Syen slid one arm around Evalina’s fuzzy back, the other under her knees, and scooped her up.

She clung to him and rested her forehead against his neck.

He flew her into the small bedroom.

It was lit by a seashell-covered night light and exploded with her vibrant personality. Rainbows of clothes spilled out of drawers and closet, lay across her chair, and were strewn across the floor.

“Don’t look.” She buried her face in his shoulder. “It’s a mess.”

He edged between the dresser and the bed and lay her gently down. She sank into the fluffy patchwork quilt.

His nerves twinged.

He had never made love to a human. Were there rituals? Other dragons at the office watched educational videos on XXX websites helpfully divided by body type and experience level, but he had assumed no female would ever want him, and thus, had avoided the viewings. Now, perhaps, he might regret his lack of knowledge.

Evalina tugged his sleeve.

Her robe had parted to reveal a delicious swathe of her chest and thigh almost to her cleft. His breath quickened. She had removed her clothing in preparation.

Removing clothing was universal.

He shrugged out of his jacket and hung it over her chair. The shoulders were still a little damp.

Her gaze fastened on his suit collar.

Following her silent will, he unbuttoned the black shirt to reveal his wide chest and tapered waist. Her gaze traced the lines of his corded muscles with curious hunger. He unbuckled his belt, unfastened his slacks, and hooked his thumbs in the loosened band to drop them.

She sucked in a slight breath. “No boxers? Or briefs?”

He shrugged. Unnecessary. He stepped out of his slacks, folded them neatly, and rested them with his shirt on the chair.

Her gaze fixed on his long, hard cock. Her lips parted and her pink tongue wetted her lower lip. “You’re amazing.”

The tension behind his heart eased.

Despite his lack of the barrel chest preferred by dragon females, he had worked hard to sculpt what he had. All that mattered now was Evalina liked his shape. He wanted her to think he was strong and capable of protecting her. Long hours at the gym had not been wasted time.

He threw back his shoulders and flexed. “You approve.”

Evalina averted her eyes and twitched her robe closed. “Everyone must tell you how good-looking you are.”

He grabbed her hand, stopping her from hiding herself. “You are the first.”

She slowed. “Are you serious?”

“Always.” He settled on top of her. The bed was soft like she was; he sank into it. His knee pressed between hers and his elbows rested on either side of her head. “Where I come from, I am below average.”

“Well, here you’re off-the-charts hot.” She slid a hand up his bulging bicep and along his shoulder to his neck. She stroked his hair. “I still can’t believe you’re here.”

“Believe.”

Her lips curved. “I don’t—”

He surged forward and stole her words with his kiss.

She melted. Sweet and fragrant and feminine. He kissed her mouth and licked down her neck, sucking and biting. The tender bone of her collar. The soft warmth of her skin. Tasting. Claiming.

She moaned and threaded her fingers through his hair.

He slipped a finger into the knot of her bathrobe and tugged. She was nude beneath and smelling of delicate powder.

Her hands untangled from his hair. She covered the knot.

Did she wish to keep the knot tied? Fine. He slid the fabric off her creamy shoulder and poised to appreciate the beautiful view, then mark her as—

She stiffened. “Wait.”

He waited.

She closed the robe tightly. Agitation colored her cheeks. She wouldn’t meet his eyes. “This is moving kind of fast. Getting naked is … well, I haven’t really done it. Ever. The light in the club was kind of dim. So you might not have seen me clearly.”

She scooted upright, away from him.

His chest panged.

He rested his weight on his knees. Sharp divots in the bed matched the sharp divots in his chest.

His brother’s ex-wife had annulled their marriage citing, in addition to all the other factors, that he failed to satisfy her. It added another fine to her already-hefty compensation bill.

Evalina hadn’t given Syen the chance to try.

Seething hurt sliced into him.

Syen growled low. “Do not dismiss me.”

“Dismiss? No, I was thinking we should get cozy and turn off the lights.”

Turn off the lights? The hurt intensified. “You lied.”

She blinked. “What?”

He slammed his hand into his aching chest. “I am not off-the-charts hot. I am on-the-charts cold.”

“Huh?”

“You do not wish to look at me.”

And rather than close her eyes, the polite but still agonizing practice of dragonkind when they mated for convenience rather than for love, she wished to turn off the lights and blind herself entirely. His heart ripped again. The only thing worse would be to plug her nostrils and her ears.

