“What I am about to share with you is a closely guarded secret among dragonkin.” Mahasti fixed both women with a stern glance. “Can you keep this a secret?”
“Of course, Mahasti,” Chloe assured her. Marcy promised the same.
The djinn’s smile lit up her entire face. “Good. As you know, all dragons maintain a vast hoard, but they don’t come by their riches by chance. Gemstones and precious metals... call to them, for lack of a better description. They’re attracted to it like iron to a magnet. It’s their greatest weakness, and also their curse, so to speak.”
“They can’t help themselves.”
“Correct,” Mahasti confirmed for Chloe. “I think if we take you down to the hoard, we might see if the same phenomenon occurs.”
“I dunno, Mahasti. I think I’d know if I was drawn towards, you know, diamonds and rubies and stuff.”
“How many diamonds and rubies have you been around recently?” Marcy demanded.
Chloe glanced at her engagement ring and tungsten band. Neither had a single diamond or ruby, but the precious black pearls and lovely opal made her smile. Given from the heart, even a piece of glass from Saul would have exceeded the worth of her ex-fiancé’s diamond.
“I’m not going to run over and dive into his collection like I’m Scrooge McDuck, am I?”
Mahasti laughed. “The effect would be weaker with you.”
“We haven’t visited Saul’s hoard since returning home from Texas. Is he going to be okay with this?”
“You’re his trusted and beloved mate, Chloe. Trust me when I say he approves wholeheartedly of your entrance here, whether he is present or not.”
“What about me?” Marcy asked.
Mahasti glanced at the lone outsider, a speculative look pursing her lips. “Leiv and I are Saul’s closest friends. As the same remains true between you and Chloe, you are entrusted with the same honor. Enter, but touch nothing without Chloe’s permission.”
Citing that Mahasti’s mode of rapid travel made her experience morning sickness too, Marcy requested for the two women to lead her to the underground chamber via their own feet. At the bottom of the stairs, the candles came alive with flames, shifting hues of blue that cast their shadows over the walls.
“It’s so damned cold down here,” Marcy muttered.
“Yeah, I thought that too the first time he brought me down. You get used to it.”
Chloe led the way into familiar territory, a massive cavern carved beneath the house, in the depths of a mountain, with smooth worn floors polished to a perfect gleam. The occasional lantern burned to reveal their winding path amidst Saul’s belongings, old and new treasures displayed on shelves, beneath glass displays, and sometimes piled haphazardly over tables or overflowing from chests.
“Holy shit. What doesn’t he have?”
“You tell me,” Chloe murmured. “Though it’s been a while since I last came down, and I guess he must have acquired some new things. Sounds like he has some wind chimes in here now.”
“I don’t hear anything,” Marcy said.
The mellow notes continued, each lyrical whisper louder than the last, leading her deeper into the chamber until the blue-flame lanterns reflected over gold coins spilling from the rearmost room. Beyond the open archway, the sight of Saul’s jewel-laced stash took her breath away. It sparkled in rainbow hues, luminescent under the thin ribbon of daylight that slanted through a clever skylight.
“This must be worth millions. Maybe more than millions.” Marcy whistled and crouched to peer at a perfect star sapphire amidst uncut rubies. “I promise not to take anything but can I touch—”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
She left Marcy sifting through sparklies and followed the melody into the back of the room where the lantern glow dimmed. There, in the darker corner of Saul’s sanctuary, the meager light bounced off the edge of a four poster bed tucked near the wall.
“It’s beautiful.” The ghostly lullaby calmed Chloe’s senses until she surrendered to her instincts and perched on the edge of the platform bed. She stroked the cool gemstone beneath her with one hand, tracing the fine whorls of pale green streaked throughout the dark texture.
Mahasti remained a respectful distance behind her. “It’s carved from a solid block of jade. Saul traded for it several years ago with a dragon from the east.”
“I’d feel like a queen sleeping in this. With a mattress though.”
A thin, memory foam mattress materialized beneath Chloe’s rump, speckled with blue cooling gel beads. A split second later, high thread count sheets in her favorite gold color whooshed into place, accompanied by body pillows.
