Page 77 of Seducing the Dragon
As she lay on Bram’s chest, listening to his heartbeat and Murray’s soft snores, Evie realized how much both of the males in her life had come to mean to her in such a short time. She hugged Bram close and the thought of never sleeping in her dragonman’s arms brought tears to her eyes.
Blinking them back, she nuzzled into Bram’s chest.Silly pregnancy hormones.Still, the emotions were true. Bram was her partner in both love and in life. As his warm, rough hands caressed her back, Evie decided she needed to tell him how she felt. Sure, she had no idea if he felt the same or not. After all, they’d only been together about a month. By most standards, that was too fast, but Evie and Bram had never been an ordinary couple.
Still, she wasn’t one to back down. Taking a deep breath, Evie propped herself up on her elbows and met her mate’s gaze.Damn the man.The bastard’s eyes were smug.
She still loved him anyway.
Bram patted her arse. “You came close to winning this round, love.”
“You didn’t make me wake the baby, so it’s a tie.”
He grinned and squeezed her arse cheek. “Will everything be a competition with you?”
Poking his chest, she said, “Well, someone has to keep your ego in check. No one else will bloody do it, except for maybe Finn.”
Her dragonman growled. “I don’t like you mentioning his name in my bed.”
She rolled her eyes. “So I guess this means the alpha caveman is here to stay?”
“It’s alpha dragonman, and yes.” He hugged her tightly. “And as much as I’d like to go another round and win, Melanie will be here soon to collect you. I wouldn’t want to face her ire, so I’d get up if I were you.”
Her heart thumped in her chest.This was it.She could leave the bed and tell him she loved him later. It would be safer to make sure Bram felt the same way as her. But a small part of her urged her to keep going. It would only take one dragon hunter raid to steal the love of her life away from her. The thought of him never knowing her true feelings gave her the courage she needed.
Running her hand through the patch of dark hair on his chest, Evie said, “I love you, Bram Moore-Llewellyn.”
The one second Bram remained silent seemed like an eternity. Then he grinned and cupped her cheek. “I was wondering how long it’d take for you to tell me with words what I’ve known for weeks with your expressions.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “You’re everything I never knew I needed. I love you, Evie Marie.”
“So you’ve loved me all this time and never said anything?”
He squeezed her waist. “Bloody woman, I’m trying to pour my heart out here. Can you work with me a little?”
She grinned. “Maybe. If you make it up to me later.”
Growling, he raised his face to hers. “Aye, I think I can manage that.”
The tenderness in his eyes warmed her heart and Evie decided to stop teasing her dragonman. As he caressed her cheek with his thumb, she whispered the truth, “I don’t think I was truly living until I met you, dragonman. So you’d better stay alive or else.”
Bram moved his thumb to her lower lip. “Or else what?”
“Or else, this.”
She tickled his armpit and Bram’s laughter echoed inside the bedroom. There was something about the large, muscled clan leader being ticklish that made her laugh right alongside him.
Two seconds later, Murray’s crying stopped the tickling. While the mother side of her was upset Bram woke the baby, the Bram’s mate side of her preened at finally winning against him.
Still, Murray’s cries went to her heart. She tried to go to the baby, but Bram prevented her a moment and gave her a quick, hot kiss first before releasing her as he said, “Round two will be mine.”
Evie smiled at his challenge. “I look forward to you losing again.”
Bram laughed as she moved from the bed. She picked up Murray and bounced her baby boy to try to calm him down. Her eyes met Bram’s. The love shining in his eyes for both her and Murray brought tears to her eyes again. And for once, she didn’t care that her pregnancy made her emotional. This moment was one she’d keep with her always.
Bram adjustedthe sporran-like pouch over his crotch and resisted straightening his formal dragon-shifter attire for the hundredth time. He still didn’t know how Evie had convincedhim to go through with inviting outsiders to be a part of what should be their special day.
Still, as he scanned the crowd in front of him, the four journalists sitting in the front room were furiously scribbling in their notebooks. He only hoped he’d made the best decision for his clan. While the dragon hunters had retreated for the time being, Stonefire and Lochguard were still searching for the reason why the Carlisle rescue attempt had been so easy. No doubt, Simon Bourne would strike again and Bram had a feeling that next time, more than one person would die.
His eyes fell on Finlay Stewart sitting in the back row. Bram would rather have spent his mating day without the Scottish bastard’s grins and winks, but Evie had convinced him to invite the Lochguard leader.
At least Finn was sitting on the opposite side of the room from Arabella. He’d kept his word concerning the dragonwoman, although the glances Ara kept giving the Scottish leader worried Bram a little.
