My love.

Despite barreling down a mountain at the complete mercy of a traitor, Drake’s whispers penetrated the fog of panic that shrouded Tansy’s mind. Calm descended, and with it, clarity.

She faced Charles. “Your best hope for escaping with your life is to pull over now and let me go.”

“My life?” He snorted. “It won’t be worth living if I do that. Think I’m going to just give up and go to prison for a couple decades?” He shot her a speculative glance. “My guess is that Drake cares for you more than you’re letting on. I still have a chance to escape with enough money to live on some tropical beach in a third world country.”

Another flame erupted above the vehicle, followed by a blast of heat. “He’s back. Like I knew he would be. Last chance to do the right thing, Charles.”

White-knuckled hands gripped the steering wheel and his face was set in grim determination. “What kind of demon is Evers?” Charles muttered.

“Drake’s not a demon, he’s a dragon. You can’t possibly win this fight.” Surely, the man wasn’t that stupid, was he?

“Impossible Must be some kind of optical illusion the two of you cooked up. After all, you’re a damn witch.”

“So you believe in witches but not dragons?” she countered.

“Damn straight I do. My grandmother had the touch, used to be a high priestess.”

“Around here? Would I know her?” She’d once read that the best way to get out of a dangerous situation was to keep the perpetrator talking . . . no, wait. She’d also read conflicting advice that the best way to handle being taken hostage was to remain silent and not engage the captor.

Charles didn’t bother responding to the conversational bait anyway. The road flattened and they rapidly approached Booger Hollow. What was his end game? Ride until they were out of gas? She snuck a peak at the fuel tank. Three-quarters full. Drake would die of exhaustion before dawn. Even under cover of darkness, Drake took a huge risk riding low and following them.

For the last two miles, there hadn’t been even the barest flicker of fire, but Tansy sensed him flying overhead—calculating and omniscient. But there was nothing he could do while she remained trapped in the car. He had the power to engulf it in flames and kill the man who threatened his children, and yet he didn’t because to do so would mean her own death.

And he loved her.

She had to save herself. And prevent Drake from some desperate, foolish action like flinging his own body against the car to stop Charles. She’d never have a better chance than now. The road was deserted and the land to her right was a huge, flat clearing.

Tansy lunged her body sideways, gripped the steering wheel, and yanked it to the right, throwing the full weight of her body into the turn.

Tires squealed, almost drowning out Charles’ tirade. “What the hell . . . you damn witch . . .” Scalding pain radiated from her scalp as he grabbed a fistful of hair and tried to thrust her away. The sedan spun and then flipped. The world went topsy turvy and, for a second, she hung in midair before gravity exerted its inevitable force. The vehicle slid on its side with a sickening scrape of crushed metal and broken glass.

The crash knocked the wind out of her r and she struggled to catch her breath. In a daze, she found herself half-lying atop Charles. Through her shock, she noted blood and bits of glass shards covered the left side of his face. He winced, grasping his left shoulder.

“Get off me, bitch.” He struggled to sit up, kneeing her in the gut.

The pain seared through her numbed shock, bringing her predicament into crystalline focus. She huddled into a ball as Charles raised himself up to the passenger window. With his good arm he yanked her and dragged her out with him. His hold broke as she fell to her knees on the cold, hard ground and then cautiously rose to her feet, relieved to discover she’d escaped the crash with no major injury.

That relief was short-lived when the acrid scent of diesel smoke arose. Wisps of fire erupted from the engine. Was the car about to explode?

Again, bruising fingers curled around her forearm, leaving her no choice but to stumble alongside Charles as he loped across the field, grunting in pain, but unwilling to release his hold on her arm and admit defeat.

An unnatural gale of wind whooshed across the clearing, flattening grass and weeds in its massive wake. A roar of flapping wings sounded as a huge form, an almost indistinguishable mass of black-on-black in the night sky, flew into view. Drake was almost upon them before the crimson scales on his throat shone like the rays of a setting sun.

Charles shrieked, and yet he still he didn’t relinquish his iron hold. Damn him. Even in his terror, Charles’ desperation to use her as a bargaining chip never wavered.

“That you, Drake? You can’t take me out without hurting your girlfriend here.” Charles’ grip shifted from her forearm to a chokehold on her neck.

In a giant pop of air and smoke, Drake stood before them, his dark eyes lit with sparks of fire dancing in the pupils. He stepped forward, anger emanating from him in waves of heat. “Let her go.”

