“But what if they do?”
Bryant shrugged. “Then they’d dig it up whether we were still married or not. I know it’s an awful lot to ask of you…” His green eyes captured her, smoldering like the ruins of an old castle. “But being part of the Emperor’s Guard means more to me than anything else. Please. Please, Esther…”
She couldn’t believe what she was about to say. She sighed and nodded. “Yeah. Okay. We’ll stay married.”
“Good. Thanks.” He kissed her cheek. “So, if you ever feel like not being a virgin anymore—”
“Out!” She pointed at the door, glaring at him.
Chapter Four
Bryant
Everything was fine. Nobody knew about his embarrassing lapse in judgment as far as Esther went. There was no reason to believe that they’d find out anything else. She seemed to be as invested as he was in keeping it a secret for now, so this was going to be just fine.
More memories of that night surfaced regularly, though. All the kisses, how soft and inviting she had felt beneath his body, her legs wrapped around his waist, as he ground at her through their clothing. The overwhelming sense that he had to have her in his life. It was as strong as when he had met Shaya, his mate, his one true love. The intensity, the burning need.
It was what had stopped him from making love to her. Well, that and because they were both so drunk that he knew they’d regret it in the morning. And that need that had made him feel bound to her had disappeared by the first light of day. That didn’t mean that Esther was far from his thoughts.
And so, when he found himself standing outside the nursery door when she and Dominique were talking, he couldn’t help but eagerly lean forward to listen.
“I’m starting to think that my energy would be better spent joining a dig that had already gotten approved for funding,” Esther said. “I mean, I’d love my own dig but I might be pushing it.”
Dig? Wait, Esther was an archeologist, wasn’t she? Bryant nodded to himself. That’s right.
She’d told him about her attempts to find funding for her dig during their ‘dating’ night. The thought occurred to him that maybe she had a boyfriend, or at least someone she was seriously considering dating. Not that he believed she would have one, not when something like keeping her virginity for the right guy was so important to her. She wouldn’t have that sort of cheating streak in her.
And yet he leaned forward, as though they’d suddenly start talking about her potential love interests.
“Don’t rule it out just yet,” Dominique warned. “You haven’t even spoken with that potential investor I told you about.”
“That’s true.”
Footsteps came from down the hallway and Bryant hastily backed away from the door. He turned the corner, pretending like he had been doing a sweep of the hallway. To his surprise and chagrin, he nearly ran into Virdi. The other dragon’s expression was troubled, but he shook his head and focused on Bryant as they both came to a stop.
“You turned off your radio.”
Bryant snatched it from his belt. It was on, but the volume turned to low as to be useless. He grimaced and turned it back up. Seriously, he needed to get his head on straight. Something like that could get him in a hell of a lot of trouble if something had happened and he was unable to respond to it. Utterly unprofessional.
Virdi gave him a stern look, then shrugged. “We’re expecting Shane Freeman to arrive soon.”
“Shane?”
“You know him?”
“Yeah. I mean, we met. I went to a rally he had about dragons being allowed to join their country’s militaries.”
Bryant fell silent for a moment, thinking about what he knew about Shane Freeman. He was rich. Like, billionaire-level rich. Ex-navy, having been kicked out when they discovered he was a dragon shifter. It was pretty much universal that dragons weren’t allowed to serve in the military. Bryant himself had considered lying about his identity and joining up when he was young, before he met Shaya. But hiding that part of himself would never have worked.
“Good.” Virdi brought him out of his thoughts. “I don’t want you patting him down. I’ve already thoroughly checked him out and—”
“Checked him out?” Bryant shook his head. “And you a mated male.”
Virdi glowered at him.
Bryant ducked his head, though his fires flickered at the show of submission.
“And he’s trustworthy,” Virdi continued. “He’s been supplying funds for Dominique and me to be able to support the Guard, and I’m not going to risk losing his support. So, I want you to be very generous and polite towards him.”
Bryant resisted the urge to make another sexual innuendo. Instead, he nodded, making himself be serious. It was what the job warranted, after all. “What is he coming for?”
“Two reasons. One is to see how his donations are being spent and to speak about some business propositions. The second is he’s going to speak with Esther.” Virdi gestured for Bryant to follow him and headed down the stairs.
Bryant followed, his flames roaring to life in his belly. What did that rich CEO dragon want with his wife? A wife nobody can know about. So, it’s not really a proper marriage, even. I mean, having sex is completely out of the question.
“Is Esther joining the guard, then?” Bryant fought to keep his voice even.
Virdi must not have caught the underlying tension because he rolled his eyes and shook his head. “What’s with you and the jokes today? You’re like a pod person.”
Bryant scowled and shrugged. “Maybe I’m starting to relax.”
“Well don’t. It’s creepy.” Virdi slapped his back to show it was just a joke. “Shane might be funding her dig. And if Esther gets her dig, then you can bet that we’ll be going to visit her at some point.”
Bryant didn’t respond. He and Virdi checked the security feeds, but his mind was far away. An ex-military billionaire like that… girls liked a man in uniform and Shane probably kept his for his sexcapades. He’d take one look at Esther and he’d want her. Probably flirt with her, tease her, and when she was red in the face and flustered, he’d pounce. He’d take her out, get her drunk and…
He hated the guy already.
