Page 56 of Real Scale Blazer
The words sent her pulse skittering. This thing between them had grown harder to deny since that night in the ice caves, since she’d admitted—at least to herself—that her feelings ran deeper than mere attraction. But old habits died hard.
“Fascinating, hh-mmm?” She spun her chair to face him properly, raising an eyebrow. “Is that your diplomatic way of calling me a troublemaker?”
“If I meant troublemaker, I’d say troublemaker.” His eyes glinted with humor as he braced his hands on her armrests, effectively caging her in. “Though you do seem to attract animpressive amount of chaos for someone so devoted to orderly research.”
“Says the man who literally breathes fire.” But she didn’t pull away from his proximity. If anything, she found herself leaning closer, drawn by the warmth radiating from him. “Besides, I had a perfectly peaceful career before you dragons came along.”
“Peaceful?” His skeptical look made her laugh. “The same career that had you scaling active volcanoes and diving into glacier crevasses?”
“That’s different. Those were controlled scientific expeditions.”
“With avalanches.”
“Minor avalanches. For research.”
“Of course.” His smile softened into something that made her heart flip. “The stars forbid anyone suggest the great Dr. Quinn seeks out adventure for its own sake.”
“I seek out knowledge,” she corrected primly, though her hands had somehow found their way to his chest, fingers tracing the intricate embroidery of his formal coat. “The adventure is just a bonus.”
“And what knowledge are you seeking now?” His gaze dropped to her lips for a fraction of a second. “Besides evidence against my advisor?”
The reminder of why she’d been holed up in the library sobered her slightly. “Speaking of Bhesna...” She glanced at her scattered notes. “I don’t think she’s behind the sabotage. At least, not directly.”
Kai straightened, though he didn’t step back from their intimate position. “Explain.”
“The pattern’s too obvious.” She gestured at her maps. “Every incident points straight to her—the timing, the access, the motive. It’s like someone wanted us to suspect her.” Her hands moved automatically as she spoke, sketching theoriesin the air. “But when I confronted her in the garden earlier, something felt off. She acted hostile, but it seemed... rehearsed? Like she was playing a part rather than actually trying to harm me.”
“You confronted her?” A growl entered his voice. “Alone?”
“Don’t start.” She poked his chest. “I’m a big girl who can handle a conversation with a snippy advisor. Besides, I had backup.”
His eyebrows rose. “Backup?”
“Lydia was nearby with her camera drone. Ready to record any suspicious dragon activity.” She grinned. “Or, as she put it, ‘capture the epic throwdown between science and scales.’“
That startled another laugh from him. “I see your friend remains...”
“Enthusiastically supportive?”
“‘Alarmingly creative is more like it.’“
“She means well.” Quinn gathered her notes into a somewhat orderly pile. “And she might have pointed out something I’ve been trying not to think about.”
“Oh?”
“That maybe my determination to solve this mystery isn’t entirely professional.” She forced herself to meet his eyes. “That maybe I’m worried about more than just geological stability.”
Understanding dawned in his expression. He caught one of her hands, bringing it to his lips in a gesture that should have seemed archaic but instead sent heat spiraling through her. “You’re concerned for the kingdom’s safety?”
“For itsking’ssafety,” she corrected softly. “Someone’s trying to hurt you through me, and I... I don’t like it.”
“Quinn.” Her name on his lips sounded like a caress. “I’ve survived centuries of political intrigue and magical warfare. I can handle?—”
“I know you can handle yourself.” She twisted her fingers through his, marveling at how natural it felt now. “That doesn’t mean you have to handle everything alone. Not anymore.”
The admission hung between them, heavy with implication. Kai’s eyes darkened to molten gold, his dragon surfacing in response to her words.
“Being your fated mate is frightening enough,” she continued, forcing the words out before she lost her nerve. “But caring about you? Actually wanting to be with you, magic aside? That’s terrifying.”