Page 44 of Charming the Dragon
She will. Humans don’t grow up with the concept of true mates and have to think it through. But my instinct says she’ll accept us, even if it takes some time.
His beast had been dead set against Tracey. The fact his dragon offered to be patient for Hayley spoke volumes.
He tried imagining a life with Hayley. Not just their eventual little boy or girl, either. But he imagined her championing dragons through the courts, him helping to grow her law database until it was finally complete, and maybe the both of them reaching out to clans in other countries, such as Glenlough in Ireland, to suggest a similar idea.
And after a hard day’s work, he’d make his female some tea, chat with her about her day, and then claim her over and over again at night, until they were both exhausted.
Did he want to risk everything to try and have that life?
A resounding yes reverberated through his head.
His dragon spoke up.Good. I didn’t want to have to take control and try to woo her myself.
Dragons aren’t good at wooing. You’re better at instinct and fucking.
His beast sniffed.Also important.
For the first time since Hayley had freaked out, Nathan smiled.Yes, it’s also important. But just remember, the first time is mine.
Since she’s human, that’s probably for the best. But we’ll share her. She’s mine too.
Of course, dragon. Of course.
His panic somewhat tamed for the moment, Nathan got ready, dressed in the T-shirt and trousers he’d found in the storage room, and headed toward the command center. Work would distract him for however long it took for Hayley to come find him.
Chapter Thirteen
By the time one o’clock rolled around—the time they’d both agreed to go exploring the night before—Hayley had drunk about twelve cups of tea and eaten the entire box of chocolates. Both because she was nervous about seeing Nathan again, but also to keep her from rushing into the command center and doing something ridiculous, like jumping into his lap.
All morning she’d gone back and forth about what being a dragon’s true mate would mean for her future. Cons had included abandoning her law practice to move to Stonefire, having her relationship with Nathan eventually fall apart and put their child in the middle of it, and not living close to her sister.
The pros had been she’d get to live with dragon-shifters and could help them more, might discover Nathan was a man who could handle her intelligence and career, and she’d get to finally see what sex with a dragonman was like.
Okay, judging from their shared touches, the sex would be fantastic, true. But she also wanted to get to know Nathan better, to discover more of his layers, and maybe finally have someone always at her back, which she hadn’t had in a long time. Even hersister had become busy with her own family, which Hayley had understood rationally. But she missed when they’d been a team, or when her parents had been alive and always looking out for them.
Not that Hayley couldn’t take care of herself. Of course she could, and had proved that. But sometimes carrying the weight of the world alone could bog a person down.
After stewing in her thoughts for hours, she showered, dressed, and headed toward the command center. The door was partially open, and she peeked inside. Nathan sat at a computer, frowning and running his hands through his hair.
So not good news, then.
He stilled, and his gaze met hers. Hayley refused to cower any longer and never looked away. When he smiled slightly, her heart skipped a beat. Both because he was handsome, but also because some of the tension eased from around her heart.
He said, “Hi ya.”
“Hi yourself.” She walked a few paces into the room. “Did you find anything today to help us escape this place?”
With a sigh, he stood and stretched his arms above his head. She couldn’t help but take in his lean, toned body. He was definitely the most attractive man she’d ever seen.
“Not much, I’m afraid. While I can control everything within the bunker and even the lights in the cavern we found, there’s no phone line to the outside world, no internet, nothing to get a message to Kai or Bram.”
She took another step forward. “By now, they have to be searching for us, right? And they knew we would go looking for records in the rooms beneath the great hall. If Kai knows about this place, as you suspect, surely he’d check it soon, if only to rule it out?”
Nathan dropped his arms and rolled his shoulders. “Eventually. But there are a lot of places to get lost in the underground floors. It might be one of the last places they look.”
She pushed up her glasses. “Well, then we’d better go exploring and see if we can find our own way out.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You still want to go?”
