Page 62 of Crown of Draga

The courtesan didn’t bother trying to hide her smile. She simply went back into her room and the door closed behind her. A second later he heard the lock activate.

Nash lurched forward, reaching for the books. “Let me help you with those,” he said.

What an idiot. That was something he should have done the moment she walked into the room. He cursed internally as his hands brushed against her soft skin. Thoughts of what she would taste like wormed into his mind and he felt his cock stir.

They needed to talk about something, anything to distract him. Nash set the books next to the pot of tea and waited for Adelina to sit. The way she moved across the room – his gaze tracked her, noting how the fabric of her dress moved and showed bits of skin, and then her scent hit him.

He bit the inside of his cheek as she settled gracefully on the couch and then reached for the teapot. That dark jasmine washed over him as he sat next to her but with plenty of space between the two of them. The strain he felt to keep his hands to himself was nearly painful. Everything about the way she smelled demanded he make a claim and mark her for all to see. His sharp incisors would break that delicate skin with hardly any pressure at all and the taste of her blood…

The first time he’d tasted that heady blood almost pushed him over the edge right then and there in the gymnasium. The spice of it was delicious and dominating. It nearly sent Nash to his knees so he could properly worship her. It had taken every ounce of warrior’s training he possessed to walk away that day.

She spoke. Her lips moved but he couldn’t make out the words over the blood roaring in his head. “I’m sorry, can you repeat that?” he asked, feeling like a fool.

Adelina blushed and glanced down at the cup in her hands. Right, she had poured tea. “Do you like honey or milk?” she repeated.

Nash shook his head. Tea was a strange obsession on her planet. They didn’t drink tea, or have a special time each day to sit down for it in Khara. “Neither, please.” He took the tiny cup from her and felt ridiculous with the dainty yet beautiful glass in his hands. She watched him long enough he mentally sighed and took a sip of the bitter liquid.

This particular brew was fruitier than he’d anticipated. Nash took another sip to please her and then set the cup down while he watched how she prepared her own tea. He filed it away for future reference. If she ever married him he would have to make sure to have this stupid tea at all times. It would please her to have something familiar. Nash would make sure to prepare it exactly how she liked and bring it to her whenever she asked. One day he might know her well enough he wouldn’t even have to be asked.

Nash almost laughed out loud at himself. He’d never had such romantic thoughts in his entire life, but every part of him demanded he properly care for this exquisite female before him and treasure her for as long as she allowed him to.

“What books are those?” he finally asked.

Adelina sipped the steaming liquid and set it down before reaching for the book on the top of the stack. “I managed to find the royal library, and thankfully Father didn’t disapprove. He was already reading these and then handed them over. They all cover the reign of King Beo. How he pushed the Neprijat back should be in here, somewhere.” Her excitement and the gleam in her eyes as she opened the book to flip through the pages made him smile.

The book itself was of no interest to him, not when he could sit and watch how animated she became as she explained it to him.

“Pushing the Neprijat back only worked temporarily,” he reminded her. “Somehow we need to find a way to eradicate them as a threat. Once we have that I believe it would be relatively easy to convince the Drakesthai to ally with us,” Nash said. He leaned forward to peer at the book in her hands, a wonderful excuse to get close and feel the warmth from her skin.

Her shoulder was bare and it would be so easy to press a kiss there. Internally, Nash groaned. He wanted to keep his distance until she made the first move. Adelina was giving him a second chance, but it was not easy to resist her. The summers on Draga Terra were hot and she dressed accordingly with a dress that had no sleeves or straps – Fate help him. There was entirely too much delicious skin for him to touch and taste.

Adelina turned to face him so suddenly Nash had no time to pull back and her eyes lit up like glittering stars. She was so close he could kiss her with barely an effort. “Are you really going to travel to the Hai galaxy?” she asked. “How do you plan to get in? They’re notorious for sending back emissaries.”

Nash put some distance between them with the excuse of a small sandwich. The tiny snack irritated him more than anything. If he was truly hungry he would have to eat a hundred of them to feel even remotely satisfied. It was so inefficient. He popped the tasty morsel into his mouth anyway and shrugged a shoulder. “If they won’t listen to reason I’ll force my way through.”

The dragons didn’t have the tech he did. They were big and brutish. A bit bigger than him in breadth as they had those wings to cart around, but he knew they were monstrous fighters and worth their weight as allies. If only he could convince them to join him. He slid a look to Adelina.

If Adelina were married while he was away there was nothing he could do short of murdering the male on his return. He stared up at the ceiling as he contemplated such a possibility. It would please him to rip the male limb from limb, but Adelina would no doubt disapprove.

There was a small frown on her face and it drew him in. It was a treat to see how open she was with him. The difference in her demeanor was clear as day. When she walked around the palace and performed her duties as Princess Adelina she was meek and silent. When she let the mask crack he could see her true self underneath. Only in private and with select few did she ever let that mask fall away completely to reveal a truly glorious wonder.

“How will you get back?” she asked.

Nash shrugged. He didn’t like where this conversation was headed. “I would have to cross the border into the Hai galaxy before it closes, knowing Raena may refuse my return, but she could say nothing if I leave from Seprilles to Hai. Her control doesn’t reach that far no matter what she may think. It would be too late for her to put a bounty on my head by the time word reached her I’d left the Draga galaxy,” Nash explained.

It was something he needed Adelina to consider. If he left in the next day or two there was a good chance he may never see her again. Nash’s heart thundered in his chest and he turned to face Adelina. He couldn’t resist touching a silky-soft curl as he sighed.

Her lips parted as she realized the gravity of his words and Adelina reached for his hand. This was still so new and strange after the rocky road they’d had that Nash flinched at her gentle touch.

She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his. The small action spoke volumes and Nash enjoyed the touch while he could. “I understand how important this is,” she whispered. “No matter what my heart may want.”

Somehow he felt heartbroken despite never truly having Adelina as his own to cherish and love. It was over before it could even start. Her obligations wrapped around her, heavy like chains, as did his own. It felt as though those wicked sharp nails of hers had plunged into his chest and gripped his heart so she could keep it with her when he left for Seprilles.

“Then this attempt at a secret relationship is pointless,” he said. His lips barely touched hers when he spoke, but Nash held back. Saying goodbye would be worse if he kissed her.

Adelina’s hands slid into his hair and held him as she scooted closer. She was practically in his lap and he tensed. That scent of hers clouded his mind and demanded he say a proper goodbye, long and luxurious.

Her sharp nails pricked his scalp. Did she just growl? Nash’s eyes flew open and his pants felt tight when he saw her snarl of irritation. He’d never wanted her more than he had in that moment, to throw her down on the couch and ravage her until she was properly his…

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