Page 21 of Billionaire Dragon King’s Rejected Mate

When she turned back, Chance had already started to pull himself out of the water. The laughter faded and the familiar wall of distance settled back over him like it had never left.

Of course that’s how it would go.

How long is that version of him going to stick around?

And more importantly,

What happens if it doesn’t?

Chapter 9

Chance

Chance had been pushed before. In boardrooms, in contract negotiations and once out of a helicopter he had willingly jumped from. But never had anyone shoved him, fully clothed and mid-argument, down a water slide.

The entire situation was hilarious and he enjoyed the laughter it created. But as he pulled his saturated wallet out of his back pocket, after one of the lifeguards found his cell phone in the catch pool, the humor subsided a bit.

Randi started to speak, but he held up his hand. He needed a minute before any words were exchanged.

But as he walked beside Randi toward the entrance while his shoes squelched faintly with each step and water squished between his toes from wet socks, the situation grew more and more comical. People stared at them, two drenched rats dressed for work. His shirt clung to his torso in a way that would have irritated him under any other circumstances, but he found that the absurdity of it refused to settle into annoyance the way it should have.

Instead, it lingered somewhere dangerously close to amusement.

“You realize,” he said at last and glanced sideways at her, “that no one has ever pushed the CEO of this company down a water slide.”

Her head snapped toward him. Her eyes were bright but he couldn’t tell if it was from near tears or tears of laughter. For a split second he thought she might apologize or grovel to keep her job.

She didn’t do either.

“You deserved it,” she said without hesitation and lifted her chin just enough to make it clear she meant every word.

And there was that spark again.

That refusal to be intimidated, to soften or bend just because of who he was or what title he carried. He felt that unexpected pull, sharp and unwelcome and impossible to ignore. Something in his chest loosened just enough to let out a quiet, incredulous huff of laughter.

“Did I,” he murmured.

“Yes,” she shot back, though there was the faintest hint of a smile tugging at her mouth now. “You were being ridiculous.”

“I was being correct.”

“You were being arrogant.”

“Those aren’t mutually exclusive.”

She let out a short laugh at that, and it hit him harder than it should have. His dragon reveled in the sound and encouraged him to do whatever it took to keep her happy.

They reached the splash zone just inside the gates from the parking lot still caught between irritation and hilarity. It might have ended there had they parted ways to go to their vehicles if not for the small group of kids who had clearly been watching them with open curiosity.

“Forget your swimsuits?” one kid yelled out.

“Aren’t you the funny one?” Chance asked.

“Hey!” another called with a grin and the boldness that only came from being young and completely unconcerned with consequences. “You guys wanna play?”

Chance blinked, caught off guard in a way that boardrooms and contracts never managed. Before he could respond, Randi had already turned toward them with her brows lifted in interest.

“Play what?” she asked.