“Should I expect your brothers or parents to turn up on my doorstep?”
There was another pause. “I don’t think so.”
Something in her tone sounded off, and he filed that away to think about later. “Do you have questions for me?”
“No, Noel and I are getting along well. He’s having a nap now.”
“That’s impressive,” Max said. “I always have trouble getting him to sleep after lunch.”
“I bribed him,” she said with a laugh.
The rich sound hit Max straight in the groin. God, his grandmother was right. Sasha was too young for what he was thinking. She was an innocent as her kiss had shown him last night. The memory brought another inappropriate wave of heat charging through him. While she was innocent, she intrigued him in a way no other woman had during the last months. Hell, he had to concentrate hard to recall the last time he’d had sex. His brow creased. Ah, yes. The week-long trip to London before Christmas when he’d still been engaged.
“Are you there?” Sasha asked.
“Sorry.” Max jerked back to the present. “My boss needs me to stay in Edinburgh for two extra nights. I’m sorry to dump this on you, but I can’t afford to lose this job.”
“Noel and I will keep busy,” Sasha said.
Max stilled, waiting for more. Complaints. Something.
Instead, she said, “Is Mr. Google always right?”
Max grinned, curiosity about her background coming to the fore. “Not all the time, but mostly. You told me you don’t have phones and the internet where you come from. It must be a small place.”
“Not really.” Her response didn’t offer the information he craved.
Someone knocked at his door, and frustration leaped to life in him. He dragged a hand through his hair and glared when the person knocked again, knowing he had to end their conversation. “I’ll contact you and Noel later tonight so I can say good night. Do you remember what to do?”
“Yes,” Sasha said.
Her confidence made him grin. The womanwasa fearless dragon, and he desperately wanted to unravel her mysterious façade.
5 – Fish Have Fingers?
“Beach,” Noel said the instant he woke.
Sasha grinned at the determined child. “Would you like to swim?”
His brows drew together. “Can’t swim.”
“You haven’t learned?”
“Too little. Not strong,” Noel said, matter-of-fact.
Sasha could see his disappointment in the way his shoulders drooped.
“Fix it,”her dragon demanded.
“Do you have swimming clothes?”
Noel brightened. “Yes.”
“Right. We’ll get you changed and put lotion on your skin so the sun won’t burn you again. I made a batch while you were sleeping.”
“Are we swimming?”her dragon asked.
“No, we’ll get Noel paddling in the water and let his confidence grow. I asked Mr. Google, and he mentioned swimming is an excellent exercise. It should help Noel grow stronger, but we must monitor him constantly and watch for waves that might knock him over and frighten him.”
