Read Gifted To The Dragon: A Paranormal Pregnancy Romance (The Gifted Series Book 2) for Free Online

ridiculous or something.
     
    Which was probably ridiculous for me to jump to conclusions and think that he might be thinking that, but maybe I was just a bit sensitive because a former friend had once asked me if I didn't think going to visit my grandma so often was "kind of a waste of time," since she didn't often remember the visits or recognize me while I was there.
     
    This insensitive question had hurt me deeply, and had ultimately led to my friendship with this particular "friend" dissolving.
     
    After giving my throat a little clear, I spoke while fighting possibly-paranoid irritation.
     
    "Desmond, why the silence? Do you think me getting up to help my grandma and the others is silly, or a waste of time or something? I get that it's not saving the nation from murderous Angels, like dragon shifters do, but-"
     
    "I don't think that, Madison. I think that you helping your grandma and the other folks at the home is very sweet and worthwhile. Incredibly so...on both those counts."
     
    Now feeling more than a bit stupid about my little flare-up, I didn't know exactly what to say in return, so I said nothing. And anyway, after looking into my eyes for a moment, Desmond had pulled me a bit closer to his chest and had closed his own eyes, obviously ready to sleep.
     
    I soon closed my eyes as well, now confident that he'd make sure I was up by eight the next morning. For some reason, I just figured that a dragon shifter, probably used to nights of short sleep while fighting the Angels, would wake up first.
     
    He did. However, he didn't stick around to make sure I got up by eight. Instead, he had my alarm clock do that job for him. I awoke to the sound of it blaring at eight exactly, and I slapped it off, confused. A quick look told me that my bed was empty.
     
    Desmond was gone, and he hadn't even left a note. It seemed that he'd at least had the courtesy to set my alarm clock before bolting.
     
    After taking a shower and dressing, I suddenly sat down on the edge of my bed, fighting tears. I hadn't been quite sure what I'd been expecting. I'd just thought that at least Desmond would be there when I awoke.
     
    I'd maybe thought he might want to make plans to see me again. I'd definitely wanted to make plans to see him again, though not just because the sex had been incredible. I also thought that maybe Desmond and I had begun to connect on a different level, a heart level, as well.
     
    Burying my face in my hands, I cried, feeling like a complete fool. After forcing myself to stop in order to have some breakfast, I began sniffling again on my way to the bird-watching expedition, which turned out to be a blessed distraction from my thoughts and how I was feeling.
     
    Later that day, Nadine called to tell me that she'd officially decided to close the gymnastics center, and very soon. She was sorry, but I'd be unemployed after Saturday morning classes the next day.
     
    A couple weeks went by. I tried, without much success, not to think about Desmond, our mind-blowing sex, or the way he'd made me feel. I missed my period. Two days later, I took a test. Positive. Went to the doctor's. Positive. Not too long later, I'd shocked all the coffee shop patrons with my little light trick.
     
    When the home pregnancy test had turned positive, I'd been stunned, horrified, and ashamed. I was pregnant and I didn't even know my baby's father's last name. Didn't even know where exactly in the Midwest he lived. There were hundreds of dragon shifter groups in the area; some people even said there were thousands, if you counted very small dragon groups, and if you counted the states kind of on the borders of the Midwest.
     
    Feeling like the right thing to do was to at least try to locate and notify Desmond of my pregnancy, I soon made what I hoped was a very casual inquiry at the bar, but the bartender wasn't sure exactly where the dragon group that had recently visited had come from.
     
    In fact, he confessed that maybe because