Page 41 of Dragon Tempted

She chuckled. “He started laughing. Especially after I went on to tell him about the lecture Jonas gave us. He just responded, ‘Serves you right.’ And that was it. Honestly, most of his punishments were minor unless he threatened to ground me from seeing Ryan.”

Heat hit the middle of his chest again. He couldn’t remember the last time he had heartburn. “You and Ryan are close.”

She picked up her water bottle and took what John thought was a long time to answer.

“He’s my best friend.”

“Which is why he works for you,” he pushed.

Her eyebrows drew together. “He works with me because he’s smart and can multitask like a rock star. I couldn’t run things without him.”

John thought she could do pretty much anything she set her mind to, but he wasn’t going to argue with her. “Is he your guard?”

“He does watch out for me, yes. Marcus and my two brothers are overprotective. I compromised with them when I told them that Ryan was going to work with me. Marcus trained him as a guard himself, so he knows he’ll protect me. Although I can protect myself.”

His heart sped up at the thought of her being in danger. “It doesn’t hurt to have someone watch your back.”

Sienna’s eyes widened. “Says the man who should have I am an island tattooed on his forehead.”

He looked out over the valley instead of continuing to look at her face since it was doing weird things to his heart.

“Why did you really want to meet today, Sienna?”

“I wanted to check on you.”

He pushed down his emotions and schooled his expression before facing her again. “That’s it?”

Her eyes filled with determination. “Partly. And partly because I wanted to get you out of the cabin and show you the valley. We could go for a flight if you want.”

“No,” he barked before he got control of his emotions. She didn’t know he couldn’t fly any longer, and that was the last thing he wanted to talk about.

Her eyes widened at his tone. “You don’t have to quarantine yourself here, John.”

Hell, the news she shared about the drone made him want to leave and never come back, hopefully taking the Templars with him. “I’m better on my own.”

Her lips formed a thin line. “Bullshit.”

He reared back a bit at her pronouncement. Before he could respond, she stood and brushed off her pants. “None of us are better off on our own. So you should get used to having me around because you’re not getting rid of me anytime soon.”

John looked up at her fierce expression and lost the ability to bluster back at her. He wasn’t used to talking to people, much less letting them tell him what to do. Especially a strong, smart, and breathtaking female. But with Sienna all bets were off.

Chapter 15

Sienna carried the picnic basket into the house and took a deep breath. Was it bad that she had basically told John he was stuck with her? But there was something about that lonely male that called to her. Those gray-blue eyes that teased so many hidden emotions. Yes, he was frustrating, but he was also a kindred soul. They had both lost their parents. She had her brother step in to raise her and he, his grandfather. Responsibility for the curse weighed on his shoulders, much like the duty she felt daily as clan leader.

She set the basket on the kitchen counter, Marilyn turning from her spot at the sink. “Did he like the chicken and dumplings?”

“Very much. Thank you so much for making it.”

A few minutes later Sienna headed to the office. When she walked inside, she was greeted with not only Ryan typing on his computer, but Megan and Tessa working on the whiteboards.

“Did we have a meeting scheduled that I missed?” Sienna asked.

Tessa turned and plopped her hands on her hips, which normally was a preface for some sort of scolding. “I came to talk to you about Operation Befriend a Grump, and Ryan told me you were at the cabin with John already. I told you I had an idea to help.”

Heat bubbled in Sienna’s chest. “I’m not trying to trick John into friendship, Tessa. This isn’t about some sort of agenda about the curse,” she snapped.

Both Ryan and Megan gaped at her outburst.