As Kai changed into his nicest tee shirt, a white one with some kind of blue graphic, and some jeans, which were made out of stiff, dark-blue material, he heard Renee fidgeting on the couch in the living room.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, walking into the room as he slid a belt through the loops of his jeans.

She looked up at him and flushed, and he loved that he had the same effect on his mate that she had on him. Couldn’t wait to show her all over again.

“No,” she said, regaining her composure. “It’s just that… Well, while I was there, Liz really apologized. She explained a lot, and it’s given me some things to think about.”

Kai reached out a hand to help her up, treasuring the soft feel of her hand in his as he pulled her to standing. She landed against him softly, and he looked down into her eyes, resisting the urge to kiss her, because if he did, they would never get anywhere they needed to go.

He set himself back from her. “What did she say?”

“Just some things I hadn’t thought of.”

His mate was too open-minded, he thought as he opened the door for her to walk out in front of him. But since he could tell they’d been friends a long time and it was, as she’d said, “complicated,” he tried to withhold judgment.

At least verbally.

“I don’t see what she could say that would change how she treated you,” he said.

“She said she’d always been jealous of me,” Renee said, looking stunned. “I mean, she was always the one that guys came onto, that got attention, that was effortlessly beautiful. She said she envied me because I’d always done what I wanted, became successful, made something of myself that was more than my looks. She said she was sorry she felt I was encroaching on her space. That she was happy for me, and she would try to be more patient.”

Kai still didn’t like how all of that sounded, but he knew his mate had a good heart. He just hoped that wouldn’t get her hurt someday.

“I don’t know,” Kai said. “What kind of friend is jealous of their friend’s good fortune?”

“Me,” Renee said. “I mean, sometimes I wished I looked like her. Had things easy like her. She always seemed to have infinite money, effortless good looks.”

“But did you ever resent her? Begrudge her that?”

Renee shook her head. “No.”

“Of course not,” he said. “There is a difference between wanting to have something someone else has and wanting them not to have it.”

“I suppose,” she said. “But Liz was kind to me growing up. Stood up for me when no one else did.”

Well, he had to commend that. But people could also have purposes for that as well.

Or maybe he was just being too paranoid about humans.

“All right,” he said. “I’ll withhold judgment.”

“Good,” Renee said, taking his hand again. “Because she might show up for lunch.”

He stopped abruptly. “Why?”

“Well, I’m dating you, sort of, right? So my friend wants to meet you.”

A prickle of something not quite right went up his back, but he wasn’t sure what it was. “I would rather spend time with just you.”

“I see,” she said. “Well… if you don’t want to…”

But looking down at her, her cute hair in a loose braid, a little bit of human makeup accentuating her perfect features, her gorgeous body dressed up, all his, he couldn’t deny her anything.

“All right,” he said. “Just for lunch.”

She brightened. “I’m sure the two of you will get along. Liz promised she would be supportive. She said if you like me, then she’ll try to like you.”

“Well, I like you,” he said, squeezing her hand. “So that isn’t a problem.”

“But… Kai?”

“Yes?”

“What is this exactly? Just so I know. Just so we have things straight. Is this something… casual?” Her golden-brown eyes were hesitant.

He wasn’t sure exactly what she was saying, but he thought he had some idea. “No,” he said. “I don’t think so.” It was damn well serious for him.

“Okay,” she said. “That’s all I wanted to know. Liz asked me, and I couldn’t really answer.”

“Answer what?”

“How serious we are.” She put her free hand up to her face. “This is so awkward.”

“I would not have gone that far with you last night if I wasn’t serious. I’m not a man who plays around. In fact—” He was about to maybe bring up the fact that he was a virgin when a loud voice interrupted them, calling across the lobby.

Somehow, while talking, they’d made it downstairs without him even noticing.

“Renee!” Liz called again, waving a hand.

Kai frowned, disliking her instantly, though he couldn’t exactly figure out why. Perhaps it was the way she held herself, as if she thought she were above everyone, including Renee. Perhaps it was the way Renee looked whenever she’d talked to Liz on the phone. Deflated. Anyone around Renee should be working to help lift her up. Anyone who was shoving her down should be dealt with.

