Page 16 of The Last Bachelor Dragon

She was just about to ask him what he was looking for when he shouted triumphantly. “Here it is,” then held up a big cook pot.

He took it over to the sink, filled it up with hot water, and then carried it over to her. “This will make your feet feel better,” he said, setting it down in front of her. “It shouldn’t be too hot, go ahead.”

Still wary of this Max, she picked up her feet and set themin the water, unable to hold back a sigh of relief. “Thank you, that feels nice,” she said, closing her eyes for a second, then opened them and looked up at him. “Why are you suddenly being so nice to me?”

He looked down at her, and when their eyes met, she was filled with the familiar warmth, making her wish she hadn’t asked. “Fighting with you wasn’t getting me anywhere,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “I thought I’d try a different approach.”

It was so nice not arguing with him, and she was so tired, she decided not to tell him that it wouldn’t work and that she was never going to tell him her name. “Well, it’s nice,” she said. “I think I like you a little more.”

“Then it’s working,” he said, smiling at her. “Now let’s see what I can find for dinner. You do have some food in this place, don’t you?”

“Max, you don’t have to do that,” she said. “My feet feel much better, you don’t have to wait on me.”

“I don’t mind, and I haven’t eaten yet either,” he said, going to the refrigerator. “I’m not exactly a gourmet cook, so don’t get your hopes too high.”

She watched as he rummaged through the tiny refrigerator, pulling out milk, eggs, cheese, and butter, then did the same to the cabinets until he had everything assembled on the counter. A few minutes later, the eggs were sizzling in the pan and the smell of toast filled the cabin, making her stomach begin to growl with anticipation. He split the omelet onto two plates, added the toast, and brought it all over to the table. Then, he sat down across from her.

“Dig in,” he said, handing her a fork. “You don’t want to let it get cold.”

She took a bite, surprised at how good it tasted. “It’s amazing how something so simple can taste so good,” she said, then took another bite and let out a sigh. “Thank you,Max, this is wonderful. You really seem to know your way around a kitchen.”

“I’ve had some practice since I moved to the island, I didn’t really have any choice. There weren’t any servants to take care of me,” he said. “It was hard at first, but I like being able to take care of myself, and it’s nice not to constantly have someone hanging around me.”

“I know what you mean. There are a lot of things I’m still trying to figure out how to do on my own. I wasn’t really prepared to take care of myself, which is embarrassing,” she said, then realized how much she’d just revealed. “Not that I had servants or anything, I mean most of us don’t, you know.”

Max studied her for a second, “No, most of us don’t,” he said. “So, it must have been your parents who spoiled you when you were growing up.”

“Yeah, I guess you could say that,” she said, not wanting to outright lie to him, desperate to change the topic of conversation. “Thank you for making dinner. I’ll clean up the dishes when we’re done.”

Max looked a little disappointed but to her relief didn’t push her. “We can do them together,” he said. “I was thinking that maybe you should take the day off tomorrow. You’ve been working really hard, you deserve a break.”

She stared at him in shock. “I can’t believe you just said that,” she blurted out, then sighed. “Sorry, this side of you is going to take some getting used to. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“I don’t blame you,” he said, smiling at her. “I haven’t been very nice to you, Nora.”

“We haven’t been very nice to each other,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “I can’t really take the day off though, I have to help Carla get ready for the pig roast tomorrow night.”

“Well, you don’t have to serve us breakfast or lunch. We’ll just eat with the rest of the guests tomorrow,” he said. “I hope you’re not working tomorrow night. I thought we were bringing in some temporary help so the staff could join in the fun.”

“We are, but there’s a lot to do during the day tomorrow,” she said. “I need the experience. Everything new I can learn could lead to a job once I get to Bermuda.”

“So, you’re still set on going?” Max asked, a look of disappointment on his face. “I thought maybe…well, never mind…I don’t want you working tomorrow night, boss’s orders.”

She hated the way her heart started to pound a little harder and the kiss they’d shared popped into her mind, but she reminded herself how much was at stake. “Yes, sir,” she said, smiling at him. “I’ll eat roasted pig until I feel like I’m going to explode.”

Max laughed, a sound she rarely heard, and the warmth was back and settling over her like a fuzzy blanket wrapping her in comfort. She realized with a start she was going to miss the feeling and, for a second, almost changed her mind. It would be so easy to tell him right then, so easy to put her trust in him. Cursing her tangled feelings, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly until the urge to do something stupid passed.

“We should probably do the dishes,” she said. “We both need to get some sleep.”

CHAPTER 11

***MAX***

The stars had just begun to come out as Max walked through the deserted village on the way to the beach and the pig roast. He shivered, thinking that it felt a little spooky with the lights all out and the tables empty that early in the evening. Nodding to the guard who had been posted to keep an eye on the marina as he walked by, he wished it hadn’t become necessary to have men stationed around the island, but Harrison had insisted, and he’d finally given in.

Turning down the beach, his spirits were instantly lifted when he saw the torches flickering up and down the shore. A big group of people was gathered around the pit that held a whole pig and the air was filled with the smell of food, making his stomach growl. Pleased to see that most of the island had shown up for the first pig roast they’d ever had, he made his way over to the party, a feeling of anticipation shooting through him when he saw Nora standing with Stella and Juliet.

He took his time making his way over to them, stopping to talk to some of the guests but never wavering from thepath he’d chosen, the dragon inside him urging him on. Only a few steps away, his attention focused on Nora, he didn’t see little Theo coming at him at a full run and wasn’t prepared when the five-year-old slammed into his legs.

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