Read Neil, Louisa - One Queen with Two Kings (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) for Free Online Page B

shoulders and stared at her brother. He seemed to be hesitating, and she understood. He simply couldn’t say the words. Her gaze met his, and she studied him carefully. It wasn’t pain she saw, it was something else. When the phone rang a second time, he flipped it open, his voice strong.
    “Yes, right here.” He handed Thea the phone. She took it with shaking hands.
    “Hello?”
    “Hello, my aqua queen. I’ve missed you.”
    Thea gasped, and tears flowed freely. Her breathing lost all pattern, and she sat exactly where she had stood—square in the center of the kitchen.
    “Oh, God, Dexter, is that really you? Are you all right?”
    “I will be, love, I will be. Thea, are you there?”
    “If you’re really Dex, what was the last thing you said to me before you left on your trip?” She had to know if this was really Dexter or some horrible hoax. His laughter filled the telephone line.
    “I told you it was about time we started making some aqua princes and princesses. Only I guess that would be hard with me gone all this time. Thea, are you okay?”
    “Now I am. Oh, Dexter, I’m so sorry we didn’t find you earlier. It became a horrible mess, and it’s my fault. Please forgive me.”
    “Somehow I don’t see this as being your fault, unless, of course, you disabled the planes hydraulic lines.”
    Thea breathed in a rush of air. “What?”
    “We’ll talk when I get home.”
    “When will that be? I’ll come to you.”
    “No, love. I’ve thought about it for two years. I don’t want a public reunion in some airport with reporters and television cameras. Meet me at the lake house.”
    “Anything you say, Dex.” She choked back tears. “Dex, is Russ with you?”
    “Yes, he’s with me and anxious to get back to civilization and all its rewards.”
    “We’ve all been praying for both of you and missing you like crazy. Dex, this is really you, not a dream?”
    “It’s me, love. The lake house , tomorrow night. Alex will work out a way to get us home without much publicity. It will give Russ and me a few days to settle back before we go public.”
    “The lake house, tomorrow night. Anything special you want? Pizza, steak?”
    “Yes, but most of all you, Thea, my love. Russ will want a few quiet days, too, before we start telling our story.”
    “Bring him to the lake with you. He can unwind there.” There was a dead silence on the line. “Dex, are you there?”
    “Yeah, I’m here. We’ll bring Russ the next time. He’ll want to find his own kind of civilization first.”
    “Dex, I don’t want to stop talking to you. I’m afraid you aren’t real.”
    “I’m real, Thea, and tomorrow night I’ll prove it to you. I promise.”
    “I’ll be waiting, Dex. I want to put your mom on before we lose the connection. Dex, I’ve always loved you.”
    “I know. It’s what got me through this. Let me say a quick hello to Mom and then I’ll give Russ the phone. He has some information on the plane Alex will need to know. Tomorrow, Thea, nobody but us, all right?”
    “Yes, Dex, tomorrow night.” She handed up the phone to Marie, accepting her father’s hand to help her stand, and folded herself against him. When the call finally ended, Alex took a deep breath and looked to all the faces staring at him.
    “Our work isn’t done yet. We have to make the arrangements to get the men home quietly , and then we’ll collapse and get some sleep.”
    Thea didn’t miss the look that passed between him and Grace.
    When all the crying had finally subsided and all the questions were asked and answered once again, Thea moved through the kitchen, pulling pans from the cabinet. Grace was confused, asking Thea what she was doing.
    “My husband’s coming home tomorrow. He deserves a chocolate cake.” There was a unisonous round of applause, and suddenly the kitchen became a beehive of activity. Thea worked on two chocolate cakes, one for Dex and one for Russ. Marie went about making a double batch of her