Page 11

Mia could feel the warmth on her face and smiled before opening her eyes. Then realized that she was very much not alone in the massive bed (if you could even call it that).

It wasn’t the sun warming her, but the reflections from the large gold-amber dragon curled up on the massive hanging bed that was probably the size of a basketball court. Maybe bigger.

Last night Tiber had told her that they could share the bed, with him on one side and her on the other, or that she could sleep downstairs in one of the rooms. But with a whole basketball court’s worth of space in between it was like they weren’t even in the same room.

At least that was what she told herself.

But now the giant beast was essentially curled around her. Though he wasn’t close to touching her. Even if he was watching her intently. His eyes were the same gold-amber but with more of a mercurial quality.

Blinking, she sat up and looked right back at him. “Good morning,” she murmured, feeling awkward.

He made a little snuffling sound which she took to mean good morning too.

“You are much bigger than I realized the other day.” Aaaand, she wondered if that sounded weird? She didn’t mean it in a perverted sort of way, but come on, this beast was huge.

He made another sound that sounded a bit like a purr now.

“Your scales are beautiful.”

His head tilted slightly to the side, and she wondered if he could actually understand what she was saying. Maybe she was just reading into things? Oh… she just realized that she had no idea about this! Did shifters in their animal form understand when humans spoke to them? They had to. Right?

“Do you understand me?” she whispered.

He closed his eyes then and leaned back slightly in a way that made it clear he was enjoying the morning sunlight. So maybe he didn’t understand.

It reflected off him, bathing her in more of that gold light and she sighed, lying back on the plethora of colorful cushions. “It’s just as well that you don’t understand. I think your ego is likely too big to begin with to be told you’re beautiful.” Even if he was beyond stunning.

It almost hurt to look at him.

At a shuffling sound, she opened her eyes again and stared as the dragon disappeared in a puff of smoke, sparks and what she could only call magic.

Then Tiber was crouching about ten feet in front of her.

She squeaked again (seriously, would the embarrassment never stop!) when she saw that he was naked.

And big all over. She closed her eyes and looked away. “Can you cover up please?”

His dark laugh filled the air and she felt more than heard him approach. “I’m clothed.”

When she opened her eyes, he was only a couple feet away and was indeed clothed. In what amounted to a loin cloth.

Oh sweet goddess above. It was too early for all these muscles and nakedness. She was only a mortal, after all. And this… well, he was otherworldly. Might as well confront it. Everything about him was rough and solid, as if he’d been forged from the fire he breathed… and she sounded like an idiot.

See, this was why she painted. She was never going to be a poet.

He held out a hand for her, amusement in his gaze as if he read her mind.

She took it and as he pulled her to her feet, he said, “I can understand you when I’m a dragon.” Then, taking her by complete surprise, he scooped her up and jumped off the side of the netting.

Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight, willing herself not to squeak again. Seriously, she wasn’t a mouse!

“Maybe a little warning next time,” she rasped out, resting her fingertips on his chest as he gently set her on her feet.

And maybe letting them linger a little longer than necessary.

“If there is a next time.” Because she wasn’t sure she could stay here again.

Mostly for her sanity. Especially if he normally strode around without any clothing and oh goddess, she could feel her face heating up at their closeness, at her awareness of how very muscular and basically naked he was.

But she knew she wouldn’t react this way to just anyone.

Nope, apparently, she was into big, grumpy dragons who didn’t like humans.

His gaze fell to her mouth and oh, she didn’t think she was mistaking what she saw there. Was he… interested in her? A human?

She frowned, but then he turned away so quickly she could barely catch her breath. Just as well because she needed actual physical distance.

“I have plenty to choose from for breakfast,” he said, already striding for the kitchen.

“I’ll be out in a minute,” she said, heading past the kitchen, but not before he called out.

“No rush. I had some of your stuff couriered over—including Neptune. He’s around here somewhere. Take a shower and rest this morning.”

She paused in her hurrying down the smooth stone hallway.

That had been very thoughtful of him, though she did wonder who had gone through her things and more importantly, who had handled Neptune.

Whatever, a shower and some distance sounded wonderful because she knew her cat wouldn’t be coming out for another couple hours.

It had been the same when they’d settled in the chalet.

She’d used his bathroom the evening before, and it was like something out of a billionaire’s secret lair. Or maybe all dragons had stuff like this.

But there was a natural heated spring in one corner with another magical fireplace next to it.

She was tempted to get in it, but had no idea how deep it was and the more modern shower was gorgeous too.

Lots of pale gold and sparkles in whatever tile or stone had been used in the large bath house.

Because this wasn’t just a simple shower.

The thing had eight showerheads, and she was pretty sure if she set her mind to it, she could use those shower heads for something else altogether than just showering.

“Get your mind out of the gutter,” she muttered to herself as she spotted a duffle bag with… toiletries and clothing. Okay, so Tiber was kind of wonderful.

Even if he did think humans were beneath him.

It was so hard to reconcile that first meeting with the Tiber who’d been going out of his way to protect her, to keep her safe.

And she couldn’t believe how attracted she was to him. More than anything, that had taken her off guard. She hadn’t expected any of this; hadn’t expected him to be so protective and to take care of her. It was disconcerting and messing with her head.

The fact that he was built like a god certainly didn’t help either.