It was almost noon, and Bex was finally fatigued enough to return to the B&B after her run through the downtown park. After a sleepless night with intense hot flashes and visions of her date with Thane plaguing her mind, she thought an early morning run would help release her pent-up sexual frustration from last night. Four hours later, no such luck. The fiery trails of his touch were still on her skin, and his kisses lingered on her tongue as a reminder of how her body craved his touch. No matter how hard she tried to forget about him, she couldn’t.

She walked the rest of the way to Dorothea’s debating whether she should leave right now. All she had to do was pack and drive away, then never look back. She could return to her old life before it was too late…before she suffered a broken heart.

It wouldn’t take much convincing to see Thane again, even though she knew she shouldn’t. It wasn’t like he was dangerously handsome or anything with his dark short hair, a face chiseled from stone, and a body that was her undoing. Nope, he didn’t make her laugh until her cheeks hurt, nor was he a gentleman who put her needs first, and most definitely his kisses didn’t leave her breathless. So he had money and a house straight out of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. And so what if he dressed like a sexy Lumberjack.

“Shit,” she muttered under her breath, “He’s perfect.” He was so easy to love. Love? No, she shook her head at that ridiculous thought. She’d just met him. Besides, what would he think when my little secret comes out to play?

She almost told him last night, but couldn’t. What would he think about her suppressing her dragon? Thane knew his dragon and could teach her so much about hers, but she’d have to tell him the truth. That truth was a hard pill to swallow. Right now, her career was the most important thing in her life. It was all she had time for.

No, she had to leave Ember Brooke before it was too late.

She rounded the corner and walked down the sidewalk. The B&B was only two houses down. She picked up the pace. A quick shower and she’d be gone. As she reached the driveway, her heart fluttered like a million butterflies being released all at one. A canary-colored Firebird was parked next to the B&B. Thane was leaning against the bumper with his legs crossed and his arms folded over his chest.

She pulled her ponytail tight and adjusted her tank top before she approached him. “Hey.”

“Morning.” He pushed off the car and handed her a book. “I forgot to give this to you last night. You left it at the cafe.” He kissed her cheek.

She took the book. “Thank you. So, you drove all the way out here to return my book?”

“No, I wanted to see you. I have a surprise for you.”

“Thane, I can’t do this. You know I’m leaving.”

“I still have three days. Now get in the car.” He opened the passenger door.

Bex stood with her hands on her hips glaring at him.

“Please, get in the car.”

“Why is it that I can’t say no to you?”

“Because you don’t want to.” He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her.

“Thane,” She pushed at his chest. “I’m sweaty and stinky.”

“I don’t care. I happen to love your stink.” He kissed her and the fluttering butterflies returned.

She broke the kiss. “Give me twenty minutes. I need to shower.”

“I can come up and scrub your back,” he winked.

She arched her brow at him.

“What? You can trust me.”

“It’s not you I don’t trust, it’s me.” She escaped his embrace. “I’ll be right down. Wait for me.”

“I’ll be right here.”

She turned around and jogged up the porch stairs.

“Oh, bring an overnight bag. You’re staying with me tonight.”

Bex shook her head as she opened the door. Why did he have to be so damn irresistible?

A few minutes later and Bex was showered, dressed, packed, and heading downstairs. As she reached the end of the stairs she looked at herself in the mirror hanging on the wall. She did a quick finger brush through her hair which happened to have a little extra bounce to it. Her skin even had a nice healthy glow. Exercise does the body good, she mused as she continued through the living room and out the front door. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Thane smiling at her. He walked to the passenger side of the car and opened the door.

“I didn’t know what to wear since you didn’t tell me where or what we’re doing. I hope jeans and a sweater is appropriate.”

He dipped his head down and kissed her. “You look good enough to eat.” He nibbled her neck, causing her to giggle.

Thane took her bag, and she slid into the car taking in the smell of the leather seats and…Thane. She closed her eyes and inhaled. God, he smelled good. All natural, mountain fresh. Her resolve was fading fast. She already knew and accepted the fact that if it got hot and heavy with Thane today, she wouldn’t stop him. The ache deep in her core was too painful to deny.

Thane revved the engine to life and backed out of the driveway. “Have you eaten this morning?”

