Page 30 of Dragon My Crazy

“I’ll stay,” I said, lifting my chin. “I’ll stay. For Melly.”

“Sure. For Melly.”

I rolled my eyes, but my pulse jumped when he reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers lingered, just for a second, warm against my temple, before he pulled away. My breath caught. His did too. I heard it, a small sharp inhale, like he hadn’t meant to be affected and was as annoyed about it as I was.

“Good,” he said softly. “Now come downstairs. Because I actuallydidmake pancakes.” He reached down to pick up Melly, who he cradled in his arms. “Please don’t burn down the breakfast nook, Melly,” he begged. “I worked really hard on these.”

“Wait, so you actually made them? Like, yourself? I assumed Vito—”

“Vito offered. I declined.” He looked almost offended. “A man should be able to make breakfast for a beautiful woman without delegating. Even a dragon.”

“A beautiful woman, hmm?”

“I call them as I see them.” He turned for the door, and I caught the edge of his grin. “Are you coming, or do I have to carry you? Because I will.”

“I can walk, thank you.”

“Pity.”

I still didn’t know what to believe. Was Emmett charming me so that his wizard could gain access to my magic? Or were his actions the result of an amorous dragon? Despite my reservations, I picked up a few toys to keep Melly occupied and followed him out of the room, shaking my head, a reluctant smile tugging at my lips despite my reservations.

Chapter 14

Emmett

Mypancakesweregood.A may cause spontaneous moaning, fork abandonment, and inappropriate thoughts about the chef, kind of good. I’d made them from scratch while Vito grumbled about me making a mess inhiskitchen, all because my dragon had been pacing under my skin, snarling for me to feed her.

She’s ours to feed. Ours to keep.

No amount of logic could shut him up, so I’d made the damn pancakes. And now, watching Elana chase the last bite around her plate, I decided my dragon might’ve been onto something.

“Your verdict?” I asked.

She pointed the fork at me without looking up. “I’ll tell you, but you don’t get to be smug about it.”

“So they’re good?”

“They’re obscenely good.” She finally captured the bite, ate it, and set her fork down like she’d just surrendered in a war. “You had Vito help you.”

“I did not.”

“Then you used magic.”

“Not a drop.”

She looked at me with deep suspicion. “Don’t tell me this dragon is also a secret culinary artist?”

“Centuries of practice. But I can only do breakfast.” I refilled her coffee, watching as her gaze locked onto the dark liquid swirling into her cup. Her shoulders relaxed just for a second before she was all stiff poise again, like she’d just remembered she wasn’t supposed to let her guard down. “I’ve had a lot of Sunday mornings.”

Next to us, Melly was losing her tiny dragon mind over her rattle.

It took me a moment to realize that she grabbed it not with her mouth but with her claws. She shook it violently like it owed her money, before jamming it into her mouth with a look of pure scaly triumph.

I choked on my coffee.

“Don’t worry, she can’t hurt herself. It’s soft.”

“No,” I said, trying to keep my voice down so I wouldn’t startle her. “She’s holding it with her hands. Well, her paws.”