Chapter 60

SIXTY

L ater that night, Talon prowled through their private suite at the estate, his dragon restless with the need to be near his mate. The scent of her earlier experiment still clung to her lab coat, thrown carelessly over a chair.

He emerged from the shower to find her cross-legged on their bed, wearing nothing but one of his dress shirts. The sight of her surrounded by research notes, absently chewing on a pen as she worked, made both man and dragon purr with satisfaction. His mate was spectacular and beautiful and his .

“Still working?” He didn’t bother with a shirt, enjoying how her eyes tracked water droplets down his chest. The air crackled with static as her gaze lingered.

“Some of us don’t have supernatural dragon stamina,” she quipped, though her heartbeat quickened noticeably to his enhanced hearing. “Some of us need to actually document our findings.”

“Hmm.” He stalked toward her with predatory grace, fighting a smile as her breath caught. “Sounds boring.”

“It’s vital scientific data—” She squealed as he snatched the laptop away, setting it safely aside before pouncing. They tumbled back onto the bed together, her laughter filling the room as sparks showered around them.

His fingers found the silvery scar on her shoulder, tracing it with infinite gentleness. The mark enraged his dragon – permanent evidence of his failure to protect her – but she caught his hand, bringing it to her lips.

“Stop that,” she murmured. “I can feel you brooding.”

“Do you regret it?” The question slipped out before he could stop it. “Losing your dragon form because of me?”

She sat up, straddling his waist to look down at him seriously. Static electricity made her hair float slightly, giving her an otherworldly beauty that took his breath away.

“Because of you? Talon Draker, you ridiculous dragon, I didn’t lose anything ‘because of you.’ I made my own choices. And I got so much more than I lost.”

Her hand pressed against his chest, right over his heart. “I got this. Us. A connection deeper than DNA or dragon fire.” Electricity sparked between them, making his skin tingle. “Besides,” her smile turned wicked, “now I have my own personal dragon chauffeur service.”

He growled playfully, flipping them so she was pinned beneath him. “Is that all I am to you? Transportation?”

“Well...” She pretended to consider, even as her legs wrapped around his waist. “You do have other uses. Very...” She nipped at his jaw, sending little electrical shocks through the contact. “Very...” Her hands slid down his chest, leaving trails of static in their wake. “Compelling uses.”

His dragon surged forward, eyes glowing gold as he captured her mouth in a searing kiss.

“I love you,” he growled against her throat.

“I love you too,” she gasped as he marked her neck, “even if you are a possessive, overprotective dragon.”

The lights in their room flickered wildly as clothing disappeared. His dragon purred at each spark of pleasure that shot into him, at how perfectly she responded to his touch.

He held her, their heartbeats synchronized, their bond humming with shared peace and endless possibilities.

Together, they would face whatever the future held. As equals. As partners. As mates.

Forever.

The End