“You must dance with him,” Bellorie finished.

Elin, Thane said, exasperated, and she jolted.

She extended her index finger to Bellorie and the male. “One sec.”

Question, she said to Thane. What kind of creature has snakes for hair?

A gorgon.

Oh, that’s right. Momma told me. But aren’t all gorgons female?

Mostly. But every century, a new male is born. He becomes king. Why?

Well, I believe I’m looking at this year’s contender for the crown.

You will walk away from him, Thane said, his voice now flat. Immediately.

Why? Her mother had told her...what? That male gorgons wielded some sort of special power? Yes! That was it. But what power? Something about...hypnosis?

“Elin,” Bellorie said again. “You must dance with him.”

Yup, definitely hypnosis. Her friend was in a daze, and as Elin met the gorgon’s gaze, intending to tell him to take a hike, her mind shut down.

“Female. Dance. Now,” he said, his voice low, quiet. Formidable in a way that left her defenseless.

Defenseless? No. Not me. Not anymore. But she couldn’t look away from him, couldn’t think of anything but him...and his arms wrapped around her. His eyes were golden, with striations of emerald. They were beautiful eyes. Freaky eyes. His pupils were nothing more than a thin black line that stretched from the top of his irises to the bottom.

And the snakes... They were currently focused on her, peering through her skin and muscle and into her soul.

She—

Would dance. Yes, she thought, as every muscle in her body went lax. That was an amazing idea.

The male led her out to the dance floor. Stalwart arms wrapped around her, just as she’d imagined, holding her close, guiding her into a sensual sway. The scent of sandalwood wafted to her nostrils. It was nice, but...wrong.

All of this was wrong.

“Kiss me,” the gorgon commanded.

“No, I—”

“You will kiss me.” He and his snakes stared at her.

No, she said again. Or tried to. She couldn’t work the denial past her lips.

His mouth pressed into hers, and she stiffened. He lifted his head to peer at her again. “You will like it.”

When he came down for another peck, she somehow found the strength to turn away. She wasn’t attracted to this man. Was she?

The music stopped abruptly. Laughter and chatter died. Silence reigned. As the crowd quickly parted, the gorgon straightened, widening the distance between them. He and his creepy snakes at last looked away, and Elin jolted into awareness, her mind suddenly whirling with a single question.

What. The. Crap?

Thane strode through the center of the crowd, and her knees almost buckled with relief—and instant, undeniable arousal. The male was a fantasy made flesh, and every desire she’d ever experienced for him came rushing back. Kiss. Taste. Touch.

Devour.

But he zeroed in on the gorgon, a murderous rage pulsing from him. When the two males were mere inches apart, Thane didn’t bother with words. He tugged Elin behind him and punched Gorgodude in the grille.

She gasped at the sheer display of violence, but she wasn’t horrified. She was, well, kind of turned on.

The creature fell to the floor, and Thane jumped on him, straddling his shoulders and pinning him down.

Then Thane went jackhammer, whaling, throwing one savage punch after another.

The gorgon never managed to engage a counterattack. Or a defense. Thane beat at him until he passed out.

“Thane,” Elin said, surprised at the huskiness of her voice. A voice that somehow penetrated his rage. “Forget him. Concentrate on me. I need you.”

He stopped abruptly, stood, and rounded on her.

Sweet mercy. His expression was pure aggression. He crossed his arms over his chest, an aggressive move. He braced his legs apart, an aggressive stance. But at least the blood on his skin and robe disappeared.

“You need me?” His tone was more than aggressive. It was hedonistic. Practically an invitation. One she accepted.

Elin launched into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist.

“You’re a barbarian. Let’s make out,” she said. And maybe her new nickname should be Octopussy, because her hands were everywhere, all over his wings, stroking the feathers, sifting through the ultrasoft down. “You just stand there and look pretty, and I’ll do the bulk of the work.”

“Uh, Elin,” Bellorie said, coming up beside her. “You might want to zip your lips. Your mouth is making promises your body won’t want you to keep.”

“What did she drink?” Thane asked, his lips quirked at the corners.

“Legspreader,” she and Bellorie answered in unison.

His gaze had never left her and now gobbled her up. “You’re never drinking that again, unless you’re with me.”

“Because it makes me handsy?” she asked, leaning closer to nibble on his earlobe.

“And bossy. But I like this side of you. I like all sides of you.”

My man is sweet. “Even the Phoenix side?”

He tensed.

Answer: no. Won’t let myself be hurt over that. Baby steps.

He kissed the shell of her ear and whispered, “I believe there’s something you wanted to tell me about my penis.”

Lost in a world where only Thane existed, she admitted, “Well, I’ve thought about it a lot today.” She toyed with the ends of his hair. “I saw it while we were at camp together, and I felt it while we were in the tub, and it’s so big, and it’s pierced, and I want to flick my tongue over the piercing, and you practically promised me I could and you never lie and, oh, I’m boning this up again, aren’t I?”

“You’re certainly boning me up,” he muttered. “Let’s go home.”

He darted into the air, and the bottom dropped out of her stomach. He soared through the building—through it!—then the sky, with her clutched tightly to his chest. Stars glowed brightly, winking from the sea of black velvet. And the moon... The perfect strobe light for a worldwide party.

“Gorgeous,” she said.

“Yes. But I want you to look at me,” he commanded, and she was helpless to obey. “A human could die after sixteen Legspreaders. Do not drink so much ever again.”

As strands of her hair slapped at her, she rubbed her nose against his. “Guess my other half came in handy today, huh?”