Page 56 of Her Purr-fect Christmas Mate

You know, she looked exactly like that when—

Enough.

His dragon was right. Peony’s expression was excruciatingly like the way she’d surveyed his cock the first night they were together.

He went so hard it was probably a traffic violation.

“Y-yes,” she said, and the careful hesitancy in her voice was so unlike the gleeful decisiveness with which she’d approached—

No, I REALLY must stop thinking about that.Anyway, it did nothing to relieve matters.

“When I look into your eyes, I can see it. Sometimes. I think. And when I focus on the connection between us, I can sense more than you. There’s another presence.” She narrowed her eyes, lips still enticingly pursed. “It’s new, me being able to do this. Does it only work when I look intoyoureyes? Or will I go around seeing double when I stare too hard at any shifter?”

“Or are you imagining it all and people will look at you like you’re crazy if you mention it?”

She glared at him good-naturedly. “That’s why I’m askingyou. You’re stuck with me, even if you do think I’m crazy.”

“The feeling is mutual.”

Peony snort-laughed with delight. “Oh, I’msoglad.”

“I can see other shifters’ animals when I look into their eyes. And I believe that some humans can sense it a little, as well.”

“How do you know that? Oh, let me guess. You use your terrifying shifter ways to scare them into giving in at business meetings.” She paused for him to respond, and when he didn’t, gave a gasp of mock outrage. “You do!”

“Everyone does it. There are whole industries constructed around teaching white-collar workers to summon their inner king of the jungle to win at office politics.” He allowed himself one of his sliver-smiles and enjoyed the way Peony’s cheeks heated. “I just happen to be more effective at it than others.”

“But how? Your inner animal isn’t terrifying. It’s sweet.”

What?He tried and failed to keep the surprise out of his voice. “Maybe it isn’t my animal you’re seeing in my eyes, after all.”

His dragon echoed his shock.Sweet? Me? No, she must have got that wrong. I’m terrifying. Roar.

“Yes, sweet.” Peony sounded defensive. “I mean, it’s clearly a bit of an idiot, since it’s attached to you—”

“Oh, thank youverymuch.”

“You’re welcome. But it’s… curious and playful and determined. It reminds me of my cat, but less homicidal.”

“I wouldn’t bet on it.”

“Nothingis more homicidal than my cat. It even wanted to murder your curtains. Poor, defenseless, boring-ass curtains.”

“As I recall, it succeeded.”

“Hmm… true. And I refuse to apologize for it.”

Outside, the world flashed past. Inside, his heart was standing still. “What do you think it is?”

“It’s scaly. I definitely get a sense of scaliness when I see it. And it has claws, even if it isn’t as free with them as my cat.” She frowned slightly and shot him a worried look. “A lizard, maybe?”

A LIZARD??!!

He laughed out loud at his dragon’s dismay. “Close.”No, it isn’t!“Scales are right, but you’ve got the scale wrong. Think bigger.”

“A big lizard? Like an iguana? Or a Komodo dragon?”

“Partly right.”

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