“Everything okay?” Liana asked softly when Timothy finally came back out half an hour later.

She’d used the time to go back inside and change. Now she was wearing the turquoise bikini she’d bought this summer during a particularly adventurous moment, and which she’d used exactly once, when her sister had taken her to a fancy spa with her girlfriends.

Timothy had changed as well. He was wearing shorts, which were the same, startling sapphire blue as his eyes, and a simple, white t-shirt. He pulled the shirt off as soon as he settled into the deckchair next to her.

She couldn’t help drawing in a startled, admiring breath. Of course, she’d known that he was an athletic man—but there were more than just broad, strong shoulders hidden beneath his shirt. Now, she had a perfect, unimpeded view of rock-hard pecs and abs that rippled and shifted with every breath he took.

His skin was gleaming in the sun. It had the golden glow that showed that he spent a lot of time outside in the sun, rather than spending all of his days inside a basement gym.

When he turned to face her, he reached out and rested his hand on her arm. The touch sent another shock through her.

A wave of longing flooded her. For a long moment, all she could think about was the heat pooling in her belly. The desire to touch those rippling muscles was so strong that she had to clench her fingers around the armrest to resist.

What if he doesn’t want me to resist...?

Heat rushed to her face.

She knew he wanted her. And if Braeden hadn’t been sitting out here on the deck as well, maybe she’d have reached out to press her hand against the flat, hard plane of his pecs to feel the powerful heartbeat beneath.

Maybe he’d have taken that for the invitation it was and pulled her into his arms to kiss her breathless.

And then...

Liana just barely managed to keep from squirming when her body throbbed with sudden need.

“Everything’s fine,” Timothy said, his voice a little hoarse. “I was just updating my friends about the fire dragons. We might have a meeting tomorrow—and don’t worry, if we do, I’ll bring you along. I won’t leave you unprotected, no matter what.”

“Oh,” Liana said, a little worried as she remembered the attack, but also intrigued. “Will I meet more dragons?”

Timothy nodded. “Probably. If we are summoned, the dragons of air and earth will be as well. They both have human mates, too. Although Naomi, the mate of the dragon of air, is pregnant, so he’s particularly protective right now.”

“Human mates? I’d love to meet them.” Liana felt a little surge of relief.

No matter how strange and scary all of this had been, others had gone through the same thing she had.

“Autumn, the earth dragon’s mate, will come along if we have a council meeting,” Timothy said. He nodded lazily towards where Braeden was finishing off another donut. “She’s his friend, can you believe it?”

Braeden rolled his eyes at Timothy.

“I’m going to watch TV,” he said primly and got up. “So you can gossip about me in peace.”

Timothy waited until he was gone, then shrugged. “He’s not really all that bad, but teasing him is so much fun. And he did save Autumn’s life.”

Liana stretched, staring out at the ocean shimmering in the sunlight before her.

“This is all so complicated.” She sighed. “In my games, dragons are so much easier. You breed them, you hatch them, you feed and train them, and then they win competitions for you. And no one tries to kill you.”

Timothy chuckled, then slowly leaned over her. “But there are things real dragons can do that no virtual dragon can...”

Liana’s heart was beating in her throat. Timothy’s eyes were drawing her in, the blue so bright that she could feel herself sinking into the azure depths. Between her legs, her clit throbbed with sudden need.

Then his mouth was on hers again.

Sighing into the kiss, she wrapped her arms around his neck. He smelled so good—like saltwater and the coconut scent of sun lotion, all mixed with masculine musk.

Between them, she could feel the strange thrum of the connection that bound them together. When she closed her eyes, she could see it, too—a faint, golden light that pulled her towards him, pulsing with her need for him.

He was overwhelming, like an ancient god of the ocean who’d suddenly come to life. And she wanted nothing more than to give herself over to him. She wanted to feel him sinking into her, to claim her and hold her and fan the heat inside her until she could no longer bear it...

“Want to go for a swim?” he said huskily. “I know a sandbank where we’ll be completely alone and undisturbed...”

She gave the door through which Braeden had vanished a look, then nodded with relief.

She wanted nothing more than to pull Timothy down over her and see what he’d do—but not here, where the fire dragon could walk in on them at any moment.

The water was just the right temperature when they walked down the small, wooden stair that led right into the ocean. Liana sighed in happiness as she gave herself up to the water, feeling weightless as she floated.

“Don’t get scared,” Timothy said a moment later. “Trust me. And hold on to me.”

As she stared at him, his form shimmered. A heartbeat later, she found herself in the water with a dragon instead.

