Fitful dreams and haunted, shadowy nightmares chased Mikhail through the halls of his mind as he slept. The dragon stirred, trying to reclaim control as images of Elizabeth, his sweet Gloriana, betraying him played over and over. For five centuries his dragon had held the pain of the past at bay. But the moment Piper Linwood came into his life, the fortress around his dragon’s heart had begun to crumble.

He had dared to desire a mate once before, and it had cost him everything but his life. The dragon inside him didn’t want to take a risk like that again. It had nearly killed him. And Piper… She could be his mate. The chemistry was there, and the hunger in her blue-gray eyes when she looked at him made it all but impossible to keep his distance.

He had to have her. Even if it meant his death.

As the dreams faded into the recesses of his mind, he could feel the delicious heat of a woman’s body on top of his. The smoky scent of burning logs and the slight chill of his clothes all came together in a slowly building awareness. His body was still cooler than normal, but the icy dread that had been drowning him when he’d crawled from the water had receded.

A delicate scent, floral with a hint of honey, teased his nose, and he took it in deeply, like he was scenting a freshly poured glass of wine. Piper’s hair was spread out across his chest in wild tendrils. He moved one hand to twine a lock around one of his fingers. His dragon rumbled in confusion. It desired closeness, intimacy, but it was afraid after everything that had happened before.

He understood. More than forty years confined to an English prison, unable to transform, unable to escape, had almost turned his dragon feral. If he hadn’t been so devastated by Elizabeth’s death, he would’ve let his dragon go unchecked. London would have indeed burned to the ground from his rage.

Instead, when he’d seen her funeral procession, all of the fight in him had died. He’d had long years to think over what she’d said to him, and in the end she had been proven right. Though she had learned the truth, she had been powerless to do other than what she had. As a queen, she could not act upon her desires and what she wanted, only what she must do for her people.

He wondered for a moment about the man who had taken his place, chained and tormented in a tiny cell. Though there could be no happiness for Elizabeth and Mikhail, she had hoped there would be some measure of justice. Perhaps there had been, but it had not made his life any easier to bear.

Mikhail returned to the present, studying the way the firelight caught amber and bronze in Piper’s light brown hair. It was a beautiful mix of colors. He remembered that she’d tried to remove his jeans earlier and smiled. The time for that would come soon enough.

Familiar footfalls caught his attention. Belishaw came out of the kitchen and paused when he saw Mikhail.

“You’re awake,” Belishaw said, his eyes hard and serious. “We need to talk.”

Mikhail frowned. He did not want to talk. Not about the beach or how his dragon had tried to end him.

“Tomorrow,” Mikhail replied. “I assume you will stay here? Or are you going back to London?” He hoped his friend would stay, though Mikhail admitted he wanted Piper all to himself.

“I had intended to go back, but I think you need me here. Piper won’t be able to stop your dragon if it tries anything.”

It filled Mikhail with a quiet joy to know he and Belishaw had formed such a deep friendship over the centuries, but he didn’t want to be a burden.

“She is the key. The closer I get to her, the farther the past is pushed away. The dragon can’t fight her forever.”

His friend’s eyes filled with understanding. “You mean to mate with her?”

Mikhail glanced down at Piper’s sleeping face, her slightly upturned nose, kissable lips, and the gold-brown lashes on her cheeks. He nodded.

“I think I do.” His answer still came as a surprise. “My dragon and I both sense she is a true mate.”

“And the fact that she is mortal?” Belishaw asked.

“Elizabeth was as well, and I didn’t care,” Mikhail reminded him. “I never expected to live as long as my father. My brothers are still alive. They don’t need me to carry on the Barinov name. I would rather be happy for seventy years than alone for the next five thousand.” It was a decision all dragons eventually faced.

“Speaking of your brothers…” Belishaw cleared his throat. “I was able to track them down. Rurik has to stay in Russia, but Grigori and his mate are coming straight here. They were visiting her family in America.”

“Grigori has a mate?” The news shocked him. Strong, sensible, disciplined Grigori had never seemed like a dragon who would give in to his instinct to mate.

“He does.”

“Is she a dragoness?” he asked. Somehow he couldn’t picture a female dragon responding to Grigori’s overly protective nature too well. He must have found one very tolerant female.

Belishaw shrugged. “I’m not sure. He didn’t say. But if he mated a dragoness, I would have heard about it. Mating a Barinov would have been important news.”

