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We were still holding hands and I had to tell him the rest.

That you’re mates? My dragon was eager for us to mark one another.

No.

River gave me a look before glancing around. “Your expression changed. Are you talking to yourself?”

“No, my beast.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Your kids already told me. You can say dragon.”

“Yes, that’s my dragon.”

I silently begged him to hold on tight, but he didn’t let go. All those seconds I’d been counting and I’d been sure he’d run as soon as he knew. But he was still here.

“The flames, warm skin, the everything. It’s my dragon and the girls’, though they haven’t met theirs yet.”

“A dragon as in a real fire-breathing dragon. You, my boss, the man I slept with, has a dragon inside him?”

“That was just me,” I whispered. “Sleeping with you was all me.”

“Mmmm, I kinda gathered that. I was there.” He put his other hand on mine. “Got any more secrets to tell me? Now’s your chance.”

TEN

RIVER

“Got any more secrets to tell me? Now’s your chance.”

Sinclair dipped his head and studied his hand that was sandwiched between both of mine. He pressed his lips into a straight line. That plus his refusal to look me in the eye suggested he was holding something back.

“Daddy!” Ivy was shrieking from upstairs. But I recognized the tone. It wasn’t an emergency. She was trying to get her father’s attention.

The tramping down the stairs alerted me that all three children were on their way.

“Can we show River now?” Poppy appeared composed, but her sisters, who were standing on either side of her, were vibrating with excitement.

I tilted my head toward Sinclair. “Your children have great timing.”

He looked at me, and I sensed relief that the girls had interrupted us.

“Let’s skip baths and go straight to bed,” I told them. “I’ll be up soon.”

“That’s a great idea.” Wren giggled. “We want to show you something.”

“Dragons?” That got my pulse racing, though I was eager to perhaps be the first human to see a dragon. My eyes roamed around the room.

“No.” The girls surrounded me and dragged me upstairs. The connecting doors between their rooms were open, and they insisted they’d be sleeping together tonight.

Poppy slid one hand under the covers. Damn, I thought we were done with the tricks. There was probably a spider between the sheets and they expected me to crawl in with them while I read a story.

“This bed is so cold.” Poppy’s grin made me more suspicious than before.

Ivy crawled under the covers. “I’m freezing.” Her teeth chattered, but the timing was off so it was definitely fake. “Whatever shall I do?”

“Don’t ever give up your day jobs for acting, girls.”

“Huh?” The three of them gave me a puzzled look.