Bex rushed to her room, before she erupted like a volcano. She desperately needed distance between Thane and her, and another injection to level out her temperature. She was fine until Thane walked in. As soon as he’d entered the café, she was aware of his every move. She sensed he was dragon, and by the way his smoldering gaze heated up her body…that dragon was trouble.

Then again, it was hard not to notice his tall, muscular frame filling the room and the way his biceps strained against his rolled up sleeves. She could only imagine how his arms would feel wrapped around her. Pure heaven.

She’d eyed him from her cozy nook, knowing good and well she wasn’t his type, which was okay with her. She’d admire him from afar. All she wanted was some relaxation time to figure out how to improve the anti-shift serum. The side effects were worsening by the minute.

Unfortunately, hiding in the coroner with her nose in a book wasn’t a good enough disguise. She was shy and it surprised her he’d even noticed her. Then she totally freaked when he asked her to go hang gliding.

She plopped down on her bed. It would have been so easy to throw caution to the wind, to accept his offer, and spend the day with a sexy dragon. But she couldn’t risk her future for a man in ass-hugging jeans, even if it was only for a week. Until she fully understood her dragon, she was going to stay on course and figure her shit out before seeking a relationship. In the meantime, a girl could dream.

Bex huffed as she grabbed her black case from her overnight bag. The quicker she solved the mystery behind her dragon, the quicker she could stop the injections. But would she be ready to live a new life as a dragon? Unlocking the she-dragon was unknown and scary territory, completely opposite of her comfy life as a human.

Shoving her dragon issues aside, Bex slid off her jeans and plunged the needle into her left butt cheek. Disgusted with her fear, she tossed the syringe on the bed, then sat down at the desk and popped open her laptop, determined to work.

Hours later, Bex was stunned awake by the sound of a fire engine. She gazed at the clock, still sleepy. “Eight o’clock?” Seriously, she’d stayed in the room all day. Bex walked to the window by the balcony. People were sitting on both sides of the road waiting for something. More fire truck noises sounded, and the crowd cheered. “A parade?”

Deciding she needed to enjoy the night, Bex quickly freshened up. She didn’t want to miss the parade. Slipping into a white, sleeveless sundress, the light material was always her best choice for being comfortable. She never knew when another hot flash would strike. After she donned a pair of white canvas sneakers and a jean jacket, Bex took one last look in the mirror and tightened her pony tail. I wonder if I’ll bump into Thane? With that thought, she applied more lip gloss.

Bex left the B&B and walked down the lighted pathway to the edge of the driveway, then stopped. She looked down the street. Muffled music played in the distance.

“Oh, good,” Dorothea said as she walked up. “I’m glad you’re here. Would you be a doll and help me take some food down to the block party?”

“Sure,” Bex replied. She couldn’t remember the last she’d gone to a party.

They walked down the street to the café and went inside. Two aluminum containers sat on the bar. Dorothea handed Bex a container. “I made enough chicken wings and dragon fruit tarts to feed an army.” They giggled.

“I’m sure everything is as good as it smells, Dorothea.”

They left the café and headed down the street where the party area was marked by a huge white tent. “Who’s the party for?” Bex asked.

“It’s a celebration to bring in the winter. Have you ever seen a Drakon celebration?”

“No,” Bex said, disheartened she didn’t know about her own kind.

“Dating back to the dragon elders of old, it’s tradition to bring in the winter with a warm heart. It’s a time where the whole town of Ember Brooke celebrates our history. You’ve vacationed at the right time. The parade is just outrageous.”

Bex’s mouth dropped open. “You’re a dragon?”

“Why yes, dear. We’re all dragons.” Dorothea stopped and turned to face Bex. “Hasn’t anyone taken you under their wing and taught you about your kin?”

Bex averted her gaze.

“Doll,” Dorothea put her arm around her, “stick with me. We’re all family here.”

Bex smiled, and for the first time in her life, she felt like she belonged. Could the answers she desperately searched for be right here in Ember Brooke?

They reached the tent and arranged the food on a table where there was already a spread fit for a king. After taking the foil off the wings, Bex looked around. The tent could easily cover a football field. Chairs and tables with winter-blue coverings surrounded the dance floor in front of a raised stage where a band was playing southern rock. White lanterns were strung throughout the space, casting a warm glow.

From the welcoming ambiance to the sultry beat of the music, her heart felt at ease. It was time to live a little. She couldn’t report back to Mel that she stayed in her room the whole time. That would pass like a cold day in hell.

“Bex,” Dorothea called her over. “This is my granddaughter, Keira.”

“Hi,” Bex greeted her.

“You girls go find some trouble to get into,” Dorothea said, but her stern look held a different meaning.

Keira leaned into Bex. “You look like you could use a drink.”

“Possibly two.”

Keira escorted her to the bar where they stood in line. Before they reached the bartender, they hit it off like best friends discovering how much they had in common. The way they were finishing each other’s sentences and laughing made Bex feel she was connecting with someone of her own kind.