“No.”

“Here.” He handed her a white paper bag. “On my way over I stopped in and saw Dorothea.”

She opened the bag. The heavenly, sugary aroma of cinnamon buns. “I’m blaming you when I can’t fit into my jeans anymore.” She tore a piece off and popped it into her mouth, licking the sticky icing form her fingers.

Thane gave her a sideways glance. “You need to eat to keep your strength up.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

“You’ll see,” he smirked.

“So, where are we going?” She looked over at him. “Let me guess, you’ll see.”

“Yep.”

“You are a man full of surprises, aren’t you?”

“I like to keep you on your toes.”

The windows were down, filling the inside with cool mountain air as Bex took in the scenery. Even though she’d driven this way last night, she couldn’t fully take in the beauty until now. She relaxed, siting back in the seat watching the red, orange, and brown colors of fall spread across the mountainside. The smell of pine reminded her of Christmas, family, and belonging. She closed her eyes, enjoying the breeze on her skin. It was the first time in her life that she felt content, like she belonged in Ember Brooke, like it was home. Her soul was at peace.

The engine shut off, waking Bex. She rolled her head to the side sleepily looking at Thane watching her. “I must have dosed off,” she yawned.

He reached over and cupped her face, rubbing her cheek. “You’re beautiful when you sleep. I could hardly keep my eyes on the road.”

She nuzzled against his hand, savoring his tender touch. “Thank you for making my vacation extra special.”

“You’re welcome.” He smiled, and a warm sensation rose in her chest. Bex, he’s your future. She wished she could believe it, she wanted to. With the thought of leaving still hovering like a dark cloud, she knew the more time she spent with Thane, the deeper the scars. But, he was well worth the heartache. She exhaled, releasing those thoughts and promised herself she’d start living in the moment, making memories with Thane she’d cherish as long as she lived.

“So,” she looked out the windshield, “what are you up to?”

“I’m taking you hang gliding.”

“What? Are you serious?”

“Yep.” He got out of the car, walking around he opened her door. “My lady.” He helped her out.

He directed her to a red and white glider. “There’s two things to remember. One, hold on. Two…” He leaned into her. “Relax.”

Bex looked over the steep cliff. She rubbed her arms as the wind blew, sending a chill down her spine. “You’ve done this before, right?”

“Baby, I’m a professional.” He placed a helmet on her head and adjusted the straps. “You steer by shifting your weight and you control the speed with the bar. It’s that simple.” He slapped her on the ass. “Let’s go.”

Bex nervously rubbed her hands down her jeans as she followed him to the glider where he began to strap her in.

“I only see one glider. You’re coming with me, right?” Bex asked, trying not to show how nervous she was.

“Of course, I’m your personal guide.” He winked.

“Don’t we need parachutes?

Thane laughed. “Baby, we’re dragons.”

“Right, of course.” Shit, she almost gave herself away. What in the hell was she going to do? What if something went wrong in the air, she couldn’t shift, her dragon was on lockdown.

Bex inhaled, calming her rattled nerves. Besides, Thane knew what he was doing, right?

Thane finished strapping himself into the harness. “Ready.” Thane adjusted his sunglasses.

All Bex could do was shake her head.

“Hold on, baby.”

The next thing she knew, they were jumping off the cliff and plummeting to the rocky ground below. She gripped the side bars, squeezed her eyes shut, and stifled a scream. Holy shit, holy shit, she was going to die. In a quick swoop up, the glider took flight. Her stomach flopped like a fish out of water.

As the ride smoothed out, she opened her eyes. She wasn’t dead. They were flying. Relief washed over her and she began to relax.

“Are you okay?” Thane called from below.

“Yeah, I’m good.” One hand at a time, she let go of the side bars and placed them on Thane’s hips. “It’s beautiful up here.”

“The best feeling ever.”

Was this what she was missing? She could only imagine how she’d feel if she was in dragon form, flying through the sky. She felt weightless and free as the wind blew through her hair. A tinge of regret hit when it dawned on her she’d never tried to fly.

She looked down at Thane. A smile spread across his lips, he was in his element, guiding the glider through the sky, and he’d never looked sexier.

