The next morning, Ella woke up feeling odd. She turned over and saw Dante, perfect body sprawled beside her, his face slack in repose.

He looked so peaceful when asleep, so innocent.

But what he’d done to her last night had been anything but. He’d kept her body coming like a storm that wouldn’t abate, filled with thunder and lightning.

It had shaken her to her core.

And she’d been surprised how fine she’d been afterward, even if maybe it was just the afterglow, the endorphins. Whatever happened when people did things like that.

But she wasn’t exactly a person.

She crept carefully out of bed, trying not to wake Dante, and changed to put on a bra, a fresh shirt and pajama pants, and a robe. She needed to go for a quick walk to clear her head.

She took one last look at Dante’s face, so handsome it pulled at her heart when she looked at him, and then walked out, pulling the door quietly shut behind him.

She was halfway down the stairs, still messing with the belt of her robe, when she realized someone was in the kitchen.

Cliff.

She stopped, wondering if she should run back up into the bedroom.

But no, this was her home. It was morning, and if she called, anyone could come running.

And last night, she’d showed he couldn’t control her. Not anymore. She’d taken that part of her past back. At least for now.

She didn’t know what it meant, and yes, she still felt nervous. But she was going to stop acting like she was afraid when she wasn’t some innocent, starry-eyed teen and there was nothing this sad excuse for a man could do to her.

She kept her head high and walked down the rest of the stairs. She passed him to open the fridge and tried to ignore the prickles on her neck that said he was coming closer. Dammit, why did she have to be so aware of him?

She flipped around to see him standing over her, and he reached out to shut the fridge loudly.

She jumped and made a move to go around him, but he blocked her on the side with a hand on the fridge. She went the other way, and he put up a hand.

She ducked under his arm, and he caught her around the waist. Without thinking, she lashed out, catching him in the groin.

He groaned and let go, and she stumbled back, shocked by her own courage.

He glared up at her, blue eyes frightening and hard. “So you decided it’s worth fighting back now?”

She scowled, folding her arms and trying to look braver than she felt. Even now, the past was trying to encroach on her. “Don’t touch me again, asshole.”

“Oh yeah?” Cliff asked, moving closer. “What are you going to do about it? Tell that stupid pretty boy boyfriend of yours? You think he’ll believe you?”

She blinked, remembering that day. Pulling the remnants of her shirt up around her, trying to cover the scratches on her breasts. Feeling tear-stained cheeks but eyes that were too dry to cry. And his words.

No one will believe you. You’d be lucky to have someone like me. Tell anyone and they’re going to laugh at you. And I’ll come for you again. Punish you, you ugly bitch.

“You’re mine,” he said. “You know you were meant for me.”

“I’m not anything,” she said, pulling her robe tight and taking another step back from him. “Just a businesswoman who controls her own life now and doesn’t have to take crap from you.”

“You want me to tell him what a slut you are?” he hissed viciously. “Tell him how you spread your legs for me?”

She’d been stupid back when she was flattered by attention from the football team captain, even if it was in secret. No one had ever paid attention to her. So yes, she’d been stupid about trusting him. Allowing him to do things that no one else had ever done. But she had never spread her legs for him.

Never.

She knew that for sure.

But what would Dante think of her? Part of her knew it wouldn’t matter, but the other part, the hurt teenager inside her, didn’t want to be seen differently. She didn’t want the deep shame inside her to be reflected in his eyes.

“Stop it,” she said. “Just leave me alone.”

He was standing tall now, looking more and more confident as he made her feel more and more ashamed.

Remember, she told herself. You’re Ella Stanton. Top business consultant, currently dating a hot guy who seems crazy about you, even if he is hired.

That’s right. What was this between her and Dante?

“Ella,” a voice called from the top of the stairs. She stepped back from Cliff, sure the shame was still evident in her eyes, and avoided Dante’s gaze as he came down the stairs.

Dante jogged forward, making the floor shake slightly as he reached Cliff and pushed him back with a hand. “Stay away from my woman.”

She put a hand over her face, stifling a grin. Sometimes he sounded like such a caveman. But she couldn’t deny her relief that he was here. “Dante, let him go.”

Dante turned to her, and she could see that despite her grin, his face was dead serious. “You said you would be careful. That you wouldn’t be alone with him.”

She frowned. “You don’t control me, Dante.”

“Can we talk about this upstairs?” he asked, his voice tight.

She sighed and followed him, her heart still hammering from her confrontation with Cliff. When they were inside the room, he sat her on the bed and then paced, glaring, in front of her.

“What were you thinking?” he asked. “That man scares you, and—”

“No, he doesn’t anymore. It’s—”

Dante’s expression darkened, his eyes like molten gold. He folded his hefty arms. “If it isn’t fear, then what is it? You want him? You have history?” He ran both hands through his hair in exasperation. “Perhaps I read this all wrong.”

“For Pete’s sake, no,” she said, standing and pulling his hands down, making him face her. “But we have to talk about the fact that you don’t own me just because we got physical last night.”

He raised a dark-gold eyebrow. “That’s all last night was to you? Physical?”

She nodded. “For now, that’s all I have to offer.”

He huffed. “I didn’t do it right, then.”

“No, you did everything right, but this is fast for me. Let me tell you; that’s more progress than I’ve made in my life. I just gave you my body. But I need more time than that to give you my mind.”

“And your heart?” he asked bluntly, staring at her.

She sighed. “I don’t know, Dante. This is too much for me.”

“But he isn’t?” Dante asked angrily. “You ditch me in the morning, but then I find you hanging with him?”

