The small twitch at the corner of her lip told him he’d won. It was good thing he’d thought to bring the earrings. “We’ll see if I like sushi first before you can add it to your list of good deeds.”
Setting the hoops on her outstretched palm, he chuckled. “It’s amazing what the world will reveal if you keep an open mind.” Oddly, he was applying that philosophy to himself. Should a gatekeeper show kindness? Mercy could lead to devastating consequences. Then again, it was only a set of poorly made earrings and dinner.
She attempted to insert the hoops through her ears, but missed. “Ouch.”
“Let me.” He grasped the loop, drawing closer to her so the heat of her lean body licked along his flesh. Sliding it into the hole, he closed the clasp and repeated on her other ear. “There.” Tugged by her proximity, he couldn’t keep from meeting her gaze. Sorrow welled deep in her blue eyes. He hadn’t noticed it until now. “You’re still worried.”
She shrugged with a slight shift of her shoulders.
“Dragons as old as Ishi always keep their word.” His gaze traveled beyond her to his home on the mountain. “If you want, we can travel to see him.”
“It would be too dangerous in the dark for a hike.” She retreated from him. “Thank you for offering. I can wait until tomorrow. I have an open-ended ticket for my flight back home.”
“Oh, you plan on leaving tomorrow?” What the hell was he doing? He was supposed to come for the necklace, and instead he’d allowed her vulnerability to play him. Thinking with his dick was never a good plan.
“Once I have the saji, yes, I have to go back.”
Retreating from her lush scent, he shoved his heart back inside the shoebox in his chest. Stupid of him to pull it out in the first place.
She sighed as she strolled next to him. “I wish I could stay.”
His eyelids fluttered shut. “Why?”
“It’s so different here. I’d love the chance to explore everything. The culture, the people…” She grabbed his hand with both of hers. “The food.” Her smile was infectious. “My biggest adventure back home is doing groceries on busy Saturday mornings.”
“I’d like you to stay.” The words were out of his mouth before his brain registered his lips were moving. “I–I could show you the sights.” Nice, he was a dragon gatekeeper turned tourist guide. His fellow gatekeepers would string him up and use him for target practice if they ever heard about his offer. He had to shut up. “We’ll start here.” He gestured to the restaurant. “Your first sushi.”
A blush bloomed over her cheeks as she cast him an interested look. The fire of yesterday’s anger was an echo in her heated gaze.
He bent forward and drew her into his arms, tracing his fingertips over her soft skin. Growing fond of her was dangerous. He wanted to take things in a different direction, try something new. She never had to know about his real identity. Her stay would be short, but, oh so sweet, for both of them. He needed this, and it seemed she needed it too.
She trembled at his touch, their lips a fraction of a breath apart. “Koishi.” The way she spoke his name had changed. She’d always said it with an edge of frustration. Now, it was something warm that wanted to curl inside his chest.
He closed the gap. Her lips were delicate as they parted on a quiet sigh. Hands sliding around her waist, he pressed her curves against his body and luxuriated in their softness. He wouldn’t allow himself to caress any of them, to mold them in his palms until her sighs became moans. Mauling on the first date was usually frowned upon by most races, including his.
Part of him expected her to push away, but when she didn’t, he compensated by tilting her chin so his mouth moved more fully over hers.
A slender hand curved around his neck as Sandra rose on tiptoe to follow his kiss. Her breasts slid over his shirt, taut nipples crushed against him.
Groaning, he ran the tip of his tongue across her lips, coaxing her to open and let him devour her. A warning tingle ran over his body, running along his soul, and it had nothing to do with Sandra’s kiss. He gasped and pushed at Sandra, turning his head away. The gate was calling.
Shit, and a truck load of it!
Her nails dug into his neck, as if not wanting to let him go. It made his entire body ache.
There was no place to hide from her. “I have to apologize. I can’t stay.”
“Is this another game for you?” She fisted her hands, ready to pummel him, then her eyes grew wide. “You’re fading.” Without a word of warning, she jumped him, wrapping her arms firmly around him.
Chapter 6
It was the boat trip all over again, but worse. Sandra’s stomach rolled and her head spun. She couldn’t even sense Koishi in her arms.
Then in a flash he was there again, his hands under her elbows, and gently guiding her to the ground. “What the hell? Why did you have to do that?” He stepped in front of her, blocking her blurred vision of a shimmering force field, which had to be the Takai Gate.
Something dark with oddly shaped limbs moved toward them.
She blinked and rubbed her eyes. The nausea vanished.
A creature from a horror movie stood before them wielding a massive sword. Dark green skin covered its thick, muscled body. Bumps and scars pocked its scowling face.
On weak legs, she scrambled to her feet. If dragons were real, why not other monsters, but was it a friend or foe? The sword hinted at the latter. She rose to her feet and retreated a few steps.
The gate gave off an unnatural glow, which lit the room. Stone walls surrounded them like a huge cavern with streams of lava meandering around the room via canals carved in the floor. Tunnels exited the room in multiple directions and angles. Some of them were so steep she’d never be able to climb them. She completed her survey by viewing the liquid surface of the gate, and gasped.
Other, similar green creatures stepped out of the gate wielding a multitude of weapons that consisted of sharp edges and pointy spikes.
Koishi glanced at her over his shoulder, his eyes changing to red before her. “Run!” His word turned into a roar as a glow surrounded him.
Ishi stood where Koishi had been, in all his red-scaled glory. They were the same person–creature–whatever. The bastard had tricked her. He’d made her sing and pretended not to know what she wanted from him. If those monsters didn’t stab him to death, then she would.
One of those things leaned to the side and caught a glimpse of her. A wicked grin spread across its face.
She’d stab Koishi later. First, she needed to save her own ass. Making a one-eighty, she ran for the closest tunnel. The clash of weapons and cries of pain followed her escape, but so did the jingle of armor.
Someone was behind her.
Running blind, she took the first right, then kept hitting more junctions and splits in the tunnels until she’d taken so many turns she didn’t know who was chasing whom anymore. She slowed and leaned against the cold wall. Out of breath, she tried not to pant so loudly. Only the drip, drip, drip of water sounded in the tunnel. The noise of battle faded the deeper she went.
This tunnel was lit by torches, smoke staining the rock ceiling. Brighter light spilled from an entrance not far from her, and the scent of roasting meat drifted to her nose. As she tiptoed toward it, she caught the sound of jingling armor.
She pivoted and met the gaze of the armed creature with its evil smile. Her heart froze. Nothing good would come from this meeting. With a leap, she raced into the brightly lit room and came face to face with a similar monster, except this one was cooking.
Its big green eyes widened at her arrival as it sipped from a ladle. The liquid dribbled from the side of its mouth.