One step behind Cyprus, Elise entered the tunnel…then wished she hadn’t. Her hand trembled in his as she wrapped her other one around his forearm. Hard muscles flexed against her palm. She took a breath, trying not to panic, and pressed closer. Holy crap, she couldn’t see a thing, the blackness so thick it reminded her of the bottomless well.

Deep. Dark. Deadly.

Her imagination worked on her, making her picture awful things. Flexing her fingers, she clung to Cyprus, relying on him to keep her safe and sure footed in the dark.

The ground dipped beneath her feet. She started to shake.

Squeezing her hand, Cyprus murmured a reassurance.

The sound of his voice helped her stay on task. Bend knee. Lift foot. Step forward. The instructions ran like tickertape inside her mind as she shadowed his movements and prayed for light. Silly. Completely ridiculous. Nothing would hurt her as long as she stuck with Cyprus, but…God. She hated the dark. A juvenile fear, one sparked as a child when her father refused to change the bulb in her burnt out nightlight. Her first night without it hadn’t been fun, and as much as she tried to reason with herself, unease still dogged her at night. Add in the memory of Grizgunn’s attack and—

“Elise?”

“Yeah?”

“Relax, baby. No need tae worry. I can see in the dark.”

“Lovely,” she said, straining for polite. She didn’t make it. An edge crept into her voice, replacing civility with snark. “I’m so happy for you.”

He snorted in amusement. “Trouble in a pretty wee package, aren’t you, lass? I seem tae remember calling you that earlier this evening.”

“You can call me whatever you like, as long as you turn the lights on.”

“There aren’t any lights in this section of tunnel, but soon we’ll be—ah, here we go.”

A glow bloomed ahead, growing brighter by the second.

Elise forced herself to breathe. In. Out. Fill her lungs. Release the air. Step through an archway behind Cyprus and…there, all better. Lots of light. Enough to get a sense of the underground tunnel and see where she stood. Or rather, walked beside him. He led. She followed, wide-eyed now, her head on a swivel, cataloging everything about the place Cyprus called home.

Smooth, well-worn stone floors. High vaulted ceilings supported by granite half-columns embedded in curved walls. Following the chisel marks, she glanced up and…wow. Hundreds of round lanterns, big and small, glowing softly, bobbing like jellyfish against the arched roof. Elise frowned at the strange lamp colony. Weird. She couldn’t see any electrical cables or connections. She examined the globes more closely and…nope. Not a single power outlet in sight.

Looking ahead, she watched the light-filled orbs sway, then nudged Cyprus with her elbow. “Does the lair run on magic?”

“This one does, aye.”

This one? Did that mean…

“You have another lair?”

“One in the city, in the center of Aberdeen, beneath the pub we own.” Cyprus turned down another corridor. Wider than the last, the tunnel stretched out before them, then branched in two different directions. “But I’ve always preferred the mountain lair.”

“And the other warriors?”

“Most sleep here. Rannock spends his days in the city. You’ve yet tae meet him, but he runs the whiskey distillery behind the pub,” he said. “Tydrin—my blood brother—splits his times between here and there. Ivy prefers the city. She enjoys walking to the market and visiting the shops during daylight hours.”

She glanced at him in surprise. “You have a brother?”

“Two, actually. Tydrin is the youngest. Vyroth is my twin.”

Her mouth curved. A twin…how cool for Cyprus. As the only child in a dysfunctional household, she imagined how much fun that would’ve been for him. God knew she’d longed for a sister to play with growing up. “Identical?”

“Aye,” he murmured, looking troubled for a moment. “Although, one of his eyes is bright blue.”

“What color is the other one?”

“Pale purple—like mine.”

“Cool,” she said, squeezing his hand, no longer bothered by all the weird dragon information. The more she learned, the more intrigued she became by Cyprus and his family. “And who is Ivy?”

“Tydrin’s mate. You’ll meet her later. He promised tae fly her out before dawn.”

Another woman inside a dragon pack. Thank God. Elise had a feeling she would need a compatriot—a female friend who understood Dragonkind. “Has she been with Tydrin long?”

Cyprus shook his head. “A few months. Tydrin mated her after rescuing her from a FBI manhunt.”

“She’s a criminal?”

“A fugitive from the United States, until she cleared her name.”

Wow. Seriously? Sounded like an interesting story. She started to ask, but got sidetracked as Cyprus walked beneath an open arch. He stopped just inside a huge room. Except…her eyes narrowed on the architecture…it wasn’t a room at all. The domed structure looked like a cave. Hewn from black granite, the color palette should’ve felt oppressive. Somehow, the dark walls managed to convey warmth instead.

