Page 80 of Cowboy Dragon's Rose

“Cause I’m a monster,” he says, and his voice gets growly at the end.

“Bullshit.”

I won’t even consider his words.

“What?” he asks, eyebrows raised.

“I don’t care what you’ve done, Zeke Gordon, or what you can turn into, but you are no monster. I’ve met monsters. They’re cold. Hard. And they don’t care about anyone. Everything I know about you is the opposite.”

He takes a moment, and I watch his throat work as he swallows a bit of emotion. And I swear, I fall in love with him a little bit more.

“Okay. Second, you asked what else do you call this thing between us? Well, I call it fate, Petals. But just for the record, I’m in love with you, too.”

He looks at me as he says it, and those crazy purple eyes of his glow with his beast. I notice for the first time the vertical slit to his pupils and my heart constricts.

This man.

He really is magic. And even better?

He gets me.

He really gets me.

I know I’m in so much trouble with him. But it’s the good kind.

“Oh, also, for the record, I kinda eat bad guys for breakfast.” His gaze flicks back to mine for a brief second. “Literally.”

That makes me laugh. Or maybe sob.

It comes out as a weird, broken sound that catches in my throat.

“I never wanted to drag you into my mess.”

“I’m already in it, Petals,” he says gently. “And I’m not going anywhere. You call the shots. We can go as slow or as fast as you want. But you and me? We’re the real deal, Petals. You’re mine. And I’m not letting anyone hurt what’s mine.”

What’s mine.

It shouldn’t feel good to be claimed like that.

But with him it does.

It feels like the first time someone’s ever stood between me and the storm without expecting anything in return.

And I don’t feel weak or stupid or crazy for wanting him.

I just feel wanted.

Needed.

Safe.

Loved.

Zeke isn’t anything like my ex.

He doesn’t want to control me—he just wants to protect me.

Cherish me.

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