“You’re spoiling me, Mahasti.” And she wouldn’t change it for the world. “It’s like lying on a cloud surrounded by my own personal string quartet. What song is that anyway?”
“I hear nothing, Chloe. You must hear what the dragons hear,” Mahasti said in her placid tone. “Which means that you must have dragon blood within you.”
Chloe traced her belly’s subtle curve and closed her eyes. Saul had gifted her a treasure beyond the worth of any gem in his hoard. He’d given her his child, and he’d granted her awareness of the magical world. For the first time since discovering her pregnancy, Chloe felt tears of absolute joy. They streaked down her cheeks as relief flooded her soul and lifted away the apprehensions of birthing Freddy’s child, confessing the truth to him, and accepting he was bound to her life.
Mahasti gave her privacy to enjoy the precious moment and stepped away from the carved niche at the rear of the horde. The subterranean space’s acoustics made it easy to overhear the djinn’s discussion with Marcy. She passed on stories regarding a few of the spectacular pieces in Saul’s collection as if she were a museum curator.
Marcy’s here, getting along with my new friend. This baby is Saul’s. Life just couldn’t be any more perfect.
After their treasure room explorations, the girls made a reluctant exit to return upstairs. Marcy exchanged a few texts with Antonio, canceling their plans for a movie date while she wolfed down her share of their afternoon snack. Upon receiving sufficient nourishment and rest, the two friends went for a tour of the grounds.
“Are these cows and sheep all for what I think they’re for?”
“What do you think they’re for?”
“I’m thinking of the T-rex scene from Jurassic Park.”
Chloe laughed. “You’re right. He doesn’t do it in front of me, but we snuggled in his hoard a few times to let him stretch out in his true form. We tried it out here and the bugs ate me alive.”
“Am I going to get to see him?” Marcy demanded.
“That’s up to Saul.” Like he’d miss the chance to show off his wings. He’s as vain as a preening parrot, Chloe thought.
“What’s that cabin over there?”
“Leiv lives there. You didn’t really get the chance to talk to him, but he’s a great guy.”
“So he’s a chauffeur slash groundskeeper?”
Chloe chuckled. “Among other things, yeah. You should have seen how sad he was when I drove the car to Vegas. He’s like the man of the house when Saul isn’t here, or when Saul goes into hibernation.”
“Him and Mahasti are boning, aren’t they?”
“Yep.”
“So are you going to, I dunno, lay an egg?”
The absurd question made Chloe laugh. “No! I think the doctor would have mentioned an eggshell in the ultrasound. Honestly.”
“Oh yeah, right.” Marcy rubbed her neck. “Sorry. The whole time in that room I was convinced I was having some fucked up dream. I kept thinking ‘I can’t wait to wake up and tell Chloe about this freaky nightmare.’ Shit... after touching enough jewels to fill a museum, I’m not convinced I really did wake up.”
Grinning, Chloe hooked their arms together and guided Marcy from the veranda. “You’ll really think you’re dreaming once you see Saul’s aquatic garden. Leiv convinced him to spring for a natural pool and it’s fantas
tic!”
“I don’t have a swim suit! You know I need that special one I bought if I’m going to fit—” Marcy patted her generous bottom. “—All this ass into a suit.”
“Mahasti has you covered. Trust me.”
The two friends tittered at the intentional pun and continued forward to their next adventure.
Chapter 11
Saul returned while Marcy and Chloe soaked in the sun alongside the pool. Clothed in his expensive Armani suit, he walked out onto the stone and crossed his arms. Both bikini-clad girls peeked up at him, almost in unison.
“Greetings, Marceline. Mahasti informed me that you came for an impromptu visit.”
“Oh yeah. Making myself at home.” Marcy’s lopsided, half-drunk smile made Chloe giggle. “Leiv makes the best drinks.” She sipped her tropical daiquiri and noisily sucked up the brown layer of rum from the bottom. A hangover wasn’t enough to discourage Marcy from imbibing enough for both of them.
“That he does,” Saul agreed.
