As Holly tucked one of the long, dark tendrils of hair on her cheek to behind her ear, Fraser closed his mouth to admire her ears. There were wee, dainty, and she had a single silver stud in her earlobe.
Holly’s voice interrupted the study of her ear. “I know my hair is a mess, but it never stays put, especially when it’s humid.” She gestured toward his head. “Besides, you’re not one to judge.”
Fraser blinked. “Pardon?”
As she walked toward him, Fraser caught the scent of female and peppermint, which made his dragon hum. She smells good. I bet she’ll taste good, too.
No tasting. Hush.
Holly raised a hand and plucked something from his hair. Lowering her find, she twirled a blade of grass between her fingers. “What happened? Did you dive headfirst into a grass pile?”
Fraser should grunt and walk away. The female was meant for his brother. He couldn’t afford to flirt with her.
Yet before he could think twice about it, he smiled and murmured, “There’s more than one way to get grass in your hair.” He leaned closer and whispered, “Have you never tumbled in a field with a bloke before?”
~~~
Holly had tried her best to ignore Fraser MacKenzie, but after a full minute of him watching her, she had confronted him.
It didn’t help that he looked handsome despite the dirt on his cheek or the grass in his hair. When he smiled at her, her heart rate kicked up.
The bloody dragonman was too attractive and charming for his own good.
Yet with his mouth mere inches from her face, it took everything she had to keep her gaze on his eyes instead of his lips.
Then he whispered, with his breath hot against her cheek, “Have you never tumbled in a field with a bloke before?” and images of her and Fraser rolling around in a field during the height of summer flooded her mind. Despite his auburn hair, she imagined his chest being as tan and toned as his forearms.
Maybe even his bum, since dragon-shifters didn’t care about nakedness.
> Fraser’s pupils changed to slits and back before she could make her voice work again. “Honey, you need to be careful around dragon-shifters. Our senses tell us heaps about you.”
Heat surged through Holly’s body in embarrassment. She prevented herself from covering her cheeks with her hands. Instead, she cleared her throat and took a step back. “A gentleman wouldn’t mention such things.”
He leaned closer. “Aye, well, I’m not a gentlemen.”
Fraser’s flashing pupils didn’t distract from the heat of his gaze. It was almost as if he were thinking of ways to devour her.
She finally glanced to his firm lips and imagined them kissing her neck, her shoulder, and finally her breasts. He would tease and torture her nipple before his hot, wet mouth finally licked and lapped between her thighs. No doubt, the dragonman would tease her until she begged for him to make her come.
Fraser growled and his expression turned hard. Pulling away, he retreated to the greenhouse door. “I have work to do.”
Without another word, Fraser headed back out to the garden. Holly watched his back and arse as he walked away.
As his scent dissipated, Holly’s heart rate slowed down a fraction.
Bloody hell. No man had ever affected her to such a degree. She’d been very close to kissing him. Thankfully, Fraser had had more sense and left before that happened.
Holly lightly patted her cheeks. “Get a grip, Holly. Dad’s counting on you.”
Busying herself with picking peppermint, Holly tried to imagine how her meeting with Fergus would go. After all, she needed to sleep with him in the end.
The memory of Fraser’s lips a few inches from hers sent a rush of heat through her body again and Holly closed her eyes. To try and forget about the dragonman she couldn’t have, Holly concentrated on former patients and their fear and joy over the years. The memory of smiling parents gazing at their newborns with love helped to calm her heart and her nerves.
“Right, then.” With a nod, Holly went back to picking enough peppermint for some tea. She was done with fancying the forbidden. Holly would do her duty if it killed her.
With the peppermint in hand, Holly exited the greenhouse. Careful not to look over her shoulder to check out Fraser’s broad back or intense blue eyes, she made a beeline for the glass sliding door and into the house.
As she washed the leaves, Arabella’s voice rang out, “Are you almost ready with whatever you’re making? Finn should be here soon.”