Erin shivered at the hot look on his face as he kissed her again. His hands roamed her body, stroking and delving, seeking out every part of her, and stoking her inner fire until she worried it might completely consume her.

He slid his mouth from her lips, down her body to her breast. Erin hissed in pleasure. His hand gently cupped her breast, holding the peak up so that he could take his time tasting it, rolling it over his tongue as he growled again. She’d never seen a man take such pleasure from simply tasting a woman before.

V’Aidan was heaven. Pure and simple heaven. The perfect, attentive lover. It was as if he could read her mind and know exactly where and how she wanted to be touched.

His erection pressed against her hip as his hand sought out the fire between her legs. Spreading her legs wider for him, Erin trailed her hands over the muscles of his back, muscles that rippled and flexed with every exquisite sensual move he made.

She buried her lips against his throat, tasting the salt of his skin. Chills spread over his body, making her smile that she was giving him pleasure in turn.

Never before in her dreams had she been this at ease with a man. It was the first time she’d made love without worrying if her lover would find fault with her body. If somehow she wasn’t good enough for him.

Her dream lover made her feel special. Made her feel womanly and sexy. Hot. Desirable.

She held her breath as he slid his fingers through her moist curls at the juncture of her thighs, separating the tender folds of her body until he could slide his long, tapered fingers deep inside her. Hot fire stabbed her middle.

Groaning at the exquisiteness of his touch, she ran her hands through his silken hair and held him close.

He stroked and teased her body with his fingers as his mouth worked magic on her breasts. The power of his touch, the feel of those hard, defined muscles pressing down on her…

It was more than she could stand.

Leaning her head back, she cried out as ribbons of ecstasy tore through her. Still he kept giving her pleasure. He didn’t slow down until the last deep shudder had been wrung from her.

Breathless and weak, she wanted to please him the way he had pleased her. She wanted to look into his eyes and watch him climax, too.

Rolling him over onto his back, Erin ran her hand down the perfect tawny muscles of his shoulders, his chest, his abdomen and hips and raked her fingers slowly through the dark curls between his legs. V’Aidan sucked his breath in sharply between his teeth as she trailed her lips over the hard muscles of his chest to his rock-hard abdomen.

And as she laved his tawny flesh, she cupped his hard shaft in her hand. V’Aidan shuddered in her arms. The look of pleasure on his face thrilled her as he slowly rocked himself against her palm.

She sheathed him with her hands, delighting in the velvety feel of him pulsing between her palms. He ran his fingers through her hair. The muscles in his jaw flexed as he gazed into her eyes while she tenderly milked his body.

“I love your hands on me,” he breathed, his voice deep and ragged. “I love the way you smell. The way you feel.”

He took her chin into his hand and stared at her with a look that told her he wanted her even more than the dragon had. It was primitive and hot, and it stole her breath.

In that moment, she knew he was going to take her. Take her in a way she’d never been taken before.

Burying her hands in his hair, she couldn’t wait for it. She wanted him to possess her.

His eyes flashing and wild, he growled before seizing her lips with his. He kissed her so passionately that she came again as he rolled over with her in his arms and pressed her back once more against the cloudlike moss.

He brought his knee up, between her thighs, and spread her legs wide as he placed his body over hers. She shivered in anticipation.

“Yes, V’Aidan,” she breathed, arching her hips in invitation. “Please fill me.”

His eyes feral and possessive, he drove himself into her.

Erin moaned at his hardness inside her. She’d never felt anything better than all his strength and power surrounding her, filling her totally. As he moved against her, she feared she would pass out from the bliss of it.

He touched her in ways no man had ever touched her before. As if he truly treasured her. As if she was the only woman who existed for him.

His moves were untamed as he thrust into her. Slow. Deep. Hard.

She wrapped her legs around his, sliding them up and down to feel his leg hairs caress her.

He dipped his head and captured her breast in his mouth, teasing it mercilessly as he stroked her with his body. She moaned deep in her throat, cupping his head to her.

Then, he leaned back on his legs so that he could stare down at her. Erin swallowed at the sight of him above her as she looked into his eerie silvery-blue eyes. He held her legs in his hands as he continued to drive himself even deeper into her.

His sublime strokes were primitive and hot and tantalizing. And they tore through her, spiking pleasure so intense it went all the way up her back and down to her toes.

