The ADDA employees had been leaving groceries at the front door every few days, not that Gaby could remember what she'd eaten most of the last two weeks. "It's food, which is all that matters."
Even though he released her hand, he motioned around his waist. "Hold me from behind. That way we can talk while I cook."
It would be easier for her to pull up a chair near the stove, but she craved the closeness too much.
So Gaby complied, and followed him to the stove and nearby counter. As he prepped things, she said, "I never heard much about your sister, aside from the fact she got you to enter the dragon lottery. And since it would've been weird to bring her up during the frenzy, will you tell me about her now?"
Even though she had her head against his back, she could hear the smile in his voice. "Tiffany is a lot younger than me, by about ten years. She was a surprise for my parents, but I'm glad she's around. I'm not sure I would've survived the last two years without her."
Because of his bitchy ex-wife. True, Gaby didn't know a whole hell of a lot about her, but the fact she'd cheated and married Ryan's twin was enough to anger both woman and beast. "Why, what did she do to help you?"
"Well, she never let me hide away from the world too long, and continually tried to get me to do something, anything, outside of my house." He turned on a burner, placed the frying pan, and continued. "I even started working from home to avoid everyone, and the results weren't pretty. Let's just say I'm glad she never gave up on me. If she had, I wouldn't be here now."
He touched one of her arms around his waist and she hugged him tighter. "I hope she can visit soon. I'd like to meet her."
He snorted. "Oh, she'll visit. I don't think you could stop her, if I'm honest. Tiffany is sort of awed by dragon-shifters in general."
The rules were different for the human entrants, in that not all siblings had to enter at the same time to qualify. So she asked, "But she didn't enter the lottery for herself?"
Ryan shook his head. "No. She wanted to make sure I was okay first."
There was a hint of guilt in his voice. Gaby released him to stand at his side. Only when he met her gaze did she say, "Well, you are now, right?" He gave a small nod and she added, "Then maybe I can help your sister. While I can't rig the lottery, she can at least visit PineRock. I have plenty of single cousins, after all. If she wanted to enter the lottery, I guess she likes men?" Ryan nodded again. "Then there are a lot more options for her, given how dragon-shifters skew male."
Ryan sighed. "Please don't tell her about your plethora of single cousins or she'll stop at nothing to nab one."
Gaby shrugged. "It wouldn't be that bad, provided she doesn't mind overprotectiveness."
Ryan gave a half-laugh. "Having two, much-older brothers during her teen years wasn't easy, so I'm sure she can handle herself. Not that I'm encouraging it, mind you."
She leaned against his arm, watching him stir the eggs into the pan. Gaby burned to ask about Ryan's twin, yet she didn't want to ruin the morning.
No, she'd ask later, once they'd spent more time together.
Once the eggs were cooking, Ryan popped some bread into the toaster and glanced at her. "Right now, I probably should be more worried about your brother and that gaggle of male relatives you talked about."
The term gaggle made her think of them with feathered wings instead of normal dragon ones, and she laughed. "I dare you to call them a gaggle to their faces."
"Not if I want to stay alive, darling. I'd prefer they didn't change into dragons and drop me from a great height."
She lightly hit his side. "They won't do that. Although they'll threaten it, I'm sure. But me and my cousin Luna are the only female cousins in the family, and they'd all do anything to protect us, which should soon extend to you, too."
Ryan stirred the scrambled eggs again. "Well, if you have any hints on how to get into their good graces, now would be a great time to tell me. After all, we'll be on your clan later today."
Yes, they would. What she wouldn't give for another day alone with Ryan.
However, if ADDA found out they'd been keeping the pregnancy secret, the contract spelled out consequences.
In other words, ADDA wanted to wash their hands of them as soon as possible.
She glanced up at Ryan's expectant face. "Just don't act afraid and you'll do fine, I think. Fear will make you unworthy in their eyes. And even though it's my life and my decisions, some of them will ignore that and think you need their approval before you can be with me. The only good news is that my brother has a human mate now, so at least you'll have an ally."
It had hurt a little to receive the text message from Jose about his mating ceremony, but she couldn't fault him for wanting everything legal, to give his mate the best protection under the law.
Her dragon sniffed. We've met Tori and like her. That's all that matters.
Breakfast ready, Ryan divvied up th
e eggs, took the bread out of the toaster, and dished out the yogurt. Taking both plates, he put them on the island behind them.