The Dragon's Need (Tahoe Dragon Mates 2)

It took everything he had not to try and adjust himself again. After all, an ADDA employee sat in a parked car not ten feet away, waiting for Gaby to arrive before leaving him.

They'd been put in separate cars, he'd discovered, for a reason—they'd once again asked if he wanted to back out. There would be a minor fine, but it was the absolute last chance he could flee if he wanted.

While "Hell no" had echoed through his mind, Ryan had been polite. No use pissing off those who would determine if he could remain in Gaby's life once this was all over.

Oh, he was more than a little pessimistic about falling in love and finally finding a woman who wanted him—and only him—for the rest of her life. But there was one thing he would never do and that was abandon any child of his. Even if he and Gaby didn't work out, they'd be in each other's lives for a long time to come.

The second ADDA SUV drove down the road and parked near the first. Gaby exited the passenger seat and he resisted the urge to run and greet her.

Why she had such an effect over him, he had no idea. They'd known each other hours, yet years of dating and friendship hadn't been enough for his marriage to work.

No. He wouldn't let his ex ruin this. She'd made her choice, and it was time for Ryan to focus on his own life and happiness.

And for the next three days, it would center around a certain dragonwoman.

Gaby smiled at him as she approached the front door, and he stopped breathing a second. While she'd been pretty inside the hotel, she now had the sunshine highlighting her face and hair, not to mention the green of the trees making her skin come alive. Pretty wasn't a strong enough word. No, she was fucking breathtaking. "Hello, beautiful."

She snorted. "So being outside brings out your charm?"

Grinning, he replied, "I don't know, but something about the fresh air brings it out. Savor it, because it might vanish soon enough."

He winked and she shook her head. "Maybe we can find some sort of middle ground. Otherwise, I'm going to get whiplash."

Ryan ached to reach out and touch her cheek, but he was more than aware of the two ADDA employees watching them. He shouldn't care about them, but for all he knew, Gaby didn't like public displays of affections. And the longer he could go without pissing her off, the better. "Well, let's go inside and I can practice on finding the balance between the two. I know it's in me somewhere."

She opened the door and waved goodbye at the two cars outside the house. "More than testing your charm, I want some privacy. Come on."

Gaby entered and Ryan followed. As soon as the front door clicked closed, he watched her go about the room and trace first the back of the sofa with her fingers, then a side table, and finally the mantle over the fireplace.

For a woman who helped tame fires and did who knew what other kinds of hard, dangerous work, she had a light touch.

A touch he wanted to feel running along his chest and down to his cock.

And just like that, he was jealous of furniture.

Stop it, Ryan. Geez. He was acting weird for him. He didn't really do jealousy, unless another man was touching his woman when he shouldn't be.

Unless dragon-shifters liked that sort of thing?

Again, he had a steep learning curve ahead

of him. Maybe he should've listened to his sister and read more on the topic.

Gaby stopped and faced him, tilting her head to the side. "Well, what do you want to do next?"

Ryan's mind instantly imagined ripping off her clothes and bending her over the couch.

But even if his "task" was to get Gaby pregnant, he wanted her to feel like more than merely a sheath for his cock.

He walked toward her and took her hand. When she wrapped her fingers around his, the awkwardness faded a little. "Tell me something about yourself, something not many people know."

She studied him a second. "Okay, I wasn't expecting that."

Ryan raised his brows. "What? Did you expect me to toss you over my shoulder and carry you upstairs?"

He swore he heard her mutter, "I hope not," but he'd barely processed that before she said in a normal voice, "I think you could since you're strong enough, but let's not." Gaby took a step closer and lightly traced his collarbone over his shirt, the light friction making his heart pound. She continued, "So you want to know something that I don't tell many people?"

Ryan found his voice, which was more gravelly than usual. "Yes, I do."