by Lacey Savage
When neither came, she risked a glance by slitting one eye open.
Rafael was on his feet. Good. The sooner he left, the sooner she could put all this behind her and get a good night's sleep.
He took a tentative step forward. Then another. Panic rose in Silvana's throat. What was he doing?
Between the lingering aftershocks of her massive orgasm and the terror of shifting in mid-release when she'd expected the magical dildo to protect her, it was impossible for Silvana to gather any control over the beast. Transforming back into human form while her emotions were in such tempestuous turmoil would be impossible.
"You're..."
Hideous. Huge. Revolting. She knew. She didn't need to hear it. Snorting another plume of smoke, she opened her mouth. Maybe scorching him to a pile of ash would make him keep his mouth shut.
"Stunning."
Her teeth snapped together. Stunning? In a good way?
"Told you so,” Paul said.
Silvana started. She'd forgotten he was still in the room.
She swiveled her head in his direction. Damn dragon still maintained his human form.
Rafael came closer yet. He reached out a hand, and with a caress so gentle she wasn't sure he'd touched her at all, he ran the tips of his fingers along her nose.
The moment his hand made contact with her scales, the beast receded. The transformation came swiftly and inexplicably. It left her huddled in her human form with her knees pulled up against her chest, likely looking as bewildered as she felt.
Rafael drew back as if he'd been burned. “I'm sorry. Shit, Sil. I didn't know. I didn't mean to—"
She forced a chuckle past the lump in her throat. “Neither did I. No one else has been able to do that.” She'd used all of her increased dragon strength to toss him as far away from her as she could when the transformation began. He hadn't touched her after the initial ripples of change. She hadn't let him.
God, could transforming back after an unexpected shift really be that simple? And if it was, could they learn to prevent it from happening altogether?
"There, see?” Paul said, grabbing for his jeans. “All's well that ends well.” He dressed quickly and winked at Rafael. “Thanks for the fun."
A deep blush stained Rafael's mocha-colored skin, and Silvana had to stifle a smile.
"Yeah. Uhh ... right back at you."
Paul inclined his head in a farewell gesture and headed for the door. Just before walking out, he turned back to Silvana. “You'll tell your mother—"
"That you were a perfect gentleman and we had a lovely time."
He grinned. “Make sure to let her know I asked you out again."
She quirked an eyebrow. “You did?"
"Well, both of you."
Before either Silvana or Rafael could answer, Paul slipped out into the hallway and pulled the door shut behind him.
For a moment, awkward silence descended around them.
"You really—"
"I think—"
Silvana chuckled. Rafael sat at the edge of the bed and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. The gesture was so tender, it caused her heart to do a quirky little hop inside her chest.
"You first,” he said.
"You really think I'm stunning? In my dragon form, I mean?"
His features turned serious, and he fixed her with one of those intense stares that chased shivers up her spine. “I think you're gorgeous in your human form."
She let out a huff, telling herself she wasn't disappointed. She hadn't really thought he'd be okay with her natural appearance. It was a miracle he liked the plump curves of her human disguise.
"And...” His knuckles grazed her chin. He tilted her head up, forcing her to look into his eyes. “I think you're the most exquisite dragon I've ever seen."
A smile tilted the corners of her mouth. She dropped her chin on top of her folded arms atop her knees and looked up at him. “And how many dragons have you seen?"
"Admittedly, only one. But I'm betting none of the others are nearly as beautiful as you."
She lifted her head. Her body followed, and she sank into his outstretched arms. “You mean it?"
"Every word."
She kissed him, long and deep, before asking, “You're not going to run away in terror?"
"Remember when I said I never wanted to let you go?"
She nodded. God, was that only this morning? It felt like a lifetime had passed between spotting him on the train and this moment.
"I meant that, too."
This time when she leaned into his kiss, she shed all the self-doubt and insecurity surrounding her appearance, letting it all slide away like raindrops on a windowpane.
And when his tongue came into contact with hers, she felt herself fall. Into a swirling chaos of emotion. Into overwhelming happiness.
In love.
Before the achingly familiar need for Rafael overwhelmed her completely, Silvana thought that maybe, just maybe, a certain purple-haired Fairy Godmother knew what she was doing all along.
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That night, Silvana dreamt of Rafael again. There were no humiliating scenarios this time, and no other men making unwanted appearances. Just sweet, luxurious lovemaking with the man of her dreams for hours on end.
She awoke rested, ready to bring the fantasy into full physical existence.
Luckily, Rafael had similar ideas. He, too, could now remember his dreams, and he couldn't wait to see if reality was just as sweet as lust-drenched dreams.
It didn't take either of them long to learn it was much, much sweeter.
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Lacey Savage
Award-winning author Lacey Savage loves to write about her dreams—or more specifically, she loves to breathe life into her steamy fantasies (and she's got plenty!). She pens erotic tales of true love and mythical destiny, peopled with strong alpha heroes and feisty heroines. A hopeless romantic, Lacey loves writing about the intimate, sensual side of relationships. She currently resides in Ottawa, Canada, with her loving husband and their mischievous cat. You can learn more about Lacey by visiting her website at www.laceysavage.com, and can reach her at [email protected].
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