Page 36 of Her Purr-fect Christmas Mate

A pang twisted in her chest. She shook herself. The Hypatia was part of her old life, not her new, mated life.

And once she tied off those loose ends today, she would be able to farewell it happily.

Right?

10

Mordecai

Keepingoutoftheway while Peony tried on her new clothing was the most painful thing Mordecai had ever done.

His dragon was no help. It kept helpfully suggesting that he go and make use of himself—holding bags, offering compliments, rending all her new clothing into tiny pieces so she couldn’t wear it after all and they had to spend the day in bed together.

His cock twitched. God, he wanted…

… her to be happy.

And what she wanted, what would make her happy right now, was to spend the day running around doing errands for her work.

It had to be a trick.

He had spent a lifetime learning to see past people’s words to what they actually meant, and his mate wanted the Hypatia. It obviously meant something to her. So if today was a way for her to line up the pieces and get ready to knock him down, he had to prepare.

To be knocked down again?his dragon suggested.

He shook his head impatiently. There had to be something she would want as much as the Hypatia, and he had to get it for her. Because the Hypatia wasn’t an option.

*Mordecai?*

Heat rushed through him at Peony’s hesitant question. “Yes?”

She poked her head around the door. “Good, that worked. Also, I’m ready to go, if you are.”

“Yes.” There were other words in his vocabulary, and he’d intended to say something about… he couldn’t remember. Peony came into the room, wrapped in a snug woolen dress that held her as close as he wanted to, and anything approaching words disappeared from his mind.

He cleared his throat. Still nothing. Cleared it again. “You look lovely.”

Warmth bloomed across her cheeks. “Thanks. Alessio did a great job.”

Murder Alessio,his dragon suggested.

What? Why?

She likes the clotheshegot her.

On our orders!

Nevertheless…His dragon sank back, grumbling possessively.

“The underwear, especially.” Peony did an elaborate stretch-and-wiggle that shut down what was left of his higher brain function. “Honestly, I’m amazed. EvenIdon’t do as good a job bra shopping for myself as this. It’s like he knows my boobs better than I do.”

Murder Alessio,Mordecai and his dragon thought in unison.

Then he caught the glint of mischief in his mate’s eye. An answering smile crept across his face, long and slow and knife-sharp.

He was going to enjoy this game.

“Books.” His voice gave nothing away. “People still give books for Christmas?”

---