by Riley Storm
“I don’t know who that jerk is,” the graying server said with a cluck of a disapproval. “But whoever he is, he doesn’t deserve your money. This one’s on the house. It’s okay, trust me.”
“Thanks Vincent,” she said, swirling the last of the wine around, then downing it. No sense in wasting it. “You’re a sweetheart.”
“As are you,” the server said with a wink. “Under that fiery exterior, that is. But don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone. It’ll be our little secret.”
Olivia laughed, a smile gracing her face. Instantly, she felt better about her situation. “Thank you. I needed that.”
“Go home, watch a movie, go to bed earlier. Doctor’s orders,” he said, shooing her toward the door as he started to clean her table.
“Yes sir,” she laughed, giving him a pat on the shoulder and then heading for the exit.
Though she kept her vision straight ahead, Olivia felt more than one set of eyes turn her way. One entire table of very well-dressed and good-looking men all followed her, but she didn’t dare let them see that she’d noticed.
Those Ursa men are trouble.
She didn’t know much about the reclusive Ursa family or their rivals, the Canis, several of whom also dotted the restaurant. They kept to themselves, only coming into Plymouth Falls now and then, but if there was a royalty elite in the area, they were it.
They were also well known for their appetites with women, and while a pile of muscles atop her wasn’t the worst idea in the world, Olivia was well aware she wasn’t truly wanting it. Nor did she want to set tongues wagging when people saw her leave in the company of one of them.
So, she left alone, heading for her car.
She’d just closed the door, finger about to jab the ignition button, when her phone began to ring.
“Gee, what a surprise,” she snapped to the empty interior after fishing the device out of her purse. “A private number. I wonder who that could be.”
Against her better judgment, she answered it.
“You had better have a hell of a good reason for embarrassing me like that,” she snarled.
“Who are you?”
Her eyebrows went up at the growled accusation in a by-now familiar voice.
“Excuse me?” she shouted into the microphone pickup. “Who am I? Who the hell are you, you rude bastard, leaving me to sit by myself for half an hour while I waited for your sorry ass to pick me up? Who do you think you are, asking me a stupid question like that?”
There was silence on the phone. That surprised her. Had Aaric not been expecting her to fire back like that?
“What?” he finally said, sounding very unsure about everything.
“Are you suffering from memory loss or something, you oaf? Do you not recall, earlier today, you asked me, to dinner? Tonight. At seven-thirty. It’s now eight-ten, you jackass, and still no sign of you. I was in there, at a table, being watched by everyone as I sat alone, at a table set for two, without anyone showing up. Then I walked out, also alone, because I got stood up. So, don’t ‘what’ me. In fact, you know what? Don’t ever call me again.”
She went to hang up.
“Wait! Olivia, wait!”
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath in, then exhaled. “What is it, Aaric?” she asked, wondering if she would regret staying on the phone.
“You’re telling me you were at the restaurant for the past forty minutes? That people saw you there?”
She frowned at her phone, as if he could see her confused face. Why did this matter? “Yes,” she said icily. “As I’ve told you twice now. I was in Leblanc, at a table, looking like an idiot.”
Aaric hissed. “I see. Okay. I’m sorry.”
Her eyebrows rose. That had sounded sincere. What was up with the sudden change in his attitude? From contentious and accusing, to apologetic and regretful?
“What the hell is going on?” she asked. “Where are you? Why didn’t you show up?”
“Listen, I can be there in about seven minutes. Please wait for me. I didn’t do this on purpose.”
“You want me to wait for you,” she said softly. “After all that, you want me to now sit in my car and wait for you to show up?”
“I promised you dinner,” Aaric said. “I don’t like breaking promises. I’m very sorry I was late, but I want to prove to you I wasn’t doing it on purpose. Seven minutes, and I can be there.”
Olivia knew she should just hang up the phone. Tell him to go to hell, to stay out of her life. But she couldn’t. Not because she didn’t want to, but because she still needed something from him. Something she couldn’t get without talking to him again. Seeing him.
“Are you still there?”
She bit her lip. “I’m thinking.”
“Oh.” Aaric fell silent again.
Waiting would go against everything she’d ever stood for in her personal life. Never let anyone walk all over her or stand her up. Certainly, never do it twice.
But I need him to sell the property to me. That’ll be impossible if I’m not talking to him. Maybe I can use this as leverage?
Now there was an idea. Guilt him into selling her the property.
“Six minutes,” she said abruptly. “Six minutes and I’m gone.”
She hung up without waiting for an answer.
This is a bad idea, Olivia. You should have just gone home.
She settled in to wait, wondering if he would make it in time.
Chapter 7
Five and a half minutes, three ignored red lights, one near-accident and most of the rubber on his tires later, Aaric screeched to a halt outside of Leblanc. The valet parking attendant was staring at him like he was a bat out of hell.
“Be gentle with her,” he said, tossing the young man the keys. “She might be a bit temperamental after what I just did to her.”
Both he and the valet frowned at his language, then smiled a knowing smile at one another before resuming their interaction.
“Of course, sir,” the valet said. “I’ll be tender.”
“I’m sure you will, son,” Aaric said with a nod.
