Page 122 of The Chosen One Universe: Volume One

“I see. When I called you young Sawyer, yes?”

Sawyer scowled. “Yeah. That. And you were petting me like I was a toddler needing to be soothed back to sleep. I mean, for a minute there… but yeah, I’m not a child. Let’s just leave it at that.”

Eduard’s thumb moved in that slow rhythmic way again, this time against Sawyer’s cheek. “I don’t think you’re a child, Sawyer. But you are young. Much younger than me.”

“Yeah? Really. What are you? Thirty, maybe?”

Eduard grinned and moved his hand slightly. He ran his thumb gently over Sawyer’s lower lip. “Closer to a hundred and thirty, if I’m honest.”

Sawyer blinked. Then gasped. His mouth fell open and Eduard’s thumb slipped inside. Eduard instantly reacted, a quick indrawn breath that Sawyer recognized. Oh no, Eduard wasn’t thinking of him as a child at all. He teased the tip of the digit with his tongue, then closed his lips around it. Eduard gasped again, then stepped closer, his other hand moving from the door to Sawyer’s back.

“I take it my age doesn’t bother you? Much like yours doesn’t bother me. I find you fascinating. Delightful. Beautiful. Your eyes are the most stunning thing I’ve ever seen. I want to see how many colors I can find in them. Greens and blues and grays.”

Sawyer stepped closer, let Eduard’s thumb slip from his mouth. He was drawn to Eduard as well. Had been from the moment he’d appeared earlier in front of them with his daggers ready to guard and protect. It had caused something in Sawyer to light up then, and it hadn’t hurt that it had triggered a protective response in Draco as well.

No, Sawyer didn’t consider himself a damsel in distress, but there was something about being safe and secure that always tripped a few triggers for him.

It probably had to do with his past, with a childhood spent alone until he’d been placed with his foster parents. They’d helped him become the man he was now, but there’d been a few bumps along the way.

“I can’t believe you’re over a century old,” Sawyer said. “I bet you have a lot of experience, huh?” He inched closer until he was pressed against Eduard from chest to hip.

“I do.” The words were whispered against Sawyer’s, barely there.

“Why am I so drawn to you? This is… not what I thought would happen.”

Eduard sighed and stepped back. “And that is why I need to step away now. Your dragon will not be pleased that I have taken such liberties with you.”

Sawyer frowned again. “I’m not some shy maiden in a regency novel, you know, and my dragon as you put it doesn’t give consent for me. I make decisions for myself.”

“I know. But you also don’t understand the world you’re stepping into or the significance of some of your actions. If I were to… challenge Draco’s hold on you, it would cause conflict among us. So I need to speak to him before I touch you further. It is the honorable thing to do.”

It really was. Sawyer knew that in the part of his head that wasn’t so into this moment. But he’d never do anything to hurt Draco, so he took a step back and breathed deeply. Then he leaned in and quickly pressed a kiss to Eduard’s cheek before turning back to the door. “Turn the oven on for me. I’m bringing food from my house, okay?”

Eduard nodded and opened the door for him. “Hurry back, Sawyer.”