along with his boxer briefs, down to his knees, revealing his extremely large and hard erection.

I whimpered with desire. "You're absolutely gorgeous yourself."

We didn't waste any time. Truman pushed me up against one of the smooth, mahogany-paneled walls of the elevator, hiked one of my legs up on his hip, and then positioned the head of his long, thick, rock-hard shaft at my entrance before sliding into me with one smooth, powerful thrust. I gasped with pleasure at the sensation of being completely and totally filled. And then, after just a moment, with one hand holding my leg and the other on my hip, he began working his considerable length in and out of my slickness, grunting.

Even though at six-foot-three, he was nearly a foot taller than me, because of my high heels, and because of him bending his knees a bit, the position seemed to work. And not only work, but it was actually one of the most enjoyable and exciting positions I'd ever tried in my life.

However, after a while, even with Truman doing most of the work and supporting me by the leg and hip, my supporting foot got a little tired, crampy, and wobbly. He seemed to realize this almost the moment it happened, and to my amazement, without even pulling out of me or pausing in his thrusting, he moved the hand holding my leg to my rear and scooped me up off the floor completely.

"Maybe this will be easier."

What he'd done would have been no easy feat for the average man, considering that I was a heavier, curvier girl.

Thanking my lucky stars for his shifter strength and stamina, I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist while he continued thrusting, kind of bouncing me off of him, making me moan in rapture.

With him penetrating me so deeply, it didn't take long at all for me to feel a strong climax building inside of me once again. And when he began bouncing me even faster, groaning, seeming to be heading for a powerful climax himself, I couldn't hold back. I cried out, moving my hips to meet his thrusts, and he soon joined me in ecstasy, growling.

A few minutes later, we stepped out of the elevator on the seventy-seventh floor and began heading down a short hallway to his penthouse. But then we had to go back to the elevator because I realized we'd forgotten my underwear. And fortunately, none of the staff had called the elevator back down yet.

It was nearly eleven o'clock by the time I finally, finally got the very lengthy, very thorough full-body massage I'd been promised that morning. Though it turned out to be well worth the wait. Truman applied scented oil to his large, strong hands and then glided them over what seemed like every single millimeter of my bare skin, kneading and stroking my muscles with just the right amount of pressure. Afterward, we made love again, the force of our joining actually rattling his four-poster bed. I fell asleep wrapped in his arms that night and had only the very sweetest dreams.

But the next morning, the rosy afterglow of those sweet dreams faded, and quickly. Because after Truman had brought me breakfast in bed and then left for a security meeting with his advisors, I remembered that I had a decision to make. One that I had to make soon, and one that would be absolutely final and irrevocable. And although Truman seemed to be falling deeper and deeper in love with me, and I was definitely falling deeper and deeper in love with him, I had no way of knowing if he was thinking very long-term thoughts about us, like I was. And if I decided to stay in his parallel, and it turned out that we didn't last, I would be stuck in a world not my own, forever. And with a man who'd broken my heart.

CHAPTER NINE

The timing of the decision I had to make in two weeks, three at the most, could not possibly have been worse. It was way too soon for me to ask Truman if he was having "forever" thoughts about me. Our relationship was still too new. But on the other hand, I kind of felt as if I needed to know in order to make my decision. Fortunately, I still had some time. Truman called me a little before lunchtime to say that he'd checked in with Dr. Townsend, who'd told him that according to his calculations, the tear in the parallel I could go through to go back to
my
New York City still remained open, and he still expected it to remain open for another couple of weeks.

"So, try not to stress, sweetheart. Just take your time. Just think things through at your own pace."

I told him I would and that I'd try not to stress; however, when we got off the phone, I couldn't help but feel a little stressed. And very unsettled.

When Brianna called just a short while later, asking if I'd like to take a drive around the city and go to lunch with her and Annabelle, I jumped at the chance, wanting to take my mind off things. I met them down on the ground floor lobby of the tower, the first time I'd been down there since I'd opened my eyes after having been transported across the parallel from my own New York City.

I glanced at the potted fern I'd first seen, recalling my terror when Brianna's cousin Charlie and another guard, Derick, had charged at me, guns drawn. "It looks even prettier down here when I'm not afraid for my life."

Things were certainly different now. Charlie and Derick waved at me, smiling, while Brianna, Annabelle, and I exited the building.

