"Tell me again why you're single?" I asked.
His blush deepened. A shadow fell over his face as he stared at the far wall.
"Isn't it obvious?" he muttered. "Nobody wants me."
Well,thatwas a punch to the gut.
"Excuse me?" I blurted out.
"It's true. Not my parents, not any alphas." He narrowed his eyes in pain. "All I have are my friends, and my hobby."
That explained why he seemed so close to those two, the jackal and the wolf. A fountain of sympathy opened up inside me. I touched Taylor's hand, enveloping it with my warmth.
"I don't know what their problem is," I said, unable to keep the bitterness out of my voice, "but they clearly don't know a catch when they see one."
Taylor's hand stiffened beneath mine, but he didn't jerk it away.
"Apparently, you're the only one who thinks so," he mumbled. "My parents stopped talking to me when I didn't pursue the career path they wanted."
A jolt of anger shot through me. "What?" I hissed. "What could you possibly do that offended themthatbadly?"
"University wasn't for me. Especially not business school. I didn't like the vicious competition. So I dropped out and went into a simple retail job to keep myself afloat while enjoying my hobby."
Draconic fury coursed through my veins like lava. It took everything I had to tamp it down, otherwise I'd shift in the middle of the hotel room.
Instead, I squeezed Taylor's hand reassuringly. "Screw them."
Taylor's face was stoic, but I sensed the hurt within him. "It's fine. I'm over it."
He clearly wasn't, but held it together so he wouldn't look weak or vulnerable. How could I teach him he didn't have to be that way with me?
I blew out a long, hot sigh from my nostrils. "I'm sorry, Taylor."
"For what? You didn't do anything."
"That's not exactly true. By agreeing to be in the Dragonfate Games, I roped you into it, too. I didn't know you hated competition."
Taylor looked surprised. "No, it's not your fault, Crimson. I chose to come."
"Why, then?"
He hesitated, glancing down at the bed sheets. "I don't know."
I desperately wanted him to open up to me. No more holding back.
"We're alone, Taylor," I whispered. "You can tell me the truth."
He arched a sarcastic brow. "You're not wearing a hidden mic, are you?"
I laughed. "Strip search me, if you like."
I expected him to outright refuse, but Taylor's eyes flashed like he actually considered it. How pathetic was it for my cock to twitch because of that?
"I won't say no if you undress yourself," Taylor replied slowly.
Was that aninvitation?
Well, shit.I couldn't refuse now—and I didn't want to.
