Page 10 of Claimed By the Sinful Dragon
I rose and hurried across the garden. This must have been the back of the building, because the grounds stretched in a wide expanse with no sign of the small courtyard we’d come in through. What I did see, however, was a wall. A very tall wall.I guess Rook’s obsession with privacy didn’t just extend to the front of his home. Fun times.
No matter. I was out of the house, and if a twenty-foot wall was the only thing that stood between me and freedom, then I sure as hell was finding a way over it.
I followed the wall, sticking close to its base as I looked for a conveniently close tree that I could climb and use to jump over. Just as I was about to give it up for a lost cause and start thinking of Plan B, I spotted what I was looking for. A sturdy oak with plenty of sturdy-looking branches. It stretched far higher than the wall, and dozens of thick branches splayed above it, wreathed in thick swathes of leaves.
Grinning, I hurried towards it. I was five feet away when something thudded to the ground at the base. I yelped and jumped back. The shape rose and straightened into a man.
Correction. Not just any man. One very pissed off man.
“Rook.” My voice escaped in an undignified squeak.
The dragon shifter fixed his steely eyes on me. “I wondered how long it would take you to find this tree.”
“I was just…uh…taking a stroll.”
He raised a brow. “A stroll around the only tree that grows near to the wall?”
“Yes? It’s, um, a beautiful day, and, uh…” My voice kept creeping higher and higher, completely beyond my control. “You know, it’s good to exercise, and…”
My words trailed off under his glare.
“Speak one more lie to me and you won’t see the light of day for a decade.”
I swallowed with an audible gulp. “Well, I mean, none of that was technically a lie…”
“A stroll?”
I flushed red and looked down at my feet. Wait a minute, why wasIthe one feeling embarrassed right now? This asshole was holding me here against my will. Fuck him.
An image of myself doing exactly that in a very physical sense, and in excruciatingly graphic detail, flashed through my mind, and the burn on my cheeks intensified. Where the hell didthatcome from? And more importantly, why wouldn’t the image of his broad chest towering above me while his fingers dug into my hips go the hell back there and stop tormenting me?
Just as I thought it couldn’t get any worse, Rook’s nostrils flared, scenting my arousal, and my humiliation was complete.
I groaned, and wished the ground would open up and swallow me…and the thought of swallowing didnothingto steady the fire in my stomach.
Rook rumbled a throaty chuckle that shot straight between my legs.
“Bastard.”
I whirled on my heel and marched back towards the house.
“Planning on getting back in without a key?”
I flipped him off over my shoulder without bothering to turn around.
A low growl split the air and abruptly he was in front of me, a shadow darkening his face. I shrank back.
“Let’s get something clear, pet,” he snarled. “You may not be happy about being here, but youwillshow me the respect I deserve.”
I jerked my chin up. “Says who?”
“Says every other servant who’s stood where you are. You think that tree’s there by chance?”
“You set me up!” I gaped at him, my face rearranging itself into a scowl.
“And you proved you were exactly what I thought.”
“And what’s that?” I demanded, planting my hands on my hips and glaring at him.
