Page 31 of Claimed By the Sinful Dragon
Seems like you have an obsession of your own.
She intrigues me,he answered.
Intrigues, my ass.
It’s not my cock that’s at half-mast just watching her read a book spine.
I glanced down. Well, fuck.
Involuntary,I gritted out mentally. Like he didn’t know. It was probably just his obsession spilling over into me. Wouldn’t be the first time, and there was certainly nothingIfound appealing about the Tribute. Weak women weren’t my type.
I watched Kaylee for a moment longer, then, shaking my head, turned and slipped out of the library. I had better things to do with my day than let some slip of a shifter girl cast a siren’s spell over my dragon.
Chapter 16
Kaylee
I yawned andstretched out, enjoying the sensation of the soft grass beneath me, and the warm rays of the sun beating down on my back as I laid out in the gardens, reading the book I’d selected from Rook’s hoard. I forced myself to read slowly, savoring every word: I’d noticed there were only a few romances in his library, and I didn’t intend to skip a single syllable.
I still couldn’t quite believe he’d let me walk out of there in one piece, never mind with one of his precious books in tow. I’d half expected him to examine my choice before letting me leave, but by the time I’d made my selection, he was gone.
I also couldn’t believe I’d forgotten how pissed off with him I was: both for not letting me know he was skipping out on breakfast, and for tormenting me about my reading preferences before telling me not to let people torment me about my reading preferences. Asshole. But he’d let me borrow the book, and it hadn’t just been some cruel joke to get me excited and then watch the disappointment crush me. He’d been close enough to see the excitement in my eyes, and probably smell it seeping out of my pores, and I didn’t even want to know what the fuck that low growl of his had done to my scent, because I sure as hell knew what it had done between my legs. Which were not going to be wrapped around him any time soon, and I was not going to be climbing him like a tree. Because I was totally not going there. Ever.
I started as a shadow fell over me, and before I could roll over and look up at its owner, the same low growl that’d hadsuch an effect on me in the library sounded again, but this time it sounded distinctly pissed.
“If I’d known you’d take the loan of a book to mean you could cast off all your duties, I wouldn’t have allowed you to borrow it.”
My mouth opened in a silent ‘o’ as I fumbled for words, staring up at him and then past him, trying to work out how long exactly I’d been out here. The sun was definitely not in the same part of the sky as it had been when I’d started reading. Crap. I scrambled to my feet.
“Or maybe you think you’ve fallen into a fairy tale and the food will cook itself?”
“No, Lord As—I mean, Rook.” My face started to burn as I caught my slip. “I’m sorry, I lost track of time. I promise, it won’t happen again.”
“Good. Because when I attend my dining hall, I don’t expect to do so alone.”
“Well that makes two of us,” I said, and then froze when my words caught up with me. Across from me, Rook matched my stillness for a long second, and then his face hardened.
“Is that what this is,Tribute? Some form of petty rebellion?” He advanced on me, backing me up against the garden’s wall. I swallowed as his hands slammed against it on either side of my face, caging me in. “Because let me make one thing clear. You wait on me, not the other way around. Is that clear, little wolf?”
“I told you, don’t call me that,” I spat, jerking my chin up to glare at him.
“Tribute, or little wolf?” he said, eyes not leaving mine as he canted his head in a predatory stare.
“You know which,” I said, my voice unsteady, my body weak from his proximity but simultaneously thrumming with a power I couldn’t quite tap. “I’m not a wolf.”
“You are whatever the fuck I say you are,” he said, enunciating each word carefully. “And that includes dead.”
I’d pushed it too far this time. I could see it burning in his eyes. I opened my mouth but I had absolutely no fucking words to undo the monumental fuck up I’d just made. He ignored me, leaning in close to snarl in my ear.
“So get your ass into the kitchen and get back to work before I decide to rethink my mercy.”
Before I could say a word—not that I could think of any—he dropped a hand from the wall and plucked the book from my grip.
“Hey!”
“Let me make something clear: books are a privilege. Servants who fail to serve do not earn privileges under my roof.”
I scowled at him, but when he dropped his other arm and stepped back, I did the first sensible thing I’d done since he’d shown up out here, and scurried past him, making straight for the kitchen. Fighting the urge to scream the whole damn way. I had better things to be doing than making food. Or at least, I did have until he stole my book. His book. Whatever.
