Page 38 of I Am Salvation

I just shake my head and take a drink of my water.

If I wasn’t sure I was falling in love before, I am now.

When Chanel brings Dragon’s dessert, the smell of sweet cream and cinnamon wafts toward me.

Dragon offers me a spoon. “First bite to you.”

“Thank you.” I crack through the hard exterior and get some of the ice cream, making sure I get the caramel sauce and whipped cream as well. I bring it between my lips. “Oh,” I groan as it slides over my tongue.

Dragon gives me a semi-smile.

I swallow. “What?”

“I don’t know, Diana.” He narrows his eyes. “That look on your face is pretty close to something I’ve seen before.”

Despite the coldness of the ice cream, my entire face grows hot.

I clear my throat. “Try it. It’s delicious.”

He lowers his eyelids slightly. “I intend to.”

Tingles shoot through my body. This man. He’s so dangerous, so sexy.

I hand him the spoon. “So you want to try to find your parents tonight?”

“Yeah, if you don’t mind. Before we go back to the rooms, I want to at least drive by the address that I have.” He takes a bite of the ice cream. “Holy shit. This is good.”

I smirk. “Good enough to warrant the look it put on my face?”

He takes another bite and swallows. “Guess I have some competition on that front.”

I smile, biting my lip gently. “I’m happy to go with you if you’d like. To your parents’. That’s why we’re here.”

He nods, silently finishing the rest of his dessert.

Chanel comes by with the check, and Dragon takes out his wallet. I want to offer to pay—as this is pennies to me—but he already accused me of emasculating him. That’s the last thing I want to do.

As if I could ever possibly emasculate this man.

He’s the most masculine guy I’ve ever met.

And that’s saying a lot, as I grew up with the Steel brothers.

He counts out cash, adds enough for a tip, and leaves it on top of the check.

“Funny,” I say. “I can’t remember the last time I used cash.”

“I don’t use a credit card right now,” he says. “Just a debit card.”

He doesn’t say anything further, and I don’t ask. My guess is that Jesse wired him some money, and he took it in cash. I don’t know. Whatever happens, I’ll make sure that Jesse is paid back.

Even though I know Dragon wouldn’t want me to do that.

Once he’s done with the ice cream, he meets my gaze. “You ready?”

“Are you?”

There’s meaning beneath my words. Is he ready to see his parents? Is he ready to tell me why we’re truly here?

---