Thane flew her around the mountain, showing her its natural treasures. They flew over a crystal-blue waterfall that spilled into a stream surrounded by boulders. It was like paradise.

Hours passed before Bex finally recognized the cliff they had started at. They must be headed back. She bit her bottom lip thinking how she could stay up here forever. It was so serene, so breathtakingly beautiful. Up high, nothing could reach her. And sharing this experience with Thane made the day even more special. She’d remember this forever.

“Are you ready?” Thane called out.

“For what?” She couldn’t possibly think of anything more they could do in the sky.

“Shift.”

“What?”

Twin, green wings ripped free from the harness, releasing Thane from her. He spiraled down like a plane in a tailspin as his body morphed into a massive green dragon. At that moment, her life flashed before her eyes. Wires creaked and snapped, metal bars groaned and popped free from the frame. The power of Thane shifting tore the hang glider to bits.

One of the two cables holding Bex to the sail gave way. Desperately, she grabbed onto anything she could to stop from falling, but it was too late. The force of her body breaking free, cracked the only thing left keeping her connected to the sail. In a swoosh, the sail flew upward as she spiraled downward helplessly.

She tried to call forth her dragon, but she wasn’t there, nor did she know how. Nothing was stopping her from falling. She was going to die.

* * *

What the hell! Why isn’t she shifting? Coming out of his tailspin, he pumped his wings frantically, flying toward Bex. Shift, baby, shift.

This wasn’t what he’d expected to happen. He thought if they were in dragon form, she could no longer fight it, that she would have to accept him as her mate. She was going to shift, right?

When nothing happened, panic coursed through his veins as he tried with all his dragon might to catch her. With his keen eyes set on her, he lowered his head into the wind and flapped his wings with urgency.

Finally, he reached Bex and wrapped his wings around her like a protective cocoon and pulled her into his chest. Her body was shaking uncontrollably. Because his wings were around her, their landing was going to be messy. Since he had to fly with great speed to catch her, and now as they were falling rapidly, there was no time to slow down. Hang on, turbulence is a bitch.

He gritted his teeth anticipating the landing. Before they hit the ground, Thane turned so his back would hit the ground first and break the fall. He didn’t want to crush her. They landed with a thud and skidded deep into the earth, leaving a trench in their wake. Just missing his car, Thane’s hefty sized head collided with the trunk of a thick oak tree.

The world stilled. Still in shock, he didn’t move. He kept his wings wrapped tight around Bex unable to let her go. Thank the elders she was alive. Her heart beat rapidly against his chest and he felt the wetness of her tears against his scales while she cried hysterically. It broke his heart that he did this to her.

Tiny fists punched at his wings. “Let me go.” She squirmed and kicked until he unfolded his wings and released her. She stood in shock and back-stepped away. Her chest rose and fell briskly as she gasped for air. “Why?” she demanded.

As the adrenaline wore off, Thane shifted back. Anger, not at her but himself, bubbled to the surface. “Why didn’t you shift?”

She glared at him, then took off to the car.

“Bex!” In two strides he caught her and spun her around. “Answer me.”

“What were you thinking?” She shoved him. Tears streaked down her cheeks. “You could have killed me!” She pushed him again.

Okay, he deserved that.

“I trusted you!” She slapped him.

Instantly, she covered her mouth with her hand. They both froze as he glared down at her, his nostrils flared as he fought back the anger. “Why didn’t you shift?” he growled.

“You’re naked.”

“You’re avoiding the question.”

Big hazel eyes bore into him. “It’s no concern of yours.” She whipped around and strode to the car.

Taking a deep breath, he waited a minute to cool down before following her. He didn’t understand what was going on. What was she hiding from him? Something was wrong here, he could feel it. Frustrated, he shoved his hands in his hair, resisting the urge to go after Bex and shake the truth out of her.

He strode to his car and grabbed the keys from the sun visor. Bex was sitting inside with her arms crossed over her chest, brooding. She wouldn’t look at him. Just as well, he was too damn angry to talk and would only say something he’d regret later.

He walked to the back of the Firebird and unlocked the trunk. He pulled a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt from a duffle bag, dressed, then climbed into the car. She would come clean with him…even if it took all night.