Page 19 of Galadon
“To be perfectly honest, I didn’t think you’d ever act on my flirting.”
He grunted. “Neither did I.”
Shocked at his admission, she spun around to face him. “Then why did you?”
Silence fell as he stared at her, contemplating…something. “You almost died in my arms, and I admit it bothered me. After you survived, I realized that you truly could be killed at any time, especially with your penchant for running into danger. If I didn’t have you just once, and you died, I knew I would regret it for the rest of my days.”
Well, that was interesting. Not exactly a romantic declaration, but at least he admitted his desire in some form. Also, it proved he did care at least a little, aside from his gruff warnings to avoid danger. Rayna took some comfort in that, and it helped strengthen her to continue.
“Sometimes, I wish you hadn’t given into it,” she admitted.
He arched a brow. “Oh, why?”
Rayna resumed her pacing. “Because…because that was the best sex I’ve ever had by, like, a lot. It was everything a woman dreams it could be but rarely experiences. You know very well what you did and how it would make me feel. Dammit, Galadon, you made me want more!”
She glanced over at him, cheeks heating at her admission.
The flames in his eyes grew hotter. “You surprised me with your passion as well. That was the first time I’d ever performed the act in human form, and I hadn’t expected it to be that…enjoyable.”
“What?” She stopped to stare at him incredulously. “Before me, you always had sex in your beast form?”
“Yes,” he said, shrugging. “I’ve only been with dragons, which has always been more than enough.”
She seriously couldn’t have been his first—right?
Rayna rubbed her face, unable to believe what he’d told her. “But you were so damn good at it, I thought…”
“I had enough time to plan exactly what I’d do to your body,” he said, wry amusement in his expression. “If I was going to give in to my lust for you, I was going to make the most of that time so that I wouldn’t be tempted to do it again.”
She glared at him. “Are you kidding me? That was seriously enough for you, and you have no intention of us ever having sex again?”
Though by her standards, she’d have said they made hot, passionate love that day. No human man or slayer had ever taken the kind of time Galadon had to bring her that much pleasure. They’d never used their lips and tongue with as much finesse and skill as him. Ugh, Rayna had to stop thinking about it, or he’d smell the lust on her. No need to give him any more of an upper hand.
“It has to be enough.” He worked his jaw and stared hard at her. “And no, I won’t touch you again. Get that through your head right now because nothing you say will change my mind.”
The way he said it was so cold that tears pricked her eyes, and she turned away so he couldn’t see how he affected her. It was like a slap to the face.Thanks for your time, Rayna. It was most enjoyable, but I’m done with you.The fucking asshole!
It took several minutes to get her hurt under control as he sat in his chair like a judge who’d just passed down a harsh sentence. Why was she attracted to him? Why had that sorceress sworn he was the one for her, but she’d have to fight and be patient if she wanted to make it work? This was impossible. She couldn’t even understand why people insisted she talk it out with Galadon when it was clear he didn’t care what she had to say. This was exactly the response she’d expected, though she’d hoped for a different result.
Rayna slowly turned around and met his unemotional gaze. “Do you hate me? Is this all some kind of joke to you by playing with me like this?”
“I want to hate you and should,” he admitted, working his jaw. “I learned a lesson when I was only twelve years old that even female slayers who appear kind and caring will turn on me once they lose control. Never again will I fall for that.”
Realization dawned on her. That’s why he was so stubborn, because some stupid slayer during his childhood ruined any chance Rayna had to earn his trust. It made more sense now, though she wished he’d see her differently.
“Galadon.” She ran a hand through her wind-tousled hair. “I know you don’t believe this, but I’m not her. There are no circumstances where I would ever attack you. I would die before ever harming you physically or emotionally—I swear this to you.”
He let out a dramatic chuckle. “You may truly believe that, but we both know that the only type of relationship we could ever have from this point forward would result in a permanent bond. The attraction between us is too strong for another brief tryst. Yet being around each other full time would eventually lead to circumstances where your instincts—not your heart—would guide you. I’m saving us from a tragedy waiting to happen.”
So he did feel the pull as much as she did. It was somewhat of a relief that this wasn’t all one-sided, and he ached for her on some level as well. Rayna had begun to wonder if she was going crazy thinking otherwise.
“Even if I somehow lost control, you’re stronger than me. I couldn’t kill you,” she argued.
He ran a hand through his short, dark hair. “I’d have to maintain my guard constantly and never truly trust you. Would that really be any way for us to live?”
Rayna wanted to argue Bailey was doing that just fine, but he’d shot down that example before. He wouldn’t consider it this time, either. In Galadon’s mind, the two cases were entirely different, though they really weren’t.
“So that’s it? We should just forget what happened between us and move on?”
