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Gunrel took me through straight corridors, past airy rooms full of people in light, layered clothing. Then we arrived in a residential wing. The doors there were shut, so I didn”t know it was a corridor of guest rooms until he motioned me into one with a jerk of his chin.

I went into a small sitting room with pale wood furniture set low to the stone floor, and Gunrel stepped past me. He went through an arched doorway and set my trunk down. I followed him into a spacious bedroom. Silk tapestries hung from the frame of the four-poster bed. Gold thread glinted among the blue silk. Beautiful, but I went past the bed and the fancy dresser with its tall mirror to check out the private terrace.

With a sigh, I leaned against the stone railing and stared across the city. “This is lovely.”

Gunrel grunted. “Take your clothes off.”

“What?!” I spun around.

His lips twitched. “You need to change into something nice enough to meet the King.”

I blinked. “The King? I”m meeting him now?”

“Yes. He saw us arrive. He”ll want you to be presented to him immediately.”

I just stared at Gunrel, images of King Shaleros bombarding my mind.

“Now,” Gunrel said.

“Oh!” I rushed back into the room and went to my trunk. “Uh. Hmm. What should I wear?”

“The purple tunic,” Gunrel said, looking over my shoulder. “It will make your eyes look golden.”

I blinked and looked up at him. “Golden?”

He looked at me. “You didn”t know that you have cat eyes?”

“Cat eyes?” My brows rose.

“Yes. Golden brown, almost yellow like a cat”s eyes. They turn gold in the sun.”

“And when I wear purple, apparently.”

Gunrel grinned at last, and it looked good on him. Hopefully, the purple would look good on me. I pulled off my jacket and tossed it on the bed. Gunrel stepped back, leaned against a bedpost, and watched.

I cocked my head at him. “Turn around, please.”

“I don”t want to.”

I laughed. “All right then. But I can”t be held accountable for what my magnificent body does to you.”

Gunrel chuckled. “We don”t have time for your body to do anything to me.”

“Damn it!” I snarled.

He straightened. “What?”

“Now, I have a hard-on!”

Gunrel burst out laughing. “All right, human. I”ll wait in the outer room.” He strode away, and I grinned to myself.

I knew men. I knew them very well, and I knew how to work with what I had to arouse them. Not just my body, but also my wit. My humor. It takes more than a fine ass to get another fine ass in bed. And I”d never had a Dragon, fine ass or not.

I kicked off my boots and shoved down my pants, my thoughts already focused on the night to come, and how I would be coming too. I was gonna ride a Dragon in another way, and I suspected it would be even better than flying.