Apparently, she was feeling better than expected.
"Thank you," she murmured and ended their kiss with another light caress of her lips. "If you ever need anything, you know where to find me." She patted his cheek and then blinked when she saw me sitting on the stairs.
"Carolyn," Mei Hua said. "I didn’t see you there."
Reed didn’t turn around, but the muscles in his shoulders bunched.
"I didn’t want to interrupt."
"You’re so sweet," she said.
"Has Jack arrived back yet?" I asked.
"No," Reed said, still not turning around. "Jack has returned to Connecticut."
"I don’t suppose anyone knows where my passport is?" I asked. I needed some form of identification to book a flight out of here.
Mei Hua shrugged and moved along. Reed appeared as if he was going to follow her but sighed and turned around instead.
"Where do you think you left it?" he asked, politely—as if he hadn’t just been sucking face with another woman.
"Actually, this is where you say, ‘This isn’t what it looks like.’"
"But it was," he said. "Did you leave it in your purse?"
"Yeah, can you call Jack and have him FedEx the purse down here?"
Reed handed me his cell phone. "I am not your errand boy. Call him yourself." And he left the room.
Hold the phone—which I was. I caught him smooching another woman and he was giving me attitude? What was wrong with this picture? I scrolled through his phone out of spite, but the anal-retentive snake had deleted anything later than the past twenty-four hours. There wasn’t anything good or juicy. I found Jack’s number and dialed it.
"I said I was on it," Jack snarled in the phone.
"On what?"
"Carolyn." Jack’s voice was guarded. "Why do you have Reed’s phone?"
"He gave it to me. I imagine it’s as traceable as his e-reader was. I need you to do me a favor, since you’re so fond of doing Queens’ favors."
"I’m still on the shit list? Even after Reed explained to you..."
"That I was bait? Yeah, a little bit, but if you send me my purse next-day air, I’ll forgive you—and jump your bones the next time I see you."
Arianna, I groaned.
"Sounds like a plan," Jack said. "Are you coming back soon?"
"The quicker I get my ID, the quicker I can get on a flight."
"I’m sure Reed can book you something on a..." He cleared his throat and lowered his voice seductively. "Private airline."
"No thanks. Never again. I’ve flown the friendly skies with both you and him now. I’m done. The next time I fly, it will be one with a wide reclining seat and free bar service."
"Never say never."
"Smart ass," I said, but he’d already hung up.
I found Reed’s rotund housekeeper in the kitchen where she wouldn’t talk to me until I had eaten a full plate of huevos rancheros and nearly a pot of coffee. I was strangely okay with this plan, especially since Joachim came in to join me.
"What’s the word on Esmeralda?" I asked through a mouthful of eggs. I smiled apologetically and used my napkin to hide my chewing.
"She’s holed up in her sanctuary."
"Are you going to break down the doors?"
"It’s not worth the effort. She’ll need to resupply sooner rather than later. Besides, the diplomats will handle the details. The important thing is we’ve rescued Mei Hua and we will keep her with us."
"In what territory?"
"Wherever we please," he said. "No dragon really wants to go against the Order of the Dragon Slayers. I’ll be sure to let you know our whereabouts. You are also free to join up with us."
"What would I do all day?"
"What you do now. No one also would willingly go up against Niall without a lot of backup. Amassing backup tends to make tongues wag, so we’d have warning of the attack. We feel confident we could match any force sent against you. Or you can travel with us. We don’t stay in one place for long. We go where the need takes us."
"The need to kill dragons," Reed said, coming into the room.
"Yes, and I’m very eager to start on the list Mei Hua has provided."
"I’m sure you are."
"Don’t sound so self-righteous. How many drakes and wyrms died by your embassy’s hands last night?" Joachim rounded on him.
"Dying in battle is a way of dragon life." Reed folded his arms in front of his chest.
"So is being hunted down and killed like a rabid dog."
"Gentlemen, don’t make me get the rolled-up newspaper," I said, steadying the coffee carafe.
