Page 49 of Rapunzel's Gambit (All That Glitters)

I took them, surprised that he would know that giving flowers was a traditional human custom during an apology. “Thank you. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m just still adjusting to the notion of a dragon shifter. It’s a new concept for me and I’m trying to process it.”

He nodded. “That’s understandable. I’m afraid that human emotions are very complex and confusing for me.”

“What exactly is so confusing?”

Pollox stared intently at me, and my heart raced. The smoldering look he gave me was going to cause me to burst into flames at any moment, I was convinced.

“Do you want the truth, or a simple answer?”

“The truth.”

Pollox’s jaw clenched. “The simple answer would have been that being a soft, highly edible human is a complete waste of time for me, but the truth is…I care about you. I wasn’t lying when I said you are the most valuable part of my hoard, and I treasure every moment with you. But then, I see you with that squire and I can’t”—he clenched his fists—“I can’t handle it. The idea that you would pick him over me is terrifying and infuriating, and it’s easier to stay a dragon all the time. It’s why I didn’t want you to know that I can shift, but now that you know, I want my feelings to be plain.”

I turned to busy myself with arranging the roses in the vase beside my bed, unprepared for such blunt honesty. It was a slight shock, but also relieving in many ways. Without him employing the same subtle social cues that most humans used, it removed a great deal of the stress of trying to dissect the true meaning behind hidden words and vague statements. “Jealousy is a normal human emotion, you know.”

“I don’t want to be jealous,” Pollox whispered. “I just want you. But I’m afraid that if I ask you to choose between us, you won’t pick me, and I can’t stand the thought.”

Oh, scales. Earlier that morning, I had spent so much time and energy being angry with Pollox’s pouting, but his openness managed to melt away all my planned frosty comebacks. If he was willing to be completely honest, I could be too. I swallowed and turned back to face him. “I don’t like cold silences like what you did last night.”

“In my defense, I’m very new to being a human.” Pollox reached out and traced his finger along my arm. Veins ran from his shoulder to wrist, standing out noticeably on his biceps and forearms. The temptation to run my fingers along those veins grew with every second he was near me.

“You seem to have the apologizing bit down fairly well, all considered. Quite frankly, I’m impressed that you knew about the flowers and everything.”

“Ah. Well, I can’t take full credit for that. One of the things a farmer left on his offering table some time ago was a book that I read last night. That helped a lot.”

“What book?” I asked curiously.

He blushed slightly. “Umm, I think it was only intended for male farmers to read. It’s not really your type of book.”

“Now I have to know.”

He ran his tongue over his teeth. “The title wasHow to Harvest a Wife: The Art of Wooing Women.”

I burst out laughing, all my former anger forgotten.

“Ah, yes, making a woman laugh was part of the prescribed method,” he told me, unable to suppress his smile. “That was in the chapter titled ‘Fertile Field Flirting Tips.’”

“Oh, are you flirting with me?”

“I’m doing my best. Is it working?”

“Yes, it is. I must say that I’mudder-lyspeechless. What else did it tell you to do?”

He guided my hand onto his torso and ran his fingers up the side of my gown. “Let’s see…flowers, making her laugh, I’m also supposed to write you a love letter that doesn’t look like chicken scratch, but I didn’t do that yet.”

I adored how Pollox was always so warm to the touch. “It sounds like this book has a great deal of wisdom. Anything else?”

“I need to not smell like a barn.”

I inhaled. “Congratulations, you succeeded.”

“And I’m also supposed to only pick a woman I get along with.”

“Ooh, I’m not so sure about that. I’m downright unreasonable sometimes.” Whatever magic that book had taught him was working on me. I found myself sinking into Pollox’s arms.

His hand supported my low back, drawing me closer so the space between us slowly disappeared. “I already knew that. It’s one of the things I like most about you. I’m not saying you have to choose between us. I’m saying that I’d like a chance to prove myself.”

“You’ve already been a friend, a partner in crime, my confidant…what else do you have to prove?”

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