Page 31 of The Accidental Dragon Baby

The last thing Ivo saw, was Ace laying out some blankets in his own twig nest. Ace shed some of his clothes. Then he climbed into the nest, and pulled a blanket over himself.

“What kind of shifter is she?” Ace asked from across the creek.

“She’s a mmmm...”

Ivo fell asleep, missing Ace’s thoughtful gaze on him.

9

THE MORNING AFTER

Ivo woke in a warm,cozy cocoon, although his head felt chilly and there was a crick in his neck.

“Slept well?” someone rumbled.

Ivo yelped and flailed, looking around for the source of that voice.

He found Ace nearby with the scythe, cutting down more tall grass.

Had Ace been there the entire time? Had he been watching Ivo sleep? Ivo groaned and pulled the blanket over his head, only to remember Ace tucking him and Mary into bed last night.

A plastic bottle crinkled next to him. When he looked down, he found his phone fully charged, plugged into a power bank.

Ace had done all of that. He’d touched Ivo last night, made him come so many times that Ivo had fallen straight asleep. Hell, Ivo hadn’t even stayed awake to return the favor.

He groaned, scrubbing his face. “Last night—”

“Was last night good for you?”

A hot blush stained Ivo’s cheeks. “You didn’t—” He glanced at Ace’s hips. “I should’ve helped.”

“I took care of it.” Ace grinned. “That wasn’t why I did all that with you. I just wanted you to feel good.”

Ivo blinked rapidly. “But when? I didn’t see you...”

“Before bed. Out of sight.” Ace gestured at a clump of bushes further away, still smiling. “It was enough that you were squirming under me.”

Ivo buried his face in his hands, his ears burning. He would’ve asked what Ace had fantasized about to get himself off, except Mary had squirmed onto his chest, and she was nursing from him.

“You never did answer me,” Ace said, watching him intently. “Why shouldn’t Mary shift in front of me?”

Crap! I said that?Ivo froze, trying not to panic. “She, um. She’s a dragon!”

Ace raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You know I’m a dragon. You rode on me.”

That had been last week. Ivo didn’t remember much of the ride—at the kidnappers’ hideout, Ivo had tripped and smacked his head against a concrete wall. Ace had flown him and Mary to the hospital, and Ivo had spent the flight sitting on one of Ace’s dragon feet, Mary wrapped in his arms.

The ER doctor had diagnosed Ivo with a concussion. He’d ended up staying for a day; the nurses had told him that his savior hadwaited outside his room the entire time, but Ace never stepped in.

When Ivo was finally discharged, he’d found out that his hospital bills had been taken care of, and Ace had disappeared.

He opened his mouth, trying to think of a reply.

Ace quirked his eyebrows. “You liked riding on me.”

“Oh, gods.” Ivo hid his face in the blanket.

“What else does she shift into, Ivo? What doyoushift into?” Ace asked quietly. “I should know, in case the kidnappers try something again.”

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