Veronica's Dragon (Icehome, #2)

by Ruby Dixon

I spread my arms wide and grin at her, letting her get a fine look at my naked form. "Shall you come claim me for yourself then, pretty one? Shall we battle?"

"If we are claiming females, the clumsy one is mine," I say quickly. "If another male so much as looks at her, I will rip his throat out with my fangs." And I display them just so they know I am not joking.

"What if…" one of the a'ani begins, sitting up straighter. "What if one trips and falls and lands upon my cock? Can I mate her if she is on me?"

"We are not mating yet," Ashtar reassures him loudly. "I am wearing a loincloth."

"Oh no," I moan. The expression on his face can only be called “utterly delighted.” "Oh yes."

"You do know back on Earth I'm not special to anyone, right?" "Ah, my Veronica," he murmurs, voice low and just a little bit rumbly with the force of his cootie. "You do not have to be special to everyone. Just to me."

"I'll be your friend." He just pulls me closer. "You are my everything."

I can be the protective, fierce one. She can be the nurturer, the sweetness to my rage. I like this.

"You're the other half of me," I tell her, hands on my hips. "We are a mated pairing. I will die if you die, because I will not want to go on."

"You are perfect in my eyes, my fires," Ashtar says calmly, his cootie singing to me the moment he touches me. "But your feet are graceless blocks."

I love that you get violent in your defense of me.

Best day ever? I tease. No. He looks up at me. That was when I met you.