No. He could not endure this. He had thought she was different. He thought she truly liked him.

But he was wrong. She did not like him. She could not tolerate him naked.

He turned away and rested his feet on the ground to rise, dress, and leave.

“I don’t want to look at you?” She tightened her grip on her robe. “What are you talking about? I mean you don’t have to force yourself to look at me.”

He whipped back to her. That made no sense. “How could such a beautiful woman speak such a lie?”

She flattened her lips in derision. “Lie? There you go again.”

“I go where?”

“Calling me ‘beautiful’.”

“Because you are.”

She shook her head. Her mouth pinched and chin wrinkled. She swallowed. Her eyes grew red-rimmed.

Something was wrong now.

He rested his weight on the bed again. She looked like she would cry. Every instinct compelled him to drag her into his arms and soothe her pain.

He fought his instinct and remained taut with iron control.

She swallowed again and gestured at him. “Any time now, you’ll suddenly come to your senses and realize I’m an elephant.”

An elephant? Again? There must be more to this gray pachyderm than he realized. “Evalina—”

“No.” She cleared her throat. “I actually hate my full name. I never go by it. ‘Evalina’ is a tiny delicate woman, and I’m this huge ogre. No matter what picture I use on dating websites, guys who meet me face-to-face are always disappointed. ‘I didn’t realize you were so tall. What size are you? Do you really shop in the woman’s section?’” She sniffed. “One even thought I was a cross-dressing man.”

His hurt drained out of him. Deep shame took its place.

He had accused her of dismissing him, but really, she was protecting a pain much deeper than his own. Why did he think her immune to injury? Anyone could become injured, no matter how beautiful or sweet or kind.

He leaned across her and wiped the dampness from her cheeks. “Who said those things?”

“Guys.” She sniffed again. “I know the ‘sparkle’ thing has gotten out of control. My dad was never around and my grandma used to distract me by painting my nails whenever I was sad. ‘Bright colors have a magic power to make you happy,’ she always said. As I got older, I put on more and more until it got to the point you see here.”

“You are the happiest?”

“Most guys say my colors are too loud or too weird or too ‘zany.’” She rubbed her forehead. “You’ve only been nice. But you must be thinking it too.”

“Your sparkles are attractive.”

“I can’t believe it.”

“Dragons find bright, iridescent metals irresistible.”

“Then maybe they did bring me happiness after all.” She sighed. “Most guys disagree.”

“I am not ‘guys.’”

“Yeah.” Her smile returned, faint but reassuring. “You’re a dragon. And you make me feel like a girl. Almost. Not that I’d blame you mistaking me for a man.”

“How could anyone make such a mistake?”

“My cheekbones are too wide.”

He leaned forward and kissed her right cheekbone. “This is a woman’s cheekbone.”

Small lines fanned at the edge of her eyes. Her mouth curved in a tentative smile.

He bestowed a kiss near her chin. “This is a woman’s jaw.” He lowered to her sweet lips. “This is a woman’s mouth.”

She softened. Again, her resistance melted. She trusted him.

He swore to be worthy of it.

Syen trailed kisses down her neck to the fist clamping her bathrobe. Her fingers loosened beneath his kisses. Over her knuckles, her wrist, he named each. She released her grip with a sigh.

He parted the soft fabric, revealing her beautiful body. “These are a woman’s breasts.”

She sucked in a breath.

He swooped down before she could flinch away again and licked the soft, vulnerable skin. She arched. Opening to him despite her fears. How brave was she? He honored her bravery by worshiping her breasts.

Palming them reverently, he enjoyed the soft fullness. Luscious handfuls of beauty were topped by dusky nipples. He rubbed his thumbs over her sweet nubs. They hardened into pearls.

She moaned.

He latched on, sucking and flicking each pearl with his tongue. Her moans deepened. She undulated her hips. “Syen.”

He switched, tugging the wet one with his thumb.

She writhed. “Syen!”

He smiled, breaking the seal. Uncontrolled passion roughened her voice. He did that.

She rolled and clamped her thighs around his leg, rubbing her hot cleft against his thigh.

He released her breasts and clasped her waist, continuing his exploration. “This is a woman’s belly.”

