Knowing that this Jasmine nannied for the Emperor of the Dragons—who was a little boy at this point, though his identity remained hidden except for a half-dozen guards—helped to ease her concerns about leaving Xavier. But leaving Xavier made all those concerns rush back to the forefront. She chewed on her lip, uncertain.
Xavier waved a hand in the air and Tyler slipped his finger into it. His gaze never left her face and the look in his eyes softened. A ghost of a smile drifted across his face.
“You’ve never left him with a sitter before, have you?”
So, he’d guessed where her hesitancy was coming from. Bernie sucked in a deep breath and held it for a moment before she shook her head. “The farthest I’ve ever been from him is when he’s upstairs napping and I’m downstairs. Of course, except when I was abducted. And now you’re asking me to leave him here with someone I’ve never met before. And we’re going to be a couple hours away, at a chalet up in the mountains. What if something happens?”
“I’ll fly you back. It’s a couple hours by car because the roads are so twisty. I can fly it in half an hour.”
Well, that was another reason why she could say yes.
Tyler took her hand, his blue eyes still intense but gentle. “Look. If you don’t want to go, then don’t go. I’ll go as if I’m bringing Polly with me. Or she’s bringing me, it doesn’t matter. And I get that you’re worried about leaving Xavier for the first time ever. It is a big step. If you want to take smaller steps first, then you can get Polly or me to watch him while you, I don’t know, go grocery shopping.”
“Glamorous.”
Tyler shrugged. “I’m just saying this doesn’t have to be now. But you are going to have to start leaving him with other people. I mean, you need your time too. And it’ll be much easier in a lot of cases if you have someone at home to leave him with while you’re doing errands. You could see this as the first run.”
He was very convincing. Bernie had to admit that, despite the lack of flattery before, there was something very charming about how much he wanted her to come with him. Bernie ran a hand through her short hair, considering.
It would be nice to have someone to leave Xavier with when she had to go shopping or something. Hauling around the car seat wasn’t exactly easy. That someone she wanted to leave him with wasn’t a stranger, though. It was his father.
That wasn’t going to happen. She and Tyler weren’t getting back together. And even if they did… how could she be certain it would last?
A pang hit her stomach and she turned away, suddenly not able to breathe.
“Bernie? Hey, are you okay?”
She tried to nod but ended up shaking her head instead. “I just realized… we’re going to have to work out a custody arrangement. I don’t want you cut out from Xavier’s life. But I’m not going to live here forever. So, we need to figure out how it’ll work. Who he lives with when.”
Her eyes flooded as she considered what her home would be like without her baby in it, even if it was only for a few days during the week. How did people do this? Live separate lives, not being able to see their babies all the time?
“Hey, it’s nothing to worry about right now. Yeah, we’ll have to figure it out, but remember, I don’t have anything tying me in one place. I can go around the world with you to all your digs and take care of Xavier while you play in the dirt.” He put a hand on her shoulder. We’ll figure out something that is fair for both of us. You don’t have to come to the ball.”
Bernie wiped her eyes and smiled at him. “I think I’d like to. It’ll give us a chance to really talk.”
Tyler looked serious for a moment but smiled. He moved as though he was going to kiss her and her heart stopped, but he withdrew. “Great. You’ve got… just over two hours. Can’t wait to see your dress. And Bernie? It’s going to be okay. I promise.”
Chapter Ten
Tyler
Tyler couldn’t help but chuckle as he pulled the sleek Jaguar up to Gilbert’s chalet. The whole ride, Bernie had been sighing and cooing over the plush seats and all the gadgets that came with the car. The sultry night had encouraged him to roll down the windows, and it was only now when they were exiting the car and he handed the keys to the valet that she started to mess with her hair.
“It’s blown out everywhere isn’t it?” she asked him under her breath.
He could tell she was trying to look angry at him but the light in her eyes was too bright. Tyler offered her his arm–because that’s what friends did, at least at these fancy parties–and started in. Her hair was a bit windblown but it was so becoming. The wild curls suited her much more than the sleek, severe ponytail she normal held it back in.
