Rival Magic
Page 43
“Are you drunk?” her sister asked. She looked amused. But Alex was often amused.
“Watch out for Naomi’s brownies.”
Alex laughed. “Thanks for the warning.”
“She thought I needed a little kick in the butt.”
Alex looked at Kai, who was watching them. “She’s right. Go talk to that dragon, Sera.”
“Shopping tomorrow?”
“You bet.” She kissed Sera’s cheek, then slapped her on the butt, nudging her toward Kai. “Now, go get him.”
Sera continued walking. She managed to make it all the way to Kai without falling this time. As she reached him, he stopped talking to Tony and looked at her.
“Can I speak with you?” Sera looked him up and down, appreciating every attribute of his body. She just couldn’t help herself.
Amusement twinkled in his eyes. “You’re drunk.”
“Not drunk. Just really happy on Naomi’s brownies.”
He inhaled, chuckling. “She gave you an aphrodisiac.”
Sera realized her hands were sliding across his chest. She dropped her arms to her sides, cursing under her breath. Naomi’s soft laugh whispered across the room.
“I still need to talk to you,” she told Kai. “It’s important.”
He looked around. “Come with me.”
Kai wrapped his arm—and his magic—around her. Her pulse quickened. It took everything she had not to pounce on him. She held her arms flat against her sides, rigid, unmoving. His lip twitched with amusement.
As they headed for the parking lot, the commandos fell into step beside them.
“You don’t have to leave the party,” Kai told them.
“We really do.” Tony moved in front of Kai’s car.
Kai gave him a hard look. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Driving you, boss. You’ve had too much wine tonight.” Tony held out his hand. “You put me in charge of making sure you don’t do anything reckless,” he reminded Kai.
Kai looked at his friend’s extended hand, then shrugged, handing Tony the keys. “True. I did say that.”
“You had three bottles of wine,” Dal said.
“At least,” added Callum.
Sera gaped at Kai. She’d had three glasses, and he’d had three bottles. “How are you still coherent, let alone conscious after that much alcohol?”
He shrugged. “Dragon metabolism.”
Do you know anything about that? Sera asked Amara.
I don’t have a body, so I can’t comment on dragon metabolism, her dragon replied.
Now that we’re linked, let’s get that sorted. Makani had some ideas.
I like him, Amara declared. He doesn’t take shit from anyone.
Sera chuckled.
The commandos looked at her, obviously concerned for her sanity.
“I had too many of Naomi’s brownies,” she said with a shrug.
They snickered.
Sera spent the entire car ride temptingly close to Kai, her thigh against his, her magic purring like a cat. She fought the brownie magic—the urge to reach over and touch Kai—all the way back to his place. The commandos dropped them off, then drove away. They were alone. She was supposed to be talking to Kai, but she was too busy trying not to jump his bones. The elevator ride was pure torture, memories of their former trysts in there bombarding her mind. Damn Naomi and her brownies.
“Do you need anything?” Kai asked her as they entered his apartment.
For you to strip off all your clothes and take me right here and now on the kitchen counter.
Amara snorted.
“Water, please,” Sera croaked. At least her throat sounded convincingly dry.
She leaned her hands back against the counter, just to have something to do with them. Kai turned around, a glass of water in his hands. She unglued her hands from the counter to take the glass, but it slipped through her fingers.
He caught it, his movement quick, even though he was supposedly drunk.
She took a sip, then set it down on the counter. “Not so inebriated after all, are you?” she commented, biting her lower lip.
His gaze dipped to her mouth. The corner of his own mouth quirked up, like he was imagining what he would do to that lip.
“Tony was being overly cautious,” he said.
“It’s probably a good idea, considering how you drive when you’re sober.”
He flashed her a grin, so deliciously frightening, so loaded with wicked promises. “Do you have a problem with the way I drive, sweetheart?”
“Uh,” she said, scooting back.
His hand closed around her waist.
“You drive like a maniac and you ignore all parking regulations.”
He kept creeping forward, stalking like a dragon on the hunt.
“If you eat me, you’ll regret it in the morning,” she told the stalking dragon.
His smile was slow and easy—and one hundred percent deadly. “Oh, I very much doubt that,” he said, kissing her softly. His hands caught on the sleeve of her dress.
“Wait,” she gasped. Her pulse, jacked up on fairy drugs, was pounding in her veins, each beat a hot throb of pleasure.
He looked at her, his eyes burning with magic and need. When she met that gaze, she had trouble speaking. But she had to talk to him, to show him that she wasn’t freaking out. This was important. She put her raging libido in check.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said before.”
