Page 15 of The Last Bachelor Dragon (Mysteries of Dragon’s Island #8)
CHAPTER 14
***MAX***
M ax woke with the first rays of sunlight and reached for Nora, but her side of the bed was empty, filling him with disappointment. He’d been dreaming about waking up with her for days. Sliding out of the bunk, he climbed the steps and emerged on the deck just as the sun broke over the horizon with a brilliant show of pinks and purples, and he froze for a second, taking in the sight before him. Nora stood facing the sun, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, her hair a blonde halo of wild curls, eyes closed, the sun kissing her cheeks, and he was sure that he’d never seen anything more beautiful.
A wave of love so powerful it stole his breath exploded inside him. It was quickly followed by a burst of happiness when he realized that she was his, and all the disappointment vanished. They would have the rest of their lives to wake up together; one morning wasn’t going to make any difference, and his reward for an empty bed was more than worth it. Desire quickly bubbled to the surface when he thought about what was hiding under the blanket, and a smile slowly spread across his face .
Stepping up behind Nora, he wrapped his arms around her and leaned down. “Good morning. I’m not sure which is more beautiful, you or the sunrise,” he said, nuzzling her neck. “You’re up early, is everything okay? Is your head hurting?”
She looked up at him over her shoulder. “I’m fine, my head isn’t bothering me,” she said, then hesitated. “It’s just…well…last night everything seemed so perfect, it all made sense, but this morning…”
“You haven’t changed your mind, have you?” he asked, suddenly afraid. “I mean, I know it was a lot to absorb, and I know you probably have a lot to think about…”
“I haven’t changed my mind about us,” she said, turning in his arms. “Don’t think that for a second. I’m just worried about what my father is going to do when he finds out where I am. He’s going to try and make me come back with him. I’m worth too much to let go that easily, and he won’t play fair, Max. He’s already threatened to have me committed if I don’t do what he wants. I can’t imagine what he might do to you.”
“Your father can’t hurt me, Nora, don’t forget who I am,” he said. “And if he even thinks for a second that he’s going to get his hands on you, he’s delusional. You’re mine, sweetheart; no one is going to take you away from me. I can play dirty too, and you’re not too bad at it yourself. Between the two of us, he doesn’t stand a chance.”
She laughed. “I wasn’t playing dirty, I was just determined not to let you win,” she said, shaking her head. “Honestly, I didn’t know what I was capable of accomplishing until you pushed me so hard. I should be thanking you, I guess, but you were such a jerk, I’m not going to give you the satisfaction.”
“Glad I could help,” he said, grinning at her, then an idea popped into his head. “I just had a bit of a crazy idea. You’ll probably say it’s too soon, but it might solve a few of our problems with your father.”
Nora studied him for a second. “I know that look, I’ve seen it enough times to know there’s something brewing in your head,” she said. “What are you planning, Max?”
“Marry me, Nora,” he said, grinning at her. “I want you to be my wife.”
“What?” she asked, her face full of shock. “We’ve only known each other for a week, you can’t be serious.”
“I’m as serious as I can be,” he said, reaching up to cup her face with his hands. “We’re bonded, Nora. It’s the next logical step. We’re already going to be together for the rest of our lives, marriage would just make it official.”
“I don’t…I thought…you mean everything you said is true…this bond thing is real?” she stammered. You weren’t just sweet-talking me.”
“Those weren’t just words, Nora. I told you the truth,” he said. “The bond between us will link us for the rest of our lives. If we’re not together, we’ll both be miserable. We need each other now to be happy.”
It took her a second to fully absorb what he was telling her. “I think I have a lot to learn about shifters,” she said, then shrugged her shoulders. “I guess since you put it that way, we might as well get married; if nothing else, it will piss my father off.”
“And make me your next of kin,” he said, grinning at her. “It takes all the power out of his hands; he won’t be able to commit you or force you to marry an old man.”
Nora didn’t look as happy as he thought she would. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “I can tell something is bothering you.”
She didn’t say anything at first, then sighed. “You’re going to think it’s silly,” she said, looking away. “It’s just that I thought there would be more, a ring at least. I know how bad that sounds…I should be happy and I am…”
“Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry, I should have waited, I got carried away,” he said. “The thought of losing you terrifies me, but if it’s too soon, if you want a big proposal, we can back up and do it all over again with a ring and everything.”
Nora thought about it for a second, then shook her head. “I was wrong. This is perfect. This is exactly how it was supposed to happen,” she said. Life with you will always be full of surprises. I guess I just wasn’t ready for that one.”
“You’ll get used to it,” he said, grinning at her, then pulled the blanket away, leaving her standing naked in his arms. “And right now I have a few other surprises in mind that you might enjoy.”
***Nora***
Nora was in the cabin washing dishes in the tiny sink, wishing they could stay on the boat for longer, but the current was dragging them back toward the island, and it was just a matter of time before someone found them. As if in answer to her thoughts, the sound of a motor caught her attention. She let out a little sigh, then dried her hands and went up on deck. In the distance she could see a boat coming toward them, and knew that their magical time was over. It was time to rejoin the real world.
