Page 19 of Cruel Daddy Dragon

Us. That’s what I want to know…

I lean closer to the door, trying to hear what Julie, Lena, and Sarah are saying, when I feel Orion grab me by the shoulders.

“Come on,” he grumbles, “Let’s get outside.”

“We’re supposed to protect them!” I protest.

“Yeah, but we don’t need to be right up in there to do that, and you’re annoying me,” he replies.

But we barely get outside when the door suddenly opens behind us again. We turn around, and my heart leaps when I see Sarah. She puts her hands on her hips and looks between us.

“Are you busy, Ginger?” she asks sternly.

Orion looks between her and me and smirks a little.

“Nope. He’s not,” he replies.

Orion pats my shoulder and goes back inside, leaving us alone.

She waits for a long second before she says:

“Why are you here?”

“What?” I ask.

“Why are you here? Tonight?” she repeats, that flinty tone coming back, “Are you just going tobe thereevery time I look from now on? Is this my life now? Can’t I have one night off without you?”

She puts her hands on her hips. I fold my arms.

“Erm, no,” I answer, “No, not really. Because you got kidnapped by a dragon the other day, and I don’t think youreallyunderstand how dangerous that was, so if I leave you alone, you’re just going to get yourself kidnapped again.”

I lean a little toward her.

“Or killed,” Iwhisper.

Those green eyes narrow. She tosses her golden hair in irritation, a cute little pout puckering her rose-pink lips.

God, she’s so cute when she does that…

“Iama cop, remember?” she snaps, “I’m not some wilting flower for you to stalk and pretend you’re saving.”

Her voice sends shivers down me when it’s that sharp; I fight a grin as I clap back.

“No offense, but you’re a cop in the quietest town in the world. Until we came here, I bet the worst you’d ever dealt with was Roscoe.”

“Wow!” she snaps sarcastically, “It’s almost as ifyou’reall the problem, and this was a nice peaceful little town before all you dragons came down and invited all this magical bullshit here!”

I take a breath to respond—then pause.Damn, she kind of has a point.

I start chuckling in the adrenaline of the argument. Sarah smirks.

“All right, fine,” I answer, “But we’re here now. Even if we leave, Eclipse won’t. So, what’s your small-town cop knowledge going to do for you then?”

She leans her hips from one side to the other. Every small movement of hers makes my stomach flicker.

If my hands were on those hips… I’d grab them and—

“You know I know my way around a gun, right?” she says.

---