Books, Tattoos & Other Inky Things

1. The Dragon Made Me Do It.

Nella kissed a dragon.

His scales rippled like sapphires. Orange spikes lent him menace. His eyes burned red like a lithium flame.

She pressed her lips along his scaly armor but found her tender explorations interrupted. Though Nella kissed a dragon, a man was kissing her back.

Whether the dragon tattooed on the man's shoulder had a name, she did not know, but the man's name was Baz. Around campus, he was known as Sexy Tat Guy, on account of his trendy tattoo shop in the downtown area. And on account of him being so freakin' hot.

In all the ways.

His touch scorched her skin as his fingers stroked her lower back beneath the hem of her shirt, and his breath fired in her ear as he kissed down her temple, then across her cheek, meandering to her lips. She abandoned exploring his tattoo and yielded her mouth to his.

The thrust of his tongue bar shocked.

Even though she'd been kissing him on and off for an hour, she gasped. The tongue bar was a new experience, and her mind leaped ahead to other potential scenarios with that particular piece of jewelry.

God. Baz the Sexy Tat Guy would be the real deal in bed because he made out like it was his favorite pastime.

Nella sighed into his mouth and reminded herself she hadn't invited him home to go to bed.

Okay, who was she kidding? Possibly, she had invited him home to go to bed.

But first... she wanted to share a secret with him.

In order to do that, she had to stop trying to swallow his tongue. Regretfully, she did so, pushing against his chest as she broke the kiss. Baz released his hold on her. Somewhat to her surprise, he retrieved his shirt from the couch cushions and put it back on.

"That was fun." His voice lilted with ease.

Fun? Nella thought. That was fantastic. That was flawless.

"Fun," she repeated in a daze. "Um... thanks for showing me your tattoos."

He gave her a devilish grin. "My pleasure. I doubt anyone has ever said that and meant it as much as I do right now."

Sexy and witty. Likes to read. Co-owns his own family business. And that tongue piercing. Too good to be true.

"I should probably tell you..." She traced the scaly blue tail that extended down Baz's bicep from beneath his t-shirt. "I've never done this before. You'll be the first."

His icy blue eyes widened. He bit his lip, trying to hold back a smirk, stretching an arm to the back of the couch. "As honored as I would be to be your first, I thought I was here about a book..."

Nella pushed at his chest. "You are not my first hook-up. I've had... plenty."

"Plenty" might be an exaggeration, but hooking up wasn't the issue wrecking her nerves right now. Showing him her story was the scary part. Her blood danced with fever, her emotions warring, her decision wavering. Was she absolutely sure she wanted to let Baz into her most private sanctum—her dragon world?

While she debated internally, Baz stretched out his long legs, crossing them at the ankles, examining his shoes. "Plenty of hook-ups, huh? You sure know how to take the pressure off, yet simultaneously raise the bar..."

The gentleness of his tone made Nella amend her words. "Well, not that many. Not like... vast numbers or anything... I mean... don't feel... intimidated..."

"Darlin', I'm not intimidated." He clicked the tongue bar against his teeth. Then again, for emphasis. She blushed. He chuckled, but the sound was more sexy than sweet.