Page 12 of Curvy Girl and the Single Dad Dragon (Cedar Falls: Fated Mates #2)

I lie beside Luna, watching the tendrils of smoke escape with each exhale, mortified by my lack of control. Six centuries of discipline, undone by one night with this remarkable human woman.

"I'm sorry," I murmur, turning to face her. "I shouldn't have... I lost control."

Her face is flushed, her hair a beautiful mess spread across the pillow. "Don't apologize," she says, her voice still breathy. "That was incredible."

"I finished inside you," I point out, the gravity of my thoughtlessness hitting me fully. "Without discussion, without protection. That was inexcusable."

Luna reaches out, running her fingers down my cheek, tracing a path through the light sheen of sweat.

"It's perfectly fine," she assures me. "I'm on birth control. Have been for years—medical reasons."

Relief washes through me, though it doesn't entirely absolve my conscience. "Still. I should have had better control. Dragons don't... we're not usually so..."

"Animalistic?" she supplies with a small, satisfied smile. "Because I have to say, I rather enjoyed that part. The way you claimed me, like you couldn't help yourself. It was... intensely flattering."

"It wasn't an act," I admit, capturing her hand and pressing a kiss to her palm. "You have no idea what you do to me, Luna. Years and years of practiced restraint, and you unravel it all in a single evening."

She shifts closer, her naked body radiating warmth against mine. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"As you should." I wrap an arm around her, marveling at how perfectly she fits against me despite our size difference. "But it doesn't excuse my behavior. I want you to know that isn't typically how I... conduct myself."

"Damon," she says, propping herself up on one elbow to look directly into my eyes. "I wanted everything that just happened. I wanted you to lose control. I wanted to be the one who made you lose it."

The simple honesty in her words soothes something in me. "You certainly succeeded."

She laughs softly, then grows more serious. "Where do we go from here? This obviously changes things between us."

"Obviously," I agree, tracing patterns on her bare shoulder. "Though my earlier promise stands. Your position with Ember remains secure, regardless of what happens between us."

"I'm not worried about my job," she says. "I'm more concerned about Ember herself. How will this affect her? Should we tell her? Keep it secret?"

"I think, for now, some discretion would be wise. Not because I'm ashamed or uncertain, but because she forms attachments so quickly. If she sees us as a couple and then something were to change..."

"She'd feel abandoned again," Luna finishes, understanding immediately. "I agree. We should give ourselves time to understand what this is before involving her."

"Exactly." I'm struck again by her intuitive grasp of the situation, her natural concern for my daughter's emotional wellbeing. "You're remarkable with her, you know. She's already so attached to you."

"The feeling is mutual," Luna says with a soft smile. "She's extraordinary. Not just because she's a dragon, but because she's Ember. Funny and smart and so eager to connect."

"She gets the social nature from her mother," I say. "I've always been more reserved."

"Could have fooled me," Luna teases, pressing a kiss to my chest.

I chuckle, pulling her closer. "You bring out unusual sides of me, apparently."

We lie in silence for a few moments, before Luna opens her mouth.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"If this—us—becomes something real, something lasting... what does that mean practically? I know you said dragons live for a thousand years or more. I won't even reach a hundred, most likely."

It's the question all dragons face when forming attachments to humans.

"I don't know," I answer honestly. "I've loved a human before, as you know. It was beautiful and painful and ultimately temporary. But that doesn't make it less valuable, less worth experiencing."

She nods slowly. "I just don't want to be a brief chapter in your story. A footnote in your long life."

"You could never be a footnote, Luna Hayes," I tell her fiercely. "Even if we had only tonight, you would be a full volume in the library of my existence."

Her eyes shine with emotion. "That's possibly the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me."

"It's simply the truth." I brush a strand of hair from her face. "But to answer your question more directly, I don't know what the future holds. I only know that I want to explore it with you, for as long as we have."

"I'd like that too," she whispers.

"There's something else I could offer," I say, an idea forming. "Your mother. You mentioned she's struggling since losing your father. I have resources, connections. I could help ensure she's financially secure, help her find purpose again."

Luna pulls back slightly, clearly surprised. "You'd do that? You've never even met her."

"She's important to you," I say. "That makes her important to me."

Tears well in her eyes. "Thank you. That means more than I can say."

I pull her close again, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "We'll figure it out, Luna. One day at a time."

One month later

"Are you ready for this?" I ask, adjusting my shirt collar.

Luna smiles up at me, the sunlight catching in her hair as we stand on the back porch. "As ready as I'll ever be. You're the one who looks terrified."

"I'm not terrified," I protest. "Just... concerned about her reaction."

