“I’ve never been so worried about anyone in my life.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have put you through that.”
He brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “It’s not exactly your fault. It wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t involved with me in the first place.”
“Yeah, well, I’m glad I am. I just don’t understand why Zina wants you so badly.”
He looked surprised and she realized how that must have sounded. Her face heated and a nervous giggle escaped. “I mean… you’re a great guy and everything, but the only thing she said to me was that I was ‘in the way.’ She seemed to have some kind of plan for you.”
Drake hung his head. “She wanted to mate with me. Dragons are only fertile once every five years and the cycle only lasts for a month.”
“Oh.” Bliss didn’t know quite what to say to that. She hadn’t known him a month yet? It seemed at times like they’d known each other for years. And what if they were still together in five years? Did that mean she’d have to worry about Zina coming back?
“Look. You were never ‘in the way’ because I was never going to be with her. If I had just been honest from the beginning and told her I wasn’t interested…”
“I don’t think it would have mattered. She seemed to think you were her property. If she really is a princess as she claimed, maybe she’s used to just telling people what to do and being obeyed.”
“She certainly acted like a spoiled princess,” Drake agreed.
“So, now what happens? Is the month over? Will she just give up and go away when it’s too late?”
Drake shook his head. “I don’t think we’ll have to worry about her anymore.” He ran the back of his fingers over Bliss’s face, tenderly. “I know you were probably told not to tell anyone how you got away, and I won’t say anything, but I figure we should talk about it… just between us.”
“Oh, um, that.” She looked at her lap, not even sure if she knew what happened. “I—I don’t mind telling you, but please don’t laugh.”
“Laugh? Believe me, I won’t laugh.” His voice sounded sure and sincere.
She gazed up into his eyes and took a deep breath. “God helped me. I know it sounds nuts, but I was sitting on the toilet in a disgusting tiny bathroom in a warehouse. No way out. Zina standing guard. I thought I was done for. Suddenly this… guy appeared. He turned around just long enough for me to pull up my panties and then zing… we were somewhere else. It was so bright, I think it was heaven… but maybe not. I heard a woman’s voice, and she sounded angry. Then, zing… we were standing outside in the alley behind the bar.”
“Zing?”
Bliss waved away the word in frustration. “I don’t know what to call it. There wasn’t a noise involved. I was just somewhere and then I wasn’t there anymore. Then I was suddenly somewhere else.”
“And you think God took you to heaven and brought you back?”
“Either that, or he was some kind of angel and the angry woman was God… or a goddess… Oh, I don’t know.” She rose and paced toward the windows. “I knew you’d think I’m crazy.”
He followed her and grabbed her by the arms almost as the mystery man had. “You’re not crazy.” He turned her in his arms and kissed her. “You’re perfectly sane. I don’t know why you’re not losing it after what you’ve been through, but I’m glad you’re not.”
She blinked. “You don’t think I’m crazy?”
“Put it this way, crazy things happen. Maybe denying that is crazy.”
She threw her arms around his neck. “Thank goodness you understand.”
***
Back in her hotel room, Zina paced and muttered to herself, “So that human thinks I’m spoiled? Nothing could be further from the truth. I had a very critical father. Nothing I ever did was good enough for the king of the Amazon. There was no pleasing him. He said he was toughening me up for the world. You know what? Now I just want to punch the world in the face.”
She punched her own palm, then shook it to release the sting.
“Come on, Zina, think. You have three more days to get this Drake guy to sleep with you.” She snorted and a curl of smoke left her nostrils. “Yeah, willingly or not. At first, I thought I only had to show him my charming side, but nooo… that wasn’t good enough.
“Now I not only have to come up with a plan to get him alone, I also have to think of some way to threaten him into cooperating. I thought for sure, holding his woman hostage would get him to do anything. Now I find out she has some kind of magical power that lets her escape through walls. Damn it! I can’t catch a break.”