Her stomach turned completely over, and he pulled back just enough for her to see the red glimmer flame in his eyes. He kissed her right in front of the others, teasing her with a soft, but insistent exploration by his tongue that weakened her knees.

Derek found a blissful rhythm drying and polishing without having to think about anything in particular. What a rare respite from the constantly grinding mental machine. Between his own chaotic thoughts and those of the inner dragon who liked to chip in here and there, his head was normally in full gear these days. 

Something low in his gut unhinged, both dreading and longing for a glimpse of her, to inhale the floral scent of her silky hair, snag his hands in it as he showed her why they should never be apart…

The mark he’d made on her skin had faded to a faint pink circle with a slightly jagged outer edge, almost like a ring of flames bound to eternity with no beginning and no end.

Alex’s eyes flooded with silver light, and he raised his hand. “I vow not to touch it, fellow dragon. I recognize this treasure as part of your own body, bound to you until and unless you surrender it willingly.” He lifted his chin, and his eyes returned to normal. “Which might be a cold day in hell, regardless of your plan to hand it over to Palmer. But whatever.”

“Why turn yourself in if you weren’t feeling the least bit guilty?”

“It wasn’t my idea to run in the first place.”

“Ah, yes, because some mystery guy off the street whisked you away in his magical flying machine.”