Adrien watched his mate’s beautiful eyes close as he washed her hair, letting water stream over, washing the bubbles away as he tried to keep the water away from her face.

She was so beautiful, and the way she tilted her head back and let the water stream down just exemplified everything she was as a person.

She faced everything head on. She accepted things even when they were unbelievable or hard to understand. She faced life and kept marching forward, while he’d been stuck, longing for the past for so long.

How they had come together, her marching to the future, him yearning for the past, he didn’t know. But it was perfect.

They could make a new future together, either alone or with new and old friends.

He could slowly talk more about being a dragon, and he knew she would accept that as well. Even before she’d taken the ring off, he’d seen the acceptance in her eyes.

He didn’t know if anyone had ever looked at him like that, like she understood everything about him and was okay with all of it.

He ran his hands over her waist, smooth with silky soap, and then over her breasts, and she gasped, opening her eyes, little droplets of water on her spiky lashes as she looked up at him. She ran her hands over her face and neck, pushing the water back, and gave him a smile.

“Feeling frisky?”

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close. “Yes, definitely.” He kissed the wet skin of her shoulder. “You know I’ll never get enough of you.”

“I can’t believe I get you forever,” she said. “That’s what this means, right? You couldn’t really explain mating back there.”

He cupped her cheek. “I’m still not sure how you trusted me so much.”

“Perhaps because you were willing to risk your life for me from almost the moment I met you. Perhaps because you’d prepared me, warning me that you only date for keeps. Perhaps because I was starting to feel I couldn’t imagine life without you, and no matter how odd it seemed from a logical viewpoint, I wasn’t going to give up the amazing time I’ve had with you for anything.”

He sighed. “How are you so wonderful?”

“I have to be, to fit with you.”

“I never thought I would be this mushy,” he grumbled into her shoulder. “Be sure not to tell anyone.”

“Of course,” she said. “Besides, I like that this part of you is only for me. You can still be grumpy to everyone else. If they’re a woman, I prefer it.”

He laughed. “No problems there.”

“Good,” she said, holding him tight.

“I just… I love you. My kind, we know almost from the moment we meet our mates that they are meant for us. I never believed in fate before. It seemed to keep screwing me over. But when I met you, even as I fought it, I knew you meant something to me. From the first time I saw you, I couldn’t let you out of my sight. That’s why I watched you from the balcony. I just—”

She put a finger up to his lips. “You don’t have to explain it. I love you, too. I really do. My heart can’t imagine living without you.”

“Sometimes you just find someone who makes you feel so complete, who you know you can love more each day. Who will make life better just by being there,” he said. “That’s what a mate is.”

She sighed and ran her hands over his back, grazing him lightly with her nails. “I like that.”

“So you want to go make it official?” he asked, looking down at her.

She nodded, holding him tightly. “I want everything you can give.”

He picked her up again, loving the feel of his mate in his arms, loving having a purpose, someone to protect who made him want to get up in the morning.

He loved everything about this world now that he had his powers and a woman he loved and could move on and find some sense of purpose.

He set her down on the bed, looking at her naked, wet, glistening form, his eyes greedily devouring every aspect of her as her green eyes watched warily.

“I still feel like you should have been with someone more beautiful,” she said nervously.

He laughed, crawling over her on the bed, feeling predatory and powerful, wanting to use all of his power to show his mate how much he wanted her.

His hands closed over her wrists, putting them over her head, and he felt silver well from his fingertips, holding her hands down, bound to the mattress as the silver snaked down into it.

She struggled slightly, blushing. “Adrien, what—”

“I’ll let you go in a moment,” he said. “Just let me look at you.” He sat back between her legs, eyeing his mate, her bold green eyes, shy expression, soft cheeks, beautiful, curvaceous, feminine body that was as opposite of his hard, muscled physique as possible.

Everything about her was just perfect.

He drew a finger over her belly, which sucked in slightly, and he frowned. He leaned forward to kiss her belly button, running his tongue inside it as his hands smoothed over her hips. She gasped and arched against the silver bonds, but couldn’t move at all.

“Just let me show you how beautiful you are,” he said. “I love you for who you are.” He crawled forward, straddling her to place a kiss on her earlobe. “I love the woman you are. How brave you are. What you’ve come through. How you got to me.” He bit on her lobe, sucking gently before releasing it slowly through his teeth.

“Adrien,” she moaned.

“But your body, it’s absolutely perfect to me.” He sat up and looked down, making an hourglass motion with his hands. “I couldn’t have designed it more perfectly.” He leaned forward over her again, tickling her ear with his breath. “You know, in my time, curves were everything.” His hand trailed over her belly, caressing it softly before reaching the apex of her legs. “But no matter how you are, you’ll be perfect.”

