Dragon Heartstring(19)

“I—I—”

“That’s what I thought.” In a swift, aggressive move I didn’t expect, he angled his mouth over mine and went deeper, gliding his tongue inside for a nice, long taste. I clutched his biceps, holding on for dear life, because my mind spun with the sudden jolt of adrenaline. I melted against his chest and torso, my dragon longing to claw off his expensive suit and feel him skin on skin.

A little moan escaped me as he nipped my bottom lip then pulled away. Still breathless, I let go of him and touched my fingers to my mouth. “Where did that come from?”

His expression remained grave, a pinch between his brows, as if we’d been discussing some tragic event on the news. “I don’t know. I just had to.” For a moment, I thought he would kiss me again, and heaven help me, I wanted him to. But he stood straight and asked, “Shall we go see the auction?”

“Okay.” Though my brain was far away and foggy as hell, I managed to sound coherent and not as addled as I was. And somehow a little angry. At myself, not him. I wasn’t the kind of girl to swoon over a sexy man. That was never enough to entice me. And yet, something about Demetrius made me lose my wits, even when I still worried about his hang-ups with Morgonkind.

There were a few people perusing the tables set out for the silent auction, but most of the crowd was downstairs enjoying the band. Holding hands like it was normal, we walked along the table.

“I’d like to bid on something,” he said. “Tell me when you see something you like.”

This man continued to surprise me. There were a few pieces of artwork donated by Flaming Hearts Art Gallery, owned by the Nightwings. I expected that with Jessen in charge of this fundraiser. There was a dinner for two at Dorchester Steakhouse. Demetrius looked at me and raised his brow. I shrugged and shook my head. We walked down the line, passing designer crystal, four tickets to a Vaengar game in the exclusive box seating of the stadium, and an all-day spa treatment.

Demetrius paused at the spa day. I shook my head. We came to the end of the table, and I pulled him up short.

Pointing, I said, “That one.”

He arched a brow at me then read, “A three-day getaway for two in the luxurious White Sand Villas of Sorrel Sea. This is the one you want?”

I smiled. “Yes.”

He took a slip of paper, scrawled a number I couldn’t see, and then folded it and placed it in the box.

“You shall have it,” he said.

“Not if someone outbids you.”

He chuckled. “No one will outbid me.”

“Confident, are you?”

“When it comes to business dealings, yes, I am.”

“And what do you mean ‘I’ shall have it? It will be your winnings, not mine.”

“Think of it as a gift.”

“A gift?”

He dipped his dimpled chin lower with a stiff nod.

“And I could bring anyone I wanted?”

“Of course.” He edged closer. “I could make a suggestion if you’d like.”

Rather than answer, I slipped a hand through the crook of his arm and pulled him toward the bar. “Let’s get a drink.”

This playful idea of the two of us in a villa in paradise for a few days had my blood rising at an alarming rate. This was escalating fast, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. Part of me still thought of him as the arrogant director of Cade Enterprises who tended to keep Morgons at a distance. The other part saw Demetrius for what he truly was—sexy as sin. I’d always been the kind of girl to do what was right. The good girl. But Demetrius stirred in me a desire to do very bad things. And if I was honest with myself, my old notion of him was melting away by the second.

We strolled to the bar with a blue backlit mirror. I watched his reflection as he ordered. The man truly was quite beautiful. He never once glanced at his own reflection. Rare in single men I’d encountered these days. They were always checking themselves out—their hair, their clothes, the way their shirts bunched at their biceps. Not this man. He knew everything was right as it should be. There was no need to look at himself a hundred times to be sure. Or he didn’t care. Somehow, that made me want him more.

He dropped a bill on the bar then handed me the glass of wine.

“You’re not drinking?” I asked.

“I’ve already had a few, and I believe it’s dulled my inhibitions enough already.”

He glanced at my lips. The kiss.

“Ah. I see.”

The band cranked it up a notch. Demetrius scowled at the stage.

“Have you been here before?” I asked.

“What?” he asked, leaning down.

I shouted closer to his ear. “Follow me. I want to show you something.”

He nodded. We wove back to the elevator, passing another couple who had stepped out. “Where are you taking me?” he asked.

I pressed the button for the top floor and gave him a smile. When we reached the top, the elevator dinged. I linked my arm through his again. “Come and see.”

We stepped out onto the rooftop terrace, which was open beyond the elevator and the aerial entrance for Morgon patrons. There were two Morgon bouncers working the roof, making sure no one crashed the private party. One of them stared as we walked by, my arm linked with a human man. Ignoring him, I led Demetrius out to walk the wrap-around balcony.