Page 72 of To Match A Dragon's Fire

That was strange to say, but I thought it anyway.

It looked like a trick of light as the air around the dragon shimmered, dispersing in shadows that rolled like smoke toward the ground and dissipated behind the compound.

A few moments later, Kieran appeared in his human form, fully dressed and looking like a snack as he came walking down the dirt road.

“Stop staring,” I hissed, looking around for my discarded gloves before I realized I hadn’t been wearing any.

“Did you want us to pretend we weren’t watching a freaking dragon doing somersaults in the sky just now?” Riley deadpanned.

“When you put it that way…” I glanced at Kieran over my shoulder. He was almost to us. “Yes. Act natural.”

“You’re the one acting funny, Auntie Em,” Harper pointed out.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I looked at Willow, nervous the little girl would give me away. Because apparently, I was twelve again.

“Why don’t you go back to playing?” Willow ask-told her daughter.

“I’m hungry,” Harper whined just as Kieran’s boots crunched the dirt behind us.

“Afternoon, ladies.” His voice should’ve been illegal with the way it had me melting hotter than the desert sun. I turned to smile, hoping I wasn’t too much of a sweaty mess.

“Afternoon,” I squeaked.

Literally, all high pitched and—

“Are you okay?” Harper stared up at me, confused and worried.

I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

“Fine.” My tone was an octave too deep now. My eyes held a silent plea as I glanced at Willow.

Willow put her hands on Harper’s shoulders. “Come help me with lunch,” she said, just as Riley said, “Isn’t it lunch time?”

They both looked to each other, cheeks filling with air as they held in their laughter.

I shook my head and turned back to Kieran, trying to get this awkward situation under control.

“We’re just about to eat lunch,” I said, in a totally normal voice this time. “Are you hungry?”

“I could eat.” His eyes swept over me in a lingering gaze that suggested all sorts of things I should not have been thinking about outside of the bedroom.

But I’d had fun in his dining room and I did wonder where else we could take this game…

Something was seriously wrong with me.

Sexy dragon magic had taken control and I was powerless to resist its charm.

I was a confident, grown woman.

I could rein in my urges around an adult male.

But those jeans clung to his ass so perfectly and the sleeves were rolled up on his muscular forearms and he smelled so damn good.

Kieran smiled, making me blush, as he swept his arm out to the side. “After you.”

“Finally.” Harper took charge and turned toward the cabin as she led our party up the hill. “I’m starving to death out here.”

22

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