He knew that unless Lorna shared both halves of herself with him, they would never have a shot at a future together. He needed to see Lorna in dragon form.
He was also determined to find out whatever she was hiding because he was positive she was afraid of something.
He paced back and forth. He wasn’t fond of the whole text messaging trend, so he’d written a letter and left it for her in the kitchen. Ross hoped she had found it, or he’d be waiting a long time.
Glancing at his watch, Ross noted that Lorna had three minutes before she’d be late. The closeness worried him since Lorna was punctual to a fault.
However, he heard someone pushing through the underbrush. Looking up, he spotted Lorna walking toward him with a curious expression.
Despite being wrapped in a big coat, the combination of the wind gently blowing her graying blonde hair and the flush on her cheeks sent a rush of heat through his body. Before he could think too hard about it, he blurted out, “You’re beautiful.”
Lorna frowned as she stopped a few feet from him. “Pardon?”
Ross’s heart beat double-time inside his chest. It’d been a long while since he’d had to woo a lass, but he wasn’t going to let that stop him. “With you always going on about how keen your hearing is, I know you heard me, woman. You’re beautiful.”
Lorna searched his eyes before answering, “Aye, I heard it the first time. But I’m wondering why you said it.”
Taking a few steps closer, he reached out and tucked a section of hair behind her ear. Lorna drew in a breath, and he smiled. “That’s what I thought.”
She took a step back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ross Anderson. You left me a cryptic message to meet you in the middle of a blasted clearing. Why am I here?”
“Because,” he answered as he closed the distance again, “I want to see
you shift.”
Lorna tried to move away again, but Ross reached out and pulled her up against his body. As he stared into her eyes, uncertainty flashed. Considering how strong of a woman Lorna was, Ross didn’t like it.
Lorna spoke up before he could speak again. “I’ve told you once, and I’ll tell you again—I don’t shift much anymore. My old bones can’t take it.”
Her pupils flashed to slits and back. A corner of Ross’s mouth ticked up. “I think your dragon is already calling you a liar.”
“So you speak dragon now?”
“Don’t be silly, Lorna. But what else could your dragon be saying? Especially since all the other clan members our age shift all the time.” He moved a hand to her back and stroked. He waited to see if she’d still or pull away, but Lorna’s expression didn’t change. It gave him the encouragement to keep pushing. “I want to know why you keep dismissing it. You rarely ever lie that I’m aware of. So, why are you afraid of showing me your dragon, Lorna MacKenzie? Is it because I’m human?”
Her brows furrowed again. “Of course not. Being human or dragon doesn’t influence my opinion one way or the other.”
“Then what it is?”
After holding his gaze a second, she sighed. “You aren’t going to let me go unless I shift, are you?”
“No,” he answered with a grin.
“You do remember that I’m stronger than you, right?”
He growled and moved his head closer. “We’ve long established you’re stronger than me with better hearing and eyesight. You don’t have to keep kicking a man down.”
Snorting, Lorna patted his chest. “But it’s so much fun.”
Moving his hand from her back to her cheek, he murmured, “I can think of something else that’s fun.”
Desire mixed with confusion filled Lorna’s eyes. “You’re being cryptic again.”
“Then let me show you, woman.”
Before she could push him away or reply, Ross lowered his head and kissed her.
~~~