Chapter 21
TWENTY-ONE
S abine let that sink in, warmth spreading through her chest that had nothing to do with the wine. She’d been so caught up in wanting to heal Ren’s broken heart that she’d forgotten her own heart deserved cherishing too.
Three bottles of wine later, they sprawled across Sabine’s living room floor, surrounded by empty pizza boxes and chocolate wrappers. Romi had somehow ended up wearing one of Sabine’s decorative throw pillows as a hat.
“You know what?” Sabine announced to her ceiling fan. “Ren is really pretty. Like... criminally pretty. His jawline should be illegal.”
“Text him!” Romi fumbled for her phone. “I’m texting my mate. He needs to know how pretty he is too.”
“No, no, terrible idea...” But Sabine already had her phone out.
“Do it!” Clover had her own phone in hand. “I just told Rook his muscles have muscles. And that I want to bite them.”
“Oh my god.” Sabine dissolved into giggles. “What are we, fifteen?”
“Shh, I’m composing poetry.” Romi squinted at her screen. “Dear sexy mate, your eyes are like honey, and I want to lick?—”
“NO!” Clover and Sabine shouted together, then collapsed laughing.
“Fine, fine. But Sabine needs to text His Majestic Hotness. It’s like, a rule.”
Sabine’s fingers flew across the screen before her common sense could object: I miss youuuu
“More!” Romi encouraged. “Tell him about his arms!”
You’re so hot it should be illegal. Those shirts you wear? Criminal. I keep wanting to peel them off you slowly...
“Ooh, spicy!” Clover crowed. “Send emojis! Lots of emojis!”
A stream of kissing faces followed.
“Tell him what you want!” Romi urged.
Next time I see you, you better kiss me properly. None of that gentle stuff. I want FIRE.
“I just told Rook I want to climb him like a tree,” Clover announced proudly.
“Lux is getting a detailed list of what I want to do to his?—”
“LA LA LA!” Sabine covered her ears, laughing. “Too much information!”
She sent one final text before collapsing into giggles: Going to bed to dream dirty things about you. Very dirty dragon things.
The next morning, Sabine’s head throbbed with every step toward Katz ‘n Things. She stopped short at the sight of Ren leaning against the shop door, holding coffee and a paper bag that smelled like heaven.
“Good morning.” His deep voice carried entirely too much amusement. “Thought you might need these.”
“You’re a lifesaver.” She accepted the coffee gratefully, inhaling the rich aroma. “How did you know?”
His grin widened as he pulled out his phone, and her stomach dropped. “Let’s see... First came the missing me. Then a very detailed appreciation of my shirts—or rather, your desire to remove them.”
“Oh no.”
“The emoji explosion was cute. But I particularly enjoyed learning about these ‘dirty dragon things’ you planned to dream about.”
Mortification burned through her. “I am never drinking wine again.”
But then she really looked at his face—saw the warmth in his eyes, the way his smile held no mockery. He looked... happy. Almost playful. Like her wine-soaked confessions had brightened something inside him.
“I should probably die of embarrassment now,” she mumbled into her coffee.
“Or,” his voice dropped lower as he stepped closer, “I could fulfill at least one of those requests.”
Her heart stuttered as his hand cupped her cheek. Then his lips found hers, and everything else faded away. He tasted like cinnamon and promise, and when he finally pulled back, his eyes blazed gold.
“For the record,” he murmured against her lips, “I missed you too. And I’d very much like to hear more about these dirty dragon things.”
She pulled back, embarrassment filling her. “Get out of here. I’ve got work to do and don’t have time to entertain you, you flirt.”
He kissed her again, leaving her standing in place before he winked and walked away. This dragon was really making her life complicated.