ROMANCE: SHAPESHIFTER ROMANCE: Dragon Baller's Bride (Dragon Shifter Alpha Male Romance) (Paranormal Romantic Suspense)

by Summer Cooper

  “No, it all looks good. Do you have a pen?”

  Five minutes later the contract was signed in duplicate and Amy was handed a check, much to her confusion. “Sign on bonus. Movers will be at your apartment tomorrow to help you pack up and move. The bonus will help with any expenses you might incur. Also, you will receive formal notice of your stock shares by Monday afternoon.”

  “Stock shares? Did I miss that?”

  “It’s standard for an executive. It’s incentive for you to help our company do well. If we keep up our stock prices you benefit from it. It’s also why I like the annual audit, it makes sure we aren’t doing anything illegal to keep that benefit at a maximum. Now, how about some shrimp cocktails for an appetizer?”

  And just like that Mark switched away from the business portion of the dinner to the pleasure portion, waving over the waiter who immediately came to take their order. Amy was glad that Mark ordered for her, as she wasn’t sure she could remember how to speak, and when he filled her glass with champagne she gratefully drank half the glass, causing Mark to chuckle.

  “You do know there is water if you are thirsty?”

  “I’m not thirsty. I needed some serious alcohol to make sure I still know how to breathe and swallow and all those normal things humans do.”

  Mark got a slightly strange look on his face at that statement before it went back to his normal smile, before he picked up the bottle to refill her glass. “Well then I see we need some more. If you need a minute might I suggest looking at the menu to decide what you want as your main course?”

  “Food. Yes, let’s focus on food,” Amy said slightly numbly as she started focusing on her menu. She almost felt like she was living a dream and any moment she was going to wake up and she would be back at her crappy job, working for someone who hated everyone and everything. When she placed her order and everything was still going on around her, she started to realize that not only was this very real, she also hadn’t said a word in almost twenty minutes while Mark simply sat there watching her. “Alright. This is real. I don’t know how, I don’t know why, but it’s apparently real as I’m still here and you’re still here.”

  “Good, now that that’s settled, are you going to eat your appetizer?”

  Amy laughed and started eating a piece of shrimp before looking at Mark. “You are taking my silence surprisingly well.”

  “I recognized that you needed a moment. Apparently your moment lasts a little longer than that of most other people, but a moment it was.”

  “I see. So nobody knows I start on Monday?”

  “Kevin knows, but he’s the only one. He is out of town this weekend otherwise you’d meet him tomorrow. Would you like to go see your apartment after dinner?”

  “I’ll see it tomorrow, I want to get started on packing. I also need to make a list of everywhere I need to change my address and call my mother to inform her.”

  “You’re a list person?”

  “I have lists for everything.”

  “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me. So what do you like to do in your free time?”

  “I love going out into the mountains and hiking. It sounds strange since I live in the city, and I truly love it here, but when I have the time I like to escape all the hustle and bustle and go somewhere I won't encounter anyone else. It gives me the opportunity to relax. In the city I love attending plays, go to movies or simply spend time with friends.”

  “I will admit that it surprises me that you enjoy the outdoors, but I could see why you would. Do most of your friends live in the city?”

  “They do. I’m assuming it doesn’t matter if I have them at my apartment?”

  “That’s fine. It’s truly your space, you can entertain as much as you’d like. Lydia can help you if you need anything. I don’t want you to feel like you’ll be constantly watched, because you won’t be. I work odd hours and I can usually be found at the office even on the weekends. Kevin has a daughter he has every other weekend so he’ll be busy with her on those weekends. He occasionally has her on weekdays as well when her mother needs someone to watch her, so you’ll probably see her around some.”

  “How old is she?”

  “Twelve. She is a beautiful little girl, I’ve watched her grow up over the past few years. She calls me Uncle Mark and I won’t deny I love it. She is starting to turn into a young woman, and maybe it will be good for her to have a woman there to balance out us men. She’s with her mother most of the time, but her mother works often and isn’t home much either.”

  “I’m not great with kids but I’m sure it’ll be fine. So what do you do when you’re not working?”

  “Sleep.”

