Page 63 of Aria's Ascension

He frowned and tilted his head, gazing at her speculatively before understanding softened his expression. His eyes flicked to her men behind her. “Ah. He is one of yours, then.”

Her throat squeezed, making her words come out rough. “No, not mine. It’s ah, complicated.”

“The best things always are,” he remarked with a roguish smile and a low chuckle.

Aria snorted. “Yeah, right. What about the winged guy?”

He shook his head. “Best to leave that cranky bastard to me. I will speak to him of your plans and relay his decision. Be cautious, as well, of the last. He is not particularly appreciative of company,” he muttered wryly, rubbing his hand over a fresh looking scar on his chest. “But food makes him…slightlyless murderous.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Standing, she waited for him to get to his feet and started to reach out and shake his hand, but paused when she caught the look on his face. Some of the quiet tension from earlier was back. His jaw was clenched, and he was staring at her like he didn’t want her to leave, but they both knew he was still too wary to say it out loud.

Unable to ignore that look, Aria did something impulsive. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a light hug.

Like her dragon, he went perfectly still. Unlike her dragon, he returned her embrace almost immediately, relaxing into it with a deep, shuddering sigh that told her she’d been right in thinking he needed it, and clutched her to his chest so tightly she was lifted up on tiptoe.

Did she normally go around hugging almost strangers while buck naked?

Hell, no.

But, her gut told her he needed it, and she found herself unwilling to deny him something as simple as a hug.

Maybe her time with the dragon made her more sensitive to identifying that longing for touch in people. Maybe it was just Rellik. Either way, the desire to ease some of his hurt was too strong to fight.

She may be a hardass, but she’d become an FBI agent to help people. She’d learned to temper that empathy after all the shit she’d seen, but she cared, deeply. Always had.

The hug only lasted a couple of seconds, but when he pulled back to gaze down at her, some of those haunted shadows were gone from his bright-orange eyes, and his smile came a little easier.

Dipping down, he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, dangerously close to the corner of her mouth… then quickly sprang away with a mischievous laugh when Tirox growled and pulled her back into his chest.

“Easy, giant,” he chuckled. Dropping his eyes back to her, he held her gaze while he spoke to her barbarian. “I would eagerly join you in her circle of mates if I thought she would have me, but I fear she feels no desire for the same… ”

Yet.

He left it unspoken, but she heard it just as clearly as if he’d whispered it in her ear like a promise.

Aria felt her eyes widening. Despite his playful tone and the lighthearted smile curling his lips, she could see he meant every word. He wanted to join her, er, circle. It was there in his eyes, unhidden and unmistakable; desire, admiration, an invitation.

And then, in a flash, it was gone, concealed under a wink and a cocky smile.

Chapter 34

They’d barely entered the shaft leading to the murderous, but apparently bribable, prisoner that gave Rellik that scar when Tirox pulled her to a stop.

He and Kix moved to stand shoulder to shoulder then eyed her like she was a puzzle they were having difficulty figuring out.

“Aria,” her barbarian started, drawing her name out like he was trying to keep from setting her off.

“Yesss?” she drawled back, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

“You are… considering him?”

She frowned, not understanding his concern. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

They couldn’t have looked more shocked if she’d clocked them upside the head.

“That quickly?” Tirox sputtered. “We had to gentle you for… forsun risings! How can you know so quickly?”

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