Page 41 of Fated to the Grumpy Dragon
Far quicker than expected, he surfaced next to the boat.
“What did you go do?” I asked, staring down as he paddled over, having returned to his human form at some point.
“To look at something,” he said secretively.
“At what?”
I could see he was keeping one hand hidden from view as he climbed the ladder. It was hard to do with one hand, but he managed, preventing me from seeing what was in the other the entire time.
“What do you have?” I tried to peer around his back, but he just twisted out of the way.
“Turn around,” he said, a playful smile tugging at his lips.
A smile? On Rhyse?
That alone was enough to get me turning. The soft scrape of a finger on my shoulder sent goosebumps down my spine.
Was I insane? Why was I trusting this man-dragon who so obviously wanted nothing to do with me? Nothing had changed.
Had it? Obviously,somethingwas different. I just don’t know what.
“I thought this might suit you,” he said, settling a necklace over my head and locking the clasp behind my neck.
I looked down at the cool, heavy weight and gasped. “Rhyse! Look at the size of this stone!”
The necklace consisted of little more than a golden setting, which held within its grasp a brilliant blue sapphire half the size of my palm.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t pay full price for it.”
I couldn’t help it, I giggled. The girlish noise elicited a matching sense of amusement from Rhyse. I turned, still admiring the necklace.
“It’s gorgeous. But I can’t accept this, I don’t—” The words failed me as I looked up.
Rhyse was stillright there. I was in his personal space now. His chest inches from my face.
There was liquid all around us, but none of it seemed to be able to make it to my mouth as I stared into his eyes, heart pounding like drums in my head, body frozen, unable to move or do anything.
“I’m glad you like it,” he rumbled, reaching out a hand to lift the necklace and admire it. “It fits well with the scale.”
I nodded, unable to look away. That was one of the first things I’d seen, too. The matching blue on blue. It was fitting.
That wasn’t what was on my mind at that moment, though. All I knew was that I just needed to pull back. To move away from him before anything happened. I was too close. We were too close. He was shirtless, I was in nothing but a flimsy piece of fabric. His muscles were so close to touching me. In any other situation, he would be leaning in to—
I was so focused on what would be happening inothersituations, I forgot to monitor this one. Which was why I somehow failed to see Rhyse lean in and kiss me as he tilted my head back.
Not that he needed to. I was moving automatically. Opening myself up to the moment. To him.
He tasted like saltwater, but I didn’t care. It was too intense a moment to let little things distract me. I had to focus. On his lips, full and heavy, or his fingers as they caressed my jaw. The way he’d so casually taken control of my head, keeping it there with the lightest of grips yet subtly making sure I knew I was doing whathewanted. It burned bright and hot. So very hot.
At some point, we parted, and I looked up at him through a haze of eyelashes.
“I thought you didn’t like me?”
Rhyse shook his head. “It’s more complicated than that. Besides, I thought you didn’t like me.”
“I don’t,” I said.
“Then, why are you kissing me?”
