Chapter 11

Kristine and her mother were at a nearby laundromat, taking care of the few clothes they had brought with them. Kristine cleared her throat and launched into the conversation she knew they needed to have alone.

“I have to go home, Mom. Lieutenant Mahoney called and said there was a huge high-rise fire. Two guys were injured. They need me.”

“Oh no, you don’t. It’s not safe to return yet. Is it?”

“If Donkey Pizzle and company are looking for us, they probably know that we’re not in New York anymore.” Kristine tossed her thong onto the pile of granny panties she usually wore.

Amy eyed the thong, and her eyebrows shot up. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Not a word.”

Amy chuckled. Soon she became serious. “I hope you’ll take a while to think about this. They’re bound to be furious that I got away, and I’m sure they’ll be looking for me.”

“Well, they’re not going to find you because you’re staying here in Boston.”

“But what about you? They could go after you next.”

Kristine stuck her hand on her hip. “Let them try. I’m a freakin’ dragon.”

“You aren’t thinking of doing anything stupid, like breathing fire in public, are you?” Amy folded her arms and stared at her daughter. “We don’t have the power to erase minds.”

Kristine was determined. Her fellow firefighters needed her. She was the only one who was fireproof, not that they knew that. But she was always able to pull them out of danger, and if worst came to worst, she could fly out of any situation and shift back in the smoke before anyone saw her. At least that’s how it had turned out so far.

Amy sighed. “You have that look on your face.”

“What look?”

“The one that says ‘Don’t bother…I know what I’m doing, and nothing you say will stop me.’”

Kristine chuckled. “Yup. You know me well.”

Amy shook her head and went back to folding socks. “I don’t suppose Jayce can go with you? Can he?”

“I doubt it. He’s needed here in Boston. He just took a vacation, so I imagine he can’t get away again for a while.”

“I wish you’d reconsider… I know you can protect yourself but not without using your supernatural powers, and you know why we can’t do that.”

Kristine rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know. People will see us as a threat. Then capture and study us or just outright kill us. People are stupid.”

“No, people are human. They fear what they don’t understand, and trying to understand that dragons are real is beyond most modern thinkers. There’s really no point in arguing this,” Amy said. “It’s the only hard-and-fast rule I’ve ever demanded of you. That hasn’t changed.”

Kristine dropped the T-shirt she had been about to fold. “Seriously? I’m an adult now. You really can’t tell me what to do or what not to do anymore.”

“Oh yeah?”

Kristine ignored the comment and returned to folding her FDNY T-shirt. When she couldn’t afford to finish college, the only saving grace was that she could become a firefighter. It was a noble calling, and it fulfilled her in a way she hadn’t expected.

Still, a college degree would help her rise up the ladder. Not that she’d want to go so high she didn’t see any action at all. But becoming a lieutenant would be nice. As it was, she would have to start all over in Boston, but she really thought she could make a difference if she had a little more clout.

Kristine had taken a few brave chances and demonstrated how valuable she was to her fellow FDNY firefighters. They had stopped questioning her abilities as a woman long ago, and she had proven herself many times over. She felt regretful for the high-rise getting so out of control. Had she been there, she might have been able to help. “I’m sorry, Mom, I have to go back.”

Amy shook her head and remained silent.

“On the plus side, while I’m there, I can search for a new apartment for us.”

Amy bit her lip but still didn’t respond.

Kristine had to wonder what was going on in her mother’s head. Did she want to stay in Boston, even though her job was in New York? She’d bet meeting Conlan had something to do with it. “So, should I look for a one bedroom or two?”

“I don’t know yet.”

Kristine slapped her hands over her eyes. “I don’t fucking believe this. You’re the one who wanted to stay in New York. Your job at the acting school was so important to you, and there’s nothing like that in Boston.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. Amber was telling me about Emerson College. It’s right down the street from the B and B. They have an exceptional arts program, especially when it comes to drama. With my credentials she thinks I’d be a shoo-in for a job there. And many Broadway shows come to Boston.”

Kristine’s eyes widened. “You’re really thinking about staying here?”

Amy shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s a possibility.”

“‘It’s a possibility…’” Kristine mocked.

“Don’t be fresh. What’s wrong with keeping our options open? I would have thought you’d like to be closer to Jayce.”

