Page 33 of Charming the Dragon
“No, not that.” He gestured up. “Look at how tall this place is. I can shift into my dragon form, float on the water, and you can sit on my back, holding my neck so you don’t fall off.”
She blinked. “Um, what?”
“Haven’t you ever wanted to ride a dragon?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to make a dirty joke, but she resisted.Focus, Hayley. A way out might be close by.She replied, “I thought dragon-shifters found it beneath them to allow humans to ride them.”
“For strangers, yes. But we’re a team, you and me. And we need to stick together. I can swim faster as a dragon, and so it makes sense for you to hold on, allowing us to explore as much as possible before we need to head back.”
As a little girl, she’d watched the young dragon girl swim in the sea at Brighton. Martha had looked so carefree as she played, and her joy had been the reason Hayley had approached her. For a brief few minutes, she’d thought that maybe the dragon girl would take her out with her, and she could finally pet a dragon’s hide.
But that dream had been cut short less than an hour later, when Martha was taken away and confined to her clan.
Hayley’s first impulse was to say no, she didn’t want to ride Nathan’s dragon. However, as she glanced around the massive cavern, she knew Nathan wouldn’t be arrested or detained since there was no one to see them. “Okay, let’s do it. Although maybe I can practice sitting on your back first before we get into the water. Given my clumsiness, I might fall the first few times.”
His gaze turned fierce. “I will catch you, Hayley. Always.”
Silly as it was, she believed him. She nodded. “Okay.”
After shrugging off his pack, he took out a few things and stuffed them into a strange-looking satchel. Nathan then moved away from her and motioned his finger in a circle. “Turn around so I can shift.”
Even though she was curious about what Nathan might look like naked, she twirled and faced away from him, her cheeks hot. “How will I know when you’re done?”
“I’ll nudge you with my snout.”
She heard the rustling of clothing. Was it his top? His trousers? Was he already naked?
His voice garnered her attention. “I won’t be able to talk in my dragon form, but simply say the word, and I’ll shift back as quickly as I can. Maybe later I can teach you the wing signals we use to communicate, but we don’t have the time right now.”
“Sounds good.” She stood a little taller and resisted fiddling with the button on her cardigan. “It’s showtime.”
He chuckled, and her lips curled into a smile. It made her want to tease him even more.
However, movement against the small stones on the ground reached her ears, followed by something that sounded like faint popping. Eventually, beating wings sent air rushing over her, but Hayley didn’t turn around. Not yet.
A large thing gently touched her back.This was it.She was finally going to see a dragon up close for the first time.
Slowly, she turned around and came face-to-face with a large, slitted dragon’s eye. It was huge, bigger than her head, and intense. “Um, hi.”
He leaned back, and she took in his tall form. His scales were red, dim in the faint light, but she could just imagine them glinting in the sunshine. His wings were slightly opened behind him, and the membrane was thin enough for some light to show through. Then his tail flicked back and forth, reminding her of a cat.
Nathan’s dragon tilted his head, as if to ask, “Well?”
Without missing a beat, she rushed forward and reached up. The dragon lowered his head, and she stroked his snout. The scales were warm but smooth, and she soon heard humming. “I’m guessing that means you like it?”
The dragon grunted and leaned his head ever more toward her. She reached up, petting between his horns and ears, and then back down again. The humming grew louder, to the point something small fell from the ceiling.
He raised a wing over her and the rock bounced off and into the water.
They stared at one another, and she smiled. “Thank you. I never thought I’d need a dragon’s protection, but your giant wing came in handy, even if it was your fault that the rock fell in the first place.”
He looked upward and then back again. After scanning the cavern, he lowered his wing and settled down onto his stomach. Even with him lying on the ground, his shoulder was still up higher than she was tall.
Before she could ask how she was supposed to get up there, his tail gently wrapped around her middle and placed her along his spine. Even though he released her, his tail stayed close, no doubt ready to catch her if she fell.
Hayley leaned forward and braced her hands on Nathan’s back. She couldn’t help but stroke his scales a few times before scooting forward toward his neck. His scales were slippery, though, and she nearly fell off twice.
Out of breath, she finally reached his neck and wrapped her arms around it. Then she laid her cheek against his scales, closed her eyes, and simply reveled in living out her girlhood fantasy of riding a dragon.