  “Oh come on, there has be something else you do.”

  “Eat.”

  “You work, eat and sleep?”

  “Yes, that about sums it up.”

  “We need to fix that. I don’t know Kevin but I’m sure if I talked to him we could get you to do more than that. You need to find time to wind down and relax or you’ll go insane.”

  “I assure you I’m fine, but you are welcome to try,” Mark replied with a smile as he thought about spending more time with Amy. He found he was enjoying it, and he wanted to do so more often.

  “I’ll consider that a challenge, and I never back down from a challenge. I do have to say though that I have to get home if I want to have any chance of moving this weekend. There is an awful lot to do.”

  “Very well. Give me a moment to pay the bill and I can have my driver drop you off at home.”

  “Thank you that would be great. I really don’t like taking the subway, even though it’s easy to use and often faster.”

  “You’ll be able to walk to work from now on, and if the weather is ever bad I have our driver pick us up.”

  “I’ll use an umbrella, thank you.”

  Mark chuckled and as soon as he had signed the slip he got up before helping her up out of her chair. “We’ll see.”

  “It’s just rain, you won’t melt,” Amy said with a shake of her head. Mark looked at her strangely, but Amy wasn’t sure what that look meant so she ignored it, letting him lead her out of the restaurant. The ride to her apartment didn’t take long and for some reason Amy felt herself wishing it had lasted longer.

  They hadn’t spoken in any way, but she felt comfortable in his presence and there was something about him that drew her in. Even though they weren’t talking, she didn’t think the silence was awkward and she was looking forward to many more times where they could simply sit together without saying a word. She immediately wanted to shake those thoughts out of her head. He was her boss! She knew that this weekend she had to focus on moving and getting settled into her new place, which she still couldn’t quite believe was real, and on Monday she’d have to start the hard job of re-training all the bookkeepers. She knew she would be busy but she found herself looking forward to the meeting with Kevin and Mark on Monday morning. She was brought out of her musing when the car stopped in front of her building.

  “Thank you Mark. For everything.”

  “Good luck with the moving, if you need any help call me. I will stop by on Sunday to see if you got settled in alright.”

  With that Amy got out of the car and walked up to her apartment, only to find it filled with movers. “Umh hi?”

  “Good evening ma’am. Mr. Carren hired us to help you pack, is there anything you’d like to do yourself?” An older man said with a smile when Amy came in. Everyone around them continued working and it was clear this man was in charge.

  “My office, thank you. Should I ask how you got in?”

  “I wouldn’t. He wanted to make sure your move went smoothly with as little work for you as possible. We will also be at your new place to help you unpack. All you have to do is tell us where to put everything. The new apartment is fully furnished, is there any furniture you want to keep as opposed to putting it in your storage locker in the basement of your new building?”

  “I have
a storage locker?”

  “Yes ma’am. It is large enough to hold all your furniture and it is climate controlled. So is there any furniture you’d like to keep?”

  “I don’t think so, but I might change my mind once I see the apartment. I don’t actually know what’s there.”

  “Very well. When we get there tomorrow I’ll ask you again. I need to get back to ensuring everything is going well, if you need anything just let me know.”

  Amy looked around her apartment and all the people in it. She watched her entire life being packed into boxes at a pace that scared her. This morning she went to work as if it was any other Friday, and now she was packing up her life to move to an apartment she had never seen. With a big sigh she walked to her small office, where she grabbed several file boxes that were already there and ready to be used. She was glad they were letting her do her office herself as she had a filing system she was proud of, which now that she thought about it sounded really sad. She needed a life that didn’t revolve around organization, lists or numbers and she found herself hoping Mark would be part of that life. She could use the excuse that Mark needed more fun in his life and have more fun in her own life as well.

  With that thought she got to work and several hours later everything was in boxes. She walked into the living room to see that there wasn’t anything left to pack and the movers were simply stacking all the boxes so that they would be easier to move the next day. She saw the same thing in her bedroom and was amazed they had gotten it done so fast. “Ma’am? We are done for tonight. We will be here at eight in the morning to start moving. Once we have loaded up the truck you are welcome to ride over with us, unless you would prefer to meet us there?”

