Page 21 of The Dragons' Healing Mate

She bit her lip, and my mind immediately went to the gutter.

Nix, behave. Come on. You can do it.

“How many scoops is too many scoops to get in one day?” Rowan looked up at me, her brows raised as she fought a grin.

I tapped my chin thoughtfully. “We could each get two different scoops now, and then the same when we finish our errands. That will give you a variety to try out.”

She beamed at me. “Yet again, that brain of yours is on point.”

It was the second time she had complimented my ideas in the past few hours, and there was something about it that made me want to puff out my chest.

“Also, I would recommend the triple chocolate chip with a fudge swirl. There was an ice cream place we used to visit before… You were obsessed with that flavor.”

“Really?” she asked in surprise. “I always assumed that would be too sweet for me, so I never really touched it.”

“What’s your go-to now?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“Strawberry and white chocolate,” she said as her eyes softened.

I looked at the teenager behind the counter, who was clearly overwhelmed by the task of waiting on customers, and smiled, trying to put them at ease.

“Hey, can I get one scoop of strawberry and white chocolate in a cup, one scoop of triple chocolate chip in a cup, one scoop of cotton candy, and one scoop of cookies and cream?” I rattled off the order easily.

For a second, I worried that Rowan would be pissed that I’d chosen for her, but the way she gently squeezed my hand and smiled made me think she appreciated it.

We settled into one of the booths in the corner with our haul and immediately dug in. There was something about the way Rowan’s eyes widened as she took her first bite of the triple chocolate chip that made me endlessly happy. Not to mention,the little moan she let out was enough to get me standing at semi-attention where it counted.

“Oh my God, this isamazing,” she moaned.

I was probably grinning like a lunatic, but I was thrilled I’d introduced her to something she loved.

Nodding, I scooped up some of my own. “I’ll make sure I grab some of that flavor for the cooler.”

Rowan giggled as I shoved more into my mouth, doing a happy dance in her seat. “You say the best things.” She sighed, taking another bite, her eyes rolling back as she groaned again.

Christ, I’m not going to make it.

We spent fifteen minutes in the ice cream parlor, both ravenous and devouring our ice cream quickly. Brain freeze hit us both, but I didn’t care in the slightest.

“Do you want some real food?” I asked when we slid out of the booth.

I didn’t let her get far before clasping her hand. This was technically a date, after all; I reserved the right to hold on to my mate’s hand tightly.

Rowan wasn’t complaining, though, so I took that as a good sign.

“Maybe not right away. I’m not a dragon.” She laughed, patting her stomach as we walked. “I’m going to be full of ice cream for the next hour.”

I made a mental note to swing by the diner after a few errands. Feeding her simply meant we would have more time together, and in my mind, that was the best thing ever.

We made quick work of the hardware and farm-supply stores. They were the best spots to snag the regular items needed to keep a house in tip-top shape. With Griffin getting his own cabin, there were so many boards, nails, and paint to drag home. There was a reason I had a truck, and I was especially glad for it today with our mighty haul.

After that, I walked with Rowan to the health supply store and pharmacy. I was right by her side as she perused the aisles, looking for essentials. About five minutes in, she had an armload, and I ran off to grab a cart.

“Is this too much? I’m sorry. I wasn’t really thinking about it.” She put her hand on the back of her head, making the most adorable face.

I waved off the concern. “This is still much less than Jenkins had us spending, remember?”

Rowan grimaced, the guilty expression immediately replaced with one of annoyance. “I still can’t believe he was doing all that behind your back. Ugh, good freaking riddance.”