ONE MONTH LATER
The red dress was as inexplicable as it was beautiful. April gently took the material between her finger and thumb and held it out, her mouth running dry at the lushness of the silk, the vibrant color, the tailored silhouette. It was the finest item of clothing she’d ever touched, but she had no idea where it came from, why it was in her suite, or what she was meant to do with it.
“Whose dress is this?” she asked, fingers gliding over the bodice. Tiny glittering stones studded the neckline, and upon closer inspection, she realized they were diamonds.
“It’s yours, mein Schatz.”
April heard the smile in Mads’ voice and turned to meet his golden green eyes. “Mine? That’s not my dress.”
His smile didn’t fade. “It is now.”
“Oh, but...I couldn’t…”
“Why not?” A frown crept in around his eyes. “Aren’t I allowed to give you gifts?”
“Allowed? Yes, of course, very much allowed.” The last thing she wanted to do was discourage his generosity. “But, I just…” Heat flooded her cheeks. “I don’t know if it’ll fit.”
Now the frown spread to his lips. “Why not? It was made to your measurements.”
April’s mouth ran dry and she tried to stifle the white-hot rush of embarrassment, but her voice still trembled slightly when she asked, “You know my measurements?”
“Of course. You’re my mate.”
The earlier embarrassment was turning into anger—a typical response for her. Anger was easier to handle than humiliation. “And somehow that fact gives you personal information about my body?”
“Yes, it does.” He took her hand, pulling her towards him. She didn’t resist, but only because she was always eager to feel his body against hers. His hand ran down her spine, coming to a rest on the curve of her ass, his other arm wrapped in a possessive band around her shoulders. “I know all there is to know about the shape of your body. If you do not like the dress, I will have it removed, but I do hope you’ll at least try it on for me.”
April took a deep, even breath. It was clear he didn’t understand her reaction to the beautiful gift, and now she only felt embarrassed again. Her insecurities around her body always seemed to perplex him, and they were beginning to frustrate her. Still, she couldn’t resist one last effort to avoid trying on the garment.
“I don’t know if that color will look good on me.”
“That shade will look very fetching on you. Especially with your coloring.”
The hot tendrils of embarrassment still crawled through her stomach. The dress didn’t look like her regular size 28, and she feared the color would make her look like a big, round tomato, but the dress was gorgeous and it was a very sweet gesture. What would be the harm in trying it on? Nobody would see her but Mads, and he preferred to see her without any clothes on at all, so the dress wouldn’t be missed once she tore it off.
“I’ll try it on,” she said, giving him a good squeeze before stepping out of his arms.
The zipper on the back gave her another reason to be concerned, but she dropped her robe and stepped into the dress, pulling it over her hips and around her bust. The fit was snug, but not tight, and when Mads stepped behind her to zip it, the teeth closed smoothly. She straightened the skirt and adjusted her breasts inside the fitted cups. It left her arms and shoulders exposed, but the sight of her bare arms didn’t detract from the beauty of the dress. In fact, she barely noticed her arms when she saw her reflection.
“It’s beautiful,” she breathed.
“You’re beautiful.” Mads stepped behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her back against his chest. “We’ll make a very dashing couple tonight.”
“Where are we going?” It didn’t matter where they went, as long as she was on his arm.
“Dinner and the opera.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I must go prepare myself. The car will be here at seven.”
“I’ll be ready.” She tilted her head back and kissed his jaw. “I love you.”
He moved quickly, catching her mouth with his and claiming it in a long, deep kiss. His free hand went to her breast and she arched against his palm, forgetting the new dress and their surprise date, wanting nothing more than to fan the flames kindled deep inside her. She loved the way he kissed her, the way his body felt against hers, hard every where she was soft, and yet his flesh was yielding, welcoming to her.
“I love you, too, mein Schatz. I’ll be back at 6:45.”
“I’ll be waiting. Oh, will you unzip this for me?”
It was hard to let him go, but once he closed the door behind him, her attention went back to the exquisite dress. The skirt flared out below her hips, moving beautifully around her legs when she did a test twirl. The bodice accentuated her breasts with a sweetheart cut, showing off just enough cleavage. The color did not make her look like a tomato at all. Mads had been right about the shade—it did compliment her natural golden hue very well.
April checked the time—she had a little more than an hour to do her hair and makeup. She didn’t know if she had the skill to do justice to such a dress, but she couldn’t waste any time. Her stomach fluttered with excitement as she carefully laid the dress on her bed and grabbed her makeup bag. They’d been out together since they arrived in Florence, but only during the day, and only briefly. He’d asked her each night what she wanted to do, offering her anything her heart desired, but she only wanted him.
Perhaps he needs a bit of a break, she thought with a wry smile. On the other hand, a mere mortal would have probably demanded a break much sooner. If she bordered on insatiable, his hunger for her was ravenous. Sometimes, when he was buried inside of her, she wondered if it was the man or the dragon who craved her the most. It was the dragon’s eyes she saw the most these days; twin golden rings staring at her as though he could see every secret and hidden space she carried inside.
She’d only seen the dragon itself once: nearly a month earlier, when he saved her life from another dragon. Chester Maelstrom had turned homicidal and then had morphed into a dragon with a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth. She didn’t think about him much, but she still dreamed of being chased and cornered. What if Mads hadn’t crashed through the glass ceiling when he had? The answer was easy—she would have been turned into dragon food. But Mads had arrived in time, killing her attacker and marking her as his.
Since that time, they’d been on holiday. She couldn’t believe Mads would take such an extended break from his work, but when she asked about it, he’d only smiled and said, “It’ll be waiting for me when we return.” April wasn’t going to argue. She’d never had the chance to travel, and Mads owned hotels around the world. Florence was her favorite city so far, but there was still so much to see. He’d promised her Berlin, Paris and Prague.
She shrugged her robe on before moving to the brightly lit vanity mirror. It obscured most of her body from view, but the top of her knee was visible, as was the bottom of the red mark he’d left on her thigh. He’d promised to answer any and all of her questions—and she had a lot—but she never asked about the mark. Not because the mark itself bothered her. It was the memory of the dragon and the way his member had grown, reached for her, sought her. She’d been terrified, but beneath her hot flash of fear had been undeniable excitement. She didn’t know how to explain it or qualify it. She didn’t even know how to discuss it with Mads, and she had no other secrets from him.
April traced the edge, but there was no sensitivity. When Mads touched her there, it felt like the dragon had returned to drench her body in flames. She smiled at the memory of his mouth moving over the mark but shook it off before it could completely distract her. She had to get ready. They were going out—she’d keep him in bed all day tomorrow to make up for it.
“Now,” she asked her reflection, “what should be done with this hair?”