Fishing in the human world was much different than in his day. Though he’d never been a fisherman by trade, he’d seen the men come back, huge nets bulging with their catch.

But this seemed to be some kind of human sport, and considering the time and effort involved, it was completely inefficient as far as resource gathering.

Not that it seemed to matter to Lori and Taylor, who were laughing together as they put an odd, bright-colored piece of “bait” on the end of a hook that was attached to Taylor’s flimsy pole.

He hadn’t quite figured out what they liked so much about continuously casting out the string and then reeling it in with nothing, but he was enjoying other aspects of the day.

Like seeing Lori, in only a tee shirt now, curls glowing in the sunlight, hair lifting gently in the breeze, smile on her face as she sat next to Taylor and helped him.

Part of him was stuck in warrior mode, thinking about the trip to town, the threatening men last night, and the fiery bag of excrement that had been thrown on the property.

But the dragon in him was captivated by its mate, completely unthreatened by any attack now that he was here, and just wondering how and when to make the next move to claim Lori for his own.

He wanted her.

More than he’d ever wanted anything in his life. The mating instinct was shocking in that in only a couple days he found himself unwilling to think of the prospect of living without her. He wanted her forever.

And a deep part of him was satisfied that he’d never felt that way about Amelia, or the person pretending to be Amelia. He’d just gone along with her because she’d said she was his mate, and who had he been to say otherwise?

He could say otherwise now.

Lori was his. Lori had always been made for him. And watching her as she bent over Taylor, fixing his line again, grinning, her curvy body so soft and touchable, he found himself forgiving whatever had happened in his past to bring him to this moment, because it brought her to him.

She turned to look at him, tucking her long, unruly curls behind one ear. One tendril dyed a light, candy pink escaped and caught the wind, and she flushed. “Don’t you want to try fishing?” she asked.

“No,” he said, leaning back on the rock and pinning her with a long, heated stare. “I’m just enjoying the view.”

She turned to look behind her, misunderstanding his point, and nearly lost her balance on the rock. Sever was up in a split second, catching her with a hand on her waist and pulling her back from the edge of the pond, enjoying the feel of her body against him.

She looked up at him, lips parted, face flushed, and then gently raised her hands to push away from his chest. “Thank you,” she said.

“That was a close one,” he replied, reluctant to let her go.

Taylor clicked his tongue as he looked at them. “Sever and Lori, sittin’ in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N—”

Sever couldn’t help it any longer. He dipped his head and his lips captured hers, smothering her little gasp of surprise as he pulled her body in against him.

He kissed her deeply, not caring who was watching, feeling the sun all around them, the wind blowing over the water, the tall grasses waving next to the pond.

All he wanted was to stay here. To keep her and Taylor safe and to build a home without anyone bothering them.

And it seemed right to start with a kiss.

She returned it for a second, her tongue darting up to meet his, making little sparks go through him, and then she froze and pulled back, flushing even deeper.

She looked over at Taylor, who was looking at them with an expression of disgust. His nose all scrunched up.

“Ew, I didn’t mean you should actually do it,” he said.

Sever stepped back, rubbing his head with a bashful smile. “Sorry, I thought it was an order.”

“You did not!” Taylor said indignantly. But then there was a jerk on the line, and Lori darted over to help him reel in whatever it was, and Sever sat back down on the rock behind him.

Some part of him was slowly calming. He’d kissed his mate. He’d made his intentions known in front of Taylor. There was progress, and that was all that mattered for now.

Taylor let out a little noise of disappointment as he held up a hook with only a bit of plant matter on it. “Didn’t catch anything. Maybe we should just go home.” The boy still had a blush on his cheeks, and Sever felt a little guilty he had disturbed him.

But he couldn’t regret kissing Lori. He was here for the long haul, and that was his first little sign that he was committed. The next would be that he was willing to humiliate himself for their benefit.

“All right,” he said, rolling up his jeans and walking up to the edge of the water. He stepped off the nearest rock and landed knee deep in icy-cold water and resisted a shiver. “We tried it your way. Now I’m going to show those fish who is boss.”

“With your bare hands?” Lori asked with a gasp. Sever noted with pride that she still looked affected by his kiss, as a mate should be, and nodded.

“Sometimes, you gotta get your hands dirty,” he replied.

“That’s not going to work,” Taylor said. “You don’t even have a hook.”

Sever put up a hand and gave him a cocky glare. “If I catch a fish, I get to kiss Lori again. And you can’t even get grossed out.”

Taylor thought about it for a minute. “Fine. But it better be a big one.”

“It will.”

Taylor sat on a rock and looked over at Lori. “Don’t worry. He won’t catch one.”

“Don’t I get a say in this?” she called out, but her tone was playful.

“No,” Sever said. “This is between me and Taylor. If I catch a fish with my bare hands, I get to kiss you. That’s that.”

“Well, if I have no choice,” she said, rolling her eyes with a small grin.

