Kai was dismayed by the state of his mate’s swimming ability, or lack thereof.

After an hour and a half of frustrating back and forth between them, she wasn’t even able to float.

She could go on her back with him supporting her, but the minute he let go, she sank like a rock.

He didn’t understand it. He saw humans in the water at the beach all the time. In the evening, they also went in the pool. Was the dress dragging her down? It was a sensitive subject, so he didn’t want to bring it up, not when they’d worked it out.

And he didn’t want to offer to take it off, not when his possessiveness made the dragon inside him feel as though it were going to burst his collar at the thought of someone else seeing his mate.

He didn’t particularly like being in the pool either. The water was different here, full of chemicals, and with none of the pleasant spray of the sea or sounds of far-off sea birds.

Renee didn’t seem to be enjoying it much either. She’d tried to do as he asked of her, but it was hard for him to teach something that for him came so easily. He’d assumed if he just showed her some basic motions he saw humans doing, she’d quickly pick up on it.

But she was getting tired, and after he set her back in the shallow end after her most recent attempt to float, he was pretty sure she was losing her patience.

A part of him was deeply frustrated that he couldn’t bring together the two things that meant the very most to him, his mate and the ocean.

But maybe with time he could. He had to be patient. They’d only just tried. And it had taken some time for him to be used to land; it made sense it would take time for her to get used to water.

He put his hands on her arms and leaned down for a kiss, catching her lips, parting them, swiping his tongue in possessively, letting her know how much he appreciated her trying.

She kissed him back eagerly, curving her hands around his neck tenderly in that way that told him she wanted him just as much as he wanted her.

Tonight, he had no doubt she would want more. Would want to go all the way.

He would have to see what Ruby had in the way of advice about something like that. Ruby was well known for his sexual prowess. It was one of the weirder powers for a gem dragon, but that’s just how it was.

Kai kissed Renee for a few more seconds, then pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. “Should we take a break and get lunch?”

“I think so,” she said, smiling up at him.

She was so beautiful. Her full lips, pouted at the bottom. Her rounded eyes that wrinkled slightly when she smiled. The beautiful gold rings around the middle of the brown irises. He reached up and stroked her cheek, brushing away a drop of water.

“Thanks,” she said. “Sorry I’m so hopeless at this.”

“It’s fine,” he said. “We have time.” He frowned, looking out at the ocean. “In the meantime, I suggest you don’t go in the water without me.”

“I won’t,” she said. “What do you want to do for lunch?”

“I was thinking one of the restaurants here,” he said. “I brought a shirt. If you want, I can just throw it on and go make a reservation.”

“Um, I’ll need to go up and change,” she said. “I’ll want a shower.”

“Okay,” he said. “I have clothes for you up in the room.”

“No offense, Kai, but do you think we could go get some of my own? Plus, I need some other things, for my hair. My toothbrush, too.”

“Right,” he said. He was being too controlling. He knew that. But it was hard not to be when his mate was a fragile human who had already fainted and then later had a close brush with rape. “We’ll towel off and go to your room.”

She frowned slightly. “Um.”

“What is it?”

“Look, if Liz is there, just ignore her, okay? I don’t want you to talk to her. We’re sort of… fighting. And she can be rude at times.”

“I don’t know why you are with her, then,” he said, folding his arms.

“I know,” she said, pulling herself up out of the pool with a cute little struggle. He didn’t even try not to look at her tantalizing backside as she righted herself. She was his, after all. “But it’s complicated. And if she is there, I’d rather you just stay outside.”

He supposed no harm would come to her in her hotel room with him just outside. “I’ll wait in the hall.”

“Could you just wait downstairs for me?” she asked.

He was about to shake his head but then stopped. They were inside a hotel. He was being crazy. He knew any dragon would tell him that. Except for the dragon inside him that told him to keep her close. “I don’t want to be far.”

“How about just down the other hall?” she asked. “It won’t take me long.”

“Okay,” he said. “Down the hall. I can do that.”

“Great,” she said, wrapping a towel around her shoulders and waist and then walking over to give him a hug after he pulled himself out of the pool.

He gave her a brief hug back, then grabbed a towel of his own and rubbed it over his head. “In that case, let’s get going. I’m hungry.”

She laughed and skipped a little as she started forward, and his eyes scanned her curves once again.

Definitely hungry. For more than just human food.

* * *

True to his word, Kai stayed in the hall adjacent to the one that connected to Renee’s room, out of sight in case her roommate was home. He knew, despite her insistence that it would be fast, that she was likely to need some time to pack. He decided it was the perfect moment to study Ruby’s advice in case he needed it that evening.

Blow her mind in the bedroom and she’ll see you differently outside of it. Fuck it up and face the consequences. —Ruby

PS: Call for tips. <3

Kai nearly choked as he finished reading Redmond’s advice. Then he let out a snort. It was so like the ruby dragon to just give up on writing and tell him to call. No matter how much trouble he’d made, Red had always been kind to him.

All of the dragons really, looking back at his time at the mansion, and he was sort of regretful that he’d taken his rage and confusion in this new world out on any of them.

Even if it was in fairly harmless ways.

He pulled out his phone and dialed Red’s number. All the dragons had put their numbers in his phone in case he needed them. That plus the words they’d all written to help him on his trip made him feel that much guiltier and that much more eager to make it up to them when he got back to the mansion.

It was a few rings before Red picked up.

