by Maia Starr
She sits hunched over a round table, gazing over three sets of files. When we walk in, she looks up, and her amber eyes glance from Audrey to me. Her auburn hair tumbles down over one shoulder, leaving her tan neck exposed. Her pale lips part as she watches me step past her and sit in the chair, and her eyes widen at seeing me. I’m equally as stunned, seeing the same woman from a week ago now. Sven, Reed, and I had seen her hurry down the sidewalk.
My inner dragon is growling with desire now. I can tell right away that I’m going to love this woman. She will definitely be my mate.
Her body is as curvy as I remember it, and it’s all I can do to keep myself from pouncing on her right this second. The shirt she’s wearing is just tight enough to make me go wild on the inside. I think I want to claim her the second we’re done with this meeting.
She sits up straighter, staring at me, unable to rip her gaze away. And then, Audrey clears her throat. “Hayden, would you like to introduce yourself, or have you forgotten what language is?”
Shooting Audrey a mean glance, I smile back at my client and future mate. “I’m Hayden, your new bodyguard. And I’m very happy to meet you.”
“I’m Erika,” she says, blinking, her cheeks red. “Thank you for, well, taking this job offer. But, um, where are the others? Are they coming late or something?”
I cock my head. “What others? What’s going on?”
Audrey sighs. “Erika here has demanded that we give her three bodyguards.” She looks pointedly at me and grins. “And, since, there’s no policy against that, I agreed. It was a last-minute change. Surely you understand, right, Hayden?”
On the outside, I smile at the request. On the inside, I swear profusely, and my inner dragon won’t stop raging. “Who are the other two bodyguards?”
“Why, it’s Sven and Reed, of course! Your two other clanmates. Isn’t that wonderful?” Audrey says, laughing. Erika smiles too. God, her smile is gorgeous, but right now, it’s also painful. “Can you call them up and get them over here? Erika would like to meet all three of her new bodyguards at once.”
I sit, unsure of how to react. I want to punch a wall, but at the same time, I don’t want to scare off my future mate. So, nonchalantly, I slide out my phone and dial Reed’s number.
Reed picks up on the other end, and I can tell he is already home by the raucous laughter in the background. “What do you want, Hayden? Aren’t you busy with your new client?”
I tap my fingers along the armrest. “I am, but guess what? I need you two to come down to the Fiery Hearts building.”
“What? Why?”
Erika sits across from me, smiling shyly. I don’t think I’ve ever been as smitten with someone as I am now. “Just come, and you’ll find out, okay?”
Before he can respond, I end the call and continue to smile at Erika.
Chapter Seven
Erika
Having three dragon shifters crowd into the meeting room really put my nerves into overdrive again. While Hayden sits in the seat across from me, running his hand through his short hair, the other two stand behind him.
The shorter of my new bodyguards has black hair with his head shaved on the sides. Thin-rimmed glasses cover his dark brown eyes. Broad-shouldered and lean, he stands against the wall, his arms crossed, staring at me. He’s pretty cute, and so all the attention he’s giving me turns my cheeks pink. I think his name is Reed.
The next guy is taller and wider. His muscles are clearly bigger. His thick, corded arms are at his sides, his meaty hands stuffed into his jeans pockets. With a pale-blond beard matching his combed hair, and icy blue eyes, he looks like a polar bear. The edge of a black tattoo can be seen just above his shirt collar, stark against his fair skin. I remember he introduced himself as Sven when he walked in.
And of course, Hayden is still sitting in front of me, his chiseled chin resting in his palm. He’s watching me, but also keeps glancing over at Audrey.
“So, why are we here?” Reed asks, stepping forward, looking from me to Hayden to Audrey. “Please don’t tell me Hayden called us here just to rub our faces in the fact he got a job before us.”
But Sven shakes his head and points at Hayden. When he speaks, his voice is heavy. “Does that look like an expression of amusement? No, something else is up.”
Raising a brow, I glance at Hayden, who’s wry smile strikes me as, well, normal. I can’t quite figure out why Sven thinks it’s weird. Hayden takes the opportunity to wave at me. “Well, I shouldn’t be the one to tell you guys. Erika, if you will?”
