Zinc couldn’t believe he was getting so lucky. It was his favorite place in the world, and Leanne was here with him.

His new favorite person.

He’d heard of mating bonds, but part of him had always seen mating as something clinical to be done to save his life and help perpetuate the race, but nothing more.

He’d never imagined a depth of feeling like the one he had for Leanne, this all-encompassing love that made him need to be near her, one with her at all times.

It had almost been easier when he was sick, when he couldn’t feel the overpowering need to be with her, which made it almost painful when he couldn’t be.

For the first time in his life, he sort of resented being the future king.

He knew he was probably being selfish, something he’d been raised to never be, but he just wanted a normal life where he could be with her. Not expected to fight dilutes or nominate dragons or keep the kingdom in order.

He just kind of wanted to travel either of their worlds, seeing exotic locales, enjoying beautiful sights like this one.

Though, no sight was beautiful enough to compare to the sight of his mate lying on a bed of Drakkaris mini-lilies in every shade of the spectrum, her dark skin and dark curls glowing in contrast, sparkling brown eyes looking up at him as though he were her world.

Could it be that she was falling for him, too, just a little bit?

He’d seen it take a longer time with other dragons, who fell instantly for their humans but had to wait for them to return their affection.

And they hadn’t had the complicated beginning he and Leanne had, nor had they whisked their mate off to another planet.

But still, if he wasn’t imagining it, Leanne was looking at him with less hesitation in her eyes. Less uncertainty. Could it be she was finally accepting him as well?

He knew if she only would, they could have a spectacular life together. Full of moments like the one they were about to have now.

Instinctively, he lowered his hand to cup her cheek, soft skin brushing his fingertips like whispers of electricity. She leaned into his palm, and he kissed her, letting the moment swirl around them. Floral scents wafted around them, carried on the cool mountain breeze, as the calls of birds echoed through the hills far below them.

For a moment, their lips embraced, softness on softness. Then she opened her mouth, and he let his tongue swirl inside her, stroking gently. He heard a light, muffled moan as he flicked his tongue against hers, entwining them together for a moment then exploring deeper.

Every response from Leanne was his to claim. His to own. The slight brace of her fingers on his shoulders as he touched just the right spot. The way she closed her eyes when she was aroused. Her tiny sighs of pleasure as he continued to stroke and delve within her mouth.

Satisfied, Zinc left her mouth and moved to her ear, toying with the soft skin of her lobe, hungrily devouring her reaction to him.

“Why is it so strong?” Leanne asked, her hands grasping at his tunic as he bit down lightly at first, then a little harder on her skin.

“Because I want you. Because I want to give you everything, Leanne.” He licked at the little corner where ear met neck, and she tensed in arousal. So delightful.

“I don’t know how you can know me so well.” She gasped, not shying away from his kisses down her neck. “It hasn’t been long enough.”

“Yet I feel like I could have known you forever. This connection between us, it’s something that feels it has always been here. And the more I’m with you, the more I know it’s right.”

He tugged the neckline of the soft sweater she wore a little lower and let his lips caress her flesh along her collarbone. Her demure, floral scent was only accentuated by the soft aroma of mini-lilies around them.

Leanne was so captivating in every possible way.

“It’s almost scary that I can feel this way about someone in such a short time,” she murmured.

“Scary?”

“But not bad. I guess… exciting.” Her deep-brown eyes were so beautiful lit up the by the slowly darkening sky, showering them both in multicolored light from above.

“Exciting will be the understatement of the century by the time I’m done with you, Princess.”

“I told you not that name,” she said playfully, twitching a little as he kissed the base of her neck.

“Sorry. To me, you are my princess, my queen, my world.”

“That’s so embarrassing. You dragons really do go all in, don’t you?” She wasn’t able to fully hide the slight rosiness of her cheeks as she looked up at him. Despite her embarrassment, she did seem pleased at his words.

“I know of no other way,” he replied, smiling a bit at her cuteness.

He pulled up the hem of her sweater, revealing her soft curves beneath, and let his hands rove over her skin, memorizing every inch of her as they moved. Then, helping her sit up for a second, he undid the clasp of her bra and slid it and the sweater off together.

The more he saw of his mate, the more ravenous Zinc became. Ravenous for her pleasure in every possible way.

He licked over one dusky nipple, then let the temperate air breezing around them stimulate her skin until it became a hardened tip. Then, wasting no time, he suckled, squeezing the malleable flesh with his hand. Then Zinc repeated on the other side, listening to her moans.

So far from civilization, so far from responsibilities and titles and pedigrees, Zinc felt he could truly be himself with Leanne.

A dragon and his mate.

He couldn’t resist wanting to push her further, faster now, and he lowered his hand down her body, letting it trail until it found the waistband of her silly pants. Not stopping with his mouth on her breasts, he went beneath the pants and found her soft mound and stroked up the center of it with his finger.

“Zinc,” Leanne said, and he looked up in time to see her biting her lower lip, mouth clenching as he thrust his finger against her again and again. With each touch, her legs tightened, her arms tensing more where they held his shoulders.

Then with one more flick, she came, her release finally taking over. He observed in wonderment as absolute pleasure overrode his mate’s senses, coursing through her like an earthquake before finally subsiding.

But Zinc was far from done. He slid his hand beneath her panties, savoring the feel of her wet heat on his fingers, and rubbed over her directly, gently. As he did, he instinctively continued to kiss across her breasts, her neck, wishing he could touch her everywhere at once.

