The Dragon’s Brave Nanny (Mysteries of Dragon’s Island #4)

Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

***KEITH***

K eith put Jordan in the playpen, then walked into the kitchen and stood watching Stella for a moment before walking over to her and gently closing the computer. “I think it’s time for a break. We’ve been working non-stop for two days,” he said, taking the pencil out of her hand. “All work and no play makes for a poor life balance, Ms. Morgan.”

“Look who’s talking,” she said, smiling up at him. “But I’m almost done, Keith, I can’t stop now. Just two cabins and the bathrooms to go and we can send Mateo back to the main island for approval.”

“I’m as excited as you are to get this done, but Mateo isn’t going back to the main island for a few days. Even if you get it done, the weather is supposed to get nasty; it would be too dangerous,” he said, then pulled her up out of her chair. “We should enjoy the good weather while it lasts, have a little adventure before we’re stuck inside.”

There was a spark of interest in Stella’s eyes. “Hmm…you have my attention,” she said. “What do you have in mind?”

“How does an overnight camping trip to the beach sound?” he asked, a surge of anticipation making his body begin to tingle. “Just you and me, the surf, the sand, the stars, it will be perfect.”

“That sounds like heaven,” she said, smiling up at him. “But I think you’ve forgotten one thing.”

“Nope, I’ve got it all covered,” he said. “Marianne is going to watch Jordan for the night.”

“Oh, Keith, that’s so nice of her,” Stella said. “But won’t Mateo mind? This was supposed to be their alone time.”

“He wasn’t very excited about the idea until I pointed out that this way Marianne could get her baby fix without having one,” he said, grinning at her. “He got on board pretty quickly after that.”

“I guess you did think of everything,” she said, smiling at him. “When do we leave?”

“As soon as you pack a few things,” he said. “Don’t forget your swimming suit, although you might not need it. We’ll have the whole place to ourselves.”

“Keith, I haven’t been skinny dipping since I was a teenager,” she said, shaking her head. “I’ll bring the suit.”

“Chicken,” he said, then gave her a big kiss. “I already have Jordan packed, and I have what I need. We can leave as soon as you’re ready.”

When they arrived at the job site an hour later, Stella looked over at him, her face full of confusion, then saw the tent back in the trees. “This is where we’re camping?” she asked, looking around, then shrugged her shoulders. “Actually, it’s a great idea, and we’ll have the whole place to ourselves.”

“We’ll be the first ones to spend the night here,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “I thought that was fitting since this project sort of brought us together.”

Stella looked up at him and smiled. “I guess it did,” she said. “But Jordan might have had a little to do with it too. ”

“Isn’t fate a funny thing,” he said. “Here I thought I had my life all figured out. I knew how everything was going to play out down to the last detail, and I was so sure of myself. Then Jordan showed up, turning everything upside down, and you came so quickly after him. I was sure nothing would ever be the same again, and I was right. Having the two of you in my life is the best thing that ever happened to me, and I want you right by my side for a long time.”

“That sounds pretty good to me,” Stella said, smiling up at him, but then a frown appeared on her face. “Keith, there are people after me. What kind of life would we have if I could never be myself again? What if this never ends? I can’t put you and Jordan in danger…”

“Hey, slow down,” he said, tipping her chin up and looking into her eyes. We’ll face it together. Nothing, not even a mobster, is going to keep us apart. I’ll protect you, Stella. I’ll stay by your side, even if that means hiding on this island all summer.”

She sighed, “It just seems like so much to ask,” she said, searching his face. “I want to be with you, Keith, but I don’t want to ruin your life.”

“You won’t ruin my life, Stella,” he said. “You saved my life; don’t you know that? I was so focused on proving to my parents that I wasn’t a loser that I lost sight of what was important. Besides, it’s going to take months to build the staff housing. I’ll just supervise the project myself. I’ve got people back home I can trust with the business.”

“You’d do that for me?” she asked, tears in her eyes.

“I’d do anything for you, sweetheart,” he said, then lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her until she was trembling in his arms.

He reluctantly let her go before things went too far, reminding himself of all the plans he had for later that night. “Let’s get unpacked and go for a swim before dinner,” he said. “ Max showed me a great place to dig for clams if you’re into a little dirty work.”

“Oh, that sounds like fun,” she said. “We could build a fire and cook them over open flames. I did that once on vacation; it was so good.”

“You read my mind,” he said, grinning at her. “I bet you don’t know what I’m thinking now, though.”

Stella studied him for a second, a little smile on her face. “You’re thinking about sex,” she said, then laughed. “But so am I, so I guess we’re even.”