“Not until I have my money.” With his free hand, Charles ground his fist in her lower back. “I have a gun. Take another step and I’ll shoot her.”

Liar. She futilely kicked at his shins and tried to speak past the arm clamped against her windpipe. She couldn’t even shake her head no to refute his claim.

Drake abruptly lowered to his knees and picked something off the ground.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Charles rasped. “Stand and put your hands up where I can see them.”

“Take it easy.” Drake slowly stood. “You’ll get your money. And to show my good faith, I brought along part of your original ransom demand.”

He held out a hand and uncurled the fingers tucked into his palm. A large round orb glowed in his hand like a compressed, faceted ball of fire.

The Heart of Courage ruby.

Tansy alone knew its value was far more than the millions of dollars it could go for at auction. The gem was priceless. Its beauty contained the secret power to increase Drake’s dragon tenfold—a relic passed down through generations of Evers men. An ancestral heirloom bestowed by a Chinese Emperor in a forgotten era when men worshipped the dragons and presented them with majestic gifts for their hidden lairs.

“Catch it.”

Drake tossed the ruby in the air where it glowed like a burning chunk of coal.

“What the . . .”

The iron band pressing against her throat slackened. Just enough for her to maneuver her head a few inches. Tansy opened her mouth and bit down into his flesh. Hard.

Charles screamed, a guttural wail that rang in her ears. His hold released, and she gulped in oxygen as she dropped to her knees.

Drake was immediately upon them. He slammed into Charles, knocking him to the ground in one fell swoop. Tansy rolled away from the fray, wincing as Drake landed two solid punches at Charles.

“Stop it,” she ordered. “The man’s out cold.”

“Bastard. He needs killing.” But Drake stopped his assault and rolled off the unconscious man. “Bring me my belt. It’s over there with my other clothes.”

She hurried to find it. The sooner Charles was restrained, the quicker this would end. “Where’s Daphne?” she called over her shoulder as she swooped up his shirt, boxers and jeans along with the belt. “Is she okay?”

“Down the road about a quarter mile. She’s fine. No thanks to this son of a bitch.”

Drake rolled Charles onto his stomach and made short work of looping the belt though the man’s hands, binding them tightly behind his back. Drake rose, and she silently thrust his clothes at him.

He leaned in, scrutinizing her face. “You’re injured.”

“I am?”

“You’ve got a nasty head wound.” He ran a hand down her face and showed her his fingers that were slick with her blood. No wonder she felt so light-headed, it wasn’t due to shock at all.

“You need a doctor to look at this.”

“I’m fine,” she scoffed. “We’ve more pressing matters. Let’s get Daphne and then call the police to round up Charles and Adam.”

“Bossy as usual.” But Drake said it with grin as he quickly dressed. “We’ll play it your way, but then you will see a doctor.”

“There was another man that arrived with Charles. . . I think, well, I’m pretty sure, actually, that I killed him.”

And simple as that, she was back at the scene. Saw the man raise his gun, felt the vibration of her own gun as she shot off a round, heard the unmistakable pop and then the warmth and tingle in her palm before she dropped the weapon—the man lying on the ground, still as a lump of clay, blood seeping from his chest wound.

So much blood.

A languid warmth enveloped her mind and body and, at last, she slipped into its enticing promise of rest.

* * *

Mhmm . . . Tansy stretched, luxuriating in the soft warmth of her cozy bed. A fire crackled from the hearth and the scent of smoked wood soothed her peaceful wakening. She turned to her side and stared into the burning logs as they spit and sparked behind the fireplace screen. Even as a child, she’d sit before a fire for hours, mesmerized by its elemental energy.

Candles glowed on the mantel and the tantalizing odor of freshly-cooked bread and butter wafted from the kitchen. Had she died and slipped into Summerland? Tansy wiggled her toes in delightful laziness, and then caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

What the hell?

One hand flew to the large bandage over her left temple at the same moment she registered the tight discomfort of stitches beneath the dressing. Other aches and pains presented themselves, all clamoring for attention—a bruised thigh, a jagged cut on her left arm the length of a witches’ wand, and a dull throbbing in her left ankle.

With the niggling pain, also came the memory of how they were acquired. After collecting Daphne and getting her safely ensconced at his estate, Drake had insisted on taking her to the emergency room for stitches and driving her home.

