Kai observed with curiosity the gathering taking place out on the beach, far below his penthouse suite. Some kind of party, and he would need to leave soon if he wanted to keep any eye on his mate, prevent any rude men from bothering her.

But he was currently still on the phone with his sister, Marina, and he knew her advice would be invaluable once he tried to make another approach toward his mate.

“She thinks I tried to drown her,” he said. “I was only trying to cool her down.”

“She was afraid,” Marina said. “Justifiably so. Humans don’t see the water the way we do. It can kill them.”

He supposed that was a point. Some humans could swim admirably, but it still wasn’t the same as a dragon who could breathe underwater even in human form. “I suppose. But I wouldn’t have let anything happen to her.”

“She doesn’t know that,” Marina said, exasperated. “She doesn’t even know you’re a dragon or that dragons exist. To her, you were just a human male, one who had kidnapped her.”

“She thought I was a villain?” he asked.

“Maybe at first,” Marina said. “She didn’t know. Regardless, Kai, you’re going to have to take a softer approach with this one.” She paused for a moment. Then amusement entered her tone. “So you say she’s beautiful?”

Jealousy rankled in him, and he was a little grateful Marina was in another state. She liked to flirt with male and female humans alike, sometimes just for the attention, he felt. She was beautiful enough to catch most people’s notice, and she liked having everyone’s eyes in a room.

She also just had a general love for most creatures, shifters and humans equally, and got along with most everyone. The complete opposite of Kai.

But currently, she was also a little preoccupied with quarry of her own, so Kai didn’t have to worry about her.

“Are you still talking to that prisoner?” he asked. “Or has Seaton put a stop to it.”

“No one can put a stop to anything I want to do,” she said. “I’m my own person, and besides, the oracle is curious to see if I can learn anything from him. He doesn’t have any history with me like he does with the metal dragons.”

“Does he still hate you?”

“He doesn’t hate me,” she said. “He just doesn’t know he likes me.”

Kai shook his head. “You deserve better.”

She let out a sigh. “We don’t always get to decide what we deserve. Besides, there is more to him than meets the eye. I haven’t given up on him, unlike most.”

“You are a hopeless, big-hearted idiot,” Kai said, meaning it as half compliment.

“And you need to learn to speak nicer, or I’m not going to give you any advice on winning your human.”

“Fine,” he said grumpily. “But promise me you’ll be careful.”

“He is collared,” she said. “I’m not. End of story.”

But Kai didn’t really feel that was the end of the story. Either way, he could never make Marina do anything she disagreed with, so he decided to let it drop. She had lots of dragons at the mansion to help keep an eye on her, and he needed to focus on winning his mate so he could get back to her.

“So human women,” Marina said. “They like to feel beautiful, desired.”

“How do I do that? Tell her I want to have sex with her?”

Marina let out a snort. “No.”

“Tell her she is beautiful? I am sure she already knows.”

“One odd thing about human women is that none of them seem to know how beautiful they are,” Marina said. “I don’t understand it. I don’t deny my beauty at all.”

Kai laughed. “That is true.”

“Anyway,” Marina said. “What makes you think she knows she’s beautiful?”

“She didn’t react to me like any other human woman,” Kai said. “She didn’t try to seduce or touch me. She didn’t look affected by my presence.”

“Perhaps she doesn’t like men,” Marina said.

Kai frowned. “She is my mate. My dragon roared like the ocean at high tide when I saw her. I do not think she hates men. Otherwise, why would I be paired with her?”

“Good point,” Marina said. “Maybe she really is that confident. You say she’s exceedingly beautiful?”

“Yes,” he said assuredly.

Marina let out a sigh. “Well, I guess it’s possible that some human women might have had so much attention that they realize their own appeal. That makes things more difficult.”

“What do I do?”

Marina had to think about it for a moment, and Kai sat back patiently, scanning the crowds for any sight of his mate. She had such magnificent hair, a color he didn’t often see on humans, and it was long and waved like the ocean he loved.

They would make beautiful young.