"She adores you. She adores me. She's been none-too-subtly hinting that we should be together for weeks now." Luna takes my hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "It's going to be fine."

The past month has been extraordinary. Luna and I have settled into a steady rhythm, maintaining professional boundaries during the day when she's caring for Ember, then spending our evenings and nights exploring our growing relationship.

We've been careful, discrete, but the connection between us has only deepened with time.

Today, we've decided to tell Ember about us. And afterward, I have another revelation planned, one that signifies just how serious my intentions are.

"Ember!" I call through the open door. "Can you come outside for a minute? Luna and I want to talk to you."

My daughter appears moments later, her golden eyes curious as she looks between us. She notices our joined hands immediately, and a huge grin splits her face.

"Finally!" she exclaims, bouncing on her toes. "I thought you'd never tell me!"

Luna laughs. "You knew?"

"Duh," Ember says with an eye roll worthy of a teenager. "Dragons have super good smell and hearing, remember? And you two are always looking at each other all mushy when you think I'm not watching."

I feel heat rise to my face. "Ember, that's—"

"Are you guys in love?" she interrupts, her expression hopeful. "Are you going to get married? Can Luna be my new mom?"

"Whoa, slow down," I say, kneeling to her level. "Luna and I care about each other very much. We're together now, as a couple. But these things take time to develop."

"I knew it!" she squeals, launching herself at both of us. "This is the best day ever!"

Luna wraps an arm around her, meeting my gaze over Ember's head with a smile that makes my heart swell.

"We wanted to make sure you're okay with this," she tells my daughter. "Your feelings matter to us."

"I'm super okay with it," Ember assures her. "I've been wishing for this since you came to live with us. I even put it in my treasure."

Luna looks at me with her left eyebrow arched.

"Young dragons sometimes place symbols of their wishes or hopes in their hoards," I explain.

"It's an old tradition. And, speaking of treasures," I add, straightening up.

"I have something special planned for today.

Now that Luna knows about dragons, and now that we've told you about us being together, I think it's time to show her something important. "

Ember's eyes widen with understanding. "The cave? Really, Daddy?"

I nod. "Really."

"What cave?" Luna asks, looking between us.

I take her hand again. "Like you know, every dragon has a hoard—a collection of precious items we gather throughout our lives. When we settled here, I created a secure space for mine. Ember has hers in her room, but mine needed... more space."

"You're going to show me your hoard?" Luna asks, understanding the significance.

“Yes. Traditionally, only family and... lifemates... are permitted to see a dragon's true hoard."

Her eyes soften at the implication. "I'd be honored."

"Let's go now!" Ember tugs at both our hands. "Can we, Daddy? Please?"

"Yes, but remember what I told you about the path," I caution. "Stay close."

We head into the woods behind the house, following a trail that would be invisible to most observers. After about fifteen minutes of walking, we reach what appears to be a solid rock face covered in vegetation.

"It's hidden," I explain to Luna. "For protection."

I place my palm against a specific section of stone and close my eyes, concentrating. A moment later, the rock face shimmers and parts, revealing a narrow entrance.

"Dragon magic," Ember explains proudly to Luna. "Only Daddy and me can open it."

I lead them through the entrance into a short tunnel that opens into a vast cavern. As we enter the main chamber, I hear Luna's sharp intake of breath.

The cave is illuminated by a combination of natural light filtering through hidden openings in the ceiling and the soft glow emanating from the treasure itself.

Gold coins and bars are stacked in neat piles, interspersed with collections of gemstones arranged by color and type.

Artifacts from various historical periods—Roman cups, medieval weaponry, Renaissance art pieces—are displayed on carved stone shelves.

"Oh my God," Luna whispers, turning in a slow circle to take it all in. "It's like something from a fairy tale."

"Six centuries of collecting," I explain, somewhat self-conscious now that she's seeing this aspect of my dragon nature so plainly. "Each piece has significance. Either historical value, magical properties, or personal meaning."

"It's beautiful," she says, her eyes wide with wonder. "Thank you for sharing this with me."

Ember tugs at Luna's hand, eager to show off her favorite pieces. "Come see the magic gems! And the golden crown from the olden days! And Daddy's special swords!"

As my daughter leads Luna through the cave, pointing out treasures and telling stories she's heard from me, I watch them together… The two most precious beings in my world now, united in this sacred space.

Luna catches my eye across the cavern and smiles, a smile so full of acceptance and joy that it outshines even the brightest gold in my hoard.

In this moment, I know with absolute certainty that the true treasure in my long life isn't the accumulated wealth of centuries, but the love I've found with this remarkable human woman and the family we're beginning to build together.