Would you like some hot tea?” Asim asked nearly an hour later.

Pearl turned from where she was standing on the wide deck overlooking the waterfall that flowed from underneath it. She saw a flash of uncertainty flicker through the man’s eyes before it was replaced with the same stubborn, determined expression that had brought her to his home. Crossing her arms to keep from reaching out to smooth away the worried expression on his face, she shrugged and nodded.

“You have hot tea?” she asked in surprise.

“Yes. Lady Ariel enjoys it,” he replied.

“I would love a cup,” she said.

He nodded, turned, and retreated back inside. The moment he was gone, Pearl uncrossed her arms and fanned herself. A snort from the golden creature watching her made her scowl.

“Hot flash,” she lied.

The creature shimmered and she could feel the warmth shoot up her arms. It was obvious it knew better. Turning back around, Pearl couldn’t prevent the amused grin that crossed her face.

It would appear her later years in life were going to be filled with firsts. The first time she met an alien. The first time she traveled to another planet. And last but not least, the first time she was kidnapped by a horny, dragon-shifting, alien warrior. She wondered what other firsts were in store for her.

“Hopefully, some hot alien sex,” she chuckled.

The sound of dishes rattling told her that she hadn’t spoken as softly as she thought. She turned to see Asim standing just outside the doorway. His hands clenched the tray so tightly that Pearl was surprised the metal didn’t bend. She lifted her gaze to his face.

Yep, he heard me, she thought with a sigh.

His eyes burned with intensity. He had slipped on a shirt when he changed out of his wet clothes and a pattern of scales was visible under the collar. Vivid images of tangled sheets flooded her with warmth and made her question her sanity. She honestly didn’t know if that last thought was hers or his.

“Both,” he said in a tight voice. “It has been a long time.”

“Honey, if these bands wrapped around my arm are any indication, I’d have to say it has been way too long,” she dryly retorted.

“I’m not opposed to correcting that issue,” he replied with a grin.

Pearl gazed at Asim for several seconds before she threw her head back and laughed. Damn, but if this man – alien – dragon – warrior – whatever in the hell he was – didn’t make her feel young again. Shaking her head, she placed her hands on her hips and grinned.

“I think a cup of hot tea is in order before we jump in the sack,” she chuckled.

Asim’s face flushed and he returned her grin. “I will hold you to that promise,” he said with a matching mischievous grin.

Pearl’s eyes widened and she caught herself before she raised her hand again to fan herself. The symbiot knew exactly what she almost did. She shot it a quick glare when it snickered at her.

“Oh, go fetch another stick,” she murmured.

Asim’s smothered chuckle told her that he’d heard her. It was obvious that these men did not have the same issues with hearing loss that most humans did when they grew older. She would have to remember that – not that it would keep her from speaking her mind.

“So, do you make a habit of kidnapping poor, unsuspecting women with the intention of ravishing them, or did you just start your nefarious career?” Pearl asked.

“I just started,” he admitted with a sheepish grin. “Lady Ariel likes sweet crystals for her tea. Would you care for some?”

“Sweet… oh, sugar. No, thank you,” Pearl replied, sliding onto the chair he pulled out for her. “This is all very impressive. It looks like something out of a Frank Lloyd Wright design. I saw his Falling Water house in Pennsylvania once. Talk about someone having more money than they knew what to do with.”

Pearl pursed her lips together. That hadn’t come out quite the way she meant it. Luckily, Asim didn’t appear to notice her gaffe. He carefully placed a cup of hot tea in front of her before glancing around.

“My home is modest, but comfortable. If you would like something larger, I can build it. I designed and built this home several centuries ago. If you wish a new one, we could design it together,” he said.

Pearl lifted her hand to close her mouth after it had dropped open at his first sentence. He thought this was modest? She’d hate to see what he thought of some of the places she and the girls had lived in.

“I’ve only seen the decking so far, but I’d hardly call this modest. It is… gorgeous,” she said, waving her hand at the woods and the small waterfall flowing from under one side of the deck, and continuing its journey on the other side. “How did you manage this?”

Asim’s expression relaxed, and he smiled. “I enjoy working with my hands. Before the war, King Jalo gifted me the land in this valley for saving the life of his son, Lord Mandra. It was a gift I could not turn down. I began building this house. I wanted it to blend in with the natural beauty of the forests and mountains. Each plank comes from the trees that grew here and the rocks from the mountains. I planted new trees to replace those I cut down and over time they have grown tall and strong. The flow of the water and the wind in the trees are soothing to an old dragon like me. Over the years, Mandra has helped me add on to the original structure. In time, he asked if he could build a house on the far side of the valley. I was honored to be able to return all the help he had given me,” Asim explained, lost in the memories.

