Page 17 of Blazing Reactions

“I’m not smitten.” But Asher couldn’t stop smiling at her phone. “I’m just... appreciating certain aspects of my new reality.”

“Aspects like how your mate’s muscles look in those suits?” Lori dropped onto the window seat beside her. “Because I distinctly remember several rants about that before all this happened.”

“Those rants were purely scientific observations about human anatomy.”

“Sure, they were.” Kaylee settled on her other side. “Just like how you accidentally memorized his schedule to maximize meeting time.”

“That was professional interest!”

“Honey.” Lori patted her knee. “You color-coded your calendar to track his coffee breaks.”

Asher buried her face in a pillow. “You’re both pains in my ass.”

“You love us.” Kaylee tugged the pillow away. “Almost as much as you love your hot dragon CEO.”

“I don’t...” But the denial felt hollow, even to her. She felt Talon’s immediate response to her emotional spike—warm and steady and absolutely certain. “I don’t know what love feels like,” she said instead. “But this? This feels... right. Like everything I’ve been missing without even knowing I was missing it.”

Her friends’ expressions softened.

“That’s kind of what love is,” Kaylee said gently. “Finding pieces of yourself you didn’t even know were missing.”

“Even if those pieces come with scales and a concerning attraction to business attire?” Asher tried to joke, but her voice wavered.

“Especially then.” Lori squeezed her hand. “Now, come on. Bed. Before your mate actually does break down the door because your emotional wavelengths are making his dragon anxious.”

As they settled in for the night, Asher sent one last pulse of emotion to Talon. Warmth and gratitude and something deepershe wasn’t quite ready to name. The response she got back nearly took her breath away: protection, devotion, and a bone-deep certainty that somehow, against all logic, they belonged together.

SEVENTEEN

Talon stood at his office window, watching dawn break over Manhattan. He’d barely slept, his dragon restless with the need to check on their mate. Only the steady pulse of contentment had kept him from breaking his promise to give her space.

That, and the surprisingly frequent updates from Levi.

Speaking of which...

“You’re early,” Talon observed as his security chief entered, looking suspiciously alert for someone who’d refused to leave his post all night.

“Tactical necessity.” Levi straightened his tie, which somehow looked freshly pressed despite his all-night vigil. “Nothing to do with Ms. Bishop arriving early to upgrade our security protocols.”

“Of course not.” Talon’s brow lifted. “Just like your new cologne is a tactical necessity.”

Before Levi could sputter a response, Talon felt a shift in his awareness—Asher had entered the building. His dragon surged forward, every instinct demanding he go to her. But beneath her professional determination, he sensed lingering uncertainty.Not about him, but about the enormity of everything changing in her life.

“The training arena is prepared,” Levi reported, clearly trying to distract him. “Though after yesterday’s... electrical incidents, we’ve installed additional surge protection.”

“Thoughtful.” Talon’s voice roughened as Asher’s scent reached him—lightning and jasmine and something uniquely her. “Anything else?”

“Just...” Levi hesitated. “Your control around her. It’s different than anything I’ve seen in eight centuries.”

“She’s different.” Talon felt Asher’s immediate response to his voice—a spike of attraction layered with genuine affection that made his dragon purr. “Everything about her is different.”

The door opened, and Asher swept in looking unfairly composed for someone who’d transformed into a dragon yesterday. Her hair was pulled back neatly, lab coat pristine. Only the slight crackle of electricity around her betrayed her state of mind.

“Dr. Draker.” Her professional tone was somewhat undermined by how her pulse jumped when he turned. “I believe we have training scheduled.”

“Asher.” He let her name roll off his tongue, enjoying how her breath caught. He sensed her dragon practically purring at his voice.

“That’s cheating.” But her lips curved slightly. “Using the voice when I’m trying to be professional.”

---