Maggie inhaled sharply. “Why would you even joke about that? I’m nobody. I’m nothing, really.”

As I released her from my embrace, I grabbed her shoulders and stared into her eyes. “Never say that, understand?” I blew out a breath and shook my head. Her words hurt me as much as if a stranger spoke them about her. I had no idea I’d have to protect her from herself.

“I’m not being humble.” Her voice cracked as she tried to express her thoughts. “I genuinely have no idea why you’d be interested in me. I have no money, no degree, no real career.” She huffed. “I freelance, mostly for authors who want their books translated into one of the languages I’m fluent in. This…makes no sense. I’m no princess.”

“Maybe not, but you should be treated as one.” I struggled with how to explain everything to her. “Listen, I started to think you might be made for me earlier.” I grinned. “That’s why I told Fredo I’d bring you lunch.”

“Crap. That went well.” Maggie laughed then rolled her eyes. “So, was it my acid tongue that lured you in?”

I grinned. “I do rather like that. You’re the only woman who talks back to me, who argues with me, who makes my heart pound in my chest with a single look, and who quells the flutter inside me, which about drives me mad.” I cupped her face, then slid my hand behind her neck and pulled her in for a kiss. This one was just as intense as the last one, filled with hope and the promise of love. When we finally pulled apart, I paused to catch my breath. “See what you do to me? Do you understand why it’s you?”

Her fingers covered her lips like she was trying to seal in my kiss. “You have a flutter too?”

With a nod, I took her hand and pressed it against my bare skin just below my sternum. “Right there. It started soon after we met. I thought it might be indigestion, but now I think it’s something else.”

Her brilliant green eyes widened. “What do you think it is?”

“To me, it feels like the flutter of dragon wings inside.” I chuckled. “I know. Sounds strange, but this is one of the signs my father told me about many years ago.”

“How many?” Her head tilted.

My brow furrowed while I tried to calculate. “I think a little over three hundred.”

Maggie jumped. “Wait. How old are you? I mean, I was guessing you were in your early thirties.”

“Try…ten times that.” I braced myself for objections, a meltdown, something. Instead, she sat there, quietly processing.

“So, in all those years, how many ‘the ones’ have you had?” She licked her lips and I knew she was trying to hide her feelings. Maggie truly expected to be hurt and it nearly broke me.

“None,” I whispered. “I’ve been alone all these years. Did I go through a stage where I was a tad promiscuous? Of course. Puberty. Surely, you recall being a horny kid. Still, no one has ever lived with me. And I have never loved anyone.”

Her brows rose. “All these years…alone?”

I nodded. “Yes. And sadly, growing more alone every year. I can be around people and still feel alone because I keep my origins secret. The dragon shifter population is nearly non-existent. We’re talking less than thirty in the world. I’m one of a very few who remain, and have survived the centuries.”

“What would you want with me? What does being The One mean?” Her head tilted and I sensed a combination of anticipation and fear.

“Being mated to me, which is much like being married.” I watched for a reaction. To my surprise, her shoulders drooped. “What troubles you?”

“You’re immortal and I’m human. You’ll have me for a few short years compared to the lifetime you’ll live. I’ll get old and undesirable.” She sighed. “I don’t see how there’s any hope for us whatsoever.”

I chuckled. “I’m not immortal, Maggie. I just age much slower than a normal person.”

She rolled her eyes. “Doesn’t change anything on my end.”

I inched closer to her, pushing her onto her back while positioning myself on top of her. “Actually, it does.” I nuzzled her neck while I spoke. “When we mate with the one who was made for us, we’re able to pass on some of our traits.”

“Traits? Like your superpowers?” Maggie giggled. “If I get to fly, I’m all in.” I pulled back to look her in the eye and she batted her eyelashes at me.

“Sadly, there will be no flying.”

She pushed me off. “So, what does this mating come with? Don’t hold back now. I want the full sales pitch.”

“Well, the mating comes with me.” I winked.

“I knew you were involved.” Maggie huffed.

“Amazing sex.” I watched for a reaction. She merely shrugged. “Well, you don’t receive the magnetism, thank God, otherwise, there’d be a lot of death and destruction.”

