Page 74 of Billionaire Dragon King’s Rejected Mate

She didn’t turn right away, a smile already tugging at her lips. “Pretty sure I had some help.”

Chance stepped into view beside her. He was dressed in the same board shorts and T-shirt that had made him look far less like a corporate executive and more like a tourist, neither of which looked like a dragon-shifting king.

He had been playing the role all morning, blending into the operations side of things in a way that would have been almost convincing if she didn’t know him as well as she did.

Almost.

“You built this community,” he said, his tone quieter now, more sincere as his gaze followed hers across the park. “All of it.”

“I think you hit your head on the mountain because you bought this park long before our little adventure.”

“I bought the park. You brought the people and made it what it is now.”

Randi glanced at him and her expression softened. “I started this event,” she corrected. “It became this because people believed in it.”

“People believed in you,” he said.

She held his gaze for a moment. “Careful,” she teased. “You keep sweet talking to me like that and we’re going to skip the event and head to the nearest bedroom.”

“Don’t make promises you’re not willing to keep.”

She laughed. “But, I guess you are right. People think I’m the one in charge anyways when you dress like that.”

Chance smiled. “I thought I was doing a good job blending in.”

“You were, just like the day you first allowed me to misidentify you and gave me a hard time.”

“Old habits.”

“Dangerous ones,” she murmured.

There was a pause, comfortable and easy, the kind that came from a year of building something together. Not just a kingdom or a business, but a life that somehow held both without breaking under the weight of either.

“And yet,” Randi added, her tone shifting as something more playful sparked in her eyes, “you still look entirely too composed for a man standing next to a wave pool.”

Chance’s brow lifted slightly. “Should I not stand here?”

“Oh, you absolutely should not.”

And before he could question that or even react, she shoved him hard enough that it caught him off guard. There was nothing but surprise on his face as he stumbled backward and then disappeared into the wave pool with a splash that sent water surging outward and a ripple of startled laughter through the crowd nearby.

Randi crossed her arms, entirely pleased with herself. She knew there would be retribution but for the moment, she took the victory.

Chance surfaced and pushed wet hair back from his face as water streamed down his shoulders. His expression was caught somewhere between disbelief and amusement.

“You did not just do that,” he said.

Randi grinned. “Oh, I absolutely did.”

“I’m feeling history repeat itself again.”

“Except this time, I didn’t go down with you.”

Chance tilted his head and studied her in a way that made something in her stomach flip. Then he smiled, and that was her only warning.

Too late.

He moved fast and water surged as he reached the edge. His hand caught her wrist before she could even think about stepping back.