“Come on. You can hit harder than that.” Sylvie lowered the pads in disappointment. “I’m never going to be able to train you like this.”

Cobalt raised an eyebrow, having soaked his tank top with sweat already during their workout and now from the exertion of pretending to punch hard while restraining himself so he didn’t hurt his mate.

If he actually punched with all his strength, he was pretty sure the flimsy excuse for a pad she was holding up would do nothing to protect her.

And protecting her was basically his life.

“You know I can’t go full power with you,” he said, grabbing a towel and wiping off his face. It had been several days since she’d agreed to mate him, since she’d stuck a sword through Hora and ended her reign of destruction.

The oracle had been in touch with the wolves, and a tenuous truce had been drawn—for now.

That meant things were quiet, and aside from needing to still dig into the mystery of what Chromium was doing outside the mansion, Cobalt was pretty content with his life.

More than content when it came to spending time with his mate.

He’d promised Chromium he would just trust him for now. After all, Chromium was an apex predator among apex predators, and Cobalt really didn’t think he could come to any harm.

He still couldn’t help worrying about his cousin slightly, though.

“Hey,” Sylvie said, putting a hand up to his cheek. “Whatcha thinking about?”

He put a hand over hers. “Sorry. Lost in thought.”

“Is it about Chromium?”

He nodded.

“He’s going to be fine. Hell, now that things are working out in the shifter world a bit better, without Hora causing chaos, maybe the oracle will openly let dragons go out in the world.”

“That could be nice. We could have a honeymoon.”

She shook her head. “No need.” Her hand moved down to his crotch, and he jumped as she lightly groped him. Possessiveness lit her eyes. “We can honeymoon whenever we want to, right here.”

He laughed and moved her hand aside, pulling her into a hug. He loved his audacious mate. Loved the way she tried to surprise him, loved the way she often did.

“I love you.” He placed a kiss on the top of her head, and she looked up at him with a soft expression.

“I love you, too.”

Then she grabbed his hand. “Now come on. If I can’t make a fighter out of you, we might as well skip to the good part and go take a shower.”

Cobalt laughed, letting her drag him along. “The best part of your day is a shower?”

She smiled at him mischievously. “When it’s with you, it is.”

He disrobed and walked into the shower, starting the water running while he watched his mate change. “Oh dear, my back’s hurt. Sylvie, I think I’ll need you to come in.” His tone was teasing, and she narrowed her eyes at him in a glare.

“Think you’re funny, huh, dragon?”

He shrugged, letting water run over his bare shoulders, steaming hot already.

She ran her small, pink tongue over her lower lip and looked him over, and he knew that despite her feisty attitude, there was no way she could resist. “So you’re injured, huh?”

He laughed. “Yes. Very.”

“Where?” She stepped in, utterly naked, curves gleaming with sweat and glowing from her workout. He pushed her short curls back.

“I lied. I just said that to get you naked.”

She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his waist, letting out a little growl. “I’ve taught you well, nerd.”

He laughed and pulled her in close, then tilted her chin up and took her lips in a kiss, letting water soak both of them and steam swirl around, keeping them warm.

When he pulled back, her expression was tender, her smile sweet. “I’m never going to get tired of you, dragon. Cobalt.”

He loved the sound of his name on her lips. “Whatever you want to call me is fine as long as you’re mine.”

She jumped up, knowing he’d catch her, and wrapped her thighs around his waist and her arms around his neck. “You know I am already.” She buried her head against his shoulder and gave him a little nip that sent a shudder down his spine. “Damn, you’re amazing. If I’d known you’d be like this, I think I would have pursued you even harder.”

He leaned back to look down at her, one eyebrow cocked. “Really? You could have pursued harder?”

She grumbled something under her breath.

“What was that?”

“I guess not.” She wriggled against him. “Take me, dragon.”

He did, placing her carefully against the wall of the shower and holding her up, then entering her smoothly. They hadn’t had to use a condom since he explained to her that dragons didn’t need them since they couldn’t pass things to humans and pregnancy could only happen under very specific conditions.

It was nice to have absolutely nothing between them.

He bit down on her shoulder, just enough to satisfy the possessive urges in him and stifle the surge of pleasure that being inside her brought.

Her nails dug into his shoulders. “So good, Cobalt. Don’t stop.” She worked against him, urging him to move, but he was in control now, and he would go as slow as he wanted.

He slowly pulled out, making her groan, and then pushed back in. She bit her lip and sighed, and he began to kiss along her neck, her ear, as he kept moving slowly out and in.

Her moans became more insistent as he bit and kissed at her sensitive flesh, keeping her tight against him as he showered love on every piece of skin he could reach. His body was on fire just from being with her, and he wanted her to feel the same.

He could sense the tension rising in her, see her arching back against the wall as water splashed over her gorgeous breasts and perfect brown skin. He looked over her, thinking she couldn’t be any more flawless. Then he lowered his mouth to hers, sliding his tongue in insistently at the same time he was sheathed deep within her, and she came.

She screamed against his lips, and he caught every bit of it, holding her as she writhed desperately, her clenching sex surrounding him on all sides.

Moments like this were utterly priceless, and he wished these seconds of overwhelming pleasure could go on forever.

She let out a hoarse sigh and slumped against him, pressing kisses to his neck and then kissing his mouth, already moving against him.

He began to thrust harder, enjoying her moans against his lips, enjoying the trembling of her body as she fought her own release. He loved how sensitive she was, how much she reacted to every single motion. How she gave love so freely in his arms.

“You demon,” she murmured against his lips. “You don’t know what you’re doing to me.”

She was shaking slightly, and he put his cheek to hers, leaning against her and taking a break from thrusting for a moment.

“No, I know exactly what I’m doing.” He pulled slowly back, then came forward, inch by agonizingly slow inch. “I’m going to make you come.”

And then he slid in, bringing them so tightly together they felt like one being, and she screamed out his name and arched in his arms.

“Cobalt, Cobalt.” She almost sounded as if she was sobbing as her body tensed around him, and she moved rhythmically in his arms.

He pressed her back harder, left one hand to support her, and then used the other to gently stroke the side of her face. “I love when you call my name.”

“Egomaniac,” she choked out. “Nerd.” She threw her arms around him. “Mine.”

“Yours.” He nodded, beginning to move again, holding her with both hands under her thighs because she was starting to tremble from exhaustion, both from the workout and what he was doing to her body right now. “And you’re mine. Forever.”

“Forever.” She nodded. “Whatever you want. Just come with me this time.”

So he did, working them both to the point of nearly insane tension and then waiting for her to tip over the edge in shuddering ecstasy before joining her there himself.

As he held her, calling her name and hearing his in response, he knew that nothing could ever be this perfect. Until their next moment… and the next… and the next.

All his life, he’d been searching—for more knowledge, for more stories, for the books that would complete his journey and give him that thing that had always been eluding his grasp.

Now that he had Sylvie, he knew he was done searching. He would always be learning, always a curious dragon, but he’d found the knowledge that mattered most of all. The only fact that was worth holding his mind.

Sylvie was his for eternity, and he couldn’t wait to write the endless story of their love together.

* * *

* * *

I hope you enjoyed Cobalt and Sylvie’s story. If you enjoyed it, I hope you’ll give it a review to help other readers find it.

Thanks again so much for your support! I always know I have the best readers.

Sincerely,

Terry

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Boxed set for Rent-A-Dragon!

I decided to release a limited boxed set of my popular Rent-A-Dragon series, with all three books for only .99. Hope you enjoy!

Sample on the next page: