Page 56 of So I Dared a Dragon

“Could be. Did they find out who sent those gifts?”

“The name given to the delivery company was bogus. They used a gift card for payment.”

“We need to find who’s threatening you and make sure they never do it again.” He growled.

“I’m tired of hitting dead ends and getting more questions.” I sighed.

“We’re getting closer. The note and the talon dressings are excellent clues. I’d really like to spend time with you alone. So we can explore your new powers without any interruptions.”

He stepped closer, and his suggestion made the scales throb.

“The second date is perfect timing for us to be alone.” Now everything inside me was throbbing. I craved this dragon’s touch. “Bibi will think it’s for a different reason, but she won’t say no.”

“We can do that too.” He grinned. “I could tell you all the things I’ve dreamed of doing to this beautiful body since you were last in my bed.”

“I want to hear every single one of them, but I have a feeling we’d never make it out of this trailer. I have an idea. Let’s play this up.” I raised a brow. It would take everything I had to concentrate on artifacts when this dragon had better ideas. “I can give you some modern flirting lessons. Which is actually hilarious, because I’ve always been terrible at dating.”

“I wish you wouldn’t talk about yourself like that.” Aarix frowned. “You’re good at so many things, like art and travel.”

Emotion pricked my eyes, but I couldn’t give into it. “I’ve spent a lot of time feeling like a failure. Trying to fit into places I didn’t belong.”

With a single talon, he tipped my chin up to meet his gaze. “You belong with me.”

Aarix was determined to make me cry.

“Would you like my advice?” I asked.

His lips curled into a smile dripping with sin. “Please give me step-by-step instructions on how to seduce you. Along with the moment that your knees go weak and”—there was fire in those eyes—“your arousal spikes.”

All he’d have to do was slip a talon between my legs and he’d know he’d already done it.

I took a deep breath to steady myself. It was far too tempting to skip to the good part of this date, but getting access to the museum early had been no small feat. “I need you to be more forward with your affection. Like the way you’ve been touching me in here, that’s exactly what you should do in front of the camera. Those little things you say that make me weak in the knees, as you say, don’t hold back.”

“That’s what Luca said too,” he said softly, almost to himself. “That holding back wasn’t doing you any favors.”

“Interesting. I didn’t think Luca liked me.”

“He doesn’t. But he understands how important you are. Not only to me, but for solving this riddle.” Aarix ran a finger over my hand. “He’ll be busy combing through the exhibits tonight, looking for anything familiar. And I’ll be busy seducing you. What else would you like me to do?”

Focus. There would be a sweet reward on the other side. “This was supposed to be the date you planned. I convinced Bibi to let me take it over because you’re busy with dragon stuff. And because I told her I was worried you didn’t want to kiss me.”

“So I should kiss you more.”

I nodded.

“It will be my pleasure to do all these things.” His voice had an edge to it. Heat rolled off him. “I followed your cues because I’m unsure of modern customs. But I’m more than happy to show you how a dragon claims his mate.”

Everything around us dropped away, and I ran my knuckle down the center of his bare chest. He closed his eyes and moaned. I’d been holding back because I’d been afraid things would be different between us this time. Like he might not want me anymore.

And here I was, pushing him away, making it a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I wished I didn’t have to care about artifacts or mysterious messages. This dragon made me feel like the queen of his universe, and nothing else mattered. If only we could make it real. I wanted nothing more than to make good on the promise I’d made so many nights ago in that cavern and let this dragon claim me.

Just let himdo itwithout fucking something up along the way.

It wasn’t all just need. Some of it was pure curiosity. Like, what would happen with my new scales if we were together again?

He closed his eyes and leaned into kiss me.

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