Constantine’s lips twisted into a wry smile. “I don’t know why he would. He never has. Bee, you must understand, he mated with my mother, a mortal woman, but when he realized that he would never be given a sept, he destroyed everything he could—he tried to kill me, but my mother sacrificed her life to save me. She convinced the wyvern of the black dragons to take me in, and make me a member in order to protect me from Kashi’s wrath.”

“But how did you—”

“No.” Constantine interrupted me by standing up, taking a few paces, and turning back to face me. “No more questions about that time. What is past is past. What we must focus on is how to stop him without destroying more innocent lives. I told you the truth so you would understand why I wanted nothing to do with Bael, but that point is no longer valid.” His eyes narrowed, and even sitting across the room, I could feel his fire blossom into life. “You said the green dragons were searching for him?”

“Yes.” I summarized my meeting with Aisling, musing to myself that Constantine had depths I’d never guessed at. What seemed like a self-centered, frivolous man turned out to be one who cared deeply for others, from someone as vulnerable as Gary to the mortals who might possibly get caught in the crosshairs of Bael’s wrath. My heart melted a little at that, and I began to think that perhaps I’d been overly hasty in setting a ban on any romantic relations with dragons.

Constantine was definitely a man worth investigating further.

“When will you speak with the green mate?” he asked.

I glanced at the clock. “Two hours. She said her demon dog would need some time to check around Abaddon for word of Bael.”

“I do not know that there is much we can do until we have an idea where he is.” Constantine rubbed a hand over his lower face as he thought. “I suppose we will just have to wait until we hear from her. Are you hungry?”

“Not really, no.” Not for food, anyway. I was a bit startled by that thought, and shifted a bit uncomfortably on the window seat, aware that I was having to restrain myself from moving closer to Constantine. When had I gone from wanting to hit him on the head with a blunt instrument to seriously considering pinning him against the wall and nibbling all along his jaw?

“Would you like to return to Curiosités Demonia?” he asked politely.

“I don’t think so. I know you think toys are all that, but I’ve never really seen the need for them. Plain old normal sex is perfectly fine with me.”

“To each his own,” he said amiably, then looked thoughtful. “Was that an invitation, or a statement?”

I do not need another dragon in my life, I told myself. We all know how it’s going to end up, and I just don’t need that heartache again. You’ve set your limits—now hold to them. “Possibly both,” my mouth said without me approving the act.

His eyes lit with a golden glow, and instantly his fire overwhelmed me. I blinked at the sight of it spiraling up my body, bracing myself for the burn, but amazingly, it felt warm, not hot. Pleasantly warm. Tingly warm. It made me very aware that I was female, and he was male, and we were alone in a room with a sizeable bed.

“You want me,” he said, moving toward me in a slow saunter that reminded me of a jaguar about to pounce.

“Yes, but you want me, too,” I said, lifting my chin, and holding out my hand. His fire swirled up onto my arm, then poured onto my palm, forming an orb. I tossed it into the air, caught it, then flipped it onto him. “In fact, I’d say you’re wild for me.”

He smiled as he stopped before me, the fire spreading out across his chest before evaporating into nothing. His heat made the hairs on my arm prickle, and my nipples harden in anticipation. “I won’t deny it, but I will take it as a challenge to make you just as wild for my attentions.”

I drew a finger across his collarbone, and down the V of exposed chest. “We only have two hours. Are you sure that’s going to be enough time?”

He moved forward, causing me to back up until the wall pressed against me, as cool as he was hot. He leaned forward, his lips brushing mine. “Is it my prowess you doubt, or your ability to gain pleasure?”

I slid my fingers down his shirt, unbuttoning it, and trailing my fingers across his belly. His muscles contracted in a little intake of breath just as I leaned forward and gently bit his lower lip. “I have no doubt of your prowess. I just don’t know if there’s going to be enough time to do all the things I want to do.”

“Then I shall simply have to make sure that you are satisfied with the time we have.” His breath was hot on my neck, his lips burning when they kissed a path from my ear down to my shoulder.

I was aware that his hands were moving, but it wasn’t until cool air rippled down my back that I realized he’d removed my shirt. A noise from outside the room made me pause and cock an eyebrow.

“Gary?” I asked.

“He will no doubt be availing himself of the amenities of the house,” Constantine murmured, reaching out blindly to flip the lock on the door. I shivered when he nibbled on my earlobe for a few seconds before moving on to find the spot behind my ear that sent goose bumps down my back.

“I keep thinking that this is wrong, and I should stop, but then I see your chest and arms and shoulders, and I just want to bite you.”

“Really?” Constantine pulled back, his eyes bright with interest and passion. “Bite me where? How hard? Would you want to restrain me first? I do not wish to be restrained, and normally I do not care for my partners to be tied down, but if that’s something you want, that would be acceptable.”

“You really are the strangest man I’ve ever been interested in,” I told him, sucking in my breath when he cupped my breasts. “Oh, I do like that, though. No restraints, Constantine. I told you that I’m not into toys and things like that.”

“Have you tried it?” he asked, breathing fire on my breasts. The heat sank immediately into my chest, and pooled lower, down to my belly, leaving me feeling as if I had a fever.

“No, but I don’t have to try leaping off a building to know that I don’t want to do it.”

His hands were busy around my waist, removing my jeans with the minimum of effort. I took the opportunity to kick off my shoes before rubbing a leg up his.

“Let me try to change your mind?” he asked, stroking one hand up my leg. “So soft, so very soft.”