Her heart hammering in her chest, she pulled herself up onto his neck as if riding a dragon was completely normal, wrapping her arms around him.

A moment later, the dragon began to move through the water, much faster than she’d been able to.

Liana couldn’t hold back her laughter. It was like riding one of those yellow banana boats speeding through the ocean—only this was way more comfortable.

Timothy moved through the water as if he was an Olympic athlete, nothing but power and grace. The water parted easily for the dragon’s body. With his wings folded tightly against his body, he shot through the water like an arrow.

A refreshing spray of water hit Liana every now and then. Except for that shower of saltwater, traveling through the ocean with Timothy was just like traveling on a boat—just faster and way more fun.

Once she’d gotten used to their speed, Liana sat up. She stretched her hands towards the sky as she laughed with sheer joy.

Before her, the endless stretch of ocean gleamed in the light of the sun. It spread all the way towards the horizon. The sky was so blue that she couldn’t even tell where it ended and where the ocean began.

I’m a knight riding into battle on a dragon! No—I’m a princess traveling the world on my ocean dragon!

She whooped, the water cool against her legs, the sun warm on her back.

It was incredible. She had the same goosebumps that she’d had while reading her favorite fairy tales as a child.

Only now, it was real. It was all real.

And who cared about dangerous fire dragons if the strange shifter world meant that she could also have this?

All the stress of work fell away at last. For a moment, she was no longer Liana the coder, or Liana the eternally single, nerdy black geek girl.

Now she was Liana the warrior princess. Liana the adventuress, who traveled the world and fought evil from the back of her loyal, powerful ocean dragon.

Timothy snorted and lowered his head into the water. A small fountain of water shot up into the air, droplets raining down on Liana in a sparkling shower.

She laughed, stretching out her hands towards the sky again. As the rain fell down on her, for a heartbeat a rainbow formed above her.

Everything about the outside world had vanished. All of her worries and fears and anxieties were gone.

For the first time in her life, she was feeling completely free. Right now, it felt like the entire world consisted of nothing but the sky, the ocean and the powerful dragon beneath her.

For long minutes, they traveled through the water. Eventually, the deep azure of the ocean turned into a lighter turquoise. In front of them, she could see the water lapping at what looked like a small island of sand.

This had to be the sandbank Timothy had promised her. Had it always been here, or had he used his powers to create it for them?

Doesn’t matter, she thought.

She was still filled with breathless excitement and a sudden, deep affection for this man who’d been trying so hard to make her feel comfortable in his world.

What mattered was that she knew that Timothy would create islands for her at the drop of a hat if she asked it of him.

But right now, island or not, she knew that there was only one thing in the world she wanted.

Timothy.

She wanted Timothy, her powerful ocean dragon, who’d been looking at her with such heat in his eyes—and who, unlike her previous boyfriends, had not once tried to make her do something she wasn’t comfortable with.

Timothy shifted back as soon as they reached the sandbank. The sun glistened on his skin, and Liana felt her throat go dry as she watched drops of water run down the flexing muscles of his chest.

He really looked like an ancient god who’d risen from the sea—overwhelmingly strong and handsome, like a painting or a statue in a museum.

But Timothy wasn’t made of marble. He was one hundred percent real, sexy virility. And when their eyes met, Liana felt the spark between them ignite once more, her heart beating faster as she remembered the sensation of his hands on her body.

She wanted him. She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anything, and she wasn’t afraid anymore.

Timothy was the right guy. The one she’d been waiting for, the one she’d thought she’d never meet.

She took a step towards him.

The heat in his eyes flared up immediately. Once more they shone with the blue of sapphires, gorgeous and mysterious. Then he drew her into his arms, and she gasped at how hot his skin was.

Timothy’s mouth covered hers. She clutched at his shoulders as he kissed her until she forgot how to breathe, her heart hammering in her chest as her need grew to a level she’d never experienced before.

His arms surrounded her, holding her close to him. She could feel his muscles flexing against her skin—and she could also feel how hard he was, his erection large and hot against her thigh.

He was still wearing his shorts. And she was still wearing her bikini.

Heat rose to her face, but she reached back and unfastened her bikini.

She could feel Timothy draw in a sudden breath—and then his hands trailed over her back while he kept kissing her.

When his hands came forward to gently, tenderly cup her breasts, she found herself moaning. Her nipples ached. His thumbs sought them out unerringly, gently stroking and circling until she felt as if she was melting with longing, her entire body filled with heat.

Her clit was throbbing, her belly twisting and turning, yearning for him—yearning for more.