Clanking sounded from the kitchen, as if someone was rummaging through her silverware. “Who’s there?” she called, throwing back the down comforter. Surely Drake hadn’t stayed with her all night?

He appeared in the doorway holding a tray with two cups of tea and croissants. She sucked in her breath at the sight of him in her bedroom. He filled the space with a masculine aura that made her toes curl in excitement.

“The patient awakens at last,” he pronounced with a booming voice and sexy grin. “I was beginning to think the doctor had overdone the pain pill dosage.”

She sat up in bed, fluffing a pillow against the headboard and smoothing down her modest flannel gown. Ugh. How unsexy could she get? It’d been too long since she’d had a reason to shop for sexy lingerie.

Drake sat on the edge of the bed and handed her a buttered croissant on a paper towel. “For you.”

“A woman could get used to this,” she joked. Tansy bit into the buttery goodness and realized she was starving. How long had it been since her last meal? With a sip of chamomile and licorice tea, she swallowed the delicious confection.

“Shouldn’t you be with your girls? How’s Daphne this morning?”

“They’re doing remarkable. I called my brother and his wife to come stay with me a couple weeks. Just until I get everything sorted. They arrived an hour ago and are keeping an eye on the twins. My first order of business today is to hire an all new security team.”

“I can help with that,” she offered. “Vet them for trustworthiness.” A surge of embarrassment surged from her scalp to her toes. Why’d she have to go and volunteer assistance? Drake might fear she was going to start clinging to him, that she’d incorrectly presumed she was back in his life.

Wrong. He’d hired her for a job and the assignment was successfully completed. End of story. Although . . . he’d called her my love last night. Probably just the heat of the moment in extraordinary circumstances.

Drake nodded thoughtfully, considering her offer to vet the staff. “An excellent idea. I’ll pay for your time, of course. Which reminds me. I left a generous check for you on the kitchen table. Enough money so that you’ll never have to accept another locator assignment from the cops or anyone else. Unless, of course, it’s something you enjoy doing.”

“Enjoy isn’t the word I’d use. These things don’t always end well. But it is . . . fulfilling when victims are found alive and well.” She took another sip of the warm tea. Just how much had Drake paid for her services? If it was too much, she’d refuse payment. It didn’t set right with Tansy to use her talents for extraordinary material gain. Her needs were simple.

Drake took her hand in his and the heat from his touch radiated through her body. Flustered, she sipped more tea. “Did you stay here all night?”

“Of course. Least I could do. How can I ever thank you enough for saving Daphne? And forcing the car off the road, putting yourself at risk, went beyond what you signed up for.”

“What’s the latest on the kidnappers? Do the police have them in custody??

“Yep. Didn’t take them long to find Wingate either. Both of them are blubbering about being attacked by a dragon. Of course, the cops think they’re either crazy or were high on drugs last night. Still, I don’t like that they’re running their mouths.”

“Nobody takes them seriously.” She fiddled with the hem of the top sheet. “Is the third guy—Nate—is he . . .”

His face bore grim satisfaction. “Dead as the proverbial doornail.”

Despite the fire and hot tea, a chill raced down her spine. “I didn’t mean to kill him.”

“If you hadn’t, you and Daphne would both be dead. I’m sure of it. They’d never take a chance on either of you identifying them after the ransom was exchanged.” He squeezed her hand. “Speaking of Nathan Albright, the police will drop by in an hour for your statement.”

She nodded brusquely, withdrew her hand from his, and set the teacup and croissant on the tray. “Of course. High time I get up and dress. Thanks for staying with me last night, but it’s time you went home. Your girls need you.”

“We can go after the police are finished with their business.”

Tansy stood. “I’ll go shower . . . wait a minute. We?”

“Daphne and Ruby insist. They want to personally thank you.”

It hadn’t been his idea. “Ah, I see. Well, there’s no need,” she declared in her crisp-as-celery voice. All this show of gratitude made her uncomfortable. Drake owed her nothing.

He quirked a brow. “Something wrong?”

“There’s no need for a fuss. I did what anyone would do in the same situation.”

“I disagree. What you did was extraordinary and I’m forever in your debt. Without you—”

“—Just stop. Enough with the gratitude.” She held up a hand and tried to school her features into a mask of calm professionalism. A little hard to do in a silly pink flannel shift. Very hard to do when you—so foolishly—wanted more. Tansy cleared her throat. “If you’ll excuse me,” she murmured, turning away from him.

