Page 44 of Taming
The dragon’s wings are tucked in tightly and he waits with stiff posture, his gaze peering down at me momentarily.
Hmm, he’s being oddly obedient.
Maybe I have tamed him well after all.
From behind me, footsteps sound high above on the stairs, somewhere on the second floor it sounds like.
Rime’s either trying to get back on my good side or—
Right before my eyes the large dragon begins to swirl in a cloud of pale smoke. My lips part with terror.
Please no.
I check over my shoulder. No one’s here.
But those footsteps are growing closer by the second.
When I turn back around, there before me, in all his fucking beautiful nakedness, is Rime. A cruel smile pulls at his full lips as he tilts his head at me to glare down on me from beneath his thick lashes.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“Change back.” I point aimlessly at the ground, my foot stomping against the smooth white tile.
“No.” His arms fold across his chiseled chest. “I think I look better like this, don’t you agree?” He lifts his arms as if to show me the full package.
As if I haven’t seen his full fucking package a dozen times now.
“You’re going to get us killed. Change back.”
“You’re not a very nice person, Arlow. Neither am I.” His speech spikes fear into me with every second that passes. “Do you think your perfect Prince would be angry to find you with a naked man instead of the fierce dragon you promised him?”
The footsteps become louder and, when I realize the asshole isn’t going to be the good fucking pet that I pretend he is, I grip his arm. In a rush, I shove him into the closest closet.
I could use my magic to lock him in there. I could silence him with a wave of my hand. And explain this all to Linden with the most logical of excuses.
Until Rime grips my wrist and pulls me into the closet with him.
I peer out at the Prince’s shining shoes that I can barely see coming down the curving staircase. With my heart pounding, I do the only thing I can think of: I close the door.
Darkness secludes us, but it doesn’t seem to change the fact that I know he’s smirking. My arms fold across my chest as I listen intently.
“We should probably be quiet,” he stage whispers just as the steps outside come to a halt.
“Please do not say a word,” I say under my breath.
A dominant step brings his body flush against mine. His chest presses against my breasts, and I tip my head up at him to see the shadows of his sharp features.
“I won’t say a word.”
The warmth of his body seeps into mine, attempting to distract me with his nearness.
His head tilts and I tense in confusion as his lips brush the side of my neck. A shaking breath claims my lungs. I snap my mouth closed as his tongue sears over my throat before he presses another slow kiss to my collarbone. I feel that kiss in a much deeper place but the confusing way my body reacts to his annoys me as well as intrigues me.
I know this is a testing and tormenting game he’s playing. But all I can think about is how good his hands feel locked around my hips even as the Prince’s voice cuts through the darkness.
Rime’s distracting; too distracting, and too good with his mouth. I think he’s right; we’re both terrible people who keep throwing each other into terrible situations. His nipping teeth against my neck feels like a test to see if I’ll out myself rather than allowing him to do it. I’m not going to. I still have a chance at the money that will build my future. And I refuse to let Rime ruin that for me because his tongue is more talented than I ever realized.
“Where is she?” the Prince asks.