Brianna had a shiny red sports car, and she drove Annabelle and me all around Manhattan, just so I could see what was different, and what wasn't, about
this
New York City, from my own. And honestly, there wasn't much different. A lot of the smaller businesses weren't the same, for sure, and black flags with gray dragons hung from places where I would have expected to see American flags. But most of the landmarks and skyscrapers, particularly those built before World War Two, were exactly the same as in
my
New York City. Lady Liberty still held her torch aloft, and bright sunshine still made the windows of the Chrysler building glitter and gleam. I stared out the passenger side window, just marveling at it all, the decision I had to make completely forgotten.

After an hour or so, the three of us stopped at a Lower East Side bistro for lunch. And not two seconds after we'd been seated, Brianna and Annabelle began exchanging little looks while sitting across from me, clearly fighting smiles.

I picked up a menu and opened it, smiling a little myself. "Something funny, guys?"

Brianna suddenly burst into giggles, shaking her head, which made her wavy red hair ripple. "No, nothing funny. Well...I guess there's just one little thing funny."

"Well, what is it?"

"Well, it's just something that gave Annabelle and me a good chuckle this morning."

"I could use a good chuckle myself today. So, please tell me."

"Well...." Brianna glanced at Annabelle, giggling a bit more, before returning her gaze to me. "Okay. So, last night, there was a little buzz that you and Truman left the restaurant through one of the kitchen exits. And then, also last night, Owen got a call about a possible security breach because apparently the security camera in the service elevator was broken. And not just broken, but smashed to bits. As if someone really, really wanted to do some things inside the elevator that they wanted to make darn sure the camera wouldn't record. So...." She giggled yet again. "You and Truman wouldn't have had anything to do with that, would you?"

I began surveying my menu, a little heat rising to my cheeks. "I don't think so, no. And by that, I mean, definitely no. I don't even know what you're talking about."

Annabelle looked at me with her hazel eyes twinkling. "Are you sure? Because if you and Truman really didn't have anything to do with the camera being smashed, then Truman should really call for a special investigation to look into the matter."

My face becoming a little hotter, I flipped a page of the menu. "Well...okay. Truman and I might have had something to do with the camera being smashed."

Brianna flicked the back of my menu. "So what happened, then? And I mean...what specifically."

I sighed, still pretending to study the menu, avoiding her eyes. "Well, it's pretty simple what happened specifically. The camera was just...making some sort of a weird beeping noise, and it just really ticked me off for some reason, so I just...I just kind of leaped right up and knocked it down."

Brianna stifled a laugh, glancing at Annabelle. "Really? Short little you just leaped in the air and knocked it down?"

I didn't even hesitate. "Yes. And then, just for good measure, I just kind of like...smashed it up with one of my high heels, just because it was...the whole thing was just still irritating me."

Brianna burst into yet another giggle fit. "Oh, my gosh. You are the worst liar ever. Literally the worst."

Laughing herself, Annabelle picked up her menu. "She is. No offense, Brette, but between phony detective boyfriends
and
surveillance cameras supposedly irritating you to the point of you needing to smash them, you could teach a master class in how not to lie. Although, some might say that's a good thing. I actually think it's sweet and charming. And I'm sure Truman does, too. However, just on the off chance that you're
not
lying about what happened to the camera...remind me never to irritate you. Because smashing a camera to bits just because it ticked you off with a beeping noise...." She gave her head a little shake, feigning a shiver. "Sounds intense."

I couldn't help but chuckle, and she joined in. Brianna erupted in peals of laughter so loud that Annabelle had to shush her.

After I'd changed the subject and the three of us had laughed some more about different things, my mood became decidedly lighter and remained lighter. Or, at least, it did until we all sat enjoying cups of coffee after our meal. Stirring a little sugar into hers, Brianna asked if I knew what I was going to do as far as staying in the parallel with Truman or going back to my own.

I sighed. "I really still don't know. I've just been trying not to think about it, I guess."

Annabelle set her coffee cup down. "And you shouldn't. Don't think about it until you absolutely have to. Which, from what I've heard, isn't for a few more weeks. So, don't think about it until then. Thinking about the pros and cons and possible benefits and regrets about each decision will only drive you nuts and actually hinder you actually making a decision when it's time."

I set my own coffee cup down. "You really think so?"

