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  Conor turned to Lily. “Lilliana, would you walk me out? It’ll only take a moment.”

  “Of course,” she said. She’d just said good-bye to one man she adored. This was quickly getting to be an unpleasant habit.

  They headed into the hallway as Conor pulled the door shut behind them.

  “He is a good man, that Graeme, in spite of an adorable sort of naïveté,” he said. “And I say that as someone who was ready to tear his head off a minute ago. Perhaps a little stuck in his century and the rather old-fashioned notion of aristocracy, but at his core he’s good. Give him a chance to adapt.”

  Lily wanted to protest, to declare some sort of loyalty only to the lover who stood before her, but she knew it would be disingenuous. She was drawn to Graeme as she had been to Conor, though in this case it was her dragon who seemed most to gravitate towards him, to want him; even more than her human did. “All right,” she said. “I’ll give him a chance, if I must.”

  Conor smiled. And the dimples returned.

  “What’s that look?” Lily asked.

  “Oh, just the look of a man who knows perfectly well that you are attracted to someone else.”

  This time she did begin to protest. “But I…”

  “Shh,” Conor said, putting a finger to her lips before leaning in to kiss them softly. “One benefit to reading minds and knowing a little of the future is that I am utterly confident in your feelings for me,” he whispered, his lips approaching her ear, his stubbled cheek next to hers. “Even if you’re as hard to read as hieroglyphics. I don’t doubt for a moment how much you want me, and if I did, I would stop doubting the moment I smelled it on you. You have the scent of raw sexuality and desire about that beautiful body of yours, and I know right now, in this second, that it’s for me that you ache. And I wish I could eat you all…over…again.”

  Between each word he planted a delicate, delicious kiss on her neck.

  “Dear Lord, you’re good,” Lily sighed, pulling away to look into his eyes. “Well, you’re right. I want you. I’ll always want you. And the fact that I’m meant to be with two men takes nothing away from that.”

  “Oh, I know that,” said Conor, readying himself to leave her. “So for now I’ll say farewell, until I see you later. I look forward to you, to your eyes, to your body…and to that mouth, to the next time I get to kiss it.”

  He disappeared around a corner in the hallway and Lily wandered back into the apartment, feeling momentarily dazed. What that man did to her…

  “Right. Here we go,” she said under her breath, eyeing Graeme. The large dragon shifter would be utterly overwhelmed by London society. But this was their era for the foreseeable future, and Graeme would need to integrate himself as well as possible.

  “And so, are you ready for a bit of adventure?” she asked.

  “I will be glad to accompany you anywhere that you lead me, my Lady,” said Graeme, taking a step towards her before stopping himself. Inside, the dragon and the man clashed; the former wanted to touch her, now that they were alone. To sample her, to taste her.

  The man lived by rules of decorum. And the dragon, at this moment, cursed the man for following the damned rules.

  “Call me Lilliana. Or Lily,” she replied. “I know it’s a difficult habit to break, but if you don’t you may be deemed a lunatic, or possibly just eccentric. Either way you risk drawing attention to us and we don’t want that.”

  “I shall do my best. Henceforth, I shall address you as Lilliana.”

  “Maybe eliminate ‘shall’ from your vocabulary, too. And ‘henceforth,’ for that matter.”

  Poor Graeme looked taken aback. It was as though he were being told to simply refrain from speaking altogether.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll work on this together,” said Lily, attempting to reassure him, her voice soft. “It’s a little like learning a second language. A lot, really. You’re a shifter and we learn quickly, as you know. Just follow my lead.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “There, you’re already mastering it. See? You left out ‘shall,’ you clever lad.”

  Graeme smiled, still maintaining a physical distance. He liked her; she was unlike any woman he’d ever met. Something in her was more worldly than the ladies from his time.

  He reminded himself that he could learn from her and that they could grow together in ways that he’d never quite anticipated. In his own time, it was men who were revered as the sex who knew all. But his parents had taught him well, and had led him to believe that men and women could be equals.

  And this woman was something special—his equal and yet her own, unique entity.

  “You are a good instructor, Lilliana,” he said. “And I look forward to learning everything you can teach me.

  * * *

  Lily studied his outfit, attempting to sort out how to make his leather vest, tunic and trousers seem less absurd. Well, she supposed it was only a question of taking him to the nearest department store and coating him in jeans and a sweater, and disposing of these clothes as quickly as possible.

  This man would look fantastic in modern clothing. Enough, possibly, to give Conor a run for his money. The greater challenge would be to conceal his archaic behaviour.

  Lily had been raised by a mother who had grown up in this modern century, and Lachlan had spent a great deal of time here. So even as a child she had been instructed about its quirks—trains, skyscrapers, paved roads, computers. She and her twin, Rohan, had made multiple trips here and seen the wonders of the modern era.

  But to Graeme they would seem alien, even frightening, if anything could actually frighten this man. The surroundings and society would, at the least, test his character. At the most they would drive him mad.

  To Lily this was a far better test of a man’s constitution than a tournament wherein clawing, biting, punching and beatings occurred. This was the real world.