When Shane Freeman showed up–all muscle with the chiseled jaw and rugged features that made Bryant almost wish he was into guys–he was anything but charming.
“I’ll need to see an ID,” he snarled at the other dragon.
Shane rose a brow, clearly bewildered, but handed over an ID card. “Virdi told me that you’d been told to expect me.”
“I was told to expect Shane Freeman. Don’t have proof besides your word that you’re him.” Bryant made a show of looking at the card, but it was clear that it was legit. He recognized Shane the moment he stepped from the car. “Can’t be too careful with the emperor’s safety.”
“I’m glad that the money I’m donating to keep him safe isn’t being wasted.”
Bryant reluctantly handed back the ID. “So. Virdi wanted you to be shown around. I can get—”
“Actually,” Shane interrupted, “I’d rather meet with Esther Doran first. Get that business out of the way, so that I don’t have to put a time limit on the review of expenses. You get it, right?”
His fires roared and Bryant forced them down. What the hell was wrong with him? Running around and practically picking fights with an ex-military dragon who was built like the Rock. Shane was paying his bills and he was going to talk to Esther about funding a dig. There was nothing sexual or anything about that. And even if there was, he was only married to Esther because of a stupid choice he’d made while drunk. Esther wasn’t his.
Speaking of Esther…
“Hello.” She crossed the room, Dominique and little Thunder close by. “I’m Esther Doran. And you’re Shane Freeman. I must admit, you’re a lot bigger than I expected.”
Shane smiled at her. Was it Bryant’s imagination that there was a spark of interest in them? “Esther. I’m so pleas
ed to meet you.”
They shook hands and Bryant forced himself to take a step back. It was none of his business if Esther was looking at the other dragon as though he was a big block of chocolate and she hadn’t had sweets for five months. It wasn’t his business if Shane was looking at her like he’d never seen a woman before. Not that there were any women like Esther. All those curves, her heavy breasts, her soft, hot skin.
“You can talk in the study. It’s down the hall and to the left,” Dominique said, pointing. She shifted the baby in her arms.
Bryant took a moment to smile at the little emperor. He was so small, looking so fragile, and already had such a weight on him. He couldn’t agree more with his parents’ choice to keep him shielded from his responsibility.
His attention drifted back to Esther and Shane as they walked away. Dominique didn’t stick around any longer, either, as the scent of soiled diaper drifted into the air.
Bryant checked his watch. This shift was the most difficult. If he was on any of the others, he’d be patrolling the area or keeping watch in one of the houses next to this one. But when in the emperor’s home itself, all he could do was hang out and act if something bad happened. It was very frustrating, but such was life…
However, it also meant that he could follow after Esther and loiter outside the study door, listening to the discussion inside. His fires flickered low as guilt wound around his stomach, but he shoved the feelings aside. It was his job to make sure that everybody in this house was safe, and that included protecting Esther from the possibility that Shane Freeman would take advantage of her. At least, it was while she was in the house. As it was his job to protect everybody in the house.
“So, you want to research underwater sites along the west coast of central America, correct?” Shane asked.
“Yes. I think there is a great deal of information about pre-classic Maya society that’s been hidden away by the rising sea levels.” A pause. “How much do you know about the Maya, Mr. Freeman?”
“Not much at all. And please, it’s Shane. However, I do know water. I was a SEAL in the navy. I know, it’s strange. A dragon SEAL. Fire and water.” His tone had taken on some decidedly flirty traits. “I saw a lot of cool things in the water, though. It’s something I’ve always loved. Did some diving off of Belize, too. There was this one time, I swear that I saw a Mayan temple.”
There was a slight creak of a chair. “Really?”
Esther’s voice was excited. He could just imagine her eyes lit up, the way she’d be leaning forward slightly in her chair. It made his stomach churn and his fires flicker, wishing that she was looking at him with that excitement in her eyes.
Abruptly he turned and walked away. This was none of his business and he wasn’t going to start stalking her because she had the misfortune of marrying him while drunk. He nodded his head, forcing his feet to keep moving. Just because they had married didn’t mean that there was any attachment between them. It was a simple mistake. That’s all it was. And all it would be. He was only having these feelings because they were married, and he was longing for the times when it had been him and Shaya…
Shaya. What would she think if she could see him now? Pining over a woman that he barely knew? His stomach cramped and he walked faster. Dragons only had one mate in their life and he’d already found his.
Found her. And lost her. And there was nothing and nobody that could replace her.
Chapter Five
Esther
The dig was a go.
Esther sipped at her cup of coffee and then had to wait a couple seconds as her glasses de-fogged. With everything that was going right in her life, it should have been easy to push her ill-thought-out marriage to Bryant to the back of her mind. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. He consumed her thoughts as she sat in the hotel restaurant, trying to concentrate on the resumes that she had received from individuals hoping to co-lead the dig.
“Oh, thank goodness!”
Esther jumped at the voice. She looked up to see a beaming woman dragging a suitcase coming straight toward her. She plopped herself down into the chair across from Esther and her beaming grew even more bright, if that was possible.
