Julia parked her car in the nearly-empty lakefront parking lot, relieved to see that Jasper wasn’t there yet. She needed a minute to compose herself before she had to face him, so she was glad she’d arrived early. She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous. After all, she’d only agreed to this date as a formality. Once she survived today and told Jasper she still wasn’t interested in him, he’d have no choice but to leave her alone. She knew enough about dragons and dragons’ honor to know that Jasper would never dream of breaking his promise. He’d given his word that this was it.

But even though she didn’t consider this a real date, she felt the flutter of nerves in the pit of her stomach. She hadn’t dressed up much for this. She hadn’t worn any makeup, unless you counted her tinted chapstick. And her hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail. She hadn’t wanted to do anything to give Jasper the idea that she was trying to look good for him or impress him. But now, sitting alone in the parking lot, she was rethinking her decision. Jasper had never seen her without makeup. Was he going to think she was ugly? And why did she care? Wasn’t that the point of all this: to drive him away?

A sharp rap on her window made her jump, and she swung her head abruptly to see that Jasper was standing outside her window, grinning like a schoolboy who’d just been sent to recess. He looked handsome in his navy hoodie and relaxed fit jeans. His face had just a hint of stubble on it, which Julia found undeniably sexy. In fact, he looked about as sexy as she’d ever seen him right now. His relaxed outfit reminded her of the first night they’d met at the Winking Wizard. She’d thought he was handsome then, but that had been before she’d found out how annoyingly persistent he was.

Really, Julia? You’re complaining about a guy being interested enough in you to be persistent?

Julia pushed aside her troubled thoughts and forced a friendly smile onto her face. She had to get a hold of her emotions and act natural or she was never going to make it through this day. She took a deep breath and opened the door to her car, stepping out into the surprisingly warm sunshine. The high today was 68 degrees—unseasonably warm for Oregon in November. Julia was surprised that there weren’t more people out by the beach. Even though it was too cold to swim, it was plenty warm enough to enjoy a nice walk on the beach. Julia wondered if that’s what Jasper had planned for them. The thought made her want to roll her eyes. He hadn’t told her what they would be doing. He’d only said to dress warmly and comfortably, so Julia had opted for a hoodie and jeans, just like him. Maybe they were going on a hike? She really hoped he wasn’t going to try for some romantic stroll on the beach. That was so corny. Then again, the huge bouquet of flowers had been corny as well. Julia almost felt a little bad for Jasper. He was trying so hard to impress her, but romantic beaches and huge bouquets of flowers weren’t exactly her style.

“So, what are we doing?” she asked as she climbed out of the car.

“It’s a surprise. Come on.” He looked giddy, which only added to how handsome he was. There was something about a grown man being so excited that was downright adorable. Julia smiled despite herself, and followed him as he headed toward the beach. There was one other couple around, and they were sitting on a picnic blanket in the sand, admiring the lake as they drank from thermoses. Jasper was empty handed, though, so Julia was pretty sure he wasn’t planning a picnic. And it didn’t look like he intended a romantic stroll, either. As they walked along he picked up his pace so much that she had trouble keeping up with him. Her curiosity piqued, she practically jogged so that she wouldn’t be left behind. A few minutes later, he slowed as they approached a boat dock where one lone boat was parked. The sleek boat was painted with glittery blue paint, and it shimmered as it bobbed up and down slightly in the sunlit water. The words “Sapphire Diamond” were painted on the side in thick silver script.

“Here we go,” he said, pointing toward the boat. “Our ride for today.”

“The Sapphire Diamond?” Julia asked in a skeptical tone.

Jasper nodded proudly. “It’s my speedboat, and today is the perfect day to take her out on the lake. It’s relatively warm, but because it’s November nobody else has bothered to bring their boats out. We’ll have the whole lake to ourselves. Our own personal playground.”

Julia was mildly impressed. “This is your idea of a date?”

Jasper mistook the meaning behind her question, and his face fell. “You don’t like it?”

“No, no. I think it’s awesome. Way better than dinner at some boring old restaurant. Or, god forbid, a romantic picnic on the beach. This is much more my speed, no pun intended.”

Jasper grinned. “I knew you were special. Come on, climb in.”

