Doctor Dragon And Her Mate

A Date

Nina’s pov

He stared at me with widened eyes as I descended the stairs. I offered a smile. Had I been a naive youngster, I would have folded bashfully under his intense gaze. After what I endured in my marriage, I barely enjoyed being admired by anyone.

Nonetheless, my dragon was rather pleased about having him around. Ever since he marked me, our dragons had somehow formed a connection. Regardless, I refused to allow her to imprint on him. Giving in to the bond was the last thing I wanted to do. The fear of having my heart broken wasn’t the only thing that stopped me from allowing him into our lives. It was the uncertainty about my girls’ safety. I didn’t trust anyone with them except my dad. How could I trust anyone? Their own father wasn’t trustworthy. Why would a man we recently met love them and nurture them?

Yes, he had been great to them ever since he marked me. His presence delighted them beyond words could express, and apparently, my father liked him. Nonetheless, I was reluctant.

An archaic smile curled on my lips as I reached the base of the staircase. I noticed Bree admiring me from a distance; her cheeks tinted a light shade of pink. My smile widened as I reached out for her. She bashfully walked up to me and held my hand.

“Mommy, you look so pretty,” she said.

“Thank you, Bree. Do you like the dress?” I asked her.

She nodded her head and stole a glance at Blake, who was patiently waiting for me by the door. Her rosy cheeks got more red as she looked at me and leaned to whisper in my ear.

“Mommy. Are you going to marry him?”

My lips parted as my gaze snapped towards her eyes, which were widened with anticipation. For a moment, I wondered if my father had told her anything. But then, my daughter was a smart girl. Perhaps she understood that I was going out on a date with him.

“Uh, not really. We are just going out,” I told her.

“Oh,” she mumbled, her smile fading away as disappointment infiltrated her eyes. “Okay.”

I laid a gentle kiss on her cheek and brushed her hair off her face.

“Now be a good girl and go to sleep. I will be back before you know it,” I told her.

She nodded her head and walked towards my father. As I strolled towards Blake, I tried not to check him out. Yes, he was ridiculously attractive, and I couldn’t help but think about running my hands down his bare chest. Nonetheless, I knew I had to behave if I wanted what was best for my girls. I didn’t want to further complicate our lives by getting intimate with anyone. However, I had no control over my thumping heart. It was swooning over the demigod standing a short distance away from me and being marked didn’t help.

His lips curled into a gentle smile as he took my hand and brought it to his lips. The wind gushed out of my lungs when his warm lips pressed on the back of my hand. I had forgotten about the sparks of our bond. Since the last time we shook hands, I had deliberately avoided touching him, scared that I might grow accustomed to the sparks and the bond. I wanted to stay true to the promise I made years ago - to ensure that my girls had a bright future. And with him in my life, I feared that I might fail at that.

My smile faltered. Perhaps I should tell him the truth. I was pretty sure he would try to convince me to allow him to be a part of the girls’ lives, but I wouldn’t be able to do that unless he promised never to hurt them. Besides, rejecting each other would be a challenge since he had marked me. I didn’t want him to die.

“You look amazing, Nina,” he said.

My lips formed a smile—a genuine one. Blake had always been a sweet guy.

“Thank you, Blake,” I said, my gaze drifting towards his torso. Damn, he looked fine.

I cleared my throat before complimenting him. I didn’t want to sound like I was swooning over him.

“You look great too.”

He smiled.

“Have fun. The girls and I probably will be asleep by the time you return, so don’t worry about us. Just enjoy,” my dad said.

“I’ll bring her back by midnight,” Blake said, glancing his way.

He took me to one of the fancy restaurants in the city. While we waited for our food, I thought about a way to tell him about what I thought was best for us.

“I have heard that the food is spectacular here,” he said, interrupting my thoughts.

I frowned. “You have never come here?”

He nodded. “This is the kind of place you take a serious date to. I have never dated before.”

“Oh, you mean I am your first date?” I was slightly shocked.

He nodded. “Yup. I never dated a girl in my whole life.”

Shoot. Was he a virgin too? I so didn’t want to break his pure heart.

“What? You look surprised.”

I offered a little laugh. “That’s because I am. Who would have thought someone like you would have stayed single his whole life?”

His brow raised. “Someone like me?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Yeah. I thought girls would throw themselves at the king's second in command.”

And especially since he was so freaking handsome.

He snickered. “Well, they did when we went clubbing.”

My back stiffened. Clubbing? Of course, he did that. Silly of me to think he was a virgin.

His smile faltered, probably after noticing a change in my countenance.

“But nothing serious happened there, and we stopped going after Theo ascended to the throne. We were too busy with the kingdom, and Theo disliked clubbing. So…”

He shifted in the seat. Sensing his discomfort, I offered a smile.

