Protector of the Pride (Lions of Pride Island Book 3) by Terry Bolryder Page B
Authors: Terry Bolryder
Ads: Link
asked, looking up at him.
“Just weird things with the Oracle,” he said. “Nothing that new.” He ran his hand through his hair and loosened his tie. “It’s been a long day I guess. Things going okay with you?”
“I didn’t let anything happen to her, if that’s what you mean,” Cain said, walking forward.
“Good,” Axel replied. “Sorry for keeping you. Give my regards to Brenna.”
“Your apologies, you mean,” Cain said, looking at his phone. But his tone was still good natured. “You gonna be okay?”
Axel nodded. “Nothing I haven’t heard before. And the PR machine is already hard at work, repairing the public damage.”
Cain nodded. “Sorry you have to deal with all this shit. I mean, I’m used to screaming crowds at my events, and Beau is, too, but we’re performing then. You were just trying to have a date.”
“Yeah, well, nothing is normal when it comes to me. It’s fine.” He turned to Lucy. “I’m going to head up for a bath and go to bed. Is there anything you need from me?”
He saw disappointment flash across her face but knew it was probably best if they went their separate ways tonight. He had a lot to think about after his appointment with the Oracle, and she had already said earlier that she didn’t want anything serious.
They’d said they were going to slow down a bit, right? After the date?
And since he already felt pretty serious about her, he didn’t think sex was a good idea.
Even if it felt like his body was tearing to pieces, he gave her shoulder a pat and stepped back.
She looked at him like a traitor. “No. I don’t need anything, I guess.” She sighed. “I guess I’ll go to bed, too, then.”
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll see you in the morning, then?”
She raised an eyebrow as Cain looked between them. “Fine.” Then she turned on her heel and stormed off.
“Looks like she wasn’t ready for the night to be over,” Cain commented.
Axel watched her go with longing in his eyes. “I wasn’t either. But I’m trying to do the smart thing for now. Not that I even know what that is anymore. Did you know the Oracle found more dragons?”
Cain’s eyes widened, and he pushed his longish hair back from his cheeks. “No. Seriously?”
“I don’t know much about it. Old dragons or something. And this one wasn’t in a pair.”
“Weird,” Cain said. “We’ll have to keep an eye on that. I know she just tries to take care of us. She’s the one who set up the dragon system as it is, so we can probably trust her.”
“I don’t know,” Axel said. “This is different. She might be in over her head.”
Cain let out a hoarse laugh as he walked to the front door, Axel following. “Dude, I think you have other things to worry about. You’re the one in over your head. You need to get your priorities straight.”
“They’re straight,” he said. Or they sort of were. But as he gripped his brother and brought him in for a one-armed hug, he felt uneasy about it.
All his life, one thing had been important to him above all others, and now it wasn’t that simple anymore.
He didn’t just treasure his country. He treasured Lucy. And that was dangerous for a man who was the only person standing between evil and the throne.
He took the stairs two at a time up to his bedroom. He’d never so looked forward to a bath.
11
L ucy tried to stay in her room and respect Axel’s decision. She really did.
The problem was she really didn’t want to.
She could hear the water running upstairs, imagine Axel’s lean, muscled body stretched out inside a tub, and the lioness in her growled to go up there.
“I can’t,” she said to herself. “We’re slowing it down. We said so.”
And he’d gone and gotten in trouble with the Oracle over their little fling.
What was wrong with her? From the moment she’d come to work here, she’d known he didn’t belong to her. That he couldn’t. And that she herself wasn’t looking for anything long
“Just weird things with the Oracle,” he said. “Nothing that new.” He ran his hand through his hair and loosened his tie. “It’s been a long day I guess. Things going okay with you?”
“I didn’t let anything happen to her, if that’s what you mean,” Cain said, walking forward.
“Good,” Axel replied. “Sorry for keeping you. Give my regards to Brenna.”
“Your apologies, you mean,” Cain said, looking at his phone. But his tone was still good natured. “You gonna be okay?”
Axel nodded. “Nothing I haven’t heard before. And the PR machine is already hard at work, repairing the public damage.”
Cain nodded. “Sorry you have to deal with all this shit. I mean, I’m used to screaming crowds at my events, and Beau is, too, but we’re performing then. You were just trying to have a date.”
“Yeah, well, nothing is normal when it comes to me. It’s fine.” He turned to Lucy. “I’m going to head up for a bath and go to bed. Is there anything you need from me?”
He saw disappointment flash across her face but knew it was probably best if they went their separate ways tonight. He had a lot to think about after his appointment with the Oracle, and she had already said earlier that she didn’t want anything serious.
They’d said they were going to slow down a bit, right? After the date?
And since he already felt pretty serious about her, he didn’t think sex was a good idea.
Even if it felt like his body was tearing to pieces, he gave her shoulder a pat and stepped back.
She looked at him like a traitor. “No. I don’t need anything, I guess.” She sighed. “I guess I’ll go to bed, too, then.”
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll see you in the morning, then?”
She raised an eyebrow as Cain looked between them. “Fine.” Then she turned on her heel and stormed off.
“Looks like she wasn’t ready for the night to be over,” Cain commented.
Axel watched her go with longing in his eyes. “I wasn’t either. But I’m trying to do the smart thing for now. Not that I even know what that is anymore. Did you know the Oracle found more dragons?”
Cain’s eyes widened, and he pushed his longish hair back from his cheeks. “No. Seriously?”
“I don’t know much about it. Old dragons or something. And this one wasn’t in a pair.”
“Weird,” Cain said. “We’ll have to keep an eye on that. I know she just tries to take care of us. She’s the one who set up the dragon system as it is, so we can probably trust her.”
“I don’t know,” Axel said. “This is different. She might be in over her head.”
Cain let out a hoarse laugh as he walked to the front door, Axel following. “Dude, I think you have other things to worry about. You’re the one in over your head. You need to get your priorities straight.”
“They’re straight,” he said. Or they sort of were. But as he gripped his brother and brought him in for a one-armed hug, he felt uneasy about it.
All his life, one thing had been important to him above all others, and now it wasn’t that simple anymore.
He didn’t just treasure his country. He treasured Lucy. And that was dangerous for a man who was the only person standing between evil and the throne.
He took the stairs two at a time up to his bedroom. He’d never so looked forward to a bath.
11
L ucy tried to stay in her room and respect Axel’s decision. She really did.
The problem was she really didn’t want to.
She could hear the water running upstairs, imagine Axel’s lean, muscled body stretched out inside a tub, and the lioness in her growled to go up there.
“I can’t,” she said to herself. “We’re slowing it down. We said so.”
And he’d gone and gotten in trouble with the Oracle over their little fling.
What was wrong with her? From the moment she’d come to work here, she’d known he didn’t belong to her. That he couldn’t. And that she herself wasn’t looking for anything long
Similar Books
