Healed by the Earth Dragon Prince: Dragon Shifter Romance (Elemental Dragon Warriors Book 4)

touching for now,” I whisper.
He growls low in arousal as I move against his hand. “I want only to give you pleasure, Anna.”
My head falls back as he brushes his thumb over the sensitive pearl of flesh between my folds while moving his fingers back and forth deep inside me. He leans forward and closes his mouth over my breast, laving his tongue across the peak.
I moan as he begins a gentle suction. I thread my fingers through his hair and then trace them down his back. His entire form is covered in thick layers of muscle. I can feel the tension in his body as he holds himself back, trying so hard to be careful with me.
It only makes me want him that much more. “Kaj,” I whisper against his skin as I press a soft kiss to his neck.
He quickens his pace and I close my eyes as heat pools deep in my core.
He cups my cheek, and I open my eyes to find him staring at me with a half-lidded gaze. “I want to watch you as you find your release, my beautiful Anna.”
His words spark something deep inside me. Desire fills my entire body and then I’m coming harder than I ever have before. I cry out his name as wave after wave of pleasure rushes through me.
When I finally come down from my climax, I practically melt against him. My entire body goes limp in his arms. His golden gaze holds mine as he takes his fingers into his mouth to taste me. He closes his eyes and growls low in his throat as if I am the best thing he’s ever had. “Your nectar is exquisite,” he murmurs.
He drops his forehead to mine then curls his wings around me even tighter. “You are perfect, Anna.”
I allow myself to drift away in his arms, knowing that I’m safe. That he’d never do anything I don’t want.
When I wake, I don’t know how long it’s been that he’s held me like this. I lift my head to his and he smiles down at me and presses a kiss to my forehead. “Are you hungry, my beautiful Anna?”
“Thirsty,” I reply.
“Then, let us go downstairs,” he murmurs.
I wrap my robe back around me, fastening it in place before I follow him down the stairs. I don’t bathe because I remember Lilly telling me how important scent marking is to Drakarians. Besides, I kind of like the idea of being marked by my mate.
My mate. The words echo in my mind. The truth is… I’m already considering him to be mine. Even though I want to go slow and not rush into anything, I cannot deny how much I want him. How much I trust him and how much I want to be his in return.
I force myself to think of other things as I follow him into the kitchen. He said he’d show me how to use all the appliances, and I figure learning how to make tea is as good a place to start as any. I’m surprised when he opens one of the cabinets and I notice several clear glass containers of dried tea.
“Wow. You have quite the collection here.” I feel silly for believing the blend Varus gave us was the only one available on this world.
He tilts his chin up a notch. “I’ve expanded my selection over the past few cycles. The last time I went off-world, I even brought back some herbs from Luralo station.”
“How often do you go off world?”
“Not very often,” he replies. “The only reason I do so is to attend important meetings of the Galactic Federation when they request attendance from the planets within the alliance. And they are always held on Luralo station. If you wish to go with me, I can—”
“No, thank you,” I reply quickly. “I think I’ve had enough of space to last a lifetime.”
“If you are worried about pirates, our ships are safe and heavily armored. The other races tend to leave us alone because they know we are fierce warriors.”
“When do you have to go again?” I ask, considering his offer.
“Within the next few months.”
A thought occurs to me. “Do the others go? Varus? Raidyn? Llyr?”
“No. That is why it is important that I attend the meetings on behalf of our world. My Clan has always been neutral—never taking sides in any wars between the others. The other Clans trust us—the Earth Clan—to represent them at the alliance meetings.” He pauses. “And it is good this way because it makes us seem more united than we actually are.”
I tip my head to the side to regard him. “That’s a lot of responsibility on yours shoulders.”
“Yes,” he agrees. “It can be… stressful.”
“Maybe now after the Summit, you can all take turns going to represent Drakaria. Now that everyone seems to be getting along.”
He nods. “You are right. I will bring this up with the others. It is a good plan. You are very wise, Anna.”
I blush at the compliment.
He turns his attention back to the various tea blends and pulls down a glass jar, “This is my favorite blend so far.”
“Can I try some?”
“Of course. I believe you will enjoy it.”
He places the dried leaves in a small metal strainer like the ones we used on the ships and shows me how to boil the water. He arches a brow. “Did you not have appliances in your apartment in Valoria?”
“We did, but they were different from what you seem to have here. We relied pretty heavily on the stasis unit and warmer to keep and prepare our meals. I never cooked anything there.” My eyes sweep over the kitchen. “I’m getting hungry. Can we make dinner a bit early?”
He nods. “Let’s start with something simple, and then we’ll move on to more complex dishes as you learn.”
A smirk twists my lips. He sounds confident that I’m going to be around him long enough to become a gourmet chef. To be honest, I like the