***Stella***

Stella lay with her head in Keith’s lap next to the fire, her stomach full from the wonderful meal they’d just shared, watching the stars slowly come out above her head. “There are so many of them. When you live in the city, you forget just how beautiful the sky can be at night,” she said. “When I was a kid, my parents took me camping all the time. My favorite thing was staying up late with my dad. He would point out the constellations and tell me the myths behind them.”

“That sounds nice. My parents thought roughing it meant giving all the staff a night off. My dad would have never dreamed of spending that kind of time with us; that was the nanny’s job,” Keith said, shaking his head. I’m not going to be that kind of father. I’m going to spend time with Jordan. I’m going to make sure that he knows that he’s loved.”

“You’re going to be the best dad in the world,” Stella said, grinning up at him. “Look at how far you’ve already come.”

“I don’t know about that, but I’m going to give it my best,” he said. “I think Jordan is going to be a bit of a handful. He’s already showing signs of shifting. I didn’t even know that was possible. I hope you’re up for it because I don’t think I can do it alone.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she said, then was silent for a second. “Keith, the other day when you saved us, you came up out of the water, didn’t you?”

“Sure, swimming is one of the things I do best,” he said. “I’m a water dragon shifter.”

She rolled over and looked up at him. “That’s quite a mouthful,” she said, her eyes full of amusement. “That makes Jordan a baby water dragon shifter.”

“Heaven help us all,” he said. “You know, if we have kids, they could be dragon shifters, too.”

“Wow, where did that come from?” she asked, sitting up. “We haven’t even had sex, and you’re already talking about kids. What if I don’t want to have kids?”

“Then Jordan will just have to be enough,” Keith said, turning to face her. “You’re the one I want, Stella. Kids would just be a bonus. I would never force you to do anything you didn’t want to do.”

“Correct answer,” she said, leaning up to give him a kiss. “But just to make it clear, I would love to have kids someday. I just didn’t think it would be this soon.”

“I’m not in a hurry,” he said, grinning at her. “Jordan is enough for now. Besides, we can still practice until we’re ready for the real thing.”

A wave of desire punched her in the gut, stealing her breath for a second. They’d been working their way up to this moment all day, but she was suddenly nervous. Deep inside, she knew this was a big step, that there would be no going back, and the connection between them would be fused by the passion they shared, never to be broken again. The thought made a bolt of panic shoot through her, but then she looked into Keith’s eyes, so filled with passion that her doubts instantly fled .

“There you go, talking a big game again, but I sure haven’t seen any action,” she said, getting to her feet. “I think I’ll go for a midnight swim. You should join me.”

She didn’t wait for an answer; she just turned and headed for the shore, stripping off her shirt and shorts as she walked. Pausing to let the waves wash over her feet, she reached behind her, slipped open the clasp of her bra, and let it slip off first one shoulder then the other before dropping it to the ground. The sound of footsteps behind her paused, and a little smile spread across her face as anticipation made her body begin to throb.

When she slipped her panties down over her hips and stepped out of them, she heard Keith groan, and then the footsteps started toward her again. Stretching her arms above her head as she walked into the water, she unclipped her hair and let it tumble down her back. The splash of water was followed by a low growl. Goose bumps broke out on her skin when a wave of power washed over her, and she shivered, feeling like she was playing with fire.

Not sure how much farther she could push Keith, she turned to face him, the water up to her thighs. The sight of his aroused body sent waves of anticipation shooting through her. Backing deeper into the waves, her nipples hardening in the breeze, she watched Keith walk toward her, his eyes roaming over her body, a possessive look on his face. Just as he reached her, she sank beneath the water, then twisted her body, pushed off from the bottom, and swam away from him.

When she finally had to come up for air, there was no sign of Keith, but only a second later, she felt the soft brush of silky fur before she was enveloped in his arms, and she was filled with the warmth of his love. Looking into his blue eyes, she gasped as the strange sensation grew, then slowly faded away, replaced by desire so powerful that she let out a low moan, feeling almost like she was in pain.

“Oh, God, Keith, is that how badly you want me?” she asked, molding her body to his dragon form. “I had no idea. Take me back to shore now. We’ve waited long enough. I want you too, more than I’ve ever wanted any man.”

Keith groaned, gently released her, and then lowered his head in the water. She climbed up on his back, carefully avoiding his wings, then wrapped her arms around his neck. He shot through the water back toward the shore, and before she could catch her breath, he was back in his human form, carrying her through the waves, his eyes focused on her, the passion in them making her body begin to throb.