Looking over at Max fiddling with a fishing pole he’d found in one of the lockers, she couldn’t help but smile. So much had changed and in such a wonderful way, it was hard to wrap her mind around it. Instinctively, she knew that their troubles weren’t over; they still had to face her father and Carlos Adaloni, but she wasn’t about to back down from either of them. Max belonged to her as much as she belonged to him, and she wasn’t about to lose him to anyone, she would die trying to save him if that’s what it took.
Sensing her presence, Max looked over at her. Then, as the boat got closer, he set down the fishing pole and walked over to her. “What were you just thinking about?” he asked, pulling her into his arms.Whatever it was, it must have been serious.”
“I was just thinking about what I would do to anyone who tried to hurt you,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. “You’re the most important person in my life. You belong to me, and I’m not going to let anyone come between us.”
“My brave little beauty,” he said, smiling down at her. “I pity anyone who takes you on. You’ve become a fearsome warrior, and I’m proud to call you mine.”
He bent his head to kiss her, but before he could, the loud blast of a boat’s horn made them jump apart with a start. “Do you two want to be rescued, or should I come back later?” Montgomery called. “I’ve been out here all night, but what the heck, I wouldn’t want to interrupt.”
Nora felt her cheeks turning pink, but helped Max get the other boat tied to theirs, then stood back when Montgomery jumped on board. “Well, that was exciting,” he said, looking around. “Where did this boat come from?”
“It was in a slip in the marina. It was the only one that had the keys in it,” she said, stepping forward. “I’m sorry I took it. I’ll pay for any damages.”
“This isn’t our boat. I don’t know where it came from,” Montgomery said, then let out a long sigh. “I think this is one of those things I’m not going to question very much, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it probably is,” Max said, shrugging his shoulders. “Thanks for coming to get us. How did you know where to look? I was afraid that wind blew us way off course. ”
“Wind?” Montgomery asked. “We haven’t had any wind.”
Max looked over at herand then back at Montgomery. “There was out here,” he said. But it really doesn’t matter; you’re here now, and we can go home.”
“Do you want me to call someone to tow this back to the marina?” Mongomery asked. “It would be a shame to just abandon it.”
“I think the boat will take care of itself,” Max said, grinning at her. “It’ll just be a waste of time to send someone out here.”
Montgomery just shook his head, “I’m not going to ask,” he said. “Let’s get loaded up and on the way then. I haven’t slept all night.”
As they sped away, she turned to take one more look at the boat, knowing that it would always be a special place to her. She looked over at Max, knowing that he was thinking the same thing, and then back at the boat, but it had already disappeared into the mist over the water. With a sigh of contentment, she settled back into Max’s arms, ready to face what awaited them back on the island, a little thrill shooting through her when she thought about marrying Max.
The ride was over before she would have liked, but seeing all the happy, smiling faces waiting for them on the dock, she realized how worried they must have all been. When the boat was secure, Max helped her out, then took her hand. They walked toward his friends, and she suddenly began to get nervous. Max wasn’t the only one she’d lied to. Stella and Juliet had every reason to be angry with her; she just hoped they understood why she’d lied.
Stella was the first one to get to her. “Well, we’re all dying to know,” she said, giving her a hug, then pulling back to look at her. “Did Max get it together and figure out what he wants? ”
“Hey, it wasn’t just Max,” she defended him. “I was fighting it too.”
“I guess that answers my question,” Stella said, a big smile on her face. “When is the wedding?”
“Now, hold on a minute; no one said anything about a wedding,” Max interjected. “Where did you get that idea?”
“Oh, come on, Max, it’s a logical conclusion,” Juliet said. “It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the first thing you two would want to do is get married; after all, Nora’s dad won’t be able to touch her once she’s married to you.”
Max let out a long sigh. “Smart women are such a pain in the…” he said, then grinned at them. “But you’re right, I asked Nora to marry me, and she agreed.”
“Perfect, we’ve already started planning,” Stella said, beaming at them. “Marie wants to see you right away, Nora. She’s all in a dither about you finishing your dress.”
“Me finishing my dress,” she repeated, confused for a second, then realized the beautiful gown she’d been working on was a wedding dress. “Marie said it would be good practice, that she’d fix any mistake I made. I didn’t realize that it was my dress. How did she know?”
Max laughed. “Marie knows things before they happen,” he said. “I’m sure she forgot to mention that.”
“So, she knew about us before we did?” she asked, shaking her head, then looked up at him. “How many more surprises do you have? Maybe we should get them all over with now.”
Max pulled her into his arms. “I think I like it better when you’re on your toes,” he said, then gave her a big kiss before turning to the group. “I know we have a lot to deal with right now and a wedding is just more hassle, but if Nora agrees, I’d like to have the ceremony at the waterfall. I’ve always felt like it was the heart of the island, and I can’t think of a better place to officially join our lives together. ”
“Oh, Max,” she said, looking up at him, her eyes filled with tears. “That sounds wonderful.”
“Then you’d better get busy on that dress,” he said, grinning down at her. “We’ll talk more about it later, but I don’t want to wait any longer than we have to.”
“Fine with me,” she said, grinning up at him. “Let’s not take any chances on something or someone coming between us.”