Page 25 of Hex and Scales

“Ooh, spicy!” Clover crowed. “Send emojis! Lots of emojis!”

A stream of kissing faces followed.

“Tell him what you want!” Romi urged.

Next time I see you, you better kiss me properly. None of that gentle stuff. I want FIRE.

“I just told Rook I want to climb him like a tree,” Clover announced proudly.

“Lux is getting a detailed list of what I want to do to his?—”

“LA LA LA!” Sabine covered her ears, laughing. “Too much information!”

She sent one final text before collapsing into giggles:Going to bed to dream dirty things about you. Very dirty dragon things.

The next morning,Sabine’s head throbbed with every step toward Katz ‘n Things. She stopped short at the sight of Ren leaning against the shop door, holding coffee and a paper bag that smelled like heaven.

“Good morning.” His deep voice carried entirely too much amusement. “Thought you might need these.”

“You’re a lifesaver.” She accepted the coffee gratefully, inhaling the rich aroma. “How did you know?”

His grin widened as he pulled out his phone, and her stomach dropped. “Let’s see... First came the missing me. Then a very detailed appreciation of my shirts—or rather, your desire to remove them.”

“Oh no.”

“The emoji explosion was cute. But I particularly enjoyed learning about these ‘dirty dragon things’ you planned to dream about.”

Mortification burned through her. “I am never drinking wine again.”

But then she really looked at his face—saw the warmth in his eyes, the way his smile held no mockery. He looked... happy. Almost playful. Like her wine-soaked confessions had brightened something inside him.

“I should probably die of embarrassment now,” she mumbled into her coffee.

“Or,” his voice dropped lower as he stepped closer, “I could fulfill at least one of those requests.”

Her heart stuttered as his hand cupped her cheek. Then his lips found hers, and everything else faded away. He tasted like cinnamon and promise, and when he finally pulled back, his eyes blazed gold.

“For the record,” he murmured against her lips, “I missed you too. And I’d very much like to hear more about these dirty dragon things.”

She pulled back, embarrassment filling her. “Get out of here. I’ve got work to do and don’t have time to entertain you, you flirt.”

He kissed her again, leaving her standing in place before he winked and walked away. This dragon was really making her life complicated.

TWENTY-TWO

Dawn painted the sky in watercolor strokes of pink and gold as Sabine walked toward Katz ‘n Things, her boots crunching softly on the frost-covered sidewalk. The crisp morning air carried hints of woodsmoke and pine, reminding her of Ren’s distinctive scent. Her phone buzzed in her pocket—probably Ylan running late again—but Sabine couldn’t bring herself to check it. Her mind drifted to last night’s texts instead.

“That ‘82 Bordeaux pairs wonderfully with solitude on mountain peaks,”Ren had written.

“Sounds lonely,”she’d replied.

His response came quickly:“Perhaps I need better company.”

Now, remembering their playful wine recommendations and the deeper conversation that followed, Sabine touched her lips. They still tingled from yesterday’s kiss, when he had warmed her skin and their magic twined together like old friends reuniting.

“Earth to Sabine!” Romi’s voice pierced her daydream. Her cousin jogged up, carrying two steaming travel mugs. “You walked right past me, lost in that dreamy expression. Thinking about a certain brooding dragon?”

Heat crept into Sabine’s cheeks. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

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