by Starla Night
Argh.
“Show me Liam and I will,” Rose snapped.
Briar waved her hand. “How can I keep track of him? He’s a kid.”
“He’s four! You can’t let him wander. If you can’t find him, I’m calling the police!”
“You’ll get him put in the system,” Briar sang.
“Better than kidnapped!”
Jasper landed beside them and covered Rose’s phone before she finished dialing. “Kyan’s security force was tracking him. He isn’t in any danger.”
“Then where—”
“He’s at the park.”
“Where? Alone?”
Jasper pointed down the block. “Yes, alone. So there is no danger.”
“That’s dangerous!” Rose ran pell-mell to the concrete playfield. Old pipes connected to empty slides, wooden platforms, and swings. “Liam? Liam!” She whirled on Jasper, who paced her. “Where is he?”
“Rose?” Liam’s peeped from inside one of the pipes.
She raced to it and peered in. “I’m here. Come out.”
He scrunched into a corner. “The bogeyman. He’s here.”
“He is here,” she affirmed, “and I’m kicking his butt. Come out and watch.”
“He chased me.” Liam sniffed. “I had to run and hide.”
“He’s not chasing anyone anymore. I’m going to get him good.”
“Rose,” Briar called, sing-song.
Liam stilled. “He found me.”
“You’re not going back with your mom. I promise you.” Rose held out her hand.
Liam’s wide eyes took in Jasper hovering behind her. “Is Jasper going to eat the bogeyman?”
“Yeah, he’s got a medical ship that’s going to take the bogeyman out of your mom so she can be herself again. And in the meantime, we will keep you safe. I promise.”
He crept shakily out of the pipe.
Rose captured his skinny arm and pulled him into her embrace. He clung onto her sobbing. She murmured how much she’d missed him. He was wearing the same outfit from days ago; the back pocket had ripped off and dirt streaked his T-shirt.
Jasper stood before her, grim.
“Not in any danger?” Rose muttered, ready to give Kyan’s so-called security force a piece of her mind.
“Not in danger of being shot or blown up,” Jasper clarified, sharing her irritation. “I’ve already spoken to Kyan about our different meanings of ‘watch over,’ I promise.”
“Hmph.”
“Rose.” Briar strolled into the park. “You found Liam. Time to let his loving mother take him. You’re just a distant aunt who doesn’t even care enough to say you love him out loud.”
Liam cried harder.
“He’s coming with me.” Rose stepped into Jasper’s arms.
Briar’s mouth dropped. “But I’m his mother.”
“Act like it.”
“Grandma always says—”
“Yeah, Grandma’s wrong. Jasper, let’s go.”
He hesitated. “You will not have Briar sign the custody agreement?”
“She refused. We’ll have to take her to court. And we’ll do it with Liam in our possession, not hers.”
Briar huffed. “Hey, I didn’t refuse, okay? I just didn’t feel like signing right then. Come back tomorrow and ask me. I’ll say yes tomorrow.”
Rose changed arms, hugging Liam as tight as he hugged her. “We can’t come back. If you don’t sign the agreement now, we’re taking you to court, and future communication has to go through our lawyer.”
“What is this? High-pressure sales? I want the night to think about it.”
“Have all the nights. Jasper, give her the card for my lawyer.”
Briar stuck out her lips. “If I don’t sign right now, you won’t call me?”
“Correct.”
She rolled her eyes and squinted at the sun, then jerked her chin at Rose’s left hand. “Give me the ring.”
Rose looked down at her diamonds. “You want my engagement ring?”
“Yeah, come on. You don’t need it. He’s rich. It’ll look better on me.”
Rose hardened. “Sign the papers.”
“You give me the ring and I’ll sign,” Briar smirked. “I swear.”
Jasper tilted his head at Rose.
Rose shook her head. “I can’t seem to hold on to this thing.”
“We can buy another. You said this one was too fancy for you.”
“Ha.” Briar held out her palm. “Now I know it means a lot to you. Give it to me.”
Rose tugged off the ring and tossed it in the short grass. It gleamed like a colorful stone.
Briar sighed. “Childish, much?” She started for the ring.
“Sign first, or else Jasper will fly over and nab the ring before you get to it.”
Briar narrowed her eyes. “You could fly over after I sign.”
“I will not,” he vowed. “Even though it’s Rose’s ring that I gifted her for marriage. I vow on my honor as a no-name, low-caste, consultant dragon.”
“Funny.” Briar clicked the pen and scrawled her signature, then ambled over to the ring and picked it up. “Pretty. Is this a real diamond?”
“It’s real,” Jasper assured her. “Created in the StarCenter labs, the highest certified jeweler on Draconis. It’s worth more than a million.”
She made a sarcastic oooh that showed she barely comprehended what he’d said. The issue wasn’t about the money to her. Briar had never grasped money. She just wanted a token Rose valued. Something that would make Briar feel more important in Rose’s life. The ring was worth a million, but she would have wanted it just as much if it had been a plastic ring from a vending machine. Like the phone calls, she wanted to be wanted.
