Chapter 16
Three hoursand at least six cupcakes later, I reached out to Jasper mentally. “What are you up to?”
“Hanging out at Brynn’s place. You ready for me to head back there? She keeps trying to get details about heat out of me.”
“How about we meet at a restaurant or something? I’m hungry, and there’s no space to make food here, considering all the dishes. And cupcakes.”
“We can do that. Or you and Vi can come to Brynn’s, if you prefer. She’s been pestering me to bring you over, and it sounds like her and Vi are friends already.”
I couldn’t hold back a small smile. “Let me see if she’s up for it.”
I asked Vi, and got an immediate, relived agreement. Apparently she had been dreading finding something to make for dinner.
“We’ll head over in a few. Sounds like Vi’s been there before, so she probably has the address.”
“Alright. Drive safely.”
“We will.”The conversation ended, and Vi looked at me suspiciously.
“Can you communicate mentally with him or something?”
I blinked.
Oops.
Guess I hadn’t been very secretive about that.
“Maybe?”
She shook her head. “Damn dragons.”
“Want me to introduce you to a few of them? Maybe you can find a mate too,” I teased.
She made a face. “Not in this lifetime. As shitty as it will be to grow old while you stay young, I have no intention of ever landing myself in a serious relationship again. I enjoy my freedom too much.”
My stomach clenched at the thought of watching my sister age while I was immortal.
That was a problem to worry about another day.
“Having a mate wouldn’t take away your freedom,” I said.
“You just checked in with him about dinner, Randa. The mate thing might be cool in some ways, but it definitely doesn’t make your life simpler.”
She wasn’t wrong.
I just didn’t necessarily think the extra complications were a bad thing. Sure, I wasn’t entirely sold on moving to Mate Mountain and being a dragon’s mate, but sharing meals didn’t bother me. It was nice to have someone who wanted to cook with me, and for me. Figuring out where we would share those meals wasn’t a big deal.
We packed a bunch of cupcakes into a plastic case with a lid that she’d bought, then headed out. The ride was long, but we chatted the way we always did. I described Mate Mountain for her, without spilling the beans on the prison thing. When we stopped at traffic lights and stop signs, I turned on my phone, ignoring all the missed calls and messages. Instead, I showed her pictures of the view from our balcony, as well as the new décor we’d put in.
It was honestly a blast.
And though I’d been worried about her reaction, Vi didn’t say a single negative thing about it. It made me feel really, really good.
Jasper and Eli were sitting on the front porch of Brynn’s verifiable mansion when we arrived. Eli lifted a hand in greeting, but Jasper strode off the porch, coming over to open my door.
“He’s hotter than I remember,” Vi whispered, before he pulled it open.
“He looks even better naked,” I whispered back.
She snorted, and I couldn’t help but laugh as I unbuckled my seatbelt.
“Hey baby,” I teased, as he took my hand and helped me out.
His lips curved upward. “Hey.” He tucked his arm around my waist, pulling me in close, and brushed a kiss to my forehead.
I inhaled his scent, my body relaxing with his presence. I hadn’t even realized I was tense.
“It’s nice to see you again, Vi,” Jasper called out.
“You too. My sister seems happy, so I think we can be friends,” she replied.
He chuckled. “I look forward to it.” We started toward the door, and he murmured into my mind, “You smell sweeter than usual.”
“I ate so many cupcakes I’m sick. I need real food, stat.”
He grinned.
We headed in.
Eli greeted me with a massive hug that made Jasper grumble.
I laughed at his noise of complaint, and Eli winked at me when he pulled away. “Welcome to the family.”
“Thanks.” I meant it.
Brynn came out of the kitchen and threw her arms around me, too. Her mate greeted me with a quick hug as well, before Elodie and August finished off the round of greetings and welcomes.
Vi got nearly as many hugs as me, though she looked less thrilled about it than I did. Eli, at least, knew better than to try hugging her
We all gathered in the open kitchen and dining room, carrying the food to the table and taking our seats around it. Jasper sat on one side of me, and Vi on the other. She was pointedly avoiding looking at Eli, considering how poorly the two of them got along.
