Page 59 of The Dragon's Gambit
“How is it having him around? He seems to act like we’re beneath him.” Reiya snapped her attention back to the conversation between Xander and Weston.
“He can be like that at times. He’s more like family to me. He isn’t just someone here to keep an eye on things.”
“He steals a bit of my thunder when he’s around. He can have his choice of women. I suddenly become second pick,” Weston said with a wry smile.
“Second?” Xander raised a brow questioningly.
“Yes, second. With you and Mason off the market, I am easily the second pick here. I shouldn’t have too many nights with an empty bed.” Weston grinned, and Reiya rolled her eyes at the promiscuous dragon. His attention was then drawn to her, and a soft smile spread over his lips. “Though, I think when it comes to quality, you may be one of the luckiest ones here.” He then looked up to Xander. “That’s hard for me to admit about a non-dragon. Your mate is someone special.”
“Thank you.” Xander squeezed her into him. “She is very special. That’s why I’m going to do everything I can for her. To keep her and her family safe.”
Xander had just plugged in the political talk. He was fishing to see if they would have Weston’s support.
“Ah, yes. I heard about the demons mobilizing. What do you honestly think it means as far as dragons are concerned?” Weston looked at Xander with a very serious expression.
“Honestly? I think we’re next on their list. It’s inevitable. And ... Reiya, I know this part will upset you, but I think us dragons would be nuts not to jump on board and use the fairy aid in our favor. If the fairies are going to war with the demons, then we should use this situation to our advantage. This will assure our victory with the least number of casualties.”
Reiya took in a sharp breath. Was this how he really felt, or was he playing his part? Either way, he wasn’t wrong, and if itgot her friends and family the help they needed, then she didn’t care. It really didn’t matter why the dragons decided to fight alongside the fairies, as long as they did.
Weston looked over at Reiya and nodded. “I’ve been thinking the same way, too. I think that a war between the demons and dragons is going to come. Timing could be everything. My sister mentioned that she and Mason have already agreed to enter the war. With both the West and East Kingdoms entering, I think it’s important that the South does as well. The dragons need to formally declare war on the demons when the time comes. I’m sure the North will also join us. Dragons have long stood together.”
Reiya was elated to hear this. She had three of the four kingdoms agreeing to join the battle against the demons. Already, she was tipping the scales. If the demons still decided to fight, they were at least stacking the deck in their favor. She wanted to share this news with Brody and Chelsie. Oops! She forgot. She told them she wouldn’t be long, and it felt like she’d been here for hours.
“Xander, I’ll be back. I forgot I told Brody I would be right back, and I sort of got sidetracked. I left him in your personal kitchen, so you’re probably going to need that restocked,” Reiya giggled. Brody had no problem eating anyone out of house and home.
“Don’t be long. I don’t like having you out of my sight for long.”
Reiya smiled and nodded. She quickly excused herself and escaped from the great hall. It was only after she turned the bend that she slowed down, letting out a sigh of relief. She was excited about having the dragons join the fairy’s war. This was huge, and she could feel the relief coursing through her.
She steadied her breathing and walked down the long hall, her mind wandering back to Lee. If he was acting as well, he was doing a good job. He seemed very distant and uninterested.It was another side of Lee that she had never seen before. She wondered if he was a completely different person around her, and if so, which one was the real him?
Reiya approached through the kitchen entrance instead of the dining one. For one, it was closer. And two, she was hoping to steal something yummy to eat. The kitchen was completely enclosed and almost separated from the dining area, with only a door and a long sliding window between them. Reiya looked around the kitchen, hoping to spot some sort of chip she could snack on. As she turned and glanced out the sliding window, her eyes bulged open, and she quickly took a step back. She tiptoed out of the kitchen and then leaned against the cold wall in the hallway.
She couldn’t believe it. Brody and Chelsie weren’t just casually kissing. They were hard-core making out. He was laying on top of her on the table, and it looked pretty intense ... intense in the way that Chelsie may or may not have had a shirt on, and same with Brody.
Of course, she was happy for them. She’d always thought there was something more to them, and she wanted them together. BUT she did not EVER want to see her brother getting all hot and grindy with someone. It was something she wished she could unsee. And now, she had to pretend like she hadn’t seen it.
She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.I need to get away from this area.She almost sprinted down the hall, back to where her original room was, not wanting them to know she was there.
She knew this area was pretty private, so it was a safe place to escape from everyone. She sat on the floor and shoved her hands in her face.Unsee it, Reiya. Unsee it!she commanded herself, which instead only seemed to make it play back worse in her head.Think about something else, Reiya! Like what? Anything else! Isn’t it weird how we use the expression ‘blind as a bat’when bats actually aren’t blind? Did I read that off a Snapple? Yeah, I think so. And I’m talking to myself. But at least I’m not thinking about ... OH NO, IT POPPED BACK IN THERE! Think of something else, Reiya.
“Reiya?”
She raised her head and met with light blue eyes that were looking down at her with concern. Lee was standing right in front of her while she was having a conversation with herself. She stood up, wanting to go to him, but he took a small step backward. Looking down the hall, she noticed that it seemed to be pretty empty, and this was a private area. She stood there, quietly observing him.
“What happened?” he asked, his voice intense as he stared at her face. This made her remember what she had seen, and her face heated red. She clenched her eyes shut and shook her head. Gosh, she would never be able to unsee it.
“Is there any way you can hit me hard enough so that I can forget the last hour or so? Or is there some magic potion for that?” Reiya giggled into her hands and then looked up to see a less-than-amused Lee. Alright, she wasn’t that funny. But did he have to have that serious look on his face?
She looked toward her old room. “I need to get some clothes out of there, so I can get a shower.” She stared at him for a moment, but he just continued to stare at her with the same intense look. Maybe she looked sort of crazy sitting on the floor. She had been in deep thought and didn’t even realize that he had appeared. She turned and walked into her old room, with Lee following behind her.
Almost as soon as the door shut, he was on her. He held her up against the wall, his eyes pinning her back as well. “What happened?” His voice was now dark and quiet. She must have really looked a sight, when really, she was just trying to recover from embarrassment.
She stared back into his light blue eyes. As if staring at him made him magnetic, she felt her body move forward into him. As she did, he loosened his grip on her, which allowed her to move her hands up around his neck. Talking could wait a moment. Right now, there was something more pressing on her mind.
Chapter 41 Insecure
She pulled his head down as she reached up on her toes. The moment she felt his lips, a soft moan escaped from her. She felt like she had been deprived of him for years, not hours. His heat stung her and beckoned her deeper. Their tongueswere soon dancing passionately together. She held onto him, unwilling to let him separate from her. Not that she needed to, though. The kiss was getting more and more urgent. She felt herself going further, her body once again wanting more. He slowly pulled away and she stood there, staring into his eyes as she panted to catch her breath.
