Eva: “For the thousandth time, yes. I’m not sleepy in the slightest. All I did today was take a magic carpet ride on a dragon, which for me is like going to Six Flags. Then my best friend set me up on a date, and I went swimming with a gorgeous woman who has a saucy ass like you wouldn’t believe.”

Pia laughed. “I’m glad you had such a good time.”

Eva: “After that, I took a walk with the same gorgeous woman to retrieve a dog—and that was cute, it was like another date—and then I got to have dinner with her. Being on assignment as your bodyguard has had some heavy moments, but I haven’t even worked today. Quit fretting.”

Pia: “I can’t help it. You won’t take your eyes off him?”

Eva: “I’ll do even better. I’ll keep him on my chest the entire time I’m with him. That little baby is going to get so spoiled. He’s going to be held the entire time you’re not with him. How’s that?”

Dragos ate several bites of the beef while he listened with approval. That little baby was too young to have any sense. He should be spoiled rotten.

He caught sight of Skeeter sitting in a tight hunch in front of him, large dark eyes pleading. Really, the dog was quite ugly. He had a snaggletooth face, and Pia hadn’t trimmed the hair around his eyes. It was sort of wavy and curly in places and brown, and it hung over his eyes.

Dragos remembered Pia had said Skeeter had been adopted. Who knew what kind of rough life the dog had lived, and most of that short life was already over. Had he ever tasted filet mignon?

“This is so inappropriate,” Dragos muttered as he cut off a piece of the beef and held it out to the dog. “And it doesn’t mean I like you.”

Astonishment bulged in Skeeter’s eyes. He lunged and inhaled, and the beef disappeared from Dragos’s fingers.

For fuck’s sake. The dog looked like Dragos had just hung the moon, and all over a stupid piece of beef. Dragos couldn’t count the number of times he had eaten beef in his incredibly long life. This was pathetic. He cut off another piece and fed it to the dog, and then another.

A slight noise made him lift his gaze. Pia stared in astonishment.

“It doesn’t mean anything,” he growled. “I’m just feeding the rejected snack a snack.”

She nodded. Holy gods, her eyes filled with tears. “Don’t mind me.” Her voice wobbled. “You know how emotional I’ve been since I’ve given birth. I’m going to take a quick shower now.”

“Good,” he said with more emphasis than he probably should have. Maybe that would give her a chance to calm down.