Page 32 of Charming the Dragon
He only caught her next words because of his supersensitive hearing. “Yes, some of them were the wrong kind.”
His dragon spoke up.Someone hurt her, or multiple someones have. Once we’re out of here, we need to figure out who and punish them.
Since Nathan could make their lives a living hell from his computer, it was so fucking tempting.
Hayley laughed nervously. “Don’t worry about those guys. They’re long gone.” She hesitated and then blurted, “But if we’re being honest about faults, then my experience with those awful men has made me a bit defensive.”
“You don’t say.” She glared, and he softened his tone. “I’m sorry they were arseholes to you, Hayley. You deserve better.”
Her breath hitched and, without thinking, he reached out and tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear.
They stared at each other as he lightly stroked her skin. Nathan’s heart raced, and he couldn’t seem to remove his hand from her cheek.
Hayley bit her bottom lip, and his eyes zeroed in on it. Fuck, it would be so easy to lean in and kiss her and make her forget all about the bastards from her past.
His beast hummed.Yes, yes, kiss her. I like that idea. Then she’d be ours, for always.
As if burned, Nathan dropped his hand and retreated a few steps. Hayley’s expression was a mixture of confusion and hurt.
He hated that he’d hurt her. And yet, it was better this way. Kissing the human would make them both unhappy. Not to mention it might terrify her, if their kiss started a mate-claim frenzy.
Instead, he focused back on the pantry and went looking for a few things. They worked in silence as Nathan found a pack and some basic supplies. Hayley added chocolate and candles to his stash, and eventually she asked, “Is that enough for a quick trip?”
He slid on the pack and then hoisted up two huge bags of rice. “Yes. And we’ll use these to hold open the door. Come on.”
She held an unlit candle close to her chest and followed him out of the pantry and into the bathroom. The door was still open, which was a good sign. However, he wasn’t taking any chances and placed the two twenty-pound bags of rice in front of it. “That should keep it from closing. Do you want me to lead the way or for you to do it?”
She blinked. “You’d let me?”
“Only if you want to. You discovered the door, after all.”
“It’s probably better if I follow you, given how you can see in the dark, even without a candle. There are a few electric lights, but I don’t know how far they go.”
He patted his pack. “Hold on to the back for now. That way, even if it’s dark, you won’t be alone.”
After she lit the candle and gripped his pack, Nathan walked slowly, doing his best to ignore Hayley’s breathing and scent, and focused on the tunnel leading downward.
Hayley heldonto both the candle and Nathan’s pack as if her life depended on it. Which it just might, given they were going into the unknown.
True, she’d wanted a little adventure while working on Stonefire, but cave exploration hadn’t really been her first thought. Hell, not even her tenth.
Still, she had learned to be flexible early in her career, and that trait came in handy now as they walked along the tunnel. It widened every five or so feet until it opened up to a giant cavern filled with stalagmites, stalactites, and even a lake.
Wait, a lake? But yes, it was a large body of water that went so far into the distance that she couldn’t see the other side, not even with the dim lights overhead. She finally found her voice. “Did you know this existed beneath your clan?”
He shook his head. “No. And you think I would. But maybe there’s a reason Kai and Bram kept it a secret from everyone else. And yes, I’d bet everything I own they know it’s here.”
She released his pack and walked closer to the shore. “It’s massive. Can you even see the opposite shore or wall?”
“Not even with my keen eyesight. Maybe I could go for a swim to determine just how far back it goes.”
“Don’t leave me!”
She slapped a hand over her mouth, mortified at how needy she sounded.
Nathan turned to face her and took her free hand. “I won’t, Hayley, I promise. But there is a way we can both go.”
“If you suggest I try to match pace with a dragonman in the water, then that’s not going to happen. I can swim, but not overly well.”
