“Rhi,” he began.
She pulled her hands from his grasp. “I love you like a brother, and I know you mean well, but you don’t understand any of this. You fell in love once, and you got the girl. You and Lily will live happily ever after. I’m thrilled for you.”
“There’s someone out there for you.”
At this she smiled wryly. “That’s what someone in a relationship says to a single person. And it’s a load of shit. I’ve been alone for countless centuries. What does it matter who I take to my bed?”
“Because I know you,” Rhys said softly. “I know only the love you felt for your King will ever fulfill you as you need.”
Rhi raised a brow. “Not so sure, stud. I’m feeling pretty fulfilled now.”
“What the…?” He trailed off in surprise. “Who is he?”
“None of your business.”
“It is my business. You’re my business. You’re family.”
That made her eyes sting with tears. Damn Rhys. “Don’t let Con hear you say that.”
“Fuck Con,” Rhys all but roared. “I’m no’ talking about him. We’re talking about you.”
Rhi put her hand on his arm. “I know what I’m doing, Rhys. I’m lonely, yes, but not stupid.”
“Loneliness can hit people hard. It can also mix up their feelings so they do things they normally never would.”
“Trust me,” she said with a smile. Then she winked. “And tell Con I said he’s welcome for getting his information.”
Rhi teleported out before she gave in and told Rhys everything about Balladyn.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Kinsey was having a difficult time keeping her eyes open. It wasn’t just the long hours staring at the screen, frustration mounting with every search coming up empty. No, it was the dreams that plagued her sleep.
Dreams of Ryder.
Her stomach quivered with delight as she recalled one particular dream where she’d been sleeping on Ryder’s chest, his arm wrapped around her and caressing her back.
Then he began to talk, his words just above a whisper as he told her how much he missed her and how he wished he’d never left. He went on to say how many times he’d wished she were in his arms.
If only all of that were true. Kinsey tried to focus on the monitor as it scrolled through the e-mails, putting aside all those that were encoded—and there were dozens of them.
All of which were being deciphered by the software.
But it wasn’t the e-mails Kinsey kept thinking about. It was her dreams. They’d begun her first night at Dreagan. In the beginning, she wasn’t thrilled to have Ryder invade her mind again.
Perhaps it was because she was with him all day, but now she found herself eager for night so she could drift away to dreams of happiness with Ryder.
Though it was dangerous. Her fantasies were creating a life that could never be between them. Kinsey needed to keep herself grounded in reality.
She glanced at Ryder to find his short blond hair in disarray from him running his hands through it. He’d gone through two boxes of donuts already, with a third waiting.
Finally she understood how he could eat so much and stay looking so … spectacular. He linked his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair as he gazed at the screen. Every once in a while he’d glance over at the monitors to his left and check the cameras around the property.
His intelligence, honor, and compassion were what had hooked her. None of that had changed in the last three years. If anything, Ryder appeared as if he were the only one who was keeping Dreagan going with the computers, software designs, and hacks. At least one of the other Kings should know how to do everything Ryder was.
But every King had their own job. Since they lived forever, she supposed there wasn’t a need to have someone else know computers.
Kinsey always thought of herself as very good at what she did, but Ryder ran rings around her without even trying. He had four or five programs going at once while doing multiple searches. The two dozen screens weren’t nearly enough.
She wasn’t sure why he performed searches on certain people, but once he had the information, the screen vanished and he moved on. Kinsey wanted to know what he did with the data as well as why he looked into those people.
More and more, she found herself thinking about him. And not just about him being a dragon. Several times she actually caught herself thinking about living at Dreagan and being his.
Lexi did it without a problem. And there were other women there as well. They didn’t have an issue with the men being dragons.
Kinsey could finally admit to herself that it wasn’t so much that Ryder was a Dragon King—although, seeing him shift had terrified her.
She’d held onto that fear for months, because it was easy. Being with him, talking to him again made her realize he was still the same man she knew. He was just an immortal dragon.