Max hung up, and a noise had him jerking up his head. “Sasha.” God, she was beautiful with her blue eyes and copper-brown hair. Seconds later, his hands rested on her shoulders, and she grinned up at him.
“What?”
“Noel and I are lucky to have you in our lives.”
Her smile faded. “What about my dragon?”
“Admittedly, that part is more difficult to get my head around, but Noel understood what you were all this time. He kept telling me you were a dragon. I didn’t grasp he meant it literally, but he’s not frightened of you in the slightest. I’d say he has a case of hero-worship.”
“Wait until he meets my big brothers,” Sasha said. “I’ve packed a bag for Noel and pulled out warm clothes for him to wear. Flying will be cold, so you and Noel need to dress in as many layers as you can manage. Pack what you can in a light bag you can wear on your back. You’ll need to hold Noel and sit behind him. I can carry luggage in my talons.”
Max frowned. “Have you done this before? How do you know you can carry me?”
Sasha paused and cocked her head as if she was listening. A slow, sexy grin curved her lips, and everything inside Max turned molten hot. When he stared into her eyes, he glimpsed a hint of otherness, yet it didn’t scare him. Instead, intrigue joined the lust simmering inside him. This mysterious woman entertained him, consoled him, challenged him, and he understood at that moment what he’d missed in previous relationships.
Intelligence and empathy, along with the elusivesomethingthat told him he’d never get bored at Sasha’s side. Now, if only her family approved of him and accepted Noel. If that didn’t happen, he couldn’t see a way forward for them. He wanted to ask Sasha to marry him, and he wished to do the old-fashioned thing and ask for her father’s approval.
Her smile had grown wider while his thoughts had roamed to his future plans.
“Why are you grinning at me like that?”
“My dragon insulted you.”
Max’s brows rose. “She did? Why?”
“You expressed concern about us being able to carry you. You implied we’re weak. My dragon states we are not only gorgeous, but we are strong and could squash a puny human without breaking a sweat. We would, however, look after Noel if something happened to you because we like Noel very much.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” Max said dryly. “I’ll pack. Do we need to take any food?”
“I’ll pack a few things—some of Noel’s favorites. The locals on Holy Island come over here to shop for groceries.”
“All right. I’ll pack food in my bag and put on as many clothes as I can manage. From memory, there is a pub and a few small shops. We can’t use my credit card because that will allow the police to track us, so we must rely on cash.”
Max’s phone rang, and when he saw it was Jerome, he answered. “Have you found a place for us to stay?”
“I have. It’s on the outskirts of town. The owner said she has to attend a funeral tomorrow, but she’ll leave the key in her mailbox for you to collect. Told me the causeway was open early tomorrow morning, and she was heading to the mainland. I paid for two days.”
“Thank you,” Max said, his thanks heartfelt.
“The tide is right for you to cross early in the morning. Anything else I can do for you?”
“No, just get enough dirt on my grandmother to stop her from taking Noel. I appreciate this more than I can say.”
“Introduce me to your girl.”
“After we’re married,” Max said.
Jerome chortled and was still laughing when Max disconnected the call. Aware of the ticking clock, Max grabbed his day pack from the hall cupboard and headed to his bedroom. He stuffed his tablet inside plus spare underwear and socks. He donned his hiking clothes since he always dressed in layers when walking.
In the kitchen, he packed the cans and packets of food Sasha had placed on the table.
“That should do it,” Sasha said. “You wake Noel, and I’ll go outside to check for anyone skulking around the yard. We’ll leave from the back garden since it will give us more cover until I take to the air.”
Max nodded and took off to grab Noel. To himself, he confessed to nerves since dragons were an unknown quality. While he knew and trusted Sasha, he wasn’t so sure about her dragon.
“Hey, Noel,” Max shook his brother gently. “Wake up, buddy. Sasha is taking us for a dragon ride.”
Typically difficult to wake, the mention of Sasha and her dragon seemed to do the trick.
