The Dragonlings' Very Special Valentine

Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Later that evening, Carmen leaned back and listened to the other women talking about the different things the kids were getting into – both big and small. Sometimes it was hard to believe that they were all there, on an alien world, loved by men who were larger than life.

For a brief moment, a wave of sadness washed through her. It was so intense, so painful that she rose to her feet and walked out onto the balcony of Paul and Morian’s living quarters. Carmen gripped the stone railing and looked up at the stars.

Paul Grove, her best friend Trisha’s father, and Morian, the mother of Creon and his four brothers, found love after losing someone, just as she did. She vaguely wondered if they still felt the overwhelming sadness and pain that came with the memories.

A soft smile curved her lips when she felt Creon’s hands slide around her waist. He wrapped them tightly around her and pulled her against the warmth of his body. She relaxed against him and continued to look up at the stars.

“I felt your pain,” he whispered, rubbing his chin against her short, blonde hair before bending to press a kiss against the faint mark of the dragon on her neck. “I am here for you always, Carmen.”

“I know,” she whispered, tears burning her eyes at the love in his voice. “Sometimes, it still hits me hard; thankfully, not as often as it used to. Having you and the girls has helped me to heal.” She turned in his arms and gazed at him. She lifted her hand and laid it against his cheek. “I can’t forget him, Creon – either of them.”

Creon turned his head and pressed a kiss against her palm. She savored the warmth and the gentle touch. Her love for him swelled inside her and she slipped her hand up to tangle her fingers in his hair.

“I would never ask you to forget Scott or the child you lost. I only wish I could shield you from the pain,” he murmured.

“You do,” Carmen replied, meeting his lips when he bent to kiss her.

It was true, he did shield her from the pain. When she first arrived on the planet, it had been unbearable. The murder of her first husband, Scott, and losing their baby due to the severe injuries she sustained had broken her. In her grief, all she was able to think of was revenge. It took several years, but she finally found closure. It did not come by her own death, as she expected, but in finding love again – with an alien male who had refused to give up on her.

A shiver of need rushed through Carmen when Creon groaned and pulled her tight against his body. Her hands tightened in his hair and their breaths mixed, growing more demanding with the heat of the dragon’s fire.

“I’s told you they would be kissing. They does that whenever they thinks we aren’t looking.”

Creon’s muffled laugh shook his frame and he reluctantly released Carmen’s lips. He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, breathing deeply to calm his aroused body. The girls had become pretty observant, even asking a couple of times why Daddy’s pants grew in the front and theirs didn’t.

“What do you need, Spring?” Carmen asked, tilting her head to look around Creon’s shoulder.

“It’s story time,” Spring said, gazing up at her mom and dad. “You said we could haves cookies with the story time.”

“We’ll be right there,” Carmen promised. “Go ask Aunt Ariel if she can pour the milk.”

“Okay,” Spring replied in delight.

“What’s wrong with your daddy?” Jabir whispered, glancing back at Creon with a frown.

“He’s waiting till his pants don’t grow no more,” Spring said. “They does that when he kisses Mommy.”

“Oh,” Jabir said, staring at Creon’s back. “Mine’s only does that in the mornings.”

Carmen turned her face into Creon’s shoulder to smother her laughter. It was too much. The image of Creon’s face the first time the girls saw him in the morning flashed through her mind and she melted into uncontrollable giggles.

“I think having daughters is much more difficult than I anticipated,” Creon finally said in a rueful tone.

“It will only get worse,” Carmen retorted, drawing in gulping breaths between her laughter. “Poor Ariel, I can just see her face when Jabir couldn’t understand why he was poking out the first time.”

Creon’s shoulders shook as he chuckled again. Carmen loved listening to his laughter. She reached up and brushed another kiss across his lips.

“Are you ready?” she asked, gazing at him, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

“Yes, but I’ll warn you, we are sneaking out tonight. My dragon is in the mood for some playtime,” Creon replied, reluctantly releasing her and stepping back.

“I think that can be arranged,” Carmen murmured, brushing her hand across the front of his pants with a seductive smile.

“Great! Here I go again!” Creon muttered, glaring down at the front of his pants which was bulging once again. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Carmen laughed in delight and nodded. She glanced over her shoulder at Creon when he turned to stare up at the stars in an effort to cool his body down. This is what she needed to pull her out of her melancholy memories: new memories filled with laughter.