Jasper helped her into the boat and handed her a life jacket, that silly, adorable grin never leaving his face. Julia suddenly felt a whole lot more excited about the day. What she’d thought was going to be a boring day, with a guy she wasn’t interested in fawning all over her, had suddenly turned into an adventure with a dragon shifter. Maybe Jasper wasn’t so bad after all. Sure, he might have overstepped his bounds a little with the flowers, and with inviting himself to her training session the other night. But he was smart, and fun—not to mention handsome. She’d enjoyed talking to him the first night they’d met, and as long as he didn’t get too pushy, this day might turn out to be enjoyable.

“All buckled in and ready?” Jasper asked. Julia nodded, her heart already pounding with excitement. And then, they were off, zooming across the lake at an ever increasing speed. The chilly spray from the lake misted Julia’s face, but she hardly noticed. The boat was incredible, responding smoothly to every little input from Jasper. It went so fast that every now and then it went airborne as it bounced across the waves. Jasper made several sharp, quick turns, and Julia shrieked in delight. Her heart pounded with adrenaline as they crisscrossed back and forth across the lake. Torch Lake was massive, and today, when it was completely empty of other boats, it looked even larger than normal. Julia had been out here on friends’ boats countless times before, but she’d never seen the lake this empty. Jasper was right: it was like having their own personal playground.

Julia lost track of time as they sped around, but all too soon Jasper was slowing the boat to a stop in the middle of the lake. He was grinning from ear to ear, and his cheeks were flushed pink from the cool lake breeze that had been whipping against his face. His hair was mussed up, sticking out in every possible direction, but he had never looked more handsome.

“How did you like it?” he asked, glancing over at her. There was no undercurrent of trying to impress her in the question. It was a genuine inquiry. She could tell he loved this boat, and she figured that it probably made him happy whenever someone else loved it, too.

“I have to admit, I’m impressed. That was pretty awesome.”

His grin widened, and then he winked at her. “Good. And now, it’s time for our picnic. It’s not a romantic one on the beach, but I think it’s still going to be good.”

He took off his lifejacket and then climbed onto the long, flat back of the boat, where he popped a hatch and pulled out a small cooler. Julia had been so fascinated with the speedboat tour of the lake that she hadn’t realized it was past lunch time. All it took was the sight of the sandwiches Jasper pulled out to make her stomach growl. She felt her cheeks heat up with embarrassment, but thankfully he seemed to be too busy looking at the labels on the sandwiches to notice the noises her stomach was making.

“Roast beef and provolone or turkey and Swiss?”

“I’ll take turkey.”

He tossed her the turkey sandwich, then turned to look into the storage hatch again. He pulled out a couple of thick blankets before closing the hatch, then spread the blankets across the flat back of the boat.

“Come on. Our picnic blanket is ready.”

Julia smiled. She took off her lifejacket as well, then climbed onto the blankets with her turkey sandwich firmly in hand. She sat cross-legged as she unwrapped her sandwich and bit into it.

“Mmm. This is delicious.”

“From Magic Myle’s Deli. My favorite place in town for a sandwich. So far, at least. I guess I should reserve my judgment until I’ve lived here a little longer. Here, have a beer?”

Julia nodded, and Jasper tossed her a beer. She wasn’t the best at catching things one-handed, but thankfully she managed to nab the can in midair. Jasper looked impressed, and Julia decided to gloss over the fact that that was probably a lucky catch. “I’ve lived here since almost the beginning of Torch Lake, and I’ve never been to this deli. But I might have to start going. This sandwich is legit.”

Jasper smiled, looking pleased, and then he bit into his sandwich as well. For a few minutes they ate in companionable silence. Julia looked out across the lake, admiring the way the sunlight glistened off the deep blue of the water. The sky itself was a cloudless blue today as well, the color beautifully offset by the emerald green of the trees lining the shoreline in the distance. The temperature seemed to have risen a few more degrees since they left the shore, and Julia felt completely comfortable in her warm hoodie. It might have been the most beautiful November day she’d ever seen.

She finished her sandwich and beer, and Jasper handed her another beer without asking. She took it, and also took the chocolate chip cookie he offered her. She had to hand it to him. He knew how to plan a good day out on the lake.

