Page 50 of Charming the Dragon
His dragon sniffed.We’ve met Hayley, held her, and tasted her skin. It’s not the same.
But in a way, it is. She’ll have to give up everything to be with us, to leave her human life behind to live with dragon-shifters. That’s the same choice Tracey had to face.
Just do your bloody best to win Hayley and ruin her for other men.
You make that sound easy, but I’m not a master flirt.
No, but I don’t think she wants that. At any rate, you need to learn more about her. She keeps asking us questions, but you don’t do so in return.
As they glided along the lake in his dragon form, with Hayley on his back again, he tried to recall their conversations. And the female did have a way of turning the questions on him. He’d have to work on that, because he wanted to know more about her, too.
When they finally reached the opposite shore, Nathan placed Hayley on the ground. She turned around without asking—such a pity—and he placed his satchel to the side before shifting. His wings shrank into his back, his limbs returned to legs and arms, and his snout eventually became his nose again. He quickly grabbed trousers from the bag and put them on. Then he walked up to Hayley, leaned close, and whispered, “I’m decent.”
She leaned back until her soft body rested against his front, and she murmured, “As much as I love your dragon form, I’m becoming rather fond of your chest.”
He wrapped his arms around her, notched his chin on her shoulder, and a sense of rightness settled over him.
Did all dragon-shifters feel like this around their true mates? As if the world could melt away and he’d never notice?
Hayley leaned more into him and sighed. “I really want to stay like this and revel in your heat and strength, but we’ve come all this way and I want to know what’s down one of those unmarked tunnels.”
His dragon laughed.I like her curiosity.
After slowly releasing her, he walked to face her. Her cheeks were flushed, and it took everything he had to keep his cock from hardening. “Want to make a guess about what we’ll find?”
She pushed up her glasses. “It could be anything.”
“Exactly. But guessing at what it might be makes it all the more fun.”
And it’ll help her forget about being underground. But he didn’t mention that part.
Hayley tapped her chin a few times. “Well, since it could be anything, I’m going to guess we find a dragon’s hoard.”
“Dragons don’t hide away treasure like in your human stories. Unless you count our mates, and that’s only if they’re in danger.”
“Good. Because if you try to lock me in a tower for my protection, I’ll find a way out and hunt you down to give you a piece of my mind.”
His lips twitched. “Would you, now?”
“Yes. I even know some people who are good at tracking down others.”
He frowned. “Why do you need to know people who do that?”
“Because sometimes witnesses run away and need to be found. It’s not official or anything, but I can be rather determined.”
“But can’t that be dangerous?”
“A few times it has been. But if I need someone to watch my back, I have some former special forces guys I hire. Discreetly, of course.”
His dragon growled.I don’t like that she needs security.
Me, either.
He asked, “Are you still in danger, Hayley? Tell me the truth.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. A few years ago, I had a close call, at least until the police captured the man stalking me. He tried to set my flat on fire but failed, thankfully.”
“Bloody hell, Hayley. I don’t like that.”
