Page 22 of Having the Dragon's Baby

A smirk formed on his lips. "Versus the beast side you slept with?"

She blushed, her mind going back to last night and the body-rocking orgasms that came with it. She swallowed, nodding. "I like both of them."

His hands swooped around her, caging her against him. He smiled, dipping his head down and pressing his forehead against hers. "Good, because I really like you."

Her heart skipped a beat. If this kept up, they weren't going to make it to lunch. But she intuited that Marcus wanted to tell her something, and they couldn't delay. Even if that meant not getting another mind-altering orgasm right now.

She pulled back, grabbed the basket, and smiled. "Well, we better get a move on then."

She took a couple more steps back, waving the basket at him. "Are you going to join me?" she asked, teasing him.

He smiled at her, pushed off the counter, and walked toward her. "I'll follow you wherever you go."

Her heart pounded, and she couldn’t help falling for him.

TEN

MARCUS

Marcus and Rachel found a nice spot to settle down at the local park not far from his house. A couple of other people were out enjoying the nice weather, but for the most part, it was just the two of them.

The breeze was cool, and they were just a few feet from the river, which was splashing softly against the shore. It was the perfect location to have a serious conversation with Rachel.

Rachel unpacked everything as he watched her. He watched the way her hair blew in the wind and how she smiled as she moved. She was happy.

He hated to ruin the peaceful look on her face. His dragon protested even more. He wasn't sure how she was going to take the news, and he wanted it to go well. He needed it to go well.

His stomach had been tight since the meeting. He needed to have a conversation with Rachel about all the missing shifters, and even more so now that they were talking about a trafficking ring.

The idea made him want to vomit, but Rachel was his other half, and she deserved to know. She had to know if she was going to be his co-ruler, the one people talked to if he wasn't available. He had to keep her in the loop.

"Wow, it's beautiful out here," she said as she allowed the lid of the basket to smack shut. "We should definitely come out here often."

She held up an unwrapped sandwich to him, giving him a smile. "Hungry?"

He looked at the sandwich and then back at her. She had a goofy smile as he leaned forward.

He took a bite, and she giggled as she pulled it back, taking a bite herself. He watched mayo slip down her lip, and he leaned over to wipe at it. Her eyes tracked him, her mouth pausing.

He pulled his hand back, licking the mayo off his finger. She swallowed, licking her lips. Her face flushed, and for a solid minute, he forgot all about the problems.

It was just the two of them out having a peaceful moment together. There was no trafficking ring, no missing shifters. It was a perfect world.

She took another bite of her sandwich, her eyes flickering toward the river. "You do that again, and I'll jump you."

He chuckled, leaning back into the grass. He looked up at the sky, allowing her to continue to eat.

He heard her pop a bag of chips open, and he looked at her. She sat cross-legged now, staring at him. "It is really nice out here. The weather is beautiful today."

He nodded in agreement and looked around the park. A woman pushing a stroller walked by, and he thought back to Rachel’s comment earlier. She'd been watching the kids in the nursery.

"How was Sasha? Did she give you a hard time?"

"She was wonderful, and she's so sweet. She invited me to join the girls for a chat, and they told me all about the rules and regulations of the den. I didn't know you had meetings once a month to talk about problems."

He nodded. "It helps keep everyone calm. They are mostly for the den to bring any problems to my attention."

She raised an eyebrow. "And that told me you sometimes join their communal breakfast?"

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