Page 316 of Hunters and Prey

Continuing down the seemingly endless trove she kept looking for the piece that would match his eyes perfectly.

“I would like children one day,” Roman said carefully.

“Clearly, otherwise you wouldn’t have been upset by your results.” Chiara stopped in front of a set of jewels that looked made for a queen – maybe even the original Drakesthai queen since Roman’s family was descended from her line.

“Clearly,” Roman said wryly, directly behind her now.

It made Chiara’s breath catch to feel his warmth at her back. Then his wings spread until his talons rested against the wall. Even though he wasn’t touching her, he had her pinned. “This,” she whispered, not daring to touch the necklace that held seven of the azurite in what looked like white gold or silver, maybe even platinum.

“These?” Roman asked, hooking a finger under the chain to bring them closer for inspection. “I suppose these are the color of my eyes, though I know it’s the jewel of our house because of the color of our scales.”

Then that heavy weight settled on her chest and around her neck as he clasped the piece around her throat. “What are you doing?” she asked, feeling panic rise from wearing something so impossibly expensive. No doubt it was worth more than she would ever make in her lifetime.

“I’m giving them to you,” Roman told her. “As a courting gift.”

Chiara couldn’t help but touch the glittering jewels before turning around. Roman was so close she could touch him if she leaned forward ever so slightly. “Seems like a rather extravagant courting gift. Couldn’t you simply have gotten me flowers or a new shreve?”

Chiara didn’t like gifts but it had been clearly stated in the protocol Zoya had given her that gifts were a necessary part of the courting.

Laughing, Roman adjusted the necklace so it hung correctly. “Do you need a new shreve?”

“That’s not the point,” she muttered, wondering how she was going to decline the gift without insulting him. “A shreve is far less expensive.”

But then his fingers brushed her collarbone. His hand caressed her throat next, until he cupped her face with a touch so soft Chiara felt like she imagined it. “I want you to have it. Not just as a courting gift, but as a thank you from my family for the work you’re doing. If you can cure us? I imagine there will be many more gifts from the royal houses.”

It was difficult to think when he stared at her lips like that. Chiara couldn’t come up with a good argument or logical reason why she couldn’t accept the jewels.

Was he going to kiss her? Goddess, she hoped so.

“Tell me you’re accepting them,” Roman demanded. And the slight tightening of his hand on her face…it made her knees weak.

“I accept the necklace,” she whispered, leaning into that touch. “Now kiss me already.”

He wasted no time. Roman leaned down as she went up on her tiptoes. When his mouth claimed hers Chiara lost herself in the moment. All she could think of was the softness of his lips, the feel of his body against hers, the ridges of muscles that were obvious through her gown and his clothes.

The smell of him was strange, but somehow also familiar – like it was something she’d known all her life and hadn’t realized it was missing until just now.

The mate bond.

Somehow she just knew.

Her hands came up to grip his arms tight and Chiara couldn’t help the way her claws extended or how her canines dropped down to prick his tongue.

“You promised me something earlier,” Roman breathed against her lips. “Am I allowed to do that here?”

Chiara’s eyes flew open at the suggestive tone. “Right here?”

His grin made her toes curl. “No one will come down to the vault. And I’m not asking for you to take off your clothes.” Roman slid down to his knees, wings spread for balance.

The way he looked at her – Goddess, Chiara knew she was in trouble. “No penetration,” she told him.

Roman’s grin widened. “Only with my tongue.”

She had to grip the wall for a moment. “Right, I suppose that makes sense.”

“It won’t consummate the bond,” he reminded her, running those sinful hands up her bare legs, lifting the skirts of the gown as he did so. “Only my seed inside you can do that.”

Chiara was breathing too hard to snap at him that she knew how it worked just as well as he – she was the doctor after all.

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