“Stormy dude! How’s it going?” Red’s voice was friendly, and it made Kai wince slightly. He hadn’t done anything to deserve that friendship, but he’d have to address that when he got back.

“It’s fine, in fact. I found her.”

“What? Really? That’s amazing. Let me tell the others. They’ll be happy to hear it.” His voice lowered. “Uh, we all feel a bit bad, sending you away from the mansion. But with Aegis here and his mate pregnant, you know how it is.”

“I suppose,” Kai said awkwardly.

“So what did you need? Are you coming back soon?”

“I said I found her, not that she had agreed to be with me,” Kai said, trying to keep his voice down so Renee couldn’t hear him if she came out early.

“What’s the problem? Is our advice helping?”

“Yes. It is.” Kai had known Red was just the person to call. He’d once commented that, aside from his cantankerous cat, there’d never been a woman he couldn’t charm. Then again, now that he had his mate, he didn’t much care for charming women, though he was willing to help his friends at times. “I need more advice, though.”

“Ah.” Red’s voice took on a teasing tone. “I did tell you to call for more tips.”

“Yes.”

“So what do you need? Help with bondage? Vibes? Better foreplay?”

“I don’t have the slightest idea what you’re talking about.”

“The modern world, my friend. Even more opportunities to sex up our mates.”

“I just want to know how to do plain sex. The normal kind,” Kai said.

“Oh.” Red sounded stymied. “Well… what do you need to know? It’s pretty self-explanatory, isn’t it? Insert A into B.”

“But what about…?” Kai let out a breath. This was no time to hold on to his pride. Tonight, Renee would want this from him, and he couldn’t risk hurting her feelings again by denying it. “What if B seems too small for A?”

Red’s laughter boomed out for what felt like thirty seconds while Kai blushed and tried not to roll his eyes. The man was helping him, after all.

Supposedly.

“It’s fine,” Red said. “Just make sure she’s ready.”

“How do I know?”

“Oh dear,” Red said. “You know, of all the questions I thought you were going to ask, I didn’t know they would be so innocent. It’s almost like it’s so much dirtier to talk about the basics. I don’t know if I can do this.”

“I see,” Kai said. “Well, I’m sure I’ll figure it out.” He’d seen couples kiss passionately in movies. Seen a few erotic scenes with some of the things he’d already done with Renee. And doing things just came naturally, as her body told him what she wanted.

But he was just worried about her getting hurt.

“Look, I’m going to send you a website,” he said. “It has some more info. Basic stuff, like for teenagers having their first sex.”

“I’m no teenager.”

“But you’re a virgin, right?” Red was clearly smirking at this point. “How does a legendary dragon end up without any tail?”

“When I was fighting sea monsters and creating storms, how was I supposed to be chasing human women?” And what was the point when they weren’t his mate? “And besides, I think you got enough tail in your time for all of us.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Red said. “Honestly, all those years meant nothing compared to my time with Faye. Sex, no matter how good it is, is only truly meaningful when it’s someone you love. So if you are good to her, if you make her feel beautiful and loved, the rest will come naturally.”

“I see.”

“And if you’re nervous, it can’t hurt to go where you’re comfortable.”

Kai thought about it. “Like the ocean?”

“No,” Red said. “Well, it’s a great place to make out. Foreplay is fine. No intercourse. No A in B.”

“Got it,” Kai said. “How is everyone at the mansion doing without my storms?”

“It’s quiet around here. Just waiting for Seaton to get back from his honeymoon. It’s almost too quiet.”

“What about Lead? He causing any trouble for the oracle? And Mercury? Is he still talking to Marina?”

“For Lead, the oracle has it under control. He doesn’t seem to be a bad person, but he’s a little confused in his loyalty. As for Marina, we’ve all told her to stay away from Mercury, to no avail. The oracle indulges her. I think she thinks Marina can get more information out of him. He’s notoriously tightlipped ever since we woke him up to get info on Lead.”

“I see,” Kai said.

“But don’t worry about that right now. We’ll worry about the trouble brewing in the shifter world. You worry about winning over that mate. Go sex her good.”

“I will.”

“Good-bye, man,” Red said.

After Red hung up, Kai looked at the phone. “I will sex her good,” he said, more to himself than anything.

But then he straightened, feeling prickles go up on the back of his neck as he realized someone was behind him.

He turned slowly, like a character in one of the scary movies he liked to watch, and nearly jumped when he saw Renee standing there looking confused. She was holding a duffel bag, and she’d showered and changed into clean clothing. Flowing black pants and a white, sleeveless blouse. She looked beautiful.

Had she heard what he just said?

“How long have you been there?” he snapped.

“I literally just walked up,” she said. “I promise.”

Kai fidgeted nervously. He had no reason not to believe her. But as ignorant as he was, he didn’t like her knowing that. He wanted to be everything to her. All knowing. All powerful. Ready to provide her with everything she wanted, inside and out of the bedroom.

Not a stupid, awkward dragon who didn’t know his way around the new world.

He put out an arm for her. He felt underdressed in only a tee shirt and his swimsuit. “Now let’s go to my room. I need to clean up if I’m going to be seen with such a beautiful woman.”

She flushed. “I don’t know about that. But we can go if you want.”

He smiled. He was never going stop telling her how beautiful he found her.

If only he could tell her everything. What he was, who she was to him, and how much he wanted it all.