“Hello,” she said, coolly as she could. Corin’s eyes burned into hers. He smiled as she approached, but—oh. Something was pissing him off. “I can’t leave you alone for ten minutes, can I?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Uh-huh.” She unlocked the door and Tomás practically flew out of her arms. He tottered a bit, seemed to remember he could actually fly after all, shifted, and whirled up the stairs.
Corin glanced after him. “He’s checking his hoard.”
“Well, a big, scary dragon was waiting outside his front door. He needs to make sure it’s all safe.” She hung her bag on the hook inside the door and beckoned Corin in. “What’s got you in such a mood, anyway?”
“What mood?” he growled.
She snorted and gestured the length of his body, ending with his face. He was trying hard, but there was still the trace of a scowl at the corners of his mouth. “This one. Bad day?”
“I had an exceptionally productive day, as it happens.”
“That bad, huh?”
“How can you—” He relented, his whole body softening. “Yes. A bad day. What’s the old saying? When the cat’s away, the mice will get themselves thrown out of the most exclusive nightclub in the country, and run shirtless around the financial district as a chaser.”
“Only shirtless? The Dans must be losing their touch.”
“And now they’ve vanished off the face of the earth, which probably means they’re hiding in their duskfire, destroyingmoreof their usual haunts. They’re…” He growled wordlessly.
“Hold that thought.” She slipped her arm into his and tugged him into the house. “We have a whole evening of talking business ahead of us.”
“I didn’t come here to talkbusiness.” This time, the growl in his voice was an entirely different flavor. A shiver of anticipation zipped up Maya’s spine.
“Butbeforethat, we have what is, I’m sorry to say, probably at least most of an evening spent wrestling a tiny dragon shifter through dinner, a bath, and bedtime. I hope you’re ready for this.”
“I can say with absolute confidence that I am not.” He straightened his shoulders. “But I intend to be a part of your life, Miss Flores. And that means I will be a part of your son’s life, as well. I told you. You don’t have to do this alone anymore.”
She couldn’t find the words to reply. “You—”
“I want to be part of your family, Maya. If you will let me.”
Her breath rushed out, taking with it a tension she hadn’t known was still clenched in her shoulders until it was gone. “The three of us?”
“You’re a package deal, Maya. Tomás is your child. I will care for him as though he were my own.”
She had a chance to be happy now. Time to grab it with both hands.
“As though he were your own, huh? Does that include wiping more food off the ceiling? Because if so, I have great news for you.”
Corin braced himself as though they were heading for battle, not dinner. “Lead on. I’m ready.”
20
Corin
He was not ready.
Even his experience taking Tomás off Maya’s hands the other day so she could sleep was nothing compared to this. Then, he’d had Apollo and Felicity to help. Three adults to one shifter toddler had been a sensible ratio.
Evidently, Tomás behaved better for his mom’s friends than he did for mom herself—especially when the end of the meal meant, not a day playing with his friends, but the dreadedsleep.
Food was thrown. Cutlery was thrown. Clothing was thrown. The ceiling was redecorated yet again. Maya hadn’t been exaggerating.
Except … maybe she had been. Because the panicked look in her eyes told him that even she hadn’t been expecting quite this level of toddler trouble.
