Page 92 of Connor and the Dragons

Connor shook his head, then leaned in and kissed my forehead. “Sweetheart, we were inevitable. There was no stopping this.”

I blew out a breath, laughing. “I feel that too.” I looked around, frowning. “Where is Oallian, anyway?”

Oallian chose that moment to walk past holding four candlesticks I did not recognize. He was naked, and my eyes fixed on his ass, flexing as he set them on the mantel, then took a step back, examining his work. I forgot all of what Connor and I had been talking about.

He turned and caught me looking. “I do enjoy being lusted after, Kess.” He wiggled the aforementioned thick ass before bouncing back into the bedroom.

I looked at Connor, who raised an eyebrow. There was a crash from the bedroom, and I stood, then turned back to Connor. “What is he doing in there?”

Connor laughed. “You’d better make sure he’s not disorganizing things too badly. He might be unfolding linens.”

“Shut up, I’m not that bad.” There was another crash, and I glanced at the door. “Okay, fine. I am very worried. I love him, but he’s… Oallian.”

Connor laughed and waved me on. “I know, sweetheart. Go.”

I walked into the bedroom to find it a chaotic mess of random gold and silver and jewels, almost like a dragon’s hoard. Oallian was standing in front of the dresser, examining an arrangement of jeweled vases. He took a step back, tilting his head.

“Why are you naked?” I asked.

“Oh! I have been gathering a few things. See?” He waggled his fingers at the arrangement.

“I don’t know why that would require nudity. Where are you getting all of these things?”

Oallian laughed. “I have an old hoard in a cave on the cliffs north of Feravael Bay. I had almost forgotten about it, but my monster has more than one hoard.”

My heart dropped into my stomach as I remembered what I’d called him. A monster. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

He turned to me, looking confused. “Mean what?”

“I called you a monster back on the island, and now you’re… doing whatever this is.”

He laughed. “Stop looking so worried, this has nothing to do with that. I know you didn’t mean it. Perhaps your hormones are making you a little batty.”

“It wasn’t hormones. I was just scared.” I moved closer and cupped his face. “You were so chaotic at Harrowgate’s, I was worried we’d lose you to Vyranthos. And then I saw you get hit.”

He smiled and ducked his chin and kissed me gently on the lips. “I was scared, too.”

“I shouldn’t have called you that. You’re not a monster, not at all. You’re the most joyful, lovely person I’ve ever met.”

He beamed at me. “I love you, too. And you are also not a monster, despite the way you fold linens, which is really quite alarming in its perfection.”

“It’s not alarming, it’s neat and organized!”

Connor cleared his throat behind me, and I turned to find him leaning against the bedroom door frame, watching us, his jaw set.

“Oallian, when did you fly?” he asked.

“Just now. Off the balcony. You were nagging Kess about his arm and I realized I could make this bedroom less boring.”

“It isn’t boring,” I huffed. “It’s orderly.”

We both turned to the balcony, which now had a big chunk of stone missing from the railing. Connor frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “You can’t just—”

“I’ll fix it. Not to worry. Anyway, look! There was this!”

He turned back to the hoard pile on the floor, and held up an atrociously gaudy gold object with a flourish. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it looked like a giant drinking cup covered in jewels.

“What even is that?” Connor asked my question for me.