If it led to Briar’s healing, then Rose could make a hundred phone calls.
Rose rested Liam, who subsided to hiccups, in Jasper’s arms. “I’ll call you tomorrow to talk about treatment.”
“Yeah, right.” Briar didn’t look away from her ring. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Then, tomorrow, Briar would believe.
But for now, Rose had to take care of her family. She tapped Jasper’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”
Jasper jumped into the air and flew them to his spaceship.
Finally, they were going home.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Jasper stepped into his spaceship’s grand entrance and held the door.
Rose yawned with the change of pressure. She smiled and passed him, heading up the stairs. “Can you grab Liam water and a snack?”
“I can.”
“Thanks!”
It felt right to have them here again.
Her relief was also clear. She gave Liam a warm bath while Jasper prepared food; Liam could barely keep his eyes open. She got him into clean pajamas, and he passed out while she was conditioning his hair, chicken nuggets clutched in both his little hands. Rose swabbed the unchewed bites out of his mouth and brushed his teeth. He sagged over her shoulder. She tucked him into bed.
“I love you, Liam.” She spoke loud and proud.
He smiled in his sleep.
Rose closed the door softly and collapsed into Jasper’s arms. “I feel shaky. It can’t be over. Something terrible is going to pop up and surprise me.”
“You might be hungry.”
She blinked and covered her belly. “I’m starving!”
He flew her to the kitchen, served her an appetizer plate of instant-cook cheese rolls, crab puffs, Liam’s leftovers, and mini lobster-avocado toasts dusted with zesty lime curls. While she inhaled the simple hors d’oeuvres, he constructed a delicious, hearty meal of dry-aged strip meat seared at high heat, wild mushroom risotto, truffled potatoes, and orchard fruit. Arranging dishes on the tray in an artful presentation along with functional implements and a decorative orchid made his heart swell with happiness. He liked the challenge of managing vast supply chains, but providing well for his loved ones brought him true satisfaction.
>
Jasper carried the tray in.
Rose leaned back and rested one hand on her belly as she stared into space, her other hand cupped a half-drunk herbal tea; she’d picked the appetizer plate clean.
She saw him and straightened, eyes wide. “I forgot it was coming and stuffed myself. Sorry. I should have stopped you.”
He slid the tray in front of her and sat in the next closest seat, needing to be closer to her. “You’re satisfied?”
“I haven’t eaten well in weeks.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “And I’ve been so nervous about the showdown I’ve been running off adrenaline and coffee.”
“You defeated Adviser Wrathmoda with rare skill.” He crunched a piece of apple.
“Huh?” She opened her eyes and frowned, then sat up. “Oh, yeah. I meant the showdown with Briar. The adviser terrified me but, with the rest of the team helping, I felt like we had a shot. And we did! Together…”
He rubbed her shoulders.
She leaned against him, trusting in him.
He helped himself to the risotto. “Will Briar complete the treatments?”
“I don’t know. If she thinks she can get under my skin by doing it, it’s possible. She’s been to so many hospitals.”
“You convinced her to sign the custody papers.”
“I hope she does treatment before we need to go to family court, but if not, well, then I’ll fight.” She drummed her fingers on the table. “The first thing I’m going to do with my paycheck is therapy for Liam. We’re on a waiting list. Kids are resilient, and he’s getting everything he needs to bounce back.”
“I love it when you talk about managing resources.” Jasper grinned.
She traded a smile. “Yeah, sure.”
But he was being serious. Rose could dream up extravagant presents for herself, gemstones and furnishings for her lair, and that would be fine, too. But she devoted her top energy to her family. She really was his perfect female.
“We’ll have to find a new place for Grandma,” Rose said, returning to thinking aloud. “Somewhere that doesn’t mind her credit history or late rent payments…”
“Your grandmother can move back into her old duplex.”
“It’s no longer condemned?”
“I tore it down. The rebuild should finish in weeks.”
“You bought it?” she repeated, amazed. “When?”
“Just after the housing authority condemned it. Luis is contacting everyone who rented. It’s only fair they get the first chance to return.”
“First chance…” She shook her head and laughed awkwardly. “Grandma won’t know what to do with a new apartment. We’ve never had one. That’s amazing.”
“It’s putting things to right,” he replied, “like you and Briar and Liam.”
Her eyes grew big. “I threw your ring. Again.”
He set aside his dinner and pulled her onto his lap, settling her against his powerful erection. “You wanted a different one anyway.”
“I still love it. But yeah, I want a smaller one that I don’t have to worry about losing.”
“We’ll pick it out together.”
He kissed her bare finger and teased the knuckle.
Her eyes glued to his teasing and her lips parted. Her tongue caressed the soft gold shimmer. “Lock the doors.”
He clicked the remote. The kitchen and dining room doors slid shut and locked them into the safe, private dining room alone.
He tongued the delicate skin between her fingers.
She let out a little moan. Her breasts heaved beneath her shirt.
He slid the fabric up and over her head; she tossed it over her shoulders to reveal a bronze satin bra adorned with silver roses. He stroked the hard points of her nipples.
