Only now, it was real. It was all real.
And who cared about dangerous fire dragons if the strange shifter world meant that she could also have this?
All the stress of work fell away at last. For a moment, she was no longer Liana the coder, or Liana the eternally single, nerdy black geek girl.
Now she was Liana the warrior princess. Liana the adventuress, who traveled the world and fought evil from the back of her loyal, powerful ocean dragon.
Timothy snorted and lowered his head into the water. A small fountain of water shot up into the air, droplets raining down on Liana in a sparkling shower.
She laughed, stretching out her hands towards the sky again. As the rain fell down on her, for a heartbeat a rainbow formed above her.
Everything about the outside world had vanished. All of her worries and fears and anxieties were gone.
For the first time in her life, she was feeling completely free. Right now, it felt like the entire world consisted of nothing but the sky, the ocean and the powerful dragon beneath her.
For long minutes, they traveled through the water. Eventually, the deep azure of the ocean turned into a lighter turquoise. In front of them, she could see the water lapping at what looked like a small island of sand.
This had to be the sandbank Timothy had promised her. Had it always been here, or had he used his powers to create it for them?
Doesn’t matter, she thought.
She was still filled with breathless excitement and a sudden, deep affection for this man who’d been trying so hard to make her feel comfortable in his world.
What mattered was that she knew that Timothy would create islands for her at the drop of a hat if she asked it of him.
But right now, island or not, she knew that there was only one thing in the world she wanted.
Timothy.
She wanted Timothy, her powerful ocean dragon, who’d been looking at her with such heat in his eyes—and who, unlike her previous boyfriends, had not once tried to make her do something she wasn’t comfortable with.
Timothy shifted back as soon as they reached the sandbank. The sun glistened on his skin, and Liana felt her throat go dry as she watched drops of water run down the flexing muscles of his chest.
He really looked like an ancient god who’d risen from the sea—overwhelmingly strong and handsome, like a painting or a statue in a museum.
But Timothy wasn’t made of marble. He was one hundred percent real, sexy virility. And when their eyes met, Liana felt the spark between them ignite once more, her heart beating faster as she remembered the sensation of his hands on her body.
She wanted him. She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anything, and she wasn’t afraid anymore.
Timothy was the right guy. The one she’d been waiting for, the one she’d thought she’d never meet.
She took a step towards him.
The heat in his eyes flared up immediately. Once more they shone with the blue of sapphires, gorgeous and mysterious. Then he drew her into his arms, and she gasped at how hot his skin was.
Timothy’s mouth covered hers. She clutched at his shoulders as he kissed her until she forgot how to breathe, her heart hammering in her chest as her need grew to a level she’d never experienced before.
His arms surrounded her, holding her close to him. She could feel his muscles flexing against her skin—and she could also feel how hard he was, his erection large and hot against her thigh.
He was still wearing his shorts. And she was still wearing her bikini.
Heat rose to her face, but she reached back and unfastened her bikini.
She could feel Timothy draw in a sudden breath—and then his hands trailed over her back while he kept kissing her.
When his hands came forward to gently, tenderly cup her breasts, she found herself moaning. Her nipples ached. His thumbs sought them out unerringly, gently stroking and circling until she felt as if she was melting with longing, her entire body filled with heat.
Her clit was throbbing, her belly twisting and turning, yearning for him—yearning for more.