The sparkling veins of crystals helped, cutting through black stone, acting like pale paint on an ebony canvas. More light globes hovered near the ceiling, brightening the space, casting long shadows across the floor. Her gaze swung toward a kitchen with Birchwood cabinets and marble countertops. The butcher-block island with backless stools screamed comfortable, homey, lived in: a place where cookies got baked and secrets came to be discovered.

Dragging her attention to the other side of the cavern, Elise tried not to laugh. What she’d expected, she didn’t know, but…jeepers. Dragon guys sure lived a lot like human guys. The bachelor pad vibe was a dead giveaway. No frills or throw pillows. No fuzzy blankets. Zero extra comforts. Just long leather couches, low-lying end tables, and a bunch of colorful bean bag chairs. Lips twitching, she scanned the room again and…drat it all. Not a single book in sight.

“The great room, Elise. The pack spends a lot of time in here.”

“This isn’t my surprise, is it?”

He grinned at her hopeful tone. “Nay, but we must pass through here to get to it. Follow me, talmina.”

Without waiting for a reply, he drew her forward—crossing the weathered stone floor, detouring around a grand piano, sidestepping a yoga mat—to reach a wide entry way on the other side of the cave. He jogged up the steps. She kept pace, boot soles beating a predictable rhythm, before stepping into a vestibule. Another archway. She caught a glimpse of the room across the foyer

Her heart paused mid-thump. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Go and see, lass.”

Shaking free of Cyprus’s hand, she headed for the entrance. Her feet took her across the tiled mosaic floor. Elise hardly noticed. She was too busy staring…hoping and praying too. As she paused under the arch, her breath hitched. Wonder filled her. One hand pressed to chest, Elise looked her fill and—

“Holy crap,” she whispered, awe in her voice. Books. Thousands of them. Row upon row of tall antique cases pressed end-to-end. Her gaze jumped to the second floor. More of the same, wall-to-wall, paradise clad in Cherrywood. “A library.”

“One of the largest in Britain.” A step behind her, Cyprus pointed at the spiral staircase leading one level up. “Perhaps not as extensive as the museum’s, but close.”

“God.” Elise shook her head, unable to believe what she was seeing. “All the wood is hard-carved, isn’t it?”

“Every molding, banister and bookshelf. My uncle invited a human master craftsmen tae visit in the eighteenth century. He is credited with designing the library.”

“Invited?” She huffed, knowing better than that. Dragonkind didn’t do things in the usual way. Males of his kind never invite humans anywhere, never mind into their homes…unless, of course, the human happened to be female and it couldn’t be helped. “Or imprisoned?”

His lips twitched. “Before my time, lass. But from what I understand, Jacob was very happy here.”

“I’m sure, but…”

As she trailed off, Cyprus frowned. “What?”

“God, Cyprus.” Turning full circle in the center of the room, she stared at the splendor. “Words aren’t enough to describe it. It’s incredible, the most beautiful library I have ever seen.”

“What if I told you it isn’t the best part?”

Elise threw him a look of disbelief. Not the best part? He’d clearly lost his mind. Nothing came close to the plush reading chairs and velvet upholstered couches. The antique work tables and glass covered cases with antique manuscripts inside weren’t sloppy seconds either and—holy crap. She scanned the stacks again. The sheer enormity of it floored her, and the books…God. The books, so many beautiful leather-bound books.

“Do you like my gift, Elise?”

“Yes,” she said, unable to speak above a whisper.

“Good. Now, come here.” He held out his hand. Dragging her gaze from the room, she took it without hesitation, letting him lead her toward a wall clad in wood paneling. He tapped the bronze dragon perched on the center panel. “Press on it.”

She held his gaze, then did as he asked and pushed against the emblem. A click sounded. The dragon moved backward, disappearing into the hole left by its absence. Gears ground into motion. A quiet clank. A whirling whisper. The shift of warm air and—

The wall slid sideways to reveal a solid, steel door.

Round instead of square, it looked like a fancy bank vault. Elise studied it, examining the outer edges, searching for seams, looking for a way to open it. No luck. No combination lock, electronic keypad or touch screen either. No handle to turn or button to press, just a seamless steel door with a flat face and no apparent way in.

Glancing over her shoulder, she looked at Cyprus. “What’s in there?”

