“You said something about ‘people of the dragon realm.’ Is that where we’re at?”
“Naturally.”
My eyes invariably dropped to his arms, and my pulse quickened. “So those scales are-?”
His smile broadened. “Dragon scales, and I am a dragon.”
I blinked at his face before I did a quick examination of the rest of him. “You, um, seem to be missing a few things.”
Cassian chuckled. “Like the wings, claws, and teeth?”
“And the bad breath and a horde of gold, or is that at the palace?”
“My family has stored up quite a bit of gold. As for the bad breath, I try to eat mint between my weekly meals of defenseless villagers.” I stopped in my tracks. He walked a few more paces before he turned to face me. “Is something the matter?”
“You’re not joking, are you?” I wondered as I looked him over. “You really are some kind of dragon?”
A crooked smile slipped onto his lips. “Is that so unbelievable?”
I swallowed hard. “I…I just, well, it’s just-”
Cassian strolled back to me and grasped my upper arms. His gentle eyes stared into mine, and I was filled with a soothing warmth. Perhaps too soothing. It aroused in me some very feminine desires.
“Does knowing I’m a dragon make you afraid of me?” he wondered.
I numbly shook my head. “N-no.”
He took a step closer to me. Our chests almost touched. My cheeks blushed. I could hardly look him in those sultry eyes. His low voice didn’t help. “Good. I wouldn’t want that.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and bobbed my head. “Y-yeah. That would make things really awkward.” Like they already were.
Cassian’s soft eyes flitted over my face, and his crooked smile returned. “My bride, you appear to be blushing quite badly.”
I turned my face away. “Y-yeah, well, it’s the sun. It’s too bright out here.”
“Mm-hmm,” he mused with as much belief in my words as he would have believed I was from a different world. He stepped to my side and looped an arm through mine. “Then we shall go forthwith to the villa of the squire. No doubt he’ll offer us some refreshments.”
My eyes flickered down to his arm that was attached to mine. “Are you sure you should be leading me like this?”
“Should I not, my bride?”
“Well, for one, your real bride might not be too happy about it.”
“I have no bride.”
I leaned away from him and lifted an eyebrow. “You’re not married?”
There was that mischievous smile again. “Does that surprise you?”
I shrugged. “I just sort of figured kings needed to marry as soon as possible, and you’ve been king for a few years now, so…”
“I have had many proposals from very willing fathers, but none have offered me what I desired.”
“And that is?”
His eyes fell on me, and damn them for it! I couldn’t help but blush under that intense, handsome gaze. “I shall know it when I see it.”
A snort escaped me. “That’s a little vague.”
