Page 34 of The Virgin's Chosen Dragon

“I think I’ll join Eden, if you don’t mind,” Theo said, helping Eden to her feet. “You two can sort it out without us.”

“Thank you for breakfast, I’m sorry if we upset you,” she said. “I know how important this resort is to you, and for what it’s worth, this has been the best vacation I’ve ever beenon. I’m not sure there’s anything that could top it, so don’t feel bad, it’s not as big of a disaster as you think it is.”

“You know where to find us when you’re ready to admit we’re telling the truth,” Theo said, taking her hand. “In the meantime, we’re going to take a nice long nap. Hopefully, we’ll see you for dinner tonight.”

They headed back toward the village, and she realized they hadn’t talked about what came next. “What do we do now?” she asked, looking over at him.

“One of us has to move,” he said, grinning at her. “I’m not spending another night without you.”

She stopped and looked over at him. “I just realized that I don’t even know where you live,” she said. “Please tell me that you don’t live with your parents in a great big mansion.”

Theo started laughing. “Sweetheart, I wasn’t talking that far in the future,” he said, then became serious. “I have my own apartment in New York. I haven’t lived with my parents since I left for college, but they do have a ridiculously big house- up state.”

A blush crept up her cheeks. “Sorry, I guess I jumped ahead,” she said, looking down at the ground. “You just meant while we’re here.”

Theo reached down and tipped her chin up. “No, I meant forever,” he said. “But we have plenty of time to figure out where we want to live, all summer if we want.”

CHAPTER 20

***THEO***

Eden was standing in front of the mirror in the bedroom when he came out of the bathroom, a thoughtful look on her face. “A penny for your thoughts,” he said, wrapping his arms around her from behind. “You look very serious.”

She looked up at him over her shoulder, then back into the mirror. “I was just thinking about how much things have changed,” she said. “Just a few days ago, I was thrilled just to be wearing some new clothes. I feel so different from that person, like I’ve changed so much that she’s just a memory.”

“Well, you have changed, we both have,” he said. “We know what’s important now, and it has nothing to do with material things.”

She turned in his arms. “I’m going to have to stand up to my mother, Theo,” she said. “I’m not going to medical school; I want to get my teaching degree, and I don’t care what it takes; I’m going to get it. If the last three days have proven anything to me, it’s that I’m capable of far more than I gave myself credit for. I’ll get a job, I’ll work overtime to payfor it, but I’m going to teach. It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do.”

“I’ll be right there backing you up,” he said. “We’re a team now, Eden, what’s good for you is good for me. I have more than enough money to support both of us, but if you want to get a job to help pay for school, I won’t stop you. I just want you to be happy.”

She looked up at him. “I think getting a job while I’m getting my teaching certificate would make me happy,” she said, smiling up at him. “As silly as that might sound to you, I want some independence. I don’t want to go from being completely dependent on my parents to being completely dependent on you.”

“That’s not silly. In fact, I think it’s a good idea,” he said. “There’s a lot of the world, both good and bad, that you haven’t explored, but I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

“I’m counting on it,” she said, hugging him. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he said, then pulled back and looked down at her. “I might just have to show you how much before Barbie gets here and you two kick me out.”

“Hmmm……. we don’t have much time,” she said, her hands already beginning to roam. “Is the front door closed?”

He picked her up and threw her onto the bed. “I can work quickly when I have to,” he said, sliding her dress up her legs and stripping off her panties. “We won’t even have to shut the door.”

True to his word, they were both straightening their clothes when Barbie knocked on the open door, and Eden answered it, still a little flushed from their lovemaking. Barbie took one look at her, then looked over at him. A smile slowly spread across her face, and she rushed over to Eden. After giving her a big hug, she stepped back, a pleased look on her face, then looked over at him.

“Well, I guess I should be going,” he said. “I’m sure you two have a lot to talk about.”

He could hear them laughing before he even made it to the bottom of the ladder, and the smile that spread across his face lasted until he walked into the village. Everyone turned to stare at him as he came off the trail; there were even a few whispers, and he knew that their story hadn’t remained a secret. He wondered who had blabbed, but then he remembered the raft washed up on the shore and realized that it was inevitable that the story would get around.

He spotted Max on the other side of the village talking to a small group of his employees, but when Max saw him, he sent them on their way and started walking toward him. It was impossible to read the look on his friend’s face and he wondered for a second if their friendship was over, but then Max held out his hand.

“I’m afraid I owe you an apology,” he said. “I should have believed you; it was just……”

“Bizarre,” he supplied. “Yeah, tell me about it, we lived through it.”

Max relaxed, “To be honest, I still don’t know what to think about the whole thing,” he said, shaking his head. “And I’m already sick of hearing Mateo gloating about being right. I keep telling myself that this is a one-time thing, that nothing like this will ever happen again.”

“Well, in case you missed it, this wasn’t exactly a bad thing that happened to us,” he said. “I still don’t know what I want to do with my life, but I do know that I want Eden right by my side.”

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