“And it’s just handy that you would be closer to Conlan and all his relatives.”

Amy grinned. “That part doesn’t suck.”

* * *

Jayce and his father waited in the hospital lounge for news of Sandra and the baby. Miguel was with her.

“I wanted you here so you could see what it takes to run this family,” Antonio Fierro said.

“I really don’t understand what the big deal is, Dad. Anyone could sit here and wait for news.”

Mr. Fierro straightened and stared at his son. “No, Jayce. Not just anyone. The head of the family needs to be responsive and available to any and all of our family members in times of crisis.”

Jayce leaned back and folded his arms. “What if I’m on the job? Am I supposed to just run off and deal with every family emergency that could possibly come up?”

Antonio scrubbed a hand over his face. “No. Having a wife can help with that…for the most part. If she works too, one of you should be able to respond at a moment’s notice.”

His father took a deep breath. “I wasn’t going to say this, not just yet anyway, but there are those in high places who know what we are. Promotions to nine-to-five positions can be arranged when necessary.”

“Are you shitting me?” Jayce asked.

“There are a number of things I need to teach you. Maybe you’ll understand a little better why it’s important that one of us knows all the particulars.”

“And why should only one of us be privy to this information?”

“Now you must be shitting me… The more people who know these things, the greater the chance of a slip of the tongue or eavesdroppers getting hold of sensitive information they shouldn’t have.”

“Does Miguel know?”

“No. At this point, there’s no reason for him to know anything about this. I’ve been thinking I could make you and Miguel co-heads. That presents a problem if disagreements come up. I’m still hoping that you will take over.”

Jayce saw an opportunity to possibly introduce the subject of Kristine fitting into his life. “Are you still stuck on the criteria for the leader of this precious family?”

Antonio rested his elbows on his knees, leaned forward, and clasped his hands. “You really don’t understand our importance, do you? If you are to take over as head of the family, you absolutely have to understand and accept the criteria—that you be married, living in our home in the South End, or somewhere nearby that can accommodate all of us at once. It’s been that way for as long as anyone can remember. Just letting Ryan move to Ireland with his fiancée was a huge departure from protocol.”

“So why did you do it?”

Antonio snorted. “Remember the big public funeral we had for him? Anyone who spotted him would think they were seeing a ghost. It was dicey, but because he was reincarnated as a child, I could make the excuse that he was no longer the eldest. That makes you the eldest now.”

“Lucky me,” Jayce said sardonically.

Antonio stood and began pacing across the room and back. “This is the reason I felt that you and Miguel would have to do this together. He’s much more serious and, pardon me for saying this, more levelheaded. He’s married and will someday have children—I hope.”

“He’s a little too serious, if you ask me.”

Antonio nodded. “That’s true. Having fun makes life worth living—not just an endless struggle. And the two of you together would balance each other out. But it would be so much better if I could trust you to meet the criteria. As you know, your mother refuses to leave Boston until all her sons are happily married. You’re making it seem like that will never happen.”

“Ah! That’s what all this pressure is about. You want to sit on a Caribbean beach sipping piña coladas. Well, never say never,” Jayce said.

Antonio swiveled and looked at his son. “Is there something you’re not telling me? Is it serious between you and the New York girl?”

Jayce didn’t know how to answer that. Kristine had told him she was going to return to New York. He didn’t know how to make this work. He had to stay in Boston. He understood that he was obligated to his family despite arguing with his father about it. She seemed to be adamant about staying in New York. Yet he didn’t want anyone else.

Jayce Fierro rose to his full six-foot height and folded his arms. “I was going to tell you at dinner—until everything happened with Sandra today. Kristine is in Boston. I’d like her to meet you and Ma, but I don’t know how open you would be to an out-of-towner. She’s important to me, Dad, but we haven’t worked everything out yet.”

“What are you saying?”

Jayce threw his hands in the air. “That’s just it. I don’t know what I’m saying.”

“Sounds like the usual.”

Jayce huffed. “Thanks a lot. What I mean is that if things depend upon some kind of semi-traditional marriage, I have to convince her to move to Boston. That won’t be easy. She loves New York. I have to rely on you to make her feel welcome. I don’t have to worry about Mom. Just bringing home a woman who’s marriage material will thrill her, I’m sure.”

