Page 69 of The Mating Claim

Now it was his turn to be surprised. “Never?”

“Not thatlarge.”

Laughter rippled out of him, the sound rusty to his ears, but damn, it felt wonderful. Tristan was correct. He was far tooserious.

Lacey was helping him discover his sense of humor oncemore.

It would hurt like hell to loseher.

That thought sobered him and made his erection shrivel. Drust snapped his fingers and restored the clothing on hisbody.

“I need to work and find answers, Lacey. But know this…” He strode over to her and gently gripped her chin. “Wishes and dreams can come true. I will do my damnest to make sure you are here for a very long time to realize this. Now go, enjoy the beach and the pool and allow me to do myjob.”

“Ok,” she whispered. “Thanks.”

He headed for thestairs.

Drust turned away and called over his shoulder. “Take the master bedroom, it has the best view. There’s an elevator to the third floor. I will secure thebook.”

On the way back to the car, he tried to think of ways to tamp his ill-timed desire for his dragon charge. Do not get involved. And yet to save her life, he had to getinvolved.

When he popped open the trunk, desire faded as if someone dumped ice water on hisgroin.

The box within rattled, the book trying toescape…

He conjured leather gloves again, removed the box and then skirted around the house to a small area where an outdoor shower had been set up. A sandbox with a toy shovel and bucket was nearby.Perfect.

Minutes later, the box was safely buried in the sandbox, where it would stay while he tried to find a way out of this predicament. Drust returned upstairs and ground to an abrupthalt.

He’d always found Lacey pretty and striking, but dismissed her beauty, for it had been swathed by clothing, except for that one time when she landed in the wizards’ biosphere stark naked and he summoned clothing. Back then, he focused more on the dire emergency athand.

Nolonger.

The one-piece fitted swimsuit was conservative, compared to the postage-sized bikini suits he’d seen on the beach on previous visits. But it was cobalt blue, and tailored to each delicious curve in her luscious body, from her generous breasts to her wide hips. Drust found himself staring at her long, pale legs, each inch of softskin.

She looked like adream.

She could be anightmare.

But in bed, ah, he could see the both of them tangling together in pure, unbridled lust, panting as they made fierce love in the way of hispeople.

In a self-conscious gesture, she rubbed at an invisible spot on her right thigh. “I know. I’m white as grandma’s sheets. Not a lot of time for sunbathing forme.”

For a moment he could think of nothing to say. His brain could not seem to connect to his tongue. He was hundreds of years old, sexually experienced and able to bring a woman to orgasm several times while they had sex, but he felt as like a boy seeing his first naked woman. Inside the jeans, his cock leapt forward eagerly again, nodding as if in agreement with what his gazesaw.

Yes, very nice, where is the bed? Must have bed now. And oh, you are wearing too many articles of clothing. Where is thatkilt?

Lacey hugged herself. “I know this is an old suit, but I liked the color, I didn’t have time to goshopping.”

Good thing she looked at his face and not his jeans. Drust cleared his throat. “Ah, it’s lovely. I’ve never seen you in ah, aswimsuit.”

“We haven’t exactly been beach buddies,wizard.”

Lacey’s typical dryness broke him free of his sexual stupor. He pointed to the hallway stairs. “There’s beach towels in the laundry area where the washer and dryer are. Go, enjoy yourself.Here.”

He waved a hand and conjured a bottle of sunscreen. “Do not forget this. You will needit.”

“Thanks.”