Her beast spoke up. He keeps winning points.
Faye didn’t answer her dragon. Instead, she reached out her forefinger and traced Grant’s lips. They were firm yet soft. She couldn’t wait to see what kissing Grant would feel like. Him merely kissing her neck had heated her entire body.
Grant nipped her finger and his pupils flashed. Maybe with a neck brace, they could figure out some kind of arrangement so that she could still kiss him without hurting him. Aye, if he had to merely lay there, it might work.
Her beast spoke up. His dragon will be as eager to take control as me. Don’t kiss him until he’s ready.
You’re the last one I’d think would try to stop me.
I want to see what his dragon is capable of. I need him whole.
Grant’s voice filled the room. “And if I have any say in the matter, it won’t be weeks until I’m out of this bed and back to normal. I want to kiss you properly, Faye MacKenzie, and I can’t do that unless I’m well again.”
She shivered at the heat in his eyes. It was hard to believe she’d once thought of him as an arsehole. Maturity suited her true mate well. “That will have to wait. My dragon won’t hold back, and I don’t intend to break you.”
He grunted. “I can take it.”
Snorting, Faye tapped his chin. “We’re supposed to be honest with one another, aye? It’s okay to admit a temporary weakness. Someone once told me that.”
~~~
Grant remembered all too well saying those words to Faye. It was proving much more difficult to embrace them for himself.
His dragon spoke up. You had better. The sooner you recover, the sooner we get Faye naked and to ourselves.
I hope you want more than Faye’s naked body. I have a feeling her dragon won’t tolerate being an object.
His beast huffed. She isn’t an object. She is simply ours.
The way his dragon said it so matter-of-factly made Grant smile. Faye asked, “What’s your dragon saying now?”
“He’s claimed you as ours.”
Her pupils flashed to slits and back. “Well, he hasn’t earned that right just yet. I can’t wait to see how my dragon handles yours.”
“That’s all the more incentive for me to recover as quickly as possible.” Faye’s cheeks flushed and a surge of male pride coursed through his body. “I think it’s encouragement for you as well.”
She leaned over until her breath was hot against his cheek. “Oh, I have a long list of ways to encourage you to get well. But I can’t do any of them until you have a neck brace on.”
“Care to share a few?”
She smiled slowly. “No.”
“Just no?”
“Aye. And none of your demanding or dominance will work on me, Grant, so don’t even try. My cousin is clan leader and he can’t always control me. You don’t stand a chance.”
As they stared into one another’s eyes, all Grant could think about was pulling Faye on top of him and holding her close. She could help him forget about the pain.
His beast grunted. No. It might cause damage and we’d take longer to recover.
And the rational mindset is back. I’m not sure I like that side of you.
Too bad. My priority is claiming our true mate properly. I won’t let you delay it. If I have to wrestle away control to allow us to heal, I will.
Stop with the threats. You never follow through.
Faye’s voice prevented his beast from replying. “Although there is one thing you can do despite your condition. The doctor should’ve rung your mum by now. Once she comes, you need to introduce me properly.”