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The schools I applied to were requesting pre-assessment tests to determine if I was a suitable candidate for their programs. It’d been years since I last set foot in a classroom, since I’d last taken a test. It was completely unfamiliar territory, and I worried I’d somehow stumble at this crucial step, jeopardizing my chances of pursuing higher education.
I opened the attached study guide to see what I was in for just as Evan burst into the room, flinging the door open. His presence seemed to fill the room. Fierce, protective. Alpha.
“Mariah?”
Evan stood in the doorway, out of breath, his eyes darting all over me. The panic I saw there had me forgetting all about the entrance exams.
“What’s wrong?” I said, sitting up straight on the bed.
“That’s what I was going to ask you.” He walked toward me, his eyes drawn tight as he searched my face. “Are you okay?”
I laughed lightly. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Evan grimaced. “You were afraid. I felt it.”
Felt it?
“What happened?” He glanced at my laptop, forgotten on the bed.
Grabbing it up quickly, I shut it and stashed it under the pillow. “What do you mean you felt it?”
Evan pressed his lips together, wariness creeping into his eyes, mingling with the lingering panic. “I was upstairs in my office, and I just got this…impression. Like a hint of fear.”
And he came running downstairs to see if I was okay. It took me a second to catch my breath at the realization. Ever since I’d flown on Evan’s dragon, he’d seemed even more tuned into the way I was feeling than before. More aware. I hadn’t thought much of it, but now he was saying…
“You can feel my emotions?” I thought back to the way it’d felt when he was in dragon form. To the connection we’d shared that night in Miami. But the idea that he could feel what I was from upstairs was a little unsettling. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it.
Evan sighed and put a hand over his jaw. “Sort of. It’s not that simple, and it’s not all the time.” He glanced away, then turned to me fully, his gaze searching as he gripped my shoulders. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
I waved my hand. “I’m fine. I just got a letter from the schools and—”
His whole face lit up. “What did they say?"
I had to smile at his enthusiasm, his genuine interest in something so important to me. “The schools want me to take these pre-assessment tests,” I explained, still thinking about how he’d sensed my fear. “It's part of their evaluation process before they decide about acceptance. I haven't been in school for so long, and I guess I’m just worried I won't do well."
Evan's eyes softened. “Is that what you were afraid of? A test?”
I shrugged, and my cheeks grew red. I hadn’t meant to say all that.
Shifting on the bed, he settled me in his lap and trailed a hand through my hair, tucking it behind my ear. “Don’t worry about it for another second. I've got your back. I did pretty well in college. Graduated top of my class in business."
"Of course, you did," I said teasingly. "You're good at everything."
He threw his head back and laughed. “I’ll take the compliment. And if you play your cards right, you might be lucky enough to snag me as your study buddy."
I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned in, my lips hovering a breath away from his. “Sounds promising,” I whispered. “Any tips on how to play those cards?”
His fingers tightened in my hair, and I brushed my mouth over his before I flicked my tongue out, lightly teasing his lower lip.
Evan groaned, his other hand coming to my hip. “You could start like that.”
I gripped his shoulders, then moved lower, trailing my mouth and tongue slowly down his neck.
His voice was tight. “That works, too.”
I grinned, coming face to face with him again. “I think I like this little arrangement.”
And just like that, all my worries about my test vanished. As always, Evan came through for me. He was there to support me in every way. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
