I idly caressed Wren’s back. Though she didn’t realize it, every time my fingers drifted over a certain spot right above her ass, she gave this throaty purr that inspired naughty thoughts. During round three, I’d explored every inch of her body and had discovered an intricate bird tattoo that swept up the back of her neck, buried in her hair. When I’d finally asked her about it, she’d shrugged and claimed it’d been nothing more than a rebellious moment before she’d turned twenty. A gesture to acknowledge her name.

“Are you staying the night here?” she asked, her voice breaking the comfortable silence.

I stole a glance out her balcony window and eyed the moon. It hovered above the water and cast a beautiful serenity on the ship.

“As much as I would love to, I don’t think I can. When I left, Jinx was sleeping. I need to be in my room in case she needs me.”

Wren nodded. “How is she?”

I shifted my weight and repositioned Wren’s head until it rested on my shoulder. “She’ll be all right, I think. It’s my fault. I didn’t realize what sending her away to school had done.” My body shook with bitter laughter. “I thought I was helping her. Giving her time away to heal and move on. Everyone warned me I was pushing her away.”

“Hey.” Wren rose up and rested her chin on my chest. “We all make mistakes. All you can do is make sure you don’t make the same ones again.”

With a soft smile, I leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose. “Says the guidance counselor.”

“Well, it is my job after all.”

“Things aren’t back to normal yet, but they will be.”

“Yes.” A slight frown creased Wren’s brow. “Can I ask you something?”

I nodded. I’d been waiting for this moment. We’d briefly mentioned mating before we’d slept together. I imagined she had dozens of questions for me.

“How’d your wife die?”

The smile slipped from my face. Of all the thing I’d thought she’d ask—that hadn’t even ranked.

“Unless it’s too painful. I understand if—”

“Have you ever wondered why there are so few dragon shifters left?”

Wren nodded. “It was actually a topic of discussion in one of my classes. The professor wanted us to discuss what implications it might have on the younger shifters. Especially if orphaned.”

My lip curled. “We don’t abandon our whelps.”

“I didn’t mean like that… I just…”

I closed my eyes and drew in a steadying breath. Snapping at Wren wouldn’t help matters. And it certainly wasn’t her fault that this conversation pricked my nerves.

“Keaton, it’s fine, really.” Her lips feathered against mine.

“In your classes, did they ever mention anything called Dragon Fever?”

“Yes, actually. It’s the disease that plagued your kind and wiped out your numbers. But that happened centuries ago.”

“It started centuries ago,” I corrected. “These days, the fever doesn’t strike as often. But when it does, there’s nothing that can be done. It’s like cancer. The sickness eats away at the host until nothing remains.”

“And that’s what happened to your wife?”

I nodded. “It comes on so fast. One moment you’re fine, and the next…” I focused on Wren’s face. Anything to drive back the memories of Ella succumbing to that wretched disease. I’d kept Jinx away from the worst of it so as not to taint the memory of her mother. I hadn’t been so fortunate. “We can heal most anything, but not that. I just thank my stars every day that it isn’t genetic. I’m not sure I could have survived losing both of them.”

Wren pressed her cheek against my chest and drew little circles around my nipples. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. And Jinx.”

I forced myself to swallow, then returned to idly caressing her back. Now wasn’t the time to think about poor Ella. This moment was for Wren and me.

“You know,” Wren murmured. “My mother used to tell me that we had shifter blood in the family.”

Sleep sucked at the edges of reality, but I hummed a noncommittal response. Most humans had stories like that. They clung to these fantasies that something magical lingered in their bloodline. A wolf, a tiger—the stories were always the same.

“Great-Granny Muriel.” Wren chuckled. “Shockingly, this great-grandmother of mine never came to any our family reunions. And whenever I asked, my mom would feed me some line or two about how she was too busy. Needless to say, in my thirty-two years, I’d never once laid eyes on this so-called granny.”

I gave a sleepy laugh. “Think your mom made her up?”

“Well, considering I already had four sets of great-grandparents I was very fond of, I’d be curious to learn where this fifth one magically came from.”

“The mysterious great granny.” I settled into the pillows and tightened my hold on Wren.

“You’re falling asleep,” she said.

I yawned. “That’s what happens when a little birdy wears me out.”

“What about Jinx?”

Mm. Jinx. When I’d left her, she’d been dead to the world and snoring rather loudly. I couldn’t see her waking until morning. The past few weeks had been an emotional rollercoaster and we both needed time to recover. Maybe I should have returned to my room, but Wren was snuggled so perfectly against me, and she’d had her beds arranged into one massive one instead of the two separate ones in my room.

“Keaton…”

“Shh. Keaton is sleeping.”

A gentle laugh rolled through her body. “If he’s talking, how can he be sleeping?”

“How come you aren’t sleeping? Pretty sure I wore you out, too.”

