“I couldn’t let him touch you,” he said. “Or anyone you love. I didn’t even think before I threw that ax.” He gave her a challenging glare. “I am a barbarian, Mara. That will never change. I should not be trying to fit into this world.”

  He turned toward her suddenly and came forward, backing her up until she bumped into the wall. “All those shifters, watching you, wanting you. Wanting to take you away.”

  He was so impossibly tall this close. And she could feel his hardness pressing into her side as he caged her, pressing his arms into the wall on both sides of her so hard she could hear the building creak.

  “But when I am in this world, I will always protect you and yours, no matter the consequence. You’re mine,” Konar growled, the sound so deep it made her shiver deep inside.

  He’d never been quite like this before. This pent up. This intense.

  And she somehow liked it. The thrill of conquest after battle.

  His eyes creased with something, perhaps satisfaction at the fact that even though he’d just thrown an ax at someone, she still felt like she was about to melt into a puddle, right here on the bathroom floor.

  “You like that I’m barbaric, don’t you?” His hand was on her chin, forcing her to look up at him so she couldn’t hide her embarrassment at being so turned on right now. “My ability as a protector turns you on,” he growled.

  Her mouth parted in a gasp as Konar’s hand gripped her side, pushing her even deeper against the hardness of his arousal and the steely muscles that covered him from head to toe.

  “I…” Her brain was so scrambled she couldn’t think straight.

  “I think you like this big, strong monster who would do anything for you.” He came closer, his breath hot like dragon fire on her skin as his lips hovered above hers.

  She felt like she was floating, melting, insides twisting in a way that only his touch could release.

  “I think you want my touch.” He leaned into her ear, his voice so low and feral it made her whole body tense against him.

  God help her, he was right.

  Everywhere he touched, she was already on fire, and her sex ached to have him touch her even more. To feel him, deep inside, like when they’d been together before.

  And she couldn’t be mad, not when he’d kept her and her friends safe all day.

  Not when she was falling for him, even after an ax throw.

  “Please,” was all she could utter, half moaning as he came even a little closer, pressing his chest and abdominals against her breasts as his leg moved between hers, rubbing lightly against her sex in the most delicious way.

  Whatever he did to her, she wanted it. She wanted everything from him.

  Especially this fierce, possessive man that was more monster than human.

  The second her word finished, his mouth closed over her ear, sucking on her earlobe then biting lightly, sending arousal flitting through her insides like a bolt of lightning.

  All at once, Konar was everywhere as he reached both hands down and grabbed her ass roughly, squeezing and hoisting her up like she weighed absolutely nothing as he pinned her to the wall.

  Another bolt of arousal went through her hips as his huge length pressed into the apex of her thighs, and she wrapped her legs around him, groaning with need as even the contact between their clothes made pleasure like nothing else quickly build in her.

  But unlike before, Konar wasn’t taking his time. Even as he pressed harsh, possessive kisses down her neck, then up to her cheek, he held her easily with one hand while the other cupped her breast and started to squeeze.

  Her nipples, which were already hard from just the way he’d been looking at her a moment ago, became even hungrier for him.

  She felt his thumb course over the center, but just as she was about to gasp loudly, his mouth covered hers, muffling the sound.

  Mara couldn’t even tell which way was up or down as Konar’s tongue thrust inside to tease all the sensitive places that only he knew about.

  He squeezed her ass even tighter and continued to knead one breast, then the other, while his tongue coursed over hers then licked across the roof of her mouth.

  Oh god, why did it feel so wonderful, so soul-searing when he touched her like this?

  Then he thrust his hips into her, stimulating her directly, and she moaned so loudly against his mouth she was practically drooling with sheer need.

  He pulled back, letting her catch a moment of air even as he forced all the air out of her lungs again with another upward jerk of his hips, grinding against her.

  She’d never done anything like this before. In a bathroom, with a barbarian dragon who was utterly unafraid of killing to protect what he saw as his.

  So strange, so forbidden.

  And so ridiculously hot.

  “You’re so kind, so softhearted. You would sacrifice yourself for others, give them your heart, your energy, just because of that kindness.” His voice was dark, almost angry as he bit at her ear then hoisted her higher so he could come down toward her collar, dangerously close to her already-sensitive breasts. “I know others are drawn to you. How could they not be?”

  At that, he used his free hand to shove the shoulder of her dress down to grant him better access, like an out-of-control monster about to ravish her.

  Though, when she saw the blazing orange of his eyes, she saw perfect control.

  “Oh, Konar.” She moaned again as he kissed lower, shoving her bra down so his mouth could close over one nipple, and he sucked so hard she arched against the wall.

  Like a magnet pulled toward her by the sound of her arousal, he pressed himself against her again, and she almost came as his gigantic cock rubbed against her.

  “But I won’t let them have you. I won’t let whatever is coming for you take you. Your body, your soul, your power, they are all mine.” His words sounded almost underwater as she just tried to hold on, the sensation of his mouth on her breasts, along with the utter wantonness of being half-undressed in a bathroom and being pleasured senseless by Konar almost too much to bear.