“So this is your boat, then?” she asked around a mouthful of cookies.

Jasper nodded. “It was one of my first purchases when I moved to Torch Lake. I’d had a boat back in my old clan, and I missed it. Nothing this fancy, but still. I love being out on the water.”

“Why didn’t you go back to your old clan after the war?” Julia asked. She knew that Jasper had tried to escape clan life entirely for a while. Rachel had told her that he’d hidden away and been difficult to find, but that the High Council in Torch Lake had been exceptionally keen to bring him here. She wasn’t clear on why exactly he’d avoided everyone after the war. And she wasn’t sure he was going to tell her now. His face darkened at the question, and for a moment she thought he wasn’t going to answer her. But then he shrugged and gave her a sad smile.

“My old clan kind of screwed me over. It was a shifter clan full of people who were supposedly all pacifists. I hate war and fighting, so I thought it was the perfect place for me.”

“A dragon shifter who’s a pacifist?” Julia asked.

Jasper nodded. “I know. It sounds kind of strange, since so many dragons love to fight. But I lost both my parents in a war when I was younger, and I just didn’t want any part in it. Anyway, our clan managed to escape unharmed for most of the Great Dark War, but at the very end the dark wizards attacked. My protective dragon instincts kicked in and I fought to defend my clan. It’s a good thing, too, because no one there really knew how to fight or defend ourselves. I don’t know how I managed to fight so well. Dragon instinct, I guess.”

“Pretty crazy that your dragon instinct made you one of the most famous dragons in the world.”

Jasper frowned. “Yeah. I could do without the fame. But I didn’t leave my clan to escape the fame. I left because they really screwed me over. For one thing, they wanted to start an army, and they wanted to force me into it. I didn’t want any part of that. I’m happy to fight when it’s in defense, but I don’t want to go looking for trouble like they did. But on top of that, I nearly died from a wound I suffered while defending the city. A doctor there fixed me up, but then tried to charge me his full fee, which I couldn’t afford.”

Julia’s jaw dropped. “He charged you? When you had just saved the entire town?”

Jasper nodded grimly. “And when I couldn’t pay he sued me. The High Council there backed him up, so I left town and never looked back.”

“Wow. I can’t believe they would all treat you like that, after all you did for them.”

Jasper shrugged and smiled sadly. “I can’t either. But it’s in the past now. I’m happy in Torch Lake, and I probably wouldn’t be here if my old clan hadn’t all been so crappy to me. So I guess I should thank them.”

Julia chuckled. “Well, that’s a positive way of looking at it.”

“Always better to look on the sunny side. What about you? What’s your story?”

“My story isn’t nearly as exciting as yours. I came from a small clan of wizards that was almost entirely wiped out during the war. I happened to be away on a trip when they were attacked, which is how I survived. But I lost pretty much everyone I knew, including my parents and brother.”

“I’m sorry,” Jasper said quietly.

Julia nodded. Deep loss was a fact of life for most of the shifters and wizards who had survived the war. Nearly everyone had lost someone close to them. She took a deep breath and continued. It was painful to remember the time right after the war, but Jasper had told her about the painful parts of his story. It was only fair that she reciprocate.

“I ended up as a refugee in the city of Falcon Cross. My family was relatively poor even before the war, so I was left pretty much penniless after the attack on my clan. But Falcon Cross took care of those of us who had nothing. When Torch Lake started up, the High Council here came to Falcon Cross to offer recruitment and relocation bonuses to anyone who wanted to move here. I jumped at the chance. I got a job as a customer service agent at the Advocacy Bureau and worked my ass off to get to where I am now. I’m still working my ass off, in fact. I’m not done yet. I’ve got some big dreams to fulfill.”

“That’s pretty awesome,” Jasper said. “It takes a lot of courage to completely start over like you did, but you haven’t just settled. You’ve strived to be the best you can be, and I really admire that. I’m not just saying that because I want to date you, either. I mean it, whether or not you ever agree to another date with me.”

