Treasured by the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons #10) - Jessie Donovan Page 0,20

Daisy—her daughter would force her way into everyone's hearts within a few months—but Dawn hoped she could do it, too. After so many years of being a single mum, she'd almost forgotten what it was like to do more than work and take care of Daisy.

But all of that didn't matter this evening. So she pushed aside her doubts and chatted with the man at reception before being led into the back area, where Blake was staying.

It was time to make the most of her second—and final—date with the man she would soon be having a child with.

Blake had talked to more people in the last few hours than he usually did in a month.

It seemed everyone had advice or warnings to give him.

Although Bram's visit was the one that lingered. He'd told Blake that Dawn needed to give her definitive answer tonight about the frenzy. Even though technically his dragon should stay silent for nearly two more days, none of the doctors or Bram wanted to risk it. If Blake's dragon woke up early, he might go after Dawn before she was ready.

And then any chance they might've had would probably vanish.

Although how he was supposed to win her over, as Bram put it, Blake had no bloody idea. It was one thing to tease and play a game, but quite another to ask, "Are you ready to start a sex marathon with me?"

His dragon would probably have some suggestions, but the deafening silence inside his mind only reinforced how that wasn't an option.

A knock was immediately followed by Dawn entering his room. The mere sight of the human female drove away his worries, which he didn't fully understand. Just because someone was your true mate didn't mean they had magic over you.

But for all he knew, that's how it worked. Blake had never had a lasting relationship with any female. Every attempt had ended in disaster because of their obsession with his damn spot in dragon form, which meant it was all new to him.

Regardless, Dawn seemed to have better fitting clothes now—maybe hers had arrived—and she carried a large, bulky tote bag in one hand. Not wanting an awkward silence, he decided to start the conversation for a change. "What mayhem do you have planned for this evening?"

She grinned. "Mayhem is a word you don't hear enough. I like it. Although now it sets me up for something much grander than what I have planned."

After shutting the door, Dawn pulled a chair toward him but stopped several feet away still. He asked, "Will we start before dinner?"

"Ah, but you see my game is part dinner, part entertainment."

His curiosity piqued, he adjusted his position on the bed and leaned forward a little. "Are you going to tell me or do I have to guess?"

"I don't think you'd be able to guess, if I'm honest. So it's best to just get started, right?"

Dawn reached out for the little side table on wheels that could be moved over his bed and maneuvered it in front of her. He watched as she took out several containers—all opaque, meaning he couldn't bloody see the contents—and then tossed the tote bag to the side.

Since he couldn't even smell the contents, a dragon-shifter must've helped her prepare it with all the special containers they used. Otherwise, all of the scents from the human-made ones would drive a dragon-shifter mad rather quickly.

Dawn tapped each of the lids as she talked. "I have a bunch of different dishes here, but everything's been colored with food dye. I want to see if you can guess what they are. And once you're done tasting, we can even come up with some new names for the oddly colored food."

He raised an eyebrow. "Couldn't I just guess by looking at them?"

"Ah, but here's the thing—you won't be able to see them for the first part. Maybe smell them—I can't help it, although I have some things to try to hide the scents—but Sasha did give me a blindfold to use." She tossed it at him and Blake caught it. "So, are you ready?"

He blinked as he stared at the blindfold. The activity was almost…childish.

Although he was more concerned with what the food would taste like, given what Dawn had told him earlier about her cooking skills. He didn't want to spit out something awful and hurt her feelings. So he blurted, "Did you cook everything?"

She tilted her head. "Clever man, remembering that I don't always cook well. Sasha helped me,