Page 21 of The Heart of the Dragon

I should have kept my gun within reach.

Despite the fact he was nearly twice my size, I refused to let him see how much he intimidated me. And the moment I got an opportunity, I’d be strapping my knife to my leg to prepare for any future incidents.

"You really think you're the first man who's ever threatened me?" I laughed, forcing a bravado I didn't quite feel. "I'm not that easily intimidated."

He chuckled. "Maybe so. But I'm not like any male you've met. I'm a dragon, and it's time you understand that—for real. There's no time for games."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Save it for someone who's a little more gullible."

He leaned forward, a dark hungry look in his eyes. "You may not believe me yet, but you will." His voice had gone low and seductive, cleverly stirring something more inside me. "If you don't think dragons exist, then how would you explain the ridges that run along the underside of my cock?" He leaned closer. "Ever seen a human male with those before?"

I gulped hard, my gaze widening. The composed and collected front I'd maintained up to now vanished instantly as a surge of heat flooded my mind.

A blush crept across my cheeks once more. "There's no way," I murmured.

"You sure? Are you willing to make a wager over it?" He stretched to his full height again, towering over me. "Because I can prove it. Those exist in both of my forms, and I don't need magic to show you."

As I stood watching the dark, scarred man in front of me unfastening his belt, the air in my lungs suddenly froze, making it impossible to speak.

On every level, this wasn't right. His fierce determination to make me believe his crazy story had twisted into something wild and out of control. A shiver rolled through my body at the idea of him exposing himself right here in my kitchen. And despite my rational mind protesting, an inexplicable part of me wanted to know and see for myself. The contradiction baffled me.

I should let him. It would only take a second to prove either way.

But as I caught a glimpse of chiseled abs and a strip of dark hair leading down into his pants, something dark and foreign unfurled in my chest. Heat built between my legs and began a slow spread to my limbs. It was like nothing I'd ever experienced before.

This wasn't good.

I had to make him stop.

"Rose?'

I heard Magnus's voice, but it was muffled, as if he was far away instead of standing right in front of me. The heat inside me intensified until it built to a rolling boil, spreading through my veins.

"Rose!" his voice boomed. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," I gasped, clutching at my chest. "Something's not right." There was an inexplicable weight pressing down on me as sweat broke out across my skin.

Magnus grabbed my arm and the fire in my veins exploded.

"What are you doing to me?" I gasped, my lungs barely able to take in air.

"I'm not doing anything," he insisted, his hands suddenly grabbing at both my arms, forcing me closer.

By some miracle, his touch drew the heat, pulling it away from me, and after a few more seconds it dissipated. I gulped, able to breathe again as I slumped in his arms, suddenly grateful for his support.

"What was that?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"Magic," he breathed harshly.

I shook my head, unable to comprehend what he meant. "What? No. That's not possible. Magic comes from the earth and the air and the moon. Not from people."

He frowned, his eyes searching mine. "Not all magic is the same. It depends on the wielder. There are those that draw from the elements as their source. But it seems yours is something different. Far more potent than you've let on, and I suspect, has been locked up for a very long time. Now I’ve triggered it, and it's trying to break out. Are you sure you've felt nothing before now?"

I considered his question, trying to make sense of it. "Certainly not. How many times do I have to tell you…" I hesitated thinking over the last twenty-four hours. I'd felt completely off kilter since the night before when I'd walked through the cemetery at the church. Even more so when I'd encountered him inside the shelter.

"What are younottelling me?"

"Nothing. I mean, I don't know. Something's been different since yesterday. But I don't know how to explain it. It's just a feeling. Nothing concrete."

---