Perhaps Seaton was right. Everything changed once you had a mate. He found himself hardly worried about the water anymore. Well, his heart ached for the sea, but once he taught her how to swim, they could worry about it more. Perhaps as a fragile human, he would just have to keep a really close eye on her.

“I think maybe you better just play it a bit calmer. Aloof, attached. Let her come to you.”

“What if she doesn’t?” Kai asked. “Unlike the other women here, she doesn’t seem the least bit interested.”

“Perhaps because you tried to drown her.”

“I did not. I tried to cool her, and she nearly drowned herself trying to foolishly get away. Why would someone do that if they didn’t know how to swim?”

Marina sighed, and he could hear his sister’s frustration from so many miles away. “I miss you, Kai, but sometimes you are the densest person on the planet. I don’t know how to help you see from other people’s perspectives. It’s just something that comes naturally to me.”

Kai was sure she could be blind at times, too, but it was true that he generally had a hard time communicating with others. “Just tell me what to do.”

“I don’t honestly know,” Marina said. “But I do know you’re a good man. Try to think this out. Don’t let your instincts or your temper take hold. Try to think of what Seaton would do.”

Ah, yes, Seaton. The nice, calm middle ground between him and Marina.

Seaton would never overreact or cause fear or hatred. Perfect Seaton. Kai loved his brother but had never been anything like him.

Still, he supposed his mate wouldn’t have had any objections to someone like that. Someone polite. Seaton wouldn’t have taken a woman into the ocean, most likely.

Kai sighed. “That is good advice. Thank you, Marina. Are they treating you well there?”

“Yes,” she said. “Seaton is still on his honeymoon, and the others are making sure I have everything I need.”

“Good,” Kai said. “If anything is amiss, if you need me, let me know, and I’ll come home.”

“How?”

“If you were in trouble, I’m sure I could do something,” Kai said. “I won’t let anything happen to my family.”

Marina giggled. “Thanks, Kai. But I can take care of myself. Hopefully, you can stay calm long enough to not scare your mate away before showing that protective side. I think she’d like it.”

“You think so?” he asked hopefully. Protectiveness came naturally, but he hadn’t ever assumed it was something a human would want.

“Yes,” Marina said. “In moderation. Life is rough for human women. As soon as they know you aren’t one of the bad guys, they need you to keep the bad guys away. But first they have to know you aren’t one of them.”

“And she didn’t know that when I took her out to the ocean…”

“No,” Marina agreed. “She didn’t.”

He ran a hand through his short waves. They’d gone even lighter with the sun he’d been getting. “Well, there is a gathering downstairs. I’ll go try out your tips.”

“Be polite,” she said. “Be calm. Try to be anything but a dragon.”

“I am a dragon,” he said.

“Not right now.”

He chewed his lower lip. “Okay. You’re right.”

“Now go get that sexy mate,” she said. “I mean, go be the best gentleman in the world and slowly entice her. Think Seaton.”

“Right. Seaton,” Kai said, closing his eyes and imagining it. How Seaton would walk. Talk. “Got it. I’ll talk to you later, sis. Love you.”

“Love you, too. Good luck.”

Then Kai hung up and went to put on a shirt. He had a party to attend.

* * *

“Isn’t that a bit… much?” Liz asked, frowning at the low cut of Renee’s dress as it skimmed her cleavage and bared her soft, creamy shoulders.

Renee shrugged. She didn’t care what Liz said or how much she unintentionally echoed Chase, who would have disapproved of her outfit, saying it wasn’t “flattering,” or “right for her body type.” She didn’t care anymore. Whatever she wanted to wear was right for her body type.

And she loved this dress. It was soft, covered in a teal and blue floral design, and draped her substantial curves in a way that made her feel beautiful and feminine. She’d tucked a flower behind her right ear, indicating she was single, and she’d styled her hair into soft waves with some styling cream to hold them in place without frizz.

She wasn’t looking for a man, but she wasn’t trying to repel one either. And she wasn’t going to change how she wanted to be for any of them.

This was her vacation, her chance to be free. She sat back on her stool as the lush, floral scent of plumeria swept over her, followed by ocean breeze.

The ocean might scare her, but she sure loved the smell of it. The man who’d nearly drowned her smelled like it. Kai. She’d found out his name from Sherry the bartender, who’d come to her room before the party to make sure she was okay.

