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I could feel my blood boiling. Laying a hand on my chest, I could feel the skin changing, growing more leather-like. I knew scales would soon follow and everything that made me a man would quickly be replaced by my dragon. I closed my eyes as I struggled to calm down. Happy thoughts. I needed a happy thought fast. I heard the carpet whisper as Maggie walked across it. My pulse accelerated. This was no good. I’d be a fucking fire-breathing dragon before she touched me at thisrate.
Then I felt her hands on my biceps. The cool touch soothed me slightly. I peeked at her with one eye, just in time to see her rise up on her tippy-toes. Her face was level with mine. My eyes widened as I realized her touch was a balm. In an instant, she pressed her lips to mine. My fists opened, and instead of pushing her away, which would’ve made more sense, I wrapped my arms around her. The closer she came to my body, the more I could feel myself regaining control. Never before had I reacted to anyone like this. Surely, it meantsomething.
A throat cleared behind me. We pulled apart like we’d been caught in a compromising situation. In Fredo’s eyes, I probably had been. “Shall I set this up on the patio or on the sidetable?”
My mouth opened, but before I could speak, Maggie jumped in. “Side table, please.” She followed him for the first few steps and paused in front of the fireplace. Laying a hand on the mantle, she asked, “And who’s in charge of stoking this badboy?”
“That would fall on me, Miss Maggie,” Fredo responded. “I see you have stokingthatbad boy covered.” He gestured toward me and ignored my glare as he moved to make Maggie herfire.
By the time the wood was crackling and the wine was poured, I’d regained my composure. “Goodnight, Fredo. That will be all.” I smiled, but made sure my eyes conveyed myirritation.
“Of course, sir.” He wore a sardonic expression that had me questioning, for the second time today, why I employedhim.
While I stared after him, mostly to ensure he truly left, Maggie had reached my side with a glass. “Here’s yours. I’d hate to drink alone.” Shegiggled.
“Why do I think you drink alone all the time?” I looked at her from the corner of myeye.
“Because you’re wildly perceptive?” Her browrose.
“Are you always this honest?” My eyes narrowed in onher.
“Sadly, yes. It’s one of my biggest flaws.” She took a big swig of the wine. “Wow. This isgood.”
“Well, for starters, it’s out of a bottle and not a box.” Isnickered.
“Right.” She took another biggulp.
“You know, you could slow down and try enjoying it.” My browfurrowed.
Maggie chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m a sleepy drunk, not sloppy in the least. And I really need some sleep.” She blew out abreath.
“Tell me,” I murmured, as I steered her toward the patio. “I want tounderstand.”
* * *
Maggie
“I’m goingto need more wine for this,” I whispered as I moved from his grasp over to the bottle. Acting purely on instinct, I filled my glass and moved to top hisoff.
“What keeps you up at night? What has you so in knots you need alcohol to help you sleep?” Blaise smoothed my hair back from myface.
“Can’t you let me be happy for one night?” I pleaded. “For a few minutes there, I was almost able to let it all go. For a tiny bit of time, I felt like myself.” I turned away and wandered lazily out to the patio. I could sense him, standing slightly behind me, watching. I felt his eyes on me a lot. I liked it. There had been no dating since my mother’s diagnosis. My life had stopped then. I’d accepted my fate. Still, having someone as attractive as Blaise Draco staring at me with such tenderness made me feel like a womanagain.
“You’re getting tense again,” he murmured as he moved closer to me. I could practically feel his warm breath on the triangle of my exposed neck. Blaise set his glass on the bistro table beside me. Then he placed both hands on my shoulders. “Yes. You’re definitely just as tight as you were before. I can fix it. I promised,remember?”
“I remember. You promised you’d feed me too.” I felt pathetic, but I was trying desperately to return to the happy-go-lucky girl I’d been for a little while. I turned to face him. “Why do I feel comfortable withyou?”
His brow furrowed. “I don’t know, but I do understand. I feel ittoo.”
“No, like from the moment I walked into this room.” I wrapped my arms around my body, causing the wine to slosh in the glass. Blaise reached out and removed it from my hand. “I don’t often feel like I fit anywhere, like I belong. Even in my own house, there’s a level of discomfort. But for some reason, this room had me opening up. Being near you has changed something in me.” I laid a hand on my chest. Something strange was going on behind my ribcage. Something really disconcerting. I felt all offbalance.
“I’ve never brought anyone home, let alone entertained anyone in my room.” He licked his lips. “I don’t understand it, but when I saw you at the show, I had to get to know you. So, indulge me. Let’s figure this outtogether.”
I reclaimed the wine glass from his hand and downed the rest of it in a few not so lady-like gulps. With a nod, I murmured, “Sure. Together. Yeah.” As exciting as it was to have him like me, it also terrified me. “Foodfirst?”
“So, the wine made you hungry and now you’re going to rush it through your system with food.” Blaise blew out a breath. “Right. I can’t imagine how this could go wrong. Fine. I’m here for you. I’ll take care ofyou.”
“Thank you.” I grinned. Then I wandered over to the table. While the wine had held my attention when Fredo delivered the tray, he’d set more than that on the side table. Finally, I wanted to know what was under the silverlids.
