Lavinia checked over her work, confident she'd captured everything correctly, and then met Max's gaze. "It's a map, isn't it? And given the name and marker of Calleva Atrebatum here." She touched her sketch where the Roman ruins sat. "And Londinium here." Another tap of her finger. "I think Dragon's Court must be in Hampshire, probably not too far from Clan Skyhunter."
Max took the sketch and then brought up some maps on his phone. "I can pinpoint better with a laptop, but I think it might be in North Wessex Downs."
"Which means it's likely to be undisturbed."
That had always been a fear—that Dragon's Court would be buried beneath someone's back garden or even a house. Or, worse, under some car park or city center, meaning it'd been partially or fully destroyed and lost for all time.
However, a large part of the Downs were protected and undeveloped, which gave them a greater chance of being able to find and start excavating quickly.
She gestured toward her notebook. "We need to get back and try to better pinpoint its location. Who knows how long the DDA will take to grant permits to dig, and I want to put things in motion straight away."
Max tucked the phone back into his pocket and her small notebook into her coat. "Me, too. But first…"
He kissed her, hauling her against his body, and slowly devoured her mouth—a lick here, a nibble there, and a hot tangle of tongues. By the time he broke the kiss, Lavinia struggled to breathe and wanted to hurry to the car, rip off all their clothes, and fuck him senseless.
Her dragon hummed.Yes, yes, I like that idea.
Max cupped her cheek. "Come on. Because the sooner we finalize the coordinates and get permission to visit and confirm the find with the DDA, the sooner I can worship your body like Iwant to." He caressed her cheek, and she leaned into the touch. "No rushing this time, unlike with the frenzy. Because once I'm done with you, Lavinia Walker, you'll know how much I want you."
It wasn't exactly a declaration of love or anything formal, but she didn't care. They still had time, especially if Lavinia's visa was extended because of their discovery.
Then she could convince Max to give them a chance.
Her dragon asked,So now you want him forever?
I do. It hasn't been long, I know. And I should be cautious. And yet, everything I know about this male, plus how he's treated us, tells me he's far more honorable than our father ever was. Even if it somehow doesn't work out in the end, I want to try.
Because you want him.
Yes.
Me too.
Having her dragon on her side would make things easier, for certain.
She kissed Max briefly and pulled away. "Then come on. I'm cold, and I'd rather find other ways to warm up."
She purposefully strode and swayed her hips, knowing Max would watch.
With a growl, he followed her, and she smiled.
Chapter Ten
Only because of Max's former training to contain emotions, combined with the knowledge Lavinia might have to leave England if the DDA thought they weren't making progress, did he manage to keep his hands from ripping off Lavinia's clothes, pinning her to the bed, and making love to her in such a way she'd never forget it.
A way that might hint at his feelings for her.
Because scrambling to record the map, deciphering it, and then celebrating by kissing her had been some of the best moments of his life.
Ones he wanted to repeat over and over again. With her.
To make that a reality, he needed to do some boring research and paperwork instead of taking his dragon lady to bed.
To be fair, the time passed quickly with Lavinia's help. It wasn't long until they had the exact coordinates—in the Hampshire section of North Wessex Downs—and he could send a brief note to their DDA contact, requesting the necessary paperwork to explore and do some preliminary searching for the ruins.
But as soon as they finished, Max hauled Lavinia into his lap and threaded the fingers of one hand through her hair. "Are you too tired? Or hungry? Or just need to sleep? Tell me now, because if not, I'm going to ravish you properly, Dr. Walker."
She laughed. "Using my title sounds a little dirty, Dr. Holbrook." She ran her hand along his shoulder, his arm, and across his chest. "But I'm fine. I want to celebrate and see if you live up to your promise."