“Is that all?”
“No.”
She waited.
“I’m sorry for what I said to you. I was wrong. It was a horrible thing to accuse you of, and my comments were hurtful. If I could take the words back, I would.”
Harlow let out a deep breath, muscles in her shoulders relaxing. “Thank you for that. We can’t take our words back, but it means a lot to me that you respect me enough to apologize.”
“Of course I respect you. I never meant to imply that I thought less of you because of the change in your family’s position.”
She glanced down at her toes and kicked a few pebbles off them. “Well, you wouldn’t be the first.” Licking her lips, she released the anger she’d been holding. “I forgive you, and yes, the punishment will stop. Although I honestly think you almost held your own today. Either that or Brantley felt sorry for you.”
“It’s debatable.”
“I have to go. It’s a long walk home.” She moved toward the exit.
“Where’s your carriage?”
“Can’t afford one anymore.”
“I can lend you one.” He pointed a thumb toward the palace.
She felt her cheeks warm and shook her head. As tempting as it was to take his handout, she had to learn to do things for herself, and walking home was something she could definitely handle.
“Oh, I can see why that might be awkward, given our previous conversation.”
She turned again to leave. “It’s all right. I know you didn’t mean it that way.”
“Will you allow me to walk with you?” he called, a hint of what she thought might be desperation in his tone. Interesting.
She turned back toward him. “You’re covered in blood.”
“Give me a few minutes, and I’ll clean up.”
She shrugged. “Okay.” As she watched him jog toward the locker room, she tried not to think too much about the leap her heart gave at the thought of having a long stroll with the object of her hottest nighttime fantasies. Without the excuse of her anger, her inner dragon was all too happy to flirt with the idea of having him again. She sighed. A bad idea for a number of reasons. A long walk would give her time to get to know him. With any luck, he’d be a complete ass and nip her lusty feelings in the bud.
He met her at the door, and they strode down the path toward the main gate to the palace.
“Can I ask you something?” Her earlier thoughts were weighing heavily on her chest, and she needed to know the truth. When he looked at her expectantly, she barreled ahead. “Do you really believe all that about being undesirable?”
He looked away from her, toward the Dark Mountains of Darnuith. “I’m not a dragon prone to histrionics.”
“You called yourself a monster, a freak. You can’t believe that.”
He glanced at her, his face impassive.
“Marius, it’s not true. There is absolutely nothing off-putting about you. Quite the opposite.” Embarrassed, she tried to hide behind a playful smile as she said, “On a purely objective basis, I find you… fetching compared to most dragons.”
He scoffed and held his heart. “Hmmm. Fetching. You don’t have to lie. I’m a full-grown dragon with a thick skin. I know what I am.”
“I’m not lying! And it’s not just me. The first time Brantley saw you, he called you a dark and brooding hunk of dragon male.”
He chuckled softly. “I’ll try to remember that next time he’s smashing my face into the stones.”
“There was nothing artificial about the way I looked at you before, Marius. At least believe me about that.”
He stole a glance at her again, and she could tell this time he believed her. For a few moments, they walked in silence while he turned it over in his mind. “Have you considered that you knew me before and when you look at me now, you’re seeing what I was and not what I am?”
