Page 73 of The Baby Dragon Cafe
“It doesn’t feel fine.” He pouted.
“Here,” Saphira said, blowing on the edge of her scarf to warm it up. She cupped the back of his head with one hand, then pressed the fabric against his eye. “Better?”
“Much better,” he replied, relaxing. Then, his lips twitched. He didn’t look to be in pain at all; he looked perfectly fine, a stark difference to thirty seconds prior.
Furrowing her brows, Saphira sat back confused, until a smile spread across Aiden’s mouth. His eyes crinkled with amusement.
Saphira gasped; he had beenteasingher.
“You are theworst!” She pushed him back, but he—laughing—held onto her hands, and she fell with him. She landed on top of him, straddling his lap.
And then he was no longer laughing. His eyes darkened. He drew closer, and she leaned into the touch, her skin scorching. Desire coursed through her. She could feel him even through the layers of clothing between them. She ached to get closer. His breathing grew labored.
He looked up at her from beneath his dark lashes, his gaze searing. She pressed closer, and he made a strangled sound, his grip tightening. Resting her hands flat on his chest, she felt his heart beating beneath her palms. His gaze flicked to her mouth, and her pulse raced.
They were both frozen, afraid to break the moment, but there was no denying what she felt, and what she suspected he felt, too. He pulled her closer, his mouth hovering just below hers.
“Forgive me,” a voice said, and Saphira jolted. It was Mireya. Saphira hadn’t even heard her approach.
Heart pounding, Saphira got off of Aiden, and they both stood.
“I just wanted to inform you that Sparky is resting for the night,” Mireya said.
“Thank you,” Aiden said, clearing his throat.
A harsh realization shot through Saphira, then. Aiden would have seen Mireya approaching from over Saphira’s shoulder—had this all been a show? To convince Mireya?
Mireya nodded, then turned to go. She made it a few steps before she turned back. “I recommend the hot springs for riders the night before their baby’s first flight,” she said. “It’s always best for the riders to also be relaxed, or the baby dragon feeds off their energy.”
“Thank you,” Aiden said, and Mireya took her leave. Aftershe was gone, Aiden turned to her, his hand reaching for hers. Saphira stepped back, feeling silly.
“She’s gone,” Saphira said, voice quiet. “You don’t have to pretend.”
He frowned, hurt and confused.
Chapter 19
“Do you want to go to the springs?” Aiden asked Saphira, and she watched as he shuffled on his feet. “You can go alone if you want. I can leave you.”
Saphira had been upset a moment ago, but now she was conflicted. There were too many emotions running through her mind, but the one thing she did know was that she didn’t want him to go.
“No, you come, too,” she said, voice soft. “It’s important for both of us to be relaxed. Mireya said so.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
“Besides,” she added. “I don’t know where they are.”
His lips twitched. “Come on.”
She followed him to the hot springs, which were on a lower level, both of them quiet. When they arrived, the springs were completely empty, and she saw that they consisted of various little pools between stones, clouds of steam hovering above the surface.
The fog was so thick, she could hardly see, which comforted her. Neither of them had brought their bathing suits, and shewas not about to skinny-dip, but her underwear would suffice. On one side, there was a pile of folded robes and towels.
“Turn around,” Saphira ordered. Wordlessly, he did, and she tied her hair up into a knot, then stripped down to her underwear, her hands shaking. She glanced over to Aiden’s back, which was perfectly straight, perfectly still.
Shivering, Saphira made quick work of getting into the spring. The water wasn’t deep, and there were stones set like seats, so she sat down, the spring coming up to her collar. The water was a balm after their snowball fight, warm and comforting.
“The water is really warm,” she told him, her voice high. He grunted a response, and then she heard the rustle of his clothes as he took them off. Her chest felt tight.