“Whoa, hold on there.” Drake tugged the sleeve of her gown and drew her into him.

Tansy stood stiffly, arms by her side, unwilling to make a fool of herself. He’d broken her heart all those years ago, and it had taken years to let go of the disappointment, the hurt. Even now, all she wanted was to lean into his broad chest, have his arms wrap around her. She inhaled his familiar scent of warm amber mixed with something exotic—an ancient smell like burnt peat or sandalwood musk—so unique to Drake. She remembered all those nights of lying in bed with him, falling asleep with that scent lulling her to pleasant dreams.

He cupped her chin and tipped it so that she was forced to look into his eyes. Those dark, glittering eyes held tenderness and concern. “I’ve managed to offend you somehow,” he said gruffly. “I’m sorry.”

She was being an ass. Not his fault that she wanted more. Tansy pasted on a fake smile and took a step back, holding out a hand for a friendly handshake. “Glad I could help. Your daughters are lovely. Maybe we could all meet in a week or so for dinner if that’s what they’d like.”

He stared at her outstretched hand with arched brows and then his gaze shifted back to her face. “What’s this?”

“Goodbye,” she answered brightly. “I need to dress before the police arrive. So . . .”

“Why do I get the feeling when you say goodbye, that you mean goodbye forever?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. We’ll see each other occasionally.” She took a deep breath and dropped her hand. “I’m glad we’re going to be friends, Drake. I didn’t like the way it ended before.”

“About that,” he cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair, clearly uncomfortable. “I jumped to a lot of conclusions when you told me you were a witch. Friends and family warned me not to trust a witch, that you’d only use me to try and steal my magic, or even worse, expose my secret to others.”

“I would never do that.”

“I know that now, years too late. What can I say? I realize now that I made a colossal mistake. Not only did I let others poison my mind against you, I even had the arrogance to demand you break from your coven.”

“You were adamant that cutting ties with my coven was the only way to prove my love and loyalty.”

“No one should have to choose between a lover and their family.”

“True. But the blame isn’t all yours to bear.” The truth of her confession clarified what had long been in her heart.

“Yes, it is. If only—”

Tansy laid a hand on his chest. “Hear me out. I agree, you should never have asked it of me. You were arrogant and mistrustful. But I was no angel. I had my own ambitions as a young girl. I wanted to gain skill and power, no matter the cost. I wouldn’t even listen to you when you tried to apologize later.”

“That day you slammed in the door in my face . . . well, let’s just say I’ve never forgotten how that felt.”

His admission pinched her heart. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “If I could do it all over again, that’s not the way I’d choose to handle the situation.”

Drake gently drew her close and leaned his head down on top of hers. His warm breath heated her scalp—and regions further south. Her thighs tightened in response.

He drew back and regarded her soberly. “Did you mean it earlier when you said you wanted us to be friends?”

“Of course.” That, and so much more. But what was truly in his heart?

He nodded, his face revealing no emotion. “Guess I’ll be on my way then. Your prescription’s on the kitchen counter.”

He turned and walked out the door. Tansy felt a roaring in her ears as she surveyed the empty bedroom. Is this what she wanted the rest of her life—to live alone with regrets? Yeah, her pride would be intact, but pride only got you so far during the long, lonely nights.

“Wait!” She rushed to the hallway where he turned and faced her in surprise.

“Don’t go,” she breathed.

Hope flickered in his dark eyes. “Does this mean what I think it does?”

“Yes.” The single syllable came out in a whisper. Tansy licked her dry lips. “When Everett died all those years ago, I thought my life was over. That I’d never find happiness again.”

“Oh, honey.”

The sympathy in his eyes nearly undid her, and she wanted nothing more than to seek immediate comfort in his arms. But she had to speak her mind, she wanted Drake to understand.

“What I’m trying to say is, that for too many years, I retreated from everyone, even my own coven. I realize now that I was trying to protect myself from more pain. But in the end, it did me more harm than good.”

She managed a feeble smile. “I’ve grown stubborn in my ways. But if you’re willing to give it a try, I’d love to be with you again.”

There. She’d said it. Pride be damned.

“Grown stubborn?” he said with a mischievous grin. “You always were.”

“I’m even more so now,” she warned.

He slowly stepped toward her. “I can handle that, if you can handle a still somewhat arrogant man who’s a bit out of his league raising twin sixteen-year-old girls.”

