Page 9 of Having the Dragon's Baby

Marcus was beyond charmed. He had known her for barely a second, and she was already making his dragon whisper. Could she be it for him?

He smiled broadly, feeling young and boyish.

“Oh, well, yes, we can take a joke,” he said, lifting the smokey whiskey to his lips. “But only jokes most humans would never understand.”

A pink tongue slid between her teeth, and she raised her glass to her mouth, taking a sip. Her eyes hadn’t left him for a second, and he was glad. He was entranced, entirely taken in by his mating pull.

“You are going to have to teach me about that then,” she whispered.

The hubbub of the party around them may as well have been muted. Some cosmic force drew a bubble around them, encasing them in a private, magical universe. Rachel also had a way about her that transcended the mating pull. She was direct, unwavering, naturally enthusiastic, and intriguing.

Marcus sensed she was longing for adventure. And judging by her body language and the way she bent toward him, there was a longing for him, too.

Her gaze escaped him as Sylvia approached, her smile threatening to shatter her cheekbones.

“Oh, I see you two have already met,” she said, holding her arms open to him. “I’m so glad we could finally make this work, Marcus.”

“So, that’s your name then,” Rachel said, coolly leaning up against the bar on her forearms. She flashed him a wink that made him feel like fainting.

What enchantment is this?

“Yes,” he replied, turning to Sylvia to conceal the faint hot rush of his cheeks. “I am also very happy we could make this work. Rachel already seems rather magnetic.”

“Oh my.” Rachel raised her eyebrows, hiding her fetching smile behind the glass.

“So, since introductions have already been made, would you like to have a little tour around the estate? Or would you like to get further acquainted first?” Sylvia asked, her eyes flickering with excitement.

Rachel and Marcus looked at each other at the same time, a spark radiating in Rachel’s shimmering green eyes. Marcus cleared his throat and gave Sylvia a look, and he thought she could see everything he was thinking.

“Let’s do the tour. We can have a few drinks and a dance after if you’re interested."

He dared to turn to Rachel, who finished off her drink swiftly. She wiped her mouth delicately, still beaming at him.

“That sounds wonderful. Lead the way then, Mr. Alpha.”

Marcus held out the crook of his arm to her, and she took it, sliding a strong hand through and hooking her arm around his. Up close, she was even more divine. Her body appeared lean and athletic beneath the thin satin of her dress. Her hair smelled like a blend of citrus and lavender.

“All right then, let’s start with the gardens first.”

Sylvia guided the two, arm-in-arm, around the back of the property to a flourishing botanical display. It was rather ironic that it was a garden party, but no guests were permitted to visit the actual garden itself. The moon had slipped out from behind the cloak of the clouds, painting petals and vegetation in a moody luminescence. It all felt so incredibly romantic, a sensation Marcus had rarely, if ever, explored during his lifetime.

Once they finished walking through the gardens, Sylvia showed them the inside briefly. The interior was just as majestic and expansive as the exterior. Marcus supposed the Shifter Surrogacy Agency had been thriving.

But that wasn’t what Marcus was paying attention to.

Throughout the entire tour, Rachel had her hand tucked under his arm, fingertips resting along his bicep. It would have been barely perceptible to the average gentleman, but to Marcus, it may as well have been embers from a fire skittering across his skin.

She never let go, not once. They shared a few laughs, Rachel’s exciting spirit breathing life into Marcus. She was quick-witted and passionate regarding everything she spoke about, and that was invigorating.

Eventually, Sylvia departed, leaving them to get to know each other without her accompaniment. They were standing in front of a small stage where musicians strummed acoustic guitars, and soft piano music played when Rachel skated her hand down Marcus’s forearm, then settled between his fingers.

That gravitational pull, that frisky intrigue in her eyes … it was all he ever wanted to see.

“Ready for that dance?” she asked.

Marcus nodded, then pulled her across the grass onto the dance floor. It was a slow, mellow, jazzy tune, which allowed them to talk while they swayed. She placed her palms against his chest while he rested his hands politely along her waistline. Her breasts brushed against him lightly, a rather dizzying sensation.

She had emboldened him, though, so he wanted to make an impression. He pulled her closer rather firmly, and she gasped, staring at him with wide eyes.

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