Chapter Fourteen
Heather said, “I can’t believe you came! Oh, thank God Blake was there to …”
Christy wagged a finger in her face. “Don’t you dare say Mr. Lend-Me-Your-uterus saved my life.”
“But he did.”
“I know that, but I will die before I say that to him.” Christy’s arms crossed over her chest, but the gesture was defensive rather than angry. “I was so scared,” she admitted softly, “And I never thought I would be happy to see him, but…”
Heather snorted. “Are you serious right now? I know you better than anybody else, and I know you did not come here just to see me. Do not get me wrong, I am so happy to see you, uneaten by Orcs especially. But I know you, and you never would have…you wanted to see him, didn’t you?”
Oh God, why try to lie? Heather knew her too well. “Yes. I had to know if…if I made a mistake.”
“By leaving or coming back?”
“Either way.”
Heather said, “You know, he isn’t so bad. Did you know the Orcs killed his brother and that his mom died while trying to protect him?’
Christy blinked. She stuttered out, “No, I didn’t. He never said.”
“He doesn’t say a lot, not about what he really should.” Heather eyed her. “Max told me all that. Blake wouldn’t ever, I guess. He’s a good guy, under all that other stuff. There’s a lot of those on the Council who feel the restrictions on his bearing children are unfair and wrong.”
Christy’s heart gave a flutter. “Well it is, and if he could, he could probably find a perfectly nice dragon lady to marry.”
Oh shit. That was true. Her heart sank even further. This had been a bad idea, and she knew it. Blake and she were not meant for each other; they were not even right for each other! She said, “Oh, well maybe they should change that then.”
“You know they can’t. But they would if they could.”
Was Heather trying to warn her that she might lose out on a great guy? It was hard to say and before she could ask, Blake and Max reappeared. Max asked if he could see Heather for a few minutes and whisked her away, leaving Christy standing there alone with Blake. She shuffled her feet, not sure what to say just then.
Christy said, “Listen, I am sorry about making you have to fight the Orcs with me. I’m sure that was the last thing you wanted to have to do today.”
His shoulders moved up and down in a small shrug. “I’d probably fight more than a few Orcs for you.”
Christy eyed him carefully, “Are you trying to flatter me?”
He said, “Is it working?”
It was, actually. She’d rather die than admit that though. “Working how?”
His handsome face gave nothing away. She’d always known that and she also knew that she couldn’t trust him. He had ulterior motives, no doubt about it. But hadn’t there been good relationships made between people who hadn’t necessarily entered into them for the right reasons? If not, all those treacly romance novels she had read about Dukes wedding governesses for convenience had lied to her. That she was trying to compare herself and Blake and their incredibly unusual non-romance to the plot of a historical romance novel amused her despite herself.
He said, “I missed you.”
Her heartbeat threatened to reach heights both dizzying and terrifying. “Why?”
It was a question she really needed an answer to and she held her breath as soon as she had demanded that answer. Blake said, “You know, you have to be the most frustrating woman ever created. She wasn’t sure if that was supposed to flatter her, but she was sure that it irritated her. “I am so sorry that I’m so frustrating. Perhaps you should go back to my world, set up a new dating profile, and remember not to drink coffee before, or on your date this time.”
She turned on her heel, but his hand caught hers, stopping her from stalking away. He said, “Don’t. Don’t just walk away. I’ll admit that I’m a little confused and I’m not sure exactly how to talk to you. I don’t…” he fidgeted a bit, “I’m not really good at saying what I really think and feel. But I meant it. I missed you.”
She wished she could read his face, but as usual, it was in its inscrutable mask. He might not have been good at saying how he felt, and he was damn good at hiding it. “You’re frustrating too.”
He said, “I’ve been told I can piss people off pretty good too.”
“Oh, I’m sure you have.”
He said, “Are you hungry?”
