Page 49 of A Dagger of Twisted Starlight

Xavier sighed, swirling the whiskey in his glass. “There are moments, things in the past that I wish I could change. But I know that tampering too much with time is dangerous. Especially with your own timeline. It’s tempting, sure, but it comes with too many risks.”

I nodded, understanding the weight of his words. The idea of changing the past was a seductive one, but I could see how the consequences could be catastrophic. “I get that. It’s a slippery slope.”

He looked at me. Something swirled in his gaze, but I couldn’t quite place it. His eyes flicked down to my mouth. Back up to my eyes. “Exactly. Something my mother always taught me was that the number one rule to using my time powers: never mess with your own path. It creates an infinite amount of paradoxes. A hundred thousand tangles of possibilities and consequences. I hear it all the time. ‘Oh, I wish I could go back and change this.’ No, you absolutely don’t.”

I took another sip of my drink, intrigued by his perspective. There weren’t many chances to get to talk to a time-manipulating dragon. “Why not?”

“One trickle creates an entire cascade,” he explained. “Andthen, when you actually open your eyes, you see that the one thing you wanted to change was the one pivotal moment that made you who you are. Next thing you know, you’re aimless and surrounded by a world of consequences you don’t know how to deal with.”

“You’ve thought about this a lot,” I observed.

He nodded. “Yeah, I have. It’s something that comes with the territory, I guess.”

The conversation shifted to lighter topics, and I found myself relaxing even more. We laughed, shared stories, and enjoyed the easy camaraderie that had developed between us. But the underlying tension, the chemistry, was always there, simmering just below the surface.

“You know,” I said, swirling the last of my drink in the glass, “this place is pretty amazing. I’ve never been somewhere that felt so… timeless.”

Xavier chuckled, his eyes twinkling. “It’s one of the perks of living in a castle. You get to create spaces that are both ancient and modern, like the Dragon’s Den.”

“I could get used to this,” I admitted, feeling a warmth spread through me that had nothing to do with the alcohol.

“Good,” he said with a smile. “Because I think you belong here.”

There was a softness in his voice, a sincerity that made my heart skip a beat. The way he looked at me, with a mix of admiration and something deeper, something more raw, made me feel seen in a way I hadn’t in a long time.

He covered my hand with his, his touch sending a shiver down my spine. “Blake, there’s something about you. Something that makes me want to open up, to be myself.”

“I feel the same. I’ve never felt this comfortable around someone. Especially someone like you.”

“Like me?”

“Yeah. An extremely handsome and charismatic man that makes my knees weak and my heart all fluttery and my—whoop. Almost went too far there.”

Xavier grinned. “You can’t go too far with me. Say it.”

“I wasgonnasay that you make my dick rock hard.”

“Really?” He asked. A smolder entered his gaze. I could feel my cheeks heat up. “Good. Because you do the same to mine.”

His words ignited a fire within me, a burning desire that I could no longer contain. Xavier leaned in first. He didn’t hesitate, and neither did I. He pressed his lips against mine, and I immediately melted into the seat. His hand rose to grip the back of my neck. My body reacted by lighting itself on fire, warmth spreading through every muscle. This kiss was different from the last—it was urgent, demanding, filled with a hunger that had been building between us.

His hands roamed my body, exploring, claiming. The speakeasy around us disappeared, leaving just the two of us, lost in a whirlwind of desire.

He broke the kiss, his breath hot against my ear. “Blake, do you have any idea what you do to me?”

“Show me,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

He didn’t need any further encouragement. He grabbed my hand and pulled it down between his legs, where his stiff erection strained against his shorts. A soft moan escaped my lips as he guided my hand up and down his length.

“You like that?”

I could only nod. Words wouldn’t form.

We stood, kissing, the muscular dragon pushing me back up against the bar. Xavier’s hands were everywhere, caressing my neck, sliding down my back, and gripping my hips. He pulled me closer, our bodies pressed tightly together, and I could feel his throbbing arousal, hard and insistent against my thigh.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, trailing kisses along my jawline.

“Xavier,” I breathed, my hands tangling in the soft black curls of his hair. “I want you.”

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