Page 23 of Cops and Robbers

He stepped toward her, dragon energy thickening the air. “Here, let me.”

She sighed but handed him the wet rag. As he stood close, her delicious aroma washed over him. He could breathe that scent all day. But now wasn’t the time.

Carefully, he cleaned the cut that was smaller than the edge of a pencil eraser. The surrounding area had already swelled, and judging from her tight shoulders, was painful. From her joking attitude and sense of well-being, he believed it hadn’t been a hard enough hit to worry about a possible concussion.

With the rag, he pinched her hair to clean the blood from the strands. He pressed a piece of gauze against the wound. In the mirror, he caught her watching him.

“Why are you glaring at me?” he asked, trying to hold back his grin. “I didn’t even laugh.”

She scoffed. “How noble of you.”

“It should stop bleeding here soon, but I’ll put liquid Band-Aid on it in the meantime.”

“Do what you gotta do, doc.”

He shook his head with a chuckle. Reaching over, he grabbed the liquid bandage.

“What?” she asked.

“You’re just not what I expected,” he murmured, meeting her dark gaze in the mirror once more. The air sizzled between them, igniting his other side and intensifying the itchy sensation across his body.

She gasped as if she felt it, too. “You mean funny…sexy…out-of-your-league?”

He tried not to laugh as he applied the liquid. “Bubbly. You’re authentically bubbly.”

“I’ll take it. So, are you done yet? I’m hungry.”

“All set.” He tossed the liquid tube into the medical bag.

Kate fluffed her hair out and covered her shoulders, causing the neckline to plunge more than it had before.

She didn’t mean for that to be sexy, Raz. With a tight grasp, he seized the medical bag and placed it in the cabinet. Following her lead, they headed back to the kitchen. The smell of crust, cheese, and pepperoni filled the air.

“How many slices do you want?” he asked, pulling the finished pizza out.

“Surprise me.”

He cut the pizza and placed three slices on each of their plates. He’d rather go big than have to get her more. Turning, he found that she’d picked the seat back up and sat on it with her elbows on the counter and her feet planted on the floor. Good. She didn’t need to fall again. He slid the plate over to her while he stood across the island.

“Oh, yummy.” She leaned forward to blow on the steaming pizza.

Warmth stirred in his stomach from watching her in that damn fox onesie, enjoyment written all over her face, even over something so simple. Fuck this. This rapport shit is taking too long.

“Are you a Fallen?” he asked.

Her body jerked as if he had shot at her. She lifted her sinister dark eyes that might as well have been a blade against his throat. The breath stilled in his lungs.

“How the fuck do you know that term?” she snapped.

He raised his hands in surrender. “I mean you no harm, Kate. Our races just came into contact a few months ago.”

“What do you mean, our races?”

“You saw what I am when you went inside me.”

“Wait…I thought that was just a spirit totem of sorts.” Her tone rang with disbelief. “But you’re the dragon?”

He nodded.