The click-click of heels on pavement caught his attention. Turning, he was greeted with a sight that was nine-tenths wonderful, one-tenth terrifying.
“You. Look. Stunning,” he rumbled as Olivia walked up to him, her face filled with anger. It wasn’t enough to detract from the rest of her, not even close.
“Thank you,” she said, accepting the compliment but saying nothing more.
“I am most sorry for embarrassing you the way I did,” he said, meaning every single word.
She might be a bit prickly, and likely using this as an excuse to try and butter him up to get him to sell his newly acquired property, but Aaric didn’t care. None of that excused him being forgetful of their date, and then assuming that, just because she wanted the property as well, Olivia was the one he’d chased around.
“Thank you for your apology,” she said tightly.
Aaric’s eyes took in her dress, a deep purple that was tight to just below her waist, and then loose but not billowy from her hips to the floor. It swayed and the satin rippled, colors reflecting wildly with every step she took. Her hair was straight and pulled back into a ponytail. Elegant, but simple. Black heels showed with each step.
“Truly, you do look beautiful,” he repeated, gesturing at the door. “Shall we get you that dinner I promised?”
“I am hungry now. I was thirty seconds away from leaving and getting a pizza to crush by myself at home.”
Aaric laughed. “That doesn’t sound too bad either. Maybe next time,” he said with a wink, pulling the door open for her.
Olivia stuttered as she groped blindly for a reply to his outrageous flirtation, further helping to diffuse her anger at him. Not that Aaric would deny her right to be irate, but they both would have a more enjoyable time if they moved on from his regrettable error in time judgment.
“Thank you,” she said as he pulled her chair out and pushed
it in behind her.
Aaric had barely taken his own seat before she leaned forward, eyes focused on him with an almost eerie intensity.
“Yes?” he asked, trying not to sound as uncomfortable as he felt when suddenly confronted like this.
“I was just wondering,” Olivia said, her voice quiet yet just loud enough to carry across to him the emotions within as well as the words.
“Were you now?” he returned, not overly interested in playing games.
“I was.”
He just nodded, remaining silent. If this feisty human thought she could outwait a dragon shifter, she was in for a rather rude awakening. Patience was—when he chose—something that came easily to him. When it was a challenge to see who would blink first? Aaric never lost.
Nearly a full minute passed. He could see her cheek begin to tick as muscles screamed at Olivia to speak, to do something besides just stare at him. Aaric, meanwhile, remained calm, his mind wandering back to his newly acquired property.
He’d been fairly positive Olivia had been the mysterious figure. That she wasn’t actually human, but instead part of his world. Yet now he knew she’d been seated in very public view in the restaurant the entire time.
What the hell was I chasing?
There was another player in the game, it seemed, and Aaric was completely unaware. The bears of House Ursa weren’t an issue. They were busy with their own problems he’d found out, still recovering from an internal civil war. The wolves were in nearly the same place, having split between two factions, resorting to blows.
None of them was dumb enough, or strong enough, to consider taking on House Draconis.
Nor do they even know we are returning, though that will change soon enough, I suppose.
Aaric smiled to himself. He’d recently learned there would be an official coronation ceremony for the new King of House Canis. As was customary, a representative from each of the other shifter Houses would be present at the ceremony. He couldn’t wait to see the reaction when he walked in, the first member of House Draconis to reveal their presence in a century.
I don’t know how Parre and Elanna kept themselves so well hidden. It must have been tough staying out of the public, avoiding being seen.
It was then he realized Olivia was talking to him.
“Pardon?” he asked, returning his focus to the present.
“I asked you why you were late,” she repeated. “I’m curious as to what your excuse is.”
Aaric leaned back and shrugged, careful not to flex too much so that his suit didn’t rip. “I don’t have an excuse.”
Olivia’s forehead wrinkled in surprise. “What? So, you just didn’t show up?”
He shook his head. “No. I have a reason why I wasn’t here. It’s not one that’s acceptable to me, let alone you. It shouldn’t have happened. I screwed up.”
“You’re telling the truth,” she said softly, her eyes never wavering.
“What reason do I have to lie?” he told her. “The truth is often the best choice.”
“It’s always the best choice,” Olivia corrected.
“When it’s available,” he added. “Sometimes, we are unable to reveal the truth, for reasons outside of our control.”
“Is that the case behind your reason for being late?” Olivia asked, emphasizing his word choice over hers.
“I got caught up in work,” he said, answering the question without detail. “An unexpected guest, um, dropped in, I guess you would say, and I couldn’t get rid of them in time.”
Olivia nodded. “I see. Work. Business. That’s as good a segue as any.”
“Pardon?” It was Aaric’s turn to be caught off guard.
“I need that property,” she said firmly. “I must have it. Let’s work out a deal.”
Aaric sighed. “Olivia, I’ve told you this already. I cannot sell it.”
She leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “Why, Aaric? Why can’t you sell it?”
He bit his lip. What was he supposed to tell her? That he needed it because it was the perfect site for his dragon outreach center? Where he hoped to not only find a mate, but also help the community of Plymouth Falls? Of course, he couldn’t say that. Just like he wouldn’t be able to call it a “dragon” outreach center.
