Loved by the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons 4.50)

Bram waved a hand. “Oh, just how he wants to scare away males when Eleanor is older.”

Evie grinned. “I can get on board with that, especially if it’s a growly dragonman.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Human males are just as randy as dragon-shifters.”

“I’m not so sure about that.”

Neither one of them mentioned how dragon-shifter females still couldn’t legally mate human males. Of course, knowing his Evie, she’d find a way to make it work if Eleanor fell for a human.

Touching his daughter’s head, Bram met Evie’s eyes and they shared a moment. There was something extremely intimate and precious about spending time alone with his mate and new daughter as Eleanor nursed.

His dragon growled. Don’t forget about Evie’s surprise.

Taking out his mobile phone with his free hand, Bram broke the silence. “Once Eleanor’s fed, are you ready for your surprise?”

“Do you really need to ask that question?”

He shrugged. “Hey, you’re the one who said she might be tired after half an hour. I’m just looking out for my mate.”

Evie shook her head. “Sometimes, I wonder how I put up with you.”

He leaned over and gently kissed her. “Because you love me.”

She sighed. “Yes, it’s true. But I have my limits. I want to know what you’ve been hiding from me.”

Bram sent a text message and then looked back to Evie. “Give it ten minutes, love. Feed our daughter and then I can take her whilst you enjoy the surprise.”

Evie studied him a second before saying, “You’re a tease, Bram Moore-Llewellyn.”

“Bloody right I am. But you love me anyway.”

As he and his mate smiled at one another, Bram only hoped Evie wouldn’t kill him later. In time, she’d appreciate his surprise. In the short term, however, she might smack him in the bollocks with a cricket bat the first chance she had.

~~~

When Eleanor was fed and burped, Evie handed over the baby to Bram. “Well? Where’s my surprise?”

“It’s waiting next door.”

Bram held Eleanor against his shoulder with one hand and opened the door. Exiting the room, Evie’s heart thumped inside her chest.

Once upon a time, she’d hated surprises. Mostly because every surprise up until she’d met Bram had been a disappointment. Finding out she wasn’t compatible to sacrifice herself to a dragon; losing most of her so-called friends after joining the DDA; or, most importantly, her parents’ decision to move to Spain years ago because of the threats they’d received because of Evie’s DDA job.

But she trusted Bram. He would never do anything to hurt her. Hell, he’d executed a rescue mission to save her from the dragon hunters earlier in the year. He would die rather than cause her pain.

Right, Evie. Get a grip. After taking a deep breath, Evie opened the door to the adjacent room and was greeted by the sight of someone she hadn’t seen in over five years. “Mum.”

A woman in her late fifties with red hair streaked with gray turned toward her and gave a weak smile. “Hello, Evie.”

Evie looked from her mum to Bram and back again. “What? How? I don’t understand.”

Bram nudged her with his shoulder. “Just give your mum five minutes. If after that, you want her to leave, Kai will escort her away. I’ll be waiting just outside the door.”

Before Evie could do more than blink, Bram had closed the door behind him and Evie was alone with her mother.

She clenched her fingers as she tried to figure out what to say to the woman who had ran away to Spain and never looked back.

Evie’s mum, Karen, reached out a hand and then retreated. “You have quite the persuasive husband, Evie. He really does love you.”