Sever was just glad everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

He waded a little deeper and looked in the water around him. When he saw a flash of silver go by, he grinned. Reaching a hand into the water, he flicked out a claw he was sure no one could see.

Hey, there had to be some advantages to being a dragon.

* * *

Lori couldn’t believe Sever had pulled a fish out of the water with his bare hands. He tossed the huge thing toward them, and it flapped awkwardly on the ground at Taylor’s feet as Sever walked over, dripping wet.

She looked him up and down and shook her head. “Uh-uh, you aren’t getting a bunch of lake water on me.”

He feigned disappointment. “So I don’t get my kiss?”

Taylor had crouched down by the fish and was watching it warily, and Lori stepped forward to talk to Sever alone.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked quietly. “Didn’t you want to stay professional? Didn’t you—”

She was cut off by his lips over hers, so warm and reassuring and arousing.

She’d never been kissed by such a dominant man, and something deep in her responded to it immediately. She wanted to melt into his arms, beg him to take her, beg him to stay with her, but she knew it was stupid.

He was a male escort. A paid date. Or course he was made to make women want him.

Her legs shook as warmth spread through her, warmer and more brilliant than the sun around her, more refreshing than the afternoon breeze.

His arms swept around her, holding her up, and even though she knew it was an odd moment, she gave in to him, opening her lips so he could go deeper.

She hoped Taylor was still busy with the fish.

After a moment, he pulled back, looking down at her. “So worth it.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” she said quietly.

He cast a glance at Taylor, who was still looking at the fish in concern. “Later.”

She nodded and followed him over to where Taylor was squatted on the ground.

“Should we let him go?” Sever asked.

Taylor nodded. “I don’t think I want to eat fish tonight.”

Lori’s heart warmed as Sever carefully picked up the fish and tossed him into the lake, where he swam away indignantly.

Taylor let out a small sigh. “So what’s for dinner, then?”

“Steak,” Lori said, putting back on the shoes she’d taken off to sit on the rocks and helping Taylor pack up his fishing tackle.

Sever was helpful and carried everything but the pole for Taylor, who was eagerly talking about how cool it was that Sever caught a fish with his bare hands.

As Sever walked ahead, Taylor walked up alongside Lori, still babbling about everything Sever had done.

“And did you see how he put out the fire with his body? And did you see how he got the fish? And how he yelled at the mean store lady?” Taylor shook his head. “So cool.”

She looked down at Taylor, happy to see him so happy for the first time in a long while.

Maybe Sever did do some reckless things that made them both worry, but he also had a way of making everything right. Maybe she should just stop worrying, give in, and let him handle things, and maybe both she and Taylor would be better off for it.

At least until he decided to end this little vacation and go.

Taylor took hold of her arm and stopped her, and she looked back at him. “Since he likes kissing you, maybe you can do it sometimes even if he doesn’t catch a fish.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I can, can I?”

Taylor nodded thoughtfully. “I think he might like that. Then maybe he’ll stay.”

Her heart sank at that statement. If only adult relationships were that easy.

“Taylor, he’s just a friend,” she said. “He can go anytime he wants.”

Taylor’s eyes dropped to the ground, and he kicked the dirt. “Yeah, I know. Everyone leaves when they want to.”

“Wait, no—”

But then Taylor was running ahead, off to go talk to Sever, who turned to him with a patient smile, and she let out a sigh of resignation.

She wasn’t sure how all of this was going to turn out.

She wasn’t sure if Sever was the kind of man who kissed a woman senseless and could just walk out on her. She wasn’t sure if bringing it up with him would just scare him away and make him want to leave sooner.

That would be the worst.

As she walked up to the porch and turned on the grill, she resolved to just enjoy dinner and let things calm down.

Sever and Taylor brought out the steaks on the plate, and as she began to cook them, while the guys sat on the swing and talked about fishing, she felt peace and calm come over her.

The home was fine, evening was coming and the air was cooling, and she’d made it through another day out here in this new world.

Everything would be fine as long as she avoided Sever’s kisses.

Too bad avoiding his kisses was the last thing her body wanted.

Things would probably get interesting as soon as Taylor went to bed that night.

She could wait that long at least.

* * *

“Do you think Sever is a superhero?” Taylor asked unexpectedly as Lori was tucking him in for the night.

She smiled and shook her head. “No. I don’t think so.”

Taylor turned over in his covers, looking thoughtful. “But superheroes always show up to help people in trouble. And we’re in trouble now.”

“Not anymore,” she said. “Besides, we’ve been making it. We’ve been fine. We’ll be even more fine now that we have help.”

“He doesn’t get hurt by fire,” Taylor muttered. “That has to be part of it.”

She laughed, sitting next to him and putting a hand up to stroke his hair away from his head. “Taylor, not all good people are superheroes. Some are just normal people trying to do the right thing.”

“Like you, for taking me in?” he asked, blue eyes widening.

She shook her head. “No, that was easy,” she said. “Who wouldn’t want to take you in?” She leaned forward to give him a hug. “You make life fun.”

