Smoulder: BBW Dragon Shifter Paranormal Romance (Dragonsworn Book 1) Read online

  Lola tapped her foot on the ground and looked toward the sky again. She should have just taken a car or hitched a ride with someone else. But no, Rafe insisted he would pick her up. A brief ride on dragon back was quicker since they didn’t need to deal with traffic on the roads. If he showed up on time.

  Loud giggles and a door shutting behind her startled her. She turned quickly, only to see a small group of women and children chattering as they strode down the street. She waved to them as they walked toward one of the local restaurants.

  It felt good to do something that didn’t involve making weapons to hurt one another. She wielded a new kind of weapon and slashed through ignorance and ill-conceived notions as much as possible, though she wasn’t the only one.

  A fair number of dragons scrambled for positions to help the survivors. They had more training and education than she did and could help tutor the adults. The children needed watching while the adults attended classes and that’s where her idea for a nursery had taken root. She hoped that between educating the adults and raising the children without hatred, that maybe, one day, they could start approaching the other compounds and convince them to lay down their weapons.

  Finally, she saw a large speck leap off the top of the tower. It was only a tiny bit more time before the large and dark navy dragon landed in the lot reserved for such things.

  “You’re late,” Lola scolded gently as she clambered up Rafe’s side and settled between the spikes and ridges along his spine. He turned his head toward her and she thought his huge faceted eyes glared at her.

  He waited until she secured herself and grabbed hold before launching himself into the air. Lola gasped when she glanced down and saw the city so far below. She never got used to the sight or the eerie feeling in her stomach that something could go terribly wrong if she just leaned too far to one side. They’d need to settle on some other form of transportation soon. She doubted dragons came with baby seats.

  A few flaps of his wings later, and she slid off Rafe’s back and landed on their ledge. Rafe’s arms wrapped around her from behind and tugged her close to his body.

  “Missed you today,” he mouthed into her neck and inhaled her scent.

  A shiver ran down her body as soon as his lips touched the mate mark on her shoulder. She curled an arm around his neck and tilted her head to give him better access. “Mhmm, I’m sure you had time to think about me while chasing that little demon around.”

  “You’re always on my mind.” His hands inched lower and a thick finger dipped between her legs. “Especially when I get you home.”

  Lola didn’t complain when he urged her straight into the bedroom.

  After she had a chance to shower, she wrapped a towel around her hair and cinched a fluffy robe around her body. “What do you want to do for dinner tonight?” she called from their bedroom.

  She didn’t get an answer.

  “Rafe?”

  A tiny bit of panic laced through her. It wasn’t like him to disappear without telling her where he was going. She knew just how good dragon hearing was. He must have heard her. She padded across their bedroom and yanked open the door.

  She found the lights dimmed and lit candles on every surface. There was even a scattering of flower petals leading from the bedroom to the couch where they ate and cuddled most nights instead of sitting at the dining room table. Candles were there, too, on the coffee table next to a big meal.

  Lola walked forward, running the towel through her hair. She didn’t know what she’d done to deserve the special treatment. Did he suspect the news she wanted to give him?

  “It’s been a year since you fell out of the sky,” Rafe murmured behind her.

  One full year. She couldn’t believe how quickly time had passed. She couldn’t get enough time with Rafe. She doubted she’d ever grow tired of him.

  He was her mate and her everything.

  “You did all this for me?” She turned and let him wrap her in his arms. She rubbed her cheek against his solid chest.

  “I’d do anything for you.” He suddenly reached down and hooked an arm behind her knees and lifted her easily, only to deposit her on the couch.

  Instead of taking a seat next to her, he went straight to the kitchen and pulled something out the oven. The smell of warm pie reached her nose.

  Lola wiggled until she got comfortable in her spot. While Rafe still puttered in the kitchen, she decided to start her news. “One of the girls in my class asked me today where dragon babies came from. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I’m not quite sure.”

  She chewed on her lip. She thought she knew the answer. The stick she’d peed on certainly had an opinion. But she didn’t want to get his hopes up in case she was wrong. Even a year after being among dragons, she still had much to learn.

  “Well, when a dragon loves a woman…” Rafe sat next to her and added a plate of bread to the spread before them.

  She playfully slapped his chest and resumed toweling her hair. “Oh, stop! You know what I mean. Do dragon women give birth like regular women? Do you lay eggs? Can the babies zoom around the room on wings from the moment they hatch?”

  Rafe glowered at her. “We are not hatched and we do not zoom.”

  She stuck her tongue out at him. “Well, that’s disappointing. I would love to see you chasing down a little baby Rafe.”

  He froze. With a raised eyebrow, he turned his head toward her. “Does that mean what I think it does?” He asked slowly. His dark eyes were filled with a little bit of apprehension and a lot of hope.

  She nodded and tried to keep her cool. There was no hiding her excitement, though. Her face split into a huge grin and tears pricked the corners of her eyes. “We’re having a baby!”

  THE END

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  The Dragonsworn will return in 2017 with Singe!

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  About the Author

  Cecilia grew up in a what most call paradise, but she insists is humid hell. She escaped the heat with weekly journeys to the library, where she learned the basics of slaying dragons, magical abilities, and grand adventures.

  When it became apparent she wouldn’t be able to travel the high seas with princes or party with rock star vampires, Cecilia hunkered down to create her own worlds filled with sexy people in complicated situations. She now writes with the support of her own sexy man and many interruptions from her goofy dog.

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