Dragon Heat (Dragons of Perralt Book 2) by Sher Dillard Read Free Book Online Page A

like spoiled laundry.
    Flint's eyes grew as big as toadstools. Emily simply smiled and shook her head.
    “Jesus,” Flint said. “Even I know not to do that.”
    Laila’s heart sank, things had been going so well. Her feet yelled at her to run, but she was frozen in place. How could she have been so stupid?
    Emily laughed and said, “Oh, how many times I have wished I could do the same thing. Don’t get me wrong, Flint. Your wine is very good. But, it is an acquired taste. I should have warned her.”
    Laila looked across at the woman. Was she making fun of her, or was the woman really trying to be kind?
    “It appears you don’t like wine, dear, not everyone does. Especially the heavy wines of Caylan,” Emily said. “In the future, just bring the drink to your lips. That is enough.”
    Laila said, “Thank you,” and tried once again. This time, letting the liquid barely brush her lips. She then smiled at Emily, and gently returned the glass to its place on the table.
    Emily nodded her approval and then turned to Flint. “She did very well. She learns fast. But, there are a thousand more things she must know before the Ambassador’s party. I’m not making any promises, mind you, but this might work. Maybe.”
    Laila’s heart soared, she had passed her first test. Even more, this woman of high birth had given her praise. Granted, the bitch didn’t deserve to be forgiven. But, she’d hold off on stabbing her in her sleep for a while.
     

Chapter Six
    Flint unbuckled his sword, removed his hat, then coat and gloves, before handing everything to Sharp.
    “Where’s the Princess?” he asked his butler, his eyes drifting to the stairs. 
    He had instructed everyone to refer to Laila as Princess. It was the only way she was ever going to believe it herself. His staff had quickly acquiesced. No rolling of eyes or disparaging remarks behind closed doors.
    “In your study, Sir,” the butler said, as he put away the coat. “The Princess said she would wait for you there.”
    Flint nodded. The day had gone longer than he had planned. It seemed the Ambassador wanted the party to be perfect. It was amazing what happened when people learned he was the brother-in-law to the Queen of Lushcany.
    Shaking his head, he mumbled to himself. It will be over soon, and you can return home and leave this wretched city. He would return to the valley as hero. Alone, but a hero.
    Stepping into his study he halted for a moment as Laila looked up at him. Their eyes locked for a long second. A burning need flared up inside of him. He had to push his beast back down. Now, was not the time nor the place.
    She sat behind his desk, her hands in bowls of white goop. He frowned at her, questioning what she was doing.
    “Goat’s fat,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders. “I think it’s working.”
    “I thought that was a joke,” Flint said.
    “No,” Laila exclaimed. “Even Mrs. Peabody said it would work. She said I could do it here, while I waited for you.”
    Flint nodded as he walked to the decanter and poured himself a glass of whiskey. What was it about this woman that made him uncomfortable? It was like being in a room full of traps. As if any mistake could cause him to make a fatal error. The wrong word or the wrong look between them and he’d have her on the rug before the fire.
    Swallowing a deep drink, he asked, “How much longer?”
    “Oh, I could have stopped a while ago, but I thought more was better. Don’t you? Emily says that a lady is always judged by her hands.”
    He looked at this young woman and smiled to himself. A few days ago, she was a hair’s breadth from being stabbed and raped in a back alley. Today, her greatest fear is what another woman would think about her hands.
    Taking a seat by the fire, he draped a leg over an arm rail and studied her. Something was different. He squinted for a moment. Yes, her eyes. They had done something to her eyebrows. They looked bigger, more innocent.
    She was