It was twenty-four hours before Galen finally found the personal willingness to leave his quarters, or to let Alexis out of his bed for more than a meal and a shower, if that. Food could be had between the sheets (personally he was more than happy with simply feasting on her) and what use was cleaning his body when sweat and sex would only muck it up again.

But, eventually, he had to relent. Their little bubble of unexpected bliss would have to break eventually and it was best that they made the choice, lest they have it made for them. Still, it was with some regret that he watched Alexis pad out of the bedroom on the afternoon of the next day, having taken a couple of calls the night before to let her employer (Jonathan Pike, a man Galen was sure to dislike with grave intentions in the near future) know that she would not be coming in.

She’d cited a fever and that much was true. A dragon wasn’t even being smug when he said he could make a woman’s blood run hot.

Not nearly as hot as she made him, though.

“We could still turn around,” he murmured in her ear as they went down the stairs, his hand resting comfortably on her lower back.

“And avoid the world even longer? I thought we were on a tight schedule,” she chided playfully, giving Galen ample reason to smack her bountiful behind.

“You’re testing me again,” he grumbled, swallowing once more his desire to simply throw her over his shoulder and make off with her to the safety of the bedroom.

In all his life, though admittedly he had never been near as lecherous as his two older brothers, Galen had never felt such an intense connection with a person before as he did with Alexis. Not only did her body make him lose his mind with gleeful willingness, but the way she spoke of the things she cared about – like saving the Knossos, or her family, or her career as a whole – made Galen feel a bloom of affection in his chest unlike any other. He listened with rapt attention to anything she had to say, and found himself comfortably oversharing without fear of being judged.

It was, in a word, liberating. Running a multi-billion dollar international conglomerate was a lonely kind of business, especially for a dragon. Even more so for a dragon with more skeletons in the family closet than fire-breathing brethren. No one was ever to be trusted, no one was ever to be taken at face value.

Except for Alexis.

She, with her big, bright eyes and her infectious smile, cut through all his defenses and he found himself falling as quickly as a fool ever had. Not for a moment had he stopped to wonder why this was, or if he should worry about it.

As their joint footsteps padded down the steps, Galen felt a tension rising between his shoulder blades, the dragon making him stand straighter, take note, his hackles rising.

“We have company again,” Galen muttered softly as they descended the last of the steps, guiding Alexis toward the back porch without having to check with the staff where these unexpected guests would be lurking.

“Should I worry?” Alexis asked, picking up on his tension.

“No more than I should,” he offered in cryptic response, smoothing his expression into a mask of indifference as they passed through the last set of doors, the bright, hot sun and a gentle breeze greeting them as they stepped outside.

“Little brother,” Georg greeted them with the broad smile of a predator lying in wait, spreading his arms in an invitation for a hug that Galen didn’t return.

Georg frowned slightly, though the quirking smirk in the corner of his mouth was more evidence than necessary that he’d hardly expected his hello to be accepted or returned. It didn’t elude Galen that the man, while not an entirely unwelcome guest as he was a member of the Calder household and as such had as much right to be at the family home as Galen or Grear, had made little effort to announce himself. What made his dragon growl within the pit of his stomach was the fact that the man lacked the common courtesy to even introduce himself to Alexis.

In fact, he didn’t so much as look at her, which she caught as well.

Instead of forcing a greeting on Georg, Alexis twirled around to face Galen, rose up on her tiptoes and gave him a peck on the cheek that lingered, her hand resting on his chest. Immediately, his own hand went to cover hers and he leaned into her to steal a quick kiss from her on the lips, his dragon settling down immediately.

Though they’d been locked away together for a full day, fooling around and talking about everything under the sun, he’d left the room with a certain feeling of lightness. It was only now that their rushed deal was starting to sink in, and the understanding that she was either a talented actress or a partner made in heaven presented itself to him.

I wonder which?

“I’ll have some coffee. Would you like some, love?” she asked, stressing the endearment slightly, though she resisted the urge to throw a glance at Georg.

The other dragon snorted, if under his breath.

“I would have some, yes, my gem,” Galen cooed back, Alexis moving across the wide porch to help herself to the refreshments laid out on a table.

The two brothers snapped their gazes back on each other the moment she was out of immediate earshot. Though, admittedly, if either one of them decided to start letting their dragon do the talking, it’d be pretty impossible to hide their ire from Alexis, or anyone else in a ten-mile radius.

“I never thought you for the ambitious type, baby brother,” Georg commented, his eyes swirling an ominous gold, his dragon close to the surface.

“I wouldn’t know what you mean,” Galen said with a nonchalant shrug, moving past his brother to plant both hands on the marble rail of the porch, overlooking their expansive, immaculately kept grounds.

