I spent the next morning in meetings that required my full attention, which meant I only thought about Adele every few minutes instead of constantly. Progress, surely. Myra presented agricultural reports. The master of trade discussed shipping routes. My military advisors reviewed border security.
And through it all, I wondered what Adele was doing. Had she met with Demi about the Summit? Was she exploring the palace? Had she set up her weather monitoring equipment yet?
Did she notice I was avoiding her, and if so, did it bother her?
By early afternoon, I’d run out of excuses to stay away. I had reports to review, but I could go through them in my chambers. Where Adele might be.
I stood outside my own door like a nervous youth, gathering courage to face my wife.
This was ridiculous. I was a dragon king. I’d faced hostile clans, negotiated impossible treaties, and ruled an entire territory with steady hands. I could walk into my own chambers without losing my composure.
I pushed open the door and strode to the sitting area.
And immediately regretted every decision that had led to this moment.
Adele sat at the table near the windows, sunlight streaming across her dark hair, turning it to silk. She wore one of her own dresses now, a deep forest green that made her eyes luminous. The neckline was modest, the fit perfect for her curves, and somehow that made her even more appealing than the tight cream dress had.
She was gesturing about something, her face animated with that particular joy she showed when discussing her work.
My cock hardened immediately.
Demi sat across from her, her chin propped on her hand, grinning.
And Niles sat beside Adele, too close, leaning in as though every word from her mouth was precious treasure.
Possessive fury roared through me.
All three of them turned at my entrance. Demi’s grin widened into what I took as knowing and infuriating. Niles raised an eyebrow. And Adele’s expression shifted through surprise, pleasure, and what might’ve been hurt before settling into careful neutrality.
“Raoul,” she said. “We weren’t expecting you.”
“These are my chambers.” The words came out much too raspy. “I don’t need permission to enter them.”
“Of course not.” Her voice remained pleasant, but frost formed on the window behind her. “We’re discussing the Summit. Demi was showing me the guest list.”
“Adele has the most brilliant ideas,” Niles said, gesturing toward the papers spread across the table. His fingers brushed Adele’s arm, and I nearly shifted right there and ripped off his head.
“Does she?” I moved further into the room, fighting to keep my steps measured when every instinct screamed at me to cross the space and remove Niles’s hand from my wife.
“She wants to create displays during the opening ceremony,” Demi said. “Controlled auroras, dancing lightning, maybe some artistic cloud formations. It would be stunning and will demonstrate the alliance’s magical strength.”
“It’s probably too flashy,” Adele said quickly. “I was just brainstorming?—”
“It’s perfect,” Niles said, leaning close enough their shoulders brushed. “You’re brilliant. I can’t believe no one’s thought of this before.”
The temperature in the room rose several degrees.
Adele noticed, her brow furrowing as she flicked her fingers to cool the air. The gesture was automatic, and the way she naturally regulated the temperature around me made my chest tighten with a feeling I refused to name.
“Don’t interrupt your meeting on my account,” I said, settling into a chair across the room. “I have paperwork to review.”
Demi’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “What paperwork? You don’t have anything with you.”
I tapped my temple. “Mental notes. Strategic planning. Continue with your discussion.”
“Mental notes.” My sister didn’t bother to hide her smirk. “Right.”
They returned to their planning, but I couldn’t focus on anything except Adele. The way she tucked her hair behind her ear when concentrating. How her hands moved when explaining concepts. The slight furrow between her brows when working through a problem.
