Page 24 of Dragon Daddy's Second Chance

Aware that he was talking to a five-year-old, he chose his words carefully. “A bad woman has been keeping us apart, but she isn’t going to be able to do that anymore,” he said. “I’ve been looking for you guys for a long time. Now that I’ve found you, I’m never going to lose you again.”

That seemed to satisfy the child. “That’s okay then,” Theo said, then looked up at Wren. “Are you guys going to get married?”

“Oh, I don’t…that’s not…” Wren stammered. “Hey, weren’t we going to the beach?”

He laughed, “I think maybe we’d better take this one step at a time,” he said, ruffling Theo’s hair, but he was thinking about a ring again. “The beach first, wedding rings later.”

After a full day spent at the beach, Blake felt more than ready to handle story time and bed with Theo, so he tucked him in, then began to read to him. His son watched him intently, a happy smile on his face, his eyes getting heavier by the second, and a wave of love so powerful it took his breath away washed over him. Forcing himself to concentrate on the book, he flipped the pages, deciding that he enjoyed being a father.

“And they all lived happily ever after,” Blake said, closing the last book with a snap. “I think that was my favorite one.”

When there was no answer, he looked over at his son, and a wave of tenderness washed over him. Sound asleep, his long eye lashes brushing his cheeks, he looked just like his mother. Love welled up inside him, followed by profound gratitude that he’d been given a second chance at the life he was supposed to lead. He wasn’t embarrassed by the tears that slipped down his cheeks; he knew how lucky he was, and he didn’t bother to wipe them away when Wren slipped up behind him.

“I’m sure it’s all a bit overwhelming,” she said, wrapping her arms around him from behind. “I still get all weepy when I watch him sleeping sometimes. He’s a little miracle.”

“Our little miracle,” he said, reaching up and taking her hand. “You’ve done an amazing job with him, Wren. I have a long way to go to get caught up.”

“You were great with him today,” she said. “It’s not easy being a parent, but I think you’re already getting the hang of it.”

“I hope so. I want to be the best father that I can be,” he said. “I didn’t have a very good role model.”

“You will be because it’s important to you,” she said. “You don’t have to be your father, Blake, you can be you. Now let’s go to bed, I’m exhausted and I promise you, there won’t be any sleeping in tomorrow.”

He got up, tucked the blankets up around Theo’s neck even though it was warm, then took Wren’s hand and left the bedroom. “It was nice of Susan to switch cabins with me,” he said. “I hate to imagine what your parents think, but I don’t want to be away from you for even one night.”

“I don’t care what my parents think. They threw me away when I needed them most,” she said. “If they hadn’t turned their backs on me, I might have been brave enough to contact you when I found out about Theo. I don’t know if or when I’ll be ready to talk to them. They hurt me, Blake, all they cared about was their reputation, which was more important to them than I was. I don’t care how far they’ve come. It doesn’t erase what they did. You weren’t there; you didn’t hear my father screaming obscenities at me or see him throwing my clothes out the window onto the front yard.”

“Oh, Wren, I’m so sorry,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “I should have been there with you. I should have been there with you the entire time. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. I’ll make all your dreams come true, and we’ll never have a thing to do with your parents or mine again. We’ll have our own little family, just you, Theo, and me.”

“I like the sound of that,” she said, taking a deep breath. “I didn’t mean to make you feel guilty, Blake, I just don’t think I’m ready to forgive my parents yet.”

“I don’t blame you,” he said, stroking her back. “My mother and I are going to have a long talk when I get home. She’s got a lot to answer, and I have a feeling she’s not going to like what I have to say.”

“Let’s promise to be better parents to our kids than ours were to us,” she said, looking up at him. “Together, we can undo the damage they’ve done.”

“Kids?” he asked, grinning at her. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

“Blake, stop kidding around…I just thought…well, I mean that you’d want more kids,” she said, a blush spreading across her cheeks. “I know we haven’t talked about it yet…”

He grabbed her hand. “We should get started right away,” he said. “You know these things take time, and Theo needs a brother or sister.”

***Wren***

Wren’s entire body was already throbbing with desire as she let Blake pull her into the bedroom. “Blake, I didn’t mean right now,” she said, gasping when she saw the look in his eyes. “Theo is right in the next room.”

“Then you’re going to have to be quiet,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “We don’t have to make a baby tonight, Wren, I just want to practice.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” she said, giggling when he began to kiss her on the neck. “Blake, stop that, it tickles.”

He swept her up off her feet and carried her over to the bed. “I’m going to do more than tickle you, sweetheart,” he said, laying her down, then whipping her nightgown up over her head. “I’m going to make love to you until the sun comes up, then start all over again.”

Blake didn’t quite fulfill his promise, but it was deep into the night before she finally curled up next to him and fell asleep. A satisfied smile was on her face, and his gentle snores filled the bedroom, a comforting sound. After a deep, soothing sleep, she woke with Blake curled around her, and the feel of his naked skin against hers made goosebumpsbreak out all over her body, and she shivered at the memory of the night before.

“Good morning,” Blake whispered in her ear, his hand sliding over her breast. “All that wiggling around woke me up.”

She gasped when he began to tease her nipple with his thumb and finger, then sighed with pleasure when he slipped into her from behind. “Good morning,” she managed to say, her voice slightly breathless. “I thought you were still asleep.”

“Not anymore,” Blake said, his voice full of amusement. “Not with you lying naked next to me.”

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