Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 55059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
“Yeah, we know who we are, but who are you?” the old lady backed her husband.
“This is my house!” Tatsu roared at the loons. “Now, for the last time, who the hell are yo—”
Oh my God—
“Grandmother!” Eira somehow got past Ryu and jumped into her grandmother’s arms to make sure it wasn’t an illusion.
“Hey, honey, nice to see you, but I’m kinda in the middle of something.” She patted her before squaring up with Tatsu again.
Ryu coughed, getting all their attention, while the regret on his face was visible. “These are Eira’s grandparents, and this is my father, Tatsu.”
“You have a lovely home, Tatsu.” Grandmother beamed, doing a full one-eighty now with the introductions that clearly sent Ryu’s father over the edge.
Grandfather didn’t help his attitude by picking up an expensive chachki.
Tatsu’s mouth dropped open at the audacity, then it thinned into a firm line before he snatched the item out of the grubby hands and set the precious item carefully back in its place. He then focused his frustrations on the source of his new problem. His son.
“How in the hell did you get them over here? It’s impossibl—” It was obvious the moment he said it, he figured out how. With anger and disgust, he cursed the name, “Itako.”
They all watched him storm off toward the front door.
“Where are you going?” Ryu dared to ask the obvious.
“She’s going to undo what she has done,” Tatsu promised.
His son scratched his head. “I don’t think it works like that.”
“Watch me,” his father said, slamming the door shut with finality.
Grandmother wasted no time once he was gone. “What’s up his butt?”
Ryu simply pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly debating his life choices.
Seeing his patience was wearing thin, Eira decided to change the subject. “How did you get here?” She was still so in shock at seeing them that it felt almost like a dream. The way Ryu had explained it, it was impossible, just like Tatsu had said.
“We got here by boat. A very small one, I might add,” Grandmother noted, displeased. “But how in the world did you get here?”
Eira looked over at Ryu, stunned by the question. “You haven’t told them yet?” she whispered to him, but obviously, not so well.
“Told us what?” they asked in not so deaf unison. Even Grandfather, who had picked up the chachki again with Tatsu gone, had gotten closer, clearly wanting to know the secret. It was funny how he could choose what he wanted to hear and what he didn’t.
“Grandmother, Grandfather …” she choked out before finally croaking out Ryu’s secret with his nodded approval. “Ryu’s a dragon.”
The precious item in Grandfather’s hand went crashing to the floor. “A what?”
27
Grow Old with Me
Entering her bedroom after she finally got her grandparents settled in for the night, she was happy to find Ryu already in bed. “I can’t believe you did that for me,” she said breathlessly and with a smile. “That was very kind of you.”
“Of course.” He lifted his lips in his own smile. “Anything to make you happy, darling.”
She knew he, in fact, meant it, considering who her grandparents were, but ugh, she had to admit whenever he used that term of endearment, her stomach did somersaults.
Quickly, she got ready for bed. After spending the whole day with her grandparents, she had missed Ryu, and now the fire inside burned with a passion to get close to him. She was worried he had fallen asleep until she crawled into bed and his lashes lifted.
She snuggled close to him under the covers, but her body cried out for her to somehow get even closer.
“You know, she told me everything you had to do to get her here, but I have one question …”
“What’s that?” he asked, dragging her into his arms tighter. It was obvious he felt much the same way as she did at the moment.
“How did you get her in the boat?”
Ryu belly-laughed so hard it shook her. “It wasn’t easy.”
“I imagine so.” She chuckled with him, seeing the mental image in her mind. It was a wonder everyone had gotten to the island alive.
With their laughter dying, Eira wanted to properly thank him. “Thank you, Ryu. I can’t tell you what it means that you did that for me.” Bringing her face closer to his in the lamp’s light glow, she gave him a slow-burning kiss in return for his kindness.
Still clearly mesmerized, he asked. “That’s all? It was a very small boat, you know.”
Smiling, Eira repeated her kiss, giving him more this time. Her own body wanted to deepen it as well, so she slipped her tongue into his warm mouth, and it was as if she ignited an inferno.
Ryu felt the ignite, too, letting himself explore her mouth hotly. He then left her lips to trail a kiss to her ear then her neck. As he traveled down a little bit lower, Eira didn’t dare it to end; she went for the buttons of her top, hoping Ryu wouldn’t stop her this time.