Page 79 of Never Flirt with a Dragon

She nodded. “It’s… a lot. Everything is changing. I shouldn’t have gotten frustrated with you earlier, and I’m sorry. I’m just struggling, I guess. Doing things slowly gives me time to wrap my mind around them, but there’s no time with this. We’re here, and we’re mated, so there’s no going back. And for some reason, I find myself upset that you don’t really want a mate bond, even though I didn’t really want one in the first place. I’ve just read so many books and articles online that made it sound so romantic, and?—”

I set my hand on her knee, and she cut herself off. “This is new for both of us,” I said. “But we’re in it together, and we’ll figure it out.”

Emotion welled in her eyes.

Followed by tears.

Panic started to blossom in my chest, but before it solidified, she left her chair and threw her arms around me, sitting down on my lap. Mine wrapped around her too, slowly, pulling her closer.

“Thank you,” she whispered into my ear.

Goosebumps broke out on my skin as her lips brushed my throat. We’d spent weeks in bed together, but somehow, her hug felt just as intimate as sex. Maybe even more.

“I don’t want to figure out problems when they arise,” she added softly. “I want us to figure everything out now, before I lose my mind.”

“We can do that.”

She tightened her arms around me. “I don’t like flying.”

“I know you don’t. I flew too fast on our way here, and I’m sorry for that. I wasn’t in my right mind. It won’t be like that next time.”

“I thought I was going to die,” she said against my neck.

A quiet chuckle escaped me. “Our lives are tied together, Sweetheart. Letting you die would effectively end me, and I have no desire to leave this world.”

Miranda sighed. “That’s actually a valid point.”

“Give me a chance to prove that flying can be fun. If I can’t convince you, we’ll only do it when we need to get somewhere.”

It’d kill me a little, but I’d figure it out if I had to.

First, I’d do my damndest to prove to my female that she could enjoy it.

“Alright, fine. How about tonight?”

“How about now?”

She sighed. “Okay. After I finish my snack.”

My lips curved upward.

I was figuring her out.

fifteen

RANDA

Jasper sat next to me and stared out at the horizon while I ate way too much of the treat he’d made me and started adding color to my sketch.

As much as I’d wanted to hold my ground on the no-flying thing, I wasn’t stupid. I couldn’t get back to Scale Ridge without a ride on his back. And he was a dragon, so it wasn’t like I was going to be able to convince him to never fly again. That would be like trying to convince any other guy not to walk anymore.

So, I’d decided to let him attempt to convince me that I could like flying.

It probably wouldn’t work, but I’d feign comfort and eventually learn not to hate it so much.

It was a necessary evil.

I stared down at my drawing for a moment, trying to pinpoint what I’d gotten wrong. The colors I’d started adding were fine for the moment, but something about his face…

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