But he told himself to be polite and shoved both hands in his pockets as Renee walked forward to meet her friend.

The two women hugged, Liz giving Renee quick air kisses, though her blue eyes lingered on Kai, making him uncomfortable.

The dragon in him paced. Get away, it said toward Liz. That was odd.

Liz came forward, eyes twinkling with a cold mirth that was unlike the warm, open glow in Renee’s golden-brown irises.

“I’m Liz,” she said. “I’m sorry we haven’t met properly.”

He looked at Renee, saw her pleading look to get along with her friend, and put a hand out reluctantly. He’d gotten enough of an intro before, when he’d come up to hit on Renee. Liz had not only thought he was hitting on her, but had stomped off and left her friend to faint alone just because she was angry.

No. He didn’t like this woman at all. But he put on a cool smile and extended his hand slowly.

Liz took it, and Kai winced at the way she caressed his palm slightly before letting it go. He jerked back, hoping Renee hadn’t seen it.

Perhaps he was imagining things, but it seemed as if Liz were planning to come onto him right in front of her friend.

He hoped he was wrong, because that would really hurt Renee if she found out about it.

He could tell Renee had always been the supportive one, more than willing to let Liz take the spotlight. As they walked into the restaurant and Liz took over, picking their table, picking their seats, and Renee simply smiled tightly and went along with it, he became more and more uncomfortable.

So, he thought, did Renee.

It broke when Liz was about to order for all three of them.

“I can order on my own,” Renee snapped, jerking her menu back from where Liz had folded it and set it aside.

“I just thought you might like a salad,” Liz said. “Since you’re watching your weight.”

Kai sucked in a breath, rage washing through him as he realized this was one of the people who had contributed to Renee’s wounds about her body. “Shut up,” he said. “Don’t you know what your words do?”

Liz blinked at him, angry but trying not to show it. “Why? I’m just trying to help her. If she ever wants anyone to take notice of her—”

“I took notice of her. Just as she is.” He looked over at Renee warmly. “And I’m going to be mad if she doesn’t order everything she wants on the menu. Anything that looks good to her.” He put his hand on Renee’s, stroking it intimately. “After all, she is going to need her energy for what I’m doing to her later.”

He looked up triumphantly at Liz. Take that. Renee was desirable just as she was, and he was going to make sure anyone close to her knew it.

“Well, I never,” Liz muttered, shuffling in her chair.

When the waiter came, Kai was still holding Renee’s hand and whispering into her ear as she giggled. He made sure she ordered a few things that looked good and ignored Liz completely.

He loved being around his mate.

“Well, since we’ve ordered, I’m going to run to the bathroom so I can be back before the food comes.” Renee sent Kai a look that said, Please, don’t start any fights.

He would try.

It was quiet as she left the table, winding her way to the restrooms on the other side of the restaurant.

Then Liz, who’d been sitting across from him, moved over to the seat next to him, on the other side from where Renee had been sitting.

She put her hand on his thigh. “Let’s stop with the games. I know you want me.”

He raised an eyebrow at her, flabbergasted. If she wasn’t a human female, he would have thrown her across the room for her audacity. Not just for what she was trying to do to him, but for how it would hurt his mate. How it would hurt Renee.

He lifted her hand gently and put it on the table. “Stop that. I don’t think you should do that.”

She moved her hand down again, this time moving up his thigh toward more intimate territory.

He quickly jerked back, standing and nearly tripping over his chair. Her touch was disgusting. He only wanted his mate.

And if she were to walk over right now, what she saw would break her heart.

“I can’t believe you are doing this,” he said. “Renee is your friend.”

Liz drew back, and Kai could see anger burning in her blue eyes, despite her calm demeanor. She folded her arms and went back to her seat, glaring at him.

“I don’t get it,” she said. “I’ve had my eye on you from the moment I got here, and you haven’t given me a second look. Then you go after my fat friend. What is wrong with you?”

