“Oh, of course.” I nuzzled his cheek. “Number five.”
Jucai called over his shoulder, “Ten silver on number five.”
One of his guards slipped out of the room.
Jucai moved behind me to press his erection between my cheeks and rest his chin on my shoulder. “My people are happy to see me with a lover.”
Watching the crabs scrape at the doors of their boxes, I casually said, “But you've had many lovers.”
“None that they’ve seen me with.”
“But I'm a diplomat. Surely they know that.”
“A diplomat whom I have in an embrace?” He kissed my cheek. “A diplomat whose cheek I kiss?” He ground his cock against my ass. “A diplomat who—”
Laughing, I slipped out of his arms and faced him. “Yes, I got it.”
“I'm just saying that my people are not fools, Nadar. They know we're together.”
“And they're happy about it? Even though I'm a Land Dragon?”
“Why does that matter? In fact, it's a benefit. You will be the bridge between our dreads. But all they see is a handsome man who makes their king happy, and that makes them happy.”
I glanced at the staring faces. “I think they're more curious than happy.”
“Why can't they be both? They're curious because you're a Land Dragon and happy because you're with me.”
I relented because I was happy too. That I was the first lover Jucai had escorted out of the palace on dates formed a large part of that happiness. It felt good to know he hadn't closed a shell-table with anyone else. Honestly, I assumed he took all his lovers there.
“Look, it's about to start.” He pulled me before him, bringing me back into position.
It felt like an echo of the old Jucai—almost fucking in public. But we weren't doing anything inappropriate, and all our clothes were on. So I didn't complain. Not even when he wriggled a little.
But then a buzzer went off and the doors of the crab boxes lifted. The crabs darted out, moving much faster than I had expected. Cheering echoed through the stadium as people rose to their feet. Something came over me. I don't know if it was the cheers of the crowd or my competitive nature, but I leaned over the railing and shouted for number five to run.
Jucai stepped back, chuckling, as I turned into a maniac. The crabs did a second lap, and then pincers on wires lowered hunks of fish onto the sand, and the flaps of the boxes dropped on the far end. The crabs went wild, putting on speed to reach their treats, and I went wild with them.
“Come on, Five! Move your clinking ass!” I shouted.
Jucai burst out laughing.
Then my crab launched forward and leapt into his box before the others. As he happily munched on his meal, I cheered and jumped up and down. The other crabs got their treats as well—I liked that no one was left hungry—and then the back walls of the boxes dropped down.
“Yes!” I shouted, grabbed Jucai by the shoulders, and shook him. “We won!” I rushed back to the railing and called down to my crab, “Well done, Five! You're the champion!”
As if it understood me, my crab lifted a pincer and waved.
“Did you see that?” I pointed down as I grinned at Jucai. “He waved at me. Did you see?”
“Yes, I saw it.” Jucai pulled me into his arms. “How about a celebratory kiss?”
“You just want to stake your claim in front of all these people,” I teased.
“No one's looking, Nadar.” He leaned in. “It's just you and me.”
“You and me,” I murmured against his lips before I kissed him.
Was this how it would be? I dearly hoped so. With the thrill of winning still running through me, our kiss felt like a step forward. We could do this. Mating magic or not, we would be together.
