Page 59 of Scales ’N’ Spells: Volume One

Cameron’s smile twisted a little on his lips, and there was a look of mischief in his eyes that caused Alric’s heart to speed up. “You can’t help it, can you?”

Straightening, Alric blinked at Cameron, a blush lightly burning his cheeks under Cameron’s devilish gaze. “I don’t understand,” he murmured, but he very much wanted to kiss that grin from his mouth.

“All the charm and crisp politeness. Did you go to king school to learn it?” Cameron asked. He strolled closer, and his dragon rumbled with pleasure in his chest. He loved watching Cameron walking toward him and only him.

Alric shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers, and grinned. “Dieter was sure to pound some diplomacy into my brain, but I like to think I come by my charm naturally.”

Cameron hummed softly. “A charming dragon. I had no idea dragons could be charming.”

“Dragons aren’t all fire and bad tempers. Sometimes, to get what we want, we have to be charming.”

Dark eyebrows rose to disappear into the fall of Cameron’s hair, and he silently laughed. “Is there something you want, my charming dragon king?”

Pulling a hand out of his pocket, Alric reached out and snagged Cameron’s. Without shifting his gaze from Cameron’s, Alric slowly lifted Cameron’s hand to his lips and brushed a light kiss across the knuckles. “Only to see you smile. The light in my darkness.”

“Oh, you are very good,” Cameron murmured. His fingers tightened in Alric’s hand.

“Anything for you.”

“Then go on a date with me.”

Alric blinked, surprised to hear the very words he’d planned to say coming out of Cameron’s mouth.

Cameron chuckled, the sound low and intimate. It felt decadent to his ears. A gift just for him. “You look surprised.”

“I am.” He stopped himself from asking if Cameron was sure. He clearly was sure and had decided to spell it out clearly. Alric could only bask in his confidence, his courage, and answer him properly. Cameron deserved that from him, they both did.

“I want to spend some time with you, get to know you better.”

“Oh,” Alric breathed, his brain still trying to catch up to this unexpected development. Had he fallen asleep at his desk? This all felt too good to be true.

“Is that a no?”

“No! I mean yes. I mean—” Alric snarled, his cheeks burning while Cameron laughed. “I mean, I would love to go on a date with you.”

“Excellent. Tonight?”

Alric nodded. “We can meet in the courtyard at seven. We’ll drive into town.”

“Great!” Cameron said, followed by what sounded like a relieved sigh. Could he have been nervous? Did he really believe that Alric wouldn’t want to spend an evening with him? Insane. “I will…um…see you at seven then.”

Cameron walked backward, slowly pulling his fingers from Alric’s grip. With one last smile, he spun on one foot and hurried back out of Alric’s office. Once the door was shut, Alric placed his hand to his chest. His heart beat like a thing gone mad under his fingertips. He had a date with Cameron.

This was not what Cameron had in mind when he thought of a date with Alric.

Yes, maybe his daydreams of crawling into Alric’s lap after they’d parked in some secluded spot and kissing the damn wings off the dragon weren’t exactly realistic. If the man could murmur such sweet things to him, then Cameron was dying to know what else he could do with that talented tongue.

Okay, and maybe he’d conveniently forgotten they needed to have a bodyguard with them when they left the castle.

But he was not expecting to have grandpa dragon and grandma mage along as freaking chaperones.

Not that he didn’t love Lisette.

Lisette was amazing. He adored her no-nonsense attitude and the wonderful way she explained magic. She was quickly becoming both a second mother and a beloved mentor for him. And while he hadn’t spent a great deal of time with Dieter, Lisette always spoke of her mate with such love. Cameron was certain he was a wonderful person.

But he did not want to feel their watchful eyes on them during their one escape from the castle.

Cameron’s dreams of a romantic evening filled with long looks, little touches, and blistering hot kisses went up in smoke before they even climbed into the car.