Kai again stood angrily, not sure he could even stay at the table any longer.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Liz said. “It’s important to Renee that we get along. And I know you’ve already screwed up a few times. What is she going to think if you go storming out of here? What am I going to tell her?”

That settled it. Renee’s friend was definitely evil. Or at least a very bad friend. She had even tried to touch him inappropriately.

He sat down stiffly, not knowing what he was going to do if she tried to touch him again. He’d never been a patient dragon. A diplomatic dragon. And while he couldn’t hurt a woman, he doubted he could just stay and let it happen.

Even if Renee was mad, he would just have to run.

Liz studied him with narrowed eyes. “And I don’t get it. Why don’t I affect you at all?”

“You aren’t my type,” he said simply. His type was Renee.

“I’m everyone’s type,” Liz snapped. “Men can’t resist me.”

Apparently, dragons could.

“I don’t have that problem,” he said. “I see only Renee, and if you make things difficult for us, I’ll make sure she sees you for what you really are.”

Liz snapped her mouth shut at that. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“I don’t want to hurt her more than she’s already been hurt, but it’s up to you. Leave me alone.”

“Fine,” Liz said. “For now.”

He was about to argue with her, when he saw Renee working her way back to the table.

He sat back and focused on her, plastering a pleasant smile on his face as he stood to pull out her chair as he’d seen others in the restaurant doing.

“Such a gentleman,” Renee said, putting a hand on his arm as she sat down.

He smiled at her, instantly more at peace now that she was back in the room.

As she started talking with Liz again, he hoped the food would come soon so they could finish and he could be alone with his mate again.

No matter what she said from here on out, he wouldn’t be spending any more time with Liz.

* * *

Renee had an odd feeling as they walked out of the hotel and onto the beach after lunch.

Kai was in a weird mood. Had been ever since she got back from the restroom, though she could tell he was trying to hide it.

Had something happened while she was gone? Had Liz said something rude to him? She’d seemed really sincere about making good with Renee, and Renee had to hope for the best.

But she knew Kai didn’t like Liz, not at all, and she couldn’t really blame him so far.

She had to really think about what to do going forward, but right now, she just wanted to help Kai feel better.

He was pacing, looking at the ocean wistfully, arms folded.

She walked up alongside him. “You really love it, don’t you?”

He nodded. “It’s like my home.”

She sighed. “I wish I wasn’t afraid of it.”

“I understand,” he said. “It can wait. But I can’t wait to be out there with you, holding you in the surf, the water all around us as I make love to you.”

She caught her breath at that image, how romantic it was. He’d said he was raised on the ocean, though not specifically how. Given how hard he’d been trying to understand her unique issues, she wanted to do better at understanding his.

“Well, at least we can go dip our toes in,” she said.

“Really?” His eyes lit up, the blue in them going lighter, like sun on the ocean. Her jaw dropped slightly at how beautiful they were.

“Of—of course.”

He grabbed her hand and jogged to the waves, looking around them. “Too many people. Come on.” He tugged her with him as they jogged over the sand a good ways down the beach from the hotel, where no other people were around. “Perfect.”

She was grateful she’d worn practical sandals, but she still slid them off so she could walk in the sand better.

She felt trepidation as she approached the ocean, the sand growing damper and cooler under her feet. Growing up landlocked in the Midwest, she had very little experience swimming.

One time at a summer camp on the coast, she’d been brave enough to go swimming but nearly drowned when the waves caught her feet out from under her. Of course, a lifeguard had been on duty, quick to respond. But it was enough to make her afraid of the water ever since.

Her experience with Kai after fainting hadn’t helped much either.

He walked forward ahead of her, his jeans rolled up, exposing powerful calves as he walked into the surge. The water blasting against his legs seemed to invigorate him, and he threw his head back, enjoying the sea spray.

How could they possibly be so opposite yet so seemingly right together?

All she knew was she didn’t want to be apart from him. The more time they spent together, the more it felt right. No one had ever made her feel as he did, and she wanted so much more.

He’d even tried to behave at lunch with her friend he didn’t even like.

