Carly held still in Drago’s arms. Her mind raced in a million different directions before hitting a blank wall and coming to a full stop when he kissed her. Her arms automatically rose to wrap around his neck and her lips parted.

Several things flickered through Carly’s brain: first, that this sure felt real; second, that he towered over her and was stronger than any guy she had ever met because he had lifted her off her feet to kiss her; and third, that he tasted really – and she meant really – good.

She whimpered softly when he started to end the kiss. Tangling her hands in his long hair, she kept him from pulling away. She could feel his surprise when she deepened the kiss, teasing his tongue with her own. It wasn’t until she felt the shudder run through his body that she relaxed her hold on his hair.

Drawing in a deep breath, Carly gazed into his dark blue eyes. “Okay, I concede. I’m not dreaming, but I’m still not ruling out being dead,” she replied with a stubborn pout and a mischievous glint in her eyes.

He returned her gaze. His eyes glittered with an emotion she wasn’t sure how to interpret. Then he chuckled again and released her slowly to slide down his body. Her breath caught when she felt his obvious arousal. She now had an answer to the emotion in his eyes – somebody was horny and she was the reason for it.

“Trust me, you are not dead,” Drago remarked.

“How can you be sure?” Carly asked.

“You smell of forest, rain, and dirt. Dead things don’t smell – or taste – this good,” Drago commented before releasing a chuckle when a large flock of birds swept by the balcony and startled Carly. “The birds will not harm you. They feast on the fruit that grows from the vines,” Drago murmured when she backed into him.

Carly nodded and grabbed his arm to pull it around her. She wasn’t completely convinced that these birds were fruit eaters. They had long, narrow beaks that looked more like spears. She swallowed and watched the birds fly off into the forest. Some of them had a wing span that made her think of the Pterodactyls from the picture books and movies she had seen.

A shiver ran through her body when Drago wrapped his right arm around her waist and pulled her against him. Carly didn’t bother trying to contain the grin that lit her face. She was thankful he couldn’t see her face, just in case she was misreading his actions. In the back of her mind she knew that she could really get used to this – having a hot sexy man who turned into a dragon, lived in a magical world, and loved full figured women – for the rest of eternity. Hell, who would have thought being dead could be so wonderful?

“This is… incredible,” Carly whispered, looking down over the castle far below and out over the mist covered sea.

“This kingdom was once one of the most majestic of all the Seven Kingdoms. Now, I am the only inhabitant that remains,” Drago stated.

Carly heard the grief in his voice. Compassion filled her. Something bad must have happened. Something had brought her here for whatever crazy reason. What she couldn’t understand was how all of this was possible.

“What happened?” Carly asked.

Drago’s arm slid from around her waist. She immediately felt the loss of his heat when he stepped away from her. She watched him walk over to the stone railing. The breeze coming off the ocean blew his hair back, revealing the steely line of his jaw. His fingers curved around the stone and he leaned forward.

“The Sea Witch.”

His body shimmered and the powerful dragon was once again in front of her. Carly stumbled back against the double doors behind her when Drago released a terrifying roar and launched into the air. She watched in awe as the mythical creature she had somehow awakened swept down from the castle.

Carly hurried over to the balcony, trying to keep Drago within sight. He released a fine stream of blue flames that burned large sections of the tangled vines from along the castle walls. It had to be close to an hour later before he disappeared into the vast forest.

Swallowing, Carly finally pushed away from the balcony and turned. She walked to the double doors, and paused just outside the doorway, trying to see in. The glass was covered with a thick layer of grime.

She reached for the door handle and slowly turned it. Pushing the door open, Carly discovered a beautiful but very dark and dusty living room on the other side. She turned and pulled the other door open so the brilliant early morning light could stream inside.

“Jumping bullfrogs! I’ve fallen into a fairy tale!” Carly whispered, turning back to gaze around the room.

Hours later, Drago turned back toward the palace. He had searched every corner of the isle for other intruders. The only things he had found were the long ago bleached white bones of those unfortunate enough to have been shipwrecked along the Isle’s treacherous shores. There was nothing else but the animals that made the Isle of the Dragon their home.

“How did she come to be in the treasure room?” he growled out loud.

There were no entrances to the cavern except through the castle. He had checked that first and the door was sealed. The only other way to enter would have required a very powerful magic. The wards he had placed throughout the passageway would have killed even the most skilled thief, and Carly did not strike him as being very skilled.

Drago shook his massive head and snapped at several birds that flew too close. They quickly scattered. Folding his wings, he plunged down into the forest, swerving back and forth through the thick branches and snapping those that got in his way. He grimaced and snarled with impatience when a branch cut a long, thin line across his shoulder.

