Page 28 of Desired By the Dragon

I could look into it, quietly, but chances were that it was someone else entirely. Not Derek.

Mom peppered Max with questions throughout dinner and I pretended not to see the little looks he kept throwing my way, as if looking for rescue. But once you were in Lottie Ironclaw’s clutches there was no saving you. He’d just have to suck it up and bear it.

After dinner, we chatted a little more around the table and Max soon had my parents laughing and chatting like they were old friends. It was perfect, and I hated it. There wasn’t supposed to be any emotions in this arrangement, and him fitting in perfectly with my family, being attentive to me… It was a little too close for comfort. More importantly, it made me feel things that I’d rather avoid.

I needed to get control of this situation. Fast.

“Well, it’s getting late,” I said loudly, cutting off whatever Max had been saying. His raised brows were amused, like he could see right through me, but I didn’t care, just stood up and collected my coat. “I’m going to head out with Max.”

“Okay, honey.” Mom kissed my cheek as she stood to help Dad clear the table. “I like him,” she whispered and my cheeks warmed, knowing Max would have heard every word. In true gentlemanly fashion, he pretended not to though. “It was so nice to meet you, Max. Say hi to your mom for me.”

“Thank you both for having me,” he said, embracing my mom and shaking Dad’s hand in that gruff macho way men did while Mom and I watched on, amused. “Oh, and Mom says you should stop by for tea soon.”

Mom grinned. “I’ll give her a call.”

Great, just what I needed, more meddling mothers in the mix.

Max wrapped an arm around my waist and I allowed the touch as we walked to the front door. I’d asked him to come here, so this was my fault really. But I could rectify that, bring us back to familiar ground.

We were barely outside of the door, waiting for the elevator, when I pulled Max down into a kiss, pressing into him insistently, until the ding of the elevator broke us apart.

“Come on then, trouble. It’s time for dessert.”

* * *

A heavy weight was draped across my waist, pinning me to the bed pleasantly, and I nuzzled into the warmth sleepily. A familiar scent tickled my nose and I froze, mind racing to make sense of what I already knew.

I’d fallen asleep at Max’s.

Great. So that was two of our rules broken. I’d tried to regain control by ending the evening with sex, and instead I’d accidentally crashed and stayed over.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Why was being good so hard?

Max stirred and I held perfectly still as he pulled me closer, tucking his face into the crook of my neck and kissing it in his sleep, a low rumble in his chest that reminded me of a purr. Despite myself and the alarm bells ringing in my mind, my body automatically relaxed under his attentions.

I had to get out of here.

Mentally hyping myself up, I gingerly eased away from his grip and slid out of the bed as quietly as possible, collecting up my clothes and slipping them on before creeping over to the door. The lock clicked, loud in the silence, and I held my breath as I waited to see if he’d wake up.

Nothing.

I opened the door and eased out of the room, releasing a breath only when I was safely in the corridor and hurrying out of the staff housing.

Fucking flames above, what had got into me? Staying over was the exact opposite of what I needed to be doing.

I fished my phone out of my coat pocket and hit dial on Taz’s name. “Meet me at the Crow’s Nest,” I whispered as I hurried out of the building and onto the path that led into town.

“What? Why are you whispering?”

“Crow’s Nest, now,” I repeated and hung up before Taz could argue. I needed advice, and Taz had a better track record than I did.

Mostly, anyway.

The town was quiet, tourists milling around, but it was like everyone was still asleep. It wasn’t that early though, it had gone nine, and the Crow’s Nest was bustling with people grabbing their morning caffeine fix.

I grabbed a table and waited for Taz, sipping a latte and had started on another by the time my best friend showed up.