Page 36 of The Baby Dragon Cafe
Then Sparky nipped at the end of her dress, and she felt the fabric tug down.
“Sparky!” She looked down. He was between her and Aiden’s legs, clearly annoyed by something as he glared up at her.
“Sparky, stop it,” Aiden tsked.
Sparky growled, then nipped at her dress again, this time biting the fabric with his teeth. He pulled, and before Saphira could stop it, the dress tore into a massive slit up her thighs. A gust of wind chose that exact moment to blow against her, lifting the fabric and completely exposing her legs.
Aiden stared, his mouth agape. A muscle ticked in his jaw as his cheeks turned red.
Saphira yelped, trying to cover her bare legs as embarrassment shot through her. Aiden’s gaze jumped away and up, to the clouds, his throat bobbing, desire evident on his face.
The wind settled, and Saphira let go of the torn fabric. Then, she started laughing, no longer embarrassed, just amused. Aiden looked at her, lips twitching, and he started laughing, too. He had such a deep, rich laugh. She loved the sound of it.
Saphira scooped an unrepentant Sparky up. “You are such a little menace,” she said, still smiling. Sparky responded by sulking. “Aww, are you angry we weren’t paying attention to you?” she asked in her baby-voice. “Is that it? Is Sparky upset?”
The baby dragon attempted to continue brooding, but Saphira’s laugh must have been contagious, for a moment later, Sparky cuddled against her, no longer agitated.
She kissed his little face. Sparky was a handful, but he was her little cutie-pie. She loved him already, as if he was her own, as if he belonged to her and she belonged to him.
Saphira looked up then. Her gaze met with Aiden’s, and she felt the same strong emotion rise in her chest, not just for Sparky, but for Aiden. It was an ache. She thought the sensation would pass—that it was just for the moment, but she was wrong.
The feeling settled deep within her, like roots in the soil.
Chapter 11
Over the next few days, Aiden continued working on Saphira’s garden, and Sparky continued being a little menace, though considerably less so when they fell into a routine and Sparky (begrudgingly) realized Aiden was there to stay.
Sparky was surprisingly possessive about Saphira. Aiden couldn’t even blame the little guy. And yes, he was ready to fight a baby dragon for the woman’s affection, and no, he wasn’t proud of that fact, but neither was he deterred.
He couldn’t even be upset with Sparky for being a little demon the other day, tearing Saphira’s dress. He thought about the sight of Saphira’s bare legs much more than he properly should.
He wanted her, badly.
The next day, it was pouring down, one of those proper spring showers, so no gardening was possible. Ordinarily, such days were spent inside his cottage, reading a book or deep-cleaning the already clean space whilst listening to a podcast, but today, Aiden found himself grabbing his raincoat, preparing to go out into the storm.
Tucking Sparky into his jacket, he made his way to the Baby Dragon Cafe, rushing in to keep from getting wet. There was still a considerable crowd at the cafe, people warming their hands against their steaming drinks.
Behind the counter, Saphira lit up with surprise when she saw him, waving. He put down his hood and waved back, droplets of water trickling down the side of his face. Aiden ran a hand through his hair, which was still slightly wet despite the hood he’d donned.
Usually, he went straight to the garden from outside, using the garden door, and Saphira popped out back from the cafe when she had a free moment. He preferred to avoid the people inhabiting the cafe, but Sparky needed to learn to be around other people, and baby dragons as well.
As he got to the counter, Saphira was finishing up latte art; he liked watching her work, how focused she got, but also the ease with which she did it, as if she had done it a million times before, which probably she had. She was confident and competent, which was unbearably attractive.
“Lavinia, give this to Amalia,” Saphira said, sending the drink off.
“You got it, boss.” Lavinia went off, and Saphira focused her attention on Aiden.
“I thought you’d stay home today because of the rain,” she said, and the sound of her voice made his pulse quicken. He loved to hear her voice again after time apart, like hearing the opening chords of his favorite song.
“Hi, baby,” she said to Sparky, petting his head. Sparky purred.
“I figured Sparky needs to learn to be around other people,” Aiden said. “Can’t always just be the two of us with him.” Evenif that was what he—and Sparky, for that matter—highly preferred.
Baby dragons hated being confined—it made them all the more mischievous—but the cafe was a very harmonious environment. Everyone looked comfortable, at home. Saphira had done an exceptional job crafting this cozy space.
He paid further attention to the details then: the carefully curated menu, the decorations, every little touch that was specifically designed for this place by her. The cafe only seemed more lovely to him once he saw her warm presence in every nook and cranny.
“Smart! And I know Sparky is going to behave, aren’t you?” Saphira asked the baby dragon with a bright smile. Sparky cooed in response. Saphira turned back to Aiden. “So what can I get you?”
