Then he turned her hand over and ran a finger back and forth across her inner wrist. Ivy couldn't contain her shiver at the light touch. She whispered, "What are you doing?"
His murmured, "Showing you that I can be gentle. I think from now on, I'll be doing your physical therapy again."
Images of Zain running his hand up her legs, to her thighs, and squeezing or pressing against her nearly made Ivy squirm in her seat. Him being nice was almost too much.
Add in his strong hands massaging her flesh day after day, and Ivy wasn't so sure mating Zain had been the best idea.
Because if he kept it up, she'd want something she couldn't have.
And not just because she craved closeness after so many years in near isolation with the Knights, either.
Before she could form words, he dropped her hand and opened the door, breaking the spell.
Inside the room, a few kids lingered with some paint sets. Toward the back, the dragonman with light brown hair and light skin she'd seen back inside the auditorium sat in front of a computer. It was Blake Whitby.
Right, it was time to focus on chemistry and other scientific knowledge. That would help her forget about Zain and his big, warm hands.
So as soon as he maneuvered her to the other dragonman, she ignored Zain and focused on what made sense in her world—science—for as long as possible. The distraction was only temporary, but something about discussing facts, numbers, and hypotheses made her feel like her younger self, from a time before she'd joined the Dragon Knights.
Maybe that was the person she was supposed to be.
Chapter Twelve
Zain tried his best to moderate his pace and not full-on run as he made his way toward the clan's surgery to see Ivy again.
While he'd slept the night on a cot inside Ivy's room, she'd fallen asleep the day before, upon returning from the school, and hadn't woken up yet.
He'd been concerned, but the doctors assured him that she was merely sleeping, and he should do some of his Protector duties while he could.
So he had. However, her unconsciousness made him uneasy, and he was eager to check up on her again.
His dragon spoke up. I told you we shouldn't have left her side.
We had to check in with Kai, Lucien, and Nate.
The trio had sifted through the now-decoded data. And while they had some answers, the information had only prompted more questions. Kai left it up to him to decide when Ivy was strong enough to face them. No one wanted to trigger an unsavory memory and possibly turn her hysterical, or worse, cause a relapse.
Not that Zain suspected she would easily be triggered. A female who could find her brother murdered, devise a plan, and run into the arms of her enemy was stronger than most people gave credit to.
His dragon snorted. Now who's defending her?
Ignoring his dragon, he entered the back entrance to the surgery and headed straight for Dr. Sid and Gregor's shared office space. He knocked and entered once Sid told him to. He found the pair sitting in desks facing each other, mountains of paperwork everywhere.
Once Zain shut the door behind him, he asked without preamble, "How's Ivy?"
Gregor raised a dark blond eyebrow. "You were gone an hour, so nothing's changed. And if it had, we would've let you know."
Dr. Sid steepled her fingers in front of her. "If you're getting attached to her, Zain, then make sure you keep your cock in your pants until she's stronger."
He growled. "Careful, Sid."
Sid raised her hands, her palms facing toward him. "I will for now. But if it comes to that point, when you're thinking of having sex with her, you need to talk with us first. And not just to ensure she's healthy enough, either."
His irritation faded a fraction at Dr. Sid's cryptic statement. "What does that mean?"
Gregor answered, "It's possible the poison used on her had a biological element, one that could be transmitted through bodily fluids. Until we can rule it out for certain—her bloodwork has more mysteries than we like—be careful."
The fact the doctors knew so little about Ivy's situation made his dragon pace inside his head. How are we supposed to protect her from that?