"Please," she gasped as the waves of pleasure subsided. Her pussy ached to be filled. She fumbled with the buttons of his jeans, shoving them down over his hips. "Please, now."

Dai groaned, his mouth open and hot on her breast as her hand closed around his thick, hard shaft. "My Virginia." His voice was a deep growl, shaking with his need and desire. "Mine."

He slid his hands underneath her, cupping her ass. His powerful arms flexed as he lifted her, seemingly without effort, and threw her back onto the bed. He jerked off his jeans and boxers. Virginia had only a brief, glorious glimpse of his full naked body before he was on her, his mouth hungrily finding hers as his cock pressed between her legs. She spread willingly for him, thrusting her hips upward.

The broad head of his cock pushed tantalizingly against her opening—and then stopped. Virginia made a wordless sound of protest, but Dai drew back a little. His chest heaved with barely-restrained need as he raised himself up on his arms above her.

"Condoms," he gasped, glancing toward the door.

She couldn't bear the thought of delaying for even a second. "I've got an IUD." She shifted her hips, rubbing her swollen clit against his thick cock as she spoke. "I'll trust you if you'll trust me."

With a groan, Dai seized her hips, thrusting deep into her. Virginia cried out in ecstasy as his rock-hard cock slid into her slick pussy. She raked her nails down his back, wordlessly urging him to pound her faster, deeper. Dai threw his head back, jaw clenched. She could feel him struggling to contain his own climax as his thick cock caressed her most sensitive inner area over and over, again and again, until she clenched tight around him. Virginia's wordless cry as she came was echoed by Dai's own; his fingers dug into her hips, pulling her hard against his thrusting hips as he finally spent.

They both collapsed back on the bed, still joined. Despite Dai's weight on top of her, Virginia felt as light and weightless as ash on the wind, utterly consumed by pleasure.

After a moment, Dai let out a long sigh. "I never want to move." Nonetheless, he rolled, sliding out of her. He spooned her against his chest, curling around her protectively. "But my shoulder's seizing up. Sorry."

"I'll forgive you," Virginia said, without opening her eyes. "Just this once."

He smelled of clean sweat and wood smoke, the heat of his body against her back as comforting as a log fire in the depths of winter. Something snagged at her slowing mind.

"Hey," she mumbled drowsily. "What was it you wanted to tell me?"

If he answered, Virginia didn't hear. She fell into a deep, contented sleep, and didn't dream of dragons.

Chapter Six

When Dai had been a young kid still getting to grips with his dragon, he'd been expressly forbidden to practice fire-breathing. Naturally, this had meant he'd regularly snuck out of the house when his parents were asleep to do so. Whenever his experiments had gone terribly wrong—as they had more often than not—he'd always tried to preemptively put his parents in a good mood by bringing them breakfast in bed the following morning. The bigger the field he'd accidentally torched, the more lavish the breakfast he'd prepare. His mother claimed that to this day, the sight of a plate of bacon and eggs brought her out in a cold sweat of dread.

Dai was currently wishing that Virginia owned a bigger frying pan.

He cursed himself as he flipped the bacon. All his good intentions, all his practiced control—it had all gone up in smoke when she'd touched him.

Yes, his inner dragon agreed happily.

In contrast to Dai's grim mood, his dragon sprawled in luxurious contentment, as smug as a cat in a sunbeam. As far as the dragon was concerned, the only thing that was wrong was that he was out here instead of still in his mate's bed. Even now he could be awakening her with kisses, running his hands over the lush curves of her hips—

Dai shook his head, forcibly thrusting the alluring daydream out of his mind. The dragon was a creature of instinct, unable to think beyond seizing what it wanted, but his human half was not so fortunate. He felt like a little kid again, waking up to the consequences of his nighttime transgressions in the cold, harsh light of day.

I should have stopped. I should have told her what I am. She wouldn't have wanted me if she'd known. I betrayed her trust. I betrayed her.

Dai sighed, steeling himself for what he knew he had to do. I have to tell her. Straight away, as soon as she wakes up. No matter what the consequences.

He stared down at the frying pan. Maybe I should make some pancakes too.

He could tell the instant Victoria awoke by the way his inner dragon was suddenly on full alert, straining eagerly like a dog on a short leash. He heard the bed creak as she stretched, then the sound of her bare feet on the floorboards. He didn't look round, delaying the inevitable moment by as long as possible.

Victoria's hands slipped around his hips, rucking up his T-shirt. All of his stomach-churning dread melted away at the simple warmth of her skin against his.

"I had this crazy dream that I was rescued from a dragon by a hot firefighter who's amazing in bed." Despite her bold words, her touch was a little hesitant, as if she doubted her welcome. "And now it turns out he can cook, to

o. I hope I never wake up."

"Good morning," Dai said, turning around in her embrace to catch her in his own arms.

With a tiny sigh of relief, Virginia melted against him. For a moment, all he could think about was how right she felt, how perfectly their bodies fit together.

Then his guilt reared up again. I'm not worthy to hold her. I shouldn't even touch her.


Tags: Zoe Chant Fire & Rescue Shifters Fantasy