Kalos grins slyly, raising his hands in invitation. I want to roll my eyes at his showiness, the power of his presence, or the demand that I be the one to undress him like a devotee to a god, but I don’t, because I am a devotee. My fingers itch to slide over each plane of warm skin, but I curtail myself to unbuttoning his dress shirt.
My eyes devour all that I reveal. My hands tremble with inappropriate nerves with every scale that catches the light as his skin grays and darkens the lower I get. I slide the shirt from his shoulders, and Kalos throws it to the side, uncaring that the garment probably cost more than my apartment rent.
I’ve never done this, remove real clothing from him. We’re usually in robes by the time we start this type of play, and the increase in work to get him bare is unexpectedly erotic. I shift my weight back and forth by the time I get to unbuckling his belt. The urge for him burns, but we’ve already started this song and dance. He won’t just satisfy me how I need tonight.
He'll take me how he wants to.
One of his hard cocks brushes my knuckles as I unzip his pants. Kalos grabs my hands then, bringing them both up to his mouth to kiss each palm. “You feel too good against me. Allow me to finish undressing so we can soak.”
I almost whimper at the delay. Kalos asked to allow him to romance me, but he’s far too skilled. His eyes gleam as if he knows that.
“You said you wanted me tonight. I want to give you that, but it will require you playing my game, my queen.”
A game of deprivation. My body heats, and we haven’t even gone into the hot water yet.
“Okay,” I nod. “I want all of you.”
And I do. I want the dark fucking on his desk, the way he rubs comforting circles on my back, and his sleepy smiles in the morning. I want all aspects of this man. The dragon who makes his eyes glow and the part of his soul that aches for his past losses included.
His smile is slow, and he makes quick work of his pants and underclothes before taking my hand and leading me down the steps into the water. I pull my gaze away from his body. His strong thighs are a familiar sight, but if I let myself watch the fluid way he moves, I’ll combust. That’s not even mentioning the stiff cocks on display.
He’s a buffet that I must wait to savor.
The hot water distracts me from my lust as it laps against my skin, melting the tension in my body. The water is a perfect temperature… and stays that way. Our baby girl doesn’t suck the heat away. Even with how Kalos keeps her fed on heat, there has been more than one bath cut short from the water cooling too quickly.
I ease into the water with a delighted sigh.
Kalos looks around like he can read the magic rather than just feel it all around. “They have many spells here.”
“Have you been here before?” I ask and regret it immediately. This is a sex bathhouse. I don’t want to know if he’s been here before.
Kalos shakes his head. “No, but Gage said this place would fit my tastes and he’s right.”
My lips twitch at that. Kalos likes beauty and luxury. Most of the time I feel rather scrappy around him, but not tonight. Not when he looks at me like I’m precious.
Things have shifted between us since Kalos took me to his bed. There’s an openness between us.
Kalos sinks his body near mine, the water now coming up to our necks. He sits on one of the stone benches and pulls me onto his lap.
If this were a regular first date, I’d play a little harder to get, but I’m terrible at playing coy, especially for him. My smile refuses to be hidden. I lean back against his body.
I moan when he starts to massage the muscles of my lower back. Kalos’s laugh is soft, but he doesn’t tease me about my reaction. He continues to find each tight muscle that no amount of stretching can ease and coaxes them to loosen.
I’m practically a puddle by the time he opens his mouth again. “Do you feel the need to run?”
I hum and frown in question, but his claw taps on my portal charm.
I take a moment before answering.
“I like to be prepared,” I say. “I believe in your ability to keep me safe, but that doesn’t mean I want to be defenseless. Running and hiding is a flexible and dependable exit plan.” I bring my hands to my belly. “I don’t want to be caught in a bad situation.”
Kalos doesn’t respond at first, and I pull away to see his face. His expression is considering. “There are caverns below the house. If you need to hide for any reason. Those would be a good place to go. It’s the stronghold of my territory.”
“Okay,” I say. “You’ll have to show them to me so I can have them in my mental map for the portal.”
Kalos nods, and my shoulders relax. I wasn’t going to give up the amulet, and I wouldn’t think he’d ask me to. The primal, legendary creature inside him though, he can be a little illogical. Like mate bonding with a thief.
And on the topic of caverns… “Are you ever going to show me your all dragon form?”
Kalos tilts his head playfully. “Are you so eager to see a modern-day monster in the flesh?”
I huff. “Not a monster.”
He raises his brows. “At this moment, he’d resemble one.” He pauses before answering my questioning look. “It’s been a long time since I’ve stretched my wings and shifted. It’s not an issue yet since my dragon wants to be near you more than anything else, but I don’t think it would be a good idea to have you around when I next shift.”
Kalos rubs a hand over his chest. “Since we aren’t acting as one, I don’t know how he’ll be. He could steal you away and put you in a tower to keep you for all I know.”
His eyes crinkle in a tease, but concern is there too.
My shoulders drop in disappointment. “Oh, okay.”
I’m not going to argue with safety. Once the baby is born though, I want to see a real live dragon. It doesn’t mean I can’t tease him about it.
“He’s probably more like a Komodo dragon than what I have in my head anyway,” I say.
My lips twitch at Kalos’s quick frown, but he’s smug again in the next instant.
“Keep saying things like that, and there’s no telling what my dragon will do once you’re in his sights.”
Goose bumps break out over my skin, even under the water, at the flash of thrill and fear. I grin.
Kalos’s eyes narrow. “You’re not easily frightened away.”
I think about that. “That’s not it. Part of me enjoys the thrill of it.”
“I’m sure your days have been filled with thrills. Have you been bored with me?” Kalos teases.
I shrug, wanting to be honest with myself as much as with him. I lean back against his chest before answering. “A little. But I was before you too. The restoration work hasn’t been thrilling. I think I lied to myself about what life is supposed to be like and tried to fit into that. Maybe that’s the real reason I took the job to rob you.”
I end with my voice soft. Shame mixes with annoyance at myself.
Instead of being curt, Kalos’s next words are gentle.
“You spent years living on the edge. It’s not a surprise that part of you enjoys it.”
“The worst part.”
“The part that brought you to me and probably what calls to your friend Stella. As much as you ground her in general, chaos calls to like.”