Mikhail hoped his brother hadn’t mated a human. That would mean carrying on the Barinov line would be up to Rurik. Their youngest brother was a rough, wild man who would never settle down, and surely no dragoness would take him. Since only two dragon shifters could produce a drakeling, the Barinov bloodline would be doomed.

Mikhail wondered what had happened to his older brother since he last saw him. Clearly, he had changed in the last two hundred years if he had mated, especially if he had chosen a human. Grigori had always been the responsible one, dependable and in charge, the one who never took risks. Mating a human was completely out of character for him.

“You should go back to London,” Mikhail said. “You don’t want to miss out on time with your brown-eyed gemologist.”

His friend grinned. “I do miss her. She’s quite anxious for me to return.” He sobered. “She’s worried about Piper too and I must reassure her that all is well. I will go, but you must call me if you feel it taking over. I don’t…I can’t lose another friend. I don’t want to attend another blasted funeral.” The gruffness in the Englishman’s usually refined voice was a bit startling.

Mikhail nodded. “Very well.”

With one last farewell, Belishaw collected his coat and keys and left. He had a long drive back to London.

Several minutes passed before Mikhail took a chance and moved beneath Piper. When she didn’t stir, he pulled himself to a sitting position and rolled her sideways until she was cradled in his lap. Then he rose with her in his arms and carried her to his bedroom upstairs. He needed to get out of his damp clothes and to make sure she was no longer wet. The last thing he needed now was for her to get pneumonia.

He set her down on his bed and unwrapped the thick blanket. He touched her pants and sweater. They were still damp. She only stirred once as he slid them off her. He tucked her back beneath the blankets and loaded the fireplace with fresh logs, then held up his palm, and soon the logs began to pop and crackle with flame.

He returned to Piper and placed a kiss upon her brow before he stripped out of his jeans and climbed inside the bathroom shower. The hot water warmed his skin, and he sighed. Centuries of stress bled out of him and onto the warm, heated tile. He didn’t think about the jewels hidden away, or the icy chill of the ocean, or even Elizabeth. He closed his eyes and pictured Piper and how she’d felt in his arms the moment he kissed her in the antechamber to the ballroom at Thorne Auction House. How she’d tasted, like brandy and fire, burning from the inside out.

He couldn’t forget the flashes of her memories that had been passed on to him, either. When he’d kissed Elizabeth, he’d never seen the unguarded parts of her heart, only her memories that showed her moments of fear and mistrust of those around her. He’d assumed it was simply because she was a young queen in a dangerous court full of betrayals. Now he knew it was because her heart had never been open to him at all.

It wasn’t so with Piper. She had opened her heart to him from the moment he’d first met her. And he had responded, opening himself to her. How could he not? The passionate, determined, but shy woman who had pushed herself harder than anyone he knew to become the woman she was. He felt proud that fate had seen fit to give him a second chance with a woman like her.

His body hardened, and he couldn’t resist grasping his erection, stroking its length. By the gods, he needed a release. It had been too long since he’d—

A soft sound drew his attention to the shower door. Through the steamed glass he saw Piper standing there, wearing only bra and panties beneath the blanket wrapped around her like a cloak. She stared open-mouthed as he fisted his cock.

Did she want to watch? Her cheeks pinkened, but she didn’t look away as he continued to pump his hand. His balls ached with the need to release, and watching her watch him was hotter than hell.

“Like what you see?” He swung the shower door open with his free hand. Steam rolled out and wrapped around Piper’s frozen figure. She didn’t reply, but her grip on the blanket began to slip as he unleashed his seed. She gasped and the blanket fell to the floor. She wore only the bra and panties now, and he got hard all over again at the sight. He didn’t wait for her to think. He pulled her into the shower with him and shut the door. She jumped as the hot water splashed on their bodies.

“Wait, my bra—” she said as he dragged her deeper into the spray.

“Let me help you.” He slipped his fingertips under her bra straps and unclasped it from behind, then lowered them off her shoulders. Her bra fell to the floor with a wet smack. She covered her breasts and backed up until she had the shower wall behind her.

Mikhail’s instincts took over. He cornered her against the wall, placing his hands on either side of her shoulders and leaning in to kiss her. Her startled lips parted, and she opened up for his exploring tongue. Gods, he could kiss this woman over and over and never want to stop.

“Touch me,” he urged her. Her hands crept hesitantly up his arms.

“Not there…” He rolled his hips and hers, letting his shaft bob against her belly. “Here.”

When one of her hands curled around his cock, he groaned in pleasure.

