Page 248 of Phoenix's Fire

"We do that sometimes," I admitted. "Making sure what we think is normal isn't too invasive for you. You know, so you don't feel pressured to do something you don't want because you think it's what men expect."

"Oh. Like kissing? That's why Zasen got in trouble, right?"

I nodded. "So we talk about it, and I know it happened." I licked my lips, aware when her eyes darted to my purple tongue and a smile curled her lips. "But something came out when we were talking, and I don't want to lie to you."

Her smile vanished. "About what?"

"Being just friends," I said before clearing my throat. "Um, we've gotten to know each other, right? And the more I've learned about you, the more impressed I've been."

"Yeah?"

I nodded. "But here's the scary part, Ayla. I'm worried it will make you stop being my friend."

"Why?" she breathed, her eyes getting a little wider.

Fuck. I was definitely doing this the wrong way, but Ayla liked facts. She appreciated knowing things, and she did best when it was simply presented to her without any fluff.

"The more I know you, the more I like you," I hurried to say.

"I like you too," she assured me. "That's why we're friends."

"The other like, Ayla."

Her entire body stilled. She didn't freeze like the tailed, but I swore she stopped breathing. Those blue eyes of hers held mine as she thought about that.

So I decided to keep going. "That doesn't mean anything has to change, okay? I just don't want to lie to you. See, you're an amazing woman, and the more I know you, the more I want to know you, but I also like when you hold my hand, or like this, playing with Holly."

"Oh."

Shit. I had no clue what that meant. "It's just..." I pulled in a breath. "I'm jealous of them. You kissed Zasen and Rymar - and that's okay - but if you ever, I dunno, want to hold my hand, or hug me, or, um, kiss?"

Standing there so still, I saw when she swallowed. "And that doesn't keep us from being friends, right?"

"Never," I swore. "I just thought you should know that sometimes I think you're beautiful, and all times I think you're brilliant. Being around you makes me smile. I mean, I know you don't want to do things, but, um, I'm just trying to be honest with you. You made me like you."

"So you want to court me?" she asked.

"No," I assured her. "Nope. Ayla, I'm a Dragon, and I'm so proud of you for asking to kiss Rymar. It means you don't let anything scare you. And Dragons don't own our women. We share a life with them, which is why we call it being partners. See, my idea of a relationship is, well, this. Someone who likes talking with me. Someone who wants to spend time around me, maybe hold my hand, or if she's into it, even kiss me."

She glanced away, but I could see her cheeks getting darker. "I like kissing. I thought it would hurt because the first one did, but that was a Mole." She glanced back at me from the corner of her eye, then shifted awkwardly. "But I don't want to be a wife."

"I don't want to be a husband," I promised. "I want to stay your friend. I want to keep things as they are, but I just felt that you should know I think about kissing you sometimes."

"Yeah?" she asked warily.

I nodded, feeling my hopes crumbling. "Yeah. I'm sorry, but I do like kissing. I like touching."

"Dragons are made for it," she mumbled.

"Yeah," I breathed. "But touching the person they want." I shifted around her so she had to face me. "I will never do anything you don't want. We're friends first, and I hope we will always be friends, but you are beautiful too. That doesn't have to stop us from being friends, okay? Just like me and Rymar."

"He likes you," she said. "I don't know if I'm supposed to tell you that."

I ducked my head and chuckled. "Probably not, but I already know." Then I grimaced. "But I don't have any urge to kiss men. I only like women that way."

"I don't want to kiss women," she said.

"So I guess we're both straight, huh? One more thing we have in common." I shrugged, hoping that would ease this awkwardness a bit.

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