“I’m a dragon,” I said, trying to catch my breath. He was so close; part of me wanted to pull away, though my back was still against the door and there was nowhere to go except through Riley. The other half wanted to step closer, to press my body against his until our combined heat became an inferno. “I’m supposed to set things on fire. What’s the point in lighting a candle if you’re going to hide it away so it doesn’t help anything?” His brows arched, and I grinned. “Ha, see? I can be philosophical, too.”

Riley’s smile turned grim. “Just be careful that the people around you don’t get singed,” he said in a low voice. “Or that you don’t burn too hot, too quickly. The brightest flames are usually the ones that are extinguished first.” His eyes went dark for a moment. “I know what I’m talking about, Ember. I’ve seen it before. I don’t want that to happen to you.”

“It won’t,” I promised.

He paused, as if he wanted to say something more but thought better of it. For a moment, we stared at each other, both our dragons very close to the surface. Riley’s fingers still gripped my arms; I could feel the heat of his body as he stood there, gazing down at me.

Wes cleared his throat, very loudly, from the corner.

Riley blinked, as if just realizing where he was, what he was doing, and let me go. Disappointment rose up, but what surprised me was the fact that I didn’t know whose it was, mine or the dragon’s.

“It’s been a long day. Get some rest.” Riley didn’t look at me again as he turned and walked toward Wes. For a second, I had the crazy urge to grab him and pull him back, but he stepped out of my reach and the moment was lost. “Go watch TV, or download a movie or something. Order room service if you want. We’re not going to be doing anything tonight.”

I wrinkled my nose at his back. “How long are we going to be staying here?”

“Until I figure out what’s going on with the Order.” Riley reached the back of Wes’s seat and peered at the screen over his shoulder. “And when I decide that it’s safe to move out,” he added. “Until then, we sit tight. Stay in your room. Don’t go down to the casino floor. There are cameras everywhere and according to my contact, St. George is on the warpath and Talon is pretty pissed, too. It’s a good idea to lie as low as we can right now. Think you can do that, Firebrand?”