Page 20 of Under the Dragon's Spell
"Already changed into your jammies, I see. Too bad it's not your sexy cop outfit."
I blushed furiously, my cheeks heating up almost in an instant. So far, I'd dressed casually during my visit here, but that picture would haunt me forever.
"Don't be so embarrassed. The pictures the other guys sent weren't much better."
I looked aside, wanting him to drop the topic. "I was about to sleep."
"Would you like me to leave, then?"
No.
It was stupid, but just seeing him in here made my heart beat faster. I didn't want him to leave. If anything, I wanted him closer. My mind strayed to that article again. The one that had mentioned fate.
Don't be silly.
"I'd like to know why you came," I said, gathering myself.
"I wanted to apologize for earlier. You hit on a sensitive topic."
"It's okay. I shouldn't have tried to talk about all that over dinner. It's just…"
"Just what?"
I sighed and sat on the bed, still looking at Tyrel, who stood by the door with a curious expression on his face. "I always had this fantasy, I guess. That someday I would fall in love with a guy and he'd love me back and we'd raise a family together. This arrangement isn't…"
"Not really what you pictured, I assume?"
"No, it's not. I'm sorry."
For a moment, he remained silent by the door, a thoughtful expression on his face. Then he strode over to the bed and sat next to me.
"Do you want to quit?" he asked.
"I haven't made up my mind." I was definitely attracted to him, but that wasn't enough. "You know one of the things that don't fit into my fantasy?"
"Do tell."
"I never thought I'd have to compete for the guy I like with four other men like we're on some kind of stupid TV show."
Tyrel chuckled. "My mother thought this up. But be that as it may, you like me?"
He looked at me and I met his gaze. The intensity of his eyes sent a shudder down my back.
I made myself shrug, trying to appear nonchalant. I wasn't going to tell him that I wanted to get with him when only a few hours before, I'd seen him flirt with another man. Not even I was that desperate. Not after Rory.
"When we first met in that café, you said you found me fascinating. What did you mean by that?"
The corners of Tyrel's lips tugged up. "Do you know I'm not supposed to be in here? In any of your rooms?"
That wasn't exactly answering my question, but I decided to play along anyway. "I didn't know that. Why not?"
He inched a little closer, until I could feel the heat his skin radiated against my own skin. "My mother doesn't trust that I can control myself, I suppose. And humans are… well… most of them are rather easily swayed by my wishes."
I flashed back to our meeting in the café. To the thoughts he'd put in my head.
"Magic," I whispered.
He didn't smile, not quite, but there was an amused glint in his eyes that drew me to him. As he looked at me, I felt myself caught the same way I had out on the sidewalk that day. Like he'd thrown his net over me. The pull of his magic was so strong it was almost tangible, as if I could reach out and grasp a strand of it. If I'd been able to move at all. As it was, all I could do was stare at him and his softly glowing eyes.