“Please tell me you like eighties music,” Keira said as she waited for the bartender to make Bex’s drink.

“Oh, my gosh, yes! Billy Idol,” Bex exclaimed. “Dancing With Myself, favorite song ever.”

“I knew it.” Keira sipped her drink. “Where have you been all my life?”

Bex grabbed her drink and they walked toward the tables.

“I have some friends I want to introduce you too.”

“Great.” Bex’s stomach started to twist into knots thinking about meeting more people.

She was far from a social butterfly. Between her position at the institute and her dissertation, there wasn’t much time leftover. Then again, it was easy for her to throw herself into research. It was a great excuse not to deal with her antisocial tendencies. Yep, that was her, the invisible girl standing in the shadows watching everyone else having fun.

But tonight, she was determined to let go.

Bex downed her drink and grabbed a beer from a cooler before they reached three guys standing next to a table.

“Hey guys, I want you all to meet my new friend, Bex.”

The three men turned their attention on Bex. But it was only one of them that made her cheeks flush.

“Bex, this is Stone, Jensen, and Thane, my grandmother’s adopted sons.” Keira poked Jensen in the ribs.

Stone shook Bex’s hand. “The pleasure is all mine.” She swallowed hard when he gave her a charming smile and winked.

The band announced a break and was replaced with a DJ. The dance floor filled up when eighties music started to play.

Keira’s face lit-up. “Someone has to dance with me.”

“Would you look at the time?” Stone checked his watch. “It’s the fucking Twenty-first century. The eighties are dead.” He nailed Keira with a smart-ass smirk and walked away.

“Don’t be a dick.” Keira called out behind him and was greeted by a friendly middle finger.

Bex’s heart raced when Keira looked at her. She shook her head, but before she could say a word, Thane closed the distance between them. “The parade is going to start soon. Want to go grab a spot with me?”

How could she say no to this man towering over her and smelling mountain-fresh? Apparently, she couldn’t say yes either. She simply nodded.

“Oh, this isn’t fair,” Jensen huffed as Keira drug him to the dance floor.

Bex giggled as she followed Thane out of the tent. They walked down the street. “Thanks for saving me back there. I’m not the greatest dancer.”

“No problem. Keira’s a good girl, just high energy.”

Bex scrambled to keep the conversation going, which was hard when his body was close to hers. “So…” She gave him a sideways glance. “I want to apologize for being rude this morning.”

Thane took a sip of his beer. “No need to apologize.”

“No, I jumped to conclusions and thought you were hitting on me. Work keeps me busy and it’s obvious I don’t get out much.” And quite frankly, you intimidate the hell out of me.

Thane leaned in and whispered, “I was hitting on you.”

A warm sensation washed over her body.

“How about we start over.” He stopped and faced her, then held out his hand. “Hi, I’m Thane Monroe.”

“Bex St. James.” They stared at each other. Burgundy specks dotted the gray-green of his eyes. She’d never seen eyes as alluring as his.

A snap and pop made her jump and spin around, breaking Thane’s hypnotic hold on her. A child ran by throwing Pop-Its on the ground.

“Relax,” Thane said, “It’s only fireworks. The big ones are yet to come.” His lips brushed against her ear sending a shiver through her body.

How did she know he wasn’t talking about the kind of fireworks that explode in the sky?

A big bass drum thundered, the mighty trumpets cried out, and the Great Highland Bagpipes blew a battle tune striking Bex straight to her soul.

“It’s starting,” Thane announced.

Bex followed him to an open spot on the side of the road. The marching band lead the parade down the street. A group of girls dressed in glittery red outfits stopped in front of them. They danced in unison reminding her of The Rockettes. And then out of nowhere a group of fire dancers joined the entourage.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Bex called out to Thane.

He smiled, putting his arm around her. “Just wait, it gets better.”

Following the parade, an impressive fireworks show lit up the sky. Bex watched in awe, as the sparkling star bursts rained down over the mountain. It reminded her of home.

Every summer her family vacationed in Florida at her parent’s beach house. Fourth of July festivities always ended with a huge family get-together, Bar-B-Q and fireworks. It was a special time. Cherished memories of fishing with her father brought a smile to her face. She remembered how he’d tell her how proud he was of her and he’d listen to all her problems, even the ones involving boys.

Since she had started working at the research institute, she’d neglected the ones who loved her the most. She’d hadn’t realized it until now. First thing when she got home, time to call her dad and ask him to take her fishing.

After the fireworks, they made their way back to the tent. Thane insisted that Bex look for a table while he went for food. She found one and sat down to watch the band, still stunned by everything going on in her life.

“Hey, hope you like burgers.” Thane placed a paper plate in front of her with a huge burger, side dishes, and fries.

“I can’t believe those were real dragons. Wow, that’s a lot of food.” Bex eyed the plate.

