Warmth squeezed his heart as he floured the marble counter and tipped out his pastry. She sounded angry on his behalf. Indignant because his parents had been hands-off in their child-rearing. He and his brothers had possessed material advantages and had plenty of food to fill their bellies. Despite the bullying, he’d had many advantages others of his age lacked.
“How long have we been married?” she asked. “I can ask that question?”
His parents would ask. “Almost one week,” he said.
“Why don’t I have any clothes or possessions with me?”
“How are you going to answer that one?”his dragon queried with an air of smartarse.
“You traveled to Hissing Isle by boat. There was a storm.” Leo shrugged. “The North Sea is unpredictable and punishing. You almost drowned. I will wash the clothes you were wearing later.”
“Not bad,”his dragon purred.“You should publish a fairy tale.”
“Is that how I hurt my head and lost my memories?”
“I couldn’t get to you fast enough.” The truth as far as it went. He’d been so shocked to see her, and he hadn’t acted with his usual speed and clear thinking.
“But you did get to me,” she said. “Was anyone else hurt?”
“No, everyone is safe.”
“I’m glad,” she said with a yawn. “Maybe I’ll go to sleep now. I don’t think I can wait for the pie.”
“I’ll save you some,” Leo promised and wiped his hands.
“Is there a toothbrush I can use?”
“I have tooth cleanser. Swish it around your mouth. No brushing required.”
She nodded, wincing as she climbed off the stool.
“Take a quick shower to warm your muscles,” he said. “I’d recommend a soak, but I worry you might fall asleep in the middle of your bathing.”
“My skin is itchy. I presume it is from my dip in the sea. A shower would be most welcome.” She limped to the kitchen doorway and hesitated. “I don’t remember which way to go.”
Leo placed the pie inside the cooking square and set a timer to remind himself to check on it later. He wiped his hands and strode over to her. “This way, my lodestone.”
Leo guided her past his bedroom and through a connected tunnel that led to a hot pool. He bypassed the steaming pool and directed her to the water drop he’d designed. It was much like a shower, but it ran continually and emptied into an underground stream that emerged lower down in a valley.
“I need to check my cattle. Will you be all right on your own? I won’t take long.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said, reaching over to squeeze his forearm.
“Once the pie is cooked, and you’re tucked in bed for your nap, I’ll leave.”
She smiled. “This is an amazing area. I can’t believe I have no memory of this.” She set the wrap on a wall peg and started unbuttoning her shirt.
Leo blinked as she let his shirt drop over one shoulder and drift to the insulation mat. His dragon purred so hard, Leo’s skin vibrated, yet he couldn’t remove his gaze from her pale skin and rounded buttocks. “You’re mesmerizing,” he murmured.
She turned to him with an impish grin, giving him a glimpse of her breasts. “You think so even with all these scrapes and bruises?”
“I do,” Leo said firmly, entranced by her feminine curves. While she wasn’t as robust as most female dragons, her humor and smiles more than made up for her differences. Some might call them deficiencies. Her inability to fly. Her lack of fire. “I’ll get you a towel and a robe.”
“Thanks,” she said.
“We’re keeping her,”his dragon stated as Leo made good on his promise. He returned to his bedroom for the robe and pulled a towel from a storage cupboard.
“What if she belongs to another?”Or worse, his parents drove her away. As rulers of the clan on Hissing Isle, they had the power to make his life uncomfortable if he continued with this lie.
