Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76943 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76943 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
“On a date?” Wiggling side to side, Merritt smiled wider. “Mates go on dates. Everyone knows that.”
It was such a logical statement that I realized he’d probably met people who hadn’t dated after they’d realized they were mates.
Had they just moved in together?
“Yes. I think dating is very important because I want to get to know you and not rush either of us. Just because I know you’re mine doesn’t mean I have to take you home tonight.” Hmm. “Even if I want to.”
Yes, admitting that had been the way to go based on his blush and the cute giggle that had escaped. “You want to?”
There was an innocence to the teasing question that made me respond carefully and without too much adult in the answer. “You’re my mate, silly goose. And I’m a dragon, so I want to keep you. But I’m going to be patient.”
His snicker said he liked the answer but the way he started wiggling faster would’ve been a clue too. “Dragons like keeping their mates. I’m a mage. I’m not a goose.”
He could probably turn himself into a silly goose, but since I had no desire to be chased around while he squawked because he thought it’d be funny, I agreed with him. “You’re definitely a silly mage. You think the naughty men are funny and you like Kenzie and the sparkly one that’s always causing trouble. Lorne. Yes.”
Names usually weren’t hard for me but I’d never met anyone with their names before, so it was making it more difficult.
“Noooo…” Stretching out the word, he gave me an adorably wide-eyed frown. “I’m a good boy, Daddy. I just have to be nice. So I’m nice to the naughty people too.”
Bullshit.
“Is that it?” Nodding along with his nonsense, I let out a deep breath. “I’m glad. You look very sweet and nice.”
His snickers were not helping his image, but he was trying, so that counted.
“You look like a big strong dragon, Daddy.” His attempt at buttering me up was appreciated too, though. “And you share and you used good manners.”
Well, he’d helped me use good manners at the very least.
I hadn’t missed the way he’d been helpful every time he thought I was going to say something rude. He was very good at keeping his Daddy from offending everyone in town all at once. “You were a good helper. Thank you for that.”
I needed to get more information about what was going on before I pissed everyone off.
“I’m a good helper.” Sitting straighter, he did a little happy dance. “Mates should be good helpers.”
So it was a mate’s job to keep their mate from being a political disaster? Sounded reasonable to me. “Yes, but they can do that in different ways. I’m good with helping with cake and helping to color and taking care of my little mage.”
His shoulders shook as he snickered and forgot he was supposed to look sweet. “I’m a good helper with silly people.”
Oh yes.
“You were very good with the silly people and you were very helpful when you made a bubble for us.” That’d been amazing and incredibly easy for my fascinating little mate. He’d done it without getting out of his little headspace and it was so subtle everyone had just shifted around us without thinking about what he’d done.
Even two mages who’d walked by had shifted around the bubble without reacting to it at all. At the very least, I had an accomplished mate in several different categories without even taking into consideration how well he was managing me.
“Daddy needed a bubble.” Shrugging, he didn’t seem to realize how incredibly easy the magic was for him. “So I gave Daddy a bubble.”
“You did and I appreciate it.” It’d been exactly what I’d needed in the moment. “I think I’m used to spending more of my day alone and no one does that here.”
At work I made calls and appeared in court, but I had a lot of alone time sprinkled in my day. Hell, even when I went to the ranch to help out there was more quiet time than talking. The locals here didn’t seem to need that and were always around.
They’d even tracked me down at my hotel room to see if I needed anything and to show me around town. That was nice, but after the third round of people to come visit, it’d been exhausting.
“Hmm.” Scrunching his face up, Merritt made a thoughtful sound. “They like peopling, Daddy.”
“I would have to agree.” They liked it a lot. “They’re probably getting enough quiet time when they go home at night and don’t really think about it?”
I couldn’t find a better explanation but Merritt nodded and seemed to agree with me. “People don’t think.”
That was for damned sure.
“They don’t think about talking or making blue banana cake or doing a good job with the portal.” Merritt shook his head like they’d been very naughty.