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Keres helped his mate up, loving how she trembled with the aftereffects from their lovemaking.
He tenderly swiped a few daring coins that tried to cling to her skin and loved the imprint of others.
Making love on a bed of money came with a few drawbacks but rated at the top of his dragon’s heart.
He took care to check her clenched fists and remove the coins she held.
“So naughty,” he whispered before softening his words with kisses to her hands.
“Good thing you frisked me so thoroughly.”
He raised his head to check her expression. Was she teasing him or upset? Her slow wink assured him she had enjoyed herself completely. He stepped forward to cup her bottom.
“I missed checking one place.” His fingers trailed down the line between her cheeks suggestively. Keres loved the flash of red that colored her cheeks as she blushed.
“Not happening.”
“Oh, it will happen, Snowflake, and even better, you’ll enjoy it,” he assured her, squeezing her bottom. He loved knowing she would think about that for a while as she bit her bottom lip .
“Come on. Let me show you around.” He stepped back to take her hand, stopping her when she reached for her clothes. “I’m keeping you honest. No clothes for you.”
She opened her mouth to protest and snapped it closed when he shook his head. “Fine. You have to be naked in my hoard then, too. When I have one, of course.”
“Deal,” he readily agreed and tugged her forward. “Let’s go explore.” He glanced at her as they walked forward and considered her love-rumpled hair. She was gorgeous.
“Are those tiaras?” she asked, pointing to a display in front of them.
“Yes. Let’s choose one or two for you,” he suggested.
“Really?” she squeaked.
“Of course. All dragons need jewels. Are there any here that you like?”
Immediately, she pointed to the one he would have chosen for her. A diamond-encrusted platinum frame glittered on the top shelf. It was perfect for the crystal dragon—almost as gorgeous as her dragon was. Keres lifted it down from the shelf for her and placed it on her hair.
“There’s a mirror there,” he directed, pointing to the right.
She walked like a child learning to balance books on her head—her hands out to the side.
Enchanting. He moved with her to see her reaction as she reached the mirror.
Her sweet lips rounded in an O as she took in the gorgeous tiara above the face of a well-loved woman.
She lifted a hand to smooth her rumpled hair.
“Don’t,” he whispered, and she dropped it back to her side.
She met his gaze in the mirror and Keres told her, “Don’t change a hair on your head, Snowflake. See how beautiful you are.”
Rimi stared at herself for a few seconds before turning to glide toward him. Her new confidence made him smile. “That tiara was made for you.”
“Really?” she squeaked.
“That is a crown I collected from a princess in a snowy kingdom. I’ve had it for many years. None of my mates gave it a second glance. It has been waiting for you—the crystal dragon. The princess I’ve waited for all my life.”
Tears gathered in her beautiful green eyes. Keres wiped those that tumbled onto her cheeks away with his thumbs. “Snowflake, what’s wrong?”
“You’ve loved so many. I can’t be special.”
“I’ve had six mates before you. I have loved each of them completely and mourned their passings. Then you appeared, shattering my idea of who could be my match. You restored me. Do you know what excites me the most?”
“Slate?”
“I definitely wasn’t expecting to meet my son if I’d ever had one. I thank you for him, but Slate will leave soon to lead his own life.”
“Then what are you talking about?” she asked in confusion.
“You are a dragon shifter, Snowflake. You won’t leave me. I get to keep you. I get to cherish and love you for the rest of my life.”
She stared at him in wonder. “You’ll want me for all that time?”
“Just try to get away, my precious Little dragon. I will spank off every crystal-colored scale on your naughty bottom,” he threatened, giving her a fierce look.
It didn’t scare her at all. Rimi reached up to smooth his furrowed brow. He could see her struggling to figure out what to say to him. I love you, Rimi. Tell me you’ll let me protect you until our last breath .
Rimi met his gaze and nodded. Until our last breath, she vowed before saying aloud, “I love you, Keres.”
Stepping forward, Keres wrapped his arms around her and hugged Rimi so close she squeaked. Then he spun in a circle that made her clutch at her tiara in panic.
“Keres! You’ll make me drop my crown!”
Relenting, he slowed and set her feet back on the floor. “Sorry, Snowflake. You do have to take it off at some point.”
“Not for a long time,” she decreed, straightening the beautiful tiara.
