“My limit?” I said, blinking away the last of the tears, my heart once again hopeful. Perhaps it was a sign I was all too human in that I sought reassurance that he treasured me for what I was, but if so, I embraced that humanity. “What sort of a limit do you mean?”

“How far can you go without the dragon shard taking control of you?” he asked, his thumbs rubbing across my fingers.

A little fire started at my knees.

“Ah,” he said, looking at it.

I couldn’t help but smile. “Just looking at you makes the shard kick into high gear, but I can keep it under control for the most part. It’s just when we . . . er . . . that it takes over. And bringing gold into the equation is definitely out.”

“Can I kiss you?” he said, bending forward to press a kiss of infinite sweetness onto my lips.

“Yes,” I said, lifting my head in hopes he’d do it again.

“Can I touch you here?” He put his hand on my upper arm.

I nodded.

A little glint of wicked intent started to burn in his eyes. “What about here?”

His hand cupped my left breast. I sucked in my breath, arching my back. “Oh, yes.”

“And how about this?”

His mouth closed over my aching nipple, his tongue a brand as it swept across my breast, causing my breath to catch in my mouth. My hands went to his hair, tugging on the soft dreadlocks as he kissed his way over to the other breast.

“That’s . . . that’s . . . that’s really, really OK,” I said, my eyes closed as I clutched him while he tormented my breast.

“Just OK? You wound my ego, little bird. What about the rest of your torso? Are you still firmly in control if I explore the sublime beauty that is your belly?”

Fire licked my flesh when he laid me back on the floor, his hair trailing down my sensitive breasts as he kissed a path to my belly button.

“The dragon shard wants me to roll you over and jump on you,” I moaned as he nipped my hip.

“It shall have to want in vain. You are in control, not it, May.”

“I know, but it’s so strong, Gabriel. The need in me is so strong. It wants you.”

“It only reflects your desires, which does much to assuage my male pride,” he said with a deep chuckle that seemed to reverberate through me. His hands slid along my thighs, gently parting them. “Will it let me touch you here, do you think?” he asked.

His breath was hot on highly sensitive flesh.