Waking the Dragon by Juliette Cross Page B

alley. Dropping his hold as soon as we were in shadow, he fumbled in his jacket for something.
    His eyes glittered so bright, I decided not to comment on his unnecessary machismo. Anger rippled off him in electric waves. He unrolled something. Buckles rattled.
    “What makes a Morgon’s dragon come to the surface like that?”
    His movements were sharp and swift. He ignored me as he continued to fumble with straps of some kind. Shoulders taut, hands focused on unraveling whatever it was he held, he answered, his voice rattling, “Intense emotion. Anger. Sorrow. Desire.” His glowing gaze finally met mine, the dark swallowing all else.
    I gestured toward his hands.“What’s that?”
    “A flying harness. We’re going to see Petrus tonight. Now.”
    “Now?”
    “Yes.”
    One giant step toward me. Too close. I stepped back by instinct.
    “You scared, Kittycat.”
    Definitely a challenge. Eyes narrowing, I refused to back up as he inched closer. Hell yes, I was scared. I’d never been flying with a Morgon. The idea of hurtling through the air with only a few straps between me and death petrified me. My hands on my hips, I tried to remain calm. “Are you a good flier?”
    “The best.” He lifted and unfolded his wings partway, a magnificent display.
    “Modest, too, I see.”
    “Just stating a fact.”
    He snapped a length of the leather strap between his hands. I eyed them as if they were slithering vipers.
    His gaze flicked to mine. “You don’t like giving up control, do you?”
    “No. I’m not fond of it.”
    “You’re afraid.”
    I couldn’t deny it. And I wasn’t a liar, so I said nothing at all. His voice gentled. “Never let fear lead you. Not in anything.” He moved closer, his intense energy lapping against me. “Just let go.” My heart drummed an erratic beat. He gestured with one finger. “Turn around.”
    “What are you going to do?”
    When Kol grinned, it looked unnatural but at the same time mesmerizing. “I’m going to help you step into the harness before I strap it to myself.”
    “I don’t think I want you strapped behind me.” My stomach flip-flopped at the thought of him standing so close.
    His smile turned sheer wicked as if he could read my thoughts. “You could be strapped facing me, and that would be just fine by me.”
    “Stop it.”
    “Stop what.”
    “Using your”—I waved a hand at his chest—“manliness to try and intimidate me.”
    “Is it working?”
    I wanted to say no, to lie to him, but my mouth wouldn’t move. All I could do was consider how being strapped to this man might be worth facing my fear of flying. I spun around before he could read anything else on my face. “Fine. Let’s do it.”
    “See?” Right over my shoulder, warm breath brushed my ear. “Not so hard, now is it? Just let go of your fear.”
    It wasn’t just hard, it was downright impossible. My pulse raced as his arms bracketed my waist, rejoining in front of my torso, leather straps in hand. But this wasn’t all from fear. Heightened anticipation of rocketing through the sky, strapped to Kol, made something else thrum wonderfully through my veins. An excitement that verged on insanity.
    “Step in.”
    I stepped both legs into the leather harness and waited as he tightened the thick belt at my waist, then cinched the straps that criss-crossed my breasts. Sweat broke out on my neck and back as I listened to him buckle the part of the harness meant for the Morgon. Finally, he clipped the locking hooks on either side of his waist to the rings at mine, cinching the wrap-around leather strap one more time, pulling my body firmly against him. The back of my body was molded to the front of his. I hadn’t been this close to a man in such an intimate way in quite a long time. Perhaps that’s why my heartbeat skittered ahead.
    “Where do I hold on? I have to hold on to something.”
    A rumbling chuckle vibrated from his chest to my back. He curled his hands around mine, engulfing them,