He nodded, starting to take a step forward and then pausing with a shake of his head. “If I touch you right now, I won’t be able to stop, and we have a dinner to get to. But yes, it was one hell of an amazing kiss.”
Her heart warmed, spreading the amazing heat throughout her body. It was different than the heat she felt from the kiss. It wasn’t desire, it was the feeling of being cared about—something she’d felt from Colton from nearly the moment they met.
It was amazing, and everything she never thought she’d have, and she was almost certain it was real. There was still a niggling doubt in the back of her mind that had her questioning if this was real or a part of her fantasy, but she was accepting more and more that it was real.
Now the question was, what was she going to do about it?
Colton walked with Katia back to her room, his mind on the dinner they just had. Her uncle and his friends were an interesting group of men, that was sure. She thought Sergei’s claims of the Russian mafia were just stories, but he wasn’t so sure. He’d seen the look in their eyes throughout dinner, and just that made him inclined to believe the stories were real.
Every time they looked at him, the warning had been clear. Mess with Katia and they’d fuck him up—if not kill him outright.
He slanted a look over at her. Her black curls swayed as she walked, and she was wearing a figure-hugging tank top and snug jeans. Her makeup was minimal and she had old flip flops on her feet, and he thought even as dressed down as she was that she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
And the woman she was on the inside was even more beautiful. She had a big heart and she genuinely cared about the people around her. She even cared about Justin, and she’d never met him. Some of it had to do with her knowing how important he was to Colton, but he knew she would have cared regardless. That was just the kind of person she was. She was kind, smart, funny, and insanely talented.
He’d hurt himself a million times over before he ever hurt her. Sergei and his friends had nothing to worry about there.
Colton was already a goner when it came to her, and when this was all over and he had Justin back, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to leave her.
His dragon hissed in a breath, shock rolling off him in waves. Of course. I can’t believe I didn’t see it before now. I was just so consumed with keeping her safe and saving Justin…
Colton frowned, knowing his animal wasn’t talking about an immediate threat but unable to keep his eyes from darting around, trying to find one. What didn’t you see?
She… well, Katia’s our mate.
He sucked in a breath as the entire universe seemed to stall. She’s our mate? You’re sure about that?
Positive. I knew how you felt for her was unusual for you, but I was so focused on other stuff that I didn’t see why you were getting attached so fast. There’s no doubt in my mind, though. She’s our mate.
Shock filled him as he swallowed hard. Now that he thought about it, it should have been obvious what she was to him. He’d felt so much for her from the very start and gotten attached so fast.
It explained why even though it tore him up to not go after Justin, the need to get her to safety overpowered it. He liked to think he’d do the same for anyone inadvertently caught in the middle, but he literally burned with the need to keep her safe, and he had from the very start.
Shit. He had a mate now.
And how in the hell had he gotten lucky enough for it to be Katia?
“Colt? Are you okay?”
Her voice pulled him back to the present and he blinked with surprise when he realized they were already at her door. She’d opened it and walked inside, holding it for him, and he’d been lost in the shock and wonder of learning she was his mate.
And as he stood there, he couldn’t deny the pure joy at the thought of this beautiful woman as his mate.
Clearing his throat, he nodded as he walked inside. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just realizing something.”
“Realizing what?”
She let the door close as she asked the question, but he didn’t reply. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her into him and kissed her, pouring all the emotions he felt into it.
When he let her go, her gorgeous sky-blue eyes were dazed, and her chest was heaving as she sucked air in. He couldn’t keep his eyes from dropping as he watched the movement, but he finally managed to pull them away, looking up and meeting her gaze.
“What was that for?” she whispered, touching her glistening lips with
her fingers.
“I just wanted to kiss you.”
“Oh. Good reason.”