Page 20 of A Dagger of Twisted Starlight

Xavier listened to me. He shifted away, further on the couch.

Shit. That wasn’t what I wanted. I wasn’t even that hot. Why would I tell him that?

“Um, actually, wait. It must have been a hot flash. You can come back.”

Xavier laughed and came back. Except this time, he sat evencloserto me.

Great. I was definitely going to go haywire now.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to get those,” Xavier noted.

“Didn’t realize you were a dragon doctor too.”

“I am.” Xavier winked at me. I nearly melted into a puddle on the floor. “If you ever need a physical done, just ask.”

A. Physical. Done.

Okay. He was flirting with me now. Right?

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said. “I do have a spot on my testicle I want to get checked.”

Hollllly fucking shit. What did I just say?

Xavier fumbled for words. I blinked through the shock, wishing I could turn back time. “That was a joke,” I said. I tried hard to laugh, except the sound came out closer to a strangled cry.

“Left or right one?” Xavier asked. He didn’t at all seem bothered by my testicle-in-mouth syndrome.

“Both. The mark is shaped like the state of New Jersey.”

That got a deep belly laugh from Xavier. “Not Jersey,” he said. “Does that mean the Holland Tunnel is right around the corner?”

“How did you know?” I lifted my butt from the seat and looked down at it.

Now we both laughed at the silly exchange. The severe wave of embarrassment quickly receded back into the ocean of emotions from where it came.

I looked down at the piece of paper. The laughter simmered down, but my smile stayed. “Back to this,” I said, although Xavier let go of a few residual chuckles. I started to read the part of my speech out loud. Speaking was easy when there were lines to memorize and spit out. I had the additional sectional down in about five minutes.

Xavier arched a brow, nodding. Heappeared impressed at my ability to go off-book that quickly. “You’rereallygood at that.”

“I like it,” I said. My gaze involuntarily dropped back to his lips. He was clean-shaven, a beauty mark near the left corner of his top lip catching my attention. He sat even closer to me now.

Was that his breath I felt against my cheek?

A cloud of monarch butterflies fluttered into my chest. Heat pooled between my legs, making me extra aware of how inexperienced I was in that department and yet how needy I was. Being a twenty-six-year-old virgin wasn’t exactly high in my list of proud accomplishments.

Maybe it was time I got rid of that title?

Except the thought of losing my virginity with the sculpted god of a dragon sitting next to me made my head swim. I’d be self-conscious and awkward the entire time.

“Do you want to head back to the gala?” Xavier asked.

I could. I should.

“I think I need a few more minutes.”

“Take your time,” Xavier said. The way he looked at me made me feel like something exotic and rare sitting behind a glass barrier. I’d seen that look on people appreciating fine art in museums. Like they were searching for something in the bold strokes and patterns of color.

His lips. So pink, so perfect.

---