Page 13

H azel

Bertha's inn was even more magical inside than it had appeared from the parking lot.

The lobby was an eclectic mix of southwestern charm and dragon luxury—overstuffed leather furniture that probably cost more than most people's cars, alongside rustic wooden beams that looked like they'd been hewn from trees older than civilization.

Crystals hummed with protective magic in every corner, and the air itself seemed to shimmer with barely contained power.

"Now then," Bertha said, her silver eyes twinkling as she looked between Hazel and Bullseye, "let's get you two settled. I've got just the room for you."

"Actually," Hazel said quickly, glancing at her watch, "we can only stay a few hours. We've got maybe eighteen hours left to make our deadline, and we lost time with the detour."

"Rooms," she added belatedly. "We'll need two rooms. Just for a quick rest."

Bertha's expression was pure innocence, but there was something distinctly mischievous in her ancient gaze. "Oh my dear, I'm afraid I only have one room available tonight. Very popular time of year, you understand. Desert spring season brings all sorts of travelers."

Hazel glanced around the completely empty lobby. "It seems pretty quiet to me."

"Appearances can be deceiving," Bertha said cheerfully. "But don't worry—it's my best suite. King-sized bed, private hot tub, soundproof. Perfect for... resting."

The heat that rushed to Hazel's cheeks could have powered a small city. Beside her, Bullseye cleared his throat.

"We appreciate the accommodation," he said diplomatically. "Though we should mention, we're being pursued by some rather determined individuals."

"Oh, those nasty little enforcement types?" Bertha waved a dismissive hand. "Already taken care of. I put up my 'No Soliciting' wards the moment you pulled into the driveway. Nothing with hostile intentions can get within five miles of this place now."

"Your wards can detect hostile intentions?" Hazel asked, impressed despite herself.

"Honey, I spent two hundred years dealing with corporate dragons before I retired. I can smell trouble from three states away." Bertha's smile turned sharp, showing just a hint of her true nature. "Besides, I don't like it when young love is interrupted by business."

"Young love?" Hazel squeaked.

"Oh please," Bertha laughed, a sound like silver bells mixed with distant thunder. "The magical resonance between you two is visible from space. I haven't seen a mating bond this strong since my great-niece found her phoenix."

"Mating bond?" Bullseye's voice came out strangled.

"Now, now," Bertha said, suddenly all business, "let's get you settled before you both combust from magical tension.

You said you only have a few hours, so let's make them count.

Hopper, dear," she turned to the frog on Hazel's shoulder, "you can stay in the kitchen with me.

I've got some lovely flies I've been saving for special occasions, and we can swap stories about these two lovebirds. "

"Finally," Hopper croaked, "someone who understands proper familiar hospitality. And honestly, I could use a break from all the magical tension. It's making my skin tingle."

Bertha led them through winding corridors lined with artwork that seemed to move when Hazel wasn't looking directly at it. The inn felt larger inside than it had from the outside, with impossible geometries that spoke of dragon magic at its finest.

"Here we are," Bertha announced, stopping before a door marked with ancient dragon runes. "The Honeymoon Suite."

"Honeymoon Suite?" Hazel's voice cracked.

"Don't mind the name, dear. It's just what I call the room with the best magical enhancement charms." Bertha's grin was positively wicked. "I'll have a light meal sent up in two hours—you'll need to keep your strength up for the road ahead."

She pressed an ornate key into Hazel's palm and disappeared down the corridor with surprising speed for someone who looked to be in her seventies, Hopper riding contentedly on her shoulder.

Hazel stared at the key, then at the door, then at Bullseye. "Well. This is..."

"Awkward?" he suggested.

"I was going to say inevitable."

The admission hung between them, charged with all the tension that had been building since the moment she'd landed on his car that morning. Bullseye's dark eyes met hers, and she saw her own desire reflected there, hot and undeniable.

"Hazel," he said quietly, "we don't have to—"

"I know." She turned the key in the lock, her hand surprisingly steady. "But I want to."

The door opened to reveal a room that was pure romance novel fantasy.

The king-sized bed dominated the space, draped in silk and surrounded by dozens of softly glowing crystals.

