Free Gifted To The Dragon: A Paranormal Pregnancy Romance (The Gifted Series Book 2) by Amira Rain Page B

it.
     
    "No, but...too long to explain. Later."
     
    "Okay. Really curious to hear what that was all about."
     
    Desmond's friend stopped talking to him pretty much at the same time as Emma had stopped talking to me, so other than the sounds of diners talking and laughing around us, the table was pretty quiet when one of the other Gifteds, a young woman named Brianna, asked if I'd like some wine.
     
    Sitting kitty-corner across from me, she held up a bottle of red with a smile. "We just went ahead and ordered several bottles for the whole table to share. You see, more than a few drops of alcohol is usually consumed at these dinners."
     
    Slowly getting over my shock at discovering that "Commander Grant" was none other than Desmond, I managed to give Brianna a smile.
     
    "Thank you, but no thank you. I think I'm just going to stick to ice water."
     
    Brianna frowned, knitting her light blonde brows. "You don't like wine?"
     
    "Oh, I do. It's just that...well...."
     
    It was just that I was pretty sure this wasn't the time or the place for Desmond to hear my news.
     
    Picking up on my struggle, Emma piped right up.
     
    "She's pregnant."
     
    To my right, Desmond instantly became overcome by a coughing fit, and honestly, it almost sounded like he was choking. I looked and saw that he was holding some amber liquid in a glass, probably whiskey if I remembered correctly what he liked. He'd probably been taking a sip when Emma had said what she had.
     
    The shifter directly to his right, an auburn-haired man that Emma had introduced to me as her friend Eric, poured a glass of water from a carafe and offered it to Desmond, frowning.
     
    "You all right?"
     
    Desmond took the glass and just about drained it in a gulp before setting it on the table with a slight bang.
     
    "I'm fine. Thanks."
     
    He wasn't looking fine. In fact, all color had drained from his face.
     
    My attention was soon diverted away from him by the sound of Brianna saying my name and offering me congratulations.
     
    "I'm really happy for you. I'm not sure why pregnancy didn't cross my mind when you said you're sticking to water. With so many of you new Gifteds coming here being latents, I should have guessed that you're pregnant. But, anyway, how far along are you?"
     
    I stole a peek at Desmond, who was again taking a drink of whiskey at a really bad time.
     
    "Exactly one month."
     
    Again, he began coughing-slash-choking, and again, Eric offered him some water, frowning.
     
    "You coming down with something?"
     
    Desmond didn't respond or take the water, just cleared his throat a few times. "I'm fine."
     
    Just then, a waitress in black pants and starched white blouse came by and asked if everyone was ready to order.
     
    Desmond was the first to respond. "I'll have another whiskey, neat, please. And make it a double this time."
     
    I half-seriously wondered if he was going to avoid taking responsibility for the pregnancy by choking himself to death.
     
    The waitress nodded, closing her order pad. "Yes, Commander Grant. I'll be back with that right away."
     
    The waitress dashed off, mercifully, because Desmond still had maybe a quarter-inch of whiskey left to choke on. The conversation at the table turned to Jake, and how he was doing with his slight ear infection.
     
    I kept my focus on Brianna, Emma, and one of the shifters who was in on the discussion, and I didn't glance over at Desmond even once, not wanting to see him again looking so pale-faced, troubled, and unhappy about my news.
     
    I managed not to look at him until we all placed our dinner orders, and only then accidentally when I looked at the waitress. Desmond was still looking alarmingly pale, with his skin nearly approaching the same shade as his white dress shirt.
     
    He didn't speak much while we all ate, and neither did I. With my nausea having dissipated, my appetite had returned, gluing my focus to the sirloin steak, baked potato, and vegetable medley on my