Page 49 of The Dragon's Mate Proposal

“You don’t have to apologize,” I said pointlessly, throwing my hands up in frustration.

A cold bucket of mental water washed over me as I got dressed, feeling thoroughly unwanted and unsexy.

It couldn’t have been the comment about alcohol that changed his mood. Cade knew I hadn’t had that much to drink. He had to know otherwise. Which meant he didn’t believe it.

He was just looking for an excuse. An out, and the drinks had been it.

I caught myself in the bathroom mirror.

Well, there’s his excuse, I said to the soft, uninspiring figure that stared back at me.

Of course, someone like him would want a woman who matched. Trim and toned, with high, happy boobs and a butt that popped, or whatever the current term was.

Nothing I could offer.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Samantha

I woke in the morning with a headache and feeling like shit.

“Oooh,” I moaned as I tried to move. “That’s a bad idea.”

Behind my closed eyes, I gave thanks that, although I didn’t feel well, there was no accompanying nausea. Just a general crummy feeling.

There was no accompanying sound from the rest of the room.

“Cade?” I called, only to be greeted with silence.

Cracking open one eyelid—which I immediately regretted as more light streamed in and assaulted my brain—I looked around the room.

It was empty.

I tried to piece together what had happened. One moment, I was in the bathroom, feeling sad about myself, and the next …

Maybe I was drunker than I thought.

A key turned in the lock. I snatched up the blankets to cover myself—although I was still wearing my t-shirt—just as Cade walked through.

“You’re alive,” he observed.

“I’m awake,” I countered. “Let’s not confuse the two.”

He laughed. “If you can make jokes, you’re alive.”

I stared at him, only just realizing he had drinks and food in a paper bag.

“Coffee?” I croaked.

“Of course.” He didn’t hold back with his smile.

“God, I think I love you,” I muttered as he came to the side of the bed and set one of the ceramic mugs down on the table next to me.

At my words, he stiffened and glanced over at me.

I was already stammering. “Uh, that’s not, not like that …”

Cade just smiled again and tilted his head at the mug.

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