“Like this?” she asked on a whisper. He managed a nod and began to rock his hips, using her hand to build toward a new release. She seemed to understand what he wanted and gripped him tighter. He cupped the back of her neck, holding her still so he could kiss her fiercely. The water rained down around them, but everything seemed to be on fire.

He hissed out as the climax hit him like a freight train. His seed splashed on her belly, and he panted as it began to wash away. An animalistic rush of joy unexpectedly came at marking her like that.

Mine, the dragon growled inside his head, the word unmistakable.

Yes. Ours, he agreed.

He opened his eyes and stared at Piper as she uncurled her fingers from his cock and lifted her head to meet his gaze.

“Tell me you want me,” he said in a low growl. “Because I need to be inside you.”

Piper bit her bottom lip, her eyes luminous like a full moon, a bright, thrilling silver-blue that made him think of polished moonstones.

“Okay…but I’m…” She faltered. “I’m a…”

He brushed a lock of wet hair behind her ear. “I know. I’ll be gentle.”

She nodded, and he wanted to crow with victory. It was an ancient urge the dragon couldn’t resist, the need to connect to such purity, like they did with the gemstones. He turned off the shower and then took her by the hand, leading her out of the shower. He grabbed a fluffy white towel from the rack. After drying their bodies, he led her to the bed, and she sat shyly on the edge of it, her thighs clasped together and her arms crushed over her chest.

He smiled and leaned over her. She tilted her head back to welcome his approaching kiss. The sound of the fire and the distant roar of the sea felt like home for the first time, because he wasn’t alone.

“I can’t believe I’m really doing this,” she whispered.

He chuckled. “Having sex with a dragon?”

“Having sex, period. I’ve imagined it for so long, and now I’m finally going to do it.”

Mikhail nibbled her bottom lip. “I’m glad your first time is with me.”

He meant that. He loved knowing that her first time would be with him, this beautiful, compassionate, intelligent woman whom destiny had seen fit to give to him. She was his second chance at life, and he would never take her for granted. They were sharing something intimate and special. No man would replace him in this moment. And if he had his way, no man would replace him ever.

“Lie back.” She did as he commanded. Seeing her bare except for those tiny wet black panties made every fantasy he’d had for decades come roaring back to life.

“What is it?” she asked, a hint of worry in her voice. “We could turn off some of the lights if—”

“No,” he said. “I wish to look at you. All of you.” He leaned over and hooked his fingers into her panties so he could tug them down her legs. She lifted her hips, her face bright red. Her shyness was endearing, but he never wanted her to feel unsure of herself, not with him. When he dropped the panties on the floor, he grasped her knees and pushed them apart. Her breath hitched, but she didn’t ask him to stop.

“Please, go slow,” she breathed as he crawled up her body on the bed. He nodded and nuzzled her stomach, pressing slow kisses there before moving up to her breasts. The full mounds were an irresistible temptation. He settled his hips between her legs but didn’t put his weight down on her. Piper’s hands settled on his shoulders as he kissed one nipple, then sucked on it until she moaned and dug her hands in his hair, urging him on.

She murmured something when he slid one hand down her body to touch her folds. Then she said it again more clearly. “Distract me.” She was wet and hot to the touch, but she tensed when he stroked a fingertip between the sensitive folds.

“Distract you?” He moved back down her body before she could react. He placed his shoulders between her thighs, stopping her from closing up on him. He kissed the top of her mound before moving lower. He licked her, like a cat with a bowl of cream, growling in delight as she tried to wriggle away but couldn’t. The tiny bundle of nerves peeped out of its hood, and he closed his lips around it.

She gasped in shock as he slid a finger inside her, probing her. He felt the barrier of her innocence as he pushed deeper. She let out a whimper, and Mikhail smiled before he sucked harder. Her body responded with a flood of heat, which he happily licked. She thrashed her head, and he sensed she wouldn’t make it much longer. He moved quickly, sliding back up to kiss her. Then he guided his swollen shaft to her entrance and pushed in. Her body resisted, but he couldn’t go slow, not if he wanted to cause as little pain as possible.

“Forgive me, little dove,” he whispered. He slanted his mouth down over hers in a ruthless, distracting kiss as he drove deep into her. Her hips bucked, and she bit his lip, her nails digging into his back, but he welcomed the bite of pain. They moved slowly, gently, in a way he’d never imagined. It wasn’t in a dragon’s nature to mate like this, but right now the man in him was in control.

