Page 39 of Fated to the Grumpy Dragon
“I don’t have any particular reason to be afraid of sharks.”
I froze as the dragon spoke. The tones were deeper, a little more musical in nature. Yet utterly familiar.
“Rhyse?” I gaped, only just then realizing I’d never seen him in his dragon form.
Why was that? Had he done it for my sake because he knew I wasn’t the most comfortable around dragons? Or had there been another reason?
“The one and only,” the dragon said. “Now, are you coming?”
“You know how I feel about dragons,” I said.
“Emma. It’s me. Rhyse.” The dragon looked down its snout at me. “I’m not going to harm you. Besides, this will be fun.”
I wasn’t sure if it was my trust in Rhyse or the confidence with which he’d said I would have fun, but between the two, they managed to get me into the water with him.
“And what is it you expect me to do now?” I asked.
Rhyse leveled one yellow eye at me as I treaded water.
“Ride me.”
Chapter Seventeen
Emma
“Excuse me?”
I blushed immediately, knowing full well he would’ve been hit with the force of my thoughts about getting on top of his naked body and—
“Grab the spikes at the base of my neck and hold on,” Rhyse said, interrupting me. Perhaps a littletoosharply. Was he feeling something, too? Or was he just irritated with my lack of composure?
Probably taking pity on me.
That made the most sense.
“Oh. Then what?” I asked, trying hard to focus on being serious.
“Take a deep breath, and let me carry you.”
“Carry me where?”
“Down there,” he said in a slightly reverential tone. “To the world below. Let me show it to you.”
Fresh nerves spiked my adrenaline even higher. “I don’t know, Rhyse. That’s a—hey!”
I sputtered, wiping water away as he splashed me with the tip of his tail.
Rhyse laughed. “All right. Now that you’re done complaining, grab on.”
“I won’t be able to see,” I pointed out.
“Oh, ye of little faith,” he teased, pointing to the rear of the boat, where a mesh net hung.
Complete with flippers, mask, and snorkel.
“You planned this out.”
“Of course I did,” he said gently. “I want you to see this, Emma. I think you’re going to enjoy it.”
