Sasha found lots to study on the drive to the restaurant. Another novelty since food sellers on Perfume Isle rarely had tables and seats for their customers.
Max parked his car and climbed out. Sasha observed him, so she understood what to do and how to exit. She managed it perfectly while Max helped Noel. Once they were ready, Max took Noel’s hand and held out his other for her.
She hesitated.
“I don’t bite,” Max said.
“The kissing books have a little biting,” Sasha said without thinking. “Some ladies seem to enjoy it.”
“Kissing books?”
“The ones with the ladies and men on the front. I’ve been reading them.”
Max’s brows rose. “I see.”
Sasha wove her fingers together with Max’s, the physical contact sending a prickle down her arm. Her heart beat a little faster, and her dragon released a tiny gasp. Luckily, it wasn’t loud enough for Max to look askance at her. “Where are we going first?” she asked to distract herself from Max’s touch.
“Let’s go to the bookstore.” He sent her a grin. “You can purchase more kissing books.”
Heat collected in her cheeks, and it seeped down to her upper chest and breasts.
“I want to breathe fire,”her dragon said.“To release the banked heat inside me.”
“No,”Sasha ordered.“That would out us. Take a deep breath.”
“It hasn’t helped.”
“Keep taking deep breaths until you feel calm. We are in a town, which is full of humans. Deep breaths.”
“Huh,”her dragon said.“Wouldn’t it be easier to kiss Max and get rid of the heat that way?”
“No! We can’t do that either. It will make the heat worse. Besides, there are humans everywhere. Remember what we learned from the kissing books? Humans do that stuff in private.”
“Dragons do too. Mostly.”
“Exactly.”
“Here is the bookstore,” Max said, and he released her hand to open the door and usher her and Noel inside. “Noel, you can choose one book to take home, but first, we’ll buy something for you to give Tiffany at her party.”
“Dragons,” Noel said.
Max laughed. “Let me ask the man at the counter if he has any children’s books featuring dragons.”
“Wow,” Sasha whispered.
“I’ve never seen so many books,”her dragon agreed.“Can we can buy a kissing book? We’ve finished all the ones at Max’s house.”
“We don’t have any human money,”Sasha said.
The owner of the bookstore showed them the children’s section and pointed out several books featuringdragons, then left them alone.
“Did you find Mum’s e-reader?” Max asked.
“I don’t know what an e-reader is,” Sasha said.
“I’m sure I saw it in the junk drawer in the kitchen,” Max said. “Remind me to look for it when we get home. Mum was a prodigious reader.” He winked at her. “She loved spicy kissing books.”
Sasha lifted her chin. “What about the birthday gift?”