The cadence of whispered words and sighs as they moved toward a shared climax was breathtaking. The universe seemed to shrink to an infinite space between their breaths. Her blue eyes lit with a fire that matched the rolling heat surging through his chest. There were no words, only the awe-inspiring sensation that this moment would change him forever. His body and soul belonged to this woman now. As they reached the zenith of their pleasure at the same moment, Mikhail gave Piper everything that he was…including his heart.

The glow inside him did not fade as he collapsed next to her, sweat dewing on his body. Tears stung his eyes, and his throat closed as raw emotion choked him. He cupped Piper’s cheeks and pressed his forehead to hers, whispering to her in Russian.

“You are mine; I am yours. Take my body. My heart. I am yours to command.”

Piper’s sweet sigh and bashful smile seized his heart. Loving Elizabeth, his beautiful Gloriana, had never been like this. He could measure his heartbeat against Piper’s, and his breath and his body were for her and her alone.

She wriggled closer, and he reached for the blanket, pulling it up over them. “What did you say just then?”

“Nothing,” he lied, but she pinched him, so he relented. “Only that I belong to you.” He held his breath, nervous to see her reaction. Piper stroked a hand on his throat and then down along his shoulders, and a blush tinged her cheeks.

She nibbled her lip. “You belong to me?” He nodded. “No one’s ever belonged to me before.” Awe filled her voice, and finally he could breathe again. She understood what this meant, that what had just happened between them was more than sex. He had mated her. She didn’t know the full importance of what had just happened, but she would soon, once he’d summoned the courage to tell her. Elizabeth’s betrayal still left him on edge.

“I still can’t believe you’re a dragon,” she said, her eyes fixed on his. “A real, honest-to-God dragon.”

His lips twitched. “I suspect you will have many questions once you get used to the idea.”

Piper chuckled. “I have questions now. How old are you? Where did the first dragons come from? Belishaw said the dragon and the man are sort of separate. How does that work? How does any of it work?”

“So many questions.” Mikhail slid one arm around her waist, tugging her closer. “We dragons have been around for millennia. The old ones, ones so distant even history has forgotten them, were the ones who first joined with humans. I do not know much of that past; it seems more myth now than truth. My race is scattered across the earth now, and most who would know the truth have perished in battles. While we are immortal, we can be killed.” He thought of his parents. How his father’s desire to hunt Thunderbirds, another ancient creature, had gotten him killed, which in turn had killed his mother through the mating grief.

“But you’re separate?”

“Yes. The man and the dragon are two full beings who share one vessel. The body is fully human and fully dragon, but only one part can be expressed at a time. When the dragon takes over, the human part of me is locked away. I can see, hear, and feel what happens to the dragon, but I’m no longer in control.”

A shadow passed over Piper’s eyes, but it was so fleeting he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d imagined it. “What did you do to me to make me help you steal the jewels? I would never have done that willingly.”

Mikhail nodded. “Dragons have the ability to mesmerize others. I hesitated to use it on you, but it was necessary. I needed you to come with me. I knew from the moment I saw you that you and I were meant to be together.”

He didn’t tell her about the consequences of their mating. She wasn’t ready to know yet, and he wasn’t ready to tell her. She’d been through so much with him in the last two days that he didn’t want to scare her with talk of true mates.

She bit her lip, studying him. “Would you ever use that on me to do things I didn’t want to? Aside from jewel stealing, I mean?”

He shook his head fiercely. “No. I would never force you to do anything, unless it was to save you. If you’re ever in danger and you refuse an order I give to protect you, that’s when I would use it on you, but only then.”

“That’s not good enough. You could twist any situation into saying it’s for my own safety. Free will is important. It might be the most important thing there is.” She scowled at him, and he saw a hint of warning in her eyes.

“I agree. I wish I had never done it in the first place, but I could think of no other way.”

“Then promise to me now that you will never do it again, no matter what. Even if you believe it’s for my own safety.” Her gaze softened, and his heart swelled in his chest. God, he loved it when she looked at him like that, like she cared about him.

Mikhail did not want to make that promise. She did not know what his world could be like at times. But he also saw how important this was to her, and he understood. “You have my word,” he said, stealing a quick kiss.

She sighed against his lips in a dreamy way that made his dragon purr in contentment.

“Any other questions?” he asked.

“Tons, but maybe in a little while,” she said and tucked her head beneath his chin. What he had said earlier had caused her to worry. He didn’t like that. She was his mate now, and he wanted her healthy and happy. He wouldn’t make the same mistake he’d made with Elizabeth.

But this would be different. Piper wouldn’t betray him, and he would see to it that she had the world at her fingertips. He held her close, breathing in her scent and letting it banish his dark memories. Letting it bury the past.