“That’s fine. You are young. What you did was normal. I also had a full-blown relationship. A marriage and two kids.” I studied his face. Some of his stress seemed to vanish. “Do you miss that lifestyle?”

He shook his head. “I don’t. Now I want nothing more than to start a life with you.”

My heart skipped a beat. With me? Damn. I opened my mouth several times to tell him I couldn’t accept him in my life, but for some weird reason, my tongue refused to cooperate. We ended up having a lovely time at the restaurant. The food was scrumptious, and he was a delight to be with. As the night progressed, I started to rethink my initial decision to push him out of my life.

Well, the girls seemed to be fond of him. Perhaps I could give it a try?

After dinner, he took me on a ride. He stopped near a cliff and cut the engine. “Come on. This is one of the best places to stargaze.”

Star gaze? My jaw dropped. I used to adore doing that, but Drake hated it. He thought it was lame, and yet I used to stare at the sky all by myself. It was the only time I found any solace in my hectic life. However, ever since I left him, I stopped. I simply no longer had the time for that. It had been such a long time since I appreciated anything in nature. For the past couple of years, I had plunged into my career just so I would be too busy to do anything else. I climbed out of his car and looked at the sky.

The sight of the star-studded sky made me smile. It was such an enchanting sight.

“Pretty, aren’t they?” Blake mumbled.

A smile still etched on my face, I glanced at him but quickly looked away before he noticed me staring.

“Yeah. I used to do this often, but that stopped after...

He looked at me. “After?”

I heaved a breath. “After I left Drake.”

Opening up about him felt bizarre.

“Oh. You used to do this with him?” he asked me.

I scoffed, shaking my head. “No. He thought it was a waste of time. I loved watching the stars.”

I didn’t expect him to lace his fingers with mine. Startled, I snapped my head in his direction. The sparks that exploded sent tingles through my arm towards my chest as the hair on the back of my neck rose.

“It isn’t stupid.” He looked at the sky again. “It is so peaceful. Don’t you think?”

My lips parted. “Yeah, it is.”

He looked at me. I knew I should have looked away to avoid making eye contact but I didn’t. For some stupid reason, I stared back at him, allowing him to gaze deeply into my eyes. With each passing second, I plunged deeper into a reverie. I couldn’t find the strength to tear my gaze away from him.

I knew he was in a trance when he stepped closer to me and cupped my face. My lips parted as a shudder ran down my spine. I should have pushed him away, but it felt so right. It had been so long since I felt anything like that.

He leaned forward, pulling me into a delicate kiss. I closed my eyes, savouring the moment. That kiss was nothing like the ones I shared with my ex-husband. This one felt better... almost magical…

He moved his lips against mine, slowly, enjoying every second of it. I forgot to breathe when I responded. Oh, why did it feel so good? Was it the bond? Perhaps I should give him a chance. We were destined together, after all.

But what if he hurts us?

I felt a pinch in my chest, prompting me to push him away.

“What happened?” he asked.

I heaved a breath. “I… maybe we should go home.”

Sadness suddenly reflected in his eyes. “You... didn’t like that?”

I shook my head. “No, no, it’s not that. I just… I am scared of getting hurt.” I looked at him. “I don’t know if you know, but my ex wasn’t the greatest dragon on earth. I have... trust issues.”

I expected him to get annoyed or disappointed. What I didn’t expect was for him to nod his head, indicating that he understood what I was talking about.

“I understand,” he said, much to my astonishment. “I am glad you agreed to go on this date regardless of your past.”

I chuckled. “Well, I did take a long time, didn’t I?”

He shrugged. “I didn’t mind waiting.”

I leaned against the car. “You don’t mind me being a single mom either?”

“Yup. I love them. They are such a delight to be around.”

By the time we drove back home, I was rethinking my decision to push him away. Blake deserved a chance to prove himself. He hadn’t done anything wrong.

“I hope this isn’t the last time you agree to go on a date with me,” he mumbled as he walked me to the front door.

I smiled. “So, more dates?”

With a smirk curled on his lips, he gave me a sideways glance. “Is that even a question?”

For the first time since I became a mom, I giggled.

“I will come tomorrow evening to see the girls,” he said, winking at me. “And maybe we can go out later.”

I scrunched up my nose. “Hmm, maybe. Or we can watch a movie at home.”

“That sounds fun,” he said.

I fished my keys out of my purse, bid him goodnight, and unlocked the front door.

“Nina, wait. I forgot something.”

I turned around. To my surprise, he landed a kiss on my lips and stepped back, looking proud of what he had done.

“Yeah, see you,” he said and ran away.

Chuckling to myself, I entered the house and locked the door. As expected, everyone had gone to sleep. I was also about to go upstairs when I stepped on an envelope on the floor. Frowning, I picked it up, thinking it must be something the girls had left there. But when I saw the writing on it, my blood ran cold.

Nina. I am sorry. I really am. Let’s make up.