Antonio chuckled. “You got that right. You’re also right about how badly I want to leave these crappy winters behind and sit on a beach in January, sipping cocktails. So I’d be pretty damn happy too.”

Jayce and Antonio noticed Miguel standing in the doorway and immediately rose.

“How is she? I mean they?” Antonio asked.

“Sandra’s okay. The baby is still hanging in there too.”

Both Antonio and Jayce let out their collective breaths in a whoosh.

Jayce wondered how long Miguel had been standing there and how much he had heard. “What happened? Do they know?”

“The doctor called it placental abruption. It’s when the placenta separates from the uterine wall.”

“I’m not familiar with it. Is it serious?” Jayce asked.

“It can be. It’s fairly rare, so I’m not surprised you’ve never heard of it.”

“I guess your mother and I were lucky,” Antonio said. “All seven of you gave her morning sickness, but that was about it. After the first trimester, everything went smoothly. So is there anything they can do?”

“Well, they can’t reattach the placenta, but they’re going to keep her here and monitor her for a while. She might be able to go home and stay on bed rest if everything is stable. They said there’s medication they can give to help the baby’s lungs develop in case she’s a preemie.”

Antonio’s brows lifted. “She?”

Miguel smiled. “It’s a girl.”

“I’ll be damned,” his father muttered. “The first girl in three generations.”

A boy would take over the family when the next generation was ready. Now that Jayce knew there were secrets involved, he had to know what they were. Was running the family a blessing or a curse? Would a daughter be allowed to do it?

* * *

Kristine had agreed to visit Jayce at his condo. She had to tell him she’d be leaving Boston the next day. He’d probably try to get her to stay and join the BFD. As much as she wanted to be with him, she didn’t want to leave her buddies who needed her—or be run out of her neighborhood.

She stepped up to the old brick building by the river. Jayce had said to enter by the side door, which he’d leave unlocked. Kristine tried the knob. It turned, so she figured she had the right place. She opened the door and was immediately looking at a staircase. She walked up one flight of stairs and tried the knob up there. That too was open, so she figured she had arrived at the right apartment.

Striding into a kitchen, Kristine was greeted with a shriek. A naked woman stood at the stove, stirring something in a frying pan.

They stared at each other wide-eyed. Was this Jayce’s idea of a joke? Or did Jayce have another girlfriend she didn’t know about?

Kristine recovered first. “Does Jayce Fierro live here?”

The woman let out a deep breath and quickly donned an apron. “Jayce lives downstairs. You must have just come in the wrong door.”

“Oh! I’m sorry. He said he’d leave the door unlocked, and I just figured whichever one opened was his.”

The woman chuckled. “Yeah, I told my boyfriend the same thing. I was surprised when you weren’t him.”

Kristine smiled, embarrassed. “Oops. It looks like you’re planning some kind of a nice surprise. I hope I didn’t ruin it.”

“Not at all. I’ll just turn the bacon down, and he’ll be here any minute.”

“Okay, I’ll be going now.” Kristine paused with her hand on the doorknob. She turned to the woman and said, “Don’t you know you’re not supposed to fry bacon in the nude?”

The woman laughed. “Yeah. It was an inside joke, but I guess the joke was on me.”

Kristine grinned and jogged down the stairs, passing a young man on his way up. She called over her shoulder, “Have fun.”

As soon as she reached the ground floor, Kristine tried the other door. This time she walked into an entrance with a few steps leading down. Jayce stood at the sliding-glass door, looking out at the river. He sauntered over and enveloped her in a warm hug.

“Did you have any trouble finding the place?” he asked.

Kristine laughed. “Oh, no. No trouble at all, unless you consider surprising your upstairs neighbor, who was expecting someone else, ‘trouble.’”

Jayce laughed. “I thought I heard a scream.”

Kristine ran her hands over his hard chest. “Well, I’m here now.”

“And I’m glad.” They shared a quick kiss followed by a long, tender one.

When they finally eased apart, she glanced around the place and noticed the apartment was orderly and clean with newish furniture. Nothing appeared too fussy or heavy, neither feminine nor masculine, but everything was attractive and modern. Sort of how she would have decorated the place had it been hers.

Come to think of it, she wouldn’t mind it being hers. “Nice place. I expected it to be a little messier, since you admitted to being a slob.”

He laughed. “You remember I said that, huh?”

