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Petra broke her own rules when she spent a steamy afternoon with the smokin’ hot personal chef to the leader of their dragon colony. Now she’s two thousand miles away from home and can’t figure out how to tell Noah he’s a dad.
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“How much longer?” she asked.
“Impatient much?”
She snorted. “I get that a lot.”
He raised his eyebrows again.
“Well, not a lot. Actually, not often at all, unfortunately.”
“I’m not quite following your train of thought.”
She watched the wine swirling in her glass. “I’m talking about sex,” she blurted.
“You’re impatient during sex?”
Well, at least he wasn’t laughing at her. “Sometimes. But, you know, sometimes I just want to reach the finish line. Get it over with.”
“It sounds like sometimes you aren’t having sex with the right guy.”
Her dragon whispered, Is he offering to be the right guy?
Noah shook his head. “I’m definitely not the right guy.”
“Oh shit, did I say that out loud?”
He chuckled and scooped brown rice into a bowl then added steaming vegetables and chicken before sliding it across the counter toward her. “Lunch is served.”
“Are you going to eat with me?” At least she’d managed to use “with” in that sentence.
“You eat. I need to clean up the kitchen before Gabe and Talia come down.”
Since she didn’t want to see Gabe again and she didn’t want to deal with the awkwardness that had fallen over her and Talia’s friendship, she hurriedly ate so she could get the hell out of there before they arrived.
“Damn, you were hungry, huh?”
Petra glanced down at the empty bowl. “Guess so. Well, it’s been a little bit fun and a lot weird talking to you, Noah, but I better get going.”
He draped the towel he’d been using to dry dishes over the knob on a nearby drawer and said, “Where to? I’m done until dinner.”
She stared at him. “Are you suggesting we, um, go on a date?”
He shook his head and motioned at the screen door. “I’m suggesting I’ll walk you to your destination. Whether that’s your car or your house or whatever.”
“I was actually going to take a stroll around the lake.”
“Okay, well, do you want company?”
Not really. “Sure.”
He held open the door, and they were silent as they headed across the yard toward the lake, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was peaceful. Pleasant.
“Why are you so quiet all the time?” she asked. Apparently she didn’t like peaceful and pleasant.
He shrugged with his hands stuffed into his pockets. “Not much to say.”
“Everybody has something to say.”
“Not much anyone else cares to hear then.”
“Try me.”
They’d reached the lake and began walking the perimeter, heading toward the woods on the other side. The schoolhouse was to their right. The kids were outside, a handful running around, playing what looked like a game of tag, while the rest climbed monkey bars and soared high on the swings or tossed basketballs at hoops that had been set up on the west side of the stone building.
It’s been far too long since I’ve been carefree and happy.
She glanced sideways at Noah. Petra didn’t have a lot of experience with dating, for a couple of reasons, but mostly because she’d avoided it in favor of focusing on learning everything she could about the reeve’s responsibilities. She’d always assumed she’d get the position when Uncle Blake died, and then, once she was settled in the role, she’d start looking for a mate.
Yeah, that’s clearly not going to happen now.
“It’s to avoid getting hurt,” Noah said.
“Huh? I mean, sorry, what?”
“The reason I don’t talk much.”
“Oh,” Petra said, nodding. “Of course it is. Love sucks. There are tons of songs about it, books dedicated to it, poetry dripping with it.”
“Pragmatic much?”
She shrugged. “It’s the truth. Better to focus on sex without emotions.”
“You pointed out earlier that you weren’t happy with your sex partners.”
“Not all of them. Some of them have been good.”
“But not great?”
“Are we seriously having this conversation? I admit, I figured if you ever started talking this much, it would be about food.”
He grinned. The way it transformed his face took her breath away. The man was beautiful while he worked, and downright gorgeous when he was laidback and relaxed.
“Food and sex are definitely compatible,” he said.
“Impatient much?”
She snorted. “I get that a lot.”
He raised his eyebrows again.
“Well, not a lot. Actually, not often at all, unfortunately.”
“I’m not quite following your train of thought.”
She watched the wine swirling in her glass. “I’m talking about sex,” she blurted.
“You’re impatient during sex?”
Well, at least he wasn’t laughing at her. “Sometimes. But, you know, sometimes I just want to reach the finish line. Get it over with.”
“It sounds like sometimes you aren’t having sex with the right guy.”
Her dragon whispered, Is he offering to be the right guy?
Noah shook his head. “I’m definitely not the right guy.”
“Oh shit, did I say that out loud?”
He chuckled and scooped brown rice into a bowl then added steaming vegetables and chicken before sliding it across the counter toward her. “Lunch is served.”
“Are you going to eat with me?” At least she’d managed to use “with” in that sentence.
“You eat. I need to clean up the kitchen before Gabe and Talia come down.”
Since she didn’t want to see Gabe again and she didn’t want to deal with the awkwardness that had fallen over her and Talia’s friendship, she hurriedly ate so she could get the hell out of there before they arrived.
“Damn, you were hungry, huh?”
Petra glanced down at the empty bowl. “Guess so. Well, it’s been a little bit fun and a lot weird talking to you, Noah, but I better get going.”
He draped the towel he’d been using to dry dishes over the knob on a nearby drawer and said, “Where to? I’m done until dinner.”
She stared at him. “Are you suggesting we, um, go on a date?”
He shook his head and motioned at the screen door. “I’m suggesting I’ll walk you to your destination. Whether that’s your car or your house or whatever.”
“I was actually going to take a stroll around the lake.”
“Okay, well, do you want company?”
Not really. “Sure.”
He held open the door, and they were silent as they headed across the yard toward the lake, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was peaceful. Pleasant.
“Why are you so quiet all the time?” she asked. Apparently she didn’t like peaceful and pleasant.
He shrugged with his hands stuffed into his pockets. “Not much to say.”
“Everybody has something to say.”
“Not much anyone else cares to hear then.”
“Try me.”
They’d reached the lake and began walking the perimeter, heading toward the woods on the other side. The schoolhouse was to their right. The kids were outside, a handful running around, playing what looked like a game of tag, while the rest climbed monkey bars and soared high on the swings or tossed basketballs at hoops that had been set up on the west side of the stone building.
It’s been far too long since I’ve been carefree and happy.
She glanced sideways at Noah. Petra didn’t have a lot of experience with dating, for a couple of reasons, but mostly because she’d avoided it in favor of focusing on learning everything she could about the reeve’s responsibilities. She’d always assumed she’d get the position when Uncle Blake died, and then, once she was settled in the role, she’d start looking for a mate.
Yeah, that’s clearly not going to happen now.
“It’s to avoid getting hurt,” Noah said.
“Huh? I mean, sorry, what?”
“The reason I don’t talk much.”
“Oh,” Petra said, nodding. “Of course it is. Love sucks. There are tons of songs about it, books dedicated to it, poetry dripping with it.”
“Pragmatic much?”
She shrugged. “It’s the truth. Better to focus on sex without emotions.”
“You pointed out earlier that you weren’t happy with your sex partners.”
“Not all of them. Some of them have been good.”
“But not great?”
“Are we seriously having this conversation? I admit, I figured if you ever started talking this much, it would be about food.”
He grinned. The way it transformed his face took her breath away. The man was beautiful while he worked, and downright gorgeous when he was laidback and relaxed.
“Food and sex are definitely compatible,” he said.