Chapter Eight

Rocky darted his gaze to Henri, all while trying to monitor the road. Henri sat in the passenger seat of Rocky’s truck with his hands folded in his lap. His scent filled the cab. Rocky had half a mind to pull over and hold Henri. The desire was alive and well inside Rocky. One taste of what it was like to hold Henri was all it took to make him an addict. Not that Henri was ready for it.

Henri was still panicking. It was as if he’d been running scared for so long he didn’t know how else to be.

He’d learn to trust. They were already on their way.

“The nearest pet store is in Grandville. Would you rather get supplies for your mouse there?”

Henri had a habit of biting his lower lip. It seemed to mean a thousand things. He did it when he was contemplative and when aroused. He also seemed to do it when confused or angry. Regardless of the emotion behind the gesture, Rocky found it sexy as hell.

Henri turned his gaze on Rocky. “Do you think I can make friends with it?”

Rocky chuckled. “I think you might have to catch it first.”

Henri’s eyebrows drew together. “Are you laughing at me?”

Rocky chuckled even more. “I think it’s cute.”

Henri’s cheeks darkened, and he watched Rocky through his lashes. “You think I’m cute?”

“Very cute, sweetheart.” Rocky didn’t know how someone could be more appealing. Few people wanted to make friends with a mouse instead of evicting it. Most would kill it and not think twice about doing so.

“I’ve never heard you laugh before.” Henri smiled.

“I don’t often.” Rocky had learned a long time ago not to show emotion. His abusive father, who had been hooked on dragonshine, had beaten the lesson into him. His mother had taught him the benefit of not showing emotion around his father, who used the sadness and pain against them more times than not. The stoic expression became natural, but Henri lowered Rocky’s guard.

“Why is that?”

“My father was very good at using emotion to his advantage.”

Henri touched Rocky’s arm. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“The short story is he was an abusive drunk. He was good at using my emotions against me.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through something so awful.”

“It was a long time ago.” Despite the way Rocky brushed off the emotions, he took his hand off the steering wheel and laid it on the center console with his palm up. Henri didn’t hesitate to take it. His hand was smaller than Rocky’s, but they fit together when Henri held two of Rocky’s fingers. It was more comfortable for him.

Henri sighed as if content with the small intimacy.

“Yet you still wear your stoic expression more than not.”

“It’s a habit.”

“You have a nice smile. You should make a habit of doing it more often.”

Rocky glanced at Henri, amused. It was the first compliment Henri had ever given him. Henri’s aroused scent filled the cab of the truck, which was a compliment of sorts too. It mingled with Rocky’s own.

Henri bit his bottom lip, worrying it between his teeth.

When Rocky didn’t say anything right away, Henri freed his lip and huffed. “The correct response is not silence, dragon.”

Rocky couldn’t help but smile at Henri’s indignant tone. “How should I have responded?”

“Telling you what to say will make the words lose meaning.”

Rocky grinned. “So you want me to say something nice in return?”

Henri turned back to the window, seeming to watch Saint Lakes go by as they made their way south. “Not necessarily.”

Henri’s reaction was a punch in the gut.

The reason Rocky teased was because he found Henri’s wit intriguing. The way his mind worked was unique. Rocky liked how Henri was five steps ahead of him during every conversation. And he liked it when Henri asked for what he wanted, even if it was in a roundabout way.

“No one else makes me smile but you.”

Henri’s gaze locked onto his. Rocky could feel Henri studying his expression as if he wanted to gauge the truth behind those words. “How do I make you smile?”

“You’re smart and it shows. You’re funny, even though you’re not trying to be.” Rocky glanced at Henri in time to see his pretty blush. “And when I say something nice, which you asked for, you still blush. That also makes me smile.”

Rocky put his blinker on with his free hand and turned onto the highway.

Henri tried to pull his hand away, making driving easier for Rocky, but Rocky tightened his hold, letting him know he’d rather drive one-handed than let go of Henri.

Henri settled again. “I didn’t ask for compliments.”

They both knew it wasn’t true, but Rocky didn’t contradict Henri.

“This is it, isn’t it? We’re going to bond now?” Henri said it as though he wasn’t sure how he felt about it. And the abrupt subject change suggested Henri had been thinking about what the two of them together meant for quite a while.

“Soon, mate. The internal connection will help me keep you safe.”

“But it’s not the only reason you want to, right?” Henri’s nose twitched.

Rocky didn’t need to answer him. They could smell each other. Henri’s scent was making his dragon crazy. His eyes had shifted when they were back at the house and his fangs had also dropped. They hadn’t shifted back yet.

He wasn’t sure what they were going to do when they arrived at the pet store and encountered humans. Rocky had one pair of sunglasses, but they both had the same problem.

“No, mate. It’s not the only reason.”

“It’s not the only reason I want to either,” Henri whispered as if he had trouble admitting it. “I…I think you should know something.”

Rocky raised his eyebrows.

Henri sighed. “Would you like to know what it is?”

“Yes.”

“Then you should comment.”

Henri should have annoyed Rocky. With anyone else he would have. But Henri, prompting him to speak, said more about how comfortable Henri was around him.

“I just did comment.”

“Before I told you too.” Henri sighs. “Does your quiet nature have something to do with your stoicism?”

Rocky shrugged. “You tell me.”

Henri shook his head and said nothing at all for a solid two miles. When he finally spoke, he said, “I’m not good with long silences.”

“Is that what you wanted me to know?” Rocky smiled, indicating to Henri he was teasing.

Henri sighed. “You know it’s not, dragon.”

“You call me that whenever I annoy you.”

“I’m not annoyed.” Yes, he was, but Rocky didn’t contradict him. “I want to…get to know you better. I need to understand you if we’re going to bond.”

“So you’re studying me as if I’m one of your books?”

“Yes. No.” Henri averted his gaze, staring at an apple orchard as they passed. “I don’t mean to. It’s how I am.”

“What were you going to tell me, honey? I really want to know.”

“The only reason I kept my distance was because I was afraid of your reaction when you found out about my involvement with the enhanced humans. But I-I’ve always wanted to bond.” Henri didn’t need to explain himself, since Rocky already knew it. But they needed to have the conversation.

“I want that too.”

“Since you know now, maybe we can…spend some time kissing and stuff…later.” Henri’s blush deepened.

Rocky had half a mind to tease Henri. He’d like to see how deep his blush went when he explained to Rocky what stuff he was referring to. But Rocky knew it took a lot for Henri to ask for more intimacy. His brave little mate needed a soft touch and maybe a few hugs. He might even need more than just hugs. Rocky didn’t want to discourage the openness. He’d been trying to get Henri to confide in him for a long time. Instead of teasing him, Rocky brought their joined hands up to his mouth and kissed the back of Henri’s. “I want that too.”

Henri smiled. “Maybe we could have dinner together and then afterward we could pretend to watch a movie. At my house because yours always has people in it.”

Henri bit his lip as if he were afraid Rocky would say no. The last thing Rocky would ever do was turn down a date with his mate.

“That sounds perfect.”

Henri frowned, biting his lip. “I can’t cook anything romantic.”

Rocky smiled. “It can be anything. But I’ll cook.”

“My cabin is filled with books.”

Rocky chuckled. “I don’t doubt it.”

“I want you to be prepared. There’s a lot of them.”

How many were they talking about?