Leanne barely had time to register what happened before Zinc had raced down several hallways and then opened a large door at the end of one.

She barely had time to look around the opulent, silver-themed room as he kicked the door shut behind him and then walked forward to deposit her on the bed.

She stared up at him, still in a blur, and felt herself go even wetter just at the sight of him standing next to her. So much man. So much muscle.

Now that he was regaining his strength, she was starting to see the full extent of his personality. His intelligence, his confidence, his decorum.

And also just how much he turned her on.

His gray-silver gaze roved over her body, then flicked back up to meet hers, and warmth crept up her neck and into her cheeks.

Just one more time with this otherworldly, beautiful man couldn’t hurt.

“I think I understand what you want, but it can’t hurt to tell me again, Princess. Even if it’s fairly easy to read on your face.” His full lips were tilted up in a slight smile, but his body was rigid, clearly holding back.

“I…” She felt herself blush deeply. “Don’t make me say it.”

He grinned as he knelt on the bed, then came on top of her, propping himself over her. Even under the metallic-colored tunic he wore, she could make out the shape of his shoulders, his pecs. “I’m afraid I need to.”

“Oh, fine,” she said, body feeling overheated and ready. “I want you, okay, Zinc?” Just the proximity to him made her fingertips tingle.

“That’s what I wanted to hear,” he said softly.

His lips coursed over the skin at the base of her neck, brushing lightly. Then they closed down, kissing and then biting lightly on her sensitive flesh. A jolt of arousal went down her spine, and she gave herself freely to the sensation.

“Oh, Zinc.” She heard her voice come out almost whisper-like. Her body was so responsive to him, so tense.

“Mm-hmm,” Zinc murmured, occupying himself with her earlobe now, flicking it softly with his tongue then nibbling it, wholly focused on her. Each touch made her desire him even more.

The sheets beneath her were so soft, so silky they were unlike any fabric she’d ever felt back home. Like so many other things here on Drakkaris that were as luxurious as they were beautiful. And even though home seemed so far away, it helped that Zinc and the others did their best to make her feel at home here.

Zinc came lower, moving down her neck to her collarbone, mixing soft kisses with long licks of his tongue, a pleasant mixture of sensations. He pulled the shoulders of the dress she wore lower, revealing her cleavage, and he paused for a moment, seemingly admiring her for a moment.

“I’m so glad it wasn’t all a dream, what happened in the cell,” he said.

“Why?”

“Because it was amazing, beyond anything I could ever have imagined.”

“Oh,” she said lightly as his fingers grazed lightly over her skin, leaving tiny trails of sensation.

“But I think I’m going to like this even better.”

“Why?”

“Because I can pleasure you senseless this time.” He reached behind her, undoing the clasp of her bra and pulling it off for her.

His mouth closed over her nipple, and Leanne almost came from the feel of it. For several long, pleasurable moments, he kissed, suckled, used his tongue to rub and flick, the wet friction making her back tense in response. Then when he was done, he used his hand to cup her breast, brushing his thumb over the now-wet tip, increasing the intensity of it.

“I have to know every bit of you,” he said. “I wasn’t able to treasure you, take it slow before. Now I can’t get enough.”

“You’re torturing me,” she groaned.

“In a good way?”

She nodded, and he went back to what he was doing. She could swear she heard him mutter, “So beautiful,” under his breath at least once or twice. But he was so expert at caressing her breasts with just the right amount of pressure she couldn’t focus on much else at the moment.

Just when she was feeling she could burst from the pressure, she felt him peeling off her dress, rolling it down her body, and tossing it aside, leaving her in just her panties.

She was so hot now, so wet that each passing moment was a kaleidoscope of pleasure and arousal so intense it was almost painful.

Against all logic, Leanne just couldn’t seem to resist Zinc. The memory of how good things were between them, even in the most desperate of situations, was in the back of her mind as she looked up at him, waiting and ready for whatever he planned to do next.

