Page 29 of Red Dragon’s Heart

“No. You stay here, where I can protect you.” And keep an eye on her. She might still try to run.

“Okay, well, I can’t work properly if I’m uncomfortable. I need to at least be allowed to go back and pack my things.”

“No.”

“Do you want me to be brilliant or not?”

Zakerek studied her. She was doing a good job standing up to him, but he could sense she was more nervous than she looked.

And he did need her to be brilliant. As soon as possible.

Zakerek knew humans were like dragons in one way—most of them felt better when they were surrounded by the things they valued. And he didn’t want her to be unhappy. Not because he cared how she felt, of course. But like she said, she couldn’t do good work if she was sad and uncomfortable, right?

“I have to go with you,” he said.

“I don’t need help to pack a few boxes.”

No way was she going anywhere alone. He frowned in his best forbidding manner. “You’re in my power, puny human. And you just a minute ago agreed to obey me.”

She gazed directly into his eyes. “So am I a captive, or a partner?”

“I haven’t decided.”

“Fine.” She dropped her gaze and headed out of the lab. “Come and play guard dog, then. You can carry the boxes.”

He gave a little huff of laughter. She might be scared of him, but she was no pushover.

He said, “And load them in the truck, I assume. My truck. Did you forget you don’t have a vehicle in which to put them?”

“Nope. I assumed you’d figure that out sooner or later. I don’t suppose you have any cardboard boxes lying around, do you?”

He sighed. “Anything else I can get you, princess?”

“My own bed would be nice.”

He just gave another huff and followed her out of the room. It was a good thing they’d made a deal. He didn’t think she was going to be as easy to intimidate as he’d thought.

The drive to Madeleine’s place was excruciatingly uncomfortable. The silence was thick with tension; Zakerek had no idea what to say to Madeleine now that they weren’t enemies anymore. And her scent filled the cab of the truck, bringing back dream-memories that he in no way wanted to think about.

Kisses and moans, softness and passion.

Stop it, he told himself.

As if she could read his mind, Madeleine said, “We should probably talk about what happened last night.” She stared straight ahead. “You know—between us. The naked stuff.”

Oh, fuck. It hadn’t been a dream. No, no no no. He was not dealing with this.

“Nothing happened between us. And we’re not talking about it.” If they didn’t talk about it, then he could still pretend it was a dream.

She looked sideways at him. “If nothing happened, how is there a thing we’re not talking about?”

Soft hands, making fiery trails down his belly until they reached his—

“There isn’t. Definitely not.” His voice was coming out strangled.

Madeleine turned and gazed at him for a long moment. “Fine,” she said, and turned away again.

But it wasn’t. And they both knew it.