do you typically get fresh air while half-naked and acting like some suicidal gargoyle on the edge of the balcony?” Cait walks over to the railing, looking down at the street below. “You should get down. You’re worrying me.”
“You should not worry for me, Cait. I’m no gargoyle,” I reply, laughing quietly at her odd behaviors. I find her constant unexpectedness enthralling. “I am a dragon, Cait.” Something I must keep reminding myself. How I love her is not how she deserves. “Even should I fall, I can shift to full dragon form in an instant. I have no fear of hitting the sidewalk given I have wings.”
“I would love to fly,” she comments in a whisper, staring into the endless night sky.
There are many things I want to say, things I should not. “Did you come looking for me for something?”
“Yep.”
She does not elaborate, and I have a feeling I’m receiving some form of retribution for my abrupt, frustrating responses that angered her earlier. “Must I guess your reason, or would you be so kind as to reveal it?”
A broad smile spreads across her face, and I desire to kiss those lips, melt away thoughts of Dante, burn myself into her memory, her dreams, her fantasies. “Dante went to pick up Thai food. After a few drinks, I told him I didn’t feel like going anywhere. Anyway, I was wondering what Sir Oliver said about the king. Should I be expecting him tonight?”
Once again, she asks a question begging an answer I do not wish to explain. “I must call my brother again. We were interrupted during our conversation before I determined that particular information.”
“Good, then you have a reason to get down from there.” Cait grins up at me.
Laughing, I retrieve my GoSky from my pocket. “Not necessarily so.”
She scowls. “Damn you, Theo. Get your ass down here, now.” Her voice cracks while attempting to sound demanding.
I jump down, landing solidly on my feet in front of her. “There. Are you happy?” She throws her arms around me with near desperation. “Cait, what is wrong?” An errant thought leads me to wrap her in my arms as well, holding her tight. “Did Dante do something to hurt you?” I could never forgive myself for being so selfish, leaving her alone with him while caught up in my own concerns, leaving her unattended with a man simply because I believed him trustworthy.
Cait shakes her head, her face rubbing against my chest. “Don’t do that again.” She slaps me on the arm, hard. “Stay off the bazynh railing, you big idiot.” This woman thoroughly confounds me. “I don’t care what you say. I don’t want to see you up there again.”
“I wasn’t leaving, Cait.” I sense her fear, though I believe my earlier explanation clarified the dragon/ward relationship. “Perhaps we should go inside.” Leading her toward the doors, I don’t give her the opportunity to argue. “How did you find me?”
“You weren’t in the office.” Cait’s cheek rests on my chest, one arm around me as she runs her fingers over my stomach. Alcohol-induced as her actions are, I must take her hand in mine, unable to tolerate the sensations her touch arouses within me. “Dante’s not what I expected.” Her comment sounds randomly chosen, filling silence.
Nothing seems to be what any of us expected today. A day full of surprises, even for those of us never surprised by anything. “How so?” I gather she’s far more attracted to him than she expected.
Cait pushes away, walking to the door, and I think she’s going to leave without answering when she spins on her heel, slamming her body against the frame in a huff. “I expected this was some sort of game to him, or maybe he was just being nice and offering some other option, but he… he acts like he actually likes me. Actually, he acts like he feels more than that. Am I crazy?” She holds her hand up, glaring. “No. Wait. Don’t answer that. I don’t even want to know your opinion on my sanity or lack
“You should not worry for me, Cait. I’m no gargoyle,” I reply, laughing quietly at her odd behaviors. I find her constant unexpectedness enthralling. “I am a dragon, Cait.” Something I must keep reminding myself. How I love her is not how she deserves. “Even should I fall, I can shift to full dragon form in an instant. I have no fear of hitting the sidewalk given I have wings.”
“I would love to fly,” she comments in a whisper, staring into the endless night sky.
There are many things I want to say, things I should not. “Did you come looking for me for something?”
“Yep.”
She does not elaborate, and I have a feeling I’m receiving some form of retribution for my abrupt, frustrating responses that angered her earlier. “Must I guess your reason, or would you be so kind as to reveal it?”
A broad smile spreads across her face, and I desire to kiss those lips, melt away thoughts of Dante, burn myself into her memory, her dreams, her fantasies. “Dante went to pick up Thai food. After a few drinks, I told him I didn’t feel like going anywhere. Anyway, I was wondering what Sir Oliver said about the king. Should I be expecting him tonight?”
Once again, she asks a question begging an answer I do not wish to explain. “I must call my brother again. We were interrupted during our conversation before I determined that particular information.”
“Good, then you have a reason to get down from there.” Cait grins up at me.
Laughing, I retrieve my GoSky from my pocket. “Not necessarily so.”
She scowls. “Damn you, Theo. Get your ass down here, now.” Her voice cracks while attempting to sound demanding.
I jump down, landing solidly on my feet in front of her. “There. Are you happy?” She throws her arms around me with near desperation. “Cait, what is wrong?” An errant thought leads me to wrap her in my arms as well, holding her tight. “Did Dante do something to hurt you?” I could never forgive myself for being so selfish, leaving her alone with him while caught up in my own concerns, leaving her unattended with a man simply because I believed him trustworthy.
Cait shakes her head, her face rubbing against my chest. “Don’t do that again.” She slaps me on the arm, hard. “Stay off the bazynh railing, you big idiot.” This woman thoroughly confounds me. “I don’t care what you say. I don’t want to see you up there again.”
“I wasn’t leaving, Cait.” I sense her fear, though I believe my earlier explanation clarified the dragon/ward relationship. “Perhaps we should go inside.” Leading her toward the doors, I don’t give her the opportunity to argue. “How did you find me?”
“You weren’t in the office.” Cait’s cheek rests on my chest, one arm around me as she runs her fingers over my stomach. Alcohol-induced as her actions are, I must take her hand in mine, unable to tolerate the sensations her touch arouses within me. “Dante’s not what I expected.” Her comment sounds randomly chosen, filling silence.
Nothing seems to be what any of us expected today. A day full of surprises, even for those of us never surprised by anything. “How so?” I gather she’s far more attracted to him than she expected.
Cait pushes away, walking to the door, and I think she’s going to leave without answering when she spins on her heel, slamming her body against the frame in a huff. “I expected this was some sort of game to him, or maybe he was just being nice and offering some other option, but he… he acts like he actually likes me. Actually, he acts like he feels more than that. Am I crazy?” She holds her hand up, glaring. “No. Wait. Don’t answer that. I don’t even want to know your opinion on my sanity or lack
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