“Want to choose another?”
“No. This is the one,” she said without hesitating.
“Then, jewelry next.”
Rimi dripped with necklaces and bracelets and held a couple dozen sets of earrings in her hands after the next stop.
She’d had so much fun picking out treasures, he’d had to bring her a carved wooden chest to store the extras she couldn’t wear.
Unaccustomed to smiling, Keres’s cheeks ached from his enjoyment of watching her.
“I can carry that,” she said, reaching for the gorgeous box he held.
“I’ll give it back to you, Mate.”
“Promise?” Rimi stared at him hard.
“I promise.”
She smiled up at him, making Keres feel ten feet tall. “Thank you. What else do I need in my hoard?”
“Gold, of course.”
“Do I get that pile?” she asked, waving a hand back where they’d been.
“No,” Keres answered. The heap of coins had skyrocketed in value to him after their play there. He wouldn’t part with those. “I had something else in mind. ”
Waving a hand toward another section of his collection, Keres said, “Go through that doorway.”
She winked and raced for the opening. Weighed down by the number of gems she still wore and holding the tiara, Rimi wasn’t fast. Keres gave her a head start before jogging after her. “Wow!” reached him as he stepped inside.
That cavern was huge. In it, a fairytale castle stood. Rimi stood on the footbridge over the sparkling moat. “There are huge goldfish swimming around.”
“Yes. Japanese koi. A couple of those are fifty years old.”
“Does someone live here?”
“No. This is a play castle. If we dig through those stones,” Keres pointed to the far wall, “it will connect to the east hallway. We can make a concealed entrance there into your secret hoard.”
“This can be my treasure spot?” she asked, looking at the gorgeous castle.
“Yes. If you like it here. Let’s go inside and you can see if you’d like to store your booty here.” Keres stepped around her and raised the creaking front gate by pulling a looped chain. “Your kingdom awaits.”
Rimi sped past him. “This is so neat.”
He entered the large center room and leaned against the wall, safely out of the way to watch her cute bottom disappear as she darted into each of the rooms. Her exclamations warmed his heart as she discovered the play kitchen, the toy room, and finally, the bedroom with a wall of mirrors and a huge makeup mirror.
“Daddy! Bring my jewelry in here,” she called.
Pushing away from the wall, he followed her voice. She knelt on the velvet stool in front of the large, gold-framed mirror. Gilded brushes and combs sat in front of her, as well as a padded head to hold her tiara .
“I love this room,” she gushed.
“I’m glad. Where would you like me to set your collection? It will fit in this niche perfectly.”
Rimi clapped her hands as he set it on the spot he’d created when he’d designed the castle.
After his last mate had passed, Keres had worked on the castle as he dreamed of the future.
When he failed to find a mate over and over, he’d spent more time in this area, determined to create something special for his fated match whenever he found them.
Its vast size attested to the length of time he’d worked to create this.
In the last decade, he’d only visited to feed the fish and maintain the castle.
Glancing at the sheer fabric draped over the small napping bed, he noted the bedding and curtains would need to be washed to rid them of the dust that had gathered.
He’d wiped down all the horizontal hard surfaces the week before he’d left to search for Rimi.
A quick visit while she slept last night had allowed him to be prepared for her first visit.
“Is this really for me?” Her smile faded slightly, and he guessed the cause of her waning excitement.
No one has ever played here before, Rimi. I created this for you. I filled it with love for my upcoming mate.
“Really? It’s all mine?”
“It’s yours. I’ll help you connect to my mansion and we’ll close the passage to my hoard.”
“Will you have access to my castle?” she asked suspiciously.
“You are my mate. I will always have emergency use of any barrier between us.”
Her face revealed her internal debate as she considered whether she wanted him to have the power to enter her hoard. “Will you take my stuff?”
“No. That would break the dragon code. ”
“There’s a dragon code? They really should create a handbook for new dragons. We’ll have to tell Slate.”
“Slate already has figured that out,” Keres assured her.
“Did he try to steal your stuff?”
“No, Snowflake. He’s too smart for that.”
“Oh, good. So, we dig? Do you have shovels?” she asked, scanning the area.
“Dragons do not need shovels,” Keres said, and raised his hand, flexing his fingers like claws when she seemed confused. “Ready to get dirty?”
“Let’s do this!”