He looked at her in question before touching her most sensitive spot, and she nodded eagerly. He released the silver, watching it disappear down into the mattress where he’d leave it in case it was needed, and her arms flew up to wrap around his neck.

“I love you,” she said. “You make me feel beautiful.”

“That’s because you are beautiful,” he said. “And I don’t intend to stop convincing you of it until you believe me.”

“I believe you when I’m in your arms,” she said, holding on tight. “I want to believe you.”

He laughed and laid her back on the bed, loving the way her brownish-blonde curls bounced on the pillow. “What did you think of my silver?”

“I liked it,” she said. “It was smooth against my hands, and honestly…”

“You like me a little dominant,” he said, his lips curving in a half grin.

She flushed and nodded. “It makes me feel wanted. And, I guess, taken care of.”

“We can do more of it,” he said. “Right now I just want to have you like this. Wanting me, holding me, your arms trailing over me as I come inside you.”

She nodded vigorously. “Me, too.”

His hands played at the apex of her legs, where she was already wet and ready. He swirled a finger around her clit, watching her writhe and arch back with her eyes closed. That sight would never get old. Every taste he got of her pleasure simply made him want more of it. Made him want to be better so he could experience it.

“I love you, Kelsey,” he said, swirling a little harder right over her center.

She gasped in response, looking up at him with glowing, eager eyes.

“Come for me,” he said, pressing down suddenly.

Her body arched hard, obeying his command, and she screamed out his name as her hands twisted in the covers around her. He leaned forward so she could wrap her arms around him, and he held her close as she pulsed against him, moaning and calling his name.

When she was done, she fell back with a gasp. “Silver,” she said. “That’s why you wanted me to call you Silver.”

He nodded.

She put a hand through his hair and then stopped, eyes widening. “Wait. Is your hair silver?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I never noticed before, but you have roots coming in. Only a bit, but I could swear they’re silver.”

He nodded. “We dyed my hair black because it would blend in better.”

“I see,” she said. “Well, I can’t wait to see it. You don’t have to change yourself for me anymore.”

He sighed. “That would be amazing.”

She stroked her hands over his back. “Come inside me.”

He grinned and positioned himself between her legs, feeling his cock twitch as it brushed against her center. “My pleasure. Or is it your pleasure?”

She groaned. “Oh, come on.”

He laughed and then pushed inside her, and she let out a satisfied sigh when he was fully seated.

“Yes,” she said. “That’s what I want.” She looked up into his eyes. “You feel amazing.”

“That’s what I should say.”

“Then say it,” she said, wrinkling her nose.

He leaned forward to kiss her nose, thinking he loved when his mate was sassy. “You feel amazing. Like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I want to please you, protect you, keep you by my side more than I want to breathe.”

“Well,” she said with a laugh. “Keep breathing, though.”

“I will,” he said. Then he started to move, unable to wait anymore, and she caught her breath, tightening around him. Her legs wrapped around him as they had before, and little electric shocks went through him as they began to move together.

So much friction, so much heat, so much wet perfection, he had never known he could reach this level of heaven.

What made it even better was looking into her eyes, watching them glaze over with passion as the speed increased between them. He felt his own body tightening unbearably as he moved her toward release, her movements becoming more frantic, her breaths gasping in and out.

“Adrien, I can’t wait any—”

He couldn’t either, and when she came, convulsing around him, holding him so tight, he came with her, his body jerking, releasing, fully embraced by her, fully home as pleasure stronger than anything he could stand moved through him, taking over his every nerve.

“Kelsey, I love you,” he said because he couldn’t stop saying it. Couldn’t stop giving voice to the feelings bursting out of his heart. “Forever.”

“I know,” she said between gasps as her whole body tightened. “I love you so much, too.”

He held her, closing his eyes as the rest of the pleasure moved through him, focusing in on the sensation of being joined together, of just how good it felt to be loved. And to love.

When he was finished, he saw her looking up at him, warmth in her sparkling green eyes as she pulled him down for a kiss. Her tongue swept inside to entwine with his, and she pulled back, leaving him breathless.

“I like making love to a dragon,” she said. “I think we’re going to have fun.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” he said, thinking of flying with her, traveling the world with her, spending treasure with her. Everything he could offer her.

He pulled out of her and fell over on the bed, wanting to cover her with his body. “From now on, it’s going to be heaven.”

Her arms came around him, keeping him grounded and safe as they always did. “It already is.”

His heart was full as he kissed his mate once again.