Julia felt her cheeks heating up, and she was sure they were bright pink. She realized in that moment that she hadn’t thought about the fact that she was here on a date for quite some time. She’d been enjoying herself so much with Jasper that she’d forgotten to put up a wall around herself like she’d intended. She looked down at her beer and pretended to study the can. She didn’t know what to say. She certainly wasn’t ready to make the decision that she was going to date Jasper, but she wasn’t ready to completely write him off anymore. She’d been having fun today, and it had been a long time since she’d had fun with a man. Usually, the men she met were boring, with no real sense of adventure. Sure, they might have stable jobs. They might look impressive on paper, or even be handsome—like Elliot at the Advocacy Bureau. But there was never any spark there. Here and now with Jasper, she couldn’t deny that she felt a spark.

Was it just a spark from the excitement of the speedboat ride? Was she just feeling a bit too buzzed from the two cans of beer she’d had? Or was it possible that there was something more there?

Luckily, Julia didn’t have to think about it too long before Jasper unexpectedly changed the subject.

“So, have you ever been swimming in the lake in November?”

Julia looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “Um, no. I mean I know it’s a warm day today, but it’s still not hot. And that water is still going to be damn cold.”

“Oh come on. Where’s your sense of adventure?”

Jasper was already standing up and taking his hoodie and t-shirt off. When he did, Julia’s breath nearly caught in her throat. His abs were chiseled into a perfect six pack. She’d seen a lot of good looking men in her lifetime, but she’d never seen abs quite this impressive. She swallowed hard, and for a moment she was so distracted that she even forgot about the fact that he was making the ludicrous suggestion that they go swimming. She remembered quickly, however, when he reached to open the storage hatch again, and, after a moment of rummaging around, found a women’s bikini and handed it to her.

“Here. This is Rachel’s. She said you two are about the same size and that it would probably fit you.”

Julia blinked at him, still trying to process the fact that he was actually serious. “Okay, no way. I like a good adventure as much as anyone else, but this is insane.”

“I’m gonna do it, and I’m not insane. Seriously, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. It’s actually quite refreshing to plunge into ice cold water.”

“Um, maybe if you’re a polar bear.”

Jasper only laughed at her and then slid off his jeans to reveal that he was wearing a tight black Speedo underneath. Julia had been completely unprepared for this, and gasped despite herself. It was obvious from the tight outline of the Speedo that his dick was as big as the rest of him. And his legs’ thigh muscles looked as strong as those of a horse.

“I…I…” Julia was at a complete loss for words, and she knew her cheeks were definitely red at this point. Her face was so hot with embarrassment that she felt like it was on fire. But if Jasper noticed her discomfort, he didn’t say anything. Instead he walked to the edge of the boat and peered down at the water below him.

“Come on. Don’t be a chicken.”

And then he jumped in. The splash sounded unnaturally loud against the otherwise still lake. Jasper disappeared beneath the surface for just a moment before bouncing back, water droplets dripping from his hair like little diamonds in the sunshine. Julia crossed her arms and shook her head at him. She had to hand it to him. He had guts. But there’s no way she was jumping into this ice bucket of a lake.

“Come on in. The water’s fine.”

Julia rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. Besides, there’s nowhere for me to change out here. This is just a ploy for you to have the chance to see me naked when I switch into the swimsuit.”

“I’ll turn around and I won’t look until you say you’re done. Scout’s honor.”

Julia frowned. She was shivering just thinking about jumping in that lake. And even though she tried to be proud of her curves, she wasn’t sure she was ready to be in a bikini in front of Jasper. But she figured her body would be under the water and not very visible for the most part. Besides, did she really want to let Jasper show her up? And even though it was crazy, it would make a good story to tell the girls next time they were all together at the Winking Wizard.

“Fine,” she said, still not believing that she was actually about to do this. “Turn around.”

He grinned and obeyed, and Julia quickly stripped off her clothes. The air that hit her was cool, but not unbearable. The warmth of the sun tempered the breeze somewhat. But she knew as she pulled on the bikini that the lake water would not be so forgiving. She told herself to just grit her teeth and bear it. It would be over in a few minutes, and then she would forever have bragging rights for having jumped in the lake in the middle of the winter.

Jasper was still turned around, and rather than tell him he could turn back, she decided to just surprise him by quickly jumping in. Taking a deep breath, she took a few steps back to give herself a running start, then leapt from the side of the boat.