Page 31 of Charming the Dragon
“You could work on it a little.”
As they smiled at each other, Hayley imagined teasing him at every meal, trying to make him laugh until they both were breathless. Naturally, a charged silence would fall, one that ended with them kissing in the bedroom.
Stop it.With a deep breath, she nodded, rushed off, and focused on finding supplies to do her first ever cave exploration.
Chapter Nine
As soon as Hayley left, Nathan’s dragon spoke up.You saw and heard it too, didn’t you?
Her pupils dilating and heart rate kicking up? Yes. But it doesn’t mean I’ll do anything.
You’re so bloody stubborn.
Someone has to protect us. And if you bring up how she’s probably our true mate again, I’ll toss you back into a mental maze.
You can’t keep doing that and hope things will change.
Maybe not. But the more time Nathan spent around Hayley, the more he wanted to act on the urge to kiss her.Getting out of this place is our top priority. You should remember that, given how we might not be able to shift until we’re either rescued or find a way out.
It hasn’t even been a day. There’s plenty of time to worry about that.
Typical dragon, thinking about the now and not the long-term.
His beast sniffed.You think too much about the long-term. To the point you have our entire future planned out—one where we’re alone because you’re afraid of risking anything again.
Ignoring his dragon, Nathan finished cleaning up and then went to the pantry. He found Hayley bent over some boxes, reaching for something in the back. For a few beats, he couldn’t drag his gaze from her arse. Given how she wore trousers, they highlighted her every curve. Fuck, what he wouldn’t give to rub one cheek and then the other before he reached down to see if she was wet for him.
“A-ha!”
Hayley’s voice snapped him out of his head. After readjusting himself, he asked, “What did you find?”
She shrieked and spun around, her hand over her chest. “You scared me. Don’t do that!”
After crossing his arms over his chest—to ensure he didn’t reach for her—he shrugged. “I just walked normally. If I really wanted to sneak up on you, you’d never hear it.”
She rolled her eyes. “Dragonmen and their cockiness, I swear.”
“Comes with the territory. After all, I can change into a massive beast.” She stuck out her tongue, and he nearly burst out laughing but resisted. “What did you find?”
After staring at him for another second, she turned back around, grabbed something, and lifted it. “It’s a box of chocolates!”
He raised his brows. “That’s why you cheered? It’s not exactly at the top of my list of supplies for a cavern exploration trip.”
“It should be. Snacks are important, plus chocolate just makes everything better.” He grunted, and she stepped closer to him, close enough he caught her scent again. Thankfully, she spoke, and he focused on her words. “Finding this isn’t just about my cravings, though, and has significance. Chocolatedoesn’t last as long as army rations. And since these haven’t expired, it means someone was here in the last year.”
“That’s…perceptive of you.”
“I’m not sure if I should say thank you or be offended.”
Sighing, he uncrossed his arms. “I’m not trying to point out your every flaw, Hayley. I promise. But I’m not a charmer like my cousin and instead tend to say what’s on my mind, often without thinking. So if I offend you and we’re not having a proper row, then I apologize in advance.”
Her face softened. “Few guys would do that, you know.”
“Do what?”
“Both admit a flaw and apologize to me.”
“Then you’ve spent time with the wrong kind of males.”
