Page 33 of Saving the Last Heir
The massive head swung toward me, and I had to force myself not to flinch. Those strange eyes locked on mine again. I reached out, hesitant, and brushed my fingers across his snout and forehead, the skin beneath rigid but smooth. Looking at the dilated pupil again, I smirked at him.
“I’m going to ask about that at some point,” I said, tracing the ridges above that eye. “Makes you look like David Bowie.”
A heavy snort chuffed out of his huge nostrils, and Jackson rolled his dragon eyes at me before twisting and lowering his shoulder, folding his wing to allow me to climb up. For a few panicked seconds, I stared at the spot on his back where he wanted me to climb onto. Was Ireallydoing this? How many times had I seen this in movies, TV shows, and read it in books. Was I actually going to be a dragon rider?
Taking a steadying breath, I finally made my decision.
“Fuck it,” I grunted. Before I could chicken out, I climbed up onto his back.
He was incredibly warm, the heat of his body radiating up through my inner thighs and crotch. That was good, though, since I assumed it would get really chilly up in the air.
Settling in, I glanced around, unsure what to hold onto. Then I spotted two bony protrusions near the base of Jackson’s neck. Reaching out, I took hold of the horny projections.
“Okay,” I called, and I was happy to hear my voice was steady and calm. “I’m ready.”
Jackson rose, and the first flash of vertigo hit me. It was the same feeling you might have when riding a horse—moving, but not under your own power. And God, the sheer power of him was astounding. It made it less surprising that he’d been able to fly so far with a massive sports car clutched in his claws.
Squeezing the horns and clamping my thighs tight, I prepared for the liftoff. Jackson jumped upward, my stomach flipping as he did. We ascended nearly twenty feet from only the explosive power of his legs, his wings unfurling and flapping. Jaw open and eyes wide, I had to force myself to breathe as the first few strokes of his wings did nothing, and we lowered toward the ground. Then on the third flap, they caught the air, and we rose at a rapid speed that boggled my mind, going from twenty feet to a hundred in less than two seconds. The strength of his wings was terrifying.
Once we rose above the treetops, I discovered what he’d been talking about with camouflage. His black serpentine skin shimmered and became a weird mix of greens and browns. I had the sense that if I’d been high above and looking down, he’d blend right into the ground below, and if I looked up, I had no doubt his stomach and legs would probably have blue and white hues that would be at home in a partly cloudy morning sky.
I chuckled as the wind buffeted my hair. “Magic,” I whispered.
Awe, unlike anything I’d ever experienced, filled me as my fear gave way to wonder. This was more visceral, morefantasticthan the flight the night before. Then, I’d been huddled in a vehicle, my inner mind tricking me into believing I was still in therealworld. Now? Now, I was fully in the realm of fantasy—a fantasy that was tangible and material.
My heart soared. After living twenty-nine years, it was only then, at that very moment, that I realized how much people hungered for this. How humans desired the unbelievable. How fervently we prayed that Santa or the Easter Bunny was real, even as doubt slowly crept in. How we gravitated to books and movies and games about wizards, monsters, and magic. Somewhere, deep inside, we allknewthis was real, but we were far enough removed that it existed as nothing but myth and dream. Here, sitting atop a dragon and flying through the warm morning air, I felt like I’d discovered something I’d been searching for my entire life.
As we rose higher and higher, I took in a deep, cleansing breath, enjoying the exhilaration of it all. After getting comfortable, I ventured a glance over the side at the ground below. My heart thudded hard when I saw how high we were, but the steady strength of Jackson below me gave a sense of security that made it less terrifying. I even took a chance and released the bony ridges I’d been grasping. Sitting up tall, I extended my arms out at my side.
Wind rushed around me, chilling my skin and making my eyes tear up. But I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. Nothing I’d ever done could compare to this. It was like the world’s best and most exclusive rollercoaster. Unable to help myself, I laughed, a childlike burst of joy I hadn’t made since I’d been a kid. Jackson, somehow hearing me over the roar of the wind, turned his headback, his serpentine neck twisting so he could see me. Our eyes met, and I again saw that strange dragon grin on his lips. He turned forward again, and dived in a swooping motion that drew a yelp of surprise from me.
Latching my hands onto the horns again, I watched, in a strange mix of abject horror and heart-soaring happiness, as the highway system rushed toward us. At a thousand feet, he banked, then rose into the sky again. The entire thing had taken less than fifteen seconds, but the adrenaline continued to pulse in my veins as we ascended toward the heavens.
He went still higher until we were right below the clouds, where the air grew frigid. Leaning down, I pressed my chest and stomach against him, the heat radiating up and spreading through me, making me comfortable even in the cold. It was like something out of a dream, and when we eventually descended toward the ground, I was filled with a bittersweet melancholy—happy to have had the experience, but sad it was over.
Jackson landed behind an abandoned strip mall half a mile from my shop. I climbed off him, my legs weak and wobbly. Once I was free of him, he quickly shifted back.
“I think you enjoyed that,” Jackson said.
“It wasamazing.” The word didn’t come close to describing what had happened.
Jackson pointed to the side of the building that would lead to the sidewalk. “I guess you need to get to work, huh?”
“I do,” I said, though it pained me to say it.
All Ireallywanted to do was keep living in this fantasy. Everything from the moment I opened that garage door tofind Jackson standing outside had been like one long movie or a daydream of epic proportions that I could hardly believeactuallyhappened. In fact, the only thing that might have made it better was if the sexy dragon millionaire had tried to get a little frisky with me. Though, Jackson appeared to be a shining example of a gentleman. Besides a few looks and subtle innuendos, he hadn’t tried anything with me. Usually, I’d have been really happy about that, but there was something about him. Standing there in that parking lot, looking into his eyes, I could be honest with myself. Had he come to my room the night before and, perhaps, pulled my covers aside and sat beside me, I was almostcertainas to what would have happened. Something I would have beenmorethan happy to have experienced, and that was a startling realization. I wasn’t one to jump in the sack with a pretty face after a couple hours of knowing them, but Jackson was different in a way I couldn’t quite articulate, even to myself. It felt as though we’d already known each other for years at this point.
“See you tonight?” Jackson asked, looking hopeful.
“Yup. We’ve got a crime to commit together,” I said.
“True.” He laughed, but I got the feeling he didn’t want to leave either.
Finally, after a few awkward beats, I took the first step, making my way to the side of the building to walk to work. “Until tonight, then,” I said.
Before I’d gone more than a few feet, Jackson appeared at my side, again showing that unbelievable speed. I flinched in surprise.
“Sorry,” he said. “I just…” He looked at me as if trying to see all the way to my soul. My breath caught in my throat. Had he been having the same thoughts about last night?