  Then he pulled back, and the cool air across her chest stimulated her even more as his hand came between them, and he shoved her dress up around her waist.

  “And this…” His hand hovered over her center, and she knew the second he touched her, she would come apart in his arms. “Your pleasure, your desire, belong to me also. Me alone.” His gaze as he stared at her was as furious as it was implacable, demanding her acceptance.

  “Y-yes.” She’d say anything to feel his hands on her sex. To have one more minute with him, lost in this heady, unforgettable arousal.

  And though she still had issues with the whole “wanting to conquer the world” thing, the Konar before her right now was the one she was coming to know and trust. Hot and possessive and feral, not cold or stone-hearted like he kept insisting.

  Whatever happened, she just wanted to live in the moment.

  Konar smirked at her answer, like a cat accepting a cornered mouse’s surrender.

  But then his hand was between her thighs, shoving her underwear aside and erasing all thought from her mind as pleasure like bright light flared to life over every inch of her body.

  “Good,” Konar growled as his fingers worked expertly over her soaked slit, hitting her clit with just the right speed and angle to send her careening into a freefall of release in mere seconds.

  The moment she came, mouth parting to let out all the screams he’d put inside her chest by touching her like this, his lips crashed over hers again, muting the sound as he held her steady against the wall.

  But he continued to stroke with his fingers, teasing her further even mid-orgasm, sending the strong pulsations that shocked her to her very core going even stronger and faster for a second.

  Until slowly, it abated, leaving her breathless and pinned against the wall.

  She squeaked as he whirled around, still hefting her above the ground with one hand.

  Her hips bucked, limbs writhing, feeling helpless and trapped even as the air seemed to spin around her with more need. But still he kept her held tight, not letting her escape.

  “More. More. I need you, Mara,” Konar said, the words sounding oddly sweet in spite of the harsh rasp to his voice as he licked up her neck, then bit down on her shoulder. Not enough to break the skin but enough to wonder if it would leave a mark tomorrow.

  Oddly enough, she kind of liked the idea.

  He moved over toward the sink then back, pacing while he continued to pleasure her with his hand.

  Then his hands gripped her hips, and he lifted her suddenly until her legs were over his shoulders and she was sitting almost high enough to reach the ceiling.

  And her sex was right in his face.

  “Yes,” he said, followed by something low and growly that sounded like the dragon version of a purr. “Mine.”

  It was an odd sensation, feeling like she was floating six feet above the ground. All the cells inside her felt poised toward him, eager and waiting for his next breath, his next touch, wherever it was.

  “Don’t let me fall,” she squeaked out as he hefted her a little higher, bringing her sex within an inch of his mouth. Her clothes were still everywhere, hanging loose around her shoulders and bunched up around her thighs, and she couldn’t decide if the picture of the two of them like this was ridiculous or hot as hell.

  Definitely the latter, she thought.

  He looked up at her, and for a moment, his eyes were slitted, inhuman and glowing orange. But when she blinked, it was gone again, and he slowly licked his lips.

  “That depends,” he said with a smirk.

  “On what?”

  “On how tight you hold on…”

  She opened her mouth to retort, but his hands squeezing her ass tightly and bringing her even closer to him interrupted her thoughts altogether.

  “Kidding. I’ll never let you fall, as long as I’m with you.” As he spoke, he brought her over toward the opposite wall, leaning her against it, making her feel just a little bit steadier.

  And then his lips closed over her clit, and she was grateful for Konar’s strength, because without him, she definitely would have fallen right to the ground just then.

  “Oh, go—” She tried to force her mouth closed as incredible pleasure shot through her insides, but it was hard to do as he lapped at her like an unstoppable animal desperate for more.

  He really was something else.

  Konar didn’t say anything. Or if he did, she was too caught up in trying to not lose her mind (or her balance) as he licked his tongue over and across her, stimulating her so perfectly she could come instantly.

  Granted, ten seconds was how long she lasted, but she’d give herself an A for effort, given how hot this incredible man was.

  She screamed loudly, the sound echoing off the walls of the small room, but Konar thankfully didn’t try to stop her as wave after wave of pleasure coursed through like a tsunami.

  Thankfully, the bathroom was in a remote corner of Club Crimson, so it seemed unlikely anyone would hear her.

  Most would probably be asleep.

  “Let me hear your screams, little one. Scream for me,” Konar said, pausing only long enough to speak before his tongue covered her wet heat again.

  Oh dear, she wasn’t going to last long like this…

  She still felt totally safe in his arms, his huge palms and long fingers holding her by the butt and the small of her back, trapping her against his mouth.

  And when she came again, heat exploding out of her insides like a bomb that only Konar had the code to, she curled around his head and just let all the emotion and sensation run its course while he kept her safe.

  By the time her last release rolled its way through, her legs were numb, her arms were tingling, and her whole core felt like jelly that had been left out in the sun for too long.

  As if sensing this, Konar moved over to the small seat in the room and sat down atop it, slowly lowering her until she was straddling his lap.

  And greeting her with that impossibly huge, impossibly sexy bulge in his jeans that made her sex ache to feel him, inside.

