Call of the Dragon (Return to Avalore Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

loud in his own mind.
    He only hoped he’d recover in time to protect her, should the beasts come for her again. The last thing he saw before darkness overtook him was her shocked expression as she lunged toward him, trying to catch him as he fell.

Chapter 3
    Rhia sat with her legs tucked beneath her on the rickety wooden chair she’d dragged in from the bedroom. It had taken all she had to get the hulk of a man onto the sofa rather than on top of her as he’d stumbled.
    Her heart pounded as though she’d just finished a marathon. How could someone just appear out of thin air? She’d seen many weird things, but this topped them all. Her fingers shook as she pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.
    His tall, muscular frame barely fit on the tiny sofa. One leg dangled at an awkward angle from the edge while the other draped over the armrest at the end. He made her diminutive couch look like a child’s toy. Had he not just scared the crap out of her, she might have found it funny.
    Torn between her usual run-now-think-later attitude and her curiosity about the man who dwarfed her furniture, she wrung her hands, and fought the urge to pace. She uncurled her legs from under her for the fifth time in as many minutes. This was crazy.
    Staying wasn’t an option anymore. The beasts had found her again, so why was she still sitting there staring at the man? She vaulted from the chair with every intention of leaving and never looking back, but her feet had a mind of their own, taking her back to crouch near him, instead of out the door.
    The urge to touch him overwhelmed her, just like it had the first four times she’d checked on him. Her fingertips tingled as she covered his inner wrist to find his bounding pulse. She should be afraid. Hell, she should be miles away by now, but she just couldn’t pull herself away. What was it about him that drew her like a magnet?
    His wide shoulders and muscular chest filled the white t-shirt he wore to perfection. Even a saint would enjoy the view. The tip of a tattoo peeked from beneath his left sleeve. She hesitated before catching the edge with her fingers and exposing the winged fire-breathing dragon inked on his arm.
    She blinked fast, not believing what she saw. Her gaze flitted from the dragon to his face and back again. She’d seen that tattoo before. The memory of his dark hair and chiseled jaw flashed in her mind. If she could see his eyes, she’d know. His eyes would be a deep dark blue, like the icy waters of a turbulent sea, not the usual brown you’d associate with his dark hair and complexion. She brought her trembling fingers up to touch his cheek but pulled them back before making contact. It couldn’t be him. There was no way.
    Why was she even entertaining the idea this could be the same man? The notion this could be the man who’d haunted her dreams for two years was ridiculous. One was just a figment of her overactive imagination, and this man was flesh and blood.
    Agony contorted his handsome face as a pained moan escaped his lips. She pressed her fingers to his temples, sending soothing waves of purple light into him, easing his pain. Her eyes drifted shut as a surge of sensual tension slid over her. Tingles coursed through her body as his scent filled her lungs. Heat washed over her, caressing every inch of her body as their energies mingled. Every cell in her body rejoiced. A soft sigh slipped past her lips. She’d never had such a reaction to healing anyone before.
    The energy around her shifted, dousing the warmth enveloping her. Her eyes flew open the moment it changed, the moment he was awake and aware of her, but it was too late. She let her hands drop to her sides, as she met his stormy blue gaze. Time skidded to a halt and her breath caught in her throat. How could it be?
    He scrambled to move away from her, as though burned by her delicate touch. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
    She winced at the curt tone. No one had objected to her