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trying to figure out how it is I fit so easy around such little
finger. Any idea when it was I got wrapped around it?"
She nodded. "I sure do."
"Really?" he asked, leaning down.
"Yep, when I was four and you shifted for the first time in
front of me, trying to scare me."
Kane covered his face and flinched. "Aww, that's horrible. I
changed back thinking I got you good. I mean, you curled up
in a little ball and were shaking. And those tears. They were
huge. It took me five minutes to get you to stop long enough
to look at me again. Then you cried harder. The minute you
told me why I almost cried, too."
Deryn licked her lower lip. "I really did think Jimmy's big
iguana got loose and ate you."
Kane grabbed her shoulder and laughed. "Ohmygods, and
when you confessed your first thought was how you didn't
want to tell Jimmy his pet ate me because you didn't want
him to cut its belly open and that you'd really miss me
though, I didn't know what to say." He sighed. "Yep. That's
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when you wrapped me around your little finger." He stuck his
bottom lip out.
"Oh, now you're pouting like a big baby." Deryn pushed his
rock hard chest and snorted. "Enough. Don't make me play
pin the tail on the dragon again."
Kane cringed and grabbed his left ass cheek. "Just thinking
about that makes it hurt again."
She beamed and took a sip of her too strong drink. At the
rate she was going one drink would have her under the table
if she wasn't careful. "Hey, I just wanted to make you whole.
It was done purely out of love."
"Yes. Often I express my love for another by stapling a
homemade tail to their ass while they're sleeping and only ten
years old."
Alejandro laughed from the gut. "Tell me you're kidding.
She didn't really do that, did she?"
Deryn blushed and nodded. "Unfortunately, it's true. In my
defense, I only wanted to give him the best birthday present
ever. He said his favorite part about being shifted was having
a tail. I only wanted to give it to him for all times."
"It's a present I never forgot," Kane said, running the back
of his hand over her cheek tenderly. "I remember asking for a
kiss from you that year. Instead, you made my ass bleed."
"A kiss?" Alejandro's smile faded fast and he took a tiny
step back.
Sensing something was wrong, Deryn went to him,
stopping just short of actually touching him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm great." The clipped words and harsh tone told her
otherwise. "I take it you two are really good friends."
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She nodded. "Kane and Onnie are my best friends. Like
Kane said, we've known one another a long time. Almost all
of our lives. Why?"
"No reason." Alejandro's rather cold response left Deryn
slightly hurt. She wasn't about to tell him that though.
Turning, she found Vonni climbing down from the stage
just as the bar erupted in whistles and applause. "Damn, I
missed my competitor's performance."
"Competitor?" Alejandro asked.
Kane snickered. "It would seem that Vonni and Deryn had
a difference of opinion and Fulk thought he'd solve it with a
dance off."
The half-choke, half-laugh that came from Alejandro told
Deryn that he didn't believe Kane's explanation. If she wasn't
living it, she wouldn't either. "Do you all play rock, scissors,
paper when you have issues or is this just a girl thing on this
base?"
"What?" Kane nudged her. "You aren't scared of a half-
pixie, are you? Come on, she's a medic, you can take her. Go
shake your thang, Deryn. Show her how it's done. Maybe, if
you're in an extra good mood you could break out into song
and sing a nursery rhyme for her."
Deryn rolled her eyes. "I do not walk around singing
nursery rhymes and children's songs when I'm happy, Kane.
Stop saying that." It was a favorite thing of his to tease her
about.
"Uh-huh," he said, laughing softly.
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She gave him a hard look. "Then you must be the only
person I've ever been happy around because no one else has
ever said that to me."
Alejandro cleared his throat and tried to hide a smile. Her
eyes widened. "Oh gods, please tell me I didn't do that in
front of you."
"It was adorable, Doctor."
Her chest tightened at the sound of him calling her
adorable. Kane snorted. "Adorable? Please tell me you didn't
just say that, Alex."
Deryn rolled her eyes and tapped Kane's arm. "Great.
Somebody got out of the dragon's den with a scale out of
order. Are you planning on being an ass all night? Tell me
now so I know to ignore you. It'll save me a headache and
you my wrath."
"Deryn."
She glared at him. "What, Kane? How about an 'I missed
you,' huh? Why do I get grumpy you? You said you wanted
me here with you. If that wasn't true then why push to get
me to come?"
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