Page 74 of The Dragon at the End of This Pregnancy

"So do I," Punky said. "Last time, you left bruises."

"Hush," Lark said. "That was months ago."

Tuft grinned up at me before passing me off to the rest of our friends for hugs. As we greeted everyone, I noticed Clementine had already grabbed both of Opal's hands in greeting. They danced and squealed the same way they had when Lark had brought Clementine to meet her earlier in the week. Then, they motioned for Slate to follow them to a group of kids kicking a large red ball between them.

"Come on! I want you to meet everyone. This is Grover, Ernie, and Robin, my brothers. You know Sunny. Briar and Rory are his brothers."

Punky nodded after them as they scampered back to the ball and formed a circle to play. "We're having a sleepover in the living room tonight. Clementine's idea."

We were taking Punky and Lark up on their offer to babysit for the rest of the day and tonight. They'd invited us to have breakfast with them at their cabin the following morning, and then we would return home when they left for school, the adults to teach and the children to learn.

It wouldn't be long before we would send Opal with them to class, but I wanted to keep her home one more week. Tonight was a test to see how well she did with Slate as her only dragon companion. My paragon was certain her bond with Rapture would protect her, but I didn't want to trust my daughter's life to the little dragonet without testing first.

Tonight was our first test. It was also the first night Mac and I could enjoy each other's company, alone.

When it was time for us to leave them, I felt useful again, if only as a means of transport. I shifted to dragon form and took Mac home. It felt like the old days until I shifted back into my alpha kobold form.

I worried our time alone would devolve to the awkward dance we'd done around each other before our trip to Earth, but Mac surprised me by pulling me in for a kiss in the entryway.

"I've missed you."

"I'm here." I wanted to remind him I'd been here the whole time, but I knew what he meant. Parenting took a lot out of us, and we didn't have much left in reserve for each other. That was about to change tonight.

"I love your horns." Mac straightened my shock of hair, so my horns contained it, and then he gripped both with his hands. The sensation grounded me as only Mac could. I thrust against him on instinct, and he kissed me again.

"Gods, I love you," I whispered against his lips.

He laughed and stepped toward our bedroom. Though our doorway was closest to the entrance, it was still too far away.

It was quiet. Too quiet without the children. I stumbled, but Mac caught me and grabbed my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.

"They're safe with our friends," he reminded me.

"Can you finally read my mind?"

"If you were paying attention," Mac chided, "you would know we were thinking the same thing."

"No more distractions," I promised.

"Take me to bed," he said. "Show me why dragons make the best mates."

"It's my knot, isn't it?"

Mac laughed and latched onto my hands, prying them from his hips and leading me to our bedroom. "It's everything."

In the middle of our bed lay two forgotten items from our trip to Earth. My derby hat sat next to the firm silicone cup for my cock and ovipositor. I frowned at Mac. "What's all this?"

Mac shed his clothes and kneeled on the bed, with his ass up, showing me a purple base spreading his hole wide. The color indicated the thickest plug of the three he'd bought at the sex shop.

"I've been using the plugs to stretch," he said. "I want you to insert both your cock and ovipositor in my hole tonight, and I want you to wear your sexy derby hat while you drive us both out of our minds."

The saying didn't make much sense to me. I didn't know how to drive, for one, and no one wanted to be out of their mind, unless … "Do you mean you want me to make passionate love to you until you pass out?"

Mac swayed from side to side, making the plug wiggle. "Gods, yes. Please."

I dropped to my knees behind him and spelled my clothes back to the wash pile in one motion. Mac swayed his hips again. I followed with my tongue, lapping at his rim where it sealed against the silicone.

Mac wriggled and moaned as I worked the plug out of him, continuing to lick his rim as it tightened around the widest part of the plug. Then, the plug was loose, and I removed it to continue what I'd started, getting Mac wet and sloppy for me.

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