Page 51 of The Accidental Dragon Baby

“Shh. Just take the compliment.” Ace nudged Ivo’s mouth shut and smiled.

Mary chattered then, all tiny and black-furred. Before Ivo could kiss her, she shifted back into a human baby, grabbing his nose.

“Aww, how adorable.” Ace lowered his face to her level.

She sneezed on him immediately.

Ivo winced, but Ace only beamed. “Aren’t you the most perfect little girl?”

He seemed to like her a lot, so Ivo lifted her up. “You may carry her for a while.”

Ace breathed in sharply. He looked at Ivo again before carefully taking Mary into his arms, his eyes wide with awe. “Hi there. My name is Ace. You’re an incredible little girl. Can you say ‘Ace’?”

Mary wriggled and kicked. “Ah!”

“I like babies too,” Ace told her. “Do you like stuffed toys? May I buy you some?”

Mary stuffed her fingers into her mouth and made more sounds.

“Yes, we’ll definitely get you the cat toy, but I think you should also reconsider the killer whales,” Ace said.

Ivo squinted when Mary grunted around her fist. “You can’t be having an actual conversation with her.”

“Great, I’m glad you agreed to the orca,” Ace said to Mary, his mouth curving in a rakish smile.

Mary pulled her spit-covered hand out of her mouth and stuffed her fingers into Ace’s nose. Ace made a choked sound, flinching back.

Mary giggled.

“I think that’s her way of getting you back for making up conversations,” Ivo said, trying to bite down his smile.

“Oh well.” Ace laughed and rocked her in his arms. He peeked at Ivo, then lifted Mary to blow a raspberry on her stomach. Mary shrieked and giggled.

Ivo couldn’t help smiling. “I think you’re winning points with her.”

“Good.” Ace puffed out his chest.

Ivo almost asked if Ace was going to steal her again, except he remembered the way Ace had said,I’d put more babies inside you.

He shivered.

As though Ace could sense what Ivo had just thought, he looked up.

Ivo gulped and dropped his gaze.

Some minutes later, Mary began to squirm and reach for Ivo. Ace handed her back and stood up. “There’s something else I want to show you.”

He crouched in front of the fireplace, stoking the dying flames. Then he opened a cabinet to the side and pulled out a gold-streaked log.

Ivo inhaled sharply. Every few years, his parents would splurge and buy a Yule log. When Yuletide rolled around, they would all sit in front of the fireplace to watch the log crackle and burn.

Those logs were expensive, though. Ivo had tried asking for one for his birthday, only for Mom to tell him that his Yule log would cost him three years’ worth of birthday presents. Ivo had agreed. It had been completely worth getting homemade apple pies as presents for his next two birthdays.

“Is this a special occasion?” Ivo asked.

Ace smiled over his shoulder. “You’re in my lair with me. I think that is special.”

He set the Yule log in the fireplace, rocking back on his heels as flames crept around the log and consumed it. The flames turneda deep crimson; the log’s gold streaks burned even brighter. Then it cracked and sent out a shower of golden sparks, followed by a low whistle.

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