Page 38 of Charming the Dragon
And earlier, she’d even enjoyed riding on his back in his dragon form.
Maybe she truly was different.
His dragon said softly,There are plenty of human females on Stonefire who love and embrace all sides of their dragon mates and are happy. We could have that with Hayley.
Nathan didn’t outright dismiss it, but he also didn’t whole-heartedly embrace his dragon’s words.
No, his head was swirling with all the possibilities, both good and bad, and how he’d have to risk his heart again if Hayley really was his true mate.
She walked up, wrapped her arms around his waist, laid her head against his chest, and squeezed. As she spoke, her hot breath danced across his skin. “You looked like you needed a hug. Maybe under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have just gone and done it without asking. But we’re alone, stuck underground, and need to rely on each other to survive. So I’m going to hug you whenever I think you need it, for both your mental health and mine.”
He gingerly wrapped his arms around her, hugged her back, and laid his cheek atop her hair.
The warm, soft human in his arms simply felt like she’d always belonged there.
A day ago, he would’ve pushed her away and ran.
But now? Now he didn’t know what he would do with her. Give her a chance? Or create distance between them to protect his heart?
Regardless, he couldn’t act until they returned to the surface. Because if, and it was a big if, he ever did kiss her and started a mate-claim frenzy, he wanted her to have the option of refusing him and fleeing.
Bloody hell, was he really thinking about a frenzy with Hayley?
His dragon spoke up.We can do a lot without kissing her on the mouth.
And for the first time, Nathan started to wonder if his dragon was on to something.
Hayley had only meantto give Nathan a brief hug, one of comfort, and step away.
But he’d wrapped his arms around her, laid his head atop hers, and she hadn’t found the strength to pull away.
It was silly, given she’d only really spent time with him since yesterday. She didn’t know him very well, and yet being stuck together in an underground bunker complex had changed everything.
Between working together to turn the power on, exploring the lake, and him revealing his past, they’d formed a kind of friendship. She should be okay with that. It should be enough.
However, as she snuggled against his firm, warm chest and soaked in his heat and scent, Hayley wanted more. Much more.
For him to lift her chin and kiss her.
For him to be her true mate and start a frenzy.
For him to be the future she’d once dreamed of but had thought would never happen.
His voice rumbled beneath her ear, snapping her out of her head. “Hug me anytime you want, Hayley. This might be the best hug of my life.”
She nearly lifted her head, but didn’t want to let him go just yet. “Are you trying to be charming?”
“No. I’m not very good at that and merely speak the truth. You’re warm and soft and the past faded away as soon as you wrapped your arms around me.”
Even though she didn’t want to, Hayley lifted her head to meet his gaze. His pupils flashed from slits to round and back again and were full of heat and tenderness.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she became even more aware of her body pressed against his. She could barely manage to say, “Nathan?”
She was being ridiculous now. The usually eloquent solicitor had been reduced to merely saying a name.
He smiled, which only made her heart race faster. Then he raised a hand and lightly traced her cheek. Hayley leaned into the touch, almost humming like his dragon had done earlier.
His hot breath danced across her ear as he whispered, “I would say more, but we’re trapped down here and I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable. But once we’re free and back topside, we have a lot more to discuss, Hayley Beckett. Much more.”
