Page 79 of The Baby Dragon Cafe
It lasted only a few seconds, but those were the longest seconds of his life as they waited to see if Sparky would rise up in flight.
And then the little guy did.
Sparky was flying, soaring in the air. His black scales cut a sharp silhouette against the pale sky, his wings spread wide. He lifted his face to the wind as he glided, his purple eyes wide and alive with wonder.
Air finally entered Aiden’s lungs, and he looked up at the sky, eyes welling with tears. He blinked them away as Saphira cheered. Then he turned to her; she looked so happy, he felt buoyant, as if he might float away.
He took her face in his hands and kissed her, savoring her sweetness, the taste of her lips. She hummed against his mouth, pleased. They pulled apart, leaning their foreheads against each other.
“Look at him go,” Saphira whispered, voice thick. Her eyes were wet as she watched Sparky fly, and Aiden felt the same ache in his chest. Their little baby was growing up.
Sparky flew over and landed on their shoulders with a cheery purr, and they all did a group hug, snuggling close.
It was one of the best moments of Aiden’s entire life.
Chapter 21
Back home after a successful trip, Aiden dropped Saphira off in front of the cafe at around four p.m. It had been a whirlwind of a day, and she was still pinching herself from the charged kisses from this morning, which had felt like swimming to the surface of the sea and finally gulping in air after holding her breath for so long.
Then Sparky’s first flight, the anxiety of it, followed quickly by pride when he had accomplished it. The baby dragon was growing up, which made her sentimental; she wished she could stop time, hold onto him tight. But at the same time, she loved this reality, every moment of it.
Aiden parked, and she stepped out. He did as well, grabbing her bag from the back.
“Thanks,” she said, taking it from him. The second his hand was free he cupped her face, pulling her into a kiss. He stepped back, bringing her with him with a hand on her waist. He leaned against his car so she wouldn’t have to be on her tiptoes, and she stepped between his legs, drawing closer.
And then they were fully making out in the middle of MainStreet, all teeth and raw emotion. His hand moved from her cheek to tangle in her hair. Burning desire spread through her as he angled her head back, opening her mouth to deepen the kiss with his tongue.
She made a whimpering sound, then pulled back before she got too carried away.
Saphira covered her cheeks with her hands, the skin warm against her palms as she looked around her, at the people walking by.
“Oh my god, we need to stop.” She laughed. “There are children around.”
“Don’t care,” he said, drawing her in for another hungry kiss. She smiled against his mouth and stepped away, putting her hands on his chest. His eyes were dark, his lips red, desperate need written over his features.
“I have to go!” she said, grabbing her bag, but when she took a step away, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back.
She yelped, and with a spin, landed in his arms, where he wrapped his arms around her, locking her into a hug.
She giggled, putting her hands up around his shoulder blades, feeling his muscles shift beneath her palms.
He kissed her cheek, then released her.
“I suppose I’ll let you go now,” he said, smiling softly. She pulled back to see there was a sweet expression on his face, and she was hit with a deliciously painful wave of affection. She touched her hand to his cheek, then noticed the ring she was still wearing.
“Oh, before I forget …” She took the ring off, holding it out for him.
“You can keep it,” he said.
She looked at him to see if he was joking, but he was serious. Ridiculous! “Okay, let’s slow down,” she teased, laughing.
But then she quickly sobered, realizing the suggestion was probably best if taken seriously. Nani-Ma always used to warn Saphira about how Saphira’s mother would dive into things and get hurt. Saphira didn’t want that to happen to her, especially with Sparky involved. They had to be thoughtful.
“Yes, of course,” Aiden replied, clearing his throat. He pocketed the ring.
“Sparky’s first vet appointment is tomorrow morning,” she reminded him. “I think we all need some rest before that, and I should check in at the cafe.”
He sighed, his hands falling to her waist. “I don’t want to let you go, but you’re right. See you tomorrow, then?”
