Page 59 of To Match A Dragon's Fire

“You don’t look as old as you are,” I tried to make the subject lighter. He didn’t seem much older than me.

And I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to be turned off by the age gap, but I found myself leaning closer, curious to know how historicallyexperiencedhe was.

“Some days I feel ancient.” Kieran sighed as he set down his spoon. “I should be getting you home soon. It must be close to your bedtime.”

“It’s not…” I stilled, seeing the teasing glint in his eyes. “Ha ha. Very funny. Do you usually date girls this young?”

His brow furrowed. “Now that I think about it, no. I normally prefer to engage with females much older than you, but I do enjoy your company more than I thought possible.”

I sat up a bit straighter in my chair.

Truth be told, that made me feel a little better about the new wrinkles around my eyes and the sag in my chest. I might be nearing mid-thirties, but I was the hot young thing in this tryst.

How long had it been since I embraced that feeling? Too long, I decided.

“At least you aren’t dating eighteen-year-olds,” I teased as I pulled a piece of bread from the basket.

“They’re but babies.” Kieran shuddered. “Though you’re not much older.”

“I’ve had more life experience.” I winked, tearing off a bite of the soft roll and popping it into my mouth. I chewed thoughtfully and swallowed. “So, how does it work?”

“How does what work?” Kieran relaxed in his chair. I tried to read the lines of his face, to see the ancient wisdom he must be hiding. I’d bet he had some great stories in there.

And I did love a good book.

“You know…” I tore off another piece of bread. “Sex between a dragon and a human. Does everything anatomically fit?”

The flush on his cheeks was downright adorable. He recovered quickly, but I got a little kick out of knowing I could make this ancient being blush.

Kieran leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table as he smirked. “And why are you so interested in knowing that?”

“For research purposes of course,” I said, too quickly, as my heart started to beat faster.

The way he licked his lips.

The flex of his shoulders.

The heat of his leg as it brushed mine under the table.

Maybe I was out of my league here.

“And why would you want to study me?” Kieran arched a brow, smiling as his deep voice rumbled in the empty room. Oh, he knew exactly what he was doing.

I dropped the now-crushed bread on the empty plate and brushed the crumbs from my hands, looking away so he wouldn’t see the heat on my face. “Call me curious.”

“Okay, curious.” His words were a breath against my ear as he tucked my hair behind it. I froze, feeling my heart try to beat out of my chest.

“If you must know,” he continued softly, making me ache as shivers raced down my spine, “we’ll fit like humans, but it’ll be better for you than any human man can give.”

Oh.

My.

Need tightened my core, and I squeezed my thighs together, trying to steady my breath. I resisted the urge to pounce, to see exactly what he meant, as I slowly turned my head toward his.

“Is that so?”

Our faces were inches apart.

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