Page 24 of The Hybrid Alpha's Baby

He quirked a brow. “No, but in this form you also don’t look like a huge fire-breathing dragon,either.”

“Fair enough. But regardless, I doubt I’m much olderthanyou.”

Gabriel crossed his arms, looking coy. “I’mtwenty-one.”

“Twenty-six.”

“Huh. I thought for sure you’d be at leastthirty.”

I let out a gasp of mock-offense. “Thirty? … Why, do I lookthatold?”

Now Gabriel laughed, and my heart filled with affection. I wanted to hear that sound over and over again for the rest ofmylife.

I didn’t know why he was being coy. Wewerefated mates. I knew it from the moment I got a good look and smell of him. Now that we were alone, I ached for his physical presence to be closer, for our bodies to touch. The cute back-and-forth was fun, but I yearned formore.Maybe he was just shy, although there was no need to be. Surely he knew as well as I did that we werefated.

I edged closer to him. With his back to the bookshelf, he gazed up at me with those beautiful amber eyes. Slowly, I reached out to touch his bare arm with my fingers, grazing his skin in a light sensualtouch.

He swallowed hard. “Um -Dante?”

“Yes?” Ipurred.

“Do you have a bathroom or something?” he asked, looking a bit embarrassed. “Sorry, it’s been a long couple nights and not to be disgusting, but after all the sweating I’ve done, I would really appreciate a nice hotshower.”

Oh? He wants to bathe,doeshe?

I grinned. Of course my fated mate wanted to cleanse himself before intimacy. How thoughtful of him - although I already loved him so much that I wouldn’t care what he smelled like. In fact, I rather liked his sweat scent, but I wasn’t about to deny himabath.

“Of course. Let me show you where it is,”Isaid.

I led him to the bathroom - although it was less of that and more of a large spa area. His eyes went wide, taking in the white ceramic tile and sweet-smellingsoaps.

“You dragons don’t do anything half-assed, do you?” heasked.

I grinned. “We tend to be a bitextravagant,yes.”

“Alright… Well. Um.” Gabriel fiddled with his belt, then shot me a glance. “Doyoumind?”

“No.” Then I realized what he meant. “Oh. I see. Well then… I’ll be waiting back in thebedroom.”

If he wanted me to wait a little longer to lay eyes on his naked form, then so be it. The suspense was killing me,though.

“See you soon,” Ipurred.

He blushed, then disappeared behindthedoor.