He raised an eyebrow. “What are you even talking about?”
“I’m not that kind of girl,” she said. “I’m not going to… earn my keep that way.”
His jaw dropped and he made no attempt to hide his shock. “You think I’m that pathetic? That I have to blackmail human females into making love with me?”
She folded her arms tighter and looked away from him. “Men always want something. People, really.”
“For what?” he asked, taking a step closer, feeling a dark anger surge through him. He was deeply offended she could think he was that kind of man. “Do I look like the type of man who has to resort to such low behavior?”
She frowned at him. “Anyone, no matter how they look, can be a bad person. And you making a move on me, when I’m one of your employees—”
“What?” he asked sharply. “You aren’t my employee. If anything, we are both employees of the same company. And I like to think we were becoming friends. I find you interesting. More than I ever have a woman before.”
“So what were you trying to do?” she asked suspiciously.
“Kiss you,” he snapped in frustration. “Because for some reason, I thought you would want me to. Obviously, I was wrong. It won’t happen again.” He threw up his hands and walked around his chair to head for the exit.
He’d never been so humiliated in his life.
He heard steps echoing quickly over the marble as she hurried to catch up to him.
“Adrien, wait.”
Her voice was much softer, so he turned impatiently to see what she wanted.
She was standing there in those worn jeans and that loose hoodie, looking at him with an expression that said she was totally lost.
As lost as he was, though he would never admit it.
Somehow, in this new world, this woman who made him care, who seemed to care about him, had felt like a lifeline.
Now she thought him a monster, and there was nothing he could do about it.
She walked closer as he waited for her to catch up. She reached out to touch his arm, shocking him. Warmth seemed to erupt in all directions from even that small touch, and he jerked back slightly in response.
What was that? What did it mean?
She removed her hand shyly. “Look, I’m sorry. I misread things. A lot of people… have tried to take advantage. I already feel like this situation is too good to be true. I don’t want it to… go bad again.”
His jaw tightened. “Understood. I won’t make a move again. I got it.” His tone was sharp, and her eyes darted side to side uncertainly. “So if that’s all, I’m going to head to bed.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and again turned to go but felt her hand grab his arm, yanking him back.
She really was surprisingly strong. Nothing compared to his human power, let alone his dragon power, but quite strong nonetheless.
She pulled him in closer, and he eyed her curiously. What did she plan to do next? He kept his hands in his pockets, his expression indifferent, as she kept her hand on his arm and looked at the ground, thinking for a moment.
Then she raised up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips. He froze in shock as her soft, warm lips covered his, staying closed but against him insistently.
As if she were desperate for the contact, but didn’t know what to do next.
Had she never been kissed before? He tilted his head and softly played at the line between her lips with his tongue, urging them open slightly. As they opened farther, with a little moan, he slid his tongue inside, gently claiming her mouth, stroking her sensitive places as he felt her begin to melt against him.
Both her hands were holding his arms now, and her lips opened hungrily as her tongue came out to meet his, twisting with him in a passionate, heated exchange that seemed to send heat rushing straight to his soul.
And blood rushing other places.
He’d never known kissing could be so heady, so engulfing. He wanted to drink from her like he was dying of thirst, wanted to feel her want and need for him and never let her go.
But eventually, she did pull back, struggling away from him with a huge gasp, as if she’d somehow forgotten to breathe properly due to the heat of their kiss.
He felt he’d forgotten his first name.
Except he hadn’t. He was Adrien. He was a dragon. He’d just found his mate, a human, and she’d just kissed him, right after a fight.
Life had suddenly become very unpredictable. As she put a hand to his cheek, lightly caressed it, and then blushed and ran from the room, waving good night, he stared in shock.
Damn. With that kind of passion, maybe having a human mate wouldn’t be so bad.
Eight
She’d kissed Adrien last night. It still didn’t feel real, and she could feel knots in her stomach as she looked through the racks with Robbie on the previously promised shopping trip.