Page 7 of Dragon, Actually
“I do if you do.” He hesitates for a moment, his golden eyes searching mine. Then he leans in, slowly, as though afraid he might mess it up. His lips brush mine, soft and tentative, and I can’t help but smile against his mouth.
It’s sweet and awkward and as adorable as he is.
“How was that? Am I doing this right?” he murmurs, retreating just a fraction to look at me. I cup his face with my hands and pull him back toward me. His scales are warm beneath my touch and smoother than I expected.
He leans in again, this time with a little more confidence. His lips move against mine, and when I part mine slightly, he makes the tiniest low grunt that sends a shiver down my spine.
Then his tongue darts out—a quick, experimental swipe across my bottom lip, so fast I barely feel it.
I laugh into the kiss, and he immediately pulls back, looking mortified. “Sorry! I didn’t mean—I was trying not to—”
“It’s fine,” I say, giggling. “I liked it.”
“You did? Are you sure it wasn’t too weird for you?” His brow furrows, as though he’s trying to figure out if I’m making fun of him.
“I was just laughing because it was over before I could enjoy it. You don’t have to hold back. Human like licking. I like it, anyway.”
The low rumble in his chest sounds a lot like approval. He wraps one hand around the back of my neck and brings our faces together again.
He moves slowly, like he’s savoring the seconds before our mouths finally meet. His tongue flicks out to trace the corner of my mouth, more slowly this time. It’s tender and curious, somehow more intimate than any kiss I’ve had before.
I try to respond the way I would with a human guy even though the shape of his mouth is different—a slight tilt of my chin, parting my lips just enough to deepen it. He takes the hint and brushes his tongue against mine, deliberate and unhurried, learning the shape of it. A shiver races down my spine that has nothing to do with the snow that has started to fall around us.
Then Myrran flicks his tongue beneath mine, making me suck in a breath in surprise. I feel him smile as he does it again, his movements exploratory, playful, and just a little wild. The warmth of his breath, tinged with a faint smokiness that I’m starting to associate with him, sends my senses reeling.
“You taste like my cooking,” he rumbles, sounding smug. Before I can reply, he tugs me back into the kiss. Or the lick or whatever he wants to call it. All I can say is that I’m enjoying it. It’s making me forget my sore feet and tired hands and cold nose. It’s like we’re in a little bubble of warmth, steam curling around us from the heat of our kiss.
We’re interrupted by the creak and groan of the bus pulling up to the stop. Its doors hiss open.
I pull back with an apologetic smile, shouldering my tote bag. “This is me. Thank you for everything. Dinner. Company. Whatever this was.” I motion awkwardly to my mouth.
He grins sheepishly. “Told you I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“It was great. Really. Five stars, would kiss again.” I want to stay here. I want another dragon kiss. But if I miss this bus, I’ll miss my connection to the next bus. It’ll take twice as long to get home, and it’s already late.
As I climb onto the bus, I glance back to see him still watching me, a small smile playing across his face. My own lips tingle, and I can’t help but return the expression as the doors close and the bus pulls out from the curb.
I take my seat among strangers in a city full of strangers, but for the first time in a long time, I don’t feel so alone.
Chapter 8
Myrran
Ishouldn’t be doing this.
But the thought of Jewel traveling alone at night, so tired she can barely keep her eyes open, sends my protective instincts into overdrive. I can’t relax until I know she’s home safely.
It’s not the first time I’ve done it, either, so I already know where to go. I beat the bus to her neighborhood, my bike idling a block away as she steps off the bus and makes her way to the entrance of her apartment building. Her long legs carry her with unselfconscious grace, even though her shoulder sags under the weight of her bag. She disappears inside.
A light on the second floor comes on a long minute later. I creep forward on my motorcycle, craning my neck to see into the window. Through the backlit curtains, I catch a glimpse of her silhouette moving around the room.
She twirls around, something in her arms—a teddy bear? No, a cat. She kisses it on the head, her fingers stroking its fur tenderly. The sight makes my chest ache with longing to feel her touch.
I shouldn’t be here. Shouldn’t be watching like this. To her, I’m a stranger. She just learned my name today.
But I stay a little longer, addicted to the sight of her. Only when she turns off the light and disappears from view can I finally convince myself that she’s safe and drive away.
But by morning, the gnawing restlessness of the alokoi bond is back. I call out of work and return to her neighborhood before sunrise. Her shift starts later that morning, and I watch her from a distance as she waits for the bus again, bundled against the cold. She doesn’t see me, but that’s for the best until she gets to know me better.