“Okay, now that I’m here, I’m really excited!” She squeezed his arm as they entered the chalet. He handed his invite to the security officer and was waved in.
“It is pretty nice, isn’t it?”
Tyler glanced around the space. To call it a ‘chalet’ was a bit of a misnomer. While it was built from heavy logs and had the sloping roof and eaves meant to support ice and snow in the winter months, it was far bigger than one would expect. The dozens of people easily fit inside, along with a small live band. The ballroom was open to the rafters, with two sets of stairs on either side of the room leading to the second loft.
Many a time when he was here Tyler had snuck his date upstairs, to one of the bedrooms there. He imagined what Bernie would look like in one of those huge canopy beds. Quickly, he unlinked his arm from hers and snagged two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter.
When he offered one glass to her, her eyes widened. She glanced around before taking it.
Tyler had to chuckle. “You know, accepting a drink from your escort isn’t exactly scandalous. You don’t have to look so nervous about it.”
“I’m going to make a fool of myself, I should never have let you talk me into this.” Bernie swallowed hard, staring at the glass in her hand. “I’ve never had champagne before.”
“Never?” He was surprised. He could understand never having the really expensive stuff, but never to have any at all. With a gentle smile, he took her free hand and squeezed it gently. “Hey, don’t panic. It’s really not as good as people like to pretend. It’s just an excuse to make it ridiculously expensive. I like to just hold it and gesture with it when I make emphatic comments. But my brother must be skimping out on that dig of yours if he never brought champagne.”
“Oh, he did. But I was pregnant.”
Right. Tyler ducked his head, even though Bernie’s words weren’t an accusation. “Well… I guess since I stopped you from having some before, I’m glad that I can share it with you now.”
Bernie smacked her lips but shook her head. “No, I can’t. I’m breastfeeding.”
“But that doesn’t—”
“Yes, it does.” Bernie sighed. “The amount of alcohol in the mother’s bloodstream is the same as in her milk. So, no… dammit.”
Her eyes widened and she looked around quickly but nobody seemed interested in what was coming out of her mouth. As he looked around at the other faces, noting several familiar ones, he couldn’t help but notice the looks that were being directed at his date. Not date. Whatever. Men, and a few of the women Tyler knew were lesbians, ran their eyes down Bernie’s frame appreciatively.
The blue and silver mermaid dress she was wearing hugged every curve. Her figure was all bounteous curves. The one-shouldered bodice showed a hint of cleavage. It was covered in blue and silver sequins that gave her a glittering, unearthly appearance.
He found himself wanting to draw her in close to his side so that everybody would know that she was here with him. But she wasn’t his girlfriend and he needed to keep his distance. She didn’t want to pick things up and he would respect her wishes.
Gilbert wove his way through the crowd and greeted them with a wide smile. He kissed Bernie’s cheek and grinned at her when he stepped back. “You look radiant.”
Bernie’s face tu
rned bright red. “Thanks.”
Had he told her how she looked? Tyler wracked his brain. He had certainly thought it when he saw her. But had he said it? Or had he been so focused on keeping himself from looking like an idiot that he hadn’t said a word? It shouldn’t have been too hard to figure out but his mind kept coming up blank. He repressed a grimace as Bernie thanked Gilbert.
Gil then turned to him and slapped him on the back. “And as for you, there are a lot of people here who are dying to meet your lovely companion, so don’t hog her all to yourself, you hear? Speaking of which… where is Polly? I expected her to come with you two.”
“She had some last-minute stuff she wanted to get done. She should be here soon, though.”
Tyler noted the crestfallen look that flashed over Gilbert's face, and he laughed. “You know, you would be better off just declaring your undying love for her and asking her to marry you, rather than doing all this long-distance pining.”
“Right. Because proposing out of left field when we’ve never dated would go over so well.”
