Matteo’s gaze drifted down for a moment before flitting back up. I remembered my clothing situation was compromised. I was dressed only in my underwear, and since I’d leapt upright, my erection was exposed. I yanked the blanket over myself with a furious blush.
Matteo eyed my now-exposed boner and chuckled. “Don’t worry. Morning wood happens.”
Sexy, though it was, I pointedly ignored that statement.
“What happened at the challenge?” I asked through my teeth.
Matteo’s jaw tightened. His gaze slid away from me, staring at the wall. “Talon won.”
A flurry of rage swirled in my belly. “What? Who decided that?”
“Gaius did, since you weren’t there,” Matteo said. “I think he felt he had no choice.”
I groaned. I was annoyed at the situation but mostly pissed at myself. How could I let this happen? My time as the bachelor of the Dragonfate Games was disastrous so far. Could I doanythingright?
“Shit, I am so sorry,” I mumbled. “I wanted to be there, I swear. I just...”
He cocked his head. “Overslept?” he offered.
I ran my hand through my messy bedhead. “Yeah. What was even the challenge? How’d Talon win?”
I didn’t miss the flash of annoyance across Matteo’s face. “It was an obstacle course. We had to rack up points while racing to the finish line.”
My nose wrinkled. “That’s stupid. Who the hell decided that?”
He smiled. “That’s what I thought.”
“Huh?”
“Alaric made a fuss about the challenge, saying it was odd you’d chosen it. But I knew you wouldn’t pick something like that.”
I sighed. “Yeah, I wouldn’t. How the fuck is an obstacle course even supposed to help me find my fated mate?”
Matteo chuckled. “If you wanted to find the fittest, fastest mate, I suppose it’s not the worst idea.”
I rolled my eyes. “No, thanks. Jocks aren’t my type.”
“Who is your type?” Matteo challenged, meeting my gaze. Fire simmered in his molten brown eyes.
My breath caught in my throat. There was a clear answer to his question—he was sitting right in front of me. But I couldn’t string the right words together.
Matteo took my silence as an invitation to continue. “What’s the prize for winning the first challenge, anyway?” he asked, an edge to his tone.
I narrowed my eyes at him, then smirked. “You’re pissed Talon won, aren’t you, Matteo?”
His mouth became a thin line. “No.”
I barked out a laugh. “Oh, come on. You’re such a bad liar. Just admit it.”
His brow twitched. “Am I?”
Suddenly, Matteo leaned in. He was close enough that his breath ghosted across my face, and the salty scent of his sweat filled my nose. My instincts flared to life.
Shit. I still hadn’t fully come down from my earlier high. A fresh whiff of Matteo’s scent was enough to drive me crazy.
But I was no pushover, either. I was an alpha dragon, and Matteo’s playful challenge pricked at my desire to fight back.
I grinned, inching closer to meet him halfway. “Yeah, you are. You’re pissed Talon won.”
