“Well duh. I thought only Harvey from The Dragon Gang Show could vocalize.”
“Oh Jesus. Don’t ever compare us to that purple fruitcake.”
Her lips twitched. “Hmm, I take it he rates even lower on the dragon respectability scale than Fabio?”
“Fuck yeah.”
She chuckled and approached Jace until she stood directly in front of him. Craning her neck, she scoped his entire length. “You’re beautiful.”
The nostrils topping his dragon snout flared with what she suspected was deep affront. “Beautiful? Baby, I’m a lean, mean, smoke-blowing machine. The proper term for me is fierce. Or Sir Sexy Dragon. Take your pick.”
She bit her lip to keep from cracking up but failed in her efforts.
Jace crossed his arms in front of him, his black claw tips clicking together. “Do I detect a mocking note in your hysterical laughter?”
Attempting to adopt a level of somberness, she shook her head. “Not at all.”
Up close, his scales positively shined. “Wow, you weren’t kidding about the sheen these puppies generate.” She started to reach out and satisfy her curiosity regarding their texture but halted in mid-stretch.
“Go ahead and touch me. I don’t mind.”
“I didn’t want to be rude.” Hesitantly, she ran her fingertips along the plate of scales covering his thigh. “They’re smoother than I thought they’d be.”
“I exfoliate regularly.”
Another chuckle escaped her. “You must spend a small fortune on moisturizers.” Stepping back, she made a twirling motion with her finger. “Let me see the rest of you.”
Sidling sideways, he flicked his tail and the barbed end whomped against the ground. The disturbance kicked up a flurry of dried leaves.
“Very—” She stopped before accidentally uttering the dreaded word. “Handsome.”
Jace planted a talon on his hip. “Are you certain this tail doesn’t make my ass look huge?”
She grinned. “No, and I’m sure your svelte shape is envied by all the other dragons.”
“Sweetness, you really know how to stroke a beast’s ego. Speaking of stroking, feel free to grope any of my body parts that might rise to the occasion.”
If he’d had eyebrows, she was pretty certain they’d be waggling lecherously. Rolling her eyes, she returned to the easel. “Can you manage to behave for the next half hour or so?”
“Probably not.”
“Try.” She picked up the tube of yellow watercolor paint and squeezed a dollop onto the palette before mixing in a touch of burnt umber until the tint resembled the same golden brilliance of Jace’s scales.
For the next twenty minutes she alternated between hysterics and the strong desire to strangle Jace as he did his best job of hamming it up. When he struck a classic Mr. Universe pose and flopped out his gut she tossed down her paintbrush. “Would you stop it?”
“You’re no fun.”
“And you’re impossible.”
The crunch of gravel came from the front of the house and she tensed. Jace held up his talon. “Relax, it’s only Aiden.” He shrugged in response to her questioning look. “I recognize the sound of the Navigator’s engine.”
She gaped at him. “I can’t even hear the engine.”
“My senses are about a thousand times more acute than yours, sweetness.”
“Not that I doubt you, but I’m checking anyway.” She swung toward the side of the house just as Aiden came storming around the corner. Stopping dead still, she blinked at the ferociousness of both Aiden’s expression and his speed.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” He aimed the thunderous question at Jace.
“We’re reenacting a scene from Godzilla. I was about to kick Mothra’s ass.”
Aiden didn’t look amused. If anything, he looked like he was two seconds away from kicking Jace’s ass. “Did it occur to you that someone other than me might have come down the driveway and noticed your Godzilla impression?”
“Dude, take a chill pill. I would have sensed them coming, just like you sensed me in my form. Why the hell do you think we’re in the backyard? I’m not a total moron.”
“That’s debatable.” Gritting his teeth, Aiden shifted his focus to Dana. His features softened marginally—until he noticed the easel parked behind her. “You’re painting him?”
“I wasn’t getting the scales quite right, and there was your brother, the perfect model.” She noticed the tic in Aiden’s jaw and hurried to diffuse the situation. “Please don’t be angry with Jace. It was my idea for him to pose.”
“You weren’t aware of the danger he exposed himself and you to by assuming his Drakoni form in broad daylight in unfamiliar territory. He can’t say the same.” Aiden clenched his fists. “I left you in his care. If anything had happened…”
Jace stomped forward, his tail sweeping in a furious arc. “Are you questioning my ability to protect Dana?”
Fire crackled in Aiden’s eyes. “You’re doing a piss-poor job of protecting her from your own stupidity.”
An outraged roar bellowed from Jace, startling a family of chickadees living in the overgrown juniper shrub near the garage. As the birds darted off in flight, a massive shudder coursed along Dana’s spine. Hearing Jace’s earthshaking roar reminded her that the beast standing before her wasn’t some jovial, tune-crooning dragon from a kid’s program.
Jace must have intuited her apprehension because he instantly morphed into his human form and rushed forward. She wasn’t sure which should have freaked her out more—a dragon charging her, or a nude man.
“Dana, I’m sorry. Christ, I shouldn’t have lost my cool like that.” Jace engulfed her in a comforting hug.
Trying desperately not to think about the impressive cock poking her belly, she patted his biceps reassuringly. Good Lord, was there an inch of him that wasn’t hard? “Um, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not,” Aiden bit out. “It was one more stupid stunt that could have brought unwanted attention straight to your doorstep.”
“I—I don’t think you have to worry. My closest neighbors are the Petersons and they live almost a mile away. They’re both in their eighties, so unless their hearing aids were cranked to the max, I doubt they noticed anything.”
“You better pray they didn’t.”
Obviously the surly mood that’d taken hold of Aiden wasn’t releasing its grip anytime soon. She sighed and started to push away from Jace. His palms coasted over her elbows, keeping her locked within his embrace. She peered up at him and he returned her questioning frown with a wicked smile. His gaze slid sideways for a moment, in Aiden’s direction, before returning to her face. “You know, sweetness, it occurred to me I’m the only one out here in my birthday suit. Not exactly fair, is it?”
She blinked at Jace. What the hell was he up to? Couldn’t he see that Aiden was two steps away from having a conniption fit? Now definitely wasn’t the time to—
A shocked gasp sprang from her when Jace effortlessly whipped her top off. She stared at the fabric bunched in his hand. How did he do that?
Aiden rumbled a growl. Ignoring it, Jace caressed her bare arms, the rough scrape of his calluses making her shiver. He lowered his head until his lips brushed the side of her cheek. “Mr. Grumpy’s problem is he doesn’t know how to stop and smell the roses. Or enjoy the finer things in life.” His thumbs brushed the lace-covered outer swells of her breasts. “And these are definitely fine.”
From the corner of her vision, Dana observed a dark thundercloud of fury streak across Aiden’s face. “I don’t think it’s a good idea provoking him like this.”