“Shades of night, woman! Are you trying to drive me insane?” Nim practically shouted. “First, you run around half naked all day, and now you want to sleep in that, and you think we’re not going to mate?” Joanne was surprised by the outburst. First, she hadn’t seen him that upset about anything. For him to show that much emotion was so out of character for him. Second, she didn’t understand what was wrong with what she was wearing. She had purposely picked this nightgown because it came down to her knees. It covered a lot more than what she had worn earlier. “What’s wrong with this?” She asked. “It’s so low-cut I can practically see your belly button. It’s see-through, and it’s so thin, I can see every slight bump and curve you have.” “Sweetie, calm down. I think you’re exaggerating, but I can change. I didn’t realize you could see through it. Come, help me pick out something that’s acceptable, okay?” He nodded and relaxed some. She showed him her summer pajamas. He looked them over several times, frowning. Then he sighed. “I’m sorry. Wear what you want.” “None are acceptable?” She guessed. “No, there are some, but I shouldn’t be telling you what to wear.” “You’re not. You’re giving me an opinion and telling me what you like. I’m choosing to change to make you more comfortable. Now, what do you like?” “I like what you have on. That’s the problem.” “Show me what you can handle me wearing, please.” He picked out three pairs of pajamas, and she picked her favorite of those three and went to change. When she came back, he smiled. “That, I can handle.” “What are you wearing?” She asked. He had taken off his shirt and his boots but was still wearing his pants. “This,” he said. “Not pajamas?” “Sleep clothes? I don’t have any.” “So you always sleep in your pants?” “Usually, I sleep in my scales, but I don’t think the floor would support me.” “What about at the palace? That room isn’t big enough.” “I don’t wear anything, but I don’t think that would be a good idea. There, I sleep alone. I’ve slept in my pants before. I’ve slept fully dressed.” He shrugged. “Would you like to borrow something?” Joanne offered. He eyed her pajamas. “I don’t mean those, silly, although, you’d look adorable in my nightgown.” She pulled something from the closet. “How about these?” She held up a pair of shorts. “They belonged to Mike, but he doesn’t seem to want them. They’re clean.” “Wasn’t Mike your last mate?” Nim eyed the shorts cautiously. “No. We dated some. That’s all.” “Then why do you have his shorts?” “They got mixed up with my stuff when we did laundry together. But, he’s yet to get them or give me a chance to give them back. So, if you want to wear them, feel free.” He took the shorts and went to change. When he came back, she could tell he was still trying to decide if they were comfortable. “You look good.” His legs, she noticed, were as muscular as his chest. There was also a scar on his right thigh. He saw her looking at it. “Don’t worry, it’ll be gone the next time I shed. It wasn’t deep.” “Where did you get it?” “A bear I was hunting didn’t know he was the prey. He didn’t realize dragons were not something he could beat.” “What happened?” Nim grinned. “He made a couple of nice meals.” “You ate him?” “Why do you think I was hunting? I was hungry.” “Oh, you drop something.” She started to pick it up. It was his vial. “No, wait!” He grabbed her with one arm around her waist lifting her off the ground trying to keep her from touching it, but he was too late. When he saw she was holding it, he almost dropped her in his haste to put her down and back away. “What is it? Are you okay?” She asked concerned. “That’s my vial. Nobody is supposed to touch it.” “Sorry. Here.” She tried to hand it to him. He backed away again. “I can’t take it. I have to buy it.” “Buy it? Like, pay for it?” He nodded. “How much?” “You hold it. You name the price.” “But you don’t have any money.” “It doesn’t have to be money. You could ask for anything.” “Anything?” She asked. He nodded again. “What if I don’t want anything?” “You still need to name a price. I can’t just take it. I have to buy it. Otherwise, it becomes useless to me, and I’m stuck in this form. The vial is how I change forms.” “It looks like a diamond,” Joanne said, looking at it. She realized it was similar to the bottle Ann had shown them earlier. “It is, well, a bunch of small ones fused together. I couldn’t find a big one.” “You made this?” Nim nodded. “My mentor thought it would be good for me to learn how. Most dragons inherit them. There are also some extras where so many people died from fire death. The population still hasn’t recovered.” “What should I ask for?” “Whatever you want.” “What if you can’t pay it?” “I can negotiate, but ultimately, the choice is yours and I have to pay, or I can’t get it back.” “Can I have a kiss?” “Is that the price?” She smiled. “Yes.” “Would you put down the vial, so I don’t bump it?” She did, and he kissed her passionately. When she had first kissed him after the wedding, she was pretty sure he’d never been kissed before. He was a fast learner. When he pulled away several minutes later, it took time for her to find her voice. “Wow. I just meant a quick peck.” He smiled and gave her a quick kiss. “Like that?” She nodded. He picked up the vial and put it in a pouch he took from his pants pocket. “The next time you need to handle someone’s vial, it’s best to find something made of silk. It acts as an insulator. Then, you don’t have to make the person pay.” He put the pouch on the dresser. She moved close and put her arms around him. “You are very sexy,” she said. She kissed his neck, and he made a mewing sound. “That’s even sexier than when you growl.” “You think my growl is sexy?” He looked surprised. She nodded. “Sort of. But, that other sound is very sexy.” “That’s purring. We make it when we feel extreme pleasure.” “I’ve never heard you make it before.” He blushed. “You were hiding it?” She guessed. “I felt a little self-conscious. Humans don’t purr.” “No, but we do make noises sometimes.” “I suppose I should warn you. We also roar.” “I figured that.” “No, when we mate for the first time, male dragons will let off a roar to let the clan know he’s taken a mate. It’s not something I can control.” “So when we mate…” Joanne started. “Plug your ears.” Nim smiled. “What about the neighbors?” “They can find their own mates.” He held her close. “They can’t have mine.” “Does it bother you that I’ve been with other men?” “Not as long as you don’t start saying I should do things their way.” He meant that. At first, her revelation had made him have second thoughts. But then he reminded himself she was human. Humans were different. It was unlikely he would find a human who hadn’t been with another man. Joanne went to the bed and noticed he had laid some bedding on the floor next to it. She turned and looked at him. “You don’t normally sleep on a bed either?” She guessed. “Have you ever seen a dragon-sized bed?” He smiled. “You don’t own a bed?” “I do, but I don’t use it. It’s for human company. Ann used it a few times, and Pt’this did when he was stuck in elf form. “Besides, I’d like to avoid starting the bond.” “You said it wouldn’t form until we had sex.” “No, I said it would form then. But, it can start beforehand. It’s not something we usually talk about, most times we just say it forms when we mate. It can start before we mate with prolonged physical contact, like if we shared a bed. It won’t become permanent until we mate, but the more time we spend together time stronger it will become. The harder it will be to break and the longer it would take to fade.” “Can you lay with me for a little while?” Joanne asked. Nim smiled and nodded.