“Watch out for Naomi’s brownies.”
Alex laughed. “Thanks for the warning.”
“She thought I needed a little kick in the butt.”
Alex looked at Kai, who was watching them. “She’s right. Go talk to that dragon, Sera.”
“Shopping tomorrow?”
“You bet.” She kissed Sera’s cheek, then slapped her on the butt, nudging her toward Kai. “Now, go get him.”
Sera continued walking. She managed to make it all the way to Kai without falling this time. As she reached him, he stopped talking to Tony and looked at her.
“Can I speak with you?” Sera looked him up and down, appreciating every attribute of his body. She just couldn’t help herself.
Amusement twinkled in his eyes. “You’re drunk.”
“Not drunk. Just really happy on Naomi’s brownies.”
He inhaled, chuckling. “She gave you an aphrodisiac.”
Sera realized her hands were sliding across his chest. She dropped her arms to her sides, cursing under her breath. Naomi’s soft laugh whispered across the room.
“I still need to talk to you,” she told Kai. “It’s important.”
He looked around. “Come with me.”
Kai wrapped his arm—and his magic—around her. Her pulse quickened. It took everything she had not to pounce on him. She held her arms flat against her sides, rigid, unmoving. His lip twitched with amusement.
As they headed for the parking lot, the commandos fell into step beside them.
“You don’t have to leave the party,” Kai told them.
“We really do.” Tony moved in front of Kai’s car.
Kai gave him a hard look. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Driving you, boss. You’ve had too much wine tonight.” Tony held out his hand. “You put me in charge of making sure you don’t do anything reckless,” he reminded Kai.
Kai looked at his friend’s extended hand, then shrugged, handing Tony the keys. “True. I did say that.”
“You had three bottles of wine,” Dal said.
“At least,” added Callum.
Sera gaped at Kai. She’d had three glasses, and he’d had three bottles. “How are you still coherent, let alone conscious after that much alcohol?”
He shrugged. “Dragon metabolism.”
Do you know anything about that? Sera asked Amara.
I don’t have a body, so I can’t comment on dragon metabolism, her dragon replied.
Now that we’re linked, let’s get that sorted. Makani had some ideas.
I like him, Amara declared. He doesn’t take shit from anyone.
Sera chuckled.
The commandos looked at her, obviously concerned for her sanity.
“I had too many of Naomi’s brownies,” she said with a shrug.
They snickered.
Sera spent the entire car ride temptingly close to Kai, her thigh against his, her magic purring like a cat. She fought the brownie magic—the urge to reach over and touch Kai—all the way back to his place. The commandos dropped them off, then drove away. They were alone. She was supposed to be talking to Kai, but she was too busy trying not to jump his bones. The elevator ride was pure torture, memories of their former trysts in there bombarding her mind. Damn Naomi and her brownies.
“Do you need anything?” Kai asked her as they entered his apartment.
For you to strip off all your clothes and take me right here and now on the kitchen counter.
Amara snorted.
“Water, please,” Sera croaked. At least her throat sounded convincingly dry.
She leaned her hands back against the counter, just to have something to do with them. Kai turned around, a glass of water in his hands. She unglued her hands from the counter to take the glass, but it slipped through her fingers.
He caught it, his movement quick, even though he was supposedly drunk.
She took a sip, then set it down on the counter. “Not so inebriated after all, are you?” she commented, biting her lower lip.
His gaze dipped to her mouth. The corner of his own mouth quirked up, like he was imagining what he would do to that lip.
“Tony was being overly cautious,” he said.
“It’s probably a good idea, considering how you drive when you’re sober.”
He flashed her a grin, so deliciously frightening, so loaded with wicked promises. “Do you have a problem with the way I drive, sweetheart?”
“Uh,” she said, scooting back.
His hand closed around her waist.
“You drive like a maniac and you ignore all parking regulations.”
He kept creeping forward, stalking like a dragon on the hunt.
“If you eat me, you’ll regret it in the morning,” she told the stalking dragon.
His smile was slow and easy—and one hundred percent deadly. “Oh, I very much doubt that,” he said, kissing her softly. His hands caught on the sleeve of her dress.
“Wait,” she gasped. Her pulse, jacked up on fairy drugs, was pounding in her veins, each beat a hot throb of pleasure.
He looked at her, his eyes burning with magic and need. When she met that gaze, she had trouble speaking. But she had to talk to him, to show him that she wasn’t freaking out. This was important. She put her raging libido in check.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said before.”