“Hey, it isn’t too late to change my mind and move in, right? You guys will need a nanny or a babysitter. I’m also a great math tutor. Come on. Once you get that kiddo in school and see what the kids are doing these days, you’ll be screaming at Mahasti to bring me back.”
“Your presence is always welcome, Marceline.” Saul grinned. “But for now, I have been sent to fetch you both. Dinner will be ready shortly.”
“Do I get to see you au naturale?”
She’s taking this ridiculously well, Chloe thought. “Leave it to you to get straight to the point. I thought you’d at least stuff your face with food before you asked my husband to strip.”
Saul glanced at Chloe for approval, and when she shrugged, he loosened his tie and began unfastening his shirt.
Crap. “Saul!” Chloe cried, interrupting him. She swatted his hand as he reached his belt.
“What?”
Marcy covered her eyes. “Not looking! I meant au naturale as a dragon, not sexy Viking warrior and cock and stuff!”
“We didn’t mean for you to strip naked right now,” Chloe blurted out. She hadn’t yet acquired her husband’s lack of modesty. While Leiv and Mahasti regarded nudity with a similarly cavalier nature, she couldn’t bear to allow them to see her in anything less than her bathing suit.
“Oh. I misunderstood,” he said, abashed.
Marcy peeked from between her fingers. “I saw enough of you when you were strutting around the apartment half naked, Barney. You’re hot and all, but I think I’m happy without seeing all the goods.”
“Barney!?” Saul’s incredulous tone drew a peal of laughter from Chloe. “I am not a purple dinosaur.”
After dinner, while Marcy and Chloe chatted over herbal tea in the solarium, Saul startled them both by peeking in through one of the enormous windows. Marcy screamed and threw tea everywhere. A splash of the hot liquid scalded Chloe’s leg, feeling more like tepid water.
“Holy shit, he’s huge!”
“I warned you!”
Without picking up her teacup, Marcy darted to the balcony for a closer look. Saul settled on his hind legs and propped one forearm on the balcony edge, showing Marcy his massive claw.
“Oh my God, oh my God, he’s huge,” she repeated, trapped between feeling terror and awe. Clearly, she chose awe and reached one trembling hand toward the nearest maroon talon. Her fingers slid over the smooth, curved claw.
“Would you like a ride? Chloe has grown very fond of flying,” Saul said.
The dragon’s ability to speak caught Marcy off guard and stumbled her back into Chloe. She lost her balance then nearly toppled onto her ass until Saul adjusted his claw to catch her against the leathery paw pad.
“He won’t hurt you. I promise, he’s exactly the same guy he was before.”
“I’m not freaking,” Marcy replied quickly. “Not freaking.” Nor was she breathing. Her motionless body tensed from head to toe, but eventually her muscles relaxed and she dragged in a lungful of air. “He’s beautiful.”
“Yeah. He is.” Chloe smiled up at her golden-eyed dragon, expecting him to preen with pride. His magnificent wings fanned out to reveal their full span, while Marcy’s eyes widened even further.
“Fuck yeah, I want a ride!” Marcy finally cried out once the initial terror faded.
An hour later, once Marcy finally had enough of the wind whipping through her hair and the gorgeous expanse making up Saul’s thousands of acres, he deposited both ladies by the front door. They watched him amble off in search of a meal.
“He kind of smells like Felix when he’s fresh from the groomer.” Marcy sniffed her shirt, searching for Saul’s lingering scent.
“You know, you’re right.” Then Marcy shoved her. A playful nudge of both hands made Chloe stumble a step to the side. “What was that for!?”
“For not telling me about this when he came to my place for a month! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”
“I didn’t know how to tell you. I mean, if I outright said he was a mythological creature, you would have made some crack about his sexiness being magical and ignored me.”
Marcy grumbled a reluctant agreement, “I guess you’re right. Okay, as pleasant as that was, I feel a little scummy from the pool.”
“I’ll show you to one of the guest rooms. The bathrooms here are awesome. Mahasti will provide you with whatever clothes you think you need.”
