The girl skipped beside them. “Ma wants a loaf of bread from the baker. Is that your dog?”
“It is,” Leo said. “This is Gwenyth. She’s my special lady.”
Gwenyth bit back a grin while Marcie ran her gaze over Gwenyth.
“She’s pretty.”
“Thank you,” Gwenyth said.
Leo led her through the village, past the butcher, and a shop that appeared to sell cheese and butter. She sniffed as they approached the baker’s shop.
Leo let the boy down. Marcie took her brother’s hand, and they waved goodbye before disappearing into the bakery.
Glossy fruit tarts cozied up to beautiful pies with intricate lattice tops. Another shelf contained small cakes, big cakes, layered cakes, and others with unique shapes. Each caught her gaze, tempted her. A plate of delicate cookies in pastel colors sat beside a larger dish of more robust chocolate-flecked ones. The appetizing scent of bread and spices had her tummy rumbling while her eyes delighted in the edible bounty.
“I think I have a sweet tooth,” she said. “I have an urgent craving for a cake.”
“Why don’t we return and purchase something for our midday meal once we have our marriage certificate in hand?” Leo suggested and urged her onward with a hand in the small of her back. “My dragon and I favor honeyed foods too, although we don’t indulge ourselves often. We restrict sweets if we’re training for our aerial battles.”
Gwenyth’s brows rose, and she poked his hard belly, humor spilling from her in a giggle. “You don’t need to worry.”
Leo shook his head and reclaimed her hand. He checked that the wolf-pup was following and headed farther down the cobblestone road. “If we put on weight and get flabby, we’d lose our title.”
“We couldn’t have that,” Gwenyth said, her tone dry. “I and the dozens of others wouldn’t enjoy studying your backside if you turned to fat.” She jerked her chin toward the group of whispering women to their right.
Another two younger women joined them, and one—a dark-haired woman—almost tripped over a cobblestone since she was ogling Leo so hard.
“Huh,” Leo said. “I’ve never noticed before.”
Gwenyth held back a snort of disbelief. A man as sexy as Leo? She’d bet the local women enjoyed the spectacle every time he visited. How could he not detect their interest? “Have you not dated any of the humans before?”
“Dated?”
“Courted them?” Hadn’t Leo intimated dragons didn’t choose their partners? “Had a meal or spent time with a human. Slept with them.” Heat collected in her cheeks when those words popped free, and she clapped a hand over her mouth.
Wow.Just wow.
What was wrong with her today? Men never rattled her. Calm and mature were her middle name. The information sprang into her brain, gave her pause. She strained to follow more of the logic but slammed into a brick wall of nothing. Gwenyth pushed at the darkness, and a jolt of pain warned her to cease.
“Sometimes, we visited the house of women who specialize in sex. If I’m at home, I remain on my land and only leave to purchase supplies. I visit the castle if my parents insist.”
“What about sex?” she blurted. Oops, there went her filter failure again.
“Sex is healthy, and while I enjoy a female’s body, neither my dragon nor I wish for complications. We are saving ourselves for you.”
“But I offered myself the other night, and you encouraged me to sleep.”
Leo ceased walking, a frown digging deep on his forehead. “You had a head injury and needed to recover from your dip in the sea. We want you to enjoy yourself, not consider us a responsibility.”
“I understand.”Lie.Didn’t all men accept an offer of no-strings sex? Once again, she followed the strand of remembrance before striking a wall.
“Ah, here is the church. Hopefully, Allen is present and can wed us straightaway.”
“What about a marriage license and the rules and regulations?” Somehow, Gwenyth understood these were necessary to ensure the legalities.
“I’m hoping the minister will understand the difficulty we face if this marriage does not go ahead. Jenny!” Leo clicked his fingers to signal the wolf-pup. She trotted over to Leo, and he scooped her into his arms.
“Why are you carrying her?” Gwenyth asked.