There were enough of us that her avoidance wasn’t awkward, luckily. Even if it was, something told me everyone would’ve played it off.
The food was good, and the company was great. By the time Jasper and I got in the car with Vi, I was more convinced that I’d like having a mate. The way Brynn and Bash, and August and Elodie, had been together was really sweet. And things between me and Jasper really weren’t that far from them. We just didn’t know each other well enough to have that same comfort level.
Jasper sat in the back while Vi drove us home, and he asked questions about her new job. She’d been smiling a lot since everyone devoured her cupcakes.
She gave him the rundown I’d already gotten, and I found myself staring at the mountains, looking out my window.
I’d found them beautiful since I moved to Scale Ridge, but after flying through them, I felt that even more. As scared as I’d been on my way to Mate Mountain, the view from our balcony was addictive.
I itched to pick up my tablet and draw the horizon, but it was at the apartment, in our backpack.
So, there would be no drawing.
I’d just have to live in the moment, I supposed.
Jasper’s hand brushed my arm lightly as he continued talking to Vi, but was unable to resist touching me. I set my hand over his, holding it against me, and it remained there through the rest of the drive.
When we got home,all three of us tackled the mess in the kitchen. Vi thanked us a dozen times, and told us we didn’t have to help, but neither of us listened to the second bit.
Jasper washed dishes, I dried, and Vi scooted around us to clean the countertops.
It was a solid hour before we finally finished up and called it a night.
Jasper stepped into my bedroom while Vi pulled me into her arms and gave me a tight hug.
“That bastard just did my dishes for an hour without complaining,” she whispered.
I laughed. “He’s a good guy.”
“Seriously. And you’re already tied down, so it’s not like he’s trying to woo you or convince you to stay.”
“Maybe I need to find you a shifter to mate with so he can do your dishes when I’m not here,” I whispered back.
She snorted. “Yeah, right.”
I flashed her a knowing smile. “Hot dragon sex and free dish cleaning, Vi. It’s a win-win situation.”
She rolled her eyes, but couldn’t hide her smile. “Keep dreaming, Randa.”
“I will.” I gave her another hug before wishing her goodnight and slipping into my room after Jasper.
He was standing up, leaning against the wall and studying the room. It was simple. I had a queen-sized bed, a small dresser, and a desk that I only used to hold clean clothes. Sure enough, there was a laundry mountain on it.
There were clothes on the floor too. And a towel hung over the back of the desk chair.
“I’m messy,” I said sheepishly.
Jasper’s lips were curved upward. “I’ve noticed. You leave your clothes on the floor every time we shower.”
“I know. It’s a problem I actually am trying to fix. Without much success, though. I’m not exactly a catch.”
“I don’t mind picking up after you.” He pulled me to his chest and tipped my chin back with a knuckle, then lowered his mouth to mine.
He kissed me gently.
Feather-lightly.
I went up on my tiptoes, burying my fingers in his hair as I deepened the kiss.
Our mouths and tongues moved together, but his hands didn’t slide down to my ass or up to my breasts. He seemed content just to kiss me.
And that made me feel good.
Really, really good.
Eventually, he pulled away. I tucked my head beneath his chin, leaning against him, and he held me close.
“I had fun tonight,”I admitted in his mind. “Your family is great. And it was really good to catch up with Vi. She loves you, by the way. I might have to trick your dragons into meeting her so she can find a mate.”
He chuckled. “Considering how well she gets along with Eli, I’m not sure any of my men can handle her.”
“She’s a big marshmallow on the inside. Just needs someone determined enough to break through her shell.”
“I’m sure someone will come along.”
“I hope so. But after her past experiences with men, it’s not likely.”
“It’ll work out eventually.”
I made a noise of agreement. “I really am sorry about the mess.”
“I could do worse than a sexy artist who piles dirty clothes on her desk, Sweetheart.”
A laugh escaped me. “They’re actually clean. I never fold laundry—I just leave the clean stuff on the desk. It’s terrible.”