This time Bernie giggled. “Ask her on a date, then. I thought Tyler was just teasing but you have it bad for her, don’t you?”
Gilbert’s normally composed posture tensed a little. He glanced around and Bernie handed him her champagne glass.
Tyler opened his mouth to make a comment about that, but all amusement was swept away when he saw one particularly familiar face in the crowd. His fires leaped and he couldn’t stop himself from growling. Smoke tasted on his tongue. Given the look in Bernie’s eyes, he must have been a frightening image at the moment. He attempted to calm himself, but the sight of Bill Johnson’s smirk as he started toward them made everything worse.
“What is he doing here?”
Gilbert glanced over. “That big dragon? You know how Mrs. Smith likes her dragon boys. He’s her plus one. Never been to something fancier than a frat party, though, if how he acts is any indication.”
This time Tyler did put an arm around Bernie, just as the white-haired Mrs. Smith dug her manicured claws into Bill’s arm. That slowed him down but Tyler still wanted to grab Bernie and get her out of there. Far away from that lug and his obsession.
“Why did you let him in?” Tyler hissed. “Didn’t you recognize him? He’s the guy who was stalking around outside the property. That’s Bill Johnson, the guy who, you know, bought Bernie and still thinks he owns her!”
He must have found out that they were going to be here somehow. Had he followed Bernie and Polly to their dress fittings? The creep was worse than Tyler had realized. This was bad. Really bad. His instinct was either to take Bernie and rush back home, or go over to Bill and punch his stupid face in. Neither of them was a good option. If he left, Bill would just follow. All it would take was a car wreck for him to get his grimy hands on Bernie. And punching him? Well, even Gilbert would have to have him kicked out after that.
“That’s Bill?” Bernie sidled a little closer to him. “He’s bigger than I thought.”
“Big and dumb.”
“A cliché combination.” Bernie managed a small smile at him. “He’s here with someone else, maybe he won’t cause us any trouble. Relax, Tyler. I left our baby at home for this night, don’t let this guy make you ruin it for me, okay?”
Tyler squeezed her hand gently. “I’m going to talk to him.”
Bernie made a strangled noise of protest, but Tyler walked away. He wove his way through the crowd until he was next to Bill. He offered a smile at Mrs. Smith before clapping a hand on Bill’s shoulder.
“I see you made it to one of these little parties.”
Bill snarled under his breath.
Mrs. Smith fanned herself, looking excited. “Ooooh, are we going to have a fight? So much of this muscle dragon shifter testosterone? How… interesting.”
Tyler fought the urge to roll his eyes. The old pervert just wanted them to shift so they’d ruin their clothes and she’d see them naked. He made up some little excuse and pulled Bill aside. They were not going to ruin this for Bernie. But neither was Tyler going to just accept that Bill was here and there was nothing he could do about it.
“What are you—” he started.
“Just because you have a child with Bernice doesn’t mean that she belongs to you.”
Tyler didn’t bother to hide his glare. “And just because you’re stalking her doesn’t mean that she belongs to you. You don’t know a single thing about her, not even the fact that she hates to be called Bernice.”
Bill opened his mouth, then closed it again. His nostrils flared. “We have plenty of time to get to know each other. Bernie is my mate and I will make her see that.”
“Dude, that is creeper talk. She doesn’t want to be strangled.”
Bill’s brows creased. “What?”
“If you don’t understand that, then—” No, there was no point to standing here arguing. It was just going to make his temper flare and he’d say something that would make Bill lash out and then Bernie’s night would be ruined. “Just go, Bill. She doesn’t want to have anything to do with you.”
“Oh, right, because I’m going to trust your word on that.”
“She already told you when she called you!”
“When you were standing right there, telling her what to say. I’m not dumb, I—”
“Could have fooled me!” Tyler clenched his hands. “I’m warning you, Johnson, if you don’t—”
Bernie was suddenly there, pushing between them. “That is enough. Some girls might get a kick out of men fighting over them, but I’m not one of those girls. Tyler, back off. I will deal with this myself. And as for you, Mr. Johnson, I—”
“Dance with me,” Bill interrupted.