He looked hesitant, and she wondered if she should tell him about her plans to adopt him. But she didn’t want to disrespect his relationship with his dad or make things change more than he wanted them to. Not until things had calmed down anyway.

“I love you, Taylor,” she said as she always did before bed.

He nodded. “Thanks, Lori.”

She didn’t expect him to say it, too. Too many people had probably told him that and disappeared. But she would keep telling him because it was true, and one day he would believe it.

She patted his blanket. “I’ll be downstairs. Call if you need anything.”

Taylor yawned and turned over on his side. “He’s a superhero. I’m telling you,” he muttered sleepily.

She walked to the door and turned off the light and watched him for a moment, a hint of sorrow in her heart at the fact that to this boy, just a good man could seem like something impossible.

She felt a presence behind her on the stairs and whirled around to see Sever. She jumped, putting a hand over her chest to calm her heart, and then pulled the door quietly closed behind her.

“You scared me,” she said.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his features dimly illuminated because most of the lights in the house were off. “I was wondering if you wanted to come out on the swing with me. You had some questions earlier, and—”

“Oh, right,” she said, walking ahead of him down the stairs. “Sure. We can go out on the swing.”

She walked onto the porch and looked around in the semidarkness. She had lights on the corners of the roof, and it made it just light enough (along with the lonely streetlight at the end of her drive) to make it pleasant at night.

Sever sat on the swing, and when she went to sit next to him, he lifted his arm for her to come closer.

“It’s beautiful here at night,” he said. “I really didn’t mind sleeping out here.” He gently started the swing going with his foot, and she sank into him, enjoying the rocking motion.

“Still, you should be inside tonight, where it’s safe,” she said.

“Unless someone tries to set the house on fire,” he muttered. She jerked up, and he looked at her apologetically. “Sorry. I don’t think they would. I’ll sleep inside if it makes you feel better. Plus,” he said with a grin, “I won’t miss not swinging when I dream. It’s extra exciting, in a bad way.”

She laughed and leaned into him again. “I bet.” She pulled back a bit and looked up at him hesitantly, not even sure what to say.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Why’d you stop leaning on me?”

“That’s just it,” she said. “I barely know you. I’m wondering if I’m letting myself lean on you too much.”

“Do you have anyone else to lean on?” he asked curiously.

“No,” she said.

“Then why not?”

“Because it’s not your job,” she said.

He muttered something under his breath and reached for her, and even though she’d always been a tall, fairly heavily built person, she felt tiny as he lifted her in his arms, ignoring any sign of struggle.

She tried to push out of his arms, uncomfortable with the idea of being in his lap, but he held firm.

“You keep saying that,” he said. “What if I want it to be my job?”

“Which part?” she asked. “Staying here and protecting us or—”

“All of it,” he said. “What if I told you I was smitten with you almost on sight, and I can’t imagine living without you?”

“Then I’d say you’re full of it,” she said, a small growl in her voice at the idea of him playing with her.

He frowned. “Why does that make you angry?”

“Because I get that you have this need to be perfect, but Taylor already thinks you’re a superhero. You don’t have to try any harder.”

“A superhero?”

“You know, someone with magic powers that saves people,” she said, wriggling slightly in his lap.

He looked down at her, perplexed. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“I say that because Taylor is getting ideas,” she said. “He’s not like me, able to see that you’re just trying to be a good person because you don’t have any choice in the situation I put you in.”

He drew back, raising an eyebrow. “I don’t have a choice?”

“No,” she said. “Because I made things too difficult for you.”

He let out a caustic laugh and put a hand in her hair, cradling her head, massaging her scalp. “Lori, I have many choices. I made the choice to stay here, and I made the choice to kiss you, and I’m making the choice now to see if you can want what I want.”

“What do you want?”

“A chance with you,” he said.

“That’s all?”

“That’s all.”

“Why?” she asked. “Why me?”

“I don’t know how to answer that,” he said. “The answer should be obvious. Because you’re beautiful. Because you’re loyal. Because you kiss me back like you mean it. Because I can’t think of anything but you ever since I showed up here.”

Her heart pounded loudly in her chest as she looked into his eyes. She’d been on dates before, even had relationships, but no man had ever made her feel this way. So focused on, so precious. So important.

His hand left her hair and wrapped around her shoulders, and the other rested on her hip and thigh, pulling her close to him.

As her body reacted to his touch, heating and going liquid in all the right places, she felt him kiss her forehead.

He made her feel sexy.

Would it be so wrong to let herself get involved with him?

“But we shouldn’t,” she said. “We don’t know where this is going, and we don’t know what—”

But then he kissed her, and she wrapped her hands in his shirt and didn’t care anymore about what she didn’t know. What she did know, right now, was that she wanted him.

Badly.

He pulled back. “If you want me to stop, tell me now,” he said, his eyes urgent and eager and restless.

She traced a finger over his soft, masculine lips and shuddered.

Then she wrapped her hand in his hair and kissed him again deeply, giving him her answer.