no longer deny the blatant truth.
There was a part of her that was convinced this male was her…mate.
As in a forever, and ever, and ever mate.
Thankfully, her stomach growled in protest at the long hours they’d spent without nourishment, and Baine crawled from the bed to collect the last of the bread and honey, as well as the container of nectar, allowing her to consider the dire consequences.
And they were dire.
The fey weren’t like many demons. Most of them could choose to be with one partner or a dozen. But when an imp was with a species who mated, like vampires or Weres, it could trigger the latent instinct to be claimed.
Panic fluttered in the pit of her stomach.
What was wrong with her?
Not only had she’d fully participated in her own seduction, but now she was becoming emotionally entangled with the male who’d bartered for her like a piece of property.
Gulping the nectar at a reckless rate, Tayla tried to ignore the dragon who was lying beside her, an indolent smile on his painfully beautiful face.
Yeah, like she could ignore the thunderous heat that pulsed through the air. Or the fact that they were both stark naked.
Still, she needed to try and put some sort of barrier between them. Otherwise he might guess that he’d stirred feelings that should never have been stirred.
How pathetic would that be?
Especially after he’d made a point of telling her that dragons didn’t want families, or happily-ever-afters.
Realizing she was becoming maudlin, Tayla turned to set her empty glass on the bedside table.
Watching her with an odd expression of satisfaction, as if pleased that she’d managed to clean her plate, Baine whisked away the tray while holding up the small container of nectar.
“One more shot?” he asked.
“No.” She shook her head. Any more and she’d be singing sailor ditties and wearing a lampshade on her head. “It’s very potent.”
He chuckled. “It must be. It’s turned your nose red.”
She lifted a hand to touch her nose that had gone numb. “It is not.”
Baine leaned forward to kiss the tip. “It is still quite charming,” he assured her, his words a throaty purr. “Along with your lips.” He brushed his mouth over her tingling lips before moving to trace the shell of her ear. “And ears and—”
Erotic pulses of pleasure blazed through her with each destructive caress. Instinctively, she tilted her head to the side, silently inviting him to trail his mouth down the curve of her neck.
It was only when she felt her blood heating in anticipation of his touch that she realized what she was doing. Yeesh. She was supposed to be building barriers, not melting beneath the exploring lips.
Forcing herself to lean away from his intoxicating expertise, she tugged the sheet up to her neck.
“What time is it?” she demanded.
Baine arched a brow, easily reading her discomfort. “Time has no meaning in this place.”
That was true enough. A few hours might have passed since they entered the cottage, or a month.
“Maybe not, but we can’t stay here forever.”
The amber eyes studied her with an unnerving intensity. “Why not?”
“Because…”
“Yes?”
She struggled to think of an excuse that might give her an hour or so of breathing room.
“I need to check on my house,” she finally managed to mutter.
“It’s not going anywhere.”
“Maybe not, but I have repairs that need to be made and the entire place needs to be cleaned,” she babbled.
He looked less than impressed by her hasty excuse. “The gargoyle can take care of it.”
“It’s not Levet’s responsibility,” she insisted. “It’s mine.”
There was a long, uncomfortable silence before he reached out to gently tuck a stray curl behind her ear.
“What’s wrong?”
She shivered. What would he do if she told him?
Oh hey, Baine, I know I’m just a temporary concubine who is here to work off thousands of dollars for my father, but I think you ignited my mating instincts…
He would either laugh or use her weakness to his advantage.
Neither was acceptable.
She grimly held on to her excuse. “My house was destroyed by trolls.”
“This has nothing to do with your house.”
“Are you a mind reader?”
“Tayla.” He framed her face in his hands, studying her with a rising impatience. “Talk to me.”
She hunched her shoulders, wishing his exotic scent wasn’t saturating the air. It was bad enough that he was gorgeous and naked, with hypnotizing tattoos. Did he also have to smell yummy?
“There’s nothing to say.”
His eyes narrowed. “Just a few minutes ago you were—”
She hastily pressed her hand to his mouth. She knew what she was doing