Page 24 of Desired By the Dragon

He blew out a breath that was a combination of irritation and amusement. “What are you going to do for the next two weeks of the heat? Suffer?”

I forced myself to shrug. “I’m fine.”

Max laughed and then leaned in close, murmuring in my ear, “You lie so sweetly, perfect creature. But I can smell how you really feel, Kiernan.”

Perfect creature. He’d called me that the first night I’d met him, too. It hit me just as hard now as it had then.

I dropped my hands from where they rested on his shoulders and put space between us. This way only promised trouble and heartache, and while it felt good in the moment it would feel so much worse when he eventually screwed me over, betrayed me, and left.

They always did.

“Okay, fine.” He stepped away from me too and it hurt, irrationally. “So you’re telling me that you’d be fine if I found someone else to see out the rest of the heat? My mom has been desperate to introduce me to some people.”

Fuck no. I grit my teeth and spoke around the thrashing in my chest. “Of course. It was one night, Max. That’s all.”

His answering look said exactly what I knew, deep down: it was so much more than just one night.

“Sure.” He took another step away and I couldn’t understand why it felt like he was rummaging around in my chest cavity. “You know, I think I spotted my ex lingering at the bar. I’ll go see if she wants to dance.”

“Good,” I choked out and a muscle in his jaw feathered before he turned on his heel and strode in the direction of the bar. I stood watching him, transfixed as he smiled and bent down to whisper into the ear of a buxom blonde. She threw back the rest of her drink and slipped her hand into his, letting him lead her past me and onto the dance floor. He pulled her close, their hips fitting together snugly as one hand held the small of her back, dangerously close to her ass.

I swallowed hard, feeling strangely sick as Max’s eyes met mine over her shoulder and his hand moved lower, lower⁠—

I was moving before I’d even decided to intervene.

Smoke filled my mouth and I swallowed most of it successfully, only a small amount escaping through my nostrils. The blonde chuckled, stepping back quickly as I shouldered my way between them.

Triumph shone in Max’s eyes, but I didn’t care, still possessed by some strange rage that had my hands sliding over his chest, cupping his jaw, until I tugged his face down to meet mine and claimed his mouth with a growl.

He groaned and I relished it, the taste of his tongue soothing my animalistic fury as my hands slid down his body, reaching for his belt⁠—

Hands caught my wrists, blue eyes shining with a mix of amusement and desire, pupils nearly swallowing the iris completely until only a thin ring of blue was left visible. “As much as I approve of your change of heart, we have an audience, Kier.”

Kier. I shuddered, the nickname coming from his lips so familiar, so right. What the fuck was happening to me?

I took a calming breath and stepped back, eyes fluttering open and widening as I took in the singed state of his shirt in the shape of my handprints. “Sorry.”

He shook his head, pulling me closer. “It’s okay. I knew I was playing with fire by taunting you.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Asshole.”

He nipped at my ear and I stopped breathing for a second, the petal-soft touch of his mouth doing funny things to my pulse. “Let me make it up to you.”

“Okay,” I breathed and felt him smile against my cheek. “But this… it’s only for the heat. That’s it. Otherwise I walk away right now.” I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hold myself to that, but flames above, I would try.

He leaned back and ran his eyes over my face before nodding. “Okay.”

“So that means this is a sex-only agreement. No sleepovers, no dates or holding my hand, okay?”

Max blew out a breath but nodded. “Okay.”

I hesitated, struggling to think of other provisors that might just save my heart, before reluctantly accepting that I’d done all I could. Straightening my spine, I looked him in the eyes. “Good. Now, take me home, professor.”

Chapter Eleven

Max

I’d had more sex in the past three days than in the rest of the year combined. Whether it was the heat or maybe the time Kiernan had spent avoiding me just had us feral for each other, but her appetite was voracious and unending — which suited me just fine. I couldn’t get enough of her. Which proved to be problem, considering Kiernan had set a very firm end date to this arrangement.