It took plenty of water to keep the gardens lush and the fountains flowing in the mid-summer scorch that overtook Crete this time of the year, but a water dragon could have no less than perfection when it came to these matters. Though the family keep was situated atop a mountain, the view opened to the Mediterranean around them. It was an old family fable that had said that their forefathers had chosen this mountain because they could see the sea from each side on a good day, with dragon vision, at least.

“You know exactly what I speak of,” Georg practically hissed, Galen seeing the unapologetic glare the man tossed at his would-be betrothed as he spoke.

“Enlighten me, older brother. You’re never here unless it is your watch and if I remember correctly, even then you may be absent. So it must be a reason of some magnitude for you to grace me and Alexis with your radiant presence.”

Galen had to put some effort into quelling his amusement at the pure, unadulterated ire that seemed to drip off of Georg as he said his piece.

“I’m talking about that woman, this charade that you’re putting up. Don’t for a moment think that I don’t know what you’re plotting, baby brother.”

“Are you questioning the honor of my betrothed?” Galen asked, standing to his full height and turning to face Georg.

Admittedly, this was all supposed to be an act. Even after worshipping Alexis’ body and mind for a full day, Galen knew full well that what they’d agreed to was a mutually beneficial ruse, a ploy to save something important to both of them in the most painless way possible. Yet when Georg so openly disrespected her and questioned Galen’s intentions and feelings toward her, it was like someone had come swinging a battle axe in his hoard room.

Galen simply wouldn’t stand for it.

Georg’s eyes narrowed for a moment but before he could shoot back, Alexis reappeared, nursing two cups of coffee. She unceremoniously shoved one at Galen and it didn’t take a dragon to realize that she was doing it in order to diffuse the situation.

“You boys seemed to be having so much fun, I thought I’d come join the conversation. Georg, I’ve heard so much about you! Galen speaks so highly of you,” Alexis chittered, putting on her best hostess face and façade.

Galen had to admire her. She could hold herself like a pro. In a dress laid out by one of the serving staff – a delicate, but elegant red number – her hair up and modest make-up highlighting her natural beauty, she carried herself like a pro. Like she spent almost every weekend breaking up society dragon fights and as if it was almost boring for her to do so.

Galen’s free arm slipped around her waist as if by reflex as he took a sip of the coffee, content to let Alexis work her charm on his entirely uncharmed brother for a moment.

“I’m sure he does,” Georg commented, looking as if something stank right in front of his nose.

It was all Galen could do to keep from breaking his nose for it. While the Calder brothers had always had a mostly tenuous relationship on account of their wildly varying personalities, they hadn’t come to blows since they were but dragonlings. Galen got the distinct feeling that this too would be something that was to change soon.

“So, just to be sure that I’ve understood correctly what Grear told me,” Georg started after composing himself, bringing a silent sigh to Galen’s lips. “You two, Miss… I’m not sure if I caught your name…”

“Alexis Smith,” Alexis offered sweetly before Galen could interject.

“Miss Smith and you, Galen, are intending to get married, yes? What fortuitous timing.”

Of course it had to be Grear that rushed to Georg to tell him the news. The fact that it took the eldest Calder brother a full day to pay a house visit meant that Grear had been forced to go through some trouble to actually find him.

Probably another hidden bar with plenty of gambling opportunities, Galen thought, not with small bitterness.

“Love cannot wait,” Alexis said, abandoning her coffee cup on the railing and looping both arms around Galen’s waist, looking up at him wistfully.

I couldn’t have made a better choice for a partner in crime, Galen thought, catching himself grinning as he glanced down at her.

A small spike of uncertainty flitted through him as he looked back at Georg, seeing the suspicion in the man’s eyes. Of course, Georg was suspicious for all the right reasons, but it brought up the question if Galen himself wasn’t being a little too trusting at the moment?

He squeezed Alexis’ shoulder and put that thought out of his mind. He’d made his bed. It was time to lie in it.

“I see,” Georg concluded, his lips pressed thin. “Well then, that certainly makes things interesting. Am I to assume correctly that the happy date will reach us during the next full moon?”

“Astute observations as always, brother. Now, though, if there’s nothing more, my bride and I have business to attend to. If you don’t mind…”

“Wedding planning! Such a madhouse,” Alexis chuckled, batting long lashes.

It was hard to imagine that Galen had just dusted her off from an archaeological dig some twenty-four hours ago.

“Of course,” Georg agreed, throwing one last look at Alexis before excusing himself with a nod of his head to Galen. “I’m sure we’ll meet soon, baby brother.”

“Looking forward to it,” Galen called after the man’s retreating back, while Alexis breathed a sigh of relief the moment the front door banged shut behind Georg.

“Any other brothers I need to worry about?” she asked. “Seems like every time we switch rooms, there’s another one waiting.”

“Just those two,” Galen said, sipping his coffee thoughtfully. “But they’re trouble enough between the two of them.”

Somehow, he had the feeling that trouble wasn’t a big enough word to describe the current predicament with.