Page 60 of Connor and the Dragons

Oallian humphed. “Wait. Does that mean you’re also opposed to consensual sexy spanking?”

Connor laughed and shook his head. “I might be able to make an exception for that, if someone is a very naughty boy.” He stood, barefoot now, and crossed to me. He put his hand under my chin and guided me to face him. “Kess, are you okay? I promise I won’t put you in a situation like that again without your consent. I didn’t expect it to escalate so quickly.”

“You have my consent,” I said. “You were following our plan.”

He was still staring at me like he was trying to figure something out. “Were you bothered by what happened today? You don’t feel cool to the touch.” His thumb glided up over my jaw and I shivered, trying not to meet his eyes, though he was so close that there wasn’t anywhere else to look. Dropping my eyes to his lips made everything worse.

“The mission is first.” This was more of a reminder to myself than anyone.

“It is.” His thumb moved along my jaw. “But the lines are getting blurred, and I don’t want to push you deeper into kink without your consent.”

“What about my consent?” Oallian asked.

Connor laughed, tilting his head in the fire dragon’s direction for a moment. “When have you ever been stingy with your consent? You’re right, though. I’m sorry. I should have included you in that. I worry about both of you, about putting you both in a powerless role, in a room full of people we don’t trust.”

“I like being powerless, it’s not a thing I’ve ever gotten to experience before,” Oallian said. “But thank you for worrying. It’s very sexy. Even though I could at any minute turn into an enormous dragon and eat everyone.”

“You will not eat everyone,” I snapped, drawing Connor’s gaze back to me.

“Oh, of course not. I like you guys too much to eat you. Also, I prefer sheep.”

Oallian’s words brought back the thing he’d said at the party. The thing about loving us. But it was just Oallian. He probably didn’t mean it like that. Not like it sounded.

Connor hadn’t brought it up at all, so I followed his lead, cautiously looking his way as he turned back to me, leaning forward and kissing my forehead. “You did well today, did you enjoy it?”

“It was… acceptable,” I said, as unsettled by the way he was looking at me as I was by the incomplete nature of what had happened.

“Acceptable? It was hot as fuck. You were so gorgeous on display, Sir.” Oallian stood and walked over, nuzzling my throat, sending shivers to every nerve ending.

“Mm, good boy, you can play with Kess if you like.”

Oallian made a happy sound and stepped closer. “Ooh, you are warm, so you liked it, too.” His arms looped around my waist, his hot, bare chest pressing against my back, which was still only covered by a web of fine silver chains.

Connor was still searching my face like he might learn something important just from looking at me. “Tell me what you need, Kess.”

“We have two days,” I said. “The blue silk will want attention. There is a seam at the shoulder that will not survive another evening, and if the house is on a hill we should establish which hill, and whether it has a wall, and how many ways there are out of it. We need to arrange for transport befitting a wealthy wizard.”

“Kess. Answer me.”

“I am answering.”

“I asked for what you need, not what the mission needs.”

I looked at a point past his shoulder. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Oallian’s hands roamed up over my chest as his lips traced the vein on the back of my neck.

“You are being distracting,” I said.

“You can ask me to stop. But you haven’t,” Oallian said.

Connor’s hand slid down around my neck. “Sweetheart, just tell me what’s going on with you. I promise I won’t judge, and Oallian and I will do everything we can to make it better.”

“You were supposed to fuck me on stage,” I whispered.

Connor blinked. “What?”

“See, it’s ridiculous.”