  “Catch your breath, little one. You’ll need it in a moment.”

  He wasn’t wrong about that.

  But just the thought of seeing this powerful man lost in pleasure as he buried himself deep in her gave Mara a second wind she didn’t think possible.

  With a growl, he unzipped his jeans, and his enormous cock sprang free, even bigger than she remembered. Then, in a quick motion, he pulled a condom from his pocket. All the while, her core tensed at just the sight of him.

  “Let me,” she offered, reaching out a hand to take the foil packet.

  Konar sent her a glare that seemed to say I want to do it, but he relented when she batted her eyes at him.

  She took it out and rolled it over his length, enjoying the velvety feel of his skin, loving the way his eyes rolled back semi-angrily in response to her touch. Even the way his legs twitched slightly, even against his desire for complete control, turned her on like nothing else.

  When it was on, he pulled her deeper into his lap, close enough his length rubbed against her, making her mewl for what was coming next.

  Though, she wasn’t sure how she was going to move up and down as spent as her limbs were.

  “I don’t think I have the energy to move m—”

  Suddenly, his hands were on her thighs, and she squeaked as the ground disappeared beneath her again while he positioned himself effortlessly at her entrance.

  “Who said anything about you doing anything but coming for me?” He growled again, the sound sending trickles of arousal down the back of her neck even as his huge tip teased her, pushing in and out with little motions that drove her wild for more.

  Then he pressed her against the wall, hard enough the room seemed to shake, though she felt no pain at all.

  She felt weightless, supported, small and feminine and free to just feel.

  Then Konar slid in, filling her with scorching heat, harder and faster than he had the time before, and Mara’s eyes felt like they were going to roll back into her skull in arousal it felt so amazing.

  He went deeper, deeper until he was all the way in, pushing all her insides outward in ways that made sparks of pleasure shoot out all the way to her fingertips.

  And Konar, always the one in control, seemed overwhelmed himself, his harsh breaths coming out in low huffs of air so hot she could see steam, though the bathroom wasn’t cold at all.

  “You are… you are… overwhelming, Mara,” he said, shoulders tensing so hard she could see veins bulging out on his forearms, the tops of his hands, and the base of his neck.

  Just to see what happened, she tilted her hips back, then drove them forward again, taking him as deep as possible, electric pleasure overtaking her senses as she did.

  Konar’s hand clenched the wall to her side as she felt his cock get even bigger, even harder if it were possible, making the sensation inside her unbearably wonderful, almost too much to handle.

  In the same moment, she heard something crack, and she looked over to see his fingers dug into the wall so hard they’d broken through the paint and drywall, crushing it in his hand easily like it was made of paper.

  “You are going to pay for that,” he said with a lustful grin as he ripped his hand away from the wall and brushed the debris off before using both hands to lift her off his cock completely before driving into her with all the force of a freight train.

  Mara swore so loud in arousal it made her ears buzz. But Konar ignored her, lifting her and thrusting into her so quickly she didn’t even have time to miss the sensation of his length because he was filling her over and over and over.

  “Scream if you want, but you’re helpless to my whims,” he said, leaning in to kiss her once, twice, then down to her neck as he moved with ferocious rhythm.

  All she could do was try not to be too loud as she moaned again and again as he filled her.

  And when she came, he thrust into her one more time mid-orgasm, making her come so hard she lost all the air in her lungs.

  When her vision cleared, he was just grinning at her as if that had been whatever “punishment” he’d been thinking of.

  But no, he made her come one more time without him, the wet heat between them getting slicker and more comfortable even as all her senses felt like frayed wires.

  She was panting, exhausted but not yet done, and she wrapped her arms around Konar as he kept lifting her effortlessly onto his cock, all the way, as though he could reach her very soul with his lovemaking.

  And in spite of his cocky glare and the sexy, dominant way his eyes roved down her, Mara could tell he was near his limit too. Just in the way his fingers twitched as he held her up and in the way his breathing was getting shallower and faster as well.

  “Come with me,” she asked, nearly begging to have that hot, almost-explosive sensation melting her core.

  Konar didn’t speak, just nodded as he pulled them both toward one final mind-blowing release.

  And as she held on for dear life, she couldn’t ignore a warm, oddly calm sensation coming from her heart. Like the air was getting warmer, the light in the room getting brighter. Like it was responding to something between them, though she didn’t know what.

  Some kind of magic…

  But then the thrusting motions of Konar’s hips distracted her from those feelings, and his husky breaths on her shoulder let Mara know they were both seconds away from the edge.

  The slick sound of him driving into her one last time, coupled with the built-up pleasure that had finally reached its apex, pushed Mara right over her limits, and she screamed desperately into his arm, feeling for a split second like the world was turning inside out.

  Konar came with her immediately after, cursing in a language she didn’t understand as his cock jerked deep within her.

  She could feel his body vibrate with his release, his muscles clenching and releasing in rapid spasms even while a similar feeling rocked through her entire body in tandem with his.

  So hot.

  So incredible.

  And his sunset eyes, looking nearly lost for a split second in those unforgettable moments…