I was so taken off guard that I accepted the deal when I really didn’t have to. Keeping her alive is enough of a payment.
But to be fair, she doesn’t know the whole story…
Only the pieces I wanted her to hear.
I get to my feet. I’m stiff from sleeping on the couch all night. I wanted to slip into the bed beside my wife, but she was so shocked and messed up that I thought it was better to give her some privacy. Now I creep into the dark room, the heavy blinds pulled over the large window, and I stand in the inky black beside her bed.
She’s a shape under the covers. A curvy, beautiful, soft shape. Auburn hair spills down to her shoulders in soft waves. Plump lips are parted as she breathes. I knew she was attractive from the photos I found online, but seeing her in person is entirely different.
I made a lot of fucking mistakes last night.
My hands curl into fists.
I’ve made even more mistakes these last few years…
But I learned from all that pain and suffering. I figured out that relationships are overrated without clearly defined roles and boundaries. Friendships are fine so long as they have a point. Romance is dust under my boots. I have employees, not partners.
That keeps everyone safe.
Daniel’s right: my people know exactly where they stand with me.
The problem is, Nika doesn’t fit nicely into any of my categories.
I went into last night assuming she’d marry me out of sheer fear for her life. I was going to present her with evidence, convince her that I’m her only hope, and rush her down the aisle.
In some ways, Aslan’s drone strike helped my case.
But then I kissed her.
That was my biggest error of the night. I don’t know what I was thinking. The second our lips touched, I felt something stir in my heart, a feeling I’ve been running from for years. Desire, pure and simple desire, but that’s dangerous. You can’t hurt a man who doesn’t care about people. You can’t use them against him.
If that part of me starts to wake back up before I’ve become a Dragon…
I slip around the bed and crawl under the covers. Nika stirs beside me. She’s warm and small, and she mutters in her sleep as she turns onto her side. She curls against me, snuggling in tight, and I go still, heart racing. Her touch sends a chill down my spine.
“Please, Gabe…”
My mouth drops open.
Did she seriously say my name?
Is she awake?
But no, her eyes are still closed and moving rapidly behind her lids. She’s dreaming right now.
But why’s she dreaming about me?
I should get out of here. It was stupid climbing into bed next to her. I wanted to get an hour of decent rest after suffering through that back-breaking couch, but this was a mistake. I shift away, until she makes another sound.
It’s my name again.
Followed by a low, sexual whimper.
“Gabe, keep going…”
Holy fuck.
My heart hammers. This can’t be happening. But she makes another moan, mouth hanging open, face flushed.