“Place your hand here.” Knocking against steel with his knuckle, he indicted the spot and settled behind her. His chest pressed against her back. His breath warmed the side of her neck. His spicy scent rose to surround her. Her body reacted, whipping her hormones into a frenzy, distracting her as he cupped her hand and set it against the vault door. Threading his fingers between hers, he pressed his palm to the back of her hand, leaned in, and murmured in her ear, “Ask it to open, Elise.”

With him so close, need sank deep. Her muscles twitched as her mind screamed, wanting her to forget about the vault and pay attention to him. Great idea. Super suggestion, one she needed to follow before—

“Elise—quit teasing me. Do as you are told.”

“So bossy,” she murmured, squirming against him, struggling to gain control. He rumbled a warning. She swallowed a moan and did as he asked. “Open Sesame.”

Cyprus chuckled.

Heat raced across her palm. Steel warmed beneath her skin. A purple glow eclipsed the vault face, spreading out to touch the edges. Elise gasped as something clicked deep inside her, like a key turning in a lock and…

The door cracked opened, then widened, forcing her to step back.

“The vault is magically sealed. It has a mind of its own, but knows you by touch now. Your bio-energy is the key tae unlocking it.” Keeping his arms around her, he nipped her ear lobe and, nudging her forward, walked her ahead of him into the vault. “You will be able tae open it any time you like from now on.”

Unable to concentrate with his mouth on her skin, she nodded. “Sure. Okay and—oh my God, do that again.”

Licking over her pulse point, he smiled against the side of her throat. “Explore first, talmina, pleasure second.”

She forced her eyes open. Right. No problem. She could do that, explore a little before getting to the good stuff, like—

Her attention landed on a stack of books sitting on a scarred tabletop. She read the first title. Her attention jumped to the second. The third and fourth registered. Her mouth fell open as she stared at the fifth leather-bound spine. She jerked against Cyprus, shifting to take in the entire room.

“Dear God.”

A collection of rare books, some of the most coveted on the planet. She scanned title after title. Some she’d read about in museum journals, some she’d seen in pictures and heard about at conferences, but…someone pinch her. Or punch her. She needed to wake up. It couldn’t be—just couldn’t—but as her knees went weak (and Cyprus held her up), Elise knew she wasn’t dreaming. It was real. A whole room full of rich and rare finds.

“Cyprus…” she said, struggling to find the right words. “You realize…this is…the value in this room can’t be measured. Most of these books are priceless: first additions, the only known copies, like no others in the world.”

Hugging her from behind, he rested his chin on top of her head. “I know. And now, all of it…each and every one…belongs tae you.”

She swallowed, fighting back tears. Oh, God—the responsibility. The enormity and absolute privilege of curating such a collection. “How can you…would you really trust me with it?”

“My uncle loved books. He spent a great deal of time in here,” he said, his gaze skimming over the shelves. “None of my warriors have an interest in his collection. The manuscripts, scrolls, books and treatise haven’t been seen tae in years. You’re as passionate about books as he was, lass. I can hear it in your voice, see it on your face and…” Cupping her jaw, he tipped her head back, turning her face up to his. The approval in his eyes took her breath away. “I hear it in your heart too, so aye. Of course, I trust you with it. The collection needs your care, Elise. My hope is you will build on what my uncle started, add tae his legacy, and make it your own.”

“You…I can’t even begin to…you have no idea how much…” Her throat tightened, cutting off her words. Her dream laid out at her feet, in one room, given to her by a man she’d only just met, yet felt more connected to than people she’d known all her life. He was incredible. Beyond generous. The kind of man she’d always wanted, but hadn’t believed existed.

Wiping a tear from her cheek, she turned and laid her hands on his chest. “Hey, Cyprus?”

“Aye, lass?”

“Kiss me.”

He sucked in a breath. Heat kindled in his eyes as he dipped his head. “I thought tae give you more time before we—”

“I don’t need more time. I need you.” Caressing his shoulders, she offered him her mouth. “Please, Cyprus, kiss me.”

An impatient request? Too much, too soon? Maybe, but Elise didn’t care how crazy it sounded. Or that Cyprus was probably right. She needed to make love with him. He wanted her just as much, so…

To hell with restraint and reason. Forget about playing it safe.

Pressing her body to his, she moaned and sank into the pleasure of his kiss. God, his touch and taste, the way he made her feel: beautiful, passionate, like a colorful bird in a faraway land. She couldn’t get enough and didn’t try. Elise let go instead, allowed him to control the pace and her pleasure, embracing her bliss, encouraging him to take more. Right now, in this moment, he was all that mattered. She wanted to live and experience. Tomorrow would be soon enough for regret.