Butting In by Zenina Masters Read Free Book Online Page A

mate-to-be escape him by crashing into everything in her path. Apparently, her nimble feet had abandoned her.
    Drak came around the corner and crossed his arms. “So, how did the evening go? I see you have recovered from your war wound.”
    Riox chuckled. “I have. She was worried about it, so I healed it.”
    “How did she react to that?”
    Riox laughed. “She has to use the restroom. Her coffee consumption caught up with her.”
    Drak blinked. “Did you tell her that there were facilities down here?”
    Riox shook his head. “I didn’t have a chance. She started crashing her way out of the library, and chasing her at that point would have just caused her an issue.”
    Drak put his hands on his hips. “This has taken a weird turn.”
    Riox nodded. “I would have to agree. If this is what it is like taking a shifter to mate, the fey who have managed it have my respect.”
    “Go and get some sleep, Riox. You need to be pretty for her when she wakes up.”
    “Yes, elder. See you later.” Riox passed his brother and patted him on the shoulder on the way to the stairs.
    The chance that Gera was offering to Riox was not one he was going to throw away. He could bring little halflings into the world, and they would spread magic and power into the next century. Gera would have to agree to have several children, but she had come from a big family, so he didn’t think it would be an issue.
    It was funny to think that he had accompanied Drak here on a lark. His flirting with the ladies had provided them with the energy they needed to build the Axion.
    Drak’s dream was to create a space where he could practice matchmaking. He was good at it, but he was no seer. He matched the soul more than the body, and that was not what the fey court was currently looking for.
    Getting the location in the Crossroads was a dream come true for his brother, so Riox was going to do whatever he could to keep Drak moving toward his goals. Gera’s help and her suggestion to drop the glamour had covered miles of differences that Riox hadn’t even realized were there.
    The idea that a glamour would cause hostility to be the reaction of most of the shifters was an insight that they had missed, but it did explain the fights that Riox had gotten into before Gera arrived.
    Now that he had settled on her as his mate, there was a calmness spreading through him. The hunger for women was gone. He only wanted her. The urge to take her was constantly riding him, but taking it slow was the way to win her, unless she made a move on him first.
    He was really hoping that his luck held and her instincts took over.
     
    * * * *
     
    Gera opened her eyes six hours later, her princess bed was just as pretty as when she had crashed on top of the sheets and passed out.
    She got up, kicked off her remaining shoe and staggered to the bathroom again. Her cheeks were on fire. She couldn’t believe that she had left him after announcing that she had to pee.
    Muttering to herself, she stripped off her cocktail dress and underwear before she jumped into the shower.
    “Damn it!” She had forgotten to pull out the hairpins that were keeping her hair up. She yanked at the pins and shampooed her hair, wondering how her day could possibly fit any more unfortunate incidents.
    The only thing she could imagine that would cap off her day was walking in on Riox jerking off or something.
    That mental image stayed with her as she got dressed, brushed her hair and left her room.
    The stairs were just as magical as they were the day before, but today, it was magnified by Riox waiting for her at the base of the steps.
    “Good afternoon, Gera. Would you care to join me for lunch?”
    She nodded. “Yes, please. I didn’t want to put Drak out.”
    “He normally lives for that sort of thing, but he is getting a briefing from Teal, Tony and Dira. His next paying clients are booked in for tomorrow.”
    Gera completed her cruise to the base of the steps, and she went up on her toes to