My heart flutters in my chest. “Lake got me a gift?”
“Yeah. Dempsey read to you a little and Dahlia tried a few potions. My brothers visited every day. We all just wanted you to make it.”
He strips his jeans off as his words linger in the air.
“They…” My head spins. “Your brothers accept me?”
“Babe,” Tino says, sliding into the water with me and tangling our legs together, “of course they do. All along you risked yourself for our benefit. You chose potential death over letting Mac face Maggard alone. You proved your loyalty.” He smiles. “Besides, they knew we were mates before we got our shit together.”
A knot I wasn’t aware I was carrying in my gut unravels and slips away, and I suck in a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. As I do, I call forth my internal fire, heating the water until it bubbles.
Valentino laughs, splashing the now boiling water with his hands. “Damn. I was thinking of using fire to make it hotter, but this is way better.”
“Finally, someone who can handle my heat.”
“I can more than handle it. I thrive in it.” Valentino lifts my foot, gently massaging it and drawing moans of pleasure from my lips. “How do you feel? Tell me the truth.”
“Amazing, honestly. Stronger than I’ve felt in a long time.” I tickle his leg with my tail. “Thanks to you.”
His eyes heat as he flicks his tongue over his bottom lip. “That tail is dangerous.”
“Aw, you’re not afraid of little ol’ me, are you, big boy?”
“Not afraid, no. Intrigued by all the things we can do knowing we have eternity.”
I crawl forward, sliding between his legs and pressing my chest to his thighs and lower torso. “There’s so much to explore. So much pleasure to experience.”
Valentino drags his thumb across my chin, rubbing back and forth. “Good thing the two of us were built for pleasure.”
I lay my head on his body for a moment, smiling as his flesh ripples with supple scales. “Your dragon knew, didn’t he?”
“Yep. I thought he was just reacting to your pheromones. I thought we both were, and even though it was such a visceralreaction, I just figured you were some kind of high-powered incubus.”
I chuckle at that. “Well, I am very skilled.”
“That’s obvious.”
I tilt my head up to see his face, letting my tail crawl up his body and between his legs. His cock instantly hardens, but the energy between us isn’t soaked in lust and desire. No. It’s a slow, contented ripple.
“I love you.” The words bubble up and out unbidden, but once they’re drifting in the air between us, I’m filled with such incredible joy and elation that it leaves me lightheaded. “Gods of hell, I love you.”
Tino exhales, his eyes softening before his dragon blinks through. Stunning.
“I love you, Xazedose. So damn much it blows me away.”
“I feel so full of emotion. It’s a feast, an abundance of….” I shake my head as my voice trails off.
“I feel it too. But…” His brow crinkles and a wave of panic spreads through me.
“What?”
“The bond between us is beautiful, but it feels wrong how it happened. You weren’t able to be present and fully consenting. I don’t know how to fix that.”
“Oh. Is that all? You scared me.”
He drags a hand through my hair. “If you think I’d ever leave you, you need to ditch that fear right now. Not gonna happen.”
“Good, because if you thought I was a menace before, just try to leave me.”
