When Starry sank into the water, his big belly pointing up, he moaned, then held out a hand. “Oh, this is perfect. Come in with me, Des. I missed you.”
“Mmmm.” He stepped into the bath and sank down. “You are getting round, my love.”
“I am getting huge.” Starry chuckled. “But I’m not as close to my time as I would like.”
“I know.” He had the due date on his calendar, circled in red.
“Are you happy, Des?”
“Hmm?” He grabbed a sponge to soap it up.
“About the baby. You never say.”
He blinked at Starry. “I don’t?”
“No.”
He pulled Starry onto his lap, the sponge forgotten. “Baby, I am ecstatic. I love you so much, and I am so incredibly proud and happy to be having a baby with you. I’ve been trying to makepeace with all the rival clans so our baby will be safe. That’s why I was so frantic.”
“Well, if you stay here with me, you can stop anyone from hurting us.” Starry leaned on his chest, sighing with happiness as he settled half on Des and half in the water. “This is yummy. Thank you.”
“Not as yummy as supper will be.” He winked, and Starry laughed.
“As long as it’s not fish.”
“Not a tail in sight.”
“Good.” Starry grabbed his hand to put it on his belly.
And Des could stay just like this for the rest of his life. Starry loved his baths all the time, but since he’d gotten pregnant, it was really something Starry craved.
They floated, Starry humming, the baby kicking.
And he smiled, because he was right where he wanted to be.
Chapter
Eight
“Iwant to go flying.”
“What?” Des looked at him as if he’d lost his mind completely, his silvery gray eyes wide. “Have you lost your mind?”
“No.” He flapped a hand at Des, frustration boiling up in him. “I may not get another chance for ages. I’m almost too big, and then there will be the babies. I want to go flying today.”
“Love,” Des began, but Alistair cut him off.
“No. If you won’t take me, I’ll get Laurence to.” Laurence was one of his bodyguards, and a really well-conditioned flyer.
“You will not. I mean, yes, if we fly, he can come with us to keep an eye on our tails, but?—”
“If?” He advanced on Des, who sat at the kitchen pass through, finger ready to poke. “I am sick of being cooped up here. I want to fly. I want to do something. Anything that’s not making cookies and cleaning this bloody apartment. Again!” The last came out as a roar, his dragon coming right to the surface.
“Okay, love,” Des said in a soothing tone. He’d adapted that more and more as Alistair got bigger and more snappish. “We’ll go tonight. I’ll arrange it with Laurence and Hamish.”
“Thank you.” He didn’t want to be a little asshole, but he needed to be able to get out of the house and spread his wings. It would do wonders for his mood.”
Des just didn’t understand. He got to come and go as he pleased, though he was spending most of his time at home with Alistair.