She took another little step forward, jumping slightly when water rushed over her feet, soaking the bottom of her pants. She stepped back quickly, holding her breath.

She looked up at Kai apologetically. “I don’t know,” she said. “I’m so weird.”

He looked back. “What worries you exactly? Don’t you trust me? I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.” He extended a hand to her, but she couldn’t bring herself to walk forward and take it.

“I… It’s not you. It’s the ocean. It’s so unpredictable. Yes, one moment you can be just fine, playing in it, but then it can be rough. There can be riptides. Things can change in a second.”

“Not for me,” he said. “Not when you understand it. There is nothing it can do to me.”

“You’re still human,” she said, folding her arms. “You can still drown.” Oh gosh, she didn’t know what she’d do if that happened.

“No,” Kai said. “This is my home. I can’t drown here. Besides, I can swim harder than any riptide.”

“If you didn’t suffocate first,” she said.

“I can hold my breath a long time.” Then his face brightened, as if he had an idea.

“No, Kai. No, you don’t.”

But he was already walking farther out into the surf, until the waves reached his waist. “Watch this. I’ll show you what I mean.” Then he ducked under the water.

Oh heavens, he was stupid sometimes. She didn’t want him to hold his breath, and the last thing she wanted was for him to go under the water where she couldn’t see him.

But the waves were oddly peaceful and the sun was all around them, and she could sort of see Kai in there, his white shirt under the waves as they crested. He was a little farther out now, deeper, but seemed to be fine.

She paced back and forth, looking down the beach to see if anyone was around in case she needed to go for help. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be one of those stupid males who risked hurting himself to make a point.

There was one group of guys walking down the beach, sort of in their direction, but she didn’t want to bring someone over if she didn’t have to.

She checked her phone, seeing it had been a full minute. Kai was still there.

What was reasonable? He said he could hold his breath a long time, but she was getting nervous just thinking about it.

She paced again, her heart pounding heavily as she stared into the surf. Could she still see him? She thought she could, but he needed to get out. Now.

Kai.

“Well, hi there, pretty lady,” a voice said out of nowhere. She whipped around to see the men she’d seen before. They held drinks in their hands and, it appeared, one extra for her.

They couldn’t honestly be planning to hit on her now, could they? This never happened.

“I’m sorry, but I’m a little busy,” she said, ignoring them and hoping they would go away. She started rolling up her pant legs. Yes, she was afraid of the ocean, but if she had to, she’d go in for Kai.

She felt one of them grab her arm, pulling her back. “Let me go.”

“Wait a minute,” he said, holding out a drink to her. “We’re just trying to be friendly. No need to be rude.”

“My boyfriend’s out there,” she snapped, jerking her hand away and accidentally knocking the drinks. One fell to the sand and the other tipped all over him, soaking his tee shirt and board shorts. He looked at her angrily.

“What was that for? You should feel lucky we even came out here.”

“Boyfriend?” another said, setting his drink down and walking forward ominously. “We’ve been watching for you for at least a couple minutes. I don’t see anyone around.”

“Then he could be in trouble,” Renee said, whipping around to run to the ocean again. “He needs me.”

To her shock, she was caught around the waist and hauled against the ringleader, who laughed at her. “Not so fast. You just ruined my clothes. What are you going to do to make it up to me?”

“No!” she said, shoving roughly away from him once again. She wasn’t a weakling, and the adrenaline coursing through her now that Kai was in danger made her stronger. She slapped out with one hand, catching her captor across the face and making him release her.

This wasn’t funny, dammit. She had to get to Kai now. She took off for the waves, stumbling slightly but ignoring it. She could feel them chasing her and was almost to the waves when she felt them catch her by the arm, jerking her back again.

“Kai!” she screamed at the water. Desperate to know against all hope that he was okay as she was dragged back, struggling with the men who were taunting her. “Let me go! Kai!”

“Shut up,” the ring ringleader said. “We brought you a drink. The least you can do is listen to us.”

“No! Kai!” she said, continuing to fight them as well as she could as they laughed and shoved her between them.

Kai needed her. Right now, there was nothing more important in the entire world.