“Yeah. I was almost afraid to come here. I didn’t know if I was going to find empty pizza boxes on the floor, dirty laundry strewn around, or what.”

“Yeah, well, I neaten up when I’m expecting company.”

Kristine gave him another peck on the lips and strolled over to the sliding-glass door. “Nice view.”

“Not as good as the view I have,” he said, staring at her short denim skirt from behind.

She couldn’t help smiling. A few boats floated by. “Do you have a boat out there?”

“Yeah. My brothers and I like to go fishing sometimes. You should come with us.”

Oh boy. She had the opening she needed but just hadn’t thought it would come up so quickly. “Yeah, about that. There’s something I need to tell you.”

“Dragons don’t like to fish?”

“It’s not that. I might go with you sometime, but it will be when I’m visiting from New York again.”

Jayce stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I guess you’re still planning to return despite everything that’s happened—”

“Yes. I am. We’ve barely started dating. I don’t think I should be ready to give up my independence just yet. I want to get a new place, and I need to get back to work.”

He ambled over to her, placed his hands on her upper arms, and said, “I was thinking this could be your place and you could get a job in the area. There’s an opening in the fire department, or you could go back to college, or whatever you want to do… As long as we’re together, I’d be happy.”

Back to college? Had he realized how badly she wished she’d finished? “Why do you think I want to go back to college?”

“Oh, I don’t know…maybe because you told me you were a college dropout in the first five minutes of meeting me.”

“You got me. I wanted to be a doctor, but with all the related expenses, I realized my mother and I would be bankrupt before I got my degree.”

Jayce smiled. “You’re already an EMT and smart as hell. I can see you as a doctor. Let me pay your room and board, and you can look for a school. There are some excellent colleges and med schools in Boston.”

Kristine smiled shyly. “That’s sweet of you. But don’t you think it’s too soon?”

Jayce shrugged. “It isn’t for me. I’d even do my best to keep my place neat and clean for you.”

Kristine giggled. “Well, that’s a plus. But I really miss New York. And it bugs me that I’m being run out of my home when it’s not my fault.”

Jayce let out a deep sigh. “I wish…” He let go of her and stepped away. “Never mind.”

“What?”

He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.” Then his expression changed. He focused on her with an intense stare. “No. It does matter. I love you, Kristine. I want to be with you. I thought you felt the same way about me. Don’t you?”

She wandered over to one of the chairs and sank down onto it. “I do. I mean, if you could only come with me back to New York—”

Jayce folded his arms. “You know I have family obligations here. Is your mother pressuring you to go back?”

“No. Not at all. In fact, she’s had a change of heart—”

“You mean because of finding relatives here? Or possibly more? I thought I saw something between her and Conlan—”

“You’re very perceptive. She hasn’t totally made up her mind yet, but she is considering staying here—at least for a while.”

“Why don’t you both stay a while? I know you think you’re safe in New York now, but—”

“Jayce, I’m a dragon. I’m safe wherever I am.”

“Then tell me, how did they get your mother? It’s not like she couldn’t also just open her mouth and melt whoever laid a hand on her.”

Kristine knew, but she wasn’t about to tell him. They’d shot her mother with a tranquilizer dart. She said she’d felt a sharp pain in the back of her shoulder before losing consciousness.

Jayce squatted next to her chair and took her hand. “Please. I know paranormals are perceived to be invulnerable, but we’re not. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Kristine was irritated with herself. She could see his side of the argument and even felt herself softening to him, but she really wanted to stand up for her own principles. Her own hopes and dreams and wishes. She had finally learned what her mother had been hiding from her all those years, but she hadn’t had time to process any of it.

She didn’t like how these so-called goons or mobsters acted like they were unstoppable. Weren’t they just human? The thought of her mother caving to them bothered her. Amy wasn’t like that. Were they controlling her simply by threatening her daughter? That bothered her too.

Part of her wanted to see the rest of the picture in this dangerous puzzle, but mostly she wanted these assholes out of their lives. Never able to threaten either her or her mother again.

Jayce rose and returned to the sliding-glass door, which he opened, letting in a soft breeze. “It’s a beautiful evening. Would you like to go for a boat ride in the moonlight?”