“Magnetism?” Her eyes narrowed. “All the women. This is why they’re drawn to you.” Then she gasped. “Dammit! Is this what’s going on here?”

“Not even a little.” I sighed. “You, Maggie, are completely immune to me. I like it. This way, we always know whatever we’re feeling is real.”

“But you can turn it off, right? Like once you’re mated, it stops?” She sat up on the mattress. “Because if it doesn’t, and we’re mated, there’s still a good chance there will be death and destruction. I don’t share. I always thought I’d marry only once and the guy would look at me like I look at chocolate cake, or cheesecake, or a brownie sundae.”

Laughing, I sat up opposite her. “With the mating, you’ll have those things. I’ll never cheat. It’s impossible. Once a male is mated, his woman is everything to him.” I rubbed my face with both hands. “You’ll become my greatest weakness. Although, judging by my emotions, the way I feel around you, the pull between us, you already are. For a dragon, this is exciting and terrifying. It’s hard to be fierce when you have something to fear.”

Her nostrils flared. “What do you fear?” Her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

I took her hand in mine and pressed it to my heart. “Losing you.”

* * *

His words were so pretty, I almost forgot he’d already lost me, that I could never be his. Already, Blaise drew me closer then met me halfway for a kiss. I loved the feel of his perfect lips pressed against mine. I loved the way his tongue managed to dart into my mouth without ever feeling like an intrusion. Most of all, I loved the way the heat rushed through me, making me half-drunk with emotions.

“Are you ready?” He eyed me expectantly.

I sucked in a deep breath “For what?” My heart raced. I knew what he wanted: something I couldn’t give him.

Blaise smoothed my hair and inhaled deeply. His hand ran down the back of my neck, then around up under my chin, forcing me to stare into his eyes. “The mating.” His voice sounded deeper and even more sensual than normal.

My flutter seemed faster than before and incredibly intense. I pushed on it with my hand. “Not yet,” I argued. “I barely know you.”

“The mating is one way to get to know each other. Then we’ll have a lifetime of experiences to build on.” He leaned in and pressed his cheek to the side of my head.

I groaned. “Your lifetime or mine?”

“Ours. Longevity may be one of the best gifts I pass on to you.” Blaise seemed so patient, but I could actually feel his fear under the surface. He was as scared of rejection as I was of commitment.

I shook my head. “I don’t think I’m ready yet.”

He exhaled and looked completely defeated. “I can respect that. Out of curiosity, what are your concerns?”

“Forever,” I blurted out.

Blaise stared into my eyes and I discovered I was completely mesmerized by his. They were like deep pools and I was absolutely drowning in them. “No. Forever is a comfort to you. Tell me the truth.”

My head hung. He was right. How could he know this? “What? Are you reading my mind now? Keep out. That’s just…invasive.” I scowled and refused to meet his gaze.

“No.” He shook his head. “I can’t read minds, not even yours, but we have another gift. When we find our mates, we can feel their emotions. My ability to sense yours has been increasing all night. All I had to do was accept we were made for each other. It was as if a door opened, and all of your feelings rushed at me.” Blaise chuckled. “By the way, that’s an awful lot of feelings.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Well, I’m a complex creature, okay?”

His grin widened. “Fine with me. I actually prefer it that way, but something else is bothering you. You want this, but something is holding you back. Let me help.”

My nostrils flared. “I don’t want help. This is for me and me alone.”

“But principessa, the best part of having a mate is never having to handle anything alone.” He reached out to cup my cheek, and I prepared to pull away.

Now that I had denied him, his touch felt like battery acid on my skin. At the same time, when his feelings hurt, I felt it. I seemed to be wracked with pain.

“Let go, mi amore. Whatever is holding you back, don’t let it keep us apart.” I could tell Blaise was prepared to say more, but before he could my father’s phone began to ring insistently from the table where I’d dropped it.

I hopped off the bed and bolted for the door. After sprinting down the hallway, I dove onto the bed to grab it off the nightstand on the far side. Glancing at the screen, I realized I didn’t recognize the number, but any distraction was welcome right now. “Hello?”

“Oh, I think I have the wrong number. I was looking for Malcolm Wallace,” the man grumbled.