French doors led to a private balcony where a hot tub steamed invitingly under the desert stars.

The air was perfumed with something that smelled like jasmine and magic.

"Bertha doesn't do anything halfway," Bullseye observed, his voice rougher than usual.

"No," Hazel agreed, stepping into the room, "she doesn't."

The door closed behind them with a soft click that seemed to echo through Hazel's bones. Suddenly they were alone—really alone—for the first time all day. The silence stretched between them, heavy with possibility.

"We should probably get some rest," Hazel said, though her body was humming with exhaustion and adrenaline in equal measure. "Only a few hours, and then we need to be back on the road."

"You're right," Bullseye agreed, but he made no move toward the bed. "Though I'm not sure I can sleep. Too much adrenaline."

"I might have something for that." Hazel reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a small vial of shimmering red liquid. "Energy booster. Like magical Red Bull. It'll help us stay alert for the drive ahead without the crash."

"Is that safe?"

"Perfectly safe. Just a little magical caffeine." She uncorked the vial and took a small sip, then handed it to him. "One sip each should do it."

Bullseye took the vial and drank, then handed it back to her. For a moment, nothing happened.

Then the potion hit her system like liquid lightning.

Energy surged through her veins, sharp and clean, exactly like she'd expected. But underneath the alertness was something else—a warmth spreading through her body that had nothing to do with caffeine and everything to do with the way Bullseye was looking at her.

"Hazel," Bullseye said, his voice rough, "what exactly was in that potion?"

"Energy booster," she said breathlessly, then noticed the way his pupils had dilated, the way his hands were clenched into fists at his sides. "Oh. Oh, that's not good."

"What's not good?"

"I forgot about the side effects," she said, heat pooling low in her belly. "Energy boosters have... complications for magically bonded pairs."

"What kind of complications?" His voice came out as a growl that vibrated through her chest.

"It amplifies existing connections," she said frantically. "Physical attraction, emotional bonds, magical resonance. It's supposed to be mild unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless the pair is already strongly bonded," she finished weakly. "Then it becomes a feedback loop."

The potion was working its way through their systems, heightening every sensation, every attraction, every spark of desire that had been building between them.

Her skin felt hypersensitive, and every time she looked at him, the need intensified.

Between her thighs, she felt a growing slickness that made her press her legs together.

"How long does it last?" Bullseye asked, his voice strained.

"Usually about an hour, but with our magical resonance amplifying it..."

"Physical release," he said, understanding immediately. "We have to work it out of our systems or we'll be useless for driving."

"I'm sorry," she said, her cheeks burning. "I should have warned you about the side effects."

"Don't apologize," he said, stepping closer. The scent of him—leather and motor oil and something musky and purely male—made her mouth water. "Because even without the magical enhancement, I've been wanting this all day."

That seemed to break the last of his restraint. He stepped closer, his hands coming up to frame her face. His palms were rough with calluses, warm against her skin, and when his thumbs brushed across her cheekbones, she felt the touch all the way down to her toes.

"Are you sure? Because once we start, I don't think I'll be able to stop."

"Then don't stop," she whispered. "Don't you dare stop."

His mouth found hers then, and the kiss was everything their previous ones had been and more.

Heat and hunger and something deeper, something that felt like coming home.

The potion made every sensation more intense—the taste of him, coffee and mint and something indefinably him, the feel of his hands tangling in her hair, the way his magic seemed to dance with hers.

A low rumble emanated from his chest when she pressed closer, and she realized he was actually growling. The sound sent liquid heat straight to her core.

When they finally broke apart, they were both breathing hard.

"The hot tub," she managed to say. "Bertha said it had magical enhancements."

"Will that help?"

"It should ease the intensity," she said, though the potion was making it hard to think clearly. Her nipples had tightened into hard points against her bra, and she could feel her body preparing itself, softening and growing slick. "Make it more... manageable."

They walked toward the balcony doors, pausing only to turn on the magical privacy screens.

The hot tub was perfect—not too hot, not too cold, and surrounded by screens that blocked the view from anywhere but the sky above.

Steam rose from the surface like incense, and the water glowed with a faint bioluminescence that suggested Bertha had indeed added some interesting magical enhancements.