“Izzy?”

“That’s just ridiculous,” he growled.

She glanced at him over her shoulder. “It could have been worse. I could have said Gwenvael.”

“And forced me to kill my own brother.”

* * *

She was safe. She was home. She had her daughter. And she had the most arrogant dragon in the universe. She had her Briec.

Gods, is that happiness I feel? No, no. Best not to question it. That would only bring disaster.

“And what exactly are you wearing?” Briec demanded.

“A nightdress. You can’t expect me to traipse around naked with my daughter now can you?”

“Of course not. But she’s gone to her room to sleep.”

Lifting herself up so that Briec could remove her nightdress without ripping it, which she knew he would do, she frowned. “How do you know that?”

“Because she came to tell me she was going to bed—her own bed—to sleep for many hours.”

Talaith covered her face with her hands. “Why does that girl insist on embarrassing me?”

“She wasn’t trying to.” Briec threw the nightdress across the floor, dangerously close to the pitfire. He pulled the silver chain he had around his neck off and returned it to her. Making sure that once it was on, the pendant fell right between her br**sts and against her heart. “She wants you to be happy, Talaith. And she knows I’m the only one who can do that for you.” He pushed her back on the bed.

“Tell me, Lord Dragon, does your arrogance ever take a holiday?”

“No. Does your mouth?”

He stared down at her now naked body and purred. No, she’d never get tired of that particular reaction from him. “Much better. I don’t like you in those things.”

Briec’s violet eyes focused on her face. “When we share a bed, which will be forever, you will not wear anything like that.”

“Well, I happen to like ‘that’ and I will wear it whenever and wherever I…would you get your hand out of there while I’m yelling at you.”

“No. Now put your hands over your head. I think I’ll tie you to the bed.”

“No, I will not put my hands above my head. And don’t think for a second I intend to let what you did to me, go.”

“I have done nothing to you…” he raised an eyebrow, “…yet.”

“Oh? What about this…this thing?” She waved at her back. She and Izzy had spent an hour positioning mirrors so she could get a good look at the mark Briec branded her with. The body of a dragon, outlined in black, stretched from her right shoulder and across her back, its tail snaking seductively around her hip, the tip pointing right at her sex—which she looked at discreetly while Izzy went to get food and water. Once she got over the initial shock of seeing her body marked in such loving detail, she had to finally admit to Izzy, “It’s awfully nice, eh? Bastard did a nice job.”

Not that she’d ever tell him that. Honestly, his enormous ego took up more than enough room in their bed.

He shrugged at her question. “I’ve Claimed you.”

“And?”

“And what?”

She pushed his shoulder. “You never asked me.”

“I had other things on my mind at the time, if you remember correctly, woman. Besides,” he leered at her, “would you have said no?”

What a cocky little… “I might have.”

He snorted and lounged back against the headboard. “Try again.”

“You obnoxious, son of a—”

“I grow tired of this. Come…” he motioned to his lap and steadily growing erection, “…ride me.”

“No.” She sat up on her knees, facing him. “We’re not done.”

The sigh was loud and filled the room. “What is there to discuss?”

“You made the choice for me.” He opened his mouth to speak and she held her hand up to silence him. “I know it was out of your control at the time, but I want to make sure we get this clear now. If I stay with you—”

“If?”

She ignored his roar of disbelief. “If I stay with you, that will not happen again. No one makes decisions for me anymore, but me. We can discuss and work together as a team, but I will accept nothing less. If that is a problem for you, Briec the Arrogant, then we best find that out now.”

She waited for his answer, but he stared up at the ceiling.

“Well?” she pushed.

He looked at her. “Oh, were you speaking?”

“Briec!” She punched his shoulder.

Laughing he grabbed her around the waist, forcing her onto her back. He brought his body over hers, pinning her with his weight while gazing down into her face. “Do you really think I want some docile, brainless weakling for a mate? I’ll leave those for the human males.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want you regretting this three, four hundred years from now.”

He scowled and she knew two moons ago she would have run screaming from that look. Now, however, she felt nothing but lust. “Are you going to argue everything with me?” he snarled.

“Yes,” she snarled back.

“Forever?”

“Yes.”

Briec’s scowl gave way to a soft smile. “Promise?”

Talaith reached up, her hand brushing against his jaw. “Yes, Briec. I promise that I’ll spend the rest of my life arguing every point with you, regarding every issue, every moment until the end of our days.”