Willa’s a hoot.”
Clara recited her number for Diem and helped Harper hold her sandwich steady as the little girl balanced the plate and strode unsteadily toward a round dining table off the kitchen.
When the little girl was settled, Clara finished arranging the tray of lunch for her and Damon and said her goodbyes to Diem and Harper. But just as she was about to leave the kitchen, Diem said, “Clara?”
“Hmm?” she asked, turning with the tray balanced in her hands.
“Whatever you’re doing with my father?” Diem smiled emotionally. “Keep it up. I haven’t ever seen him this happy.”
Clara’s throat clogged with emotion, and her eyes prickled and blurred. “I will. He makes me happy, too.”
She had to gather her wits and settle her emotions as she walked down the halls toward Damon’s office. If she was being honest, she’d been nervous about meeting Damon’s family, too, but that had gone better than she could’ve imagined. Diem was easy to talk to and already felt like a friend. And little Harper was sharp as a tack. No doubt in her mind, she would grow up to be a strong dragon female like her mother and definitely not mousey like Feyadine had been.
In a daze, she meandered in through the office door and nearly melted under Damon’s greeting smile. His sleeves were rolled up to reveal his muscular, sexy, burn-scarred forearms, and his top button was undone at his throat. And there were those dimples she adored.
“There she is,” he rumbled as he set his pen down and leaned back in his leather office chair, hands linked behind his head.
“I brought you lunch,” she said unnecessarily, as if he couldn’t see the sandwiches stacked to her chin.
“Good, I’m starving.”
“You’re always starving.”
“I have a big machine to feed.”
“Yeah, about that. I heard from the Gray Backs you’ve eaten their enemies.”
Damon’s smile lingered as he shrugged unapologetically. “No one messes with my mountains.”
“And the crews are a part of these mountains now, aren’t they?”
The smile dipped from his lips. “They feel like a part of me.”
“Cold dragon,” she murmured, lifting her chin high. “Warmed to the core by a bunch of rowdy lumberjack werebears. Out of curiosity,” she asked, setting one of the giant sandwiches onto the space he was clearing on his desk. “Does it bother you that Rowan and Harper are being raised in trailer parks?”
“Not at all. Their lives are richer for their living situations. They have crews that have linked up like bonded families. They live at the center of the most lethal predator shifters in the world, who would die protecting them, and they are being raised by crews who love them unconditionally. I’m proud of Diem and of Creed for building a life like that for their children. I’d rather them live in the Asheland Mobile Park and the Grayland Mobile Park than here. I raised Diem here, and her life lacked…warmth. It’s something I regret.”
Pride filled her that Damon wasn’t just some rich billionaire dragon pulling the strings of his family like they were his puppets. This man wanted full lives for the people he loved. She respected him more for his answer.
“I met Diem and Harper in the kitchen.”
“I knew they weren’t cutting out early on payroll day without a reason. I figured they were off to track you down. Diem was very curious about you.”
“I like them indescribably much. Diem got my number.” She lifted her shoulders to her ears happily. “I’m making friends.”
Damon looked genuinely happy as he gestured her to him. She sidled around the desk and sank into his lap. A giggle escaped her lips as he nipped at her neck, just under her ear.
“I knew you would fit in here. You have a warm personality. You weren’t meant to be alone, Clara.”
“I don’t feel alone anymore.”
“Mmm,” he said, more rumble than word. “Stay with me.” His words came out rushed, and when she tried to ease away
Clara recited her number for Diem and helped Harper hold her sandwich steady as the little girl balanced the plate and strode unsteadily toward a round dining table off the kitchen.
When the little girl was settled, Clara finished arranging the tray of lunch for her and Damon and said her goodbyes to Diem and Harper. But just as she was about to leave the kitchen, Diem said, “Clara?”
“Hmm?” she asked, turning with the tray balanced in her hands.
“Whatever you’re doing with my father?” Diem smiled emotionally. “Keep it up. I haven’t ever seen him this happy.”
Clara’s throat clogged with emotion, and her eyes prickled and blurred. “I will. He makes me happy, too.”
She had to gather her wits and settle her emotions as she walked down the halls toward Damon’s office. If she was being honest, she’d been nervous about meeting Damon’s family, too, but that had gone better than she could’ve imagined. Diem was easy to talk to and already felt like a friend. And little Harper was sharp as a tack. No doubt in her mind, she would grow up to be a strong dragon female like her mother and definitely not mousey like Feyadine had been.
In a daze, she meandered in through the office door and nearly melted under Damon’s greeting smile. His sleeves were rolled up to reveal his muscular, sexy, burn-scarred forearms, and his top button was undone at his throat. And there were those dimples she adored.
“There she is,” he rumbled as he set his pen down and leaned back in his leather office chair, hands linked behind his head.
“I brought you lunch,” she said unnecessarily, as if he couldn’t see the sandwiches stacked to her chin.
“Good, I’m starving.”
“You’re always starving.”
“I have a big machine to feed.”
“Yeah, about that. I heard from the Gray Backs you’ve eaten their enemies.”
Damon’s smile lingered as he shrugged unapologetically. “No one messes with my mountains.”
“And the crews are a part of these mountains now, aren’t they?”
The smile dipped from his lips. “They feel like a part of me.”
“Cold dragon,” she murmured, lifting her chin high. “Warmed to the core by a bunch of rowdy lumberjack werebears. Out of curiosity,” she asked, setting one of the giant sandwiches onto the space he was clearing on his desk. “Does it bother you that Rowan and Harper are being raised in trailer parks?”
“Not at all. Their lives are richer for their living situations. They have crews that have linked up like bonded families. They live at the center of the most lethal predator shifters in the world, who would die protecting them, and they are being raised by crews who love them unconditionally. I’m proud of Diem and of Creed for building a life like that for their children. I’d rather them live in the Asheland Mobile Park and the Grayland Mobile Park than here. I raised Diem here, and her life lacked…warmth. It’s something I regret.”
Pride filled her that Damon wasn’t just some rich billionaire dragon pulling the strings of his family like they were his puppets. This man wanted full lives for the people he loved. She respected him more for his answer.
“I met Diem and Harper in the kitchen.”
“I knew they weren’t cutting out early on payroll day without a reason. I figured they were off to track you down. Diem was very curious about you.”
“I like them indescribably much. Diem got my number.” She lifted her shoulders to her ears happily. “I’m making friends.”
Damon looked genuinely happy as he gestured her to him. She sidled around the desk and sank into his lap. A giggle escaped her lips as he nipped at her neck, just under her ear.
“I knew you would fit in here. You have a warm personality. You weren’t meant to be alone, Clara.”
“I don’t feel alone anymore.”
“Mmm,” he said, more rumble than word. “Stay with me.” His words came out rushed, and when she tried to ease away
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