I lunged to grab him, but the bastard vanished in a puff of smoke, and all I did was singe my hand.
“I thought you said I wasn’t your type.” Meera smirked.
“You’re not. That kiss was a mistake. It’s not happening again. I’m just protective because it’s my job.” I regretted the words the moment they spilled from my lips, but it was too late to take them back.
“Must be a tough job, being an asshole.”
She pretended I wasn’t in the room as she went around reading the book titles.
The awkward silence in the library was thick enough to choke on, so when Desmon finally sauntered in, I could’ve hugged him. He was in a burgundy velvet robe, his hair still tousled, clearly having been woken up earlier than expected by our arrival. His sharp gaze landed on Meera, assessing her with the same intensity he used to size up potential threats.
“Desmon,” I said, getting straight to business. “This is Meera. She’s the egg lady. And Meera… Desmon, the Dragon of Darlington.”
Desmon nodded, his expression reserved. “Meera. I trust you’ve kept it safe. I do not see the protective case I provided.”
Meera hesitated, hugging the egg tighter to her chest. She was trying to act casual, but I noticed the rigid set of her shoulders. She’d never met a dragon before, not even in human form. She swallowed hard, then forced a smile. “We had to leave the case in the SUV.”
“I see. Well, let’s have a look at it.”
Meera didn’t offer up the backpack. “What are you going to do with it? I’ve read about dragons destroying their siblings’ eggs to remove a rival. You’re not going to harm it, are you?”
She had guts to question a dragon. Was she brave? Or reckless? But then, she hadn’t struck me as the type to back down for much. Back in the day, they would’ve called her a willful woman, and it wouldn’t have been a compliment. But I found I rather liked it.
Back then, women often had to rely on guile and subterfuge to get what they wanted. And I already knew that type of woman was not for me.
Desmon raised an amused brow. “No, human. I’m not worried about it being a future rival.”
As if on cue, the library door swung open and Carly stepped inside, her wild mop of auburn hair threatening to escape from the messy bun atop her head. She had a pair of fuzzy slippers on, but unlike Desmon, she’d taken the time to put on some real clothes. Her dress boasted sunflowers and was bright and cheery, a perfect contrast to Desmon’s serious demeanor. She looked like the girl next door, rather than a dragon’s fated mate.
“What did I miss?”
Chapter 11
Meera
“Sowait,you’retellingme you’re going to have to lay an egg?” I gawked at Carly. “That egg is much bigger than a newborn’s skull.”
“Apparently, dragon eggs can come in many sizes. Sometimes even as big as a pumpkin. This one is pretty small. According to the records, eggs laid by human mates in the past were much smaller. But there aren’t many instances of it happening, especially in recent history.”
“I’m glad you won’t have to birth a cantaloupe when the time comes.”
She laughed. “Me too.”
We were sitting in a room dedicated to Q-Tip, Carly’s pet bunny. Toys littered the floor, and a handmade sign on the door read: Q-Tip’s Kingdom (Trespassers Will Be Nibbled). There was a fenced-in section which contained Q Tip’s cage, the door left open, a mushroom-shaped hidey house, and more hay than I could shake an applewood stick at. Unlike the library or the rest of the massive home, this place looked cozy and lived in, although the room was huge.
The menfolk were still talking in the library with Omelet.
Ugh! Graham had called it Omelet so many times, and nowIwas mentally calling it that.
And yes, I felt comfortable now letting the egg out of my sight. It was in good hands.
Earlier, Carly had entered the library, saw how tense the room was, and immediately diffused the situation.
She was such a sweetheart that I didn’t believe she’d let her dragon mate murder an innocent unhatched baby. I might have horrible taste in men, but I liked to think I wasn’t a bad judge of character when sex and physical attraction—and my stupid ovaries— weren’t involved.
She’d explained that they were trying to find out who had lost an egg. But so far, they had no leads. Though it was possiblybecause they couldn’t come right out and ask about it, and any dragon who’d lost an egg was unlikely to admit it. They’d probably try to retrieve the egg through some other means.
Feeling better about the situation, I’d handed over the egg. After a thorough examination, Desmon confirmed that it was indeed a dragon egg. I’d told my part of the story and even played the audio recording of the botched transaction at Karim’s office.
