Lorna listened to Ross’s heartbeat. The steady rhythm, combined with his strong arms around her, was slowly lulling her asleep.
Her dragon spoke up. Not yet. We only had one orgasm. I want more.
Hush, dragon. We have the rest of our lives to do that. Right now, however, I want to lie here with Ross’s arms around us. It’s been too long since I had this kind of closeness.
She half expected her beast to say it was Lorna’s fault, but she merely settled down at the back of her mind and remained silent.
As Lorna struggled to keep her eyes open, Ross’s voice caught her attention. “Do you think the clan will accept us?”
Lifting her head a fraction, she looked up at her human. “Of course they will.”
“You sound so confident, love.”
“Ross, I’m not a naïve young female who thinks everyone will toss rose petals and wish us luck. But most of the clan looks to me for advice. If I approve of you, they will, too.”
“I suppose since even Fraser came around, I shouldn’t worry too much.”
She smiled. “I wouldn’t hold my breath on that truce being permanent. Fraser will always be protective of me, as are all of my children. Holly is probably the same.”
“Aye, she is. She might be more levelheaded than Fraser, but she’s brave. When she was a child, she always stood up to those who bullied the weaker in her classes. She didn’t care if it alienated her from the popular students; she wanted to do what was right.”
Lorna laid her head on Ross’s chest again. “Hearing that, it’s only logical she would join the sacrifice program to save you.”
“Aye, although I still worry about her. In some ways, I’m glad she has Fraser. He’ll protect her from her greatest enemy—her big heart and determination to save everyone.” He stroked her back. “Just like I’m going to have to do the same with you, Lorna.”
She wouldn’t try to deny it. “Good, because I don’t have as much energy as I once did and helping anyone who asks for it is a bit tiring.”
Ross chuckled. “I may need to implement an appointment system where you’re only available a certain amount of hours a week.”
“I’m not so sure about that. I have five more grandchildren coming, and I’m going to spoil all of them as much as I like.”
“Okay, we’ll put in exceptions for grandkids. But for everyone else, maybe only five or eight hours a week? You’re sixty, after all.”
Lorna snorted. “Make me sound ancient while you’re at it.”
He rubbed her back in long strokes, and Lorna’s dragon hummed inside her mind. “Ninety might be ancient. Sixty is more like you’re discovering yourself all over again. We just need to get Faye out of the house, first, though. Just in case rediscovering yourself involves naked dancing.”
She tickled his side, and Ross laughed. When she finally stilled her fingers, she moved to straddle his legs with her own. Bracing herself on his chest with her hands, Lorna said, “If I’m naked, then I’m not going to be dancing. Well, unless it’s between the sheets.”
Ross groaned. “Did you really just say that?”
Lorna grin. “Aye. It looks as if your corniness is rubbing off on me.”
“What did you say? All I heard was ‘rubbing’ and wondered why you weren’t doing it.”
Lightly smacking his chest, she wiggled her hips to torture her human. Ross drew in a breath, and she did it again. “I wasn’t sure if it was your nap time or not. You seemed fairly adamant about slowing down.”
Ross placed his hands on her hips possessively. “That might have been true earlier, but you must have some special dragon-shifter recharging abilities because I might just break our record to date. Three orgasms in a row should do it.” He lowered his voice and huskiness sent shivers down her spine. “And one of them will come from my tongue.”
As she stared into Ross’s brown eyes, all she saw was love, heat, and a dash of playfulness. Even if Ross were eighty, she imagined he’d never stop looking at her like that.
Her dragon spoke up. Of course not. Our heated looks will drive him mad for the rest of his days.
Lorna didn’t disagree with her beast.
Brushing a hand through his gray chest hair, she murmured, “I love you, cockiness and all.”
“It’s not cockiness if it’s the truth.” She shook her head, but Ross spoke again before she could. “And you’d better get used to it, Lorna MacKenzie, because I love you and am never letting you go.”