He opens his mouth. Closes it. His tail does that adorable twitchy thing that means he’s processing something obvious he completely missed.
“I… may have overcomplicated things.”
“You think?” But I’m grinning as I say it, because this brilliant, powerful, occasionally ridiculous creature is mine. “Also, can we talk about how you went full sexy action hero back there? Because watching you fight was kind of incredibly hot.”
His pupils dilate, and suddenly the way his tail is wrapped around me feels less protective and more… interesting. “Was it now?”
“Yes. Very impressive. All that coiling and striking and—mph!”
He cuts me off with a kiss, one hand tangling in my hair while his tail keeps me pressed against him. When we finally break apart, we’re both breathing hard.
“I love you,” he says against my lips, his voice rough with emotion. “Even before the bracelet proved it. Even if it had never activated. I love everything about you, Aubrey Garrett, from your ridiculous filing systems to your habit of singing off-key while dusting.”
“I do not sing off-key,” I protest weakly, but my heart is doing backflips. “Also? I love you too. Even when you’re being a cryptic snake about magical jewelry. Even when you get grumpy about me feeding the alley cat. Even when—”
This time when he kisses me, there’s nothing gentle about it. His tail shifts, wrapping around my thighs in a way that makes me gasp against his mouth.
“Perhaps,” he murmurs between kisses that are getting progressively more heated, “we should continue this discussion somewhere less… dungeon-like?”
“Good point. Although…” I can’t resist teasing him, even as his tail does something between my legs that makes thinking increasingly difficult. “Your apartment is pretty dungeon-like too. All those weird artifacts and—oh!”
He literally sweeps me off my feet, cradling me against his chest as we head for the exit. “Keep talking, my love. See where it gets you.”
I grin up at him, feeling the bracelet warm against my skin. “Is that a threat or a promise?”
His answering smile shows just a hint of fang. “Why don’t we find out?”
The bracelet pulses with golden light as we leave the underground chamber, and I swear I can feel it humming with satisfaction. Guess true love really does conquer all—even ancient naga drama queens and their evil lairs.
Though honestly? I’m more interested in conquering a certain naga myself. Especially if he keeps doing that thing with his tail…
Chapter 20
When Contracts End
Sundar
The ledger before meholds precise columns of numbers and dates, each entry meticulously recorded in my flowing script. But for the first time in centuries, I find myself reading the same line repeatedly, unable to focus on simple arithmetic.
Because today marks the end of Aubrey’s contract.
Five weeks. It seems impossible that such a brief span of time could alter the course of my carefully ordered existence. Yet here I am, centuries of composure undone by the sound of her footsteps in the shop above, the lingering scent of her coffee, the way she hums absently while organizing display cases.
I open my desk drawer for the fifth time this hour, checking that the ring box hasn’t somehow vanished. The metal is warm beneath my fingers, ancient bronze worked with protective runes that echo a magic similar to her bracelet’s. I’d found it years ago, tucked away in a temple vault, and something had compelled me to keep it safe. Now I know why.
“Your books aren’t going to balance themselves by glaring at them.”
My head snaps up. Aubrey leans against my office door frame, arms crossed, wearing that slight smile that never fails to make my chest tight. She’s pulled her hair back in a messy knot, exposing the curve of her neck where I’d left marks the night before. The sight stirs something possessive in me, though I maintain my composure.
“I was not glaring,” I say with dignity. “Merely ensuring absolute accuracy.”
“Sure.” She pushes off the door frame, approaching my desk with deliberate steps. “And I suppose you’ve also been opening and closing that drawer repeatedly for accounting purposes?”
“You’ve been watching me.”
“Hard not to.” Her smile widens. “You’re kind of impossible to ignore, you know. Especially when you’re being all…” she waves a hand vaguely, “broody and intense.”
“I do not brood.”
