Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, "And if I said yes?"
"I'd call you crazy." She tugged her wrist and he released it. "Let's just survive this dinner, okay?"
Brenna turned and marched to the cottage door.
Something had happened, but he wasn't sure of what. Maybe going to her home in England would give her the freedom to avoid him, since Stonefire would most likely protect her and no one would think of betraying their fake mating to any DDA officials.
Or, she possibly had a man she fancied back home, banishing any thoughts of kissing or more with Killian so she could try to win the nameless bloke.
Whatever it was, he didn't like the cool distance she'd put between them. Considering they'd have to be in a car, a ferry, and driving again in the car to reach Stonefire—apparently, dragons rarely rode in airplanes—it would give him a chance to learn a few of her secrets.
Not that he should care about learning any of her secrets. She was a means to an end, and nothing more. True, he'd love to fuck her once or twice and walk away, but that was it.
He reached the cottage door a second behind Brenna, and the door swung inward. Aaron Caruso's black-haired, olive-toned form looked straight at Killian. Without preamble, the male said, "Act too much of a bastard, and I'll kick you out of this cottage. Understood?"
Killian growled, but Brenna stepped between them. "You could try saying this is difficult for everyone involved instead of issuing threats, Aaron." She looked at Killian. "And remember, you promised to behave. That was the deal for leaving tomorrow instead of a few days from now."
"As long as this bloke minds his manners, I'll do the same," Killian muttered.
He expected Aaron to issue a challenge, but the male merely nodded. "That should make Teagan happy."
Brenna pushed Aaron to the side. "Then let us inside. I'm starving."
With little other choice, Killian followed Brenna's lead. He barely noted the stacks of items on tables and bookcases in the hallway as he steeled himself for the upcoming dinner. With no doctors or passersby watching, who knew what might happen.
They entered the dining room and all eyes turned toward him.
Caitlin, Orla, and Teagan sat around a table. He barely noted Brenna sliding into one of the empty chairs before Teagan spoke up. "You may as well sit down, Killian. Unless you plan to stand all evening?"
He crossed his arms over his chest. "Considering I don't want to be here, I'm tempted to do just that."
Brenna rolled her eyes. "Sit down, Killian. Knowing Teagan, she'll postpone dinner until you sit, and you're only prolonging the evening with your defiance."
"Defiance is the only thing I seem to have left," he grumbled, sliding into the seat next to hers.
"Defiance only causes more issues in the long run, Killian," Caitlin said. "It's fine to be angry, but you shouldn't take it out on others who don't deserve it."
It was on the tip of his tongue to say he wasn't a child, but Caitlin's kind, patient eyes stopped him from doing so. Out of all of his supposed family, she had been the nicest and most understanding, and she didn't deserve his temper.
Aaron disappeared through a door and Teagan spoke again. "Look, I understand you don't want to be here. We're just people you see in pictures, part of memories you no longer have. But I signed off on you leaving the clan for a while, so all I ask is for you to behave for an hour or two and stop trying to pick a fight. I would be angry, too, if I couldn't remember who I was. But anger won't solve your problems. Hopefully the Stonefire doctors can, though."
He raised an eyebrow. "This is the most forthright you've been with me since the first day I met you, with no memory. Why act this way now?"
She shrugged. "I have nothing to lose. You'll be Stonefire's problem soon enough. And clearly the soft approach hasn't worked with you, so I'm trying something different."
Before he could reply, Orla chimed in. "I know you're a grown male, but be careful on the journey. We still don't know the particulars about who took you or why, and there's always a possibility they’ll try to snatch you or even Brenna on your travels."
He looked around the room. "I would assume our transfer wasn't public knowledge."
Teagan waved a hand in dismissal. "It's not. But both the British and Irish Department of Dragon Affairs know about the transfer. Given the rocky history of the British DDA and betrayals in recent years, I wouldn't dismiss an undercover spy in one agency or the other. Preparation and caution will only go so far in such cases."
Aaron returned, carrying a roast on a platter. Placing it on the table, he grunted and said, "The bloody dragon hunters or Dragon Knights don't seem to want to give up, no matter how many times they're caught or arrested."
Teagan smiled at her male. "We managed to keep the hunters from setting up a base in the northern part of the Republic of Ireland. That's something."
No matter how much Aaron irritated him, Killian had to admit he and Teagan cared about each other. Just watching them gave him a toothache from all the sugary sweetness.
Brenna squeezed his thigh under the table and he glanced at her. She mouthed, "Be nice."