“Somewhat arrogant?” She chuckled even as tears streamed down her cheeks. “A bit out of your league?”

Drake laid his hands on her shoulders, fire dancing in his eyes. “You’ve been warned.”

His lips were on hers, gentle for a heartbeat, and then hot and pressing. Tansy flung her arms around his neck, and their tongues danced in a long ago remembered melody. Suddenly, his arm was beneath her thighs and he swept her up, never breaking the kiss as he carried her to the bedroom.

Gently, he laid her on the bed and made quick work of pulling off his jeans and t-shirt and boxers.

Firelight glowed on his skin and she drank in the sight of his muscled, aroused body. Aroused for her. His eyes smoldered when she sat up and quickly pulled the pink gown over her head. A niggle of worry unexpectedly skittered through her mind. She wasn’t a young twenty-something anymore. For Goddess’ sake, she’d had a child and her body bore that proof.

Tansy lifted her chin. She wouldn’t be ashamed. Everett had been her miracle, the light in a long darkness and she had no regrets.

They stared at each other but a moment and then he was on her, his weight delightfully pressing down on top of her own naked flesh. His overheated skin practically sizzled, his dragon nature close to the surface in passion. The man literally was hot—and she loved every flaming minute of the sweltering contact.

It seemed like forever since she’d been with him this way. Her hands ran down his back, remembering the feel of Drake’s long, lean body, every dip and groove where lower back met the curve of hard ass.

He shifted to her side, running his hands up and down the length of her inner thighs. His mouth found and suckled her nipples. A bolt of fiery need licked her core. Tansy cupped his erection and reveled in his sharp exhale of breath, a hiss that heightened her own passion. Later, they could tease each other in extended foreplay, but for right this moment, she needed Drake inside her. Tansy hooked one leg over his waist and pressed against his erection. “Now,” she rasped.

Drake needed no further encouragement. In one thrust, he was inside her. Spasms of need, pleasure mixed with urgency, consumed Tansy. Vaguely, she was aware of the crackling fire, the music of their moans, his scent of sandalwood and peat, but her world had narrowed to the rhythm of his thrusts until—at last—she finally came in an exquisite release of tension. Drake soon followed, his muscles rippling beneath her touch.

Afterward, he held her, bestowing kisses on her forehead and running his fingers through her disheveled hair. A sudden regret scraped her heart. All these years, they’d been apart . . . she swallowed hard. But they’d both had their own journeys to live before they were ready to come together again. The future was what mattered.

“Hey, are you okay?” he breathed, brushing a tangle of hair from her face.

She nodded, her throat burning with a thousand words of love yet unspoken. But for now, she opted for a simple explanation. “I’ve missed you.”

Drake abruptly rose from the bed and gathered his jeans from the floor. Tansy raised up on one elbow, dismay pulsating through her former contentment. Had she scared him off? Was he leaving her so soon?

“There it is,” he muttered, digging something out of his pocket.

“What are you looking for?” she asked, mystified and a bit miffed.

“This.” He held the Heart of Courage ruby in his palm. It glowed in his hand, the crimson rays bright as fire. Drake sat beside her on the bed. “I want you to have it.”

Tansy sat up, shaking her head. “No. It’s too valuable. And not just because it’s worth a fortune. I know it enhances your dragon power. Why would you give it away?”

“Because you’re more valuable to me than any amount of money or power.” He took her hand and pressed the ruby into her palm. “I love you, Tansy.”

She broke down then. A full out blubber of a cry that reddened her nose and eyes and had her sniffling. “You . . . you trust me that much? Are you sure about this?”

“I trust you with my life. After last night, how could I not?”

Tansy threw herself in his arms and held tight through another storm of tears. Good goddess, when had she become such a blithering mass of emotion? Drake had burned down every last reserve and doubt she’d harbored for more years than she’d like to recount.

He pulled her away a few inches. “I’m waiting.”

“For what?” she asked, cocking her head to the side and studying the amusement in his eyes.

“It’s customary for the woman to say I love you back.”

She gave a shaky laugh and pushed at his shoulder. “You know how I feel about you.”

The amusement in his eyes flickered out, replaced by a shadow of vulnerability. “I’d still like to hear the words.”

How adorable was he? Her powerful dragon needed and loved her as much as she did him.

“I love you, Drake,” she assured him. “Always.”

A loud pop sounded from the fireplace and a log fell, setting off a shower of sparks—as if the universe itself had signaled its approval of their love.