Page 98 of The Dragon's Gambit

“That’s her curse. I won’t ever harm her. But anyone she touches will end up dead, because she is mine and mine alone.” Lee watched as her sapphire eyes drifted over his lips. She had licked her own and gently bit her bottom lip. His focus was now on her as his breath grew heavy watching her. She leaned forward and licked his lips. Then she popped out of his lap, giggling.

“Who wants snacks?” Reiya smirked as she looked down at Lee.

He let out a dark chuckle and stood to his feet. “What game do you think you’re playing here?”

Reiya giggled and took a few steps back. “The one where you don’t win.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” He smiled and stepped toward her. “Even if I don’t win today, I will win eventually. So, in a sense, I’ve already won.”

Reiya shook her head and smiled at him. “See, that’s where you’re wrong. When my wolf comes out and I mark you … that’s the day I win. And you will never be able to win again after that.”

“You plan to mark him like mom marked dad? Yeah, you’re a goner, Levi.” Brody chuckled and shrugged. There was no hope for him if his sister was like his mom.

“If you don’t want her marking your neck, Levi, she can mark mine.” Xander grinned as he provoked him.

Lee turned and gave Xander an icy smile. “Go ahead … let her mark you and see what happens.”

“Reiya, he’s threatening meeeeee,” Xander called out in a tattletale voice.

She giggled. “You don’t really buy into those threats, do you? It’s like being threatened by a rabbit.” She watched his eyes dance in amusement as he looked at her.

“A rabbit, huh? Then why does it look like you’re about to sprint away from this rabbit?”

“You just aren’t reading me clearly. I’m a wolf, so you are my prey.” Reiya grinned as she stepped into him and flicked his nose. “Go finish your game. Chelsie and I are going to put on a movie and binge on snacks.” She stood on her tiptoes and pushed her lips into his, gently sucking on his bottom lip and prodding it with her tongue. She pulled back and winked at him. With a smirk, she walked into the kitchen to gather her tray of snacks.

“Come on, Levi. There’s a game to be won here.” Xander grinned as he watched Chelsie leave to join Reiya.

“You’re right. There is a game to be won here,” Lee answered distractedly, his eyes drifting toward Reiya with a promise before he turned back to join the guys. He looked at the board with a small frown. What was he planning to do next?

Reiya and Chelsie sat on the floor around their spread of snacks. They finally settled on the movie The Gladiator. Xander didn’t have any chick flicks to watch, and like her mother, Reiya was not into scary movies.

Chelsie smirked at Reiya and winked. “Mmm … now there’s a man, Reiya. Can you imagine Maximus holding you at night?”

Reiya grinned. She let out a sigh. “If only. That is some tasty man flesh I wouldn’t mind consuming.” She listened as she heard Lee snort and smiled over at Chelsie.

“Talk about getting the best night’s sleep you could ever imagine,” Chelsie continued to tease.

“Who said anything about sleeping? If he was in my bed, we wouldn’t be sleeping.”

Brody sat behind Chelsie and pulled her up into him. “I’ll be your Maximus, Chelsie. Trust me … I’m way better,” he growled lowly near her ear.

“What happened to your game?” Reiya watched him hug Chelsie against himself. They were so cute together.

“Eh, I lost. But now I get to sit here and hold my girl, so I didn’t really lose.” Brody kissed Chelsie on the nose, and she smiled up at him lovingly.

Reiya started crying when Maximus arrived back at his home to see his wife and child killed. She couldn’t stop the tiny streams that trickled from her eyes.

“Aww, Ray Ray.” Brody grabbed a tissue and tossed it over to his sister. She was always so sensitive with movies.

“I can’t help it. It’s just so cruel.” She sniffed.

She was dabbing her eyes when she felt warm arms lift her from the ground and pull her up onto the couch. She looked up at Lee, who had curled her into his lap. He had a small smile on his face as he took the back of his hand to wipe her tears.

“Who won the game?” Reiya asked quietly.

Lee leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “Xander. There’s no way I can concentrate on a battle like that with you around.” He situated her comfortably in his lap and leaned her head into his chest.

Xander hopped over the couch and sat at the opposite end. “Thanks, girls. You ended up being the best players on my team.” He winked at them and shoved a handful of popcorn in his mouth.