“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so you got a little of everything.” Thane sat across from her and waited.

She took a forkful of coleslaw, then noticed Thane started to eat after she’d taken the first bite. What a gentleman.

“So.” Thane wiped his mouth. “What is this work you do that keeps you so busy?”

Bex took a sip of beer. “It’s complicated.” Explaining her research to someone outside of her field was always difficult.

“I’m listening.” Thane folded his arms, giving her his full attention.

“I’m a research assistant at the Supernatural Research Institute. I’ll have my PhD by the end of the year.”

“Impressive. I can see how that would keep you busy.”

“Yeah, if it wasn’t for my friend, Mel, pushing me to take a break, I wouldn’t be here.”

“Well, I’m glad she did.” Thane smiled as he popped a fry in his mouth.

She was under his spell again. Even the way he chewed was sexy. He had a five o’clock shadow that peppered his jawline, which set her core blazing. She licked her lips as she thought about how sinfully delightful those whiskers would feel rubbing against her inner thigh.

“What’s your area of expertise?” he asked.

Bex cleared her throat. “Dragon genetics. How our bodies respond to different stimuli. Draco- sapiens are a well-kept secret.”

“We’re not so complicated. Dragons have existed since the creation of the world. We’ve had a lot of time to get our shit together.”

“Perhaps some of us,” Bex said under her breath.

“What made you want to be a dragon scientist?”

Bex didn’t want to reveal too much. She knew how she felt every time she injected herself with the anti-shift serum, she couldn’t imagine telling another dragon about it. How would it affect him? Would he think less of her for denying who and what she really was? “There’s a lack of information out there about she-dragons. For instance, I’m the only she-dragon at the institute and the only documented studies are the ones I’ve done in the past two years. If my dissertation project is a success, I’ll be heading a new lab geared toward the wellbeing of female dragons. It’s a responsibility I take very seriously.”

“That’s fantastic, Bex. You’ll make a great role model for our young.”

Bex arched a brow.

“I mean our kind’s young, of course. Anyway…” Thane shifted in his seat. “What is your dissertation on?”

“Assessing reproductive interest and options for the female Draco-sapien.”

Thane coughed and grabbed for his beer.

“I’m sorry, too much information.”

“No.” He cleared his throat. “You know, I could help you on that subject.”

Bex slapped his arm. “Don’t make fun of me. It’s a legit concern.”

“I’m serious.”

“Me, too. I don’t want to hear about how good of a lover you are. That women swoon at your feet.” Yes, she did, but that was beside the point.

“That’s not what I’m talking about. Let me show you.”

“Thane, I don’t—”

“Give me one dance.”

Bex considered the offer for a moment. Why not cross the line and live a little? She was leaving at the end of the week and nothing indicated she shouldn’t trust him. He was genuinely interested and too damn irresistible.

“Okay.”

Thane smiled as they stood and made their way to the dance floor, joining the other couples in a two-step. Not knowing one thing about the dance, Bex followed his lead, hoping not to trip over her own two feet. There was a rhythm here, she just had to find it.

Thane draped his arm around her shoulders and his whiskers brushed against her ear. “Relax,” he whispered.

She inhaled a shaky breath and looked up into his eyes. There was a calmness and a familiar feeling about him like she’d known him all her life. It had to be their dragon connection.

A few times around the dance floor together and she had the steps down. He spun her around in front of him like he was showing her off, then let her go. Bex bent her finger in a come-here gesture while she shimmied and shook her shoulders. He hit her with a smoldering gaze as he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against his body. She threw her head back, laughing.

The band switched to a slow, sexy tempo. He pulled her closer and she tensed, feeling the attraction between them. Trying to fight off her body’s betrayal, she wedged her hands between their bodies, placing her palms on his chest, but it didn’t work. Before she had a chance to think about what she was doing, she slid her hands upward, feeling every ripple of muscle. Her thumbs rubbed over his nipples, and a low growl escaped his lips. Their bodies melted in mutual passion.

“How long do I have you for?”

“Don’t all fairy tales end at midnight?” she asked.

Thane grinned. “I hope not. I meant when are you going back to the real world.”

“Saturday,” Bex exhaled in despair at the thought of leaving Ember Brooke.

“So, I have five days to convince you to stay?”

“Thane, I can’t.” She stepped out from his embrace, but he pulled her back in.

“Then I’m going to make the next five days unforgettable. I want to cook dinner for you tomorrow night, my place.”

Bex considered it, debating whether she should accept his offer or hop in her car and drive away while her heart was still whole. If she stayed, she knew she’d end up breaking both of their hearts.

“I promise to be a gentleman.” He rested his forehead against hers.

“What if I don’t want you to be?”

Softly, he claimed her lips. Their tongues danced together leaving her breathless. She felt weightless, like she was swinging higher and higher. Her stomach flipped when she finally touched the ground again as Thane broke the kiss and said, “I’ll see you at eight.”