V’Aidan licked his lips as he watched her watching him. Erin couldn’t move. His eyes held her paralyzed. All she could do was stare at him. Feel him, deep and hard inside her.

She saw his pleasure mirrored in his eyes, saw him savoring her. And when he looked down to where they were joined, she shivered.

“You are mine, Erin,” he said between clenched teeth, thrusting himself even harder and deeper into her to emphasize the words.

He took her into his arms and cradled her to his chest as if she was unspeakably precious.

Erin clung to him while she felt her pleasure building even higher. In white-hot sparks she came again in his arms. He buried his face into the crook of her neck and cried out as he joined her.

She lay perfectly still while he shuddered around and in her. His breathing heavy, he didn’t move for several minutes.

Pulling back, he looked down at her. “I am with you, akribos,” he whispered. “I will always be with you.”

A strange wave of heaviness came over her. She closed her eyes. Even so, she could still feel and understand what was going on.

V’Aidan draped her over his chest as he lay on his back. She could feel his hands gliding over her while she inhaled the warm, manly scent of his skin.

Even asleep, she felt him near and knew he watched over her, protecting her from the others. And for the first time in weeks, she rested in total peace and comfort.

“Sleep, Erin,” he said quietly. “The Skoti can’t reach you here. I won’t let them.”

Erin smiled in her sleep. But as the darkness came for her again, an odd voice rang out in her head.

Now who poses the greater threat to you, Erin? Krysti’Ana or V’Aidan?

2

Erin came awake slowly to find herself flat on her back, outside her cube. For a second she couldn’t move at all, then her body slowly began to function again.

The first thing she saw was Chrissy’s worried frown.

The second was the two EMTs sitting next to her. Her boss, along with several other co-workers, stood off to one side frowning down at her. John’s face told her the only thought in his mind was how much paperwork he’d have to fill out over this.

“What happened?” Erin asked.

“You passed out,” Chrissy said. “It was like you were frozen or something.”

Erin covered her face with her hands as embarrassment filled her. Just her luck to have the most erotic dream of her life witnessed by half her office.

Oh God, shoot her now!

“How do you feel?” the paramedic on her right asked as he helped her sit up.

“I feel…” Her voice trailed off. She felt incredible, actually. Better than she had ever felt before.

“Ma’am?” the paramedic insisted. “Are you okay?”

Erin nodded, trying desperately to hold on to the image of V’Aidan, but it faded and left her feeling oddly lonely. “I’m fine, really.”

“I don’t know,” Chrissy said. “She’s been acting weird a lot lately. Hasn’t been sleeping. Maybe a short hospital stay where she can sleep – ”

“Chrissy!” Erin snapped. “What are you trying to do?”

“Get you some help. Maybe they have something that can make you sleep through the night.”

“I don’t need to sleep,” she said, amazed at the truth of those words. “I feel completely rested.”

The paramedic looked at Chrissy. “Her vitals are normal. If she says she’s fine, she’s fine.” He handed Erin a release form. “Sign that and you’re on your own, but if I were you, I would go to my doctor just to be safe.”

Chrissy gave her a doubtful look.

“I’m fine, Chrissy,” Erin insisted, signing the release.

Even so, John told her to go home and take the rest of the week off.

Completely embarrassed, Erin didn’t argue as the EMTs left. She merely gathered her things then headed out of the building, to the parking lot.

Chrissy followed her to the car. “Listen, what I was going to say before John went for coffee and you hit the floor is that my boyfriend is a psychologist who specializes in sleep disorders.”

Erin paused at her green Escort. Strange that Chrissy hadn’t mentioned that before, but it explained why she had been so interested in Erin’s dreams since all this started. “Really?”

“Yeah. His name is Rick Sword and I was telling him about you. He says he thinks he can help.” Chrissy handed her a crisp dark gray business card. “I really think you should give him a call.”

Erin studied the card. At the moment, she’d never felt better in her life, but maybe she should give him a call just in case the nightmares returned.

“Thanks,” Erin said, getting into her car. “I just might do that.”

Chrissy stared at her from outside the car and mouthed the words, Call him.

Erin waved to her then headed home, but as she drove through downtown traffic she really didn’t feel like going back to her apartment alone.

In all honesty, she felt rather strange. She could almost sense V’Aidan’s presence. She swore she could still smell the masculine scent of sandalwood that had clung to his skin, sense him in her thoughts.