Asim described his original home to her. He elaborated on the special features of what could be seen from their vantage point, adding in bits of knowledge about each one. The wall of large, clear windows looked out over the deck to the lake and beyond to the mountains on the far side of the valley. In her mind, she could imagine the winter snow covering the landscape.

She could see the lake that never completely froze solid because of the water flowing from the waterfall. In the distance, she noticed the small hot springs, dotting the valley. Thin wisps of steam rose from them, sending spirals of heated vapor into the air. Her gaze moved to the mountain when he told her of how the animals from the higher elevations would migrate down to the valley for warmth and food in winter. He explained that just before the spring thaw, the herds of wild beasts gave birth.

“That is the hardest time of year for us now,” Asim chuckled.

Pearl frowned. “Why? Are they dangerous?” she asked, placing her nearly empty cup down on the table.

“Nothing is more dangerous than a dragon – except a little boy who loves animals,” Asim replied. “Jabir has the touch, just like his mother. Animals gravitate to him. He’d have the whole damn lot of them as pets if Mandra didn’t put his foot down.”

“What you describe reminds me of a place back on Earth called Yellowstone,” Pearl shared, fingering her cup. “I took the girls there one summer when we lived in Colorado. Riley thought the buffalo had the mange. We didn’t get out of the city much.”

“Would you prefer to live in a city? I have a permanent apartment in the palace. If you prefer to live there, we could move,” Asim stated.

Pearl shook her head and leaned forward. “Listen, Asim. I’m not sure I understand everything that is going on. Your offer to build a new house, move to the city, yada, yada, is all very impressive, but you don’t have to impress me. You do a pretty damn good job of that by just wearing leather. How a guy like you doesn’t have some little woman running around catering to your every need is beyond my understanding, but shit happens. Maybe you had someone and she died or discovered she wanted something else. All I can tell you is that I’m not the woman you are looking for. I’m too old, too stubborn, and like my freedom far too much to settle down. Now, saying all that, I’m not opposed to enjoying life either, if you know what I mean.”

From the expression on his face, he did understand what she was saying and didn’t like it. His face had grown dark, his eyes narrowing with the stubborn glint in them the more she spoke. By the time she finished, his lips were pressed into a firm line and she swore his face looked like it was carved from the same rock as the mountains.

“I understand what you mean, but it is clear you do not understand me. You are my true mate. You are a gift from the Goddess – a perfect match for my dragon, my symbiot, and me. There is only one true mate for a Valdier warrior – and you are mine,” he stated in a voice that sounded suspiciously raspy. “I will not let you go. You are not too old, you are perfect. I have no desire for a young female like the princes have. I have lived too long. I wished for a woman who would taste like fine wine.”

Pearl slid from her seat when Asim stood up and started walking around the table. The fire was back in his eyes along with the determined look. Scales rippled across his neck and up along his cheeks.

She took several steps back, retreating as he advanced on her. Her eyes grew wary and her hand slipped into her back pocket before she remembered she left her pepper spray in the pocket of her jacket. Great! No gun, no pepper spray, no Taser, and no Tiny. It looked like it was going to be a good, old-fashioned form of self-defense if things got rough.

“Asim…,” Pearl started to say, stopping and raising her hand.

“I like a mate who is stubborn. She will need to be if she is going to be able to deal with my dragon and me. As for freedom, I will give you all the freedom you desire, as long as it does not endanger you or your dragon,” he gritted out.

“Dragon? I don’t have a dragon! See, that is another thing, I know that Abby and the other women can somehow change into one now and Riley and Tina can shift into a tiger, but me? I think I’m a little beyond all of that. You know, kind of like going through menopause – no more life changes,” Pearl argued.

She froze when Asim lifted his hand and wrapped it around her outstretched one. He pulled her closer, wrapping his other hand around her waist. This was the first time she had felt just how strong he was in his man form. Swallowing, she held back a moan of delight at the feel of his large hand sliding across the thin material of her blouse.

“What… What do you think you are doing?” Pearl asked, pressing her other hand between them.

Asim tugged her forward, his eyes glittering with fire. “Finding out what type of wine you remind me of,” he stated before he bent and captured her lips.

Fire swept through Pearl’s veins, warming her body as sure as a shot of whiskey. Sliding her hand up his chest and around his neck, she tangled her fingers in the back of his hair. The rush of desire hit her with an unexpected punch.

Forget the wine! This is pure Kentucky bourbon at its finest, Pearl thought, deepening the kiss.