"I think it’s time you took your leave," Reed said to Joachim.
"I don’t think Mei Hua wants to leave just yet. She’s still in a fragile state. You said yourself the ranch is imminently defensible. And there’s enough room for more guards. Mei Hua doesn’t want any male dragons near her, except for you."
"Convenient," I said into my coffee and ignored the death glare Reed shot me.
"I’ll be moving in ten of my best men," Joachim said. "I expect you will also pick up any slack we have in safeguarding the eggs."
"Don’t you think it’s a little ironic that the Order of the Dragon Slayers is now protecting two Queens and three eggs?"
"Those Queens were humans once. Mei Hua’s eggs will be raised with human values."
Reed’s lip curled. A sickening lump in my stomach formed. "Really, Reed, after what I’ve just seen of Esmeralda’s schemes, you don’t have the moral-superiority soapbox to stand on anymore."
"The eggs belong in a rookery where they can be safe. Not being dragged around the country with a barely shifted Queen and a group of ruffians."
"Safe like Arianna was?"
Reed glared at me.
"Esmeralda will try to have her revenge. Even if it means killing two Queens," Joachim said.
"She wouldn’t dare."
"They’re not safe here in the long run," Joachim said.
"No one save Jack, Niall, and the beings in this house know where Carolyn and Mei Hua are. If there is a leak, it will be from your organization."
Joachim snorted. "Everyone knows you have Carolyn with you. All it would take is a systematic run down of all the properties you own to find them."
"This isn’t my ranch. I use it occasionally, but it’s rented through the embassy."
"Damn," I said. "I was beginning to like it here."
"All right then. That should be sufficient reason to hide them here until we can get them into a fortress."
"I’m not going to be locked away like Rapunzel," I said.
"Your hair isn’t long enough," Reed said absently.
I decided to ignore that, even if he was being cute. "Where’s your computer?"
"In my office."
I glanced up at him expectantly.
"I’m using it."
"No. At the moment, you’re in a pissing contest with Joachim. I want to check my email."
"Why?" he frowned.
"All right you caught me, I want to surf porn. Unclench and just tell me where the office is."
"It’s off the living room," he pointed.
"See you later, Joachim," I said and just because I was feeling perverse, planted a kiss on his check. "Thanks for everything." I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at Reed.
"Anytime you wish to come with me, Carolyn, you only have to ask."
"Not going to happen," Reed gritted out.
"And here is where I came in. No spitting." I shook a warning finger at Reed and went to find the office.
Reed’s space was every bit as anal-retentive as he was. For Christmas I was going to get him one of those silver balls on the chain thingies that clicked and clacked when you pushed it. I sat in his chair and squinted at the screen. There were a lot of numbers in a spreadsheet that I could care less about. I opened up a web browser to check my email. The fax machine turned on and a report from the dragon embassy came through. It was a
list of all the hoard items that had been stolen. Interesting.
While I waited for that to complete, I surfed around a bit. Fertilized Jane’s plants in Farmville and sent her a quick FML email. Niall had sent me some zipped mp4s to transcribe and I sighed. No rest for the weary, but as I checked my bank account and realized I had been paid for this week, I figured I could do some transcribing for him.
When Jack’s fax was completed, I grabbed it, moved off the computer, and went to lie down on the mahogany leather couch. I’m not a complete heathen. I kicked off my shoes first. I was so engrossed in the details of the missing hoard pieces I didn’t realize Reed had come in until he shut and locked the door behind him.
"Don’t lock it." I frowned.
"I don’t wish to be disturbed."
"After Mexico, I’m not very fond of being locked in."
He unlocked it and stalked over to the couch.
I pretended to be more interested in the inventory than in him, but when he sank to the ground in front of me I stared.
"It’s an interesting position we find ourselves in," he said.
"What, you on your knees?" If my track record with socking dragons upside the head wasn’t so abysmal, I would have smacked him one. How dare he kiss that Queen right under my nose?
