Outside, birds chirped. I could hear the rolling ocean underneath their melodies.
I would have given anything to freeze the morning at this exact frame—to press my hands against time itself and refuse its forward pull.
To remain caught in the Dragon’s heated hold before the fire reached us both.
To keep us here, suspended in this fragile pocket where the world paused and there was no oncoming battle in a deadly war.
But even as the desire formed, the seconds were already slipping away. Moments like this didn’t last. Maybe, they were never meant to, so that we could savor this sensation when it came. Truly appreciate it.
I can’t wake up any other way. . .anymore. I would die if I lost this.
The thought arrived without warning and lodged itself behind my ribs, pushing at my heart.
Relax. You’re not going to lose him. Not today. Not tomorrow. He will win this war.
I shivered and let out a long sigh.
His hand twitched in his sleep. The fingers at my waist flexed once and curled tighter.
Did you hear me in your dream? Are you on guard?
Smiling, I opened my eyes and slowly turned around.
His arms loosened a little to allow the movement. Once my head lay against his chest, those arms tightened around me again. A low murmur rumbled in his throat.
Deep.
Possessive.
The sound of a dragon settling back into his nest of gold.
I closed my eyes and sank deeper into his warmth.
I’m still changing.
It was an odd thought to have, yet it hit me just like that.
Inside the curve of him, my mind, heart, and soul were softening into a new shape.
I could feel it in my bones. In the way my body felt heavier and stronger at the same time. In the way my skin buzzed with more energy. In the way my pussy still ached from last night.
His strength was making me stronger. His love was making me bigger.
I was becoming something more than I had ever been, and it was terrifying and exciting all at once.
Kenji shifted with a slow expansion of his chest, much like a man surfacing from deep water. The muscles on his arms flexed around me and then settled heavier.
A soft groan left him.
I looked up at him.
His eyes remained closed.
Then his cock stirred against me.
Mmm. Good morning, Dragon.
I bit my lip and kept still. I wanted to feel every inch of him surface. The way his breath deepened. The way one of his thighs slid further between mine, parting me just slightly. The way his hand at my hip dragged downward in a slow, possessive sweep before settling against the curve of my ass and resting there like it had never belonged anywhere else.
