Page 26 of Midlife Animal Rescuer Dragon

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By the time she was done narrating, the truck was completely silent. Henry’s head was turned in her direction, but his dark eyes didn’t seem to be focused on anything in particular. His face was unreadable, and Nora felt her chest tighten a little. What was going on in that head of his?

“I see,” he said finally.

Nora’s fingers clenched slightly in her lap. Did he have nothing else to say to her?

“You don’t believe I’m innocent, do you?”

Even she was starting to find it hard to believe herself. Everything at that scene pointed to her as the culprit, from the dead body to the blood on her hands. Not to mention the way the other witches had looked at her. She’d expected to find a similar expression on Henry’s face, but he remained expressionless, which was starting to feel somewhat worse.

Outside, the sky had darkened a little. There was still no sign of Ergog. At least, for now.

“I shouldn’t believe you,” Henry replied. His eyes found hers then, and for a split second she thought her heart might stop beating. “But I do.”

He did? “You do?”

He shrugged. “Believe me, I’m just as surprised as you are. Maybe youdidkill that witch. But even if you did, I don’t think you meant to do it.”

As far as votes of confidence went, that didn’t sound like much, but right now it was enough for Nora. She let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding, relief spreading through her.

“Thank you. And I really am sorry your first encounter with a hybrid didn’t go so well. We’re not all like that. I certainly am not trying to steal your shifting ability. Wait, why are you smiling?”

The corners of his mouth had turned upward, a slight gleam in his eyes. “It’s just something that occurred to me.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“I seem to have a thing for hybrids.” He shrugged again. “Not sure why, but the last time I was this attracted to anyone was over a decade ago.”

It felt as though the air had been sucked out of the truck. His words hit her like a battering ram, completely out of the blue. It was a bit odd, considering what they’d just been discussing a moment ago—not to mention the fact that they’d just barely escaped certain death at Ergog’s hands, but she felt a thrill race through her regardless. “You’re...attracted to me?”

He lifted an eyebrow, and Nora almost smacked herself in the forehead. Of course he was. Hadn’t he kissed her earlier?

“I guess I already sort of knew,” she said. She sucked in a breath, feeling heat rise into her cheeks as a memory filled her mind. “When you kissed me, back at the fair...it was such a random move. I couldn’t have imagined you’d do it.”

Henry’s gaze seemed to intensify as he replied, “Me neither. It just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. To keep the hunter from finding you, I mean. Not that I hadn’t already wanted to kiss you.”

His confession forced the breath back out of her lungs. The heat left her face, descending past her chest into her belly, and she immediately pressed her thighs together as it settled in her core.

“Do you...” She swallowed. “Do you want to kiss me again?”

His eyes darkened. “I do.”

And without another word, he leaned across the front seat, covering her mouth with his.

Chapter Eleven

The Bed of the Truck

The last time Henry kissed her, Nora had felt like her feet were lifting off the ground.

This time was no different.

The second his mouth touched hers, she thought she might float away. His lips, warm and silky, caressed hers like they had before, and she immediately leaned in, sighing against him. A second later, she felt his hand cup her cheek. An ache had already made its way into her core, her nipples hardening with need.

She supposed it was a bit odd. She’d met this man, what, seven hours ago? And here they were, making out in his car. Nora had always been one to take things slow with people, but as Henry kissed her, all concerns about moving too quickly flew out the window. All she could think of were the feel of his lips and the warmth of his hand against her face.

She sighed again, feeling their kiss intensify. Henry’s hand brushed her cheek once more, then traveled down to the nape of her neck, his knuckles against her skin. She reached up to touch him as well, feeling his firm, rough jawline.