Immediately, another release began to build deep within her, but she braced, seemingly trying to hold out as best she could.

It was kind of adorable watching her resist her body’s response to him. Seeing how long she could take the burning heat of arousal before losing control.

Zinc moved his had a little lower to her entrance, so slick and ready, and slowly thrust in with one, then two fingers, rubbing a particularly sensitive spot within her. She gasped desperately, back arching slightly as he continued to stroke, then moved back to her clit, touching ever so lightly against her tiny nub.

Then, with one more stroke, Leanne lost it, face straining as she tried desperately to contain her physical reactions.

“You can let it out,” he whispered into her ear, and at that she screamed in release, coming even harder, letting her unmitigated responses fly free. The mountain was stoic, silent as her cries echoed through meadow and into the rising crags stretching upward in every direction.

Maybe after this, he’d have to start calling his mountain their mountain instead.

Everything he had belonged to her now anyway.

Eager to continue, Zinc pull off her remaining clothes, revealing Leanne in all her sexy, curvaceous perfection surrounded by multicolored flowers. But when he spread her legs to pleasure her orally, he felt her hands on his member, a little shock of surprise going through him.

“I need you, Zinc,” she pled, her husky voice sounding desperate with arousal.

“And by need, you mean…” he said, playing with her a little.

“Yes, that.” A little laugh and Leanne’s smile, along with those deep-brown eyes, warmed him to the core. At that, he removed his clothes for her as they basked in the last remaining rays of the sun as it dipped past the horizon.

By now, he knew they fit together, but it didn’t prevent Zinc from wanting to exhibit at least a modicum of caution given the tightness of their connection.

But as he slid into her, slick friction bringing heated arousal with every centimeter of movement, Zinc knew they were made for each other.

“Yes… yes,” Leanne murmured, seemingly relishing the sensation. Just the sight of her made Zinc hard, but witnessing her coming multiple times and being aroused by what he did brought him to the brink every time.

Thankfully, with all his faculties at his disposal now, he could hold out for however long his mate wanted.

He immediately moved into a smooth, metered rhythm, letting the sound of their lovemaking and her pleasured breaths be the only noise between them for a moment, watching Leanne as each thrust pushed her closer to release. Leanne moved her head from side to side, luxuriating in her own arousal until she appeared to not be able to bear much more.

She bit down on her knuckle, moans getting louder and closer together as Zinc thrust harder. But a few more was all it took until she orgasmed again, body tightening then arching in release. This time she called out his name, over and over again into the silent sky, and Zinc had to brace himself to keep from joining her.

Something about Leanne changed all the rules Zinc had accustomed himself to living by for so long. Made him rethink everything in the best of ways.

The ebb of Leanne’s cries signaled she was ready once more, though she was clearly exhausted, judging by the slight glow of her skin and the way her breath never fully seemed to catch up.

If she was going to come a final time this evening, Zinc wanted to make it a good one.

He returned to his original pace and began to quicken gradually. Their bodies rejoined quicker and quicker, and Leanne closed her eyes, overcome by sensation as her hands searched desperately for something to hold on to, the lilies offering neither anchor nor escape from her pleasure.

“Don’t stop. Don’t stop,” Leanne urged, now starting to move her hips in time with his thrusts. Each time they met, it felt their connection deepened a little more, so wet and hot it defied reason.

Zinc continued to fill his mate in rapid succession, driving both of them into the bright-white sensation of release. The seconds drew out into dramatically long moments, exertion and pleasure building and tightening within.

Then just as Leanne was about to come, Zinc reached one hand between them and flicked over her clit as she braced for her orgasm. The action immediately sparked off the cascade of release as she came, and he stroked once more and came inside her, all the way until they were hip to hip, even further intensifying his mate’s response.

And then he followed her into free-falling, erotic pleasure as unmitigated fire consumed them from the inside out. Pressure sprang free in powerful jolts that shot from his hands through his shoulders and down his back, blurring Zinc’s vision as it made its way through him.

But through it, he maintained his gaze on Leanne, watching her writhe and clench with inimitable pleasure as she grasped onto him. He held her close as they finished, loving the warmth of her soft body beneath him, listening to her heartbeat as it raced and then gradually slowed.

Perfection diluted into a single moment.

Zinc didn’t want to let go, though, even after the moment passed, soaking in the cool air and the sight of Leanne’s afterglow. Far beyond the clouds, the last rays of sun disappeared as the pink moon rose over them, casting the mountain in shades of purple and indigo.

She saw that Leanne was looking up at the sky as well, utterly caught up with him in the beauty of the moment, the pure pleasure and release they found in one another’s arms.

She let out a sigh. “Oh, Zinc. Sometimes I really do think I could stay here forever. I don’t think I want our mating to end.”

He took a deep breath, knowing what he had to say was difficult but that it couldn’t wait for another moment. “That’s good,” he said, stroking her hair back. “Because we can’t undo it, Princess.”

Her eyes widened instantly, and her body tightened beneath him. “What?”

He could practically hear her heart rate speed up as he rolled off of her, trying to give her a little space.

No matter her reaction, he hoped the incredible connection between them wouldn’t be lost. “I never meant to trick you. I misunderstood the question when I said I could reverse the mating. It can’t be taken back. I’m sorry, Leanne.”

She stared at him blankly, and the longer she was quiet, the longer a deep feeling of dread seeped into his heart.

Somehow, the knowledge that he’d hurt her felt more toxic than any poison.