“You tell me to kiss you and you insult me. Romantic.” He brought his hands up, slid his fingers into her hair, all while he gazed down into her face.

“This could be a very bad idea, you know?”

“You worry too much.”

“I’m king. I was born to worry.” Gaius tilted her head back, his eyes locked on her mouth. “But, as king, I can also worry later.”

Kachka slipped her hands around his waist, pulled him close. “That is good, dragon. That is very good.”

Gaius kissed Kachka’s smiling mouth, easing his tongue past her lips and taking his time tasting her.

He had no desire to rush this. He wanted to savor. Something told him this would be the only chance he ever had with her, so he wouldn’t waste it by rushing. Instead, he took his time and just kissed her.

Kachka’s hands tightened around his waist, pulling him against her before sliding under his shirt, easing across his back. She traced scars she found there with the tips of her fingers, and the simple action drove him nearly mad.

He released her long enough so that Kachka could pull his shirt off. She tossed it aside and then removed her own. Once she’d dropped it, she was back in his arms, kissing his neck, her hands moving over his shoulders.

At that point, they sort of dragged each other to the ground. Somehow, as they rolled across the grass, leggings were pulled off and boots went flying. Gaius lowered his head and wrapped his mouth around a nipple, his tongue teasing the tip, Kachka’s back arching. He moved to the other breast, and slid his hand between her thighs. As he eased two of his fingers inside her, Kachka tightened her legs around his waist and flipped him onto his back.

Shocked, he stared up at her. “Gods, you’re strong.”

“I know.” She moved until she straddled his waist. Gripping his now hard cock, she pressed it against her pussy and slid down onto it until she completely enveloped him.

She placed her hands against his chest and without moving her hips, tightened her muscles around his cock.

“Wait, wait,” Gaius gasped out, gripping Kachka around the waist.

“Too much?” she asked, deservedly looking smug.

“No, no,” he panted out. “Too perfect.”

She chuckled and pressed her chest against his, her tongue easing across the muscles of his neck while her pussy squeezed and released his cock, over and over again.

Gaius’s eyes crossed and his toes curled.

It had to be all the gods-damn horse riding. Either that or the gods had blessed her pussy, because he didn’t think he’d ever felt something so strong and yet so absolutely wonderful.

She teased his nipples while she continued to squeeze his cock.

And the little viper knew exactly what she was doing. Torturing him! Keeping him under her control!

Gaius couldn’t even think straight. He couldn’t do anything but let her keep going, praying that she didn’t stop.

She didn’t.

She squeezed his cock until he came, hard, his arms wrapped tight around her and holding her against him until she’d wrung him dry.

The big arms wrapped tight around her finally loosened and dropped to the ground. He panted beneath her, eyes closed, sweat on his brow even though it was a very cool evening by Southlander standards.

Kachka placed her elbow on his chest and rested her chin in the palm of her hand.

“Poor dragon,” she said, smirking down at him.

“Huh?”

“You sleep while I wait here.”

“I’m not sleeping. Just getting my breath back.”

Kachka tapped the fingers of her free hand against his stomach. She was teasing him, but only because it was Gaius. She had patience. She could wait until he was ready again.

“You’re a smart ass,” he said, his lips curled into a smile.

“I said nothing. I am just waiting.”

His eyes opened and he stared at her.

“What?” she finally asked.

But he didn’t answer. Not with words anyway. Instead, he quickly pulled out of her, and flipped her around until she was on her knees and he was behind her.

She was about to ask what he thought he was doing, but her words were cut off when he was suddenly inside her once more.

He was hard again. Already!

She’d never had a man come that hard for her and then be ready to go again that quickly. But then she remembered Gaius Domitus was not a man. He was dragon. And now the sounds from her sister’s room late at night made sense. Actually . . . the sounds from all the females in that blasted castle late at night suddenly made complete sense.

Gripping her hips tight, Gaius powered into her with as much vigor as if this were their first time. It was so hard and fast and delicious that all Kachka could do was plant her hands hard in the ground and take it. Something she was not used to doing. But he wasn’t giving her much of a chance to take back control.

Then he slid one hand down around her waist and between her thighs. His fingers gripped her clit and began to squeeze and toy with it.

That felt so damn good, her arms gave out, and she was resting on her elbows, her forehead pressed against the backs of her hands while Gaius stroked her clit again and again. Then he circled it. Then he squeezed the gods-damn thing and that’s when everything exploded around her.

She heard herself scream out into the night, surprising herself more than the birds in the trees.

Then, to either her dismay or her sheer happiness, he didn’t stop. He’d already come once, so apparently he was ready to keep going. And he did, taking Kachka over the edge two more times before he pulled out of her and placed her on her back.

Gaius entered her again, going slow now, staring down into her face until he kissed her.

His kisses, like his fucking now, were slow and sweet, taking his time with both while his fingers played with her nipples or stroked her hair or simply touched her bare skin.

When he finally came this time, she came with him. They gripped each other, groaning and panting into each other’s mouth, their hips grinding against the other until they were both so spent that they were too weak to push their partner away.

Kachka couldn’t even get up and leave, something she would normally do since they were outside. If they had been in her room, she would have thrown him out. But he’d worn her down and she could do nothing but fall asleep in his arms.

The dragon bastard!

Gaius woke up when he felt something balanced on his nose.

It was a loaf of bread.

“What’s happening?” he asked the naked woman who was sitting there, watching him silently.

“Thought you might be hungry.”

“I’m a dragon. I’m always hungry.”

He took the loaf of bread off his face and sat up, his back pressed against the tree they’d happily fucked under.

Gauis tore the bread and handed one half to Kachka. They ate in silence at first until Gaius asked, “Why have you never chosen a husband, Kachka Shestakova?”

She smirked at him. “In love with me already, Rebel King?”

“We both know you’d be lucky if I were. I am a king and,” he teased, “pretty damn benevolent.”

Kachka laughed. “So you say. In answer to your question, I chose no husband because husband and children would lock me into life in Outerplains. I always felt I was . . . destined for more.”