“No,” she interrupted.
He stilled, belatedly sensing her burst of unease. “Excuse me?”
“No talk of what happens after that,” she insisted.
“Because you’re a live-in-the-moment kind of gal?”
“Because once we destroy the evil magic, you’ll return to your hibernation and I’ll be returning to my normally scheduled program in this world.”
“Wynn.”
“No.” She sent him a warning glare. This was what she’d been trying to avoid. “We have to concentrate on the now, not the later.”
His nostrils flared and Wynn half expected to see smoke coming out as the dragon glared at her. It wasn’t used to being denied what it desired. But at last, Azh released a low growl of frustration.
“You’re right. First we defeat the corruption. And then we discuss the future.”
She rolled her eyes. That was as close as she could get him to conceding their futures were in two different places.
“First things first.” She wiggled out of his arms. “A shower, clean clothes, and dinner. In that order.”
“This shower...” He gazed down at her with sudden anticipation. “Is it together?”
“Together.”
With a laugh, Wynn was scrambling off the bed and running into the bathroom. She reached the shower first, but only because Azh allowed her to win. He stalked behind her like a predator, the lightning already dancing in his eyes. Wynn trembled with excitement as she hastily turned on the cold water at full blast. A second later Azh stepped into the small cubicle, his heat creating a thick steam that billowed around their entwined bodies.
Wrapping her arms around the dragon’s neck, Wynn felt herself lifted off the ground and pressed against the slick tiled wall. A second later she was groaning in bliss as Azh entered her with one smooth thrust. Squeezing shut her eyes, Wynn allowed herself to become lost in the tidal wave of pleasure, surrounded by the steam and intoxicating blast of pure dragon magic.
Two hours later they returned to the bedroom to polish off a mound of takeout curry that was delivered by unobtrusive servants, and pulled on the clothes that had been in the bag with the food.
Wynn was in the bathroom braiding her damp hair when Azh appeared in the doorway, his expression one of annoyed disbelief.
“Seriously?” He spread his arms. “You expect me to be seen in public in this?”
Turning around, Wynn’s lips twitched at the thin silk shirt that clung to his torso and the leather pants that revealed every delicious bulge. He looked like a fake pirate in a burlesque show. Or maybe a maître d’ about to offer her a table at a trendy restaurant.
“I just gave your size. They must have assumed you were a male escort. Do you want me to order you something less...” She waved a hand over his too-tight outfit.
With a low growl, Azh created a narrow portal, disappearing into what she assumed was his private lair. A few seconds later he was back, wearing a pair of faded jeans and a plain gray sweatshirt.
The clothing did nothing to lessen the impact of his explosive sensuality. This male could be covered in a shroud and he would still be a sex magnet. It was annoyingly unfair, she acknowledged, glancing down at the cutoff jean shorts and scooped tee that emphasized her resemblance to a young boy, not a spicy vixen.
She clicked her tongue. Who cared? She was on the hunt for a toxic green sludge. Comfort was more important than glamour, right? Truthfully, as far as Wynn was concerned, comfort wasalwaysmore important than glamour.
Thankfully unaware of her rambling thoughts, Azh pointed toward the center of the bedroom, creating yet another portal.
“Let’s go,” he commanded.
Wynn arched a brow as she pulled on her magically shielded coat. Better safe than sorry. “Are you going to feed me to your mother? I told you I didn’t pick out those clothes.”
“Tempting, but no,” he assured her. “This is a shortcut to our destination.”
He moved forward, disappearing into a thick fog. Wynn followed behind him, taking less than a dozen steps when a hand reached out to grasp her arm.
“Careful, Wynn, we can’t be sure Axton didn’t warn someone that we were asking questions about the coven.” Azh lowered his head to whisper directly in her ear. “He already admitted he was willing to trade your location to save his own skin.”
Belatedly realizing that they were no longer in the portal, despite the thick fog that continued to swirl around them, Wynn searched through her strands of magic to discover the slender silver thread. Tapping into the power, she grimly ignored the throbbing red strand that had grown thicker and more ominous in the past few days. As if it were trying to consume her.
