Page 44 of Quest for her Knights
I nod my head, feeling embarrassed, and turn towards the hall, hesitating a moment before glancing over my shoulder. “Is my flirting really that horrible?”
His heated eyes meet mine. “No, Princess. It’s the opposite of horrible, and I can’t handle it.”
My eyes widen, and instead of questioning him on that further, I take the coward's way out and quickly run back to the dining room.
He can’t handle it?
Wait—Did that mean he wasjealous? A smile plays on my lips as I enter the parlor and rejoin Aaric on the sofa.
“Everything alright, Princess?” he asks as I take a seat.
“Yes, everything’s fine. So you were telling me what you like to do for fun,” I say, picking up where we left off. I concentrate on listening to Aaric’s response instead of letting my eyes drift to Ranger. He just told me not to flirt with these guys becausehecouldn’t handle it.
Well, tough titties. Flirty was my middle name, and I wasn’t going to act differently to make him comfortable. Besides, seeing Ranger all riled up was H-O-T,hot.
“We like to practice sparring, perhaps you’d like to watch us tomorrow morning?” Maxwell suggests, coming to sit on my other side and gently placing his hand on my knee. It’s a friendly, flirty touch, but the feeling that races under my skin, isn’t a good one. I swallow the lump in my throat and smile at him, trying to keep my unease hidden.
“Yes, I think I’d enjoy that, thank you.” His smile is a shade short of creepy, so I take a sip of my drink as my eyes move to Ranger. I see him clenching his jaw as his eyes narrow on Maxwell’s hand, still on my knee.
Feeling like I might be pushing Ranger, and myself, a little too far, I quickly stand and move over the bookshelf between Draven and Blaze as I pretend to peruse the titles. “You have a big selection of books here, do you all enjoy reading?” I ask, keeping my eyes on the books.
“Reading was a large part of our education. Each of us has read every book here,” Jonathan says, as he moves over to join me.
To distract myself from all the testosterone in the room, I try to focus on the book titles, and a few start jumping out at me.
From Poor to Rich
How to Get That Girl
The Journey From Poverty to Royalty
How to Rule for Wealth and Prosperity
How to Train Your Wife
None of these titles makes me feel great about the contents that might be in them, considering my reason for being here, but it’s the last one that has my hackles rising. Johnathan scans the shelf as he continues. “I admit I enjoy reading for fun sometimes, would you like to know my favorite book?”
I grab the last title I read and pull it out, turning the cover for him to see. “Is it this one?” I ask, not holding the judgment from my voice.
His eyes widen in surprise as he reaches for the book. “Oh, I, uh, don’t know how that got in here.”
I quickly pull it to my chest and turn it away from him so he can’t take it.
“No, you said you’d read every book here, so I’m curious what exactly you’ve learned from this one?”
“What is it?” Maxwell asks as he stands and moves towards us.
Instantly, Draven and Blaze appear on either side of me, offering me their silent protection. Their presence makes me feel bolder as I read, “How to Train Your Wife.”
I feel a body press against my back and instantly know it’s Arrow. I let myself lean against him as I flip the book open and start reading a random passage.
“Women are simple-minded and have no need to learn about your business dealings. In fact, in many cases, it becomes too much for them and they suffer mentally from too much information,”
I practically grit out the end of the sentence.
“What the fuck?” Arrow whispers behind me.
I flip to another page.