"You’d like me on my knees," he said and ran his hand up my leg.
"Speaking of interesting," I said, moving away from his sensual touch and trying to ignore the tingling parts. He’d kissed Mei Hua. He had a Queen. He didn’t need me now. I needed to accept that Mei Hua was his equal and I was nothing to him but trouble.
Reed sat down on the couch next to me. I wanted nothing more than to cuddle up to him and rest my head on his shoulder while I showed him the report. But I had some self-respect—for the moment anyway.
"This dragon here," I pointed. "He had a mummified hand stolen from his hoard."
"And?"
"He lists a ton of other things in his hoard that weren’t even touched. For example, three Fabergé eggs. Why would a thief leave those?"
"The thief ran out of time or space, or lack of nerve," Reed said. He plucked the report out of my hands and tossed it on the table.
"Hey," I protested, sitting up. "I was still reading that." I snatched it back. "Why do you think it’s a he? I thought you pegged your mother for this."
"We searched her holdings and didn’t find any of the missing items."
"Shit," I said. "Another Queen would be too noticeable inside another dragon’s lair, wouldn’t she? Even if she decided to glamour up as a man."
"A powerful Queen would be able to mask her scent or her gender with glamour. But no Queen would put herself out when she could have men do it for her."
"That’s a good point." I bit the corner of my thumbnail. It helped me think.
"Once you shift, you’ll get a better understanding of dragon politics."
"Or maybe I’ll lead a coup." I crossed my arms. To hell with Norma Rae. I’d be Joan of Arc—only without that pesky burning at the stake thing.
"To what end?" Reed growled. "Ours?"
"I’m not sure." It wasn’t as if I didn’t feel the weight of responsibility. I understood the consequences, but there was a need for change. The five Queens couldn’t be expected to share the burden of creation to the exclusion of all else. If this damned curse could be lifted, they wouldn’t have to.
"Were you able to get anymore information out of that witch, or had Esmeralda killed her?"
"We rescued her. She’s with Lerisse’s people in Paris. They’re trying to reverse the spell."
"Good," I said. "Because I think while the spell is weakening, it’s not breaking. I don’t want to be trapped halfway through changing. How many more women are out there like me?"
Reed stood up and paced. "Tell me, if you could still take Joachim’s offer to eliminate the dragon part of you, would you?"
Hell no. I had never wanted to be anything else. Granted, I hadn’t known what the primary purpose of a Queen was, but it didn’t change matters. What would change was their expectations of me. I damn well guarantee that. "Mei Hua said she only chose to become a dragon so she could fly. They broke her wings so she couldn’t escape." I got up and followed him.
"And they will die for it." Reed shrugged it off with a nonchalance that made me seethe.
"And she still won’t be able to fly," I hurled at him.
"You didn’t answer my question."
"Oh, does that bother you? Now you know how I feel," I said. We squared off at each other and I’m surprised flames didn’t engulf us. I swallowed hard. How could two people in the same room be so far apart? Why did I even try? All this was moot if I never shifted. Maybe the hoard thefts would turn up a clue. "To get back to what I was saying," I took a step back both literally and figuratively. "The Fabergé eggs are small enough to fit into a pocket. Only a lazy thief would have left them behind. That means the thief went in there specifically for the mummified hand. Why?"
"Can we stop talking about the hoard thefts? It’s none of your concern."
None of my...? I was going to kick his ass. "Sure." I shoved him with both hands. Predictably, he didn’t budge. "Let’s talk about you kissing Mei Hua!"
Reed nodded as if he’d been waiting for this. "I have no choice but to kiss a Queen who asks to show her gratitude. Just as you will have no choice but to bear our children. However, if you wish me to be yours exclusively, you will name me consort."
Consort? What the hell was that? He was trying to distract me and it worked. I sank back down on the couch. I mean I got the gist of it. Or did I? Every time I thought I knew what a dragon’s life was like I got a nasty surprise. "What does that entail?"
"I will be the one to stand at your side. I will be your lover, your confidant."
