“One of three what?” She lifted her head, her brow furrowing.
He smoothed the lines away. “The youngest of triplets.”
“Brilliant,” Ash groaned. “One dragon isn’t enough, yeah, let’s go for three.”
His laugh rumbled free, and he withdrew from her body. She hadn’t even realized the knot had eased. He settled her on the bed.
“Don’t move.”
“Move where?” she grumbled, glowering at him, still a little dizzy from the curveball he’d thrown her. “I doubt I could even walk right now—and three babies at once? Ugh.”
His warm chuckle wrapped around her as he sauntered in the direction of the bathroom, and she closed her eyes and let the thought of babies drift away to where they belonged—in the future—basking in the contentment while she waited for him to return.
The mattress dipped. He sat near her hip and stroked her thigh. “Spread.”
She opened one eye, saw the damp washcloth he held, and reached for it. “I can do that.”
“No, you just lie there.”
With a sleepy sigh, she parted her thighs, and he gently cleaned away the evidence of their lovemaking. Ash closed her eyes again, simply enjoying him—his careful, reverent touch—the quiet between them soft and full. But with each stroke, her desire hummed again.
With a muffled groan, she opened her drowsy lids. “I can’t lift a single limb,” she muttered, “and you’re still turning me into a furnace. Explain yourself.”
A ghost of a smile flickered. “Sit up. You need food.”
Ash did, shivering a little. She grabbed the crumpled throw hanging off the bed and draped it over herself as Race rolled the food trolley closer, a towel slung low around his lean hips.
Race handed her one of the plates—slices of roast beef with vegetables and a peppery sauce—and her mouth watered.
He picked up the other plate and sat on the bed. God, she was starving. She forked a bite of meat and vegetables into her mouth.
A smile started as she watched Race dig into his meal. “Look at you, using actual silverware.”
He snorted and glanced up. She grinned and took another bite, but her thoughts drifted to the things she still needed to do, including calling her parents?—
Oh, hell.Her heart tripped.
“Mating is like being married, right?” she blurted.
He stilled, the fork halfway to his mouth. “Why?”
“Because I need to tell my parents something, especially why I won’t be coming back home.”
Not a muscle moved as he watched her. “Our souls are joined, what do you think?”
“Okay, okay.” She jabbed a piece of broccoli. “So, it’s more than just a piece of paper saying we’re legally bound.”
“Exactly.” He resumed eating, but his gaze stayed on her. “You don’t seem happy.”
“Oh, it’s not that. It’s just…” She bit her lip. “Race, we met about three weeks ago. My parents are going to lose their minds.”
“Because they’ll think it’s a rebound?” he asked softly.
Oh, boy.He was stuck on that thought, but he wasn’t wrong. She grimaced. “Something like that.”
“They just have to look at us, and they’ll know,” he said, quiet certainty in his voice.
“Yes, true.” A little calmer, she ate her broccoli and grimaced. “Good thing I’d already stepped back from volunteering at the animal rescue.”