“No.”
Bill looked wounded as though she had slapped him. “Please? Just one dance. And then if you want me to leave, I’ll go and never look back.”
Tyler rolled his eyes. If Bill thought Bernie was going to—
“Fine.” She shook her head and sighed. “But only one dance, okay? And then—”
“You won’t regret it.” Bill seized her hand and dragged her onto the dancefloor.
Tyler opened his mouth and took a step after them, but Gilbert stepped in front of him. He pressed a hand to Tyler’s chest and shook his head. “Let her deal with it. Maybe he’ll actually listen to her.
“Maybe.” Doubtfully.
Chapter Eleven
Bernie
“I can’t believe it. You’re actually here, in my arms.”
Bill tried to smoosh her tighter against his body, but Bernie kept her elbows rigid, forcing distance between them. If she had known that he was immediately going to start going all doe-eyed and clingy, she wouldn’t have accepted the dance. Still, she managed a polite smile at him. Even if this felt like it was the start of something she’d end up regretting, it was too ingrained in her to be nice and calm. To avoid saying the thing that would set off his temper.
Tyler’s not like this, she thought as they danced. He doesn’t trigger these old fears of violence. The way my dad always did, the way most of my boyfriends did.
“I knew the moment that I saw you on that auction site, you were my mate. That’s why I bid such a high amount for you. Because I knew I’d have to tear apart anybody that laid their hands on you—”
“You do realize that I was forced into that, right? That the people who were ‘selling’ me would have kept all the money and if I had tried to escape they would have killed me and my baby both?”
Bill opened his mouth, then closed it. A slightly abashed look came to his eyes, but then he shrugged. “I didn’t know that,” he said as though that made him completely guiltless. “And if I had known it, I would have tracked them down. I’d have made them pay for doing such a vile thing to you, my dear. You deserve to be clothed in gold and jewels–and nothing else.”
Creepy! The lustful look in his eye made her shiver. Tyler didn’t have that effect on her. “Look, I—”
“I would have burned down that place. I’d have slaughtered everybody in there who wasn’t you.”
He pulled her again. This time her elbow buckled, making her yelp in pain. He didn’t seem to register that he had hurt her as the hand on her back moved downwards. She caught it and returned it to her upper back. Part of her wanted to look out and find Tyler, to beg him for help but she couldn’t take her eyes off Bill, for fear he’d kiss her or something if she let her guard down.
“You would have slaughtered everybody in there who wasn’t me?”
“Yes. I would have rescued you and—"
“And apparently killed all the other women who had been coerced into that. Look, I don’t know too much about dragon culture but if there is one thing that I’m pretty sure is the same with humans and dragons, buying women as though they’re property isn’t the way to start true love.” How much did she dare say? “I am grateful that you would have rescued me if you had known my situation. But I think that you and I—”
Bill cut her off once more. “Don’t. We still have the rest of this dance.”
The song ended and another started but he didn’t release her.
“The song is over—”
“But we’re still dancing. I don’t know what Freeman told you about me but he’s got it all wrong. He’s just a little jealous mama’s boy. As soon as I saw you, I knew. You were meant for me, Bernice. Bernie.” Bill made a face. “Bernie is a boy’s name. I don’t like calling you that.”
“I don’t like being called Bernice.”
“You’ll like it when I call you—”
“No.” Bernie shoved her arms between them so her elbows were pressed into his chest. “No, I won’t. Look, I’m sorry if it upsets you but I am not your mate.”
Bill stopped swaying on the spot, which apparently counted for dancing in his book. For a long moment, he stared down at her. Then his eyes glittered and he curled back his lips. “You are my mate. Freeman might have brainwashed you against me, but don’t worry. You and I belong together and I will make sure you see that.”
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