Jasper chuckled. “Not terrible. Effective.”
“That’s what I keep saying, but the whole universe seems to disagree.”
“Then the whole universe is missing out on having a desk full of clean clothes.”
“Exactly.”
Jasper pulled me closer. “So, what do you want to do about the sleeping arrangements?”
I made a face against his chest. “Don’t ask me hard questions, Jas.”
“The simplest answer is to snuggle up in this tiny bed.”
“It’s a queen,”I protested. “It’s not tiny. Just not as big as your super-king.”
“My feet will hang off the edge, Sweetheart. It’s tiny. But that means you’ll have no choice but to snuggle with me.”
“Or we can go to a hotel,” I pointed out. “Or sleep at Brynn’s house or something.”
Considering it was kind of a long drive, and we’d just gotten back, that last one sounded like a pain.
“Do you want me to let you make the decision, or do you want me to handle it?”he asked.
“Damn, I like that question.”
Jasper chuckled. “I’ll remember that.”
“Can you just decide?”
“Let’s sleep here tonight and pack your things in the morning. When we’re done, we’ll head to your parents’ place. If Vi wants to go with us, we’ll drive there. If not, we can fly.”
“Good plan. Deal,” I said aloud. “I don’t like making decisions sometimes. Most of the time.”
“I’m realizing that.”
Jasper’s arm slipped beneath my knees, and he lifted me off my feet. The side of my face met his shoulder, and he carried me to the bed.
He set me down on the mattress and peeled off his shirt before he folded his body up next to mine, pulling me close. I draped half my body over his, and he tugged me tighter against him. His erection pressed against me when he did.
“Is your family always like that?” I asked him, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Like what?”
“Like… friends. I didn’t think it would be like that with so many of you, and Brynn’s mate, and Elodie. Everyone even treated Vi like she was part of it. It meant a lot to me.”
“It wasn’t always like that. You know I helped my brothers raise Brynn. Things were more tense, then. In the years that followed, there were a lot of struggles with the thunder. August tried to hold it all together, but he hated it. Everyone else did too. So I stepped in, and handled it. I might be shitty at relationships, but I know how to fix problems. And running the thunder basically revolves around that.”
My lips curved upward. “You’re not shitty at relationships. Just new.”
“Is that so?”
“It is. You made Muddy Buddies for me. And you made a decision for me, to save me from indecisive panic. And you’re really good in bed.”
“Really good is the best I get?”
“Stupendous. You’re stupendous in bed.”
He chuckled. “I’ll take it.”
“This is when you tell me I’m also stupendous in bed, Jas.”
“Ah. Sorry. Well, you’re incredible. It’s pretty obvious how much I appreciate that.” His hands cradled the backs of my thighs, and he rocked me against his erection, emphasizing the hardness.
I smiled. “I still want to hear it.”
“I’ll work on that.” He squeezed me. “What’s your family like?”
“My parents are really career-oriented. Dad’s a doctor, mom’s a lawyer. Me and Vi are their only kids, after years of fertility struggles, so they were always really protective. I’m sure you can imagine their dismay when one of their daughters decided to go to culinary school and the other got a degree in graphic arts.” I couldn’t hold back my smile.
“Damn.”
“Yeah. It was rocky for a few years, but they didn’t give up on us. When Vi got that head chef job, they finally agreed that our life choices were our own, and decided to do their best to be proud of us even if they didn’t understand our decisions. They come to visit and eat at Vi’s restaurant every month, and my mom always comments on posts of my art. My dad even buys the special edition books we all know neither of them will ever read, just because my art’s on the cover or inside the book.”
“They’re good parents, then.”
“The best,” I admitted. “They’re not good with change, though, so they probably won’t take to you right away. Don’t be offended.”
“I won’t be.” He kissed the top of my head. “When we get home, I want you to show me all of your art. And connect me to these social media pages, so I can see your posts.”
My face warmed. “You really don’t have to.”
“I want to, Sweetheart.”
I just about melted.
Maybe being mated wasn’t so bad.
Maybe it was a little bit perfect.