Page 31 of The Dragon's Surprise
She quirked an eyebrow. “You’re going to keep me prisoner?”
“No, I’ll just call Aunt Rita and she’ll fuss and make a big to-do, and you’ll be waddling out of here by the end of it.”
“Some of us don’t have dragon-shifter metabolisms.”
He stood, put out a hand. “Maybe not, but you can certainly eat more than a granola bar. Come on. I’ll cook whatever you want, even if it’s only eggs and toast.”
She placed her hand in his. “And cheese.”
“Yes, cheese.” He tugged, and she stumbled against him. Kyle quickly wrapped his arms around her, loving the feel of her warm, soft body against his. As he nuzzled her cheek, he said, “Although I’m starting to think dessert for breakfast might be better.”
Her stomach growled, and he leaned back. At the sheepish look on her face, he smiled. “You come first, though. Let me feed you before you faint and then I have to carry you to the clinic.”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t faint. I might be human, but I’m not a porcelain doll, by any means.”
“Of course not. You might have a huge heart, but you’re strong, in so many ways. Especially dealing with so many children wondering about why they’ve been abandoned.”
Her face softened. “It’s the hardest part of my job. But even if it’s difficult, finding a good fit is what makes it all worth it. Like with Ethan. But I think as a doctor, you understand a little something about finding the good among the bad.”
Tracing the curve of her cheek, he replied, “Most of the time, yes.”
And with you as our mate, there would be a lot more good to look forward to, he left unsaid. He wasn’t about to scare Lexi away.
His dragon huffed.Just tell her.
Not yet. Let’s find a solution to her job issues first.
Jobs are one of those human things I’ll never understand.
Ignoring his beast, he kissed Lexi’s cheek, lingering for a second, before stepping back and taking her hand. “Come on. I have to leave in an hour, and I want to make sure you eat properly.”
After he guided his female to the kitchen, she sat down and chatted as he made her breakfast. And as they sat together, he easily envisioned Ethan joining them.
More than ever, Kyle looked forward to the day he could finally make his own family and stop living so alone and isolated.
Chapter Ten
The next week flew by for Lexi as she balanced spending time with Kyle and ensuring Ethan was settling into life on Clan MirrorPeak. As soon as the paperwork was finalized, Ethan could finally live with Kyle full-time. And she couldn’t wait.
She’d also become better friends with Jenny Torres. The woman had answered any question she threw at her about living with the dragon-shifters, such as if it was difficult being the only human, and she’d assured her most of the clan welcomed her. She’d also explained how it really wasn’t that difficult, once she’d learned all the dragon customs, because her sister and brother-in-law visited as much as they could, giving her much-needed “human” time. ADDA was being more lenient about letting humans have their family visit them on the dragon clans, at least in the Tahoe area.
Jenny had also supported Lexi’s dream of having human and dragon children interacting at some sort of event, like in the UK with Clan Stonefire, and was coming up with some ideas, too.
In general, Lexi had been the busiest she’d ever been, and yet the most happy. Almost as if she’d found where she belonged.
Where she hoped she could belong.
Today, however, she needed to focus solely on her job and finish filing her final report on Ethan and Kyle’s adoption. The meeting she had with some ADDA and human social workers later made her nervous, like it always did. They rarely denied the adoptions she supported, and yet, this wasn’t just any adoption—Ethan was her potential stepson.
You’ll do fine. Stop worrying about it and just be your badass usual self.
After a few calming breaths, she approached the school to pick up Ethan. She’d barely entered the front yard when children started rushing out of the building. All ages shared the same school, but the older kids had already gone home and just the elementary kids passed by her. A few waved at her—like Jackson, as well as Jenny’s niece and nephew—but Ethan was nowhere to be found.
Once the last of the kids walked past her, she entered the building and found Ethan’s classroom. Inside, Mr. Forrest sat at his desk, shuffling papers. When he glanced up, his pupils flashed as he smiled. “Ah, Lexi! Have you come for another report? Ethan’s been doing wonderfully well, thankfully.”
“I’m glad to hear that, but I actually came to pick up Ethan. Is he meeting with some of the other teachers for extra lessons?”
Mr. Forrest frowned. “No. The boy was called to the front office earlier. I thought you’d come to pick him up?”
