Her dragon laughed, but Teagan ignored her.
~~~
Aaron turned his back on Teagan and took a deep breath. Resisting the female was exhausting.
His dragon spoke up. Stop lying. It’s fun. You’re just upset that you nearly pulled her close and kissed her.
You might fall for her pretty eyes and wit, but I have no interest in becoming a eunuch. I imagine she would be the one doing the kissing on her terms, or else sharp talons would skewer my balls.
Did you not see her flushed cheeks and flashing eyes?
He finished dishing out the chicken, potatoes, and veg. Just let me handle and survive this meal without too much commentary. Can you do that?
To Aaron’s surprise, his dragon fell silent.
Schooling his face into a neutral position, he carried the plates to the table and laid them down. Sliding into the seat across from Teagan, he motioned toward the food. “I assure you it’s not poisoned.”
She raised an eyebrow. “That thought hadn’t crossed my mind until now. Maybe I should be worried.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” He picked up a fork, took a bit of everything from her plate, and stuffed it into his mouth. Once he swallowed, he held up his hands. “Ta-da.”
She smiled, and his gaze was drawn to the dimple on one cheek. At her voice, he quickly looked back to her eyes as she said, “That was easy. I expected more arguing before you wanted to prove everything was fine.”
The amusement in her eyes, combined with her bloody perfect smile, made him want to poke her temper again. He felt more in control when she argued. It was easier to resist the desire to taste her lips when she was threatening various parts of his body.
His dragon chuckled. Aaron ignored him and dug into his meal. A minute ticked by in silence as they both ate. Teagan was first to break the silence. “The food is really good. Where did you learn to cook?”
Rather than make a quip, he decided to answer truthfully. Maybe then Teagan wouldn’t tempt him with another grin. “My mum. She said all males should know how to cook.”
“She’s a smart female.”
He smiled. “Aye, she is.”
When he didn’t elaborate, Teagan asked, “What else did she teach you?”
He couldn’t tell if Teagan was merely being polite or truly interested.
His dragon spoke up. Just tell her. It wouldn’t hurt to get on her good side.
At the curiosity in Teagan’s green eyes, the words spilled from his lips. “Everything, really. My father wasn’t big on being a parent in the first place.”
Fuck. He rarely talked about his father with anyone. What the hell was wrong with him?
His dragon chimed in. She’s a leader and you know she won’t share the information.
Teagan swallowed her latest bite and looked at him again. “Was your mother a sacrifice?”
Aaron decided what the hell. “No, I was born a few years before the program started on Stonefire. My parents were true mates that somehow went wrong.”
“Care to tell me why or is that in the ‘no fucking way’ column?”
He liked that she didn’t try to tame her language. “There’s not a whole lot to tell. My father was a bastard who liked to make my mum and me feel small and worthless through words. When I was old enough to stand up to him and threatened to fight him, he left and went to America to be with some of his distant relatives. We never saw him again and he eventually died there.”
He waited for pity to shine in Teagan’s eyes, but she merely tilted her head. “Well, at least you and your mother are free from him for good.”
“Yes, but I still worry about my mum after all these years. Most of her family lives in Italy, and she would be happier there. Caruso is her surname, not my father’s.”
As soon as the words slipped from his lips, Aaron wanted to take them back. She would probably ask why his mother wasn’t there, and he didn’t want to spoil the night talking about Nerina and his own fuckup.