Desired by Dragons: BBW Paranormal Romance (Dragons of New York Book 2) Read Online Free Page B

of you is more ridiculous.”
    Quill grinned at her, but Drake frowned. He didn’t like being mocked. “We’re not ridiculous.”
    “Yes, you are,” she said, gesturing. “Look at you. You can’t agree on anything, and if nothing else, you both seem as lost in this situation as I am, and that makes me feel better somehow.”
    Drake blinked in shock as some of the tension left his body. “Okay.”
    Quill calmed as well, turning to consider her thoughtfully.
    “Well,” she said, putting her hands in the air, palms up. “I guess there’s no harm in waiting for an explanation about this mate thing. But no more trying to restrain me or make a move on me. Got it?”
    Drake looked at Quill and then nodded. “All right. You do it,” he said.
    Quill nodded. “My pleasure.”
    “Can we get you some food?” Drake asked, suddenly eager to make sure his potential mate was fed and comfortable.
    She looked hesitant. “Maybe after.”
    Drake grumbled but agreed.
    The whole room felt much calmer as Tara made herself comfortable against the headboard and Drake and Quill settled into chairs to talk to their new potential mate.
    But Drake still wanted to know what that look was in her eyes when he’d almost tied her.
    And he still wanted to find and kill the man responsible for putting it there.

3
    A few hours later , Tara’s head was spinning as she sat on the bed, trying to comprehend what she’d just been told.
    Dragons existed. Strong men who could change into monsters and who policed a magical world of mythical beings when they got out of line.
    She still wasn’t sure of her place in all this.
    “And I’m here why?” she asked, nibbling at the dessert Quill had brought her. It was chocolate cake, moist and fluffy, and she closed her eyes momentarily in pleasure before giving Quill a grateful look. “This is amazing by the way. So was dinner.”
    After an hour or so of talking, they’d insisted on feeding her while they gave her the rest of the information. Which was good because she hadn’t eaten since she’d nearly drowned.
    Quill cleared his throat and looked at Drake, who stared off to the side as if disinterested. “Actually, Drake made it all. He’s quite the cook, surprisingly.”
    That was surprising. She suppressed a grin at Drake’s obvious embarrassment as she finished the cake and set the plate aside, finally feeling pleasantly full.
    “So again, what do I have to do with all of this? I get that dragons work in pairs and live forever unless they’re killed and need to take a mate to complete their triad, but why me?”
    Quill slowly rolled his lips together in contemplation. “Why did you go in after that boy?”
    She shrugged. “Because no one else was going to do it, and I couldn’t watch someone die.”
    “Exactly,” he said. “You may have a quality that is valuable to dragons. It’s called being a dragon-heart, and it means you’re so brave that when mated to a dragon pair, you get gifted with a dragon power of your own.”
    She blinked. “What happens if I mate with you and I’m not dragon-hearted? What if I’m lame?” She shook her head. “Wait, just what does mating entail? Is that like sex?”
    Drake snorted a laugh, and Quill glared at him before shaking his head. “No, it’s about sharing blood.”
    “Um, sure. If you get tested,” she joked. “But seriously, you don’t know anything about me other than the fact that I jumped in a river and nearly drowned. What if we don’t get along?”
    “I think we will, if we all give it a chance,” Quill said, studying his perfect nails. Another little thrill went through her as she studied him. He was so calming, so safe. His blue eyes flicked to hers as if he could read her thoughts. “Some of my friends recently found a mate, and I propose we go about it the same way.”
    “One week,” Drake said. “To see how we get along.”
    “So will you stay?” Quill asked, clasping his hands over his knees and studying her.