“There are other ways to cool off,” Marco said slyly. “Shedding clothes is always my favorite.”
I shot him a mock glower. He grinned back, looking more like his usual self. At least that part of my plan was working.
“Actually,” he said with a tug of my hand, “I think I have just the thing to convince you...”
We ducked through a passage formed by an arching bush and came out on the edge of a manufactured pond. Water burbled into it from a spout at one end. The walls and base were painted brown to look like soil and the vegetation grew right up to the edges, but the water was crystal clear. And it looked delightfully inviting.
“Hmm,” I said. “You make a compelling case.”
“I’m going in even if you’re not,” Marco replied, still grinning. He stripped off his shirt in a single movement and undid his pants. Damn. The casual air with which shifter guys got naked was starting to seem normal to me, but it was still fucking hot. In the best possible way.
And I was still hot, in a not-so-great way, standing here in my clothes. It wasn’t as if Marco hadn’t seen me naked a dozen times already.
I yanked off the cotton dress I’d managed to find among the fancier offerings in my wardrobes. Marco made an approving sound and leapt into the pool. A little of the spray dappled my skin as I wriggled out of my panties. The droplets felt so beautifully cool that I didn’t stop to test the water. I just plunged right in after him.
The pond was deep enough that my head went under before my feet touched the bottom. I pushed myself back to the surface, reveling in the rush of the water against my skin. I’d never actually gone skinny-dipping before. Now I was thinking I’d need to make a habit of it.
I flipped my wet hair back from my face. Marco beamed at me, his own hair shining like black ink.
“There are ledges along the banks,” he said. “If you get tired of treading water.”
“I think my legs can handle a little treading.”
“Hmm. Just be careful of the eels.”
“What?” I jerked up, peering into the water below me.
Marco cracked up. “I’m teasing, Princess. I solemnly swear the entire estate is eel free.”
“You...” I couldn’t find the words to express what I thought of that joke, but that was fine. I had a whole pool of water to work with. I aimed a splash right at his face.
Marco’s eyes gleamed. “Are you sure you want to go there? Don’t start a battle you’re not prepared to lose.”
“Big talk from a wet cat,” I retorted, and splashed him again for good measure.
He wiped his face with a playful growl. “You asked for it.”
Instead of splashing me back, he sprang at me. I squealed and dove out of the way. I managed to get in one more splash before he caught me by the waist. With his other arm, he scooped up a heap of water and dropped it right over me.
I shook my head, sputtering a laugh, and squirmed out of his grasp. The kick of my legs sent a good spray back at him. Then Marco snatched my ankle. “Hey!” I protested as he reeled me in.
“Look what I caught,” he teased. “A rare dragon fish.”
In a stunning show of maturity, I stuck my tongue out at him and kicked up another wave with my other leg. Marco tugged my ankle past him, surging forward at the same moment to grab my wrists. He pinned them gently against the side of the pool. “That’s enough of that.”
My feet came to rest on one of those ledges he’d mentioned. “You’re no fun,” I told him.
“Oh,” he said, his voice dipping lower as he eased closer, “you have no idea how much fun I can be.”
I snapped into sudden awareness of the rest of his body, just inches from mine in the water. His very naked body. My very naked body ached with the longing for him to cross those last few inches. I held his gaze, warmed by the heat in his indigo eyes.
“I don’t know,” I said, my own voice dropping. “I think I’ve gotten a pretty good idea. But you’re always welcome to give me another demonstration.”
“A very tempting invitation,” he murmured.
He bent his head, and I tipped mine to meet his kiss. His mouth was slick and hot, demanding enough to send a tremor of desire through me. I wanted to touch him, to run my hands over that sleekly muscled body and pull it against mine, but he held himself away from me and kept my wrists locked in place. All I could focus on was the kiss.
His tongue slid into my mouth, and mine rose to tangle with it. A needy whimper crept up my throat as the kiss deepened. I was drowning in it, in the faintly spicy taste of him, in the craving for more.
Marco released my mouth to trail his lips down my neck. My eyelids fluttered open. My gaze caught on a stark red mark that ran from behind his ear down the base of his scalp. I winced, my heart stuttering with an emotion that had nothing to do with arousal.
Marco pulled back. “What’s the matter?” he asked, his eyes concerned. His grip on my wrists loosened.
I drew back one of my hands to touch the side of his neck. My thumb traced over the fresh scar. “I didn’t realize Julius got you here.” So close to his throat.
“It doesn’t really matter, does it?” Marco said lightly. “I’m the one who got him in the end.”
“I know.” But the fear I’d felt during their fight echoed through me. “I hated watching the two of you,” I said in a small voice. “Every time he hurt you, I felt it too. You have no idea how much I wanted to leap in there and go dragon ballistic on his ass.”
I finished that sentence with a growl. Marco smiled. “That would have been a sight to see. Maybe you’ll still get a chance, the way things are going.”
I didn’t want to think about that—about the rogues and the threat still looming over us. That huge problem would be right there waiting for us when we left the greenhouse. For now…
Lowering my head, I pressed my lips against the scar. Marco’s breath hitched. His heart thumped under my hand where it rested against his chest. I kissed every inch of the ruddy line that had been just a hair’s breadth from a fatal wound.
A light that was almost wild shimmered in Marco’s eyes when I drew back. He leaned in, close enough that his nose brushed mine. His voice came out slow and almost choked.
“I meant what I said before. About wanting you more than I want to be alpha. When I was facing him, that was all I thought about. Beating him so I could stay your mate. Being able to kiss you again. Being able to laugh with you again.” He paused, pulling back again so he could meet my gaze. “My Princess of Flames. My Serenity. My dragon shifter. No matter what else happens, there’s never going to be anyone else for me. I love you, Ren.”