As Adrien watched Kelsey go over his knuckles carefully, looking for any scrapes, he found he was still incredibly irritated.

Irritated because he’d lost control and displayed strength far beyond that of a human. Irritated because he’d punched the shit out of Bernard rather than resolving things with her money.

Irritated because he’d seen her scared eyes when he’d been angry and wondered if he’d changed in her mind.

Still, Bernard had insulted his mate gravely, and Adrien hadn’t had any choice but to defend her. Especially after that disgusting insinuation when she’d been on the bed.

His jaw clenched just at the memory of it, and he jerked his head to the side, trying not to think of it.

“Am I being too harsh?” Kelsey asked, as she was now dabbing some kind of disinfectant on his knuckles with ginger motions.

He shook his head. He’d barely felt her doing it.

“I really am grateful,” she said quietly, turning his hands over to look at them once more. “I can’t believe how little you were hurt, though.” She looked up at his head. “Also, I guess you took the bandage off after one day, didn’t you?”

“You didn’t notice?” he asked drily.

She laughed. “I guess I tend to look other places on you.” Then she blushed, making a grin tilt the corners of his lips.

“Like where?” he asked. This was more the kind of conversation he wanted to have with her.

“I don’t know,” she said. She gazed up at him seriously. “Your eyes?”

“Are you asking me or telling me?”

“Telling you,” she said with a smile. “And your lips. Your whole face, really, is pretty spectacular.”

Stay with me, he wanted to say. Forever.

But he knew enough about humans to know they didn’t say things like that so quickly.

Instead, he said, “Thank you. I like yours as well.”

“You’re so much better looking than me,” she said, letting his hands go reluctantly because there was really nothing to treat.

“Not true,” he said, reaching out and catching her chin, tilting her face to his and looking it over carefully before releasing her. “I think you’re absolutely beautiful. I couldn’t have ordered you better.”

She laughed awkwardly. “I guess it’s lucky I ended up on your doorstep, then,” she said.

Yes, lucky. Or fate, as dragons tended to believe. “Sure,” he responded.

He looked at his watch. Now that he was finally calming, he realized it was getting late. He should be a gentleman and walk her to her room and let her go to bed.

But he hated the thought of being away from her. He wished it was appropriate to spend the night with her, but as they weren’t promised to each other, it wasn’t.

“Well,” he said, standing. “We should probably get you to bed. It’s been a long night. Hopefully I didn’t scare you so bad you have nightmares.”

“You didn’t scare me,” she said. “Surprised me because I didn’t think anyone was that strong.”

“A lot of it is speed and technique,” he said.

“You held him off the ground with one hand,” she said.

“Well, his toes were kind of touching and taking some of his weight,” he said.

She put her hands up and smiled. “I’m not going to argue. You saved my butt. I’m just saying you didn’t scare me. Not at all. Unlike most people, I get that you actually have a pretty good heart.” She poked him in the chest, and there was that almost annoyingly strong warmth again.

His whole body seemed far too eager for more.

“Let’s get you to bed,” he said, walking toward the doors out of the club.

She looked at him, flushing, and he realized the double meaning.

“No,” he said. “I meant… just… I’ll walk you to your room. Nothing inappropriate.”

When they reached her door, she touched his arm. “What do you mean inappropriate?” she asked.

He looked down into her green eyes, which for some reason seemed extra glossy, alluring. “I… You know. If I came in.”

She looked over her shoulder at the door. “Do you want to?”

He shoved his hands in his pockets. Of course he wanted to. He wanted to make love to her now and forever. But it wasn’t the right time. It was only their first date, despite how much time they’d spent together the past couple days.

“No,” he said. “I’d better not.”

She bit her lip, and the motion made him ache with want. “What if I want you to?” she asked, leaning against the door with hopeful eyes. “What if I don’t want the night to end yet?”

His gaze roved over her, her perfect curves that he’d protected that night, the body that should be his alone, to care for, treasure, and spoil rotten. Not to mention guard forever.

But to her, he was just a good-looking man who’d done some nice things for her. Would she really want something so serious physically this soon?

She reached up and grabbed his collar, jerking him down and reaching up on her toes to bring his lips down over hers. The minute he kissed her again, he was lost.