“Mm. I can’t feel my legs. It’s a blissful sort of numb.”

“Then…?”

Another laugh. “I’m hungry.”

I peeled open my eyes and stared at the Styrofoam container sitting on her counter. “Two slices of pizza right over there.”

“You know, I had three for dinner. I really shouldn’t eat two more.”

I shrugged. “Shouldn’t doesn’t mean won’t. Stomachs don’t listen to logic.”

“I thought you wanted a slice?”

“I want to sleep,” I teased, poking her in the side. “You’re hungry. Go eat.”

With a dramatic groan, she rolled off the bed and stood. She stepped in front of the balcony door, her creamy skin radiant in the pale moonlight. Suddenly, I wasn’t so tired anymore.

Right before Wren reached for the pizza, I lunged across the bed and snagged her around the waist. We spilled onto the mattress in a tangle of limbs, and laughter.

“I thought you were tired!”

A playful growl spilled past my lips. “Guess I was wrong.”

She wriggled free and darted across the room, her chest heaving for air. Excitement flushed her skin and brightened her eyes. The staterooms weren’t large, it wasn’t like she had anywhere to run. I rose from the bed, hard and ready.

Wren’s gaze dipped, her mouth parting when she caught sight of me. The scent of her arousal smacked me in the face. I wanted to bury my nose in her neck and breathe deeply until it was the only scent I ever knew. But she had other plans. Once I reached her, she ducked under my arms and jogged toward the balcony. Still laughing, she pulled open the door and stepped outside.

My heart leapt at the sight of her, all aglow under the moonlight. I’d never been so struck by someone’s beauty. She crooked a finger and beckoned me out onto the balcony, the balmy night air carrying her overwhelming scent.

“Wren,” I said. “What…”

She held that same finger to her lips, then pointed to our neighbors. Their balconies were dark, but a dim glow told me they were in their rooms, tucked in for the night.

Wren closed the distance between us and tipped her head back, staring up at me expectantly. I didn’t waste a second. I pulled her up against me and kissed her senseless. She responded instantly, a small moan filling my mouth.

After a few strokes of her tongue, she broke from the kiss and lowered to her knees before me. I sucked in a breath when her mouth closed around my length. The balcony’s privacy shields concealed us from any prying eyes, but that didn’t make it any less erotic.

“Jesus,” I whispered, fisting my hands in her hair.

She glanced up at me with a smile, then held my gaze as she took my whole length into her mouth. I nearly lost it and shot off like some inexperienced boy. Growling under my breath, I eased her off me, turned her around, and bent her over the balcony railing.

We had to be quiet, but that only enticed me more.

I gripped her hips, pulled her back, and filled her with one thrust. She gave a little moan, then dropped her head onto her arm to muffle her cries as I started to move. Thankfully, the sound of the lapping waves drowned us out, and when she climaxed, she clapped a hand over her mouth so as not to be heard. It wasn’t as simple for me, seeing as my hands were otherwise preoccupied, but when I did finally succumb to my own orgasm, I managed to choke back any sound.

With shaking knees, I sank into the nearest chair and caught my breath.

“Well,” Wren whispered. She wobbled over to the second chair and plopped down onto it. “Can honestly say I’ve never done that before.”

I laughed, then took her hand. “Me neither.”

“Nor would I mind doing it again.” She waggled her brows at me.

The woman was a vixen. And I loved it. “Give me five minutes, and I’m all yours, love.”

“I’d wait forever for you,” she murmured, the truth of her words softening her expression.

I leaned across the table and gave her another long kiss. “Good, because I’m not going anywhere.”

* * *

I woke with the sun, the bright light invading my dreams and rousing me from a pleasant dream. The second I opened my eyes, the dream faded, and I had trouble remembering it. Only that I’d felt warm and loved. With a contented moan, I stretched and felt out my muscles. Every inch of me ached, but in that wonderfully good way that told me I’d used them well last night.

A deep chuckle vibrated next to my ear. “Taking inventory?”

“Mm. Gotta make sure everything’s working right.”

“And?”

“And, ten fingers and ten toes.”

Chuckling, Keaton reached under the covers and brushed my chest. “And two nipples. We mustn’t forget them. They might feel left out.”

“You’re insatiable.”

“You’re one to talk,” he said, laughing.

He walked his fingers down my stomach, then paused near the cusp of my legs.

“Keaton,” I growled, a sound I’d never made before. I giggled, then clapped a hand over my mouth.

He shot me a glance. “What was that?”

“That’s my stomach telling you to feed me!”

“Oh, I see. Is that all I’m good for?”

I tossed back the covers and clamored out of bed, my mind on one thing and one thing only. I reached across the gap and snatched the pizza container, then held it up with a triumphant cry. “All mine.”

“What!” Keaton chased me across the bed. “Didn’t your mama teach you to share?”

