Page 72 of Charming the Dragon
Someone knocked on the door and he said, “Come in.”
Hayley poked her head in. The sight of her glasses, slightly disheveled hair, and brown eyes sent a wave of possessiveness through him. It might take some convincing, but Hayley Beckett was his female and no one else’s.
“Hi ya.”
Hayley stepped inside, shut the door, and readjusted her glasses. “If you’re too tired, I can come back later.”
Doing his best to hide his discomfort, he motioned with his bandaged hand. “I was waiting for you.”
“Oh.” Her gaze moved to his hand, and she frowned. Within seconds, she was at his side. “How long will it take for you to heal? I thought dragon-shifters healed fairly quickly.”
“We do. But it takes more than a few hours, love.”
After a few beats of silence, her gaze finally met his again. She plucked at his bed covering before finally saying, “Why is this so awkward?”
He raised an eyebrow. “If I were at full health, I would have already pulled you close and nuzzled your neck, Hayley. As soon as I get the all clear from Dr. Sid, I have a lot of convincing to do. After all, you still haven’t completely cleared me of being lazy.”
She smiled, and his heart warmed. After gingerly sitting on the side of the mattress, the human placed a hand on his upper chest. Her light fingers against his bare skin sent a mixture of relief and heat throughout his body.
His dragon spoke up.Before she leaves this room, convince her she’s ours.
I’ll try my best, dragon. Now, hush.
His beast settled down, curled up, and waited to see what happened.
Hayley asked, “How’s your dragon doing?”
“Impatient to get the hell out of here. It’s better than being stuck underground, but he wants to feel the wind against his scales as he soars through the air.”
Her eyes lit up. “I’d love to see that! I don’t think I can sit on your back for that, though. Maybe someday you can take me up in one of those little baskets.”
He placed his hand over hers on his chest. “I’m sure that can be arranged. As long as you aren’t terrified of heights.”
“Strangely, no. I loved it when I got to stand along the Cliffs of Dover and look out across the sea to France. Some of thelocals said dragons used to fly alongside the cliffs, but aren’t allowed to any longer, which is a pity.”
“I’ve never been that far south, so I don’t know much about the cliffs.”
“Is it because of the restrictions on dragon-shifters?” He nodded, and she added, “Well, I’m going to add that to my list of things to work on—to see dragons flying near the Cliffs of Dover again.” She nodded to herself. “I’m sure I remember a law or treaty I saw one time, about giving dragons the right to fly over the ocean. I just need to find it again.”
The corner of his mouth ticked up. “You’re brilliant, Hayley Beckett. I hope you know that.”
Her cheeks flushed, and she cleared her throat. “All I can do is try, although there are no guarantees.” She paused, then smiled at him. “And given what I heard a little while ago about your computer skills, you’re pretty brilliant yourself.”
Now he wondered what people were saying about him.
Regardless, he couldn’t resist teasing his human and said, “Pity, I wish you thought I was brilliant for making you scream my name earlier.”
“Nathan!”
He laughed and then groaned. Hayley caressed his brow and asked, “Are you okay? Should I fetch the doctor?”
“No, no, I’m okay. By morning, my ribs should be good as new. If it were really bad, Dr. Sid probably would’ve had me shift. We heal faster in our dragon forms than our human ones.”
“And your hands too?”
“They’ll be a lot better, but it may take two days before I start climbing any more ropes.”
“Let’s hope you don’t have to. I’m full up on adventure for the time being.”