Kristine sighed. She was at war with herself. It would be so easy just to slip into the comfort of Jayce, moonlit boat rides, and falling in love. But easy wasn’t always right. Those bastards were still living in luxury on Long Island—wreaking havoc on innocent lives. No wonder they thought they were unstoppable. Who was stopping them? If the police were dirty, there was no one.

She left her chair and stepped into his space, lightly caressing his pecs. “It would be so easy just to forget everything that’s happened, but I can’t. I love you, Jayce, and if you love me, you’ll wait until I’m ready to make the changes you want.”

“I love you so much I can’t see straight.”

He leaned in and pulled her close, delivering a long, deep kiss that had her tingling from the tips of her fingers to her toes. She did love him. He was easygoing, strong, and handsome—just looking at him made her weak in the knees. Plus he cared deeply and had never deserted her in her time of need. She doubted he ever would.

She cupped his cheek and stepped away. “One boat ride. But then I have to go back to the bed and breakfast. I can’t spend the night.”

He nodded, took her hand, and led her out onto the small patio. Then he locked the door behind them and ushered her to his boat. Kristine had never been much for boats, but his looked like a nice one.

Gabriella was painted on its stern. “The Gabriella?”

“My brothers and I named her after our mother.”

Nice. He helped her down the ladder, and she glanced around. She thought it was called a cabin cruiser because there was some kind of enclosed living space below. “Do you have a whole kitchen and dining area down there?”

A sly smile stole across his face. “All that and more. There are a couple of sleeping spaces too. One is under the hull, and the benches turn into a surprisingly comfortable bed.”

She laughed. “I should’ve known…”

As Jayce untied the boat and started up the motor, he winked at her. They backed out into the open river. Then he pushed the lever forward, and they cruised past several other docks and private boats.

“You have a sweet setup here,” she said.

“All the more reason to move in with me.”

“I thought we agreed it was too soon.”

His smile faded. “I don’t know about that. Timing is a funny thing. You know Rory and Amber, your hosts?”

“Yeah…”

“They’ve been living together since the day they met.”

Her confusion must have been apparent. “What do you mean? Did they have some sort of roommate arrangement made for them before they moved in?”

He laughed as he steered them into open water. “Not intentionally. To hear them tell it is a lot funnier, but from what I understand, it all started in the building next door to the B and B. There’s a husband-and-wife management team for the apartments. She rented the only vacant place from the wife at the exact same time as he rented the same apartment from her husband. Neither manager could decide which potential renter should have the apartment, so they simply stated that possession was nine-tenths of the law and waited to see who reached it first.

“There was a mad dash down the stairs, with Amber in the lead until Rory vaulted over the railing, but they burst through the door of the apartment at the exact same time. Then they were stuck. Whoever left first was giving up possession.”

“So neither one could leave?” Kristine giggled, picturing the conundrum they must have been in. “But they live together next door now. How did they get from one place to the other?”

Jayce shrugged. “I’m not clear how they managed to buy such pricey real estate together, but I know they lived in the little apartment while they fixed up the building next door. I guess it was in rough shape. But with a lot of love and hard work, it became the B and B you’re staying in.”

Kristine’s mind wandered as they left the harbor and sailed out to open sea. She loved the smell of the salty ocean air and the cool spray whenever they hit a wave. Boston wasn’t so bad. Some people certainly liked it. Liked it enough to fight over a tiny apartment and then wind up with something infinitely better. Maybe sometime she’d ask Amber how that had happened.

Kristine had never been much of a fighter. Which was odd since fighter was part of her job title and description. But something was telling her she needed to deal with Donkey Pizzle once and for all. Sure, the mansion was probably well-defended, but her mother had confirmed exactly how stupid these criminals were.

Once Kristine and Jayce were out of the harbor, he set the controls and left the wheel. He strolled over to her and rubbed her arms. “You look so serious. What’s on your mind?”

She smiled automatically to reassure him. “Everything’s fine. I’m just going to miss you, that’s all.”

He pulled her into a hug and caressed her back. “I’m not going to argue with you, you know. We may just be getting to know each other, but I can tell when I’m fighting a losing battle.”

“Please be patient with me. I have the feeling that something will change eventually.”

Jayce chuckled. “My mother always says that the only constant is change. If you don’t like something, just wait it out.” He sat down and moved over to make room for her to scoot in beside him.

“Your mom sounds like a wise woman.”

“She is. I want you to meet her. I know she’ll love you, and I think you’ll like her too.”