He eased her legs apart.

She fought him with hungry moans. “Touch more.”

He nipped her skin, licking and sucking until she went lax and spread wide, and only pleasure-soaked moans emerged once more. “These are women’s thighs.”

He kissed the blonde curls fringing her wet, pink clit. “You are all female.”

She looked down the length of her body at him. Her worried expression was framed by her breasts. “Even in comparison to a dragon lady?”

Again, he would not know. He was too ugly to entice a dragon female, and then, he was too disgraced. “In comparison to every lady in the universe.”

Her lips curved faintly. She was reassured.

She made him want to become talkative. She was a feast of every sense.

He lowered his mouth to kiss her feminine center.

She reached first, hungry and aggressive, and grasped his hard cock.

Solar flares exploded behind his eyes.

He tightened, clamping down on the pleasure. He was barely holding in his seed now. “Evalina—”

“I want you.” She stroked his length in her tight, wet hand. “Now.”

The solar flares burned. He couldn’t last. She was too hot.

As she wished.

Syen dragged her to the side of the bed. She squeaked. He stood on the ground and lifted her waist. Curved over her, he pressed the thick tip of his cock to her entrance.

She wrapped her legs around him.

His cock nudged in. She was tight, hot, and wet. He pushed. Her steady gaze looked at him. In the golden light, she was gorgeous.

His.

He thrust, connecting them more deeply.

She lifted her arms. He wrapped one arm around her waist to steady her against his thrusts and grabbed her hands, kissing the palms of her hands. She dragged him down on top of her. He slipped to his knees and landed on the fluffy quilts. Her soft body fully enveloped his. He buried himself to the hilt.

She moaned and arched her back to take him.

He drove his cock deep and hard. Her moans grew louder and her gasps more desperate. Her nails raked his back. Shuddering pleasure whipped through him. He grabbed her waist, locking her to him, and angled his thrusts so her wet clit rubbed against his bunched abs.

Her pleasure-soaked cries reached a new pitch. She rose higher and higher, up on her elbows, and cried out. Her channel clenched around his cock. Orgasm rocked her sensual body.

No rest now.

He lifted her upright in his arms and thrust.

She gasped. “Syen! I already came.”

“Come again.”

Her protest dissolved into pleasure. Her legs bounced freely against his ass and his cock plunged harder and deeper. He rode her into a second screaming orgasm.

“Oh, my god.” She shuddered and held him. “You’re incre—”

He dropped her on the bed again and dug in. The whole bed shrieked as he ground her into a third gasping, pleasure-filled cry.

He clenched on with the last threads of his will. She had chosen him. He needed her to know just how much that meant. He wanted to give her every last drop of pleasure she could possibly ring from his cock.

Her channel milked him. His balls clenched. He fought the inevitable release.

She hugged onto his back, desperate. “Syen! Oh god. I’ve never — you’re incr—three is more than—it’s okay. I’m good. You can come.”

Her order freed him. Seed burst free from his cock and flooded her womb. Release shuddered through him. He collapsed and rolled so she lay atop him.

Her thigh crossed his abdomen, possessive. He rested his palm on her knee.

They sank into her bed together. The quilts bunched up around them, chaotic.

His former life drained out into the ether. He was remade in her bountiful arms.

She wiggled. “Aren’t I too heavy?”

He tightened his grip on her knee. “No.”

She rested her head on his chest. Her breath slowed and evened. She fell asleep.

Her concern for his well-being again shamed him.

He only thought of himself. His desire for a female. His wish for her to forgo comfort and wait for him. His rejection when she honestly and openly communicated her past injuries and her fears.

All along, his selfishness caused her pain.

Why?

Because a male like him didn’t deserved her. She would surely recognize that and reject him. He was unworthy.

But she had never rejected him. In fact, she had accepted him more deeply at every crossroads.

She didn’t normally bring a male home. She cared about his comfort. Even now, she worried her slight weight interfered with his rest.

He stroked her sinuous back. She was so beautiful. And she’d chose him to bring her pleasure.

Which meant she thought he was worthy.

Her skin was a little chilled. He tugged the quilt over her. She sighed and dropped deeper into sleep.

His selfish focus on his own worth ended now.

He would treasure her. Pleasure her. Worship her until she became his.

And never, ever again risk causing her harm.