Chapter 9
Feeling a little cranky this morning—hello, sexual frustration—Keva stepped outside onto her back porch. Frowning when she saw a small brown paper bag, she bent to pick it up. Then she nearly yelped when Dagen materialized from nowhere, a huge freaking dragon just chilling in her backyard. He hadn’t been kidding about keeping guard overnight. She wasn’t worried anyone would see him, considering where she lived, but seeing him in this form was startling.
And he was absolutely beautiful. His wings were a waterfall of colors, mostly blue and silver, with subtle lavender undertones, creating a visual feast. His body was more silver than anything, his scales glittering, and the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. God, she wanted to see him in the air, soaring.
She stared for a long moment, drinking in all of his beautiful colors. “Will you stretch out your wings?” she whispered.
She was pretty sure he could understand her when he was in dragon form, and as he let out a little huff of breath and did as she asked, she grinned. Holy crap, he was stunning.
“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” There was no way to deny his beauty, his raw power.
He let out another little huff and flapped his wings a couple times, fanning her with a gentle breeze. Then he stood up and strutted around the yard, as if he was actually showing off for her.
Still watching, she sat down on the porch and reached for the bag. Later she would sketch him, but she was starving and she didn’t want to pause and go grab a pad and pencil. She quickly peeked inside the bag and let out a little moan when she saw tons of pastries, including cannolis, her favorite. Someone must have dropped it off because she didn’t think Dagen would have left her to go get them.
She put the bag down and looked at him again. He was now just sitting there, watching her, his dragon eyes the same shades of blue and silver. And even though he was an apex predator and pretty much at the top of the food chain, she didn’t feel threatened. Still, it was a little disconcerting to be staring at a freaking dragon in her backyard. “Did you bring these?”
He shook his head.
“I’m going to grab some plates and coffee for us. I’ll be right back.” She hurried inside and grabbed everything, putting it on a tray. At the last minute she grabbed an apron. He would have to shift back to human form to eat and drink and she doubted he wanted to sit there in the buff. She wouldn’t mind seeing him, but she had a feeling she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on her food if he was completely naked. It had been hard enough last night in the kitchen when he’d just been shirtless.
By the time she stepped outside, all she saw was a shimmer of light and sparks filling the air and then he was standing there in human form. Every gorgeous inch of him. And he was so very naked.
Averting her gaze, she set the tray down on the ground by the short set of stairs. She didn’t have any furniture out here and made a mental note to remedy that. The spring weather was gorgeous, with the sun barely up and a light breeze rolling over them. Without looking at him, she held out the apron. “This should cover your junk.”
He laughed so loudly she felt it straight to her bones. It was adorable and infectious. And when she turned back, he’d already slipped the apron that said kiss the chef over his body. He was so much taller than her—and bigger—that the end barely covered the important stuff but thankfully it did.
“Shifters aren’t shy about nudity,” he said, sitting down at the top of the stairs.
“Yeah, I’ve gathered that. Who brought breakfast?”
“Arya. She wanted to check on you.”
“Really?”
“Yes. She’s Conall’s mother, which I think you already know. And she’s sort of like a mother to the whole clan. Well, she and her sister Alma are. She checks on anyone she cares about.”
That was sweet. “Arya’s mated, right?”
“Yes.”
“Have you and she ever…” Keva felt weird asking, but at this point, she wasn’t holding anything back.
He frowned as he dug into the bag and then froze. “What? No! No, never. Dragon shifters mate for life. They don’t cheat. Ever.”
He said it with such intensity, she believed him. “I wasn’t trying to insult you—or her. I just saw the way she was with you outside my store that one day. And you guys seemed so close.”
“Shifters are big on touch in general. I’ve never slept with anyone in our clan. And for the record, I haven’t had many bed partners.”
After what he’d told her, she understood and felt bad for even asking him about Arya now. “I wouldn’t care if you had. And if we’re being honest, I haven’t been with anyone since…” She didn’t even want to say his name. The thought of making herself vulnerable to anyone—it had been too hard. She hadn’t been in a relationship since Randall, and one-night stands were definitely out of the question. She wasn’t going to let herself be vulnerable with a stranger.
Dagen was silent for a moment as he pulled the cannolis out and put them on a plate for her. “I just want you to know that even with everything going on, my attraction to you has not changed. I know I said I could be just friends. And I do want to be friends. But I want more. I don’t want to lie to you about it.” He watched her carefully as he spoke, truth in every single word.
She let out a sigh. She wasn’t sure how to respond to that because she wasn’t even sure what she wanted anymore. Before him, she’d been so certain. “Look, I don’t know what I’m capable of, relationship-wise. And I don’t want to lead you on. Right now I’m offering what I can. And that is my friendship.”
“Okay.” Smiling, he handed her the plate.
Okay, then. She’d thought he might push and was glad when he didn’t. It was definitely time for a subject change. “Oh, the baby shower is this afternoon. Am I still able to go?”
“Of course. I’ll escort you there. You’ll be safer on dragon territory anyway. And if I thought you would do it, I’d suggest living on our land for a while, but—”
She was already shaking her head. “I’m not leaving my house. My workshop is here. Everything I own is here. I can’t let a few wolves take that from me.”
“I figured you’d say no. But the offer is there.”
This dragon was seriously wonderful. She wondered how the heck she was going to resist him if they kept spending time together.