Nodding, all eyes are back on me again. Audrey is still leaning back in her chair, watching this whole thing unfold with a twinkle in her eye. She thinks this is funny for some reason, but again I can’t figure out why.
Clearing my throat, I speak. “Well, I asked for three bodyguards instead of one. I’m...uh, well, I’d just feel much more comfortable with three pairs of eyes watching my back, instead of just Hayden.” At that, he looks away and clutches the armrest tightly. “Not that I think Hayden isn’t capable! I just think having a group would be better. And besides, it works out perfectly, since there’s three of you looking for a job.”
Audrey takes the chance to butt in. “And of course, all three of you will be paid accordingly. So you don’t have to worry on that front.”
Reed and Sven look at each other and they’re both grinning. Reed and Sven both step closer to Hayden. Reed pats his friend on the shoulder while Sven ruffles up his hair. Hayden punches them both as the two chuckle.
“Poor Hayden!” Reed says. “And here you thought you were special, didn’t you?”
When Sven notices my concern, he smiles at me. “Oh, don’t worry, we’re just giving him a hard time about this. He was very excited to finally meet you.”
“Careful, Sven,” Hayden hisses, “I might just put you in a headlock again.” But Sven only chuckles and returns his gaze to me. Hayden glances at his clanmates as they step back. “But you guys aren’t accepting the job offer, right? I wouldn’t want to stress you two out...”
Reed adjusts his glasses. “Oh, we’re both definitely accepting! We can’t back down when a pretty lady asks us for help.” He catches my eye and nods. “Right, Sven?”
“Of course! Erika demanded we act as her bodyguards, and so we shall.”
Hayden simply grunts in response, leaving Audrey to laugh. She claps her hands together. “Well, this is such a nice surprise! I’m so glad you’re both willing to help Erika out. I mean, you are pretty new to this city, aren’t you, Erika? Having different perspectives on city life will really help too.”
I go to answer, but Hayden jerks forward, gazing at Audrey. “I’m sure there are other candidates for bodyguards in your records. Are you sure there aren’t any other free shifters?” Then, in a low voice, “Listen, I don’t want to compete with my clan.”
But Audrey just shakes her head. “Erika has spoken. There will be no changes unless Erika wants them. Unless you simply wish to turn down this offer?”
Hayden looks to me, and my expression of concern most likely calms him down, because he sighs and nods. “Fine. If this is what she wants, then I’m fine with it.”
“Please don’t talk about me as if I’m not here,” I say.
He widens his eyes and nods again. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to. Anyway, can we talk about the details now?”
“First, we need to get the paperwork done!” Audrey says, looking at me. “Well, actually, I need to go grab some more copies, so you and Hayden can get started. If you all wish to discuss the details while I’m gone, go right ahead. Just be sure to mark down on your papers the reasons why you’re hiring three bodyguards, Erika.”
“Okay, sounds good.”
With that, Audrey rises to her feet and walks out the door, leaving me alone with three muscular dragon shifters. All three pairs of eyes won’t leave mine, and I’m forced to glance either at the ceiling or the floor just to keep myself from melting under the pressure.
&n
bsp; “So,” Reed says as the door closes shut. “Who exactly are we supposed to protect you from?”
Chapter Eight
Sven
I only realize as Reed asks the question that we’re all putting a lot of pressure on Erika as we stare at her. It probably feels like she’s being interrogated by three intimidating men. I don’t blame her for not being able to return our looks.
Punching Reed in the arm, he gives me a curious look. “How about you let her focus on one thing at a time?” I say, watching as she slides her packet of paperwork over.
“It’s okay, but thank you, Sven,” she says. I grin at Reed, who gives me the stink eye. As she picks up a pen and flips open the packet to the first page, she speaks. “Um, well, basically, I want you three to keep my ex-boyfriend away.”
Hayden, following her lead, begins his paperwork too. “Oh, classic story.”
