“I can ask Justine, The Smart Computer,” Sasha said.
“Ah! The e-reader is here too. It will probably require charging. Great. Here’s the charger.” He handed both over to her, hesitating because he wanted to kiss her again.
She grinned at him without warning. “Do I get a goodnight kiss?”
“Yes,” he said, reaching her side in one colossal stride. He held her close, content to cuddle at first. She sank against his chest, apparently happy with the physical contact too. After a long moment, he drew back and grinned down at her. “You’re amazing, Sasha.”
A beat later, he was kissing her, savoring her quick intake of breath and her shy return of the caress. She licked his lower lip and nipped it lightly. Heat, pleasure, and a desire for more surged through him, but he kept the kiss light so as not to test his willpower.
He withdrew a few seconds later, placed a kiss on her forehead, and stepped back. “Thank you for looking after Noel. I’ll call you every night, and hopefully, I’ll be home at the weekend.”
Max forced himself to walk away from Sasha. It was more challenging than he’d assumed, and it told him he was as attached to Sasha as Noel. When she was here, they worked as a team. Although he loved his younger brother, there had been the odd time when he’d resented having to return to Bamburgh. He’d wanted his independence again, but Sasha had soothed the restlessness in him with her smart and sassy personality.
He believed her when she told him she could look after herself. Max smiled, recalling her expression when she’d mentioned the man her parents wanted her to marry. She loathed the man. Lucky for him. He wondered if her parents would approve of him. Too bad, because he was awfully tempted to make their fake engagement into a real one. Sasha intrigued him, and every bit of information he uncovered about her only drove him to want more.
Yep, it seemed he wanted a woman.
Sasha.
* * * * *
The next week passed faster than Sasha liked because it meant the days were ticking by, and she wasn’t attempting to return home. Oh, it was easy enough for her and her dragon to understand the why.
One: she relished looking after Noel, and each day was a new adventure. She and Noel were learning lots of astounding things every day.
Two: the more she learned about Max and the more she chatted with him, the more she liked the sexy man.
Three: if she returned home now, her parents would force her to marry Bruceous. Of that, she had little doubt.
And four: each time she and Noel walked outside, she sensed someone was watching them. Following them. So far, she hadn’t glimpsed the person, but they’d soon slip. She’d ignored the intrusion while keeping a close eye on Noel.
But as the days passed, guilt battered her because her parents would be worried—her brothers. At first, her parents would’ve been angry because they’d think she’d disobeyed them. Now, they’d have reached the concerned stage.
“To be fair,”her dragon said,“We have visited the beach most days. We can sense the barrier, which means there is no way to return to Perfume Isle.”
“True.”
“Can we read the latest kissing book now?”
“As soon as we drop Noel off at kindergarten,”Sasha promised.“We need to mop the floor and clean the kitchen, but I’m certain we can fit in some reading.”
“Are you ready to leave, Noel?” Sasha said.
“Don’t wanna go.” Noel folded his arms, and he hunched inward.
Surprise filled Sasha. Noel was such a cheerful kid, and he loved playing with the other children. “Why not?”
“Don’t like Darren. He’s mean.” Noel’s eyes turned glossy, and a tear slipped free.
“A bully,”her dragon said.“We can fix that if we shift to a dragon and scare him.”
“We can’t threaten a child. Think of a way to fix it while we’re in our human form. There’s no reason why we can’t let you show through my eyes when we’re speaking with Darren and his mother.”
“Ooh, plan. I get to be a baddie. I like it.”
“Noel, would it help if I stayed at kindergarten with you for a while? We’ll talk to the teacher or Darren’s mother if the teacher can’t help.”
Noel’s doubt slid across his round face and settled into a huge frown. “Not going.”