She said she’d been on the phone, and Kai had moved too fast for her, but she didn’t think he’d meant any harm.

Renee agreed with her. Perhaps Kai was just the type to act rashly. Either way, she didn’t intend to really see more of him. He just wasn’t her type. Dangerous.

She sipped her mai tai and enjoyed the fruity goodness, watching the stage as beautiful women danced slowly to island music, swaying their hips and moving their hands gracefully. She could never move like that; she was sure.

But she could enjoy watching it.

Liz was pouting, drumming her fingers on the wooden bar in front of them. “There aren’t any good-looking men here, except for that psycho who picked you up. And I haven’t even seen him.”

“Do you want to see him? You just called him a psycho.”

“So did you,” Liz said, straightening. She was wearing a tight, short red dress that hugged every slim curve, plus strappy sandals that had to be hell on the sand.

Liz hadn’t always been a bitch to Renee. In school, she’d sometimes stood up for her when she’d been made fun of for being chubby, and often, when she told Renee certain things that sounded rude, it was only to protect her.

But Renee wanted to live. She didn’t want to be protected anymore. She wanted to see for herself what she was capable of, what she could get away with wearing, and who she could meet.

“Maybe I’ll go hit the pool,” Liz said. “There’s no one worth meeting here.”

“Is that the only reason you came?” Renee asked, feeling slightly impatient with her friend’s constant whining. “We’re at a party. Why don’t you relax?”

“I didn’t come to relax,” Liz said. “I can relax at home. I came to meet up with a hottie. Something I apparently can’t do here.”

“Meaning you only want the one man who hasn’t approached you,” Renee said. “Because I’m sure there are plenty of good-looking men around here.”

Liz gave her a slightly abashed smile, flashing perfect pearly whites that looked almost predatory. “I’m sure you’re right. Perhaps I should go mingle.” She slipped off her stool, drink in hand, and gazed around the gathering. The sun was setting in beautiful shades of orange and red over the ocean, and it was slowly getting darker.

Renee was looking forward to the fire dancers as soon as it was night. She gave Liz a wave as she watched her friend weave her way between the tables toward a crowd standing near the buffet on the other side of the venue.

Renee relaxed and smiled at Brett, the bartender who was currently rushing to serve everyone who’d sat at the bar. She hadn’t felt like taking a table and being forced into conversation with a whole group of new people.

She just wanted to enjoy time on her own, slowly taking in everything. She just wanted to lose herself in the beautiful music and the sway of the hula.

“I bet you could be as good as those dancers,” said a voice from her left.

She turned slowly, shocked to see that Kai had somehow sidled up and appeared beside her without her noticing. Just his presence intimidated her, and though she didn’t really think he’d ever intended to harm her, she didn’t really know what to say.

Men like him did not hang out with girls like her.

She stared at him, open-mouthed, as he calmly turned to the bartender and ordered a drink for himself, plus another for her.

“What do you mean?” she asked when she finally regained her senses.

He looked at the dancers, and she noticed he was much calmer, a peaceful look in his eyes that was unlike the intensity she’d noticed before.

It was more comfortable to be around him like this, but it was almost a little disappointing. Like something was missing.

She sighed and pushed the extra drink back to him. “No thank you,” she said. “I don’t need it.”

He pushed it back. “Yes, you do.” His eyes moved over her. “Have to maintain those curves.”

Her eyes widened. Had he really just said that?

“That’s why I said you’d do as well as those dancers. Maybe even better, since you’re…” He trailed off as she straightened stiffly, unsure how to even respond to this trail of thought.

Stop it, she thought. Just please, stop now.

“I mean…” His eyes darted side to side, and for the first time, he looked slightly panicked. “Dammit. Uh.”

Her eyes watered, but she commanded herself not to cry. She’d endured countless fat jokes, mean comments, and such as she’d grown up.

But coming from a man who looked like this.

“All I meant was… Well, you know what I mean.”

“That I’m fat?” she said bluntly.

“What do you mean?” he asked, his tone sharp.