I pursed my mouth. “What’ll you give me for a slice?”

Wickedness flashed in his eyes. “Whatever you want, love.”

Well, two could play that game. I pressed a hand against his chest and eased him onto the bed. I climbed astride his chest, then flipped open the container and pulled out a delicious slice of pizza. Even ten hours old, it still smelled like heaven. I plucked off a caramelized onion and held it to his lips. His teeth snapped together, biting at the morsel.

Laughing, I snatched it back just in time. “Nuh uh. There are rules to this game.”

“Are there now?” His eyes lit up. “Care to share them?”

“I ask a question, and when you answer, you get a bite.”

He cocked his head. “That’s a weird game.”

I shrugged and took a bite. “Or I could just eat the whole thing myself.”

“Wren,” he grumbled.

His chest vibrated beneath me. My eyes fluttered shut as I reveled in the sensation of his growl between my thighs.

“All right,” he conceded. “Should have known this was coming. Ask your questions.”

I grinned. “First question. Am I your mate?”

He rolled his eyes. “Ask me something harder next time. Yes.”

My breath caught. The way he said that. Without hesitation or despair.

“That surprises you?” he asked, stealing a bite of the pizza.

“A little?”

He chewed and swallowed. “Come on, now. I want more pizza.”

“Does it bother you that I’m human?”

He went still beneath me, his fingers squeezing my thighs as he gave a light growl. “No. Human, vampire, shifter, I don’t care. All that matters is you’re mine.”

The levity of his voice made me smile. “What does it mean to mate with someone?”

“It means that we belong to each other. You’re human, so I don’t know how it feels for you, but among shifters, mates can have this connection. They can feel each other’s emotions, or hear their thoughts, or nothing at all. Each couple is unique.”

“You must really be hungry,” I teased. “I don’t think I’ve ever had someone answer my questions so eagerly.”

“Starved, in fact,” he joked, winking at me. “And not just for pizza.”

“Behave,” I quipped.

“Hey, where’s my food?”

I shook my head and fed him another bite. “So, if we’re mates, and you and your wife were mates… I guess that means you have more than one mate in a lifetime?”

His gaze softened. “Yes, it can happen. But it doesn’t mean I’ll love one more than the other. It doesn’t work that way.”

“Love?” I repeated. “Is that what this is?”

He eyed me until I gave him another bite of pizza. “It’s what it’ll become,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Does that scare you?”

Keaton grabbed me by the waist and flipped our positions. Somehow, I managed to keep the pizza from staining the blankets even as my back hit the pillows. He stole the slice and dropped it into the container, then leaned over and gave me a swift kiss. The taste of sauce and onions mixed with Keaton made my mouth water.

His lips strayed to my jaw, my collarbone, down to my breasts, where he paused and gave each nipple a slow lick before returning for another quick kiss.

“My dragon wanted to claim you the second we met,” Keaton confessed. “And I’ll admit, that scared the hell out of me. I wasn’t ready for a mate—especially a human one. Hell, I didn’t even think it was possible. But now? I can’t imagine my life going any other way. A part of me will always love Ella—that can’t be avoided. But I’m not in love with Ella, and that’s the difference. The question is, does that scare you?”

I shook my head. “I can handle that.”

“Good.” He rose and helped me up from the bed. “Now that we’ve taken care of that, this dragon needs a real breakfast. As I’m sure Jinx does, too.”

“You mind if I shower first?”

“Sure. I’ll head to my room and do the same, then go wake sleeping beauty.” He grabbed his jeans, then paused and stared at me. His eyes creased with worry. “I guess, I should ask. Are you all right with all this? I know you work with shifters, but that doesn’t mean you wanted one for a mate. Not to mention one with a daughter. Jinx and I…we’re not back to normal yet, and I wouldn’t want you to feel like…”

While he babbled, I crossed the room, slid my arms around his neck and pulled him down for a reassuring kiss. He melted against me, his hands coming to rest on my waist. His touch warmed my skin and woke the hunger within.

“Is that enough of an answer for you?” I asked when I pulled away.

With a happy sigh, he leaned his forehead against mine. “Jinx is about to become a teenager. It won’t be easy.”

“Nothing in life ever is. And don’t worry about Jinx and me. With time…”

He nodded, his heart in his eyes. I knew this mattered to him, that I not only like his daughter but love her as he did. He might not have said the words aloud, but I could hear them in my head. Jinx and I hadn’t spent much time together, but I was confident we would make it work.

“Go shower,” he said, patting me on the rump. “I’ll fetch Jinx, and then we can head out to play on the island. Did you book any excursions for today?”

“Nope.”

He lifted a brow. “Me neither. All right. Well, I’m in room 8122. Once you’ve showered, come get us, and we’ll go for breakfast.”

My stomach rumbled its approval of the plan.

I slipped into the shower to the sound of Keaton’s laughter fading as he left the room.