Then, tenderly, he pressed her down onto the sand, which was warm against her back—but not as warm as Timothy’s skin.

Heat rushed through her again as he pressed little kisses down her throat, slowly moving further down until at last, his mouth found one of her nipples.

She cried out softly at how good it felt. His mouth was as hot as a furnace.

Then his tongue came out to gently caress her, her nipple achingly tight as his tongue circled it again and again. His fingers stroked her breasts, his thumb gently flicking her other nipple. At every touch, it felt as if he set off sparks that set all the nerves in her body on fire.

Her clit was tingling. She could feel how wet she’d gotten.

And for the first time in her life, feeling just how badly Timothy wanted her didn’t make her afraid. Instead, it felt good. It felt right. He was the man she’d been waiting for all these years.

A moment later, she felt his fingers touch the string of her bikini briefs.

“Is this okay?” he asked huskily.

She swallowed, her entire body tight with need.

“Yes,” she said, and then reached down to tug on the string herself.

A moment later, his strong hands took over. Very gently, he rolled her bikini bottoms down her legs. Then he returned to pressing kisses to her aching breasts until she arched breathlessly against him.

Finally, he began licking a slow path downward, his tongue hot on her skin.

She could feel herself trembling as he reached her stomach, but she was still on fire with need.

She wasn’t scared of him, not at all. With Timothy, she’d never have to be afraid of anything ever again.

But it was new. It was all new for her. And what if she disappointed him?

At her age, her lack of experience wasn’t cute or endearing—it was just sad. At least that was what everyone else had always told her...

“You’re gorgeous,” Timothy said, breaking through her sudden worry with one of his brilliant smiles as he lifted his head.

She could feel her clit throb again, achingly aware of how close Timothy was—and of how hard and hot he felt against her thigh.

He wanted her too. He wanted her just as much as she wanted him...

“I know I promised I’d take this slowly,” he said softly, his voice rough. “But I want to make you feel good. You can say no at any time. Okay?”

Mutely, she nodded, her throat so tight with desire that she didn’t think she could speak. When she tried, it came out as little more than a whisper.

“I want you.”

“I want you too.” His azure eyes had turned the dark blue of the deepest parts of the ocean as he stared at her with hunger and desire. “More than I’ve ever wanted anything.”

Then he lowered his head again, pressing another kiss to her soft belly. His fingers stroked up her bare thighs, gently spreading her legs apart for him.

She was moaning even before his lips found her wet folds.

The sensation was incredible. No one had ever touched her like this before, although Benny had kept trying to get his fingers into her panties.

But this was completely unlike the awkwardness of her college boyfriend.

Timothy was a man who knew what he wanted—and what he wanted was to treat her with the utmost gentleness and carefulness. He touched her as if she was something incredibly precious, and not just an object he wanted to own so he could brag about it.

Every touch of his lips made sparks explode inside her belly. Her clit was swollen and aching, so sensitive that she felt as if the slightest touch would be too much—and then he moved up and breathed against her, hot air ghosting against her sensitive clit.

Liana moaned helplessly, staring up at the blue sky stretching over her.

She felt completely overwhelmed. All around her, there was nothing but water and sky and sunlight. But she couldn’t even feel the heat of the sun on her skin anymore.

All she could feel was the throb of desire in her body—and the irresistible need to feel Timothy against her. She wanted to become truly one with him, to know that they’d never ever have to part again.

And then Timothy kissed her clit.

Pleasure raced through her like an electric shock. He breathed hot air against her again—and then his tongue touched her, gently circling the sensitive nub.

Every caress set off more and more shock waves of pleasure until at last, Liana found herself trembling. She arched up into his touch as ecstasy took away her breath, her climax pulsing through her with throb after throb of pleasure.

And Timothy didn’t stop.

His tongue kept exploring her, gently caressing her folds while pleasure still pulsed through her. Then his tongue searched out her clit again, stroking it tenderly, demandingly.

She felt as if some wild creature had taken control of her body’s response. Pleasure throbbed through her again, every climax longer and slower than the one before, until she felt like a mess of wrung-out nerves. She was so sensitive that the touch of his hands on her skin was nearly more than she could bear—and she didn’t want it to ever end.

He used his fingers to hold her folds open and lapped at her, driving her tired body deeper into the endless spiral of pleasure.

Gasping, she reached out to bury her fingers in his hair, desperately holding on. He swiped his tongue upwards again, teasing her over-sensitized clit with another demanding stroke of his tongue until she moaned his name—and then he fastened his mouth over her clit and sucked.