“I’m serious!” Erika says. “My ex-boyfriend is mean and controlling. I ran away and left him. And now I’m afraid he’s going to come after me.”
I stroke my beard, trying to picture this woman having a boyfriend. It’s pretty easy, considering her looks, but it does make more sense now how frantic she looked when we saw her across the street. Snapping my fingers, I point at her. “So that’s why you were glancing over your shoulder that day we saw you across the street.”
Erika seems to inflate and deflate at the same time. “Yeah…I was pretty paranoid. I still am. When I saw you three looking at me, I thought maybe you were hired by Maxen to tail me.”
Hayden nods. “And that’s why you bolted away. Yeah, makes sense.”
“It’s still surreal that you three would be the bodyguards I’m hiring now,” she says, her voice thick with emotion. “And to think my paranoia made me think you could all be bad people. I need to calm down more.”
“No, you’re right to worry,” Reed interjects. “You’ve got a valid reason to be paranoid in the first place. I mean, you said he’s controlling, right?”
Erika nods. “Yes, he was, and still most certainly is. The phone I have now is the first I’ve had in nearly a year because he tossed mine away the second we were in a relationship.”
“That’s such an asshole move,” Hayden grumbles into his paperwork. “You’d think humans wouldn’t be as crazy as shifters sometimes.”
Erika shakes her head fervently. “No, he isn’t human...he’s a bear shifter. His bear nature is one of the reasons I hadn’t run away until recently. It took me months to work up the courage and come up with a plan, and that plan didn’t almost work…”
Her voice trails off as she stares at the table. She stops writing and seems to be in some trance reliving her recent past. My heart nearly stops at the expression on her face. She looks lost and hurt, and my inner dragon begs me to do something about it. Stomping over to her side, I kneel down next to her and place a hand on her shoulder. I squeeze gently, getting her to look at me. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that guy anymore. Bears are nothing to dragons. We’ll protect you for sure...especially me. I’ll be the best bodyguard you’ve ever had!”
She blinks and lets out a laugh, making my heart race.
Suddenly, Reed is on her other side, clutching her other shoulder, mimicking my stance. “Me too. I’ll one-up this guy and show you why you’ll never have to fear your ex again.”
Hayden coughs pointedly into his arm and grabs Erika’s attention. “So, where do you live now? I can live at your place for the time being…”
Erika’s cheeks heat up and she sighs. “Um...that might be a problem. You see, I’ve been living out of a car I just bought a week ago. I don’t have a place to call my own yet.”
Rising to my feet, I grin from ear to ear. “Then you’ll come live with us! Our place is safe and pretty cozy. You’ll love it there.” I glance at my clanmates. “Any objections?”
“None here!” Reed says.
“I’m fine with it. That just might be the best idea you’ve had yet, Sven,” Hayden says.
Erika beams, looking up at me warmly. My inner dragon shouts at me to sweep her off her feet and carry her home right now. I want to sleep with her, to claim her as my own...but I know the others feel the same way. We’re all puffing out our chests, unable to rip our longing gazes off of her. I doubt she’s noticing any of it yet, but soon enough, she will. Only one of us will get her as a mate, and that’ll make things complicated eventually.
Not that Hayden or Reed will beat me out. Sure, so far, she’s spent a bit more time with Hayden, but I’m more charming than him. And Reed is too stuffy. I may love these guys like brothers, but I’m ready to compete with them for her affection.
Erika will be mine.
Then the door swings open, banging against the wall, and Audrey walks in. She’s holding two more packets, one each for Reed and me to sign. “Here we go, boys, a packet and pen. Get started on the paperwork and you’ll get out of here in no time.”
Grabbing my packet, I sit cross-legged on the floor next to Erika so I can write on the table. There’s silence now as we all hurry through the paperwork. Erika glances at all of us quietly and lands on me last. She blushes when I smile back. This is going to be a fun job.
Chapter Nine
Erika
Once Reed and Sven finish signing their paperwork and hand the packets back to Audrey, they’re both on their feet again. Sven rolls his shoulders and smiles down at me and glances over his shoulder. “There isn’t anything else we need to do here, right, Audrey?”
