Page 27 of Never Flirt with a Dragon

“I have no idea, but it’s unlikely. The guys that lose their minds to heat usually don’t last as long as the others.”

That didn’t sound good.

“So you’re saying I should brace myself for a mate bond?”

He dipped his head.

“I’m sorry,” I said.

He blinked.

His forehead furrowed. “Why?”

“This is my fault.” I gestured between us.

“How do you figure that?”

“I’m the one who walked over and sat beside you. I put my drink right by you, too. If I’d just minded my own business, maybe we could’ve avoided this. You didn’t even notice me before that.”

His eyes narrowed. “I was staring at you all afternoon and evening, Miranda. Eye-fucking you for hours. I don’t know if I could’ve even walked away from you at the end of the night. Heat didn’t start until I tasted you on that glass, but you were mine the moment I caught your scent.”

I bit my lip.

What was I supposed to say to that?

Thanks?

I was eye-fucking you too and never caught you looking at me?

Do you have any actual evidence of that?

Yeah, I stayed silent.

He let out a deep breath and finally released my face. “I need to feed you before these instincts take over again. Pancakes really are the only thing I can cook, though.”

“I’m a shitty cook too. Vi always cooks for both of us.”

His lips did that tiny curve thing again. “Pancakes it is.”

With that, he stood up and led me out of the bathroom.

I only hesitated a moment before following.

five

RANDA

I grabbed my stuff from outside Jasper’s door while he started on the pancakes. Elodie had left a note on top of my duffel bag that said:

Don’t forget to have fun! ;)

It was impossible to hide my smile as I dragged the bag inside.

“I could’ve grabbed that for you,” Jasper said from the kitchen.

“It’s just a bag.”

I started to open it—but he crossed the room and caught my hand before I unzipped it.

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