"Yes. I'm probably about a decade-and-a-half older than you, and probably a bit more experienced in the ways of love, and believe me when I say this is probably going to come down to a gut decision, as it probably should. No room for cold logic and reasoning when it comes to love decisions, even extremely major, life-altering ones. Just try to enjoy your time with Truman in the here and now; continue to get to know each other better; and when it's time, you'll know. The decision will probably end up feeling like it made itself
for
you."

Brianna took a sip of her coffee and looked at me, nodding. "You know, sometimes Annabelle and I disagree about a lot of different little things, but I actually think this isn't one of them. I actually think this is great advice. And in fact, it's kind of what I did when Owen asked me to marry him after we'd only been dating four or five weeks. I took a few days to just kind of let the idea percolate in the back of my brain while I just enjoyed being with him some more...and then I just went with my gut. And three years later, I can honestly say it turned out to be the best decision I ever made. So, yeah. I think Annabelle's right. Just keep on getting to know Truman better and just see what unfolds. And then, when you absolutely have to make a decision, just go with your heart. If you really listen to it, I don't think it will steer you wrong. And in the meantime, just relax."

What she and Annabelle had said made sense. No point stressing about a decision when the answer might become crystal clear to me almost on its own.

I told them both I'd take their advice, and I thanked them for it. "And I think Truman would thank you, too. I know he really doesn't want me becoming stressed to the point of getting dizzy and bumping my head again. He acted like I'd been hit by a truck."

Annabelle gave me a little smile, tucking one of her caramel-colored curls behind her ear. "Its things like that instance that will factor into your gut decision. It's obvious that Truman really cares about you."

I knew that was true. I also knew he was falling deeply in love with me. I just wished I knew if he officially loved me, though, and not
was falling
, but officially
loved
. And if so, I just wished I knew if that love would be forever, or at least had a very good chance.

But, since it seemed way too soon to lay these questions on Truman, I didn't. I took his advice, and Brianna and Annabelle's advice, and just kind of relaxed the next week or so. Or, tried my best to, anyway.

Beginning on Thursday, Truman and I began taking long morning and evening walks through his rooftop garden paradise. Among the fruit trees and
rose bushes
, we told each other about our childhoods, and our families, and our most meaningful life experiences. We pretty much told each other our whole life stories.

After our Friday evening walk, I asked Truman if I could see him shift into a dragon, and he said yes and did it right away. He didn't even have to take off his clothes first, as they magically shifted with him and disappeared. When he shifted back into human form, his clothes were magically still on his body, without a single rip or tear.

He was massive in dragon form, with a wingspan of at least thirty feet and claws about the length of my entire body. His thick, leathery hide was the same deep charcoal gray as his eyes. He'd tell me later that with few exceptions, all shifter dragons were the same color as their eyes in human form.

Soon after he'd shifted, I reached out a hand and slowly ran it down a few of the scales on his back, awestruck. "You're so beautiful, Truman. You're absolutely beautiful."

Suddenly misty for some reason, I feared I might cry. Truman slowly turned his enormous dragon head and very gently nuzzled my cheek with the very tip of his nose. Sniffling, I wrapped my arms around his neck, though they wouldn't even reach around all the way, and just held him for a while with my face against his scales.

Saturday night after dinner, while we took a moonlight stroll among the trees, I asked him if I could see him fly in dragon form.

He grinned, squeezing my hand. "I'll do you one better. How about if you fly
with
me. You can climb right up on my back, and I'll give you a ride. And I promise I won't let you fall."

Several minutes later, I was sitting atop his broad dragon back, clutching the parts of his wings nearest his body while he soared through the air, far above even the tallest skyscrapers in New York City. Above us, stars twinkled in a velvety sky, and below us, city lights glimmered in what looked like a midnight blue pool of ink. For the second time in as many days, I became a little misty and had to continually wipe my eyes on my sleeve.

That night, we made love three different times and didn't fall asleep until it was nearly dawn.

The next several days passed similarly. Truman and I harvested a large part of his vegetable garden, talking, laughing, and occasionally flinging clods of dirt and little pebbles at each other. We became so close I started to feel as if I'd known him forever. Friday evening, at a dinner attended by all his advisors, lieutenants, and their wives, he presented me with a gorgeous necklace of rubies and diamonds, which were my favorite stones. He'd designed the necklace himself, based on what I'd mentioned one day about what I did and didn't like when it came to jewelry, which was in response to a few oh-so-casual questions he'd asked me. Several of the women at the dinner looked on admiringly, with  a few of them  seeming to be wearing expressions of outright envy, while Truman fastened the necklace around my neck.