Page 87 of Destiny of the Dragons

He paused and looked over at her. She was added chicken to the skillet, but her shoulders were tense.

“I can leave.”

She turned around. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

He stared at her, willing the understanding to come to him. It was so easy for other people. He ran a hand over his hair. “I don’t know how to read you, Mia. I know you’re upset, and I don’t know why.”

Mia cocked her head. “I upset you. By prying into your personal life.”

He shook his head, closing the distance between them. The panic grew louder. He was going to lose her. “I don’t know what details you want.”

He put his hands on hers. Mia looked down, where their hands were connected. “I wasn’t looking for information. Just…getting to know you better.”

“I’ll try to give you more details, but...”

Mia smiled at him, and he thought maybe he hadn’t completely screwed this up. “You’re not really a details person?”

“No?” He shrugged. “Giving you a detailed description of the hellish last couple of months doesn’t seem interesting.”

“Hellish?” Mia cupped his face. “Did someone hurt you? I could hex them.”

“You’d have to hex me, then.” Smoke leaned into her touch. Her hand was soft and warm. He inhaled her soft scent. “Since I left you.”

“Oh.” Mia leaned into his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her.

“I’m sorry.” He didn’t know what else to say.

“You said you’re not enough.”

He held her against him. “I am not good with people.”

“I don’t care.” Mia looked up at him. “I just want you to try, okay? I’m hardly going to win any “well-adjusted adult” awards either.”

“I can try,” he said. The urge to flee was strong. He was already trying and failed badly the first time. He didn’t think he was going to get a third chance.

“Good. Now I’m going to need you to try something else.” She titled her chin up at him, and he wasn’t so lost that he didn’t know what that meant.

Mia tilted her chin up, and Smoke obliged her with a kiss. She shoved the skillet off the burner of the stove and clicked it off without breaking the kiss.

Otherwise, dinner would burn.

Smoke licked her lips with his tongue and she whimpered. She wanted him.

Some of it was the desire that he’d been stoking all day. Touching her. Nipping her neck. Shoving his tongue down her throat in the attic so Jace find them. Her core had been wet all day, and half of her brain focused on when she could get him into bed.

Some of it was…comfort. Mia wanted to get to know him better, to make the connection she needed to feel like he wasn’t going to get cold feet and run again.

He was not helping. But maybe, he didn’t know how.

He pressed her against the countertop, deepening the kiss. He licked along her lips, and she opened her mouth. His tongue darted inside, and she lost herself to sucking on his tongue.

He pulled away with a groan, moving his mouth over her jawline. Mia tilted her head, sparks of desire running all over her, from scalp to toes. He nibbled her neck, gently using his teeth to scrape against her skin.

She moaned. It was ridiculous he already knew every place to make her squirm like they’ve been together for years.

“Mia, don’t think for one second I was anything but miserable since I left you. Since Jace left.”

She sighed. “I didn’t want you to be miserable. I thought maybe you moved on.”

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