Zanaikeyros - Son of Dragons (Pantheon of Dragons #1)(79)

Jordan listened to his words.

She took them in, thought about them, and refused to run and hide.

And that determination, that desire to survive brought them both back—full circle—to the previous events of the day, to the giant gray elephant sitting in the middle of the tub: the assistant district attorney, and Jordan’s attempt to escape. There could be no trying, no attempt to understand, no bridge built between them unless and until they cleared the air.

“Dan,” she ventured bravely. “What I did, by reaching out to Dan—how does that affect things? How did that affect you?”

f

Zane felt the shift in Jordan.

He felt it in himself.

After nearly retreating from the situation, she had managed to draw him out—they had somehow made a connection and, although it was tentative at best, he didn’t want to ruin it by discussing her ex-lover.

Not now.

Not when they were right on the verge of a breakthrough.

Yet and still, they had to see this through.

He sighed. “From this moment forward, only truth between us?” He posed it as a question, waiting for her assent.

Jordan hesitated—clearly thinking it over—and then she nodded her head. Her gorgeous hazel eyes shone like twin jewels in the moonlight, and every instinct in his body wanted to reach out…to touch her…to draw her in for a kiss. But it was much too soon. Much too aggressive.

His dragyra wasn’t ready, so he made another calculation…

He released her hand, slid out of the seat, and sidled up behind her on the lounge, gently inching her forward. Her shoulders tensed, and she looked back at him with unease—but she didn’t try to stop him. As he’d calculated, her body was buoyant in the water, and it floated toward the surface, just long enough for him to slide beneath her, behind her, and to tug her back into his lap. Straddling her hips with his legs, he wrapped his massive, muscular arms around her shoulders and he drew her to his chest. Her head fell back against his shoulder, and he nuzzled her neck, beneath her ear. “This is better for me,” he rasped. “Having you in my arms. I want you to feel safe, Jordan. I want you to feel protected. I want you to feel my heart as we talk—to know that it beats for you, despite your earlier betrayal. I want you to feel the strength of my commitment.”

She shivered, and then she gulped—and Zane suppressed a smile.

Gods knew, he was pushing her beyond the limit, but they were running out of time.

Slowly—oh, so cautiously—she finally let her body relax and settle into the frame of his. She placed both of her elegant hands on his arms, but a mosquito buzzing by would have made her jump out of the water—she was that on edge.

Zane chuckled to himself…

Good thing they didn’t have mosquitos in Dragons Domain.

“Now then,” he spoke into her ear. “Your ex-lover…Dan. The man you reached out to. Why, Jordan? Why did you choose him?”

She shivered again, and he brushed his hands over her arms, knowing the chill wasn’t caused by the night—hell, the water was 102 degrees.

She gradually settled down. “It wasn’t what you’re thinking.”

“I’m not thinking anything,” he said. “At least, I’m not prejudging. Why did you seek his assistance above all others?”

She grew quiet for a moment. “Logistics.”

He smiled.

“First, he was the only person I knew with that many connections and resources…the only one I thought could pull it off. And, beyond that, he was the only person I was certain I could reach with a letter, since I didn’t have any other means of communicating.” She paused. “Or so I thought.” There wasn’t any anger in her voice, just candid acknowledgment.

Zane nodded, knowing she could feel the subtle shift in his chin—then he took the opportunity to nuzzle her beautiful hair. “I believe you. I do. So you no longer desire this male—you no longer share his love?”

If her body had grown any stiffer, she would have floated away as a block of wood. He sent a gentle pulse of serenity streaming into her torso, using the tips of his fingers—it wasn’t really cheating; he just wanted to help her out.

She sighed. “I stopped desiring Dan when I found out he was married. It took a little longer to fall out of love.”

A feral growl rose in Zane’s chest, and he had to keep it from escaping. He felt his fangs press against his gums and immediately constrained them. “He hurt you…” It was a simple but loaded statement.

“Deeply,” Jordan replied.

This time, it was Zane who tensed, but only for a moment. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, telling his beast to heel: We cannot kill the human…at least not this night. He banked his inner fire and extinguished the spark of rage.

And then Jordan croaked a timid question: “Why did you do it, Zane? Why did you spare Dan’s life…even knowing that the shadow would grow stronger, and you might get hurt. Why did you take that risk?”

Well, hell…

His dragon stirred again.

And a part of him wanted to lie, but he couldn’t. “There are some things,” he began, “that you will never fully comprehend, being human—not even when you’re made immortal. But trust me when I say to you that as a living dragyri, I wanted to eviscerate his heart. Every impulse in my body was humming with the need to destroy that man, and it cost me, far more deeply than you know, to restrain it. As it is, I will need to feed…very soon, to replenish what was lost.” He modulated his voice, afraid of sounding too barbaric. “But when you spoke to me in the bunker about your values, about your beliefs, how deeply you revere the human concept of justice, it struck me…who you are…why you are an attorney, and why that need runs so deep.”