With bits of her long, dark hair framing her face and the pink on her cheeks matching the sparkle in her eyes, it took his breath away.
Would she ever stop being so bloody beautiful?
His dragon snorted but thankfully remained otherwise silent. Delaney waved him inside. "Come in. Dinner's nearly done."
Rian came racing toward him. And as soon as Rhydian stepped inside the living room, the boy hugged him as he said, "Oh, Rhydian. You're going to like what we did! Me and Auntie Laney did our very best, and even put our heart into the food. Right, Auntie Laney? It was heart?"
She smiled. "Yes, heart and soul."
Her gaze met his and time froze, his heartbeat echoing in his ears.
It would be easy to lean over, tuck her hair behind her ear, and kiss her hello.
And given the heat in her gaze and how her pink cheeks were flushed nearly red, he had a feeling she wouldn't push him away, either.
Then Delaney stepped backward and motioned toward the kitchen and dining area. "I need to check the food or it'll burn. Come. You can join us in the kitchen and set the table."
Rian released Rhydian and clapped his hands. "Yay! Then I don't have to do it. Now I can help you taste everything, Auntie."
Delaney laughed, the sounds like chimes being rung by the wind. "For tonight, yes. But you're going to help with setting the table other nights. It's a very important job, one I hope you'll take seriously next time."
The boy dashed into the kitchen before Delaney could add any stipulations. Rhydian trailed after the human female, doing his best to not watch her hips sway.
Of course the ties of the apron made it almost impossible to do that. It was as if they swished back and forth over her arse to tease him.
His dragon grunted. She could be ours. Remember that.
They reached the kitchen and he watched as Delaney stirred something on the cooker. Whatever it was, it smelled fabulous.
Delaney said over her shoulder, "I made Irish stew. I hope you like it."
"I don't think I've ever had it, but I'm not that picky. I usually just snatch something up from the clan's eatery."
She raised her brows. "So you only eat the dragon equivalent of fast food?"
Rhydian growled. "No way. We like real food, not stuff tinkered around with in a lab."
"So does that mean you've never had a proper fish and chips from a shop?"
"We're not exactly near the sea if you couldn't tell," he stated.
Delaney rolled her eyes. "Okay, Mr. Obvious. That didn't answer my question, so I just need to be clearer in the future. Something tells me you constantly pick things apart."
Rhydian spotted the bowls on the counter, moved to them, and picked them up. "It's almost a requirement for a clan leader. When you listen to a dispute between two farmers, or even between two parents over something one of their kids did over the other, you need every advantage you can think of to come up with a fair solution."
Rian sat at the table in the nook and tapped the surface. "Hurry up, Rhydian. I want some stew. My mum always made it, and it was my favorite. I really, really want some again."
While he'd known Delaney was related to Rian, the boy's comment reminded him of how Delaney could bring a little of Rian's mother to life, even with her gone.
His dragon spoke up. Yet another reason she should stay with us.
Can't you let it rest for now?
His dragon faked sleeping. At least, for the time being. Who knew how long it'd last.
As Rhydian put one bowl and then another on the table, it struck him how domestic this all was. He'd lived alone for most of his life. Even when Rian had arrived, it'd still been just him and the boy mostly adapting to his bachelor lifestyle of meals from the eatery and finding ways to function without much thought.
However, as Delaney started humming a tune as she turned off the cooker and cut some bread, he wondered how much better life would be if she were his mate.