Page 33 of The Dragon's Captured Heart
Madison’s face softened, and she came closer, resting a hand on my arm. “I know, Cal. I know.”
I heard all five of her words, but my focus was locked on what she had called me.
Cal.
It was the first time she’d tried it on. It was unexpected, but the way it just rolled off her tongue sounded nice.
My dragon roared silently in my head, bellowing its agreement.
“Why are you helping me?” I asked suddenly. “So eagerly, I mean.”
“You mean besides the fact that the sovereign told me to?” She smiled as she said it, moving out of the way so we could continue back to our rooms.
“Besides that.” I shoved aside the warm tingling in my stomach.
“You’re holding on to a lot, Cal, and I find myself wanting to help. I want you to have resolution. I can see how much she meant to you, and the fact you’re willing to defy your culture’s expectations and not just forget about her shows you have a lot of character. I guess, somewhere in there, I decided I wanted to be a part of that.”
“Oh.” I nodded once, unsure of what else to say.
“And also, the sovereign told me to,” she said teasingly. “So, if I’m going to be stuck here, I may as well make the best of it.”
Stuck here. I didn’t like the way she’d said that.
“Thank you for being willing to help,” I said. “Though I hope one day you won’t think of it as being ‘stuck.’”
“No promises,” Madison said without hesitation. She thought for a second. “But maybe I eventually won’t hate you for it. How’s that?”
“I don’t feel hated,” I said as we reached my quarters and went inside, the door closing behind us.
She smiled. “I’m great at internalizing things and driving them down and away and pretending like they don’t exist.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed. “I’m sure there’s some truth to that, but all right, point made. Still, I would be okay with you not hating me. There are plenty of upsides to that.”
“Such as?”
“Well, for starters, you wouldn’t have to kiss guys you hate anymore,” I pointed out, not at all sure when our conversation had taken the direction it had.
But it was too late now.
Chapter Eighteen
Madison
“Whoa,” I said, throwing up both hands at him as we stood in the common area, separated by the coffee table and nothing more. “Let’s just back it up there, all right?”
Callum’s blue-green eyes flickered. “Back it up?”
“Yes, back itwayup there. You need to get your facts right,” I said, putting both hands on my hips as I stared him down, not letting those eyes distract me. Instead, I stared right at his mouth as the stubble-covered skin around it drew down from a smile into a tight line.
“My facts …” he echoed.
“Yes. I don’t want you going around spreading false rumors about me, Cal.”
My use of his nickname spurred further confusion, tightening the tanned skin at the corners of his eyes and producing a pair of vertical wrinkles between his brow as he tried to figure out what I was getting at.
“I’m not spreading any false rumors,” he stated emphatically.
“Sure you are. You just did a moment ago.”
