Page 14 of Blazing Reactions

Talon’s dragon practically preened at his mate’s display of strength, even as his human side calculated risks and vulnerabilities. The sun had set hours ago, and exhaustion lined Asher’s face despite her attempts to hide it.

“You need rest,” he said quietly, moving closer to her.

“I need space.” The words came out soft but firm. When he stiffened, she added, “Just... to process. My whole life changed in one night. I went from pining after my unreasonably attractiveboss to being magically bound to him. I need time to...” She gestured vaguely. “Brain. Think. Words.”

Every instinct screamed to keep her close, to protect. He sensed her genuine need to understand what was happening to her.

“At least let me take you home.”

“I have a better idea.” Lori appeared beside them, Kaylee close behind. “Girls’ night. With pizza, wine, and extensive questioning about dragon mating habits.”

Talon’s jaw tightened. “Dimitri?—”

“Will face something much worse than dragon rage if he interrupts my pizza time.” Lori’s smile showed teeth. “Besides, your security chief already promised to personally oversee Asher’s protection detail. Didn’t you, Chief?”

Across the room, Levi choked on air.

“Fine.” Talon fought his dragon’s protests. “But I’m tripling the guard rotation.”

“Such a worrier,” Asher teased, though her voice softened. “I’ll be fine. I just need one night to...” She stepped closer, electricity crackling between them. “To remember how to think straight around you.”

His dragon surged forward, drawing a small gasp from her as gold bled into his eyes. “You can’t think straight around me?”

“Not helping,” she muttered. She backed away before he could respond. “One night. Then we can... discuss things. Professionally. In a way that doesn’t involve me wanting to climb you like a tree.”

“And on that note,” Kaylee announced cheerfully, “we’re leaving before you two forget we’re all still here.”

THIRTEEN

Two hours later, Asher sprawled on her couch between Lori and Kaylee, surrounded by empty pizza boxes and half-full wine glasses. Her enhanced senses picked up the security detail Talon had stationed around her building—including Levi, who’d volunteered for first watch and somehow ended up debating ancient Norse poetry with Lori through her security feeds.

“So,” Kaylee topped off their glasses, “on a scale of one to ‘oh my god’, how attracted were you to him before all this?”

“Does ‘regularly required cold showers after budget meetings’ qualify as a rating?” Asher sank deeper into the couch. “Because watching him roll up his sleeves while arguing about profit margins should not have been that hot.”

“And now?” Lori’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

“Now?” Asher groaned. “Now it’s like someone took that attraction and amplified it by a thousand. I can smell when he’s worried about me. His voice does this thing that makes my dragon purr. And do you know how unfair it is that he somehow looks even better with glowing eyes?”

“Speaking of attraction,” Kaylee singsonged, catching the exchange.

“We’re not talking about me,” Lori said primly. “We’re talking about Asher’s magical dragon mating situation. With bonus electrical powers, which, by the way, how does that feel?”

“Like lightning under my skin.” Asher let sparks dance across her fingers. “Though that could just be the mate bond. Everything feels... more. Brighter. Stronger.” She paused. “Hungrier.”

“Hungrier like food, or hungrier like you want to climb your CEO like a super hot attractive bush?” Kaylee dodged the pillow Asher threw. “What? You said it, not me!”

“Both? Neither? I don’t know.” Asher buried her face in her hands. “I spent months carefully maintaining professional distance, and now my dragon’s like ‘give me, give me’ every time he does that thing with his jaw.”

“What thing with his jaw?”

“You know, that clenching thing when he’s trying not to growl.” Asher demonstrated, then caught herself. “Oh god, I’m actually noticing his jaw movements. This is what I’ve become. A jaw-noticing dragon disaster who can’t stop thinking about how badly I want to get him naked or how good he smells.”

“How good does he smell?” Lori leaned forward with interest.

“Like a thunderstorm about to break. All lightning and rain and...” Asher trailed off, cheeks flushing.

Kaylee set her glass on the side table. “Why, Ash? Why did you inject yourself when you could’ve died?”

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