Page 65 of Never Flirt with a Dragon

My face flushed.

Maybe I believed him.

“You left your bag with Eli both times you went to the bathroom. There were a few drops of water on the abdomen of your dress when you came back the second time. I assumed the sink splashed you.”

Holy hell.

“Alright, you win. You watched me.”

“I wanted you. Still do. Always will.”

“We haven’t even had sex yet. How can you possibly know that?”

“I’m a dragon, Miranda. You’ve heard the legends about us. Our mates are the treasure we hoard. When a dragon chooses a female, he doesn’t let go. Period.”

Well, that was intense.

I bit my lip, not sure what to say.

“We avoid bonds because of what they cost us, but when we have them, they become the center of our existence. There is no turning back for me now. I belong to you. I don’t want you across from your library—I want you in my bed, in our bed, where you belong.”

Hot damn.

I stared at his back while he plated the pancakes. They smelled a little burnt, but I barely noticed.

“Has anyone ever told you you’re unfairly attractive?” I finally asked.

“The way you stared at me during the wedding did that plenty.” He handed me a fork, and the nearly-empty bottle of syrup we’d basically pounded since we got to Mate Mountain. “You’re going to hate pancakes by the time heat’s over.”

I couldn’t help but crack a smile. “Not possible.”

“We’ll see.” His bare foot found mine beneath the table, and my body relaxed in response to his touch.

He felt too good.

And maybe I was starting to hope he always would.

The tension between us relaxed slightly as we ate. He’d made it clear what he wanted and where he stood.

I hadn’t, though.

And honestly?

I didn’t know either of those things.

I didn’t want a mate bond, but I kind of wanted him.

I didn’t want to stay in Mate Mountain, but I did like the way our living space looked.

So where did that leave me? What did I want to happen?

I didn’t know.

And without knowing that, it was pretty much impossible to say where I stood.

“What do you do for fun?” Jasper asked me, as we finished up with our food.

“Draw.” I shrugged. “Read. Eat whatever Vi cooks. Listen to her rant about her coworkers. She’s the head chef at a restaurant in Scale Ridge, and she hates it.”

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