Page 22 of The Accidental Dragon Baby

“Harvey,” Ace hissed.

“They’ll be like little charms you can surround yourself with,” Harvey continued as though this was the most ordinary thing. “Spicy Master doesn’t agree, but I feel that every mansion should have a portrait of its master. Your nest should include a photo of the man who’s letting you stay there.”

Ivo couldn’t even begin to imagine it.

“I even have pictures of his bare chest,” Harvey whispered. “You can tuck one under your pillow.”

Ivo blushed so hard, he couldn’t look anyone in the eye.

Ace covered Harvey’s face with a large hand, and shoved him toward the mansion. “Enough. You’re grounded.”

“You can’t ground me! You’reyoungerthan me!” Harvey flounced away and fluttered a handkerchief. “Now, Ivo, if you’ll follow me, I’ll walk you back to your nest.”

Ivo fidgeted. Mary was still in her cluster of grass, right? She was still in her human shape,right?“I-I can do it by myself.”

Except the thought of walking back alone, after someoneelsehad tried to kidnap Mary... It made him uneasy.

“Harvey will inspect the area just in case,” Ace said.

Ivo relented. “Okay.”

He followed Harvey up the driveway, straining his ears for Mary’s sounds.

“So,” Harvey said when they were almost to the cluster of trees.

“What?”

“What are your intentions toward Spicy Master?”

“M-my intentions?” Ivo wanted to sink into a hole in the ground. “I don’t have intentions!”

“Hmm.” Harvey scrutinized him. Then he glanced at the trees, where Mary was chattering in her hiding spot—as a mink.Crap.

Ivo hurried forward, stumbling over the bumpy ground. Mary was still in the tall grass where he’d left her, except she was tangled up in her human clothes.

Ivo kept his back to the butler and gently freed Mary. When he was certain that Harvey couldn’t see, he tucked Mary under his shirt.

“Hmmm,” Harvey said from right behind him.

Ivojumped.“You almost gave me a heart attack!”

Harvey gave him a long look. “Why are you really here?”

“I needed a place to nest. Ace offered me this spot.”

Then a familiar pressure began to build in his stomach.

Ivo swallowed desperately. He couldn’t let Ace’s butler discover his secret. Except the pressure grew, and Ivo had to keep swallowing.

Harvey watched him avidly.

The burp forced its way up Ivo’s throat. He turned away and tried to contain it in his closed mouth, except a wisp of smoke escaped through his nose.Crap!

Harvey’s eyebrows rose.

“Why is it so quiet here?” Ace said suddenly.

Ivo yelped in surprise. The smoke escaped in a puff.Fuck!He began sucking at the smoke, trying to pull it back into his body.

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