Before I could so much as turn, his hand shot out, iron fingers clamping around my upper arm and yanking me through the doorway. I stumbled, forced to meet his blazing eyes—alive with fury, hot enough to burn.
“Look at the rat I caught crawling about in the walls,” he purred. “What are you doing here?”
That he, of all people, would find me spying was beyond humiliating. I snarled to cover my embarrassment. “Looking for a way to escape this godsforsaken place.”
His grip loosened a fraction, surprise flickering over his face before he barked a humorless laugh. “So, the little liar can tell the truth. Interesting.”
“I can’t stay here. My friend Speck—he could be hurt, or worse. I have to find him.”
Thorne’s expression hardened, his nostrils flaring. “And who is this Speck fellow? A lover, perhaps?” He leaned in, voice a low, treacherous growl, sharp teeth glinting in the firelight.
Heat flooded my cheeks, and I jerked my head back. “You’re disgusting. Is sex all you think about?” It certainly wasn’t whatIwas thinking about as I peeked into his bedroom. Nope.
His full lips pulled into a twisted smile, something dark and possessive in his gaze. “Not a lover, then. He’s the boy from the pasture, isn’t he? The one you risked your life for.”
I froze, mind reeling. Was he there that night? Watching over the dragon? “How did you—”
“No matter,” he cut me off, dragging me forward.
The massive bed loomed in my vision. Shredded linens spilled over the edges. Panic clawed at my throat. Was he really some sex-crazed demon after all? I dug in my heels, planting myself like a stubborn mule. “Release me, you cretin. I swear, if you lay a single hand on me—”
He spun, eyes burning with raw disdain. “You’ll what? Annoy me to death?”
The bite in his tone made me falter. He didn’t look like a man lusting for flesh, more like one wrestling with demons of his own, ready to snap at the next provocation.
“No, I’ll—”
“Princess, I’d sooner eat a larder full of Myrna’s mystery meat than touch you.”
The burn of his angry words stabbed at my pride, and my resistance floundered enough for him to drag me out the door. In the hallway, I wrenched my arm out of his grasp. “Then why don’t you set me free? Let me leave this place and make my escape.”
Thorne spun to face me. “Because the dragon isn’t done with you—yet.”
Tired of being abused, I thrust out my chin. “You know, if anyone has a right to be mad, it’s me. Seeing as how I cheated death only to discover I’m to be a dragon’s plaything.”
Thorne’s blue eyes narrowed to slits, and he prowled closer. The menace he exuded had me backing up a step, then another, until my back struck the wall.
He glared down at me, and I became all too aware of how much bigger he was, my head only reaching his shoulder. I noted just how alone we were. How his smoky, wildfire scent filled my senses, heat smoldering between our too-close bodies.
Nervous anticipation skittered down my spine, my blood warming in my veins. To run. Surely what I felt was the urge to run. Anything else would prove me insane.
“Listen up, Princess,” he said in a way that raised goosebumps on my flesh. “I’ve little interest in frigid Puritans, so if I catch you lurking in the shadows of my bedroom again, know that you won’t like the outcome.”
“Excuse me?” I balked at the insinuation. “I most certainly was not—
“Nor do I trust you,” he spoke over me. “In fact, I’m quite certain that you are hiding something.”
At the accusation, I slammed my mouth shut. Was it possible he’d spotted the mark on my neck? A mark that was absolutely none of his business.
The egotistical bully went on, adding, “But for some reason, you’ve stolen the dragon’s attention. For now, he wants you alive. Therefore, I’ll endeavor to keep you that way. But know this, should you do anything to harm or endanger him” — he puffed a tiny flame from between his lips, igniting his fingertip like a candle — “I will light you on fire and toss you off the flight deck without hesitating.”
My eyes widened, taking in that singular flame. The dragon wasn’t the only one with fire magic.
Before I could fully process the threat, Thorne slammed his flaming fist into the wall beside me. I flinched from the blistering heat that seared the side of my face. Still, it was nothing compared to the anger he radiated, the hard press of it a palpable force that made my knees quake.
“Is that clear?”
“Very,” I managed to squeak.
