Page 35 of Been There Dragon That
Not even an hour after Rylee had fallen asleep, his little mate had burrowed under her pillow wall and curled her body into his, seeking heat, or comfort, or the intimacy she wouldn’t admit she wanted.
It didn’t matter to him why she ended up in his arms, just that she had. Her scent filled his lungs, and her soft curves were heaven in his hands.
She slept soundly all night, and he slept on and off, dueling with his instinct to claim her in every way and also give her the space she needed to choose him. He wasn’t above playing a little dirty, like the kiss last night, but ultimately, this mating was her choice.
They had a lot to learn about each other. He wasn’t the only one hiding secrets. Eventually, she would trust him enough to share more. And at some point, he would have to explain that he was more than human.
His cell phone blared out Kann’s ringtone, a rendition of the Guns N’ RosesWelcome to the Jungle, and Rylee jerked awake in his arms.
Wrath reluctantly released her and rolled to reach for the phone off his nightstand. “What?” His voice was deep and growly and annoyed as he answered the call.
Rylee made a quick retreat back to her side of the bed, but she didn’t getoffthe bed. He considered that a small win.
“Henrietta’s store took a few hits last night during the storm. Owen and Tara are already there. I’m headed out now with Col and Aarav. We could—”
“We’ll be there.” He hung up on the lion shifter and put the phone back on the nightstand.
“We’ll be where?” Rylee asked.
“The storm knocked out some windows at the grocery store.” He sat up and let the sheet fall away from his bare chest. Rylee unconsciously licked her lips, and he enjoyed the way her gaze perused over his body.
“That’s terrible.”
“We’re meeting the others there to help clean up,” he said, his tone casual. “It’s my day off, so after we get Henrietta taken care of, I can show you around town if you’d like.”
“I really need you to take me back to my house so I can get some clothes and real shoes. If it hasn’t blown up yet, do you think it’s safe to do that?”
He nodded, still pleased that she couldn’t seem to pull her gaze away from his chest for more than a second. “I’ll find the gas line and turn it off in case, but yes. We can swing by there first.”
Wrath swung his legs out of the bed and got up, stretching until his back cracked a couple of times. He reached for the hem of his sweatpants and shoved them down.
“Wait! Let me go out before you go all thunder down under again on me. Give a girl some warning.”
He looked over his shoulder. She was covering her eyes and feeling her way out of his bedroom.
“You enjoyed looking. Why would I deny my mate the opportunity?”
“Boundaries! Wrath. I’ve known you less than twenty-four hours.”
“Doesn’t matter to me how long I’ve known you. You’re my soulmatch.” He shoved the sweatpants all the way to the floor and walked over to his dresser. “Can you look me in the eye, Rylee, and tell me again that this connection between us isn’t athing?” He spoke loud enough that she would be able to hear him clearly, even though she’d left the bedroom.
The hallway where she stood outside the bedroom was silent. She was still there, though. Wrath could hear her heart beating.
“I don’t know what to call the thing between us. But we are not to the level where you get to walk around naked.”
He pulled on a fresh pair of pants and chuckled. “You can come back in the bedroom, Rylee.”
She crept around the corner, peeking first, and then entering fully. “Look. I’m fresh out of a really terrible relationship, and I was not looking to replace him with anyone anytime soon.”
Jealousy wrapped itself around Wrath’s lungs and squeezed. His dragon rumbled from deep inside.Claim. Our. Mate.
“This attraction between us is a bit of a surprise, and I was not prepared for it or you or the intensity behind your claim that I’m this fated person for you. I need you to slow down.”
“I don’t do slow, but I will agree to not strip in front of you again unless you request it.”
She snorted out a laugh and ran her hands through her loose purple hair. He wanted to touch it again. It was shiny and soft and smelled like flowers. She smelled like flowers and tasted like the sweetest nectar.
“Well, I suppose that’s a start then.” She gave him a glare and frowned. “What are you doing?”
