Page 52 of Charming the Dragon
And now, oh now, she gripped the back of his trousers and could feel the tops of his hard buttocks.
Ones she definitely wanted to dig her nails into.
Before she could fantasize about what else she wanted to do with the dragonman, they reached the tunnel entrance on the far right. Nathan stopped, looked over his shoulder, and asked, “Are you ready?”
She held up her still unlit candle, wishing they’d found some torches instead. “Ready.”
“If at any time you need to turn around and come back here, just tell me. I don’t want you to have a panic attack or relive the horrors of your childhood, if I can help it.”
“I know. And as long as we’re together, it should be okay. You seem to chase away the bad memories.”
His pupils flashed a few times as she tried to read his expression. But the Nathan from earlier, who’d let every emotion shine through, had vanished.
It was probably for the best, given how they didn’t have a lot of time and needed to focus on finding an exit to the surface.
She spoke again. “Let’s go. I’m eager to see Stonefire’s treasure hoard.” He rolled his eyes, and she laughed before adding, “You still haven’t told me what you think we’ll find.”
“I need more information first. Then I’ll make a guess.”
“You’re no fun. It doesn’t have to be serious or correct. You could say we’ll find a room full of rainbows and butterflies, and I wouldn’t bat an eyelash.”
He raised his brows. “Do I look like a rainbows and butterflies kind of male?”
“Hmm, you could be. Maybe with a jagged-looking butterfly. One on your other upper arm, so you have tattoos on each. I can give other reasons why you could be exactly those things, too. If you’re curious?”
“I know better than to argue with a solicitor. So, let’s go. Tell me if we need to turn around.”
Hayley stuck out her tongue. Nathan chuckled, and it made her forget about the upcoming tunnel and darkness and the unknown.
Then they were walking again, and she tightened her grip on his trousers. Thankfully, the lights turned on as they entered, probably with some kind of motion sensor. However, the tunnel was narrow and Nathan’s broad shoulders barely fit.
She blurted, “Maybe this is designed to keep intruders from rushing inside.”
“Pardon?”
“This tunnel brings to mind some castles I’ve visited. They often have narrow, winding staircases leading to the important parts of the building. That way, invaders couldn’t surprise them by racing up in large numbers to kill or capture someone.”
“It only takes one person to assassinate a target.”
“You’re an assassin now?”
Nathan shook his head. “No. But history was one of my favorite subjects as a child. And the battles and invasions were some of the best parts. Assassinations weren’t quite as common, but still happened.”
“History was my favorite in school as well. But I knew if I studied it and earned a Ph.D., then I’d probably learn to hate it. Or, at least, the politics of working at a university.”
“And so you chose the politics of the courts.”
“At least with the law, I can find facts and previous cases to try and sway someone else’s opinion. That’s miles better than having to kiss someone’s arse just to get the funding I need, like at a university.”
“I suppose.”
“At any rate, regarding history and dragon-shifter history in particular, we didn’t learn much, and I’ve always wondered about it. How much was left out on purpose? How much of human history was changed to flatter the humans in their victories? That kind of thing.”
“I’m not an expert by any means. However, you’ll probably discover a lot in the records, once we escape, and you can compare it to what you already know.”
“And maybe someday, someone can write history using both sides—human and dragon.”
“I somehow doubt they’ll teach an equal view in human schools.”
