Chapter 24

TWENTY-FOUR

“ O h my god.” Quinn buried her face in her hands.

“I’m serious! That man looks at you like you’re water in a desert. And don’t think I haven’t noticed how you watch him when you think no one’s looking.”

Before Quinn could protest, a knock interrupted them. Kai’s deep voice came through the door. “Quinn? May I speak with you?”

Lydia and Gerri exchanged delighted looks. Quinn pointed at them both threateningly. “Not. One. Word.”

She opened the door to find Kai looking unusually uncertain. “I wanted to check on you after... earlier.”

“I’m fine.” Her voice came out softer than intended. “Really.”

“Walk with me?” He gestured to the moonlit gardens. “Please?”

Behind her, she heard Lydia’s stage whisper: “Say yes, you idiot!”

Quinn shot a glare over her shoulder but stepped out to join him. The garden paths glowed with bioluminescent flowers, their light catching in Kai’s pale hair like starfire.

“The council is divided about your presence here,” he said after a moment.

“I noticed. The threatening notes were a bit of a giveaway.”

His jaw tightened. “This isn’t a joke, Quinn.”

“No, but if I don’t laugh about it, I might start throwing rocks at people. And since I’m surrounded by dragons, that probably wouldn’t end well for me.”

The corner of his mouth twitched. “You’d find a way to make it work. You’re rather resourceful.”

“Was that a compliment? From the mighty Dragon King himself?” She pressed a hand to her chest in mock shock. “I’m honored.”

“You should be.” His voice dropped lower, more intimate. “I don’t give them often.”

They’d stopped walking, she realized. When had they stopped? And when had he gotten so close?

“Kai...” Her breath caught as he reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

“You’re brilliant,” he murmured. “And stubborn, and completely infuriating. And every time you defy me, it makes me want you more.”

Her heart thundered in her chest. “That’s not very kingly of you.”

“No.” His eyes shifted to molten gold. “It’s very dragon of me.”

He leaned in slowly, giving her time to pull away. She should pull away. She definitely should not be tilting her face up to meet him, or holding her breath in anticipation, or?—

A crash from nearby shattered the moment. They jumped apart as Lydia’s voice rang out: “Oops! Sorry! Don’t mind me! Just... dropping things! Completely by accident!”

Quinn groaned, burying her face in her hands. “I’m going to kill her.”

Kai’s low chuckle sent shivers down her spine. “Another time, then.”

He brushed his knuckles across her cheek before stepping back, leaving her skin tingling and her pulse racing. She watched him disappear into the palace, trying very hard not to think about how close they’d come to kissing.

Or how much she wanted to know what it would feel like.

Or how his eyes had gleamed gold in the starlight.

Or—

“So,” Lydia’s voice made her jump. “Want to tell me why you’re not jumping that gorgeous dragon’s bones yet?”

“I hate you.”

“No, you don’t. Now spill. What’s holding you back? Besides your own stubbornness and trust issues?”

Quinn sighed, sinking onto a nearby bench. “It’s complicated.”

“It’s really not.” Lydia sat beside her. “He wants you. You want him. The rest is just details.”

“Details like palace politics? Physical harassment? The fact that we’re from different planets?”

“Please. You’re just scared.”

“Of course, I’m scared!” The words burst out before she could stop them. “He’s... he’s everything, Lyd. He’s powerful and protective and when he looks at me like that, I can barely remember my own name. What if it goes wrong? What if I let myself fall and he decides I’m not enough? What if?—”

“What if you’re missing out on something amazing because you’re too afraid to try?” Lydia’s voice gentled. “He’s not Jason, Quinn. He’s not going to use you and discard you. He’s a dragon shifter. They mate for life.”

“That’s even scarier.”

“Good.” Lydia squeezed her hand. “The best things usually are.”

Later that night, alone in her quarters, Quinn caught herself touching her lips, remembering how close Kai had been. How his eyes had burned gold. How for one moment, she’d wanted nothing more than to close that final distance between them.

“Get it together, Quinn,” she muttered. “You’re here for geology, not romance.”

But as she drifted off to sleep, her dreams were filled with golden eyes and gentle touches and the overwhelming sense of finally being exactly where she belonged.

She was so screwed.