“Tell me about your worst patient,” he said, surprising her with the shift in conversation.
“That’s confidential,” she replied automatically, then smiled. “But I can tell you about the most stubborn one I’ve ever encountered.”
“Oh?”
“This dragon king who thinks he can handle everything alone.” She took another sip of wine, emboldened by his answering grin. “Brilliant strategist, natural leader, but absolutely terrible at asking for help when he needs it.”
“Sounds like a complex case.” His eyes sparkled with mischief. “What’s your professional assessment, Doctor?”
“He’s stronger than he gives himself credit for. And he’s been carrying the weight of the world since he was sixteen.” The wine made her honest, stripping away her usual professional detachment. “He deserves someone who sees past the crown to the man underneath.”
The teasing light in Draven’s eyes shifted to something deeper and more intense. “And what do you see when you look at that man?”
Everything I’ve ever dreamed of.
The thought hit her with startling clarity, but she wasn’t quite brave enough to voice it. Instead, she stood abruptly, needing distance from the magnetic pull between them.
“I think I need some air,” she said, her voice slightly breathless. “This wine is stronger than I thought.”
Draven rose in one fluid motion, moving around the table with that predatory grace that made her pulse skip. “There’s a scenic overlook just outside. The view is spectacular.”
The night air soon hit her flushed skin like a cool caress as they stepped onto the restaurant’s terrace. The aurora lights danced across the sky in ribbons of emerald and gold, reflecting off the volcanic ridges that stretched toward the horizon. The pink sea glittered like scattered diamonds far below, and the twin moons hung like celestial pearls in the star-drunk sky.
“It’s beyond beautiful,” she whispered, but when she glanced at Draven, he was watching her instead of the view.
“It is,” he agreed.
They walked in comfortable silence along the winding path that led to the cliff’s edge, the charged air between them growing thicker with each step. The wine hummed through her system, making her hyperaware of everything—the way his hand almost but not quite brushed hers as they walked, the subtle heat radiating from his powerful frame, and the masculine scent of him that seemed to wrap around her like an embrace.
This is insane. I’m supposed to be his therapist.
But the rational voice in her head grew quieter as they reached the scenic overlook, where a stone railing was all that separated them from the dramatic drop to the sea below. Theaurora lights painted everything in otherworldly colors, making the moment feel suspended outside of time and consequence.
“Lila,” Draven said softly, turning to face her.
The way he said her name—like a prayer, like a promise—made her breath catch. She turned toward him, and suddenly they were standing impossibly close, the space between them crackling.
“I need you to know something,” he continued, his golden eyes burning with intensity. “What I said in there—about waiting my whole life—I meant every word.”
Before she could respond, before she could remember all the reasons this was a terrible idea, his hands framed her face with surprising gentleness. His thumbs traced the curve of her cheekbones as he searched her eyes.
“Tell me to stop,” he whispered, giving her one last chance to retreat.
Instead, she rose on her tiptoes, closing the distance between them.
The kiss was electric fire and liquid starlight. His lips moved against hers with passionate hunger that spoke of years of loneliness finally finding their answer. She melted into him, her hands fisting in his shirt as he pulled her flush against his powerful chest.
This is what I’ve been searching for my entire life.
TEN
DRAVEN
Draven lost himself in the fire of Lila’s kiss, his hands tangling in the silky strands of her hair as their tongues began to dance together. Her large breasts pressed firmly against his muscular chest through the forest green dress, and he could feel his dragon stirring to life, demanding he claim what was rightfully his. The taste of wine and chocolate lingered on her lips, intoxicating him further as every nerve ending in his body roared with desperate need.
Mine. Take her. Claim her now.
His dragon’s primal demands grew louder and more insistent, and Draven felt his control beginning to slip. His hands moved from her hair to her waist, pulling her impossibly closer as heat coursed through him like molten lava.
