“I truly thought you were safe before now. I wouldn’t have left you alone if I had known.”
I leaned back against the couch. “It’s my fault. I went outside.”
“I told you you could use the pool any time. No. It was my fault for having such crappy friends.”
“But then you never would have met me,” I offered.
One dark, sleek eyebrow rose. “True.”
“I ran. I know better than to run away from alphas. It spurs the chase.”
“Unfortunately, yes. But they surrounded you, yes?”
I nodded. “And said bad nasty things.”
Pain flickered deep in his eyes. “They shame our dragon culture.” Then he whispered, “I know I do.”
I reached out. His hands were in his lap. I covered them with my own. “You’re not like them. Not at all.”
“You wouldn’t know.” He started to move his hands away.
“I do know.” My voice went deep and I gripped his hands to keep them in place. “I can tell.”
“Little wolf, you?—”
“I can tell,” I interrupted, repeating my words louder. “The moment you walked into the dressing room at Bish’s party and told Klonis to leave me alone.”
“Yeah, right. Bursting in with my shoulders back and my fists up… that’s how I solve problems.”
My smile started along my spine, a kind of hot sensation invading my neck, my jaw, my lips. “It was amazing.”
Malin frowned at me. “What?”
“You were amazing,” I repeated.
His frown deepened. “You were scared to death.”
“I agree. I was. And also, in complete surprise that someone powerful would do that for me.”
His eyes crinkled and he began to laugh. “You saw me as powerful when I was just being a dick?”
“Yeah. I did.”
He pulled one of his hands out from under my palm and gently cupped my cheek where the eye was swollen. His thumb brushed over the worst spot and I almost flinched. But it didn’t hurt. Instead, it felt good, like a healing. He bent his head toward mine. I stayed very still as he drew close enough for me to feel his warm breath. Then his lips pressed mine, a kiss that set off an explosion of rockets inside my head, my chest, my stomach and lower. Reality fell away as his hand slipped from my cheek to the back of my neck and the kiss deepened.
He didn’t need to hold me in place. I wasn’t running now. But I loved it. An embrace entwined with a kiss. I’d never done anything like this before.
Malin pulled back with a sudden jerk of his body. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to?—”
“You didn’t mean to kiss me?” The kiss had emboldened me. I wanted it again.
“You need to rest. Recover from today. That was me being inappropriate. Without question.” He threw his head back. His chest gleamed in the TV glow and firelight.
“No. It was you giving me what I needed.” I grasped his hand, still feeling the electric rush throughout my body. “What I want.”
“You’re in heat and I’m a jackass.”
“I meant to say it’s what I’ve been wanting before any heat symptoms.”
