“More than diamonds.” Another burning kiss. His hands, strong and warm against her bare skin. And diamonds, this time, a rope of white fire that wound around her waist, stars plucked from the sky to perch on her fingers.
“More than gold.” A whispering, chiming song of metal on metal. Gold dripped over her in shining rivers, thousands and thousands of fine chains. The contrast between the cold metal and Corin’s burning touch made her moan, but it was the light in his eyes that brought her almost to the edge. He was wild, longing and triumphant. The sight of her covered in treasure brought out the dragon in him.
“I love you,” she breathed, taking his face in her hands. “Never think you can’t be everything you are with me.”
“You’re not scared?” He would chain himself for her again, she knew. Hold every inhuman, draconic part of himself in check to keep her happy.
It wouldn’t make her happy.
“I want all of you,” she told him. “Nothing about you scares me. Only the thought of not having you.”
He surged above her. His hands found her waist, her hips, cradled her head as he kissed her, and she wrapped her legs around him, rising to meet him. He buried himself inside her on the first thrust. Maya cried out. She was so wet, so slippery and ready for him, and she knew what to expect, but the size of him pushed all the air from her lungs as though it was their first time. There was no pain, just an agonizing, beautiful fullness.
He put one hand under her thigh and pulled it up, easing himself deeper into her without pulling out. She was helplessbeneath him, lost in ecstasy and weighed down by priceless jewels. Gold shimmered across her breasts as she breathed in and he groaned.
“Be mine?” His eyes were pure fire. The golden chains seemed to tighten around her. Was that really happening? Was this part of his magic? Part of his dragon claiming her?
“Yes,” she breathed, and he rocked into her, hips rolling like the ocean, every movement drawing exquisite sensation from her body. She clamped her leg around his waist, not letting him pull back, and he stayed deep inside her, filling and stretching her until it was too much. Pleasure clamped down on her, a swell that shook the breath from her in a gasping cry. He groaned into her mouth as he came, and the pump of his orgasm inside her tore more pleasure from her until they lay panting and still together, wrapped so closely she couldn’t tell where he ended and she began.
The gold and jewels had warmed with her body. She shone with treasure and sweat, utterly satisfied in her dragon’s lair.
“My heart?” Corin’s voice was reverent. She gazed into his eyes. Dark sea-green, with a single ring of neon fire.
She took his hand and pressed it over her chest. “Yours, now.” A deep sigh broke from him as she put her own hand over his heart. “And yours is mine.”
“The centerpiece of your hoard.” His eyes glittered with pride. “What will you do with me?”
“Hmm.” She rolled on top of him and strung gold over his broad chest. It whispered against his skin. “I have a few ideas about how we could begin. But I should let you know, I intend to keep you for my own. Covet you. Possess you.” His eyes burned brighter with every word. “Forever.”
Far, far later, they lay together, exhausted at last, sleep tugging at the edges of her mind. Corin was still holding her like she was a treasure, but no longer as though he expected her to fly away atany moment. She propped herself up on one elbow, watching his sleeping face.
All those years of wondering, and now she knew for sure. Corin was hers. All her strange and terrifying feelings for him were right, and good, and he felt the same way about her.
This was what happiness was.
And they both had so many years of it ahead.
Epilogue
Maya walked in the front door of the house on Lighthouse Hill and realized this was the first time she’d gone to visit Lainie since Tomás stole the post from under her nose.
No. That couldn’t be right. She must have—but—
Had it really been that long?
And hardly any time at all.
Almost a week was a long time not to see her friend, and not a long time at all to change her life.
Then again, given the previous times her whole world had been upended had taken a matter of minutes, not days, maybe itwasa long time.
“Is everything all right?” Corin asked, his hand on the small of her back.
“Sorry,” she said as Tomás tugged on her hand, eager to go inside and show more friends his treasures. “My brain got stuck.”
“My fault, I hope.”
“Part of it.” She smiled up at him, then stepped in.
