Page 61 of Dragon in Boots

She looked up at his handsome face—those lips, that strong jaw, the intense blue eyes. More and more, she felt a pull. It was an ache filled with desire. It pulsed through her heart, into her stomach, and down lower. She felt a hunger for him that had nothing to do with food.

“Please stop,” he whispered in a low, deep voice. “It’s too delicious, and I won’t be able to contain myself.”

“You can taste what I’m feeling right now?” She swallowed down a dry lump.

“Yes. And it’s unlike anything I’ve ever had. It’s driving me crazy.” He gritted his teeth.

The muted sexual desire on his face went straight to her core. She wanted to stop, but she couldn’t.

“Jac,” he growled, “I don’t care what happens to me, but he will kill you if I touch you, which I’m about to do. You must stop.”

She looked away. “Okay. Okay. I’ll think of something unsexy.”I laid an egg.She’d literally pulled it from her panties.

“Thank you.” Dash sighed with relief.

“Yep. Don’t mention it.” She lowered her voice. “But, Dash, I’m not going down without a fight. I don’t care what you agreed to with him. I’ll turn into a dragon and take him on.”

“We don’t even know if you’re a full dragon,” he replied. “And even if you were, you’d be no match. He’s thousands of years old. He can shift into the smallest of creatures and ambush you or—gods forbid—show you his true size and unleash his power.”

“How big is he?” she asked.

“Think B-52 bomber.”

What?“This is insane.” She whooshed out a hard breath. “I don’t know what’s worse; not being able to fight him, or knowing you’re going to languish in limbo forever to save me. None of this is right.”

“Sweetheart,” Dash said, brushing his thumb across her cheek, “this is the animal kingdom. It’s not about right. You of all people know that.”

Oh, she knew. She fully understood that the top of the food chain got there for a reason. But she also knew that even the most ferocious predators had weaknesses. They could all be broken, and she had a sanctuary filled with examples.

She turned to go find Heebie.

“Where are you going?” Dash asked.

“To play nice. Just like you said.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

When Damien pulled into his driveway, his street was lined with a fleet of black SUVs, a tank, several SWAT vehicles, a paddy wagon with bars, and an ice-cream truck.

“What’s this?” he asked Belch, who rode shotgun in the Jag, looking like a sardine packed into a fine sporty can.

“Ooh, ice cream.” Belch got out and headed straight for the truck.

Damien shut off the engine, noticing his front door was wide open. He approached to find dozens of camo-wearing Uchben soldiers in his living room, sitting at computer stations they’d set up on portable tables.

“Great. Just make yourselves at home,” Damien muttered to himself.

“You the tailor?” said a large man with a long red beard, wearing a kilt.

“Yes.”

“I am Gabrán, the Uchben general,” he said with a thick Scottish accent.

Damien had actually met the man before, but it was long, long ago. Gabrán probably didn’t remember because, like now, he had been in the midst of preparing for battle. He’d seemed giddy then and equally giddy now.

“Why are you in my living room, General?” Damien asked.

“Weel, I was sittin’ in the poob, enjoyin’ a fine pint, when I received a summons from thateejitVotan. Damned deities canna leave a man to enjoy his retirement. After all I did for them, too. Bawbags.”

---