The truth, in this case, was simply something he was unable to reveal for reasons outside of his control. The human populace at large simply couldn’t handle the revelation they weren’t alone, that paranormal beings of all shapes and sizes inhabited the earth, and also several other dimensions that mirrored its appearance.
They would freak out. There would be massive manhunts and thousands would suffer, and many more die, plenty of them innocent. It wasn’t something he could risk.
“Because I need it,” he said, reaching across the table, taking her hand, giving it a squeeze to try and reassure her he wasn’t doing this just to try and screw her over. “I need you to understand that.”
Olivia, to his surprise, lay her other hand on top of his. “I need you to understand that I must have that property. Whatever it takes. Please, Aaric.”
It took a lot of his immense self-control not to raise an eyebrow or two at that last sentence. After leaving Charles’ place earlier that day with the winning bid and signed contract, Aaric had done some digging into Olivia and who she was. One thing he’d garnered from his brief research, was that she wasn’t the type to resort to saying please very often, at least not in her real-estate negotiations.
That must have cost her a lot.
“Why do you need it so badly?” he rumbled, bringing his other hand up to cover both of hers, feeling the soft, warm flesh underneath, the faint tremble of her pulse through her skin.
She was nervous, he realized, noting the speed with which her pulse beat through her system. Why would she be nervous? He was no threat to her, not even remotely.
“I just do,” Olivia said with sudden sharpness, trying to yank her hands away.
“As far as pitches go, that one wasn’t very convincing,” he said, holding her hands tight enough to keep them in his grip. “Maybe try again?” he suggested.
“I think this was a bad idea,” she said suddenly. “Thank you for the invite, but I should be going.”
“We haven’t even had drinks yet,” he protested as she stood up abruptly, pushing her chair out so fast it nearly tipped over.
She looked down at her hands, which he still had. Aaric abruptly let go, not wanting to hold her there against her will.
“I had enough drinks while I sat here waiting for you to show up the first time,” she fired back, heading for the door.
Aaric scratched his head, realizing it was almost time to shave it again as he did. “What the hell just happened?”
He sat at the table for a few more seconds, then he too got up and headed for the exit, still trying to puzzle out what was happening.
“Hey,” he called, his long legs easily catching up to her in the parking lot. “Hey, they have a valet service, you know.”
Olivia made some sort of noise and shook her head but kept walking.
A few seconds later, he came up alongside her, leaving room between them so she didn’t feel threatened. He hoped.
“They would have brought the car to you.”
She growled and came to a stop, the lights on the upscale four-door sedan blinking as she unlocked them. “This is my car.”
“The valets would know that.”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “Maybe I didn’t want to wait on the valets, because then I would have to stand somewhere you could easily bother me. Did that ever occur to you?”
He frowned. “Honestly, no. I don’t understand what went wrong in there. I thought we were past this, that we could have dinner now.”
“Dinner? Dinner? Are you sure that’s all you had in mind?” she asked.
“Yes?” Aaric was beyond confused now.
“What the hell was with all the hand-holding then?” she asked, reaching out and grabbing his
hands, mimicking how he was holding them earlier. “Why do you need it so badly?” she asked in a poor mockery of his voice, though she didn’t let his hands go at the end.
“I’m not following why that got you so upset. I’m sorry if you didn’t like my hands on yours. I…I didn’t think about it that way,” he said, fumbling for an apology he’d never expected to have to make.
“Don’t act so stupid,” she snapped, stepping closer. “You know damn well that’s not the problem.”
“I do?” Aaric wasn’t so sure that he did. “Can we pretend I’m suffering from short-term amnesia, and then you fill me in?”
“The problem is how good your hands felt, though you know that. Or how hot you look in that suit. The way you were staring into my eyes. I could feel it. You wanted to kiss me over the table. Your pulse was practically hammering in your hands,” Olivia challenged.
Aaric lifted his eyebrows. “That was your pulse, Olivia. Not mine. Perhaps you, wanted to make out with me.”
“I didn’t say make out,” she retorted, looking away.
“You also didn’t deny it,” he pointed out, still holding her hands.
“Fine!” she shouted. “Maybe I thought for a moment there that you were hot and that I wouldn’t mind kissing you. So what?”
“So, do it,” he challenged, wondering where the words were coming from as he said them. This wasn’t his plan, not at all. Olivia was not his type. She was gorgeous, that part worked, he loved her curves and the idea of her body pressed against him was far from unappetizing.
But she was too prickly and standoffish for his tastes. Too wrapped up in her image of being the number one real-estate agent in the area. If she could learn to separate those two, then maybe…
“Do it?” Olivia echoed. “What, kiss you?”
“Yes. Like this,” he growled, tiring of her timidity and stepping forward. His right hand slid up the back of her neck to hold her skull, while his left wrapped around the small of her back, feeling the curve of her spine as he pulled her in close.
Olivia gasped, the sound silenced as his mouth closed over hers, tasting a faint hint of the red wine she’d had earlier. Her lips were much softer than the way she often spoke, and Aaric lost himself in them, his tongue flicking out to glide over hers and explore her mouth.
