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A few seconds later, Nikki replied quietly, “I fancied you once before, Rafe. And I know you’ve apologized. In my head, I get that. But between our past, the whole baby thing, and me probably not being able to help take down the man who was responsible for Charlie’s death, I don’t know who I’m supposed to be anymore. If I don’t know myself, then how in the hell can I try to let you in to know me better?”
“Who said anything about you not being able to take down Bourne?”
“Right, because you’re going to let me slink through the woods and help take him down while carrying your baby.”
“Damn right I am. We’ll find a way to take down Bourne while you’re still able to help me. I vow it on our child’s life.”
As Nikki searched his eyes, Rafe held his breath. He had a feeling this moment was important. If Nikki dismissed his vow as nothing more than bullshit, he might never have a chance with her. For all her outgoing personality, Nikki held her true self close.
And damn it, he wanted to know her better.
~~~
Nikki was at one of the those instances in her life that demarcated a “point of no return.”
Ever since she could remember, the majority of the clan had seen her as a symbol of hope and put her on a pedestal she neither wanted nor deserved. Being born had been her greatest accomplishment. Nikki’s only goal had been to earn the praise and respect of her clan through her own actions.
She had thought her own wishes had ended with the mate-claim frenzy. And yet, Rafe offered her the chance to be the female who not only had a child to give the clan hope, but who could also kick ass and get retribution for Charlie’s death.
The only question was—could she trust him with both his vow and her heart again? Because if she opened up to Rafe, Nikki was fairly certain she’d fancy him again. And not just because he treated her as normal, but also because the more she learned about him, the more she wanted to know.
Her dragon spoke up. You’ll never know if you push him away. I want him. Don’t you? How many male dragon-shifters would offer the same?
More than that, how many would allow me to continue to protect whilst pregnant.
Exactly. We both like him. Let him in.
Nikki gingerly laid a hand on Rafe’s chest. She felt his heart thumping faster than normal. Could it be that Rafe was nervous about her answer?
His reaction prodded Nikki to make a decision. Lightly brushing his shirt, she finally said, “I will try to be more honest. But if you start acting like an arsehole, I’m still going to call you out on it.”
“Honesty is a good first step. But tell me, Nikki,”—he searched her eyes—“is honesty all you want?”
Her heart rate kicked up as years of dreams came rushing back. Ones filled with her and Rafe naked, cuddling, or even her flying in dragon form with him in a basket beneath her.
Her dragon chimed in again. If you’re going to be honest with him, then be completely honest. He is our mate. We should claim him in all ways, not just with sex. Or, even by having his child.
Up until last week, Nikki hadn’t thought twice of finding a mate. Hell, she’d barely survived a first date.
Logan. She’d forgotten all about him. The date had been nice enough, but as she drowned in Rafe’s green-eyed gaze, she knew she wanted more than nice.
Quite simply, she wanted the fire and passion that was Rafe Hartley.
“I—I want more than honesty.” Taking a deep breath, she spat out the truth before she could change her mind. “But I’m afraid, Rafe.”
&
nbsp; “Tell me why.”
Swallowing, she answered, “My dad found his true mate, and even had a child with her. Yet she abandoned us both as soon as possible. I adore Delphine, but my dad didn’t meet her until I was six years old, when she came to visit a friend on Stonefire. We had a hard time of it before that.” She paused. Rafe caressed her cheek, and she found the strength to carry on. “Even if the law changes so you can stay, you might change your mind later and leave. Being a human mate to a dragon-shifter is never easy, and sometimes, it takes its toll. I don’t want to put any child through the ordeal of losing a parent like I have.”
Rafe smiled. “So you want to keep the baby?”
“Yes. No. Hell, I don’t know. But that’s not the larger point. You may want to stay now, but you might want to run later.”
“You need to have more faith in me, Nikki. Did I ever give up when we were both serving together four years ago?”
She didn’t miss a beat. “No.”
