Page 76 of Seduced By the Dragon Lord (Dragon Lords 2)

Not to mention she must still be angry with him for locking her up in that dank cell with hardened criminals, mercilessly taking her freedom. He recalled her joyous expression after they’d landed in the prison yard, then the gut-wrenching moment when he’d snatched that joy away.Don’t do this,she had begged.

He’d feared he had destroyed any trust between them in that instant. Any moment now, she would remember that she hated him. Why sheshouldhate him.

And yet he’d completely ignored the issues between them and had taken her body anyway, offering her no time to process any of it.

Any moment now she would come to her senses and shove him away…beat him with her fists and rail at him.

But she did none of that. Instead, she nuzzled his shoulder and planted a tender kiss on the side of his neck.

His heart ached with guilt, even as his body shuddered with pleasure. He could stay frozen in this moment forever, no barriers between them. No politics, no prejudices, no suspicions or resentments. Just the two of them worshiping each other in the most intimate way a man and woman could.

Her stomach growled moments before a soft knock sounded from within the apartment.

“That will be the food,” he said, reluctantly setting her away. She leaned against the pool ledge, her expression blissfully dazed and sated, a lazy smile playing along her lips. Gorgeous. Again, guilt assailed him.Any moment now…

On his way to the door, he scooped up his pants and quickly donned them.

* * *

Totally content for the first time in ages, Jessie pushed away from the pool’s edge to float on her back, soaking up the sun. No clouds impeded her view of the nearly endless blue sky, but at the edge of the horizon, presumably miles away, darkness loomed. It didn’t appear the storm was moving this way, but who knew what the winds of this world had in store.

She was struck by the notion that she might be able to snuggle up with Orik again when the next storm hit. That is, if he was open to fostering their relationship from here on out. If he could accept…whatever she was becoming.

Already she felt herself gaining strength and vitality. She wasn’t sure if it was the sun, the fresh air, or their incredible quickie that was rousing her energy. Maybe she was simply shrugging off the last remnants of that spell. Though the wordspellseemed too benign for it, not vile enough.Cursemight be more appropriate. There was no doubt it had been meant to kill, the intention behind the magic dark and hateful.

If this was how witches behaved toward dragons, pretending to want peace only to deliver deceit, she could understand why Orik was wary of them. Why he was wary ofher.

Taking the curse from Orik had been an arduous task, dangerous even, and had required a great deal of instinct and…desperation. If it had been anyone else besides Orik, she wasn’t sure she’d have been able to pull it off. The idea of losing him just when she’d found him was…unacceptable.

Mine, she remembered thinking, as she fought to save his life.

That was how she knew she’d fallen for him, headlong and foolhardy. When she imagined never again hearing his gruff voice, never again seeing that amused crack in his stony façade, her heart wanted to break. Though she had only known him a short while, there was no doubt in her mind that she was utterly and unquestionably in love with him.

The realization was both astonishing and obvious at the same time.

As she mused, she hadn’t realized she’d been twirling droplets of water around her fingers…in midair—it felt so natural. She only noticed she was doing it when Orik reappeared on the balcony and made a choking sound. She jerked around to tread water, and the droplets splattered back down into the pool.

Oops.

She was discouraged by the sudden lack of color in his face. Could they move past this aversion of his? He’d likely prefer she never used magic again, but she wasn’t sure if that was possible. This power she wielded was starting to feel as much a part of her as one of her extremities. She could no more command her hair to stop growing. Moreover, she didn’t want to.

In his hands was a folded towel. He set it down at the edge of the pool and backed away. “When you’re ready, come into the dining room.” Then he turned and hurried back inside. Eager to get away from her?

She sighed and hopped out of the pool, wrapping the towel around her.

In the bedroom, she hunted through the closet, discovering much of her wardrobe had been transferred here. How long did he expect her to stay with him?

Out of curiosity, she poked her head into the washroom. All her feminine products lined the shelves and countertops. The extraordinary thoughtfulness for her comfort sent ticklish flutters through her chest.

We can make this work.

Decidedly, she returned to the closet and slipped into one of Orik’s long-sleeved button-down shirts, rejecting the elegant evening gowns for now. Guys usually went bonkers when a girl commandeered one of their shirts.

The servants were just about finished laying out the food when she traipsed into the dining room. Orik was overseeing their progress, his color back to normal…until he spotted her in the doorway. A slight flush brightened his cheeks, his eyes widening, then taking on a hungry glint.Bingo.

“Leave us,” he blurted, not taking his gaze from her. The busy servants immediately stopped what they were doing and filed out of the apartment.

She toyed with the hem of the shirt. “I hope you don’t mind. I just wanted to wear something comfortable.”

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