  Graeme remained in place as though awaiting an order, which seemed odd, given his reputation as a strong leader.

  “I think we can go now,” said Lily when she’d finished sizing him up. “I’ll take you over to Oxford Street. Unless you need to use the facilities first.”

  “Facilities, my lady?”

  “Bathroom, lavatory, ‘loo,” she said, trying to remember what words she’d employed before moving to this century. “Chamber pot. Here, I’ll show you. Of course, you’ve never seen anything quite like this.”

  She led him to a small room off the flat’s hallway, lit by one window which framed a view of the outdoors: London roofs, cars and society.

  Graeme seemed at first to balk a little at the shiny whiteness of the place. Everything in their time was so…grey. Stone, slate. The grass, sky and odd bit of dyed linen and woven tapestry were the only real touches of colour in their medieval era, aside from their dragon forms.

  Lily reached for the tap and turned it on. Graeme remained in place, seemingly unconcerned. This was a good start.

  “You can figure out what that’s for,” she said, pointing to the toilet, and then to the metal chain which hung from the tank attached to the wall above. “And that chain is for flushing, which means…well, you can sort it out.”

  “I can,” he said. His mouth, she thought, nearly broke into a smile. Nearly.

  She left him there, shutting the door behind her as she moved through the flat. She too would need other clothing; her own jeans, a sweater, a jacket.

  It was while Lily dressed that she heard something approaching a yell, followed quickly by a crash coming from the bathroom. She ran over to the door and knocked frantically.

  At first she heard nothing but the flow of running water, and a moment later something made contact with her toes. She leapt backwards, quickly realizing that water was pouring under the door, and a lot of it.

  She reached for the doorknob, intending to force the door open if necessary, and at the same moment Graeme pulled the door open from the inside.

  “What the hell is happ�
�“ Lily began, and then she saw it: the toilet tank was in pieces, scattered on the floor.

  “I’m sorry,” said Graeme. “This…machine…seems not to have been adjusted for my strength.”

  Lily realized immediately what had happened: when the man had pulled the chain, he’d done so with the force of a shifter, yanking the entire contraption apart. The tank had exploded, pouring its contents all over the floor.

  “It’s all right; it’s clean water, thankfully.” Lily was doing her best to stifle a laugh and retain a little dignity. “Modern-day porcelain toilets were not built for great hulking men. I’ll get some towels.”

  When she’d waded through the flooded room and switched off the water source, she ran about the flat and gathered every towel she could find in order to soak up the deluge. “I’m thinking that perhaps a low-flow toilet with a different sort of flusher would be more suitable for you,” she said. “I’ll see about finding a dragon-proof one.”

  When she’d finished, Lily eyed Graeme, realizing with amusement that he was soaked from the chilly cascade that had poured over him.

  “Well,” she said, “There’s only one thing to do. Give me your clothing and I’ll put it in the dryer.”

  A question mark seemed to appear over the man’s head, but Lily saw him register the words. As with so many other things, he would learn soon enough about technology and appliances.

  He pulled his tunic over his head, the soaked linen adhering to his muscled torso, leaving a glistening trail of flesh in its path.

  Next came his trousers. Graeme’s eyes locked on Lily’s as he undid the tie at their front, peeling them off one leg at a time. And there he was again: the perfect, naked man she’d seen from the cave.

  His colouring was so interesting: bronze flesh, light eyes, hair that had a deep reddish tinge in the sunlight. He reminded her of his handsome dragon. Almost a freak of nature, but in the best of all possible ways.

  He stood exposed before her, handing over his sodden clothing. “I can only assume that a dryer is the opposite of that contraption which I just shattered, he said. “Which, incidentally, should be called a ‘wetter.’”

  Finally his face was in full-on smile mode, a broad grin lighting it up. Lily was pleased to see a sense of humour at last.

  “That’s quite an apt name,” she said. “But it’s usually called a toilet, given that its normally not meant to soak people from head to toe. Listen—I’ll be quick. Meanwhile there’s a robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door.”

  She raced towards the small room off her kitchen which housed a stacked washer and dryer, and tossed the garments in. Lily knew that they would likely shrink a little; linen did, after all, but she could only hope that Graeme would still be able to get them over his body.

  When she returned to the living room, he was sitting on the couch, the terrycloth robe tied as well as possible around his waist. But in spite of Lily’s own generous girth, it wasn’t anything like large enough to make its way around the man’s chest. The belt sat around his waist, its dangling length barely managing to cover the splendour between his legs.

  “So, Graeme,” Lily said as she seated herself in a nearby chair, attempting to direct her eyes only at his face, “Once your clothes are dry we’ll head out and I’ll purchase some proper things for you. But in the meantime we should get to know one another a little, I think.”

  The man leaned forward, which made Lily’s heart skip about fourteen beats as the robe splayed open. It reminded her of comic book images of superheroes whose clothing tore away as their massive muscles burst forth.

  “Dear God,” she muttered under her breath. “That body.”

  This time the feelings of betraying Conor were gone. He knew now how she felt, and that any attraction to the dragon shifter was separate; stored in another compartment in her head, consciousness, heart. Both were potential mates, but in utterly different ways.

