Page 30 of Wildfire Witch

I grew brown scales over my hand to prove my point. Her gaze narrowed in on the little armor plates and her brows rose into her hairline. “You’re anearthendragon.”

“Pure great wyrm,” I said, full of pride for my strong bloodline. Only the best for my mate.

She latched onto my hand before I could retract my scales. I reeled the dragon back in and she said, “No, keep them out.” Her skin was wickedly hot. No wonder she was still flushed, she was burning up with fever.

I looked her over with worry. “You’re sick.”

She shook her head. “It’s the curse. Don’t worry…just keep your scales out. And you promised me cold water,” she prompted.

I held her hand and walked her to the shower, growing my scales back for her. My dragon wanted her to admire their shine and color, but I summoned them up to my shoulder to cover the offending Fire Brotherhood tattoo. She latched her free hand to my bicep. I think she worked some kind of magic, conducting heat over my scales as she stroked down with the grain of them. I didn’t feel a thing. Her sigh was full of relief, though.

“No door?” she asked once I showed her to the shower.

“Only the worst for enemies of the brotherhood.” I gave a subtle wink, like we were both in on the same joke. Which we were. Her displeased expression didn’t change, though. “I’ll stand in the doorway. Back turned…unless you want me to watch.”

She reddened a shade. “No,” she deadpanned. “Back turned, fire bro.”

I dutifully took my place in the threshold, back turned to her and the stall. “Fire bro?” I echoed in amusement.

“A stupid name for a stupid organization,” she muttered.She wasn’t wrong. I’d call them fire bros too, in honor of her.

Her clothes plopped on the tile with excruciating clarity and the pipes made a labored rattling after she turned the knob. Water blasted down on her and the initial wave evaporated into humidity against my back with the sizzle of water hitting a hot pan.

She groaned. “Nix?” I asked in concern. It took every bit of my control not to sneak a glance at her.

“It’s fine. It’s…heavenly,” she practically moaned.

I clenched my fists, partially shifted claws scraping against the scales that’d settled over both my palms. She was tormenting the fuck out of my dragon and didn’t seem to realize it.

“Remember, five minutes,” I growled.

Do not picture water running over her body.

Do NOT imagine rivulets of water dripping between her thighs.

But…what about her boobs?

My dragon was to blame, I swear. I imagined her pert breasts instead, beads of cold water forming along the swells of them and running around the chilled puckers of her nipples. I’d lick them warm again, suckle them into my mouth until her shivers became trembles of pleasure?—

The water shut off. “No towel?” Nix asked.

I roused from my fantasy reluctantly. “No.”

She hummed around behind me for what felt like an eternity, but was probably less than thirty seconds before she put her clothes back on. “Oh, hello,” she said in surprise, returning to my side. Her skin was already dry and a healthier shade of pink, except for her cheeks, which flamed.

I lifted my chin in pride, shamelessly erect for her. The shorts hid next to nothing from her shocked glance. “Hello, mate. Done teasing me now?” I asked in a bass rumble.

Her tongue swept her lips and my draconic eyes followed the motion avidly. She regained her composure and looked up at me while simultaneously losing her focus on me, head tilted with a flash of an expression like she was having an entirely different conversation.

“I need to do something. But we’re not going any further than it right now,” she said to me.

I agreed readily. Anything she wanted, I’d give it to her. “All right.”

I hadn’t expected the delicate-boned witch to reach up and sling an arm around my neck, encouraging me to bend down. She planted a kiss on my lips. My blood heated to liquid lava in my veins and I delved into her mouth, tasting her smoky essence. Ikissed her like I wanted to consume her and imprint her taste on my tongue forever.

Not only did my fated mate have figurative fangs, she was bold, guiding the heated tangle of our lips and pulling on a fistful of my shirt to keep me where she wanted. Like I would want to be anywhere else, unless it was inside of her…

She broke the kiss as abruptly as she’d started it, breathing harder. “Wow,” she whispered.

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