Kristine shrugged. “She must be incredible if you named your boat after her. If things work out with us, I imagine we will meet eventually.”

“Why wouldn’t things work out between us? What aren’t you telling me?”

Kristine snuggled into his side and rested her head on his shoulder. She knew he’d be upset if she were to tell him the truth, but honesty in a relationship was important. If their relationship couldn’t survive honesty, then what did they have?

“Jayce, you’re not going to like this. I’m going after Donkey Pizzle. Right now, while my mother is up here and safely occupied, I have a window of opportunity.”

Jayce reared back and stared at her for a moment. “Is this just about revenge?”

“No. Not just revenge…although I’m plenty pissed off. These people need to be stopped. I know what they’re doing to mere human beings. I have an advantage. If they try to order me into some windowless van, I can simply say, I’m a dragon. Make me.”

“Kristine, I can’t let you do this alone. If something happened to you, your mother and I would both be devastated. We’d blame ourselves and have to live with that forever.”

“You can’t stop me, but I was hoping you’d say something like that because I could use your help.”

He simply closed his eyes and waited for her to continue.

“You know where they live. I wasn’t there when my mother escaped. You were. If I ask her where they are, she’ll know I’m going after them. She can’t stop me either, and I don’t want her to try. If she knows I’m going after them, she’ll worry or get in the way.”

“But I have a job, and I’ve been away from it. Can we wait until I accrue some more vacation time? Then I’ll be glad to help you.”

“Now is the only time. I’m on a leave of absence, and my mother is safe.”

Jayce scrubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t know what to do, Kristine. It seems as if you’ve made up your mind.”

“Trust me, please. That’s all I ask. I swear I can and will take care of myself first and foremost. Those asswipes don’t deserve my life or my happiness.”

She stepped into his space, rested her hands on his chest, and stared into his eyes. She hoped he would read the sincerity there. He leaned down and rested his forehead against hers.

“There must be something I can do to help you if you’re determined to do this thing. Can you give me twenty-four hours to come up with something else?”

She sighed. “Sure. But I’m doing this, no matter what.”

For a few minutes, they remained quiet—staring at the sea.

At last, Jayce sat down hard. “I don’t know the address, but it’s in South Hampton. A white mansion with direct beachfront access.”

“Any other way I can identify it?”

He shrugged. “Tall hedges on one side. Some woods on the other—it can’t be seen by neighbors on either side. There’s a large oval pool near the back of the house, about fifty yards from the beach.”

“Is there anything I could recognize from the street?”

“There’s a stone wall and two iron gates next to the street. A long driveway ends in a circle in front of the entrance. There are topiaries on either side of the front door. They’re pruned to look like lions.”

She threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you. You really do love me.”

He sighed and pulled her onto his lap. “I guess this is why they call it ‘madly in love.’ I must be mad to let you do this, especially without me.”

She lowered her eyes shyly. “I’m madly in love with you too.”

Jayce placed a finger under her chin and tipped up her face to look into her eyes. He must have seen the love shining there. She couldn’t and wouldn’t hide it from him.

He gently pressed his lips to hers. They were soft, but his intent was unmistakable. Their mouths opened to one another automatically, and she sought his tongue. After a gentle swirl, he sucked on hers, and the resultant tug had her pulling him closer, needing more of him.

He lifted her in his arms and set her on the deck just long enough to open the hatch to the cabin below. “M’lady…” He gestured to the steps down with a sweep of his hand.

“Such a gentleman…”

“Oh, there’s nothing gentlemanly on my mind, I assure you.”

“Good.” Her voice sounded raspier than she had intended. She scrambled down the wide ladder. Jayce caught up with her at the back of the cabin, where a smaller ladder led to the bed under the front of the boat. There was only about three feet of headroom. “I don’t think there’s enough room in here,” she said. “At least not if I’m on top.”

Jayce grinned. “Oh, so you want to be on top, do you?”

Kristine tipped her head and smiled coquettishly. “I was only saying there’s not enough room for me to do that, if you want me to. Or I could just lie there…”

Jayce took her hand and led her back to the galley. “Watch this…” He pulled the cushions off the built-in benches, knelt under the small table, and flipped up the leg. Then he lifted the tabletop off its hinges and dropped it down to fit between the benches perfectly. He rearranged the cushions so they all laid flat. “Presto-chango. We have another bed—and plenty of headroom.”

