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would Finch hide from him? Hugh tried his hardest to be a good dragon—someone his staff
could trust—but it seemed his best efforts hadn’t been enough. Finch had been too scared to
tell him the truth. Finch, of all people. The one Hugh had cherished above all others. If he was
frightening to Finch, the rest of the staff had to think he was a monster.
Emma’s wide eyes earlier that evening were starting to make sense.
“Oh,” Hugh murmured. Crestfallen, he gathered Finch in his arms—gingerly, so as not to scare
him—and rolled them over so they were lying side by side. While Hugh’s erection had gone
soft, his knot held firm. It would be a while before it shrank enough to let them separate.
He wished it would just go away.
If Finch was so scared of him, did that mean Hugh had pressured him into sex? Had he agreed
to it out of fear? The possibility was sickening.
“Sir?” Finch asked.
Hugh didn’t have the heart to correct him. “Yes?”
“I didn’t mean to upset you.” Finch caressed his cheek, a sweet token of affection undeserving
of someone as loathsome as himself. “I think perhaps you’ve misunderstood. I hate to see you
so sad.”
“And I hate to think that I’ve made you so uncomfortable you had to hide who you are.” Hugh
frowned and kept his gaze lowered. It hurt too much to look at Finch, knowing the pain he’d
caused him. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”
“Sir… Hugh.” Finch curled a finger under Hugh’s chin and lifted it, forcing Hugh to meet his
gaze. “My decision to hide my ancestry was in no way intended to be a slight on you. I hid who
I was out of fear that I would disappoint you.”
Hugh’s eyes widened. “Disappoint me? Finch, you could never!”
“I’m not so sure about that.” Finch kissed him sweetly, and what was left of Hugh’s foul mood
lifted. He kissed Finch back. It was short but sweet, and when it was over, Finch expanded on
what he’d said. “All my life, I’ve striven for perfection. It’s part of what makes me so good at
what I do. But conception is messy and unpredictable. It’s not something I can control, and I’m
afraid that despite research to the contrary, I won’t be successful at it. It simply seems
untenable that a Disgrace could be a dragon in disguise. I’ve never had scales, never lusted
after gold, never known what it’s like to take flight…” Finch frowned, and Hugh’s heart frowned
