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Fate was one messed-up bitch.
Or, was she?
Rafe’s voice filled the room and Nikki snapped back to the present. “I had yet to learn how to trust a dragon-shifter. Then when you and your team saved my unit’s lives, my worldview changed.” His voice lowered to a whisper. “The damage had been done by that point. But I vowed never to hurt you again.”
Nikki wanted to believe Rafe’s words, but there was too much she didn’t know.
Searching his eyes, she asked, “So, instead, you agree to impregnate me and want to raise the child on your own? You should’ve been honest with me from the first day you set foot on Stonefire. How can I trust you when you kept such a big secret from me?”
Rafe raised an eyebrow. “And you haven’t kept secrets from me?”
“I didn’t mean for my adoption plans to be a secret. Dr. Sid was supposed to tell you. I know you can’t understand, but when an inner dragon goes into a mate-claim frenzy, all a dragon-shifter’s energy goes into either trying to contain their beast or jumping their mate.”
Rafe scooted a few inches toward her. “Then at least tell me why you want to give up the child.”
Nikki didn’t have to tell Rafe anything. By every law concerning dragons and humans in the UK, the child was hers and only hers. Rafe had no legal claim.
Her dragon finally roused from her sleep. Talk with him. That will make everything better.
He hasn’t even apologized for being an arsehole back in Afghanistan. Why should I tell him anything?
Because he risked his freedom and maybe even his life by staying here. Actions speak louder than words.
Studying Rafe’s green eyes, Nikki hated to admit her beast had a point.
Still, she wanted to know something before she answered Rafe’s question. “Tell me one more thing, first. Why do you want a child so badly?”
He raised his brows. “Is it really that surprising?”
“Rafe, be serious. If you want the truth from me, then I want the truth from you first. Consider it a sort of apology for stomping on my heart when I was young.”
Regret flashed in his eyes. “I’m truly sorry, Nikki. I was stupid and unprofessional. For reasons I never understood before, hurting you has lingered on my conscious more than any other act. And I haven’t exactly been a bloody saint up until now.”
Her dragon was smug. He apologized. I might even call that groveling.
Ignoring her beast, Nikki repeated, “Why do you want a child so badly?”
With a sigh, Rafe ran a hand through his hair. “I never thought I wanted one. I’m thirty-four years old and have survived most of my adult life alone.
“But then when Bram asked if I wanted to participate in the frenzy or not, I kept seeing a mental picture of a four-year-old little girl. She was you and me together. So stubborn and brave. In a split second, a yearning in my heart I’d never realized was there opened up.” His gaze intensified. “I wanted a family to care for and protect.”
With a grunt, her beast chimed in. He tells the truth. I feel it.
Right, because you’re a bloody lie detector.
It’s one of my many talents.
Resisting an eye roll, Nikki remained silent a second. Rafe leaned forward and lightly touched the back of her hand. Even when torn on her future, Rafe’s caress was a brand on her skin.
The only question was whether there could ever be more to them than mere attraction.
Her dragon spoke up. You’ll never know if you don’t talk to him.
Meeting Rafe’s gaze again, she finally answered his question from earlier. “The reason I want to give the baby up for adoption is because I’m not the kind of female who can give up her career to stay home and change nappies.”
Her dragon chimed in. That’s not the only reason.
Shut it. He doesn’t need to know the rest.
