Chapter Thirty-Nine

Madison

“By the way,” I said, bouncing into the main room in just my bra and shorts. “I have something for you.”

Callum looked up from his book, and his eyes nearly fell out of his head.

“Quite the outfit,” he remarked.

I looked down, taking in the bright red scale embedded into the skin above my breastbone. The fist-sized addition to my body was still a fun new addition, and I enjoyed seeing it at all times, hence the lack of a shirt.

“You like it?”

I didn’t have to ask. The interest and arousal at the sight of me had come through our new link loud and clear. I not only saw it on his face, but I felt the heat in my mind as he looked me up and down.

“Later, tiger,” I said, smiling. “First, your surprise.”

“Surprise?”

I nodded. “Yep. A surprise, just for you.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” he said, rising from the couch easily. “You’re all I’ll ever need.”

I shivered at the intensity of his statement and the emotions that backed it up. He meant it.

He grinned, enjoying my reaction.

“Still,” I said. “That’s the point of random surprises. You don’t need it. But I wanted to give it to you. You deserve it. I want you to have it.”

“Okay.” His eyes were on my chest.

“Up here,” I said, putting my hand in between my breasts and pointing at my face. “Eyes, mister. Eyes.”

“It’s your fault for delivering this surprise in a bra,” he grumped, but his eyes came up. Slowly.

“Such a whiner. I’ll go put a sweatshirt on,” I threatened.

“You wouldn’t make it two steps before I took you,” he growled possessively.

My throat went dry. “ Easy ,” I said. “I worked hard on this for you. I want your focus, Cal. Please?”

He straightened instantly, catching on to my seriousness. “Okay. What is it? Are you …”

His eyes dropped below my breasts.

“I don’t know yet,” I said. “Too early. But if you promise not to lose your composure, I’ll let you know that we’re going to continue trying.”

He grinned. “Sounds good to me.”

“Now, come on. I put it in your study,” I said, taking his hand and leading the way.

Curiosity poured through our bond as we went down the hall.

“I’m not telling,” I teased, sensing the incoming question before he could ask it. “You have to open it.”

The surprise was a box less than a foot long in all dimensions. Hinges indicated it could be opened halfway, and the top flipped upward on a diagonal from low at the front to high at the back.

“I’m so confused,” Cal said as he slid past me to stand in front of the box. “What could you have made for me?”

“Open it and find out,” I said.

“Right now?”

I nodded, smiling.

“All right,” he said, reaching for the lid. “What on earth could it possibly—”

His voice died as he uncovered the inside of the box.

“Maddie,” he whispered, his voice on the edge of cracking. “What is this?”

“It's for you. To never forget.”

Callum looked at me, then back into the box. Staring back at him was a plaque with a solid emerald-green scale affixed to it. Underneath it was a little inscription, including Noa’s name.

“Are you serious?” he asked.

I nodded. “She was a part of your life, Cal. She was taken from you against your will. That’s not the same as a breakup or anything. She wasn’t your ex that you couldn’t get over, not in the traditional sense. I never want to replace her or make you forget her. Now, you won’t. So, we’re going to keep that, which was once a piece of her and once a piece of you as well.”

“Maddie,” he said, placing a hand on the scale, eyes half-closing.

The wave of sadness that I expected never came. There was a pang of pain, a grieving for the future that was taken away. But that was it.

“It’s beautiful,” he said, facing me once more. “Thank you, my love. You truly are a wonderful person.”

“I’m glad you like it,” I said, doing my best to gather him in a big hug.

He lifted me from the floor and held me to him, taking several deep breaths in. “I’m floored. This is really something.”

“Anything for you,” I said, kissing his cheek before he set me down. “My love.”

He growled happily and then, with one last look at the plaque, gently closed the lid.

“Come,” he said, taking my hand and leading me from the room. “I have a surprise for you, too.”

“You do?” I was so caught off guard that I missed the mischievous laughter coming through our link until he’d already started speaking again.

“Yes.”

“Where is it?”

He laughed. “It’s in my pants.”

“Callum!” I shrieked, laughing wildly as he threw me over a shoulder and carried me to the bedroom. “Do you really think that’s going to work?”

“Yes. I do.”

He was right.

***

Thank you for reading The Dragon’s Captured Heart.