He doubted Kansas had known that he lived next door to such a powerful witch. Although if Z wasn't mistaken, the magical barrier he could sense along their shared fence line was not Dorothy's. It had kept him away, pushed against his every attempt to remove it, thwarting him at every turn. Just as she had. She went to great lengths to keep her distance.

Except in her dreams. The one doorway open to him, other than the nightly displays to tempt her, and he'd taken advantage at every opportunity. Yet even then, even when all her defenses were down, she still tried to resist him, resist her own desires. And Z had had enough.

There was no force on Earth or in Oz that could get between a wizard and his heart's desire. And Dorothy was his mate, his match in every way. Even in her ability to call the wind.

No one was more surprised than he that he'd found her in this dimension, but he wasn't one to question the will of the Makers. And he wouldn't acknowledge the twinge of guilt he felt at manipulating her the way he had. She belonged to him, and she would give in.

She was beautiful. Hair like a sunrise and a body made to caress. To wallow in. To feast on. He found it hard to believe that she could be insecure about it, or find it lacking when compared to her rail-thin sister. The blonde was pretty enough, but she faded into the background next to Dorothy. She knew it too.

It was Emily who had given him the perfect opening. Her jealousy and ego were plainly evident, and easy to manipulate. Dorothy no doubt believed he wanted her sister, but Z hadn't truly wanted anyone except her since he'd arrived.

The humans had often called him dirty and insatiable. If they only knew. He was not the same randy wizard he'd been before the storm brought him to California. Now the only haven he craved could be found between Dorothy's thighs. The only home in her arms.

Z rolled his eyes. He was getting ahead of himself. First he had to win her trust, discover why she'd been resisting him. Then he could work on winning her heart.

His "date" snapped her fingers beside his temple, drawing his attention away from Dorothy. The cool blonde looked a bit miffed, so Z smiled soothingly, sending her a blast of heat to distract her ire. "Emily, dinner smells marvelous, shall we?"

"Shall ... we?" Emily's eyes glazed over, gaze fixed on his lips. That happened a lot on this planet. If he hadn't realized that his natural elemental energy was what made them react this way, he'd believe the population of Earth a little tetched in the head.

Dorothy narrowed her eyes, and Z winced. Obviously she was immune to his usual arsenal. He shouldn't be surprised. She wasn't the usual human.

He guided the dazed Emily to the table, all his attention focused on the voluptuous redhead lagging slowly behind, undecided. He squeezed Emily's hand, winking at her to get her attention. "I think your sister is a little wary of me. She looks like she's trying to decide whether she wants to throw this luscious looking lasagna at my head or run home before I eat her instead."

Emily snorted, turning toward Dorothy with one eyebrow raised. "Don't be ridiculous, Dorothy. You aren't in any danger of becoming the main course." She rubbed her body against Z's suggestively. "That's my job."