But that was all it was. Sex. Not actual intimacy. Aurum couldn’t be interested in me any deeper than my body. He was confident while I was shy and nervous—a drab shadow compared to his shining light.
I felt a familiar pit open in my stomach as I began to spiral into a fit of anxiety...
And then Aurum sprawled next to me.
The spiral stopped. I blinked, wondering if it was an illusion born from dopamine overload. But then he met my eyes and smiled.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hi.”
“You’re cute, you know that?”
“You’re the one who’s cute,” I stammered back.
Aurum chuckled and ruffled my hair. A gentle, satisfied expression washed over his face. Then he seemed to remember something. He sighed and slumped against the pillow.
“I don’t wanna go back,” he admitted. “But Jade will tan my hide if I don’t.”
“Who’s Jade?” I asked.
Aurum leaned in and whispered, as if Jade could be lurking anywhere. “My nefarious older brother. He seems nice, but he’s dark-sided.”
I imagined a cartoon villain laughing maniacally over Aurum’s unconscious body and shuddered. “I don’t want that.”
He grinned. “Now you see my problem.”
My heart fluttered. He wanted to stay with me that badly?
Then... he wasn’t just using me for sex? Did that mean he actuallylikedme?
I shut that thought down faster than lightning. I wasn’t going there. Nope. No way. This wasn’t one of my story-rich video games where the good guys always won and achieved their dreams. This was real life. Sexy alpha dragons didn’t fall in love with chubby, awkward guys.
Even if the glint in Aurum’s golden eyes compelled me beyond anything else.
Aurum released a huge sigh, then hauled himself to his feet and zipped his pants back up. “Guess I’d better get going. I don’t want to turn into an expensive dragon rug.”
I couldn’t stop the disappointment that slipped into my voice. “Yeah.”
Aurum paused, giving me a long glance. Then, to my shock, he leaned down and gave me one last quick kiss on the lips before bolting to the window.
“See ya, Mylo,” he called.
Then he leapt off the balcony and shifted. He was gone.
Thirteen
Aurum
What a fucking night.
Flying back to the castle in the night air cleared my head. Sort of. I still couldn’t get Mylo and his adorable face out of it, but hey, at least my boner had chilled out.
The night’s memories kept looping in my mind. Mylo’s reaction when he opened his hotel room door and saw me was priceless. Maybe I should surprise him like that again.
I shuddered as I remembered everything else, too. The kisses, the touching, the feel of his soft tummy... Fuck, he was perfect.
It was late by the time I got back to my room. I pushed the door in with a stifled yawn. I didn’t want to be loud since Saffron was probably asleep. The lights were off, but his door was slightly ajar. I stopped when I heard his voice on the other side. It was higher-pitched and giggly.
