Page 69 of Never Feed a Dragon

“How much would they pay me?” I checked.

“Depends how good you are.”

I flashed him a look. “I’m the best.”

“Then you could ask for however much you want. It’s been a long time since we’ve had someone who actually tries to make new food.”

“Why didn’t you just hire a chef?”

He gave me a look.

Right.

Brynn wasn’t even allowed at Mate Mountain, and she was their sister. Male dragons and their mates only.

“Well, I’m not going to complain,” I said. “Maybe I’ll even thank you for surprising me with a mate bond if it pans out.”

He laughed. “That’d be the day.”

“I know.”

“You should learn how to make that one meal we had in Switzerland. I think it was…”

“It’s already on my list,” I said.

“I need to see this list.”

I pulled up the note full of new recipes to try, and handed him my phone. Up until a year earlier, I’d kept up with the list, adding and trying new things constantly. That was when Randa was still at the apartment to appreciate them with me, though.

Cooking for myself seemed a little pointless, so I hadn’t experimented since then.

“Do you care if I add a few things?” Eli asked.

“Knock yourself out. I’ll add them to the rotation. And I’ll probably want to make dinner most of the time, just for the record.”

“That’s all yours. If you ever don’t want to, just tell me, and we can order in. Or go to the dining hall if we’re in Mate Mountain.”

I agreed, and he started scrolling through my list. The scrolling launched a long discussion about why I wanted to try those things, which led into another conversation. That one required me pulling out my recipe book, which was both digital and physical, and letting him flip through the pages.

The cupcakes were long-since done, but he was barely a quarter of the way through the book when we heard wind rushing outside, followed by an impatient knock at the front door.

Eli gave me a knowing look.

It had to be Randa.

“Come in!” I called out.

She tried the door, but it didn’t open.

I lifted an eyebrow at Eli. “I thought you didn’t lock doors.”

“For you, I do.” He winked, and I rolled my eyes.

The door’s keypad beeped as it unlocked, and Randa swung it open a moment later.

Her eyes lit up when they landed on me. “I haven’t seen you in forever! You look so good!”

I thanked her and tossed my hair playfully as she and Jasper walked into the kitchen hand-in-hand. Neither of them was in a hurry. Randa wasn’t really one for hurrying. Ever.

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