“I was so worried that I’d missed our appointment,” the woman continued. “My flight was late and my cellphone ran out of battery. It’s crazy how everything goes wrong at once, eh? Guess it’s just Murphey’s Law.”
Esther forced a smile onto her face as she stared at the woman, trying to figure out who the heck she was. “I’m sorry, do I know you?”
The woman’s smile faltered. “I’m Kayla Tucker. The graduate student that you accepted into your management team? I called you a couple of days ago and you told me to come right over.”
“Oh. Kayla.” The name meant nothing to her. She grimaced and shook her head. “Did we have our conversation on Friday night?”
“Um… yeah.”
Esther blew out her breath. “If you’re going to be an archeologist, there is something you need you know about archeology and drinking. Sorry, I was really drunk on Friday and I don’t recall your phone call. I didn’t even have a dig on Friday. I just got the funding I needed a couple days ago.”
Kayla shrugged. “Well. Better Jack than Lucy, right? Do you want me to go over my qualifications with you again?”
“That would be wonderful.” Esther relaxed a little. “I promise that I don’t usually drink that much. I’d gotten a rejection and there was a cute guy—”
“Say no more.” Kayla laughed. “Those cute guys. They ruin everything, don’t they? Just when you think you have everything under control, they breeze in and kick you right in the face. I mean… metaphorically. Any guy who really kicks you…” She shook her head and chuckled. “You get what I mean. So, want to talk about the dig or about this cute guy? He into threesomes?”
Esther stared blankly at her.
Kayla’s face went scarlet. “I wasn’t asking! I mean, I wasn’t asking for myself. I wasn’t… I’m not into threesomes.”
“Okay. I think that we might be getting a little off course here.” Esther held up her hand and shook her head. “Why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself?”
“Actually, can you talk instead? I’ll just be over here trying to get the ground to swallow me.”
Esther had to laugh at that. She might be a little odd on first contact, but Kayla seemed like she’d be fun to hang around with. “Well, this dig is preliminary work. Ultimately, we are going to be doing deep-sea archeology. For this first dig, we’ll be looking at a few coastal sites to determine when they were first occupied and when they were abandoned.”
Kayla nodded.
“Our backer will be taking part in the dig. He’s very interested in it and—”
“Was he the one that got you drunk?”
Esther paused a moment. Well. She supposed there wasn’t any harm in answering that. “No.”
“Is he good looking?”
The image of Shane, with his muscly body and rugged good looks, flooded her mind. He was good looking. Bryant, however… If Shane was a Michelangelo statue, then Bryant was a god. There was just no comparison between the two of them.
“That’s not the point.” Esther adjusted her glasses. “Why did you decide that you wanted to be part of the program?”
Kayla leaned forward, looking even more excited now than when she was talking about the men. “It’s always been my dream to be an archeologist. Ever since I was five years old I was digging in the backyard trying to find ancient artifacts. What about you?”
“Well, I always knew I wanted to work in a branch of anthropology. It wasn’t until I was actually in college that I realized my passion was archeology.” Esther smiled as she considered her career path. “There’s just so much about human history that we don’t know.”
Kayla nodded. “Or that’s completely ignored because it doesn’t fit in the current… Well, let’s not get into that, I might scare you off more than I already have. I promi
se I’m not usually this loopy. It’s the flight and I haven’t slept and you know. It’s kind of like getting drunk… only… it’s… I started that without knowing where I was going to end.”
Esther couldn’t help but laugh out loud. This girl was really weird. But in an odd way, Esther felt drawn to her more for her weirdness than she would have been if Kayla was “normal”. There had to be a reason why she had agreed to let her join a program that didn’t even exist when she was drunk.
“Well, I think that’s all I need to know. You’re welcome to sign up, Kayla. Just submit your resume and we’ll see if there’s a place on my command staff for you.”
Kayla squealed. She clapped her hands together and nodded. “I won’t let you down. I promise. I’m organized and I get along great with people and—”
Bryant walked across the room behind Kayla. Esther’s eyes zoomed in on him, everything else instantly cutting out as though she had suddenly gone deaf. Her mouth filled with saliva as he turned slightly, giving her a good look at the firm butt in his tight jeans. He walked with power and grace at the same time. Like the chieftain of a warrior clan that had been taught how to dance. It wasn’t quite right, but it was the only comparison Esther could come up with at the moment.
He didn’t even look around the restaurant as he went to the bar. And sat down beside a willow-thin bombshell of a blonde whose perfect figure had to come from a corset or something. A surge of jealousy shot up Esther’s spine and she jerked. Somewhere in the tunnel vision, she realized that Kayla had stopped talking and though she tried to pull her mind back to the graduate student, she couldn’t.
Bryant kissed the girl on the cheek and they headed for the door. Esther jumped to her feet. That was it? He just arrived and decided to take that girl to his room? He hadn’t even bothered to check to see if she was there. Not only that, but he was married! If he wanted to go around sleeping with other girls more power to him, but not when he was her husband. Not when he was the one who refused to get an annulment!
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