“That I’m…” She gestured to her body. “This.”

If she wasn’t wrong, a slight flush moved across his nose and high cheekbones.

Oh heavens, why were they having this conversation? He’d already managed to almost drown her. Did he have to insult her about her most sensitive topic in the same day?

This guy was a wonder.

She watched him take a deep breath, as if to calm himself, and he straightened slowly.

“Yes. That. You are… You have…”

She sent him the sharpest glare of her life, daring him to go further. For his part, he seemed to realize he was on dangerous ground. He squirmed slightly, then bit his lip.

There was a lightly panicked look in his eyes before he finally blurted out, “I would not mind having sex with you.”

She went deadly still for a second. Of all the things she expected, that wasn’t one of them. She got quickly off her stool, leaving her drink behind.

“Wait! I meant that I desire you!” he called after her. “Dammit.”

She ignored him, feeling tears sting her eyes. Right, she was the fat girl. She should be happy to just be a quick bang. A pity bang. Could this day get any worse, just when she was feeling beautiful?

Perhaps Liz and Chase were right. Perhaps she was safer staying inside her cage, under the rules others had set for her. Or maybe she should just go home to her work, her cats, her quiet apartment and settle for her life there.

Maybe she didn’t need an adventure if it hurt like this.

She made her way through the crowd, having to elbow her way past some of the more raucous, drunk partygoers. When she emerged on the other side, away from the luau, facing the beach, she let out a sigh of relief.

She turned back toward the crowd, wondering if she could see Liz, but it was getting too dark now. There were torches lighting the place, casting it all in a warm glow, and everything was just a bit hazy.

She walked a bit farther, toward the base of a palm tree, and sat on the sand there, wishing she still had her drink.

There were a few people playing out at the edge of the water, and the ocean looked beautiful tonight, reflecting the last rays of sunlight with little silvery crests.

She sighed, wrapping her hands around her knees, leaning back against the tree trunk.

Perhaps she enjoyed her own company most after all. She wouldn’t let a rude man like Kai ruin her peace.

“You okay over here?”

She looked up to see a man of medium height wearing an employee uniform, bending slightly to look at her in concern. “Oh, yes,” she said. “Just getting some fresh air. Not good with crowds.”

“Ah, I get it,” he said. “Yeah, even working these things, I get tired of it.”

She nodded, wondering vaguely why he was talking to her. Was he… flirting?

He had soft, longish hair, a slight frame, and a handsome, boyish face. Everything about him screamed “nice.” The kind of cute, slightly nerdy boy she typically crushed on.

Perhaps the night wasn’t a loss after all.

“I’m on break. Mind if I get you a drink?” he asked. His tone was polite, and his look was concerned. Perhaps it was obvious she’d been upset, that she’d almost been crying.

She looked warily at the crowd and then back at him. Tad, his nametag said. “Are you sure it’s okay?”

“Hey,” he said. “One of the perks of this job is flirting with beautiful women. So how about it?”

He was flirting. Take that, Liz and Kai, she thought with a smile. Well, she supposed this was harmless. He was an employee, after all, and he was offering to cheer her up. And there were tons of people just nearby if she needed them.

“Okay,” she said, patting the sand next to her. “I guess there’s enough room for two.”

He laughed, heading off into the crowd, and she flushed, wondering how stupid she’d sounded.

It was the first time in a long while she’d been single, and she still wasn’t used to being approached. She did feel beautiful tonight, and why not? The cute employee seemed to agree. He wasn’t the type to hurt a girl’s feelings, unlike that annoying Kai.

Sure, he wasn’t tall like Kai, and he didn’t set her nerve endings on fire just looking at her, but sometimes a quiet, safe option was the better one.

When he returned, he had two glasses. She stood, and he handed her the taller of the two glasses, which seemed to be filled with a fruity, icy drink garnished with lime and strawberry.

“What is it?” she asked, putting the straw to her lips to take a sip.

He watched her intently, his eyes moving to her lips, making her blush. “Staff special. Just try it.”

She was about to take a sip when she felt something bump into her from behind, making her stumble and gasp. Then she felt the glass knocked from her hands roughly.

What the hell?