“I’m his daughter, Maggie. I manage his phone while he’s working.” I rocked nervously on the bed. A cold chill ran through me. When I peeked at the doorway, I realized Blaise stood there, leaning on the frame.

He lifted his watch to show me the time. Then he made a chopping motion under his chin. I guess this was my cue to get off the phone. The more he tried to tell me what to do, the more I wanted to resist him.

“Hello, Maggie. This is Ira. We met at the show.” His greasy voice oozed false charm and I shivered in response.

“How can I help you, Ira?” I tried to wave Blaise out the door, but when he heard who I was talking to, he came rushing over to the bed.

“Off the phone,” he hissed. “Now.”

“Stop it, Blaise. I’m talking,” I grumbled.

He paled and raked both hands through his hair before he sank down on the bed beside me.

“Oh, Blaise Draco is there?” He seemed incredibly interested.

“No, we’re at hi…” Before I could finish my sentence, Blaise snatched the phone from my hand and hit the speaker button. I glared at him, but didn’t try to reclaim it. Given his size and determination, I’d never win.

“It’s awfully late, Ira. Why are you calling?” He stood and began pacing while he spoke.

“Well, I was hoping to make a deal with Mr. Wallace. The bigger question is: why are you together?” I could hear the irritation in Ira’s voice.

“Actually, this shouldn’t surprise you. I’m in security, which means it’s my job to protect Maggie and her father from people like you.” He planted his feet and stared at me to see if I was paying attention.

Ira chuckled. “Why would they need protection from me?”

“How about because of the program Malcolm has developed? I heard how interested you were at the show.” He licked his lips and I could tell this was leading up to something big.

I wrapped my arms around my knees and rocked slightly on the bed. Once again, my heart was pounding. Only this time it had nothing to do with desire and everything to do with fear. For the first time in a long time, I was actually afraid. The last time I was this scared, I’d made the biggest mistake of my life. Somehow, I had the feeling I’d unintentionally messed up again.

“That’s just ludicrous.” Ira released a nervous, stilted laugh.

“Is it?” Blaise’s brows peaked. “You should know my forensic team has finished analyzing the fingerprints from the crime scene.”

“Crime scene?” He sounded positively weak. There was a sound, like he’d dropped onto a desk chair.

“Are you now going to try to convince me that you knew nothing of the break-in at the Wallace home?” Blaise waited patiently for a response.

“Yes…”

“In that case, let me tell you what’s ludicrous: thinking you were smarter than me, that you could hide your intentions from me, that you could harm anyone I care about. See, those actions aren’t just ludicrous, as you so craftily commented. Those actions are downright lethal,” Blaise growled.

Ira hiccupped. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but did you just threaten me? I should call my lawyer…”

“Call. You’re going to need one. The men who broke into the Wallace home were employed by Sterling Girard, no doubt alerted to the program by you.” Blaise waited a moment, but the only sound from the other side of the phone was Ira swallowing hard. “I saw you run off with your cell phone at your ear. The police can subpoena your phone records. Soon enough, they’ll come to the same conclusion I did. You…and Sterling…are going down.”

Then Blaise ended the call, without so much as a goodbye. He tossed the phone on the bed. His arms were wrapped around his body and I knew he was trying to figure out what to say to me.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I whimpered.

“Why didn’t you listen to me, Maggie?” Blaise shook his head. “This is why I wanted you to get off the phone. The late phone call, the plying you for information.” He rubbed his face with both hands before looking at me again. “Sometimes you need to listen. You need to trust me,” Blaise grumbled. “The one thing we had going for us right now was that they had no idea where you and your father were staying. Now that’s over. All I can hope for now is that my home is secure enough to keep you safe.”

I hugged my knees closer to my chest and stared at the comforter on the bed; seeing the condemnation in Blaise’s eye hurt too much. “Maybe they’ll give up now that you called him out. Maybe they’ll be too busy trying to save their collective asses, they won’t have time to mess with us.”

“That’s one option,” he responded blandly. “Although in my experience the bad guys always choose door number two.”

“What’s door number two?” I scrunched up my face while trying to figure it out.

“That’s where the bad guy gets more dangerous. The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. The greater the threat, the tougher the response.” He sank down hard beside me and pulled me into his arms. “You need to be extra careful now, Maggie. They could be out for blood.”