Pleasure hit so hard that she could hear herself crying out dimly before she was swept away by it.

She throbbed, pleasure rushing through her body with the force of a storm, carrying her with it like waves carrying a ship out to sea.

She had no control over it. She could only tremble and surrender herself to the pleasure. All around her, she could see the golden light of the strange connection between them, throbbing in time with the pulses of her climax. The light wrapped all around them, binding them ever more tightly together.

When it finally stopped, she found herself resting in Timothy’s arms, sweaty and utterly exhausted.

“Was that good?” he asked as he tenderly looked down at her.

“Oh my God,” she murmured, lazily wrapping an arm around his shoulder, pressing closer.

He smelled of musk and salt and a strange, wild freedom she’d never known before. It was something she’d thought existed only in her games and in books.

But no game had ever felt as overwhelming and as perfectly right as this.

Of course, his world was more dangerous than her virtual game worlds—no fire dragon had ever tried to kill her while she was sitting safely alone in front of her laptop.

But this—this was worth every single fire dragon out to kill them. As long as she could have her ocean dragon, she’d happily take on an entire army of fire dragons.

“What about you?” she asked a moment later, when she realized that he was still hard against her thigh.

“I can wait,” he said, nuzzling against her throat. “Mmm, you smell good. Like the ocean, like salt and sunlight. And like me.”

He lifted his head to give her an unapologetic, possessive grin.

His eyes were still gleaming in that brilliant, dazzling blue. Slowly, she reached out to brush back a strand of his hair—and then she gasped.

For a moment, she’d seen a burst of golden light when their skin made contact.

“Close your eyes,” he murmured. “Close your eyes—can you see it?”

And there it was. From behind her closed eyes, she could make out the same golden light. As she waited, it became more brilliant. It wrapped all around them—like a chain connecting them. And wherever their skin touched, the light intensified.

“What is it?” she breathed when she opened her eyes again. “It’s beautiful.”

“It’s the mate bond. It’s growing stronger. Once we’re truly mated, nothing and no one will ever be able to destroy it.”

“What does it do?” she asked curiously, immediately reminded of the heroes of her favorite game. “Did we just level up? It feels like we leveled up.”

Perplexed, he stared at her for a moment. Then he started laughing.

Helplessly giggling, Liana collapsed against his chest a moment later.

“Sorry,” she said when she could talk again, although she wasn’t sorry at all. Timothy looked gorgeous when he was overwhelmed by laughter.

Almost as gorgeous as when he’s overwhelmed by passion...

“I guess we did.” The grin he gave her was just as unapologetic. “That’s how the mate bond works. The closer we become, the stronger it grows.”

Curious, Liana tilted her head at him. “And so being mated means—what exactly? Being married? Will I get cool new powers too, like... like shooting laser beams? Ooh, or underwater breathing?”

Timothy laughed. “No lasers, sorry. And underwater breathing... I don’t know. This hasn’t really happened before. But there must be a reason that all three of us found human mates. I think it’s because the earth realizes that the fire dragons are a huge threat. The elements have to be united and at the height of their power to fight it.”

“Hmm,” Liana said thoughtfully. “So what about the mating?”

“It’s a sort of wedding,” Timothy said, “but deeper, more powerful. A wedding of the soul, if you want the romantic explanation. To truly mate, I would have to claim you, and you would have to want it, too. It only happens between two willing souls. But when the mate bond is in place, I’ll be able to feel when you are in danger—and you’d feel me as well.”

“Like mind reading?” she asked curiously.

Timothy gave her a knowing grin. “You can be a super heroine at last. But I’m afraid it’ll only work on me. You won’t be able to know what our fire dragon thinks.”

“Pity, that would make your work easier.” She sighed, then stretched against him instead. “Thanks for explaining all of that. This would make a great video game, you know. All the fun, none of the danger.”

“I’m sorry those dragons got to you,” he said softly. “I should have—”

She pressed a finger to his lips.

“None of that,” she said firmly. “You came and watched over me all night. You didn’t have to do that. But you did, and you saved me. There’s no reason for guilt.”

He smiled against her finger, then nodded.

“Okay. No more talk of depressing things.” He straightened. “How about a swim in the ocean before I get us back home?”

Liana grinned. Then she abandoned her bikini top at the sandbank as she got up and waded into the ocean, enjoying the way Timothy’s eyes widened as she tried her best to look sultry and enticing.

Like a mermaid. Like a black, geeky mermaid—but hey, at least I know I can compete with the best of mermaids when it comes to the busty department.

And then, she’d already caught her sailor...