Page 37 of To Spark a Dragon's Love
When I opened my eyes, Malachy was staring at me. “Where were you just now?”
Embarrassed, I shook my head and started moving forward. It was hard to explain.
“Did everything go according to your plan?” I asked to change the subject. Malachy stiffened. “Except for Cain’s intrusion,” I hurried to add.
He still hadn’t relaxed when we stepped down from the porch, but he hadn’t let go of my arm either. Now that the show was over, I wasn’t sure why he was still keeping up pretenses.
“Thank you for dealing with that,” Malachy finally spoke as we continued across the yard at a leisurely pace as if this were some romantic moonlit stroll.
I glanced behind us at the windows, wondering if he sensed someone watching.
“It was the least I could do for the… guardian.” I didn’t mean to giggle. All my emotions were all over the place and a little laugh just kind of slipped out.
It was worth it.
The corner of his lips twitched. An almost smile.
“Is my position a joke to you?”
“Of course not.” I wasn’t sure if he was trying to be playful, but I didn’t want to offend him. “You do have to admit, tonight was a lot.”
There was something that rumbled in his chest. It could’ve been laughter or the start of pneumonia.
But it was cute and I couldn’t stop staring at him from the corner of my eye as we walked.
“What?” he asked.
I bit my bottom lip and released it. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were enjoying yourself tonight.”
Malachy stopped walking and ran a hand over his chin. I thought he’d pull away, but he kept close to my side. So close, I was forced to crane my neck to look up at him.
“You could say that,” he whispered. The moon hung bright in the cloudless night above making the dirt on the road look like fallen snow. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a breath of fresh air.”
I knew that feeling. It was why I always tried to escape outside where I felt like I could truly breathe.
“I’m sorry you’ve had to suffer so long.” I smiled.
The world seemed to darken around us despite the clear night as Malachy leaned closer and inhaled deeply. There it was again—the pained expression that I’d seen in his dragon’s eye. The same one that haunted my dreams.
I swallowed hard. “You’re leaving tomorrow.”
It wasn’t a question.
He nodded once. “Earth will call soon.”
It wasn’t an answer, but I don’t think he knew the right one. I didn’t either. All I knew was that it was getting darker and the heat between us was growing hotter by the minute. His hand clenched and unclenched as if he were holding himself back from touching me. If I didn’t step away, I’d burn.
Malachy licked his lips and my eyes traced the movement.
Now that I think of it... What’s one more night?
Dignity was overrated anyway.
I deserved to have some fun.
Malachy seemed to read my thoughts because his pupils slit into diamonds as he finally reached up and brushed his fingers along my chin.
“You’re tempting a monster,” he rumbled.