"Are you proposing marriage?"
He went back to kneeling in front of me. "No, you are."
"You can’t tell me to ask you to marry you," I screeched. This was not how I pictured a proposal happening, even if he was on one knee. There was no denying he was the dragon I wanted. But what he wanted out of this was so polar opposite to anything I could handle.
"Why not?"
"You ask me," I told him. "Say, ‘I can’t live without you, Carolyn.’ Hell, how about, ‘I want to sleep with you every night and wake up with you every morning’? Romance! You’re doing it wrong."
"I have no right." He held my hand.
"You have every right, you big lizard head!" I tore my hand away.
"The words have to come from you." He spoke calmly, but I sensed the tension under his words.
He was impossible. I was going to have to spoon-feed him this. "Why do you want to marry me?"
"I want to become your consort," he emphasized the word. "Because you are my responsibility."
Well wasn’t that the most romantic proposal a girl could ask for? "How do you figure?"
"We discovered you."
"I discovered myself. You and the rest of the dragon community thought I was a raving lunatic—if you even deigned to acknowledge my existence. Why else?" Come on, Reed, I know you can be charming. Work for it.
He blinked at me like I had three heads. "I care for you," he said, slowly.
"That’s it? Just care for me? Do you care for Mei Hua, too?"
"She’s not ready for a consort," Reed hedged.
That wasn’t a no. I started to do a slow burn. "Yeah, but did she ask you?"
"No," he said, fixing his eyes above my left eyebrow.
"You’re not telling the whole truth."
"She didn’t ask me, yet. I told her she should wait a bit until her emotions are all settled."
"What about my emotions?" I thumped my chest and then winced.
"I want you," he said in a growly voice that made the hair on my arms stand up. Finally. We were getting somewhere.
"Why?" I couldn’t let him get off this easy. It had to be because of me. Not because Niall told him to, or Esmeralda wanted me com
pliant. He had to want me for me. Carolyn the human, not Carolyn the would-be Queen.
"You’re sexy." He stepped closer to me. "You make me laugh."
"So I’m a clown?" I said in my best Joe Pesci impersonation. "I amu-use you?" I tried to ignore my pulse flickering into overdrive as the heat of Reed’s body touched me. "Can you be a consort to more than one Queen?" I whispered.
"No." Reed snaked out his arm and pulled me against him.
"So, if I want you for myself, I have to claim you?" I didn’t want to weaken, but I liked being here in his arms.
"That’s right."
"And you’ll be faithful to me?"
"I will."
"It bothers me you don’t want the same from me." I held his gaze.
"What I want doesn’t matter. I keep telling you that." His smile was full of regret.
"So hypothetically..."
"Here we go." Reed rolled his eyes.
"If I can find more Queens, can we have a monogamous relationship?"
"You’d have to find a lot of them, but hypothetically, in theory, yes."
"Then I claim you as my consort."
He leaned in to kiss me.
Oh no you don’t, Buster, Arianna said.
"Arianna, either take off, or I’ll have Jack gelded," Reed said.
"Can you do that?" I asked as Arianna fled to the back of my mind and faded away.
"Even if I have to do it myself," Reed said and pushed me down on the leather sofa.
"I can’t hatch eggs while I’m still mostly human."
"I’m aware of that." He started to unbutton my shirt. I spread my legs wider and allowed his pelvis to rest against my inner thighs. He was hard and heavy and he felt wonderful. "I knew I didn’t pick you out a bra for a reason." He lightly blew over each of my nipples until they were thick and pert.
"So why are you doing this?" I wet my lips with my tongue and arched into him when he flicked his tongue over each nipple. "You’re not taking orders from Esmeralda anymore are you?"
"Do you want me to stop?"
"Hell no," I said. "I just want to know where I stand."
"Right now, you are on your back under me, awaiting my kiss."
"Arrogant." I lifted his sweater up and over his head.
The Queen's Wings: Book 1 of The Emerging Queens Series Page 18
