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“Oh, diamonds, oil, politics, that sort of thing.”
The blond-haired surfer was beginning to turn red. I touched his hand, and he took a deep breath, letting some of his anger siphon off. “Well, at least you’re here now,” he said begrudgingly. “On the right side of things.”
“You call this the right side?” Kingston scoffed. “Out in the middle of nowhere, cut off from the entire world and all of my connections, surrounded by monsters? This is… is… bullshit, is what it is. I didn’t ask for any of this.”
“You won’t be cut off from the world forever.” Jayce shoved an exasperated hand through his hair. “When we’re finished here, we’re going to help save the world! Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
“And who gets the recognition? It sounds like a lot of hard work for no payout, if you ask me—but I didn’t hear anybody ask me anything. I had a kingdom at my fingertips. An empire. Now I’m expected to walk away and never look back just because some dragon decided it wanted a midnight snack and didn’t quite finish the job? How is that fair?”
“It’s not about the recognition!” Jayce was speaking through his teeth now.
I’d had enough. They were never going to see eye-to-eye on this, no matter how hard Jayce tried. I shook my head and pushed away from the table. Hannah reached out a hand to stop me.
“I’ll be right back,” I told her, giving her a look that said for the love of God, give me a minute. She nodded and put her hand back down. I’d spotted the bathroom when we came in and I made for it now, casting a disparaging look at Kingston as I passed.
I could tell he was following me. Each of these guys’ scents were like blips on my radar, letting me know exactly where they were anytime they were in close proximity. I only made it into the dark hallway leading to the bathroom before he caught up to me.
“Wow.” I turned around to confront him when he was less than a foot and a half away from me. “Personal space, dude, personal space.”
“What was that about?” he demanded, ignoring my words.
“What was what about?”
“That look you gave me! Why are you being such a bitch?”
“Maybe because you’re a complete dick.” I crossed my arms and tossed my hair back as he took a step toward me.
“What the hell do you expect me to be?” He narrowed his eyes “The Custodians throw me in here, you cast your spell on me—shit, Piper, I didn’t do anything to deserve this!”
“You’re damn right you didn’t! If it was a matter of choice, I would have left you where I found you!”
He growled, and his skin shimmered golden green for a moment. He was on the verge of losing control, but so was I. Arguing with him in this tiny enclosed space had me drowning in his essence. My body ached to touch him while my mind was screaming that he needed to be knocked down a peg or three.
“Watch yourself before you blow our cover,” I snapped.
“I shouldn’t have any cover to blow! I don’t want to spend the rest of my existence as a fucking dragon shifter! What the fuck is wrong with all of you? How can you just accept that this is—”
He never got to finish his thought, but it didn’t matter. I wasn’t listening anyway. My gaze had fallen to his lips as he spoke, and something inside me finally snapped. I had been boiling alive from the inside ever since the three guys walked into the bar—hell, since long before that—and I needed him desperately.
I grabbed him by his stupid collar and smashed my mouth against his stupid lips, drinking in all of that stupid moneyed essence until my bones vibrated with power.
He responded with angry passion, wrestling my tongue in a way that sent shocks of hot energy down through my torso. I ground my hips against him and raked my fingers through his unreasonably soft hair, and he groaned at the contact. Breathing hard, he grabbed my waist like he was trying to crush me in his arms, his fingers gripping me with bruising intensity as he attacked my mouth with his.
Long before I was finished, but after I’d had my fill, he broke away with a gasp and stared at me with big, stunned green eyes.
He took a step back, nearly flinging his body away from me.
Then he turned on his heel and stalked back toward the light and crowd of the bar.
Chapter Twelve
“Has Kingston talked to you yet?”
Nope. Not for the past month.
Not since the night I’d kissed him at the bar.
Hannah and I were getting ready for class. I was looking forward to my lunchtime study break with Jayce and made a face at the very mention of Kingston’s name.