He broke through the forest just east of the wide road. There was a small, open meadow near the front gates of the castle. With a whisper, the magic sealing the great doors released, the drawbridge lowered and the gates opened. Drago landed with a ground-shaking thump.

He snapped his tail back and forth as he walked forward, gazing around him. In his mind, he could still see the sentinels standing on the platforms above the gates and hear the laughter of the young dragons learning to fly. The streets would have been filled with people going to the markets, entertaining, and visiting with each other.

Instead, the only sound he heard was the noise of his claws against the cobblestone street. He slowly walked along the winding roads until he reached the front steps of the palace. They were covered with a thick coating of dead leaves.

Drago bent his head and breathed a fine line of super-heated flames at the cover. The leaves caught fire. The flames were so intense that they quickly disintegrated. With a swipe of his tail, he scattered the ashes and walked up the staircase, transforming back into his two-legged form as he moved.

The massive doors opened with a wave of his hand. Dragons were not as powerful with their magic as the witches and wizards on the Isle of Magic, but they were still powerful enough to cast protective wards and spells. Drago was the most powerful of the dragons and could create a vast number of spells when needed.

Torches ignited as he climbed the long staircase off the great hall. He grimaced when he saw cobwebs draping the tall statues. It shamed him to think of the years of neglect the castle had seen over the last decade.

Drago didn’t understand why he cared if Carly saw his home in such a state of disrepair, but he did. He reached the top of the stairs and strode down the long corridor to the far end where a set of intricately carved wooden doors sealed his private living quarters.

His footsteps slowed as he drew closer. Stopping outside of the doors, Drago raised his hands and gripped the handles to the doors. He paused, trying to think of what he would say. It had been a long time since he’d had a conversation with another person.

“Perhaps I will just kiss her. That does not require talking,” he muttered before drawing in a deep breath and pulling the doors open.

Drago stepped through the doors. He frowned when he saw the closed balcony doors and empty living quarters. He started forward, a low rumble escaping him as he glanced around the room. A faint sound caught his attention when he was halfway across the room.

Turning his head, he listened. The faint sound of a feminine voice singing could be heard coming from down the hallway where his bedroom was located. The frown on his face changed to a satisfied smile. His little thief had not disappeared.

Drago pivoted on his heel, changing his direction. He walked down the hall, listening to Carly. She was singing an unfamiliar tune. His eyebrows rose in surprise – she had a very pleasant voice.

Stepping into his bedroom, he saw the bed covers stripped off the bed, the balcony doors open, and a small pile of leaves. Drago followed the sound of Carly’s voice to the large bathing chamber adjoining his bedroom.

Carly’s voice rose. “It’s a pirate’s life for me….” she was saying.

“Pirates? You are a pirate?” Drago demanded.

Sudden, intense physical pain, unlike anything Drago had experienced in centuries, flooded him. His low, choked groan mixed with Carly’s startled scream. His gaze dropped down at the same time as her eyes dropped to the broom in her hand that had made contact with his groin.

He stumbled back a step. Unfortunately, she stepped forward with him. Looking up, he saw her eyes were rounded and her lips parted into what would have been a delightful ‘O’ if he hadn’t been in so much pain. He reached down and grabbed the end of the broom. She immediately released the handle.

“I… You startled me. Did that hurt?” she asked in a slightly squeaky tone.

“Yes…. It hurts,” Drago responded, dropping the broom which made a loud clattering sound on the marble floors.

“Oh. I’m so sorry.”

Drago would have responded that he was alright, but Carly had bent over to pick up the broom again. At the same time, a small rodent ran out of the bathing chamber. Her loud scream and the upward movement of the broom echoed through his brain even as the end connected once more with his groin. His knees buckled at the second assault and he dropped to the floor in agony. The frightened rodent scurried up his thigh. Carly swung the broom at the poor creature – and missed. The broom struck Drago instead.

Pain exploded along the right side of Drago’s face. The rough bristles of the broom dragged a dirty path along his cheek, catching in the light beard covering his face, and depositing bits of dust, dirt, and leaves along the way. He fell to the side, his head connecting with a resounding thud against the marble floor.

Darkness colored his vision, and briefly he thought that at least if he was unconscious, the pain in his groin and now along his face wouldn’t matter. The rodent, realizing that it still wasn’t safe, abandoned him and scurried off with Carly, still squealing, chasing after it with the broom.

Who would have thought a broom could be such a dangerous weapon, he thought, watching Carly disappear out of the balcony doors before he closed his eyes.