“Oh? And what are we going to do with that?” Kristine blinked innocently.

Jayce narrowed his eyes as a slow, almost evil smile spread across his face. “I’m going to let you fuck me, my love. Any way you want to.”

She laughed. “You’re going to let me?”

“Any way you want.”

He stepped into her space and began unbuttoning her blue-and-white-striped henley top. To her relief there were only three buttons from chest to neckline. She was becoming so heated from the inside that she couldn’t get the top off fast enough.

She held up her arms, and he pulled it over her head. She had on a pink bathing suit top, but one yank on the tie behind her neck, and it was almost off too.

She grabbed the hem of his navy-blue T-shirt and pulled it over his head, tossing it on the floor. His hard pectorals and abs glowed with a golden tan. She caressed the hard planes of his chest while watching his eyes darken.

“Jesus, Kristine. You could drive me crazy with lust.”

“Don’t worry,” she said as she reached for his belt. “I’ll put you out of your misery.” A moment later, his pants hit the floor, and she kneeled in front of him. Ordinarily finding no underwear would have surprised her, but he was probably expecting sex. She took him in her hand and licked the tip of his hard erection.

He leaned back and groaned. She pleasured him thoroughly, enjoying his every reaction. Without warning, she wound up on her back. The cushions were soft enough, so her squeal only resulted from surprise, not pain.

Jayce leaned over her and divested her of her skirt and bathing suit bottoms. Now they were both gloriously naked. She couldn’t remember being self-conscious in front of Jayce. She’d felt a twinge of self-consciousness when they were first together, but that was more out of habit than any true awkwardness. She’d usually had a shy moment with any guy who made it to her bedroom. But she’d always felt comfortable with Jayce—almost proud of her nakedness. They fit together perfectly.

As if to prove the fact, he reached under her arms and yanked her up so they were even, face-to-face, and then he wrapped a hand around her hip, pulling her close. She twined her legs with his and caressed his face. His dark eyes were so intense that they seemed to bore right into her.

“Kristine,” he murmured. He kissed her lips over and over with tenderness and purpose. They opened to each other and played hide-and-seek with their tongues.

He moved to the column of her neck, laying kisses down to her collarbone. He licked and nipped her there and then kissed his way down to one breast. As he suckled, creating delightful visceral sensations, she arched and moaned. When she whimpered, he switched to the other breast and gave that one the same full attention.

“Don’t torment me, Jayce. I need you, now.”

“Don’t worry, love. I’ll give you what you need.” He scooted lower, and his fingers parted her folds. “You are ready for me. And so soon. Are you sure you don’t want more?”

“Not necessary. Please…”

“Just another minute more. It’ll be worth the wait. I promise.”

He lowered his head and laved her sensitive bundle with his tongue. Sensations built quickly, and soon she felt herself taking off like a rocket. Jayce didn’t let up. Her core grew white-hot, and her thighs trembled. Then she exploded. The powerful orgasm left her almost sobbing.

At last she floated back to earth. There was a roaring in her ears, and her heart was pounding. Jayce gathered her in his arms and just held her while she gasped for breath. “How did…you do…that?”

“A hummingbird can flap its wings fast, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, a phoenix can flap its tongue just as fast.”

“Holy shit!”

Jayce laughed. He tucked an arm around her waist and rolled until she was on top of him.

She giggled. “Really? I can barely move, and you want me to do all the work?”

Jayce lay there and tucked his hands behind his head. “You were the one who wanted to be on top. I can wait—although you would think that, as a dragon, you’d recover faster than a human.”

She pushed on his chest and lifted her torso. “Oh, you would, would you?” She shimmered and transformed.

He just grinned. She could tell she wasn’t going to get a shocked reaction, so she shimmered back to human form and straddled him. His staff was hard as steel. Taking his cock in her hand, she rubbed it up and down. The surface was satiny soft, contrasting with the strength and hardness beneath. At last, she lowered herself onto him and began to rock. He rubbed her breasts as she found her rhythm. A visceral tug shot to her core, and they both moaned in pleasure.

She loved knowing she was bringing him pleasure. She wanted him to experience the same kind of gratification he gave her. If only she could just stay here, hiding away with him on this boat forever.