Page 63 of The Ruby Dragon's Unconventional Mate

Bryant chuckled. “I don’t think anything could be like Dakota’s. He’s had two sets of twins. I think those two need to slow down.”

Lars pulled another picture out of a magazine. “Yeah, haven’t we had this discussion? They absolutely do, and I think they will. Logan was just, you know, super enthusiastic.”

“It takes two to tango enthusiastically, babe. I think Dakota liked it too.”

Lars decided that he wasn’t going to think about his brother and his brother’s mate having sex. Not even a little. “For sure. Are you hungry? I’m hungry.” It had been a while since he and Bryant had gotten to just sit down to a meal between the two of them. Everybody wanted to congratulate them and be around and tell them baby stories, so maybe they could just have something super simple tonight like a mac and cheese out of a box or a couple cans of soup and a piece of frozen pie heated up. That would rock.

“Yeah, you want me to make you macaroni and cheese?” Bryant asked as if he’d read Lars’s mind. Maybe he had, if Lars was thinking really loud.

“I was just thinking that!” Bryant had made him macaroni and cheese way back at the beginning, when he was there to help out Logan, and before the thing happened with Lachlan. It was so funny to watch Bryant very carefully measure out milk and butter to put it in after the pasta was boiled and to stir the powder in just so. Bryant did everything precisely, and it was so amusing to be around him when he cooked, especially when it was cheap stuff.

“Cool. I’ll pull out that green chili apple pie too, unless you think it’ll make your stomach upset?”

“I think that sounds great. I was thinking pie and ice cream.”

“Perfect.” Bryant put a hand on his belly, then kissed him. “I love you, honey. And I love our little butterfly.”

Lars adored that Bryant got it. Their little butterfly. That was exactly what he thought of with their baby, and they were going to be good together, the three of them.

He just knew it.

Chapter

Twenty-One

Bryant watched Lars sleep, loving how happy he looked in his slumber, a little smile on his face, one hand flung out toward him, one on his own belly.

He had a feeling Lars was dreaming about their baby.

Once Lars had felt the little sprog move, he had just been all about their butterfly. It was as if that had made it real.

Bryant had felt that himself now.

It was a tiny thing still—just the barest flutter under his fingertips—but Lars said that to him, the kicks were getting stronger, so Bryant knew that soon he was going to feel the motions more firmly.

He couldn’t wait.

Their little one was growing, becoming something amazing, and Bryant spent hours imagining.

Would their little dragon be a girl? A boy? Would it be silvery like Lars or a deep red, like him. Maybe pink, a mixture of them, or something entirely new?

The thought was fascinating, and he loved how talking about them made Lars glow.

Lars stirred, then opened his eyes, smiling up at him. “Morning, love.”

“Good morning.” He grinned down at his mate. “I thought we might go into town for breakfast. Go to the Golddigger.”

“Mmmm. That sounds lovely.” Lars still craved cheesecake, but the worst of his morning sickness seemed to be over. “We should make a day of it, maybe, before the snows come. I remember that you didn’t love driving in the snow.”

“I am a fire dragon. I manage just fine.” He rolled his eyes, and they both cracked up, and it was so easy to ease back down and beg a kiss.

Lars surprised him by meeting him head-on, their kiss hard and passionate, and his eyes went wide, staring into his lover’s shining gaze.

Love you.

I love you. Fuck me. I’m burning up inside, more than I ever have. Lars winked at him.We can have brunch.

Oh, gods, baby.Yes, yes, he could wait for brunch. He reached for his mate, hands sliding over Lars under the covers. He loved how smooth Lars’s skin was. Such a wonderful contrast to the rough scales he could occasionally feel underneath. They could never totally disguise the dragon. Not ever.

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