Dragon Blood Read online

  “There’s more if you want it,” Aaron said.

  She smiled at him a little wanly. “This is plenty. I’m full. It was really good, though.”

  “It was better hot,” he retorted wryly.

  She looked at him uncomfortably. “Is it my night to help in the kitchen?”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Eli drawled and then flicked a hard look around the table at his brothers. “It’s my night with Marlee. We need to talk anyway.”

  Marlee gaped at him, feeling her face heat. None of them had ever been that blatant about their arrangement! “Eli!” she gasped.

  His chair scraped the floor as he stood up and moved around the table. Marlee stared up at him, torn between the desire that flared in her at the mention of spending the night with him and embarrassment at the idea of simply getting up and leaving with him. He dragged her chair back from the table while she was still trying to think how to respond. The moment she stood up, he hauled her up and over one shoulder. “G’night all. Tell them goodnight, Marlee.”

  “Eli!” she grunted.

  “What?” he asked grimly, striding across the great room toward the stairs.

  “Put me down!”

  “As soon as we get to the bedroom.”

  “Now!”

  “I don’t think so, darling.”

  “You’re really starting to piss me off!” she growled threateningly.

  “Good, ‘cause I’m pretty pissed off, too. I think a rousing good fight is what we both need.”

  Her anger tanked. She rallied. “Exactly what do you think you’ve got to be pissed off about, Eli Bear!”

  He reached the upper landing and opened her door. She’d more than half expected him to toss her onto the bed, but he set her on her feet. “You told me not more than a few hours ago that you loved me and now you’re acting like you hate my guts! I can’t read that steel trap of a mind of yours, baby—I wish to hell I could—and I’m not worth a shit at guessing. I want to know why. What changed between there and here?”

  Her anger dissolved completely at that. “It’s what your mother said,” she said finally.

  He frowned, clearly searching his mind for what she was talking about.

  “About getting me pregnant.”

  He stared at her in outrage. “Did you actually listen? I didn’t know that was going to happen! I already told you that! It was an accident!”

  Marlee felt her face crumple. “I know!” she wailed. “I love you! How do you think it makes me feel to know it was accident? That you didn’t want me at all! Even the baby was an accident!”

  Thoroughly disconcerted, Eli stared at her for several moments and finally grasped her arms, pulling her against his chest and wrapping his arms tightly around her. “That part was an accident. You never asked me what I was doing in the park that day to start with.”

  Marlee sniffed and pushed away from him to look up at him. “Why were you in the park?” she asked a little hopefully.

  He shook his head at her. Lifting his hands he cupped her face between his palms.

  “Because I’d seen the prettiest little thing down at the diner I’d ever seen in my life. She looked tough as nails with her FBI flack vest and pistols, and I decided she was just the woman for me. So I followed you to the park figuring when you were done playing cop I’d see if you were interested in playing cowgirl and injuns.”

  Marlee felt her face heat, but then again she felt warm all over. She searched his eyes.

  “This isn’t like when you suggested you might have been on dream walk, is it?”

  He shook his head and then dipped lower to fit his lips to hers. “No, ma’am,” he murmured. “I was there for you, alright.”

  “I can always ask John his version,” she murmured, enjoying the feel of his mouth on hers.

  He smiled against her lips. “Yeah, well his version might be a little different.” He reached for her blouse and tugged it off, tossing it aside. “He thought he saw you first. We stopped to discuss it for a little while.” His gaze flickered over her face. “You wouldn’t have been hurt if we hadn’t. We would’ve been close enough to prevent it. Will you be pissed off again if I say I’m not sorry at all that things turned out the way they did? I was sorry as hell you got hurt, baby, but I’m not sorry I was there, and I’m not sorry I did any of the things I did.”

  “You aren’t? Not even a little bit?”

  “Not even a little bit.”

  She considered that for several moments. “John’s sorry.”

  “If he is, then he’s not as smart as I thought he was, but you’ll have to take that up with him,” he said, lifting her up and carrying her to the bed. “Tonight’s my night with my baby.”

  When Eli had stripped and the two of them were lying in the bed chest to chest, gazing into one another’s eyes, allowing themselves a few moments’ anticipation, Marlee lifted a hand to stroke his hard cheek. “You didn’t tell me you loved me, Eli,” she said, a little miffed that he hadn’t.

  His hard mouth curled upward faintly at one corner. “How about if I just show you?” he murmured in a husky drawl. “I’m more in to demonstrating my affection.”

  Marlee chuckled despite the flicker of disappointment that went through her. “Well,” she said finally, “if you aren’t going to tell me you’re going to have to work really hard to convince me.”

  His eyes gleamed. “I’m willing to devote the entire night to convincing you, baby, and tomorrow, too—whatever it takes. It might piss my brothers off since they were counting on spending a little time convincing you of their devotion, but I figure it’s worth getting my ass kicked to make sure you’re thoroughly convinced.”

  The End.