She realized with a dawning sense of wonder that this gorgeous man was jealous. Over her. “Oh my gosh, you’re jealous.”

He whipped around. “Of course I am. I want you to be mine. I don’t want anyone else to touch you.”

“How was I supposed to know that?”

“I told you I wanted to win you,” he said. “Woo you. Who wins a prize to share it with someone else?”

He had a good point, and as she looked at his big, tensed body, she realized there was a dark side to Dante. Behind the pleasantry, the jokes, the cockiness.

Deep down, he was just as insecure as any other male.

She’d never known men that looked like him could feel that way.

“I get it,” she said. “But I’m sorry. I haven’t agreed to be yours yet. And most people don’t agree to be exclusive when they start dating.”

“Even when they do things sexually?” he asked, looking totally baffled.

“Yes, even then.”

He ruffled his hair again and then sat on the bed next to her, his shoulders slumping.

She wished she could tell him about Cliff. But the trauma, the shame, was too deep still.

So she just placed a hand on Dante’s arm reassuringly. “We still have time, though. For things to progress.”

“Who is that guy to you?” Dante asked. “How can I protect you if I don’t know? How can I know you even want to be protected?”

She sighed. “You’ll have to trust me when I say I can’t talk about it and it’s going to be fine.” She gave his arm a squeeze. “If I need you, I’ll let you know.”

He grunted. “I don’t like it, but I don’t have a choice, do I?”

“No,” she said reluctantly.

“Fine,” he said. “Then at least I’m getting breakfast.”

“Don’t start anything, please,” she said, pulling on his tee shirt as he moved to go.”

“Douche better stay out of my way, then. I’m not looking for a fight, but if he starts one, I’ll damn well finish it.”

She had to admit that was fair enough.

* * *

Dante made it to lunch without anything happening.

He was pretty proud of himself for that. He was crunching carrot sticks, thinking about what a great dragon he was, when Cliff came into the room.

Dante bit back a snarl, remembering his promise to Ella that he wouldn’t do anything violent without provocation.

But he was finding it hard not to deck the other guy. No, kill him. Something about him set off a primal rage in Dante, one he’d never felt for another being.

He’d been protective in general, sure, when he’d helped protect the village or patrolled at night when the humans were asleep to make sure no shifters or other dragons were encroaching on their land.

But it wasn’t like this. He’d been apathetic, willing to do the right thing for the sake of his family’s reputation. But had he ever really cared about anyone other than himself?

He’d watched out for his team as their leader. And he was loyal.

But it wasn’t anything like this.

All his happiness, his well-being, seemed to revolve around Ella, this fragile, human creature, and unless she was safe, he couldn’t think straight. Couldn’t breathe.

And having this guy around just messed with that too much.

“Hey, douchebag,” Cliff said caustically, sitting next to him at the counter.

Dante ignored him, taking a bite of his sandwich and pretending he was biting the other man’s ear off.

“Can I have a bite?” he asked, reaching for Dante’s plate. Dante flicked his hand away, determined not to be rattled by this jerk now that he was actively trying to get him worked up.

“What?” Cliff said with a smirk. “Not good at sharing?”

Dante just shook his head, blocking out the other man’s words. It was weak to pick at someone verbally like this, hoping to break his control.

Ella was at the store with her parents and sister, hopefully having a good trip. So there was no need to fight now. She was safe. No need to protect her.

At least that’s what he continued to tell the dragon inside him.

He couldn’t let this jerk get to him.

“It’s fine,” Cliff said. “I mean with Ella. You’re already getting my leftovers, so…”

Oh, fuck no.

He set down his sandwich and began calmly brushing his hands off.

“Ooh, I’m so scared,” Cliff said, waving his hands. Dante hated everything about the other man, from his bland, blockish features to his dark, gelled hair to his cold blue eyes. “Big bad male model is going to try and fight me.” He narrowed his eyes. “I dare you.”

Dante’s heart was hammering. If only Cliff would throw a punch at him. He badly wanted to smash the other man’s face in for what he’d said about Ella, but he knew he hadn’t yet been given provocation to break his promise.

Even though the dragon inside him was hot enough to breathe fire, ring or no.

Cliff stared at him curiously. “Heated, aren’t you? I can almost physically feel your anger.”

That’s because in my real form, I’d be burning you to death right now.

He could almost picture the gold flames, his own cackling laugh rising above the smoke and the screaming.

When Dante was good, he was very, very good, but when he was bad, he barbecued people.

He slowly turned back to his carrot sticks, letting the fantasy of ending Cliff settle him for now.

“Heh,” Cliff said. “Coward. Got it. That’s why I got more action from Ella when she was in my arms.”

Snap. It was the sound of Dante’s carrot stick and also the last bit of restraint in his heart.

He whipped around, catching Cliff with a fist to the face and then throwing himself at him, knocking him to the ground while he was still stumbling from the blow.

They hit the ground, rolling across it, and Dante was surprised to find the other man was stronger than he’d thought.

No matter. Dante got the upper hand and slammed a hand down toward Cliff’s face, but he rolled out of the way and stood just before Dante lunged, grabbing him around the waist and taking him to the ground again.

Dante usually fought as a dragon, so he hadn’t been in a lot of fisticuff matches with humans. But he could make it up as he went, and having his opponent on the ground under his weight was an advantage.

Even if Cliff was a bit bigger than most humans.

He was nothing to a dragon.

Dante had raised his fist again, holding a struggling Cliff with one hand, when the door swung open and sunlight streamed in, followed by Ella and her family.