  “I will probably go over after you get here and look at the apartment so I have an idea of where things should go.”

  “Very well. I’m assuming you know where to go?”

  “Yes, I do. Mark gave me a card with the address and the access code for the elevator.”

  “Excellent. We will be coming up through the service elevator once we are ready to move things in. Lydia will be there as well to help.”

  “You seem very familiar with the building and with Mark.”

  “I am. Lydia is my wife,” he answered with a smile. “I own this moving company and usually don’t help myself, but when Mr. Carren asks for our services I always supervise to ensure excellent service.”

  “I must admit I’m impressed so far. I will see you in the morning.”

  Chapter Three

  Amy looked up at the building in front of her, and double checked the address on her card. This was it, this was where she would be living from now on. The canopy that lead to the street indicated you really didn’t have to get wet if you didn’t want to, even when leaving to go somewhere, and the doorman was smiling at her as she simply stared.

  “Good morning Miss Taylor,” the doorman greeted as he opened the door for her. Amy looked surprised for a minute before realizing he had probably been well informed about her arrival.

  She walked to the elevators and once she got in, she put in the code she had been given. She noticed there were no floor numbers, just a keypad and she assumed everyone had their own code so nobody could get to any of the floors without one. She had to remember to ask how that worked with friends, since she had a feeling she wasn’t supposed to simply give out the number she had.

  As she stepped out of the elevator she noticed two doors, one to the right and one to the left. She was apartment B, which was the one to the right, and suddenly realized she didn’t have a key. That problem was answered when the door opened and a middle aged woman with kind eyes and slightly greying hair stepped out. “Antoine let me know you were on your way up. Antoine is the doorman. Make sure you give him your approved list, those are the people who can come up here. As long as they have ID on them Antoine will use his code in the elevator to allow them to come up, and then notify you of doing so. I’m Lydia, let me show you around. I must say it’s nice to have another woman around here. John and I live a couple floors down, but with our schedules we don’t interact with a lot of the other residents.”

  “It’s nice to meet you. I will admit I’m still a bit in shock and overwhelmed.”

  “Understandable. Mr. Carren can have that effect on people. He spoke very highly of you, and you must have made an impression on him to get him to move so fast.”

  “I have a problem with speaking before I think sometimes, and I simply told him what I thought. He seemed to like it, which is now turning out to be a good thing.”

  “Apparently so. Alright, this is the living room, as you can tell,” Lydia said as she started the tour. Amy looked around as she followed Lydia and found herself really liking the place. The living room was done in cream colors with a few burgundy red accents throughout. The couch looked comfortable, and the sitting area was in front of a fireplace she was excited to try. She could see herself curling up on that couch with a good book on a cold winter night. The main living area was open to the kitchen area, which made the room look much larger than it probably was, with a dining table separating the two. The kitchen was done in whites, and while it was nice it wasn’t overly large which Amy liked. She could never see herself living in a huge mansion, wanting the comfort of something feeling like home not a museum. Off the side was a laundry room, which Lydia promptly told her was her domain and she’d better not catch Amy there. Down a hallway were several doors, the first of which opened to an office. It was the size of her bedroom in her old apartment, and already had bookshelves lining the walls and a large wooden desk in the middle. The comfortable chairs in front of the desk indicated she could have people visiting her even while she was working.

  The next door Lydia opened was a guest room, which was done in simple soft yellows and blues. “Each bedroom has its own bathroom,” Lydia said simply before closing the door again. She knew Amy would explore in more detail later.

  The next door was another guest room, this one done in yellows and greens, before Lydia opened the third door, this one next to the office. “This is the master suite.”

  Amy walked in and her jaw dropped at seeing it. The large king size bed was done in beautiful mahogany, and there were matching side tables and a dresser. To the left was a sliding door, which revealed a walk in closet, while to the right was a door that she assumed opened to the bathroom. That appeared to be correct when she walked into a bathroom with double sinks, standing shower and whirlpool tub which was situated right in front of the large window. She knew immediately that the view would be stunning at night when she could see all the city lights and she smiled as she turned back to