Page 56 of Blood Singer

I laughed despite myself. "That depends. What would your profile say?"

"Hmm." He pretended to think about it. "Tall, brooding dragon king. Enjoys long flights over the mountains, threatening people who look at my mate, and generally being terrifying."

"Your mate?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Too soon?" he asked, but he was smiling, and something in his expression made my heart skip a beat.

"Definitely too soon," I said, smiling back even though my heart was pounding. "And for the record, I'd probably swipe left on that profile. Sounds like a lot of drama."

"But you'd swipe right on me anyway," he said with absolute certainty.

"I might," I admitted. "If you had good pictures."

He laughed. A real laugh that transformed his entire face. I found myself memorizing the moment. The way the candlelight caught in his white hair. The warmth in his golden eyes. The sound of his laugh, which felt like a gift every time.

When the laughter faded, his expression grew serious. He reached across the table and took my hand, his thumb tracing slow circles on my palm.

"Leila," he said quietly. "I need to talk to you about something."

My stomach dropped. This was it. This was where he told me our night together had been a mistake, that he'd gotten caught up in the moment, that he couldn't actually be with a human because of politics or tradition or whatever reason made sense to a dragon king.

"Okay," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"You're leaving in a couple of weeks." It wasn't a question.

"Yes. That was always the plan. The mission was always supposed to be short-term."

"I know." He was quiet for a moment, his thumb still moving in those slow circles. "I don't want you to leave."

My breath caught. "Kavan—"

"I know it's complicated," he continued, his golden eyes searching mine. "I know there are a hundred reasons why this doesn't make sense—political reasons, cultural reasons. But I don't care about any of that. I just know that the thought of you leaving makes me feel like I can't breathe."

"As what?" I asked quietly. "Why are you asking me to stay?"

He was quiet for a long moment, and I could see the struggle playing out across his face.

"I don't know yet," he finally said, and the honesty of it broke something open inside me. "I'm terrified of getting this wrong. But I know I can't let you leave without doing everything in my power to get you to stay."

"I'll think about it," I said, and I meant it. I would think about it constantly, probably, until I drove myself insane.

"Think hard," he said, and there was a plea in his voice that made my chest ache. "Please, Leila. Think really hard about it."

I wanted to say yes right then. Wanted to tell him I'd already made my decision, that I'd stay with him and figure out the rest later. But I needed to be smart about this. I needed to think about what it would mean to commit to a man I'd known for less than a month, to tie myself to a planet and a king and a future I couldn't predict, especially since I'd just begun my career with Asad Intelligence.

So instead, I squeezed his hand and said, "I will."

He pulled me up from my chair and into his arms, and we didn't talk after that. We just held each other as the city lights twinkled below us, and I tried not to think about the fact that in two weeks, I might have to choose between the life I had and the life I was beginning to want.

The next morning, I woke up in Kavan's bed with his arms wrapped around me and his face buried in my hair. For a moment, I just lay there, savoring the feeling of being held, of being wanted, of being exactly where I wanted to be.

"Good morning," he murmured against my neck, and I felt him smile.

"Hi," I whispered.

He shifted, propping himself up on one elbow to look at me. His hair was mussed from sleep, and there was a softness to his expression that I rarely saw. This was the Kavan that only I got to see, I realized. The one without the crown, without the weight of a kingdom on his shoulders.

"I have a meeting in an hour," he said, apologetic. "But I want you here tonight. And tomorrow night. And every night after that, if you'll stay."