A desire to soak away the morning’s stressful ordeal divided Chloe and Marcy for an hour. They chatted over the household’s intercom system from their individual bathrooms and met again in the room designated as the future nursery. Chloe brought her laptop along as directed and connected to the estate’s WiFi while Marcy marveled over the room’s design. Felix, ever curious, followed them and gave the space a thorough inspection. He explored the walk-in closet, batted at the drapes, and then made himself comfortable on the wide window ledge.
“Girl, you have an awesome view.” Marcy peered out while giving the large cat scratches beneath his chin. “I bet we could put a rocking chair right here... and I’m sort of envisioning the crib over there. Since we have access to Genie Airlines, I can come out whenever you’re ready to help paint.”
“You’d do that?”
“You’re my best friend. You bet your ass I’ll be here to help. I’ll get Mom’s brushes and stencils.” Marcy scanned the nursery’s barren interior and cream walls. She had always been the one with the artistic talent.
“I love you, Marce. I really, really do.” Grateful tears misted Chloe’s eyes, and without warning, she threw her arms around her friend.
Foresight or the gift of perfect timing allowed Saul to arrive at the conclusion of their heartfelt moment. The oblivious dragon passed Chloe his credit card without uttering a word.
“Seriously? He just hands off his platinum card and that’s that?”
“I don’t even argue with him anymore. ‘What’s his is mine.’ He says the same thing about that massive treasure room of priceless crap we showed you.”
“Crap?” Saul demanded. He crossed his arms, scandalized features drawing laughter from the two women.
“Uh. Beautiful relics,” Chloe corrected herself. He grinned and took a seat on the floor while they perused high-end baby stores online.
“Look, this crib converts into a toddler bed, then a full-size.” Marcy pointed at the laptop screen.
“It’s a good thing they don’t have a one-click feature,” Chloe muttered as she ticked the item off into her wish list for later comparison. “What do you think about this bed set, Saul?”
“Ah...” Both girls giggled at his befuddled expression.
“Men are always hopeless with baby stuff, Chloe, you know that.”
Saul cleared his throat. “The color is fetching. If you like it, my love, then I’m happy.”
A frenzied internet shopping spree ensued. As the evening dwindled, an unnatural silence fell over Saul until he no longer participated, aside from the o
ccasional curt nod. He excused himself from the impromptu three-person baby shower and retreated to the movie den where Chloe found him seated in front of an old black and white film an hour after his disappearance. He loved King Kong, and she’d watched it countless times with him since their reunion.
“What’s wrong?” she called.
“Many thoughts on my mind.”
This is as new to him as it is to me, Chloe thought. “About the baby? You’ll be an amazing father, Saul.” She scooted sideways onto his lap and set one arm around his broad shoulders. Her long legs went over the arm of the recliner once she slouched down to rest her cheek over his heart. She’d counted them once, a powerful but lazy rate of thirty-two beats a minute. Too slow to sustain a human, perfect for a dragon shifted into a smaller body.
“Perhaps.”
The brooding continued, a sour stain on Chloe’s mood that she longed to wash away with her good news. “Saul, there’s something you need to know. About the baby.”
“Is something the matter? Mahasti told me she convinced you to visit a physician. I hope all is well.”
Chloe bit her lower lip. His patience must have rubbed off on her, otherwise she would have never held the secret so long. The old Chloe would have blurted it out the moment he arrived poolside.
Sitting up, she studied his face and touched her fingers to his golden beard. Slim digits caressed the soft velvet, and then she kissed his lips. “You’re going to be a father.”
“We established this, Chloe. I will adopt your little one.”
“No, Saul. This baby is yours. You fathered our child. Your blood.”
For the first time in their relationship, Chloe witnessed Saul stunned into speechlessness with his gaze lowered to her belly. Guiding him with gentle hands, Chloe brought his left palm to her subtle bump.
“Our baby, Saul,” she whispered.
“That cannot be possible... I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“It is. While you were gone, Mahasti took me into the hoard to your gold collection... I never saw anything so radiant in all of my life. Now I know why I sleep so well with you in your vault, Saul. I do because our baby wants to be there. The gems sang to me. I always thought I heard sounds at night but... it’s so beautiful now. I can’t describe it.”
Mated by the Dragon (Loved by the Dragon, #2) Page 12
