Then Carly had invited me to hang out with her while she fed and tended to her bunny while Graham and Desmon arranged the retrieval of the Redrock SUV.
Carly was not who I’d expected to be a dragon’s wife, and I didn’t mean physically. I’d seen photos of her online and hated how people acted so shocked that she wasn’t a stick-thin leggy blonde. She was curvy. Voluptuous. And most of the photos I’d seen of her had been taken at balls and galas, and I’d always thought she’d filled those dresses magnificently and looked like a million bucks.
She had hair down to her upper back now, though I was pretty sure she’d sported a pixie cut in several of the images I’d seen. She had the type of face that looked good in a variety of hairstyles.
It was the relaxed, casual demeanor that surprised me. She was effortless and warm, like she could be your best friend overnight. Like you could confide in her. She immediately made me feel welcome, as if I hadn’t just literally stepped into a dragon’s den.
It was almost jarring next to Desmon, whose very existence seemed to hum with barely contained power. I couldn’t seeauras, but I sure felt his. It was impossible to ignore. Even in a velvet housecoat, he looked like he could dominate the boardroom and make a dozen suit-wearing businessmen cry.
It was a completely different kind of power compared to Graham. Graham was strong. Desmon was powerful.
Ugh! I was thinking about that stupid, cocky gargoyle again. Here I was, having just met an actual dragon—a real, honest-to-goodness, fire-breathing dragon in human form—and all I could focus on was the confusing, infuriating lug. How dare he kiss me senseless one moment, then turn around and call it a mistake the next? Pretending like I was just some job, an inconvenience he couldn’t wait to shake off?
But then there was the way he’d reacted to Flame. The two ifrits had looked like fiery, red and orange versions of the genie fromAladdin, but much hotter, and I didn’t mean temperature-wise. I’d stared, because who wouldn’t? Flame had made his interest known, and Graham had reacted like a jealous boyfriend. And the worst part? I liked it.
See, I hadhorribletaste in men.
And then he had the gall to tell me the kiss was a mistake! Mistake my ass!
I could still hear his words like he’d just said them. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
“You look like you swallowed a lemon, sideways. What are you thinking about?”
I considered lying and telling Carly that I was just worried about what was going to happen next, but I’d never really had anyone to have girl talk with, and as I already mentioned, Maa didn’t count. I really had to remember to call her later. Since the last twenty-four hours had been a string of new experiences anyway, I thought, why the hell not?
“Do you know Graham well?” I asked.
“I don’t know him too well. Redrock usually sends Gunnar when it comes to Desmon’s missions, but since Gunnar got hitched, Graham’s been coming by more often.” She quirked an eyebrow. “Do I sense love in the air?”
“Maybe lust? But he’s kind of an ass.”
“Really? I didn’t peg him as one. What did he do?”
I told her about the kiss, omitting the raunchier details, his clearly jealous reaction to Flame flirting with me, and then his claim that the kiss had been a mistake.
“Huh. Well, all the Redrock brothers are mated except for him. Even Eamon, the demon who lives with them in their giant two-story penthouse, found his match.” She tilted her head, studying me. “Graham’s the only one still single. Maybe he’s trying to cling to bachelorhood, and you’re giving him a run for his money.”
“Fromonekiss?” I scoffed, though my heart did a little hoppity hop along with Q Tip, who had decided that raspberries were for painting with, rather than eating, and was leaving perfect little paw prints everywhere.
Carly shrugged. “You could be his mate. Anything can happen. I’m mated to a dragon.”
I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I picked up a rattan ball and rolled it in front of the little Holland Lop with the compact, cotton bud-shaped tail, the reason behind his namesake.
Q-Tip picked it up and tossed it angrily out of his way, like he couldn’t believe I’d dared to inconvenience him with it. Then he marched over to the single marble tile on the carpet and flopped down onto it, his raspberry-tinted feet on display.
“I wish I were as lucky as you, Q -Tip,” I said. “I bet you don’t have to worry a day in your life.”
The bunny’s ears twitched at the sound of his name.
“I don’t even know when it’s safe to go home, if ever,” I continued.
“Things will work out,” Carly said.
We continued watching Q-Tip’s antics until Desmon and Graham knocked on the door.
“Desmon’s sending someone to see what Karim knows,” Graham said. “Until we know he is no longer a threat, we will set you up at Redrock.”
“Oh, I thought Meera was staying here,” Carly said casually. She winked, a motion meant only for me, since she was sitting on a cushion with her back to the door. “I was going to ask Flame or Blaze to give her a tour of the estate.”