She closed her eyes and arched her back, sliding her vee against his ready cock.
“This looks better on you than I imagined.”
“It’s going to look even better off me.” She unsnapped her bra, eased the satin over her arms, and bared herself to his hungry gaze.
He claimed her mouth with his kiss, plunging in and tasting her, and then he kissed down her collar and suckled her breasts, first one and then the other, sliding his thumbs over her hard dark pearls.
She gripped his hair and writhed against his cock, arousing him with fierce desire.
He flicked out his claws and zipped down the sides of her jeans, separating the hems from her soft skin.
She sat on the table, kicked off her socks, and wiggled out of the denim shreds, then hooked his belt loops and yanked him on top. She met his hungry mouth with her own counterclaim, shoved her hand beneath his belt, and gripped his turgid cock.
He groaned.
She murmured wishes so hot he almost lost himself in her tight little hand.
He shredded his own pants and boxers, found her dripping wet entrance, and dropped between her knees to worship her feminine beauty.
She rocked up onto her elbows to watch.
He slicked her with his tongue, finding every crevice and claiming it for his own, supping on her floral syrup. Her taste shot into his veins like opium and made his scales shiver to the surface.
She fisted her hands in his hair and moaned his name.
He concentrated on her hot little nub, stroking it hard and flat and fast as she gasped and writhed, driving him closer, until she arched her back and shrieked.
Jasper lifted over her, claiming her boneless pleasured form with possession. She was his, forever and ever. Only he would pleasure her. And only she would be his pleasure.
She forced her eyes open and returned his gaze. Her sloppy, satisfied smile changed to wicked need. She hooked one leg around his waist. “You’re not done yet, right?”
He let her guide his cock to her liquid entrance and make her own assessment. Then, he lowered over her body on one elbow to stroke her forehead. “I’ve only just begun.”
Her smile broadened and her eyes darkened with sweet heat. She hooked her other leg around his butt and contracted.
He slid into her hot, wet channel, filling her to the brim.
She moaned and shuddered. “Yes.”
He withdrew.
She grabbed his shoulders. “No, no.”
He pushed back in, buried to the hilt.
“Yes,” she sighed, and they began their mating dance, male to female, human to dragon, husband to wife.
He thrust into her slow and steady, building her climax a second time, savoring every inch of his cock encased in her feminine channel. They were one. This was the moment he had been made for. Connecting with his wife, filling her with pleasure, uniting their bodies to make a child.
Rose urged him faster, lifting her hips to meet his thrust. Her human nails traced needy scratches across his back and she gasped for him.
Hunger flared. He lifted on an elbow to avoid crushing her with his hunger, to gaze into her wild eyes, witness her desire as she writhed beneath his body. She grabbed his hips and arched, screaming her climax. He rushed into her welcoming center, filling her with his hot, wet release.
Rose shuddered, as though climaxing a third time, and then she collapsed on the table so decisively it made a hollow thunk, which made her giggle. He chuckled and then shivered, the after-effects of his emotional and spiritual release. She laughed, and her feminine muscles squeezed his sensitive cock; his twitch only made her laugh harder until they separated. He flew her up to the bath, deeply satisfied, and they cleaned up and brushed teeth.
She rubbed her thighs and winced.
His satisfaction stopped cold. “Are you okay?”
“Fine. Just sore.” She smiled at him with an invitation. “Is this one area you know how to massage?”
“Yes, Rose.”
They finished, and he swept her away to the gold four-poster bed. She laughed again at its ridiculousness but sank into his caress—and more. Another bout of love-making sated her, and she yawned her way through the second clean up, then got back into bed and curled agains
t him.
He stroked her smooth, satin-covered shoulder.
She was fed, sated, clean, and warm. Her relatives were as settled as he could make them, with better futures on the horizon. His own siblings had survived setbacks, and over half the Onyx dragons had found happiness with their own beloved mates in safe, well-stocked lairs. Cheryl and Mal already expected the next generation of dragonlets. And perhaps Larimar’s export would even change the Dragon Empire for good.
Alex and Flint had no mates to support them. Flint lacked opportunity rather than desire, but Alex froze out budding attachments. He’d learned to look Jasper in the eye and smile, but the coldness in his eyes could not bridge the distance, and he had no true friends.
Was there no happy ending for these two? Would Empress Horribus awaken from her death sleep, like Adviser Wrathmoda feared, and offer to marry one of them? And why did Alex only have three days to show Mother his female? Jasper didn’t check his phone, but he hoped the voice message warning at least had been received.
Those were problems for another day.
With Rose at his side, his team was secure. Jasper held her tight, dropped his head to the pillow, and fell into a sound, well-deserved sleep.
Dear reader,
Thanks so much for reading. If you enjoyed this story, please leave a review! Nothing helps an author more, and your fellow readers appreciate your honesty.
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Sincerely,
Starla
What’s Next?
Alex is as cold as he is beautiful, coveted only for his looks and no one has breached the ice to reach his heart. Until her. A woman with a heart so big, a love so sweet, and a passion so sizzling even ice will burn.
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