Audrey matches his smile. “Nope! That’s it. You’re all free to go and get started on this new job of yours. Keep Erika safe, you hear?”
Laughing, Hayden rises from his seat. He looks to be in a better mood than earlier. Before, there was something off about his smiles, but now they seem genuine. “Oh, she’ll be safe. There’s no need to worry. If this Maxen guy does think about coming to San Francisco looking for her, we’ll make sure he doesn’t ever get close to her.”
Hearing the confidence oozing from his voice really lifts my heart. I sit taller, and when I realize I’m the only one still sitting, I hurriedly stand. Even if I’m smaller than all three of these guys, I still feel like I’m suddenly one of them. They all gaze at me warmly, with gentle smiles and hard eyes that tell me they really will stay true to their word.
Nodding to them, I motion at the door. “Then let’s go!”
As we shuffle out the door, Hayden takes the lead, followed by Reed, me, and then Sven. For a brief moment, the back of my mind nags at me. Even if these three are confident, are they a bit too overconfident? Is that a sign that they’re all too arrogant? Are they really as skilled and strong as they say they are?
I still haven’t seen a dragon up close and personal. There’s another part of me that questions whether these guys are really even dragon shifters.
As we walk to the elevator and stop in front of it, Hayden nudges me in the side. “So, give us something more about Maxen.”
I blink at him, crossing my arms. The more I think about my ex-boyfriend, the worse my day typically gets. “What about?”
“Like maybe some physical descriptions? What does the guy look like? We’re going to have to watch out for him, anyhow.”
“Oh, right,” I take a deep breath as the elevator doors open and we squeeze inside. These elevators aren’t really meant to hold four people, especially people as wide as these three. My shoulders brush up against Reed’s hard side, and Hayden’s arm. My heart’s beginning to pound like crazy, being surrounded by these three hot guys. I was never one to instantly be attracted to crazy hot guys like these: they just always seemed too haughty and cocky. But now that there are three focused entirely on me...well, it’s not as if I’m not enjoying it, I suppose.
“Maxen is bulky, kind of like Sven. He’s also got tattoos, like Sven, except on the opposite arm.” Reed and Hayden gaze at Sven, who frowns.
“Well, well, so we found the ex after all,” Hayden begins.
“Who knew it was our own clanmate, our dearest friend!” Reed finishes.
“Quiet, let the lady finish,” Sven growls.
I smile at their humor. “He’s got a salt-and-pepper beard and black hair. A mean face. And, of course, he’s got a ripped body. He knows how to fight.”
“Yeah, sounds like a great guy all around,” Hayden says, rolling his eyes. “What made you attracted to this guy in the first place?”
I feel Reed lift his arm and punch Hayden in the shoulder. “Hey, genius, that’s not the right question to ask.”
“Oh, and what is?” Hayden snarls back.
Their hot breath falls across the back of my neck, making me shiver. Neither one seems to notice.
The elevator doors open and I step out, grateful to be in a wide hallway so I can breathe.
Reed steps out next. “The right question is what she’d like for dinner tonight?” I meet his gaze, pulled into those sexy eyes. “You’ve had a long day—no, a long week. It’ll be my treat. Whatever you want. Or I could just recommend some places to you.”
But then Sven steps in front of Reed. “Woah, woah! I might have some good places to show her. Except I won’t force her to think about it.” He winks at me. “It’ll be a surprise. You like surprises, right? Who doesn’t?”
Hayden snorts. “‘I won’t force her to think…’ I can’t tell if that’s meant to relax her or insult her.”
“Again,” I say, “I’m right here. I think I’ll decide what I want for food…”
All three stare at me and grin simultaneously. I can tell they’ve all been living together for a while now because they’ve picked up some of each other’s mannerisms. This smile had to have come from Hayden, I suspect.
“You’re feisty, aren’t you?” Sven says.
“She knows what she wants,” Reed says. “That’s hot.”
Blushing furiously, I turn around and stalk away. Did I hire bodyguards or children?
