Page 31 of Billionaire Dragon King’s Rejected Mate

“Most people don’t have their work picked apart in front of an entire team,” she replied, her tone even but edged just enough to remind him that some things didn’t reset just because the day had ended.

He absorbed that without flinching, though it landed exactly where she intended.

“So this is what,” he said and stepped further into the room. His gaze flicked briefly over the spread of notes and revisions. “Damage control?”

“This is making sure it doesn’t happen again,” she corrected and leaned back slightly in her chair. “Apparently my work isn’t good enough on the first pass.”

The words were light but the meaning wasn’t.

“And if I do this at home, there are distractions. Here, it’s just easier. Plus,” she gestured toward the window where rain lashed against the glass in erratic bursts, “I figured I’d wait out the storm.”

As if on cue, the lights flickered and then went out completely.

“Great. Just what I needed.”

Chance backed toward the door. “Come on out here. The emergency lights are on so it isn’t as dark.”

She had already risen from her chair and moved toward him. Just as she was about to push past him, a huge boom of thunder exploded and a massive bolt of lightning cracked right outside her window.

She shrieked and threw herself toward the door, but Chance had moved just enough that she went straight into his arms. He felt her tremble and wrapped his arms around her.

“It’s okay. I’ve got you.” He was playing with fire much more dangerous than Mother Nature’s display.

She looked up at him. Even in the dim light from the exit lights, he could see into her eyes. The space between them narrowed to something charged and fragile, the kind of proximity that made every small detail suddenly impossible to ignore.

And there it was again, that pull that was stronger now and less deniable.

It coiled low and steady, something instinctive and undeniable that had nothing to do with logic and everything to do with the way she looked at him in that moment, not guarded or distant, but open in a way that made his control slip.

Her gaze dropped to his mouth. Without a sound, she closed the last inch of space between them with a quiet certainty that made something in his chest tighten sharply in response.

Mine.

The word rose again, louder now, threaded with something possessive and unrelenting, his dragon pressing closer to the surface with a dangerous kind of approval that only made the moment more volatile.

Their lips met, and this time the kiss was soft and tender. One of her hands reached up and cupped his face as her mouth lingered on his.

His hand tightened slightly at her shoulders. He didn’t pull her closer, but he didn’t stop her either. It took every ounce of strength he had not to deepen the kiss.

Instead, he pulled back. The shift was immediate as the space between them returned all at once and left behind the sharp, undeniable absence of what had just happened.

Randi stilled and he saw that flicker of hurt again.

“You deserve someone better than me,” he said quietly. The words were low and rougher than he intended, but they were the closest thing to honesty he could allow himself.

Her gaze searched his, as if looking for an explanation or anything that might make his words make sense.

He couldn’t give it because if he stayed, he would break. He stepped back and walked away. “Go home, Randi.”

The storm swallowed the sound of his footsteps as he moved down the hallway while the flicker of emergency lights cast fractured shadows in his wake. He didn’t look back when he reached the stairs.

He didn’t even allow himself even a second to reconsider. Instead, he fled while his dragon screamed in rage.

Chapter 14

Randi

Randi did not stay long after he left. She grabbed her jacket and slowly made her way out of the dark building. With no power, staying to work was no longer an option.