Unfortunately, the food didn’t get cold, so there was no need for a microwave.

The human didn’t welcome him into her body. All that natural lubrication had gone completely to waste. His three-hour hard-on had gone to waste as well.

In fact, she insisted on sleeping on the floor. And silent treatment was a real thing. He was at the receiving end right at that moment. Storm wasn’t sure he liked it. He had to keep reminding himself of how good the sex would be once they started going at it. They were going to rut and soon. He’d meant it when he’d said it was a foregone conclusion. She might not like him much, but she was attracted to him. It was only a matter of time before he got to feel her body tighten around him. Before he got to hear the sweet sounds she would make when he was inside her.

Jolene had folded the blankets and was going about making herself some breakfast. Breakfast for one. She didn’t so much as look at him, let alone ask him what he wanted. She’d ignored him when he offered to make her food earlier and was ignoring him even harder now.

Maybe making her sleep on the floor had been a bit much.

No fucking way!

There was a perfectly good bed. A big enough bed. It wasn’t like he was going to touch her without her consent. What did she think of him? Desperate had never been a part of his vocabulary and it never would be. Not wanting to share had been her choice in the end, and he was damned if he was going to be the one to sleep on the floor.

“The plates are in the top cabinet to your right.” He pointed at the cabinet in question.

Jolene stopped looking through the kitchen, completely ignored him and went over and stirred her coffee instead. Her back to him, she took a sip.

Storm felt his lip twitch. She was stubborn. He walked over to the cabinet and opened it.

Jolene turned. “I can get my own plate.” She stared daggers at him. Silver-tipped ones. Silver-tipped ones dripping in poison.

“I’m sure you can, but I don’t mind helping you.”

“I don’t need your help.” She brushed past him, grabbing a plate. Just the one.

“I like fruit and nuts in the morning.” He suppressed a smile.

“Good for you.” She huffed out a breath. “I’d rather not talk. We have nothing to say to one another.” Then she seemed to think the better of that comment. “Except to ask you to put on a shirt or something.”

Storm leaned up against the counter and folded his arms. “I’m a dragon shifter, this is about as much as we wear. Is my naked torso making you uncomfortable?” He rubbed his chest, watching her eyes as they tracked the movement. He was a big motherfucker, even for a shifter.

She seemed mesmerized for a second or two before turning her death stare back on him. “Bullshit like this might work on all the other women you seduce but it won’t work on me.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” He meant it. “You should be thankful I’m not naked, I normally walk around my own chamber naked, so technically, I’m already meeting you halfway here.”

“You’re so not.” She snorted and shook her head. “What was with all that roaring just now when you were in the shower?”

“I think you know exactly what that was.”

“So loud though? That’s just rude.” She shook her head, putting the plate down on the counter.

“I was picturing you.” It was true, he was picturing the lush female. Maybe he could have been much quieter about it, but Storm wanted Jolene to know exactly what he was doing, so he hadn’t held back. “I was picturing your—”

She spun around to face him. “Don’t.” She pointed a finger at him. So gorgeous when she was angry.

“What?” He chuckled. “I’m a male. I have needs. I had a feeling you wouldn’t be any more interested in letting me fuck you this morning.” He looked out the window at the height of the sun. It was almost midday. “So, I took care of it myself.” He sniffed in her direction watching her frown deepen. “I can scent you didn’t do the same. You’re still aroused and needy as fuck.” Her scent made his gums itch, made his balls feel achy.

Her cheeks began to redden, and her jaw tensed.

“I would be more than happy to take care of that for you. I may have eased myself but we shifters have a ton of stamina. We can go many rounds before—”

“Stop it!” Her hands flew to her hips. Flared and plump, just like her ass and her tits. The t-shirt she was wearing strained. “Stop looking at my boobs like that as well. Why does everything have to be about sex with you?”

“I’m a male, you’re one hell of a sexy female, we’re together for the foreseeable future. You’ll forgive me if I react to all that.” He looked her up and down.

“You’ll say whatever it takes to get in my pants, won’t you?”

“No, I’ll be straight up honest with you at all times and you can be just as honest with me when you tell me how amazing it is, how much you love riding my cock.”

"Stop it!" she half-yelled. "Just stop already. I'd rather not talk to you but if you insist on flapping your mouth, you can talk about something other than sex. I dare you to try."

Her breathing had become elevated and her pupils were dilated. He didn’t need to see or hear to know she was aroused right then. He only needed his nose. The sweet scent of her wet pussy permeated the air around them. It made him want to open his mouth and taste the air. So fucking delicious. He couldn’t wait to slip inside her.

“No can do, Sweet Lips.” He winked at her, watching as her face turned red all over again and the peppery tang of her anger mingled with all that sweetness. An amazing combination. One he had never experienced before.

“Do not call me that!” she yelled, eyes wide. They were dark and narrowed in on him. “And stop talking about sex. It’s getting boring.”

“Your body doesn’t think so.”

"Well, I do. My body is not involved in any type of decision I make."

“Pity.” He leaned back against the counter.

“You’re an even bigger asshole than I first suspected.” She hooked some hair behind her ear. “My life is not a game.”

“It should be. You’re an awesome, sexy female, why can’t you relax a little? Enjoy yourself for once? You’re so wound up.”

“I don’t want to enjoy myself.” She made a noise born of frustration. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“No, I think you did.” He loved cranking her chain. Might be his new favorite thing. Just until he got inside her, then that would be his new favorite.

“I. Did. Not. Stop putting words in my mouth. I’m not twenty anymore, I have responsibilities and I’m not getting any younger. That’s the long and short of it. You’re messing with me.”

“I’d like to mess around with you.” He smiled, using the one he knew females loved. The smile that had them dropping their panties.

It didn’t work on Jolene. In fact, it had the opposite effect. “You’re such a dick. What I mean by messing with me is that I only have three weeks leave. Not something you thought about when you decided to take me as your own personal plaything despite my request that you leave me the hell alone.”

“Three weeks leave?” He suspected she was talking about her job, but he wasn’t sure.

“Yes, leave. I need to be back at work in three weeks. I’m not sure my boss would allow me to take any more time off. If I’m lucky, he’ll grant me unpaid leave and if I’m unlucky I’ll lose my job. All because of you.” She pointed at him. “If I decide to stay for longer than the allotted three weeks, I’m definitely going to lose out on a promotion I’ve worked my ass off to get. I still might lose out on it even if I go straight back. It’s a risk I was willing to take because I thought the guy I would end up with would at least be taking this seriously.”

Shit! “Yeah, I hadn’t thought of that.” He rubbed the back of his head.

“No, you hadn’t.” She shook her head. “You’re only thinking about yourself. The good news is that I have money saved, so unpaid leave isn’t a problem. I might lose my job though. That promotion is toast. I’m losing out to a serious bitch who likes nothing more than to rub my face in it.”

“I’m sorry!” What else could he say? He did feel like a dick.

“Let me go then.” She implored him with her eyes.

“I can’t. Even if I wanted to…I can’t.” Shit! Right then he wanted to try but even thinking about it made his muscles tighten and his gums itch. Made his scales scratch. “Not until the three weeks are up. I’ll pay you out…I’ll—”

“No! I don’t need your help or your money. I’m very good at what I do, I’ll find another position in a heartbeat. I like my job though,” she said, more to herself. “If I have to go back, I’d rather go back to my life as it is. I don’t want to lose to Carla.” She mumbled to herself.

“Who is Carla?”

“I don’t want to talk about it. Especially since you won’t let me go anyway.”

“I don’t have a choice,” he rasped.

“There is always a choice.” She looked up at him, imploring him with her eyes.

It made him want to sling her over his shoulder. Made him want to throw her on the bed and…He was an asshole. Jolene was right about that. He couldn’t help his instincts though. They were riding him hard. Especially with her talking of leaving. “You are a resourceful, intelligent female. I’m sure your boss will understand. I doubt he would let you go.”

“You can stop trying to butter me up. We aren’t having sex.” Jolene took a sip of her coffee.

“I’m not trying to butter you up. I say it like it is. I certainly don’t say something with the purpose of making you feel good just so that I can fuck you. That’s not how I’m wired. Come to think of it, I’ve never had to sweet talk a female. Never had to talk my way into a pair of panties.” He looked up in thought. “I don’t know how.” He shrugged.

“Yeah right!” she mumbled. “What if—”

There was a knock at the door. Storm pushed out a breath. “That will be Beck. I have a meeting with my brother. Beck will stay with you.”

“I don’t need a babysitter.”

“I’m worried you might decide to wander off. If a male is tempted to take what is mine, I would have to hurt him. That will entail violence, bleeding and possibly a couple of broken bones.”

He noted the horrified look on her face.

“I had a feeling you wouldn’t like that. If a male actually touched you, I would have to kill him…maybe even take his head as a trophy for my mantle.” He pointed to the hearth. “You are the type of person who would blame yourself, so I’m going to leave Beck with you, so you can’t be tempted.”

“Oh.” She cleared her throat. Mmmmm, the sweet scent of her arousal. It wafted around them. This female had no idea what she wanted. Good thing he knew. He really needed to make things up to her for the situation he put her in and once she let him, he would do his level best.

“Enter,” Storm said.

Beck walked in, a smile on his face. It quickly disappeared and the male stopped in his tracks. "Good," he cleared his throat, "afternoon."

“I know,” Storm said. “I’m sorry. Are you going to be able to watch the female?”

“Not that I want or need babysitting, but why can’t he watch me? What’s wrong?” Jolene frowned.

“You are highly aroused.” Beck got this pained look.

Jolene gasped.

“It will be difficult for me to be in the same room with you even once you normalize…for lack of a better word.”

“You go and shower,” Storm said, looking Jolene head-on.

The female shook her head. “Don’t order me around.”

“Fine, do as you wish but if Beck tries anything ‒ and he just might with you smelling so damned wet and sweet…”

She choked, clutching her throat; just as quickly she regained control of herself. “You really are a pig. Just when I think you can’t shock me any more than you already have, you do.”

“No, I’m serious, saying it like it is. You are no longer in Kansas, Dorothy. You’re in dragon lands. Don’t shower. Suit yourself. If you touch her,” he turned his gaze to Beck, “I will maim you. I might even kill you.”

“Is it really that bad?” Her eyes were wide.

“Yes.” Beck nodded, face still pained. “Please tell me you’re joking about killing me. You look like you mean it.”

“I do,” Storm growled. “Things will improve when Jolene finally decides that rutting is on the table.”

The female gasped, shaking her head.

“Let’s hope it happens soon.” Beck turned to Jolene and Storm had to stop himself from snarling. As it stood, a low growl erupted from him. This whole possessive thing was getting old fast.

Beck glanced back at him, his friend grinned. “Easy, my lord.” He turned to Jolene. “Do as Storm says, go and shower. I will finish making you brunch while you do so.”

Jolene narrowed her eyes. “How do you know I haven’t eaten?”

“The sounds your stomach is making.”

She looked at Beck quizzically. “My stomach hasn’t made any sounds.”

“Your gut sounds would be different if your stomach had food inside it.”

“Wow, you guys really do have fantastic senses.” It didn’t look like she liked that idea much.

“I will be back as soon as I can.” Storm headed to the door. “Don’t do anything stupid.” Although he narrowed his eyes on Beck, he was technically addressing both of them.