  “And what would you like to know about me, my Lady?” said Graeme. “That is, Lilliana.”

  “I suppose I could ask you about where you grew up, or your parents,” she replied. “But I have to admit that the thing I’m most curious about is how do you feel about this whole thing? The Tournament…being paired with a woman you’ve never met?”

  Graeme smiled again. “I’ve known for some time that it would happen, that I would end up in a three-way relationship,” he said. “I’ll confess to you that I have never fully understood the notion, but it was my fate, and I’ve known it since I could speak. And so I accepted it. It wasn’t until I first saw you, standing in that cavern, that I felt pleased about it though.”

  Lily felt herself flush. “You saw me?” she asked, trying to recall how many seconds she’d spent staring at his naked body.

  “Of course. There is very little that I can’t see, whether the object of my focus is surrounded by darkness or not.”

  “Yes, of course. You have a dragon’s eyes,” she said, wondering if he’d noticed her glancing in particular at his impressive man-parts…or if he was aware that she’d snuck in a few peeks during the course of this very conversation.

  “You had a look of curiosity about you which I enjoyed,” he said, “And mischief, which is also pleasant. I suppose I should tell you that I seek an obedient and well-behaved wife, but in truth that’s not it in the least. I seek someone to enjoy. We live a long time, we shifters. There is no point in wasting many years on a dull and dutiful mate.”

  “Mates,” said Lily. “Remember that there will be three of us in this scenario.”

  “Of course. But the other man does not particularly interest me.”

  “Still, you probably want to make sure he’s someone you can stand to be around. You’ll be spending a good deal of time together.”

  “That depends,” said Graeme.

  “On what?”

  “Many things. Who will this man be? What will his duties be? Will he be off at war? Will I?”

  Lily contemplated the word. War. The thought of having two mates, always away from her while she remained locked in some structure composed of stone fortifications, was not a pleasant one.

  “Ultimately it is my hope that my mate and I will care for and respect one another,” Graeme continued. “But as for the other man, he is simply a piece in a puzzle. My one wish is that he show great strength and the potential to empower our young.”

  “Our young,” repeated Lily. She’d nearly forgotten about that facet of things.

  “If you and I were together, Lilliana, we would likely have dragon shifters for children. Add to that mix another male and his blood would mingle, and so any number of combinations would be possible. As you know, as the line progresses, powers become amplified, multiplied. You can step through time and space. And I have my own set of talents.”

  Lily wondered what these were, but suspected that she would find out soon enough. And Conor, of course, could see into the future and read many minds. The three of them could prove a force to be reckoned with…

  “And so our third should have complementary elements. Perhaps a different breed of shifter. Look at your brother, Rohan—he is one of the most skilled men I have met.”

  “You’re not suggesting I mate with my brother?” she laughed.

  “No, of course not. But I would seek a man of such skill.”

  “I’m afraid there isn’t one,” Lily replied. In her head, she continued with, But I know a man who would do very nicely. She wondered if Graeme would consider Conor, a man who’d never shifted in his life but who was endowed with great gifts.

  “At the very least, Lady Lilliana, you and I would find a way to enjoy ourselves,” said the man, whose mind seemed to have turned to the matter of sex. “I’ve no doubt that my exploration of the body that lies beneath those clothes would provide both of us with a good deal of pleasure.”

  “I’ll check on your clothes.” The words came a little too rapidly as Lily attempted to pry herself away from such premature thoughts. They didn’
t know each other well enough yet. “Then we need to head out.”

  Graeme rose from his seat and just before Lily turned away she saw it: a beautiful, hard, thick cock, jutting out from between the two halves of the bathrobe.

  22

  Escape, Chapter Four

  The linen garments had dried, and Lily was grateful not to have set the appliance on high heat as they had in fact shrunk a little. She handed them to him, trying once again not to look—was he really that big?

  Yes, he was.

  Graeme managed to look as handsome as ever as his slightly-too-short pants and slightly-too-tight-across-the-chest tunic covered his form.

  “The leather vest isn’t in great shape,” she said as she helped him dress. “It’s still soaking wet. Leather and dryers go together like oil and water…or you and toilets. But these clothes will do until we find you something more suitable.”

  Knowing that only a thin layer of fabric separated her from his rather massive endowment made it difficult to speak without giving away her thoughts, particularly as her dragon seemed bent on convincing her to mate with this creature. Now, it told her insistently, might be a nice time for it.

  Quiet, you, she shushed it internally. My human brain still needs to assess this one. Not to mention that there’s a man missing from our triangle at the moment. She hardly dared entertain the thought of being with both of them; it was too delicious.

  When he was finally ready to go, she led the young shifter outside for the first time, warning him as they went of the perils they might encounter.

  “You’ll find a lot of activity out here; more than you’re used to back home,” she said.

  “I’ve participated more than once in wars, Lilliana,” was his reply, as Lily opened the building’s front door. “I think I can—“

  At that precise moment, a loud honk sounded outside as a taxi cab nearly collided with a touristy-looking pedestrian who was staring at his phone, no doubt attempting to write a profoundly important text while standing in the middle of the busy street.