Tan’s caramel skin reddened, and Aisha flew into action.
“Whoa there, boys.”
Stepping in between them, she pushed each away with the palm of her hand. With Deo, that was much easier said than done.
Absently, her fingers rubbed against Deo’s chest. Okay, yeah. Maybe he was right, Tan wouldn’t satisfy her when she had a taste for someone like him. But that wasn’t fair. She just wasn’t easy to please.
“Put the testosterone away. Do not have a pissing contest in my lab,” she said.
Aisha looked up into Deo’s face as his hand caressed hers. No fair. He was touching her. He wasn’t supposed to touch her. Men didn’t do that. Not even Tan.
“Hey, Aisha. He started it. What does he want?” Tan said, a whine in his voice that annoyed her.
Sighing, she turned to the one she’d promised her father she’d marry when her body screamed that this was all wrong. It screamed that she should be with Deo.
She swallowed a lump past her tight throat. Her body needed to shut up. He wouldn’t want her. No, worse, she’d be breaking her promise to her dad. Still, keeping the annoyance out of her voice was impossible. She still wanted Deo, even if he was all wrong.
“I’m working with him, Tan.”
Tan’s nose curled up. “He sure seems a little, uh. Well, are you sure he’s the thinking type? You know, with all those muscles?”
She snorted. “Really, Tan? That seems a little judge-y for a guy with a PhD in psychology. Aren’t you supposed to be exactly the opposite of judgmental?”
His jaw muscles visibly tightened. “I’m not judging. I’m just saying, you don’t see many like him.”
Heat traveled up her arm as Deo’s thumb traced a circle against her hand. What was she yelling at Tan about?
Oh, right.
Except Deo beat her to the punch.
“I am smart enough. I assure you,” Deo said.
His voice sent chills down her spine. Why didn’t he talk more? She could get used to this.
She pulled her hands away from both of them. If she didn’t stop touching Deo, she couldn’t be held accountable for her actions.
She needed to clear her damn head.
She had a mission. She needed to finish her work. No distractions. No. No more love. Tan was safe, and if he ever died, it wouldn’t break her. Sure, that was a sad reality and an even sadder truth. She’d miss his friendship, but it wouldn’t break her, not like losing her dad.
Studying her hands, resenting the tingle still lingering on the one, she tried to snap out of it. Was that the worst reason to agree to a business-like marriage? Her father would be happy to know she wasn’t alone. Too bad it all felt so wrong and every time she tried to think about kissing him again, a little throw up seemed to find its way into her throat.
God, she needed out of this situation.
“Tan, thanks. I’ll meet you for dinner. Just text me where and as soon as I’m finished with Deo, I’ll meet you. Okay?”
He looked at her and then looked at Deo. She felt like a child, a bit of nostalgia in the way Tan looked at her, the same way her father looked at her disapprovingly.
She missed him, but she wasn’t sure she could agree to this marriage just for his sake. Yup, tonight, at dinner, she’d end it.
The memories of her father were close enough to a cold shower as she would need. At least it was safe for Tan to leave, even if she didn’t voice that.
Tan nodded and finally headed to the door with a second glance before walking out.
Aisha left Deo standing in the middle of the lab as she headed back to her microscope, where one more failed trial lay. She had magic and science on her side, and yet she hadn’t found a cure in time. Now what? She still wanted to save people from ever feeling the pain of watching someone suffer.
“Aisha?”
She looked up, realizing that her eyes were watering. She wouldn’t admit they were tears.
“Do you cry because of that human?” Deo asked. He stepped forward, stepping around the table separating her from him.
Aisha didn’t move. She couldn’t help it, she wanted him near, but she didn’t know why.
“No. It’s not,” she said, sniffling.
“Good. I don’t like to harm humans, but I would make an exception.”
2
His mouth watered to taste her. From the moment they’d seen her, Deo and his dragon knew she was theirs. They needed to wait, find the right time. Only, every moment he was near her seemed like it should be the right time. Except now.
Deo hated the way her eyes glistened. Tears, she was crying. He hated it. Why would she cry? Nothing had happened. He hadn’t murdered the small male.
He squeezed his hands into fists at the memory. No, he hadn’t. But damn, he’d wanted to.
His dragon snarled within him. Yes. They wanted to kill him, but Deo was too smart to let the rage consume him.
Now, all Deo felt was a fierce need to protect her.
He lifted a hand to her face and rested his palm against her cheek. She nuzzled against his warmth, allowing him to brush the tears away with his thumb.
“Why do you cry?”
A small idea of a smile tried to push its way onto her lips, but it lost and she frowned.
“My father. He’s only been gone for six months and I’m still not over it.”
Deo nodded.
“I feel like if I had had more time I could have saved him. And now…” she trailed off.
Deo felt the pain of regrets, of failure. This was all too familiar.
“I have lost someone. We all have. And, being the healer for my brothers and those we serve with, I feel that every death has been my fault. At some point you need to forgive yourself before you break.”
Deo hadn’t talked about his past often. His brothers knew, because sometimes they