His whole body was hot and needy, and he was unable to have a single rational thought about what should or shouldn’t happen or what was proper and right.

Her tongue swept inside his mouth, and she moaned as she pressed her body to his hungrily.

His mate wanted him, and all that mattered was answering that desire.

Which Adrien did by wrapping one arm around her, enjoying the feel of her curvy body against him as his other hand reached for the handle and opened the door to her apartment. Not breaking contact with her mouth, he led her inside, practically carrying her and shutting the door behind him, latching the deadbolt.

That finished, he focused on using his tongue to maximum effect, swiping inside her and drawing a soft moan from her throat. Her body went slightly slack, and he held her more tightly, both hands free now.

For several long seconds, they kissed right there at the entryway to her apartment. His tongue found her sensitive spots even quicker this time, stroking and making her shudder with anticipation as her grip on his arms tightened. In the apartment, the lights were still off, leaving the atmosphere dark, everything illuminated in cool shades of blue and green from the city lights trickling through the shaded windows.

When he delved deep inside her once again, she almost lost her footing, and Adrien picked her up off the ground as if she weighed nothing and walked in the direction of the bedroom.

The apartments were by no means small, but they weren’t the castles that Adrien had been used to back in his day. Above all, they had privacy, and that mattered much more than sheer square footage.

By the time he reached the door to her room, his mouth was at Kelsey’s throat, kissing the soft skin there as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He flicked one light on as he passed through the doorway, giving them a soft, orange light that didn’t make the room bright, but nonetheless kept them from utter darkness.

After all, he wanted to see his mate while he pleasured her.

They reached the bed, and Adrien’s mind was already wild with all the things he could do to Kelsey. All the things he wanted to do to her.

Certainly more things than could fit in a single night.

But tonight was what they had, and Adrien was going to make the most of it.

He came onto the bed with Kelsey, now on top of her as she lay on the soft, downy comforter beneath. His mouth wanted to go lower, and he kissed from her neck down to her collar, just above the fabric of the black tunic she’d been wearing that Adrien had fantasized about taking off all night.

Deftly, his hands undid the belt she’d worn around her midsection, casting it aside. By now, he’d already traced a trail of kisses across the edge of the dark fabric, and he went lower, to the edge of the swell of her luscious breasts, so soft and tantalizing.

“Don’t stop.” Kelsey sighed as his tongue licked over her flesh. But it wasn’t enough. He needed to see her, touch her everywhere.

He pulled the tunic over her head, repressing the urge to tear it off like a proper dragon would his mate’s clothing, and she helped him, sliding it off easily. Once it was cast aside, he quickly undid the clasp of her bra and tossed it away as well.

Adrien’s mouth practically watered at the sight of her full breasts and pert nipples, along with her soft belly and the silhouette of her body. And it was hard to ignore the strain of his fitted slacks; he was so aroused he couldn’t remember a time before when he’d ever been this turned on.

But maybe that was just to be expected with a mate.

By now, Kelsey’s blush had crept from her cheeks to her neck, her creamy skin accentuated by rosy hues as his hands found her breasts. He kneaded and massaged, luxuriating in the feel of them and in the way her eyes closed and her body writhed against the pleasure building inside her.

And lower down her body, Adrien caught a glimpse of her full hips and those tight jeans she wore that had been driving him crazy all night.

He left one hand to tease her left breast, pressing his thumb into her nipple while his other hand flicked the button open on her jeans. And as he lowered himself and began to lave his tongue over a stiffened peak, he slid the zipper of her jeans all the way down.

If his mate was going to let herself get involved with the silver dragon, then he most certainly wasn’t going to waste time bringing her to completion.

His hand delved beneath her jeans and over her underwear, soft and already wet with the sign of her arousal. So hot. All for his own. And as he stroked his finger over the tiny nub at the center of her desire, he didn’t cease lavishing her body with kisses, owning and claiming her in every way.

It was as though he were one with Kelsey right now, able to predict what she wanted and where without needing to read her thoughts.

But then he flicked against her clit once more, and she came beneath him, thrashing as complete pleasure overtook her.

It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his life, and he immediately needed to see it again.