Even since the first time, she’d wondered if it had just been adrenaline or if the chemistry between them had indeed been that good.

Zinc’s hand found her clit, and he rubbed against it, so direct and intentional she immediately came.

She writhed against the sheets as she closed her eyes, burning heat tearing through her like a fireball of pleasure. Her toes curled tightly and her fingers gripped the sheets. But nothing could curb the intensity of her orgasm. Even as it gradually abated, she could feel little aftershocks stop her breathing momentarily as they kicked in.

Yes, it really was that good.

Her vision blurry, she looked back up to Zinc, who seemed utterly calm and composed. Or, on second thought, more like a hungry predator watching her every movement, not showing any emotion, but poised to strike at any moment, planning the next ten moves ahead.

Leanne supposed that, to a dragon like Zinc, everyone was prey. But this was different.

His eyes went to slits for a second, but when Leanne looked again, it was gone. It was just like in the dungeon, and she shivered at the reminder that he was actually a dragon.

Zinc quickly removed her panties and his shirt. Even in the low light of the bedroom, she could make out every perfect ridge of muscle beneath smooth skin. Such a stark juxtaposition to his refined facial features, so much raw strength.

She tightened her legs together, already feeling another release building just from sheer anticipation.

Zinc spread her legs, and for a second, Leanne thought they were going to get right to the main event.

Yes, please.

But instead, he lowered himself to her center, smiling nonchalantly up at her as she watched agape. Just the anticipation of his touch was enough to make her come.

Well, nearly.

He flicked his tongue over her clit, the firm wetness of it so erotic she actually came again. But this time, he held her hips, anchoring and intensifying her release as it pulsated and swirled through her.

But even as it only barely began to end, he started to stroke over her again, long licks with the end of his tongue that made her eyes roll back. And as he did, he’d intermittently make little circles around her sex, teasing her and making her so wet she could almost taste having him inside her again.

Had it really been that long since she’d had good sex? Or was Zinc really just that incredible?

Her intuition said it was the latter. And she trusted her intuition.

The feel of his hands squeezing her breasts at the same time as he continued to slowly lap at her clit made the tightness in her hips almost unbearable. But she tried to hold on, tried to make it last as Zinc made everything unforgettable with his overwhelming way of doing things.

One more flick of his tongue did her in, though, and this time he held her close, allowing Leanne to grasp his back as she came beneath him. All her sensibilities were thrown out the window as sheer, mind-blowing pleasure overcame perception.

Incredible didn’t even begin to describe it.

Thankfully, Zinc gave her a nice long time to ride out every last drop of release as her body tried to work out the inconceivable way he somehow turned her on.

When she was done, Zinc got off the bed and pulled off his pants, allowing his member to spring free, so much bigger and thicker than she remembered it being.

Granted, the lighting in the prison and the fear of being caught hadn’t offered much of a chance to really savor the moment at the time. But now, seeing him in all his regal, masculine glory, she couldn’t help but shudder a little in amazement.

Her mouth watered at the sight.

“Now I can really show you what it’s like to mate a dragon,” Zinc said, his voice low, almost a growl, as he came back to her on the bed.

* * *

Zinc positioned himself between Leanne’s legs, so aroused by her that the dragon inside him was close to the surface.

It had been so long since he’d been in touch with his dragon. For as far back as he could remember, he’d had to keep the poison in his blood at bay, which meant suppressing his dragon, keeping it as far away from him as he could so as to not lose control.

But Leanne had changed all the rules.

Everything about her was arousing. The curve of her hips and belly and breasts. The way she responded to every touch, every kiss. The way she couldn’t hide her body’s reaction to him.

Even the way her eyes widened as they freely roved over his body.

He’d been told human women found dragon males attractive, but not to this extent. Being from Drakkaris, and from a noble family, meant Zinc had become very used to being around other dragons. Their height, the way they spoke and comported themselves.

But Leanne was so different from all of that. And he wouldn’t change that for the world.

For a moment, he let the tip of his member simply wait near her entrance, drawing out the moment between them. Then, with a slow, smooth motion, he came inside her, meeting all the way until they were completely joined.

She was so incredibly wet, so perfectly molded to him. Even better than he remembered from before, when he’d been half conscious and believed himself to be experiencing some sort of waking dream.

Being completely here with her, skin to skin, was so much better than any dream.

“Oh, Zinc. I can’t even…” Leanne’s voice was tight as she searched for the words she struggled to find. “So incredible.”

At that, he slid out partway, then came back into her a little faster than before, and she moaned, the sound erotic to his ears.

“Don’t stop,” she urged.

Zinc moved into a slow rhythm, drawing out her cries of pleasure with long thrusts. Every inch of slick friction was heaven, so tight he was surprised they’d been able to fit together in the first place.

But that seemed to only intensify things for Leanne, which he certainly had no complaints about.

He pushed into her, and to his surprise, she came once more, crying out into the Drakkaris night around them. Having a whole section of the palace to himself definitely had its perks since his dragon would go crazy if anyone was in earshot of his mate.

His mate. Such a strange thought still. He’d been hanging on to a thread for so long, committed to simply fighting until the bitter end finally came, that he’d never expected anything to take a turn for the better.

Now he had someone to protect. Someone worth fighting for, worth living for. To cherish as his own.

Leanne’s body tightening beneath him drew Zinc closer to his own release. But unlike last night, he had full control of his faculties so he could hold on as long as needed. Her beautiful, curvaceous body glowed from exertion, and her racing breaths evidenced just how much he was managing to overwhelm her.

The zinc dragon may have been reserved in a myriad of ways before. But lovemaking was not going to be one of them.

Leanne relaxed once more, and he started to go faster, pushing them both toward one more epic release. She gasped and started to meet his movements with her hips, doubling their pace to shocking effect. Even his own inhibitions were quickly starting to crumble with the sensual way she moved, the erotic connection between them that made his nerves go haywire.

“Come with me, Zinc,” she beckoned, her voice husky. Her hands clutched his shoulders, digging into him, the bite of nail on skin contrasting with the heady pleasure that was tightening, ready to release within him. Her dark curls framed her face, pert lips parted, dark-brown eyes glossy and watching him desperately.

He thrust into her one more time, so deep he lost himself within her, and felt her body stop everything for a stretched-out moment. His mouth closed over hers, engulfing it as she finally broke.

And just as Leanne came, he felt his body pulled with her into a gulf of pleasure wider than the oceans of Drakkaris. Deep inside, he jerked, throbbing with release as he felt every bit of her orgasm around him and beneath him, savoring every bit of it. Last night, he hadn’t been afforded that luxury.

From here on out, he was never going to miss another second of experiencing her pleasure in every way possible.

Slowly, gradually, intense release subsided into heady calmness, a warm buzzing in the back of his mind and heavy relaxation in his body the evidence of delightful exertion.

“You’re are stunning, Leanne,” Zinc said, placing a kiss on her forehead then one more or her lips. She smiled and lay back against the sheets. He pulled out slowly, then quickly recovered the disarrayed sheets strewn about and brought them over as he pulled her into him.

“That was wonderful. Thank you, Zinc,” she said with a pleased sigh, settling in against him. She let out a long, relaxed breath, and he could tell from her movements that he’d exhausted her and she’d quickly be drifting off.

“Good night, mate,” he whispered.

He pulled her in a little closer and listened as the quiet sounds of the Drakkaris midnight drifted through the windows above them and the familiar scents of the palace garden wafted into the room.

As much as he’d regretted not being able to fully explain everything before they’d been officially mated, Zinc couldn’t help but be grateful to have such a wonderful woman as his mate.

He’d do anything for Leanne. And if he had to win her over even after they were mated, he would do it.

Because Leanne was worth everything.