Chapter 20
TWENTY
T he doorbell chimed just as Sabine finished wriggling into her favorite fleece pajama pants—the ones with little tigers dancing across them. She padded to the door, her fuzzy rainbow socks sliding on the hardwood floors, and found Eiji balancing an ornate wooden crate against his hip.
“Special delivery.” His eyes sparkled with mischief. “From a certain fire-breathing boss who spent twenty minutes picking out the perfect crate because, and I quote, ‘The other ones aren’t worthy of her.’“
Heat bloomed in Sabine’s cheeks as she accepted the crate. Inside nestled six bottles of her favorite wine from Ren’s vineyard, each one cushioned in black velvet. Her heart did a little flip—she’d only mentioned once, weeks ago, how much she loved this particular blend.
“He tried to play it cool.” Eiji’s grin widened. “But I caught him practicing what to write on the card five different times.”
“There’s a card?”
“Top right corner. Don’t tell him I told you about the practice runs.” With a theatrical wink, Eiji disappeared into the evening shadows.
Sabine discovered an elegant black card tucked beside the first bottle. The handwriting was precise yet somehow nervous: “Something to make your evening sweeter. - R”
She hugged the card to her chest, grinning like a teenager. Before she could properly process the butterflies in her stomach, her front door burst open. Romi stumbled in backward, somehow balancing four pizza boxes while Clover followed with bags of snacks hanging from both arms.
“If you forgot it was girls’ night, I’ll hex your coffeemaker,” Romi announced, kicking the door shut with her foot.
Sabine’s guilty expression said it all.
“You totally forgot.” Clover dumped her bags on the kitchen counter. “Good thing we—ooh, what’s this fancy setup?”
“From Ren.” Sabine couldn’t contain her smile. “Eiji just dropped it off.”
“Well, well.” Romi set the pizzas down and plucked out the card. “Someone’s got it bad. And by someone, I mean Mr. Tall, Hunky, and Breathing Fire.”
“That’s terrible.” Clover snorted, already opening wine bottles. “We can do better. What about Sultan of Smolder?”
“Ooh! His Majestic Hotness?” Romi contributed.
“The Inferno of Intensity?” Sabine suggested, then dissolved into giggles.
They settled into their usual spots—Sabine curled in her oversized armchair, Romi sprawled across a nest of floor cushions, and Clover cross-legged on the couch. The scent of pepperoni and herbs mingled with the rich aroma of the opened wine.
“His Majestic Hotness definitely has it bad though,” Clover said around a mouthful of supreme pizza. “Did you see how he practically morphed into your personal shield during that attack?”
Warmth crept up Sabine’s neck. “He was just being protective?—”
“Oh, honey.” Romi waved a slice of pizza for emphasis. “That man had you tucked against his side like you were precious cargo. Which was sexy as hell, by the way. Those arms? Damn.”
“The way he growled at Linus?” Clover fanned herself dramatically. “Pure alpha dragon energy.”
“It’s... not that simple.” Sabine traced the rim of her wine glass, watching the deep red liquid catch the light. “He’s been through so much. Lost so much. Sometimes when he looks at me, there’s this shadow in his eyes like he’s terrified of feeling anything again.”
“But?” Romi prompted softly.
“But then there are moments when that shadow lifts, and he looks at me like...” Sabine hugged her knees to her chest. “Like maybe I could help him remember how to be happy. I just want to show him it’s okay to open his heart again, you know?”
“Mmm.” Clover’s expression softened as she topped off their wine glasses. “But love isn’t a one-way street, sweetie. It’s not just about helping someone through their pain. You have to be willing to accept their love too.”
The words hit Sabine like a gentle thunderbolt. She’d been so focused on helping Ren heal that she hadn’t considered... “I guess I didn’t think he’d actually love me back. I was just ready to love him, whatever that meant.”
“Girl.” Romi lobbed a balled-up napkin at her head. “That dragon’s flames literally dance when you walk into a room. His whole body turns toward you like you’re magnetic north. And don’t even get me started on how his eyes go all molten gold whenever you smile. Trust me, he’s already halfway to completely gone over you.”
“You deserve that kind of love,” Clover added. “Just as much as he deserves yours.”