I thought I’d only had one chance at love.I didn’t deserve happiness after my wife had died.But the way my dragon’s joy burst through me hinted we had another chance.
I’d spent years wrestling with ghosts—memories of Louisa, the guilt that came with surviving her.But after tonight, there was no denying it.Bria was my mate.
And despite the fear of loving anyone again, this couldn’t be wrong.What I felt for Bria was pure.The most natural thing in the world.So right.
When Bria trailed her fingers over my shoulders, as if marking me as hers, that tiny gesture undid me.As I held her close, I knew I’d do anything for her.Anything to keep her safe.Within minutes, her breathing slowed, growing deeper, and I was sure she was asleep.
The steady thrum of the ship beneath us matched the rhythm of her breathing.Salt air drifted in through the balcony doors, cool against our heated skin.The movement of the ship lulled me into blissful peace.
Now that I’d met Bria, my true mate, I couldn’t walk away from her.
Only one problem—did she feel the same way about me?
CHAPTERNINE
BRIA
Three days before Christmas
When I stirred awake, pleasant warmth surrounded me.It felt so good, wrapped in a luxurious warmth I never wanted to leave.I leaned back into him, nestling into Darius’s powerful embrace, and relished every detail.The steady rise and fall of his chest against my back, the slow rhythmic beat of his heart, the protective weight of his muscular arm slung around my waist.For a blissful moment, I breathed him in, inhaling his wild musky scent—smoke, rum, and sinful decadence.
My body ached in the most wonderful way.Sated.
My panther purred lazily inside as she stretched in satisfaction.We found the one,she murmured.Our mate.
I didn’t argue.Not this time.Last night had been…incredible.Every touch, every moan, every look had taken me to newer heights than I’d ever imagined.The connection between us had crystallized, turning sharper and undeniable.Darius had been patient and attentive at times, and untamed and feral at others, as if sensing exactly what I’d needed and when.We’d spent half the night coiled in each other’s arms, wrapped in heat, until one of us stirred and started our insatiable exploration once more.When I’d finally fallen into a deep sleep in the early hours of the morning, tangled in his arms, I’d done so with dreams of him in my mind.Could we have a future beyond this voyage?
Yes.We need to claim him,my panther said.
I bristled.No.Not yet.
It was easy to fantasize while recovering from a passionate high, but early morning light revealed real-life complications.I glanced around his massive suite, reserved in the exclusive section on an upper deck with the most expensive rooms.It made my tiny room on the lower deck below feel the size of a mousetrap.The golden light drifting in from the massive window overlooking the private balcony softened the sleek modern lines of the furniture.It whispered of luxury, fueled by money, earned through his business.Which reminded me of how we began.
Business.
A deal.
He’d only wanted me for a business deal.
But last night hadn’t felt like business—it had felt like a new beginning.Of something big, epic.And that terrified me more than anything had ever before.
There was a reason why I didn’t do feelings.It was easier to remain detached and simply pursue temporary pleasures.And if I was smart, I should remember that this connection between us was also only temporary.He’d leave the ship and me once this cruise was over, and if I didn’t want to get blindsided when it happened, I’d better force my shield back in place.
A cool shower, that was what I needed to slap some sense back into myself.But when I tried to slip out of bed, Darius tightened his arm around me, pulling me back to him.
“Where are you going, beautiful?”he murmured, his voice rough from sleep.
I froze, half turned toward him.His hair was mussed, his gold-flecked eyes soft with that sleepy heat that made my stomach flutter.
“I was going to shower,” I said.
He flashed a devilish smile.“Later.”He kissed my shoulder, sending a wave of heat inside, melting me.“I thought we’d stay here a while and have breakfast in bed.”Brushing my hair aside, he nuzzled my neck and the solid thickness of his erection pressed against me.
“That sounds good,” I purred and melted against him.
He slipped his hand over my hip, along my thigh, and in between my legs, and I moaned.All those thoughts about reason, about protecting my heart, they all went up in flames as the dragon captured me in his heat and made me forget everything else but how good his body felt on mine.
A few hours later,Darius and I disembarked for a few hours while the Moonlight Siren was docked at one of the smaller islands.It was my panther’s favorite stop as she could prowl through a wooded area beyond the edge of town.
