Page 36 of Happily Ever Witch
“There are enough.” He didn’t sound thrilled to have more of his kind in the world. Dragons hated other dragons even more than they hated everybody else. “Hopefully, we don’t meet any. You smell like poisoned candy. Tempting and dangerous. You’ll start a war.”
“Is that… a compliment?” She guessed skeptically.
“Of course it’s a compliment. What woman wouldn’t want to start a dragon war, just to see the flames?”
“Me. I don’t want to set the world on fire.”
He made atskof a sound, like she lacked imagination. “The Good in you truly does hold you back.”
Esmeralda flicked him off again, even though he couldn’t see it. “I’m going to sleep, now.”
He disregarded that conversation ender. “It’s just as well you’re so drearily wholesome, I suppose. I want to bathe in the scent of you, so other dragons will no doubt feel the same. And I don’t have enough power to kill a dragon right now.”
“I’m pretty sureIcould manage. I’ve been brainstorming ways to murder one, all day.”
Another deep chuckle. “You are the only person I’ve ever spent hours and hours with, who’s yet to bore me. Do you think that’s because you’re my True Love?” He kept talking, answering his own question. “That must be it. Some kind of biological response.”
“Probably.” He’d never bored her either and she wasn’t known for her long attention span.
Another beat of silence. When he spoke again, he sounded more grim. “Other shifter species will also be able to smell you, to various degrees. Wolves. Lions. Coyotes. Possibly the centaur.”
Esmeralda wrinkled her nose. The centaurs were barbarians. She didn’t want them smelling her.
“Most assorted monsters will be able to scentmeon you too, though. And then they’ll know to back the fuck up. I have a reputation for lunatic violence and not sharing well.” The bed moved like Trevelyan was trying to see her through the pillow-wall. “That’s why it’s important that you allow me to touch you, soon. It’s not just about sex. I want my scent all over you, so everyone else stays away.”
“Wow, thatswooshingsound you just heard was me being swept off my feet.”
He made an irritated noise. “You’re being a child about this. I’m going to touch you sooner or later. We both know it. It might as well be now.”
“You might as well blow me.”
“Oh, sooner or later, I’ll be doing that, as well.” It was a sensual promise.
An image of that flickered through Esmeralda’s mind and she mentally cursed. The True Love bond was making it hard to think for wanting him and picturing his dark head between her legs was not helping her cool down.
The dragon knew it, too. She could sense him smirking into the darkness.
Lightning flashed, jarring her from the unwanted fantasy. She flinched. “Trevelyan?”
“Yes?”
“Are you still going to be here in the morning?” The question was out before she could censor it.
The man wasn’t the most reliable person she’d ever met. If the barrier lifted somehow, she could imagine himabandoning her in the Heart Palace and going his own way. Being stuck someplace all alone --while rain poured down and thunder rolled-- was Esmeralda’s worse nightmare. If he planned on vanishing, she’d rather know now, so she could mentally prepare.
“Maybe.” There was a negligent shrug in his voice. “When I inevitably run out on you, I’ll be sure to leave a note, though.”
“I’ll be sure to do the same.” Esmeralda pulled the covers over her head.
“Are you cold?” He asked, sounding confused. “I feel like you’re wrapping all the blankets around you. If you need some body heat, you should come over to my side of the ‘wall.’ I guarantee I could keep youverywarm.”
Lord, but the man was easy to detest. “Good night.” The words were like bullets.
A thoughtful silence, like he was still trying to figure something out. “You’re afraid of the rain, aren’t you?” He asked in a less mocking tone.
Shit.
“You’d be afraid of the rain too, if it melted you.” She shot back.
