Talaith forced her eyes open. Trees swayed over her as the wind blew. A storm was coming, she could smell it. Then why wasn’t she freezing—or already frozen—to death?

She glanced down and realized a thick, shiny mane of silver hair covered her entire body. Her entire naked body. Glancing to her left, she saw the human form of the dragon stretched out next to her. Stomach down, one big muscular arm thrown over her waist; he’d pushed his own body right up against her side, his handsome face even more so in sleep.

He’s got the longest eyelashes…oh, good gods, Talaith. Get hold of yourself.

Before she panicked, she closed her eyes and used the tiny bit of Magick the goddess allowed her to keep to search for anything the dragon may have done to her while she slept. After a few moments, she knew he hadn’t done anything besides lay next to her all night. No spells cast. No charms of lust. And he definitely hadn’t f**ked her.

Knowing he hadn’t broken his promise to her, she felt confident enough to turn and say, “Get your bloody hands off me!”

Without moving from his apparently comfortable position or opening his eyes, he calmly replied, “Don’t get snappy at me, wench. I had to do something. Those chattering teeth of yours would have kept me up all night…and don’t pull my hair.”

She snatched her hand back before she got a firm hold on the silver strands. “Let me go.” She squirmed, trying to get him to release her.

Instead, he groaned.

“You really need to stop doing that. Or, do it more.”

“Doing what?” she demanded absently, desperately trying to reach the blade he’d left tied to her leg. Did he leave it because he knew how much safer she felt with it on? Probably not. That would require him to think about someone or something other than himself.

His grip tightened on her waist and his eyes opened, devastating her with one look from that heated gaze. “Stop squirming, woman, or I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

Eeek! “Oh. Sorry.” She winced, realizing she’d apologized to the big oaf. “If you let me go—”

“I don’t want to let you go.” The hand on her waist now slid up and down her side, caressing her skin. “You’re soft. All over.”

This could easily get out of hand. Especially when she had to fight her own desires. It had been a long time since she’d been with her husband or any man. If only the dragon were ugly or somehow repulsive. But he wasn’t. Even his dragonform, which horrified her, still didn’t disgust her.

“I think you need to—”

“You know,” he kissed her shoulder and she had to close her eyes and grit her teeth to stop from moaning, “you would have frozen to death last night if it hadn’t been for me.” His tongue flicked out and licked a small scar she had on her shoulder blade. “That’s twice I’ve saved your life.”

Her ni**les peaked, and she had the intense desire to slap herself in the face. “This time doesn’t count. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”

He propped his head up with one arm while his other hand continued to move along her flesh, making her think things she knew for a fact were morally wrong. “You’d prefer I left you in that tiny trash heap you call a town?”

“No. But you could have dropped me off at any larger town between here and there.”

Yawning and closing his eyes, he rubbed one leg against hers, which she was starting to find a tad disconcerting. “And leave such a sweet young thing to the tender mercies of those harsh streets? What kind of dragon hero would that make me if I did that?”

Dragon hero? It must be nice in his fantasy land. “Look, I…stop that!” she barked when he tilted his head a bit and rubbed her nipple with the tip of his nose.

The small and rather strange move sent shots of heat coursing through her entire body. “I don’t need you or anyone else to protect me.”

He stared at her br**sts and her now painfully hard ni**les. “But you’re so soft and fragile.”

Soft and fragile? The week before she’d dragged a lost cow out of a mud patch.

“I am not soft and fragile. I’m…I’m…”

Unable to continue, she watched him—with his mouth hovering so close to her breast—knowing what he was going to do long before he did it. Still, she panicked like a young virgin when his mouth opened and his head lowered.

“I thought you said we had to get an early start,” she spat out in a fast rush as his tongue just flicked the tip of her nipple. It took all her strength not to arch her back and beg for more.

The dragon paused and growled. Sleepy violet eyes looked up at her. “Is there not a moment in the day when you’re not talking?”

“No.”

He stared at her and for a bit she feared he’d ignore her and simply go back to amusing himself with her br**sts. If he did, she wouldn’t be able to stop him. Mostly because she really wouldn’t want to.

Sighing, he instead pushed himself away from her and immediately she felt the loss of his body heat. Talaith pulled her legs up, wrapping her arms around them. His long hair slid across her bare skin, sending her heart racing, while he sat up.

“Fine. The sooner I get you back to my den, the sooner we can work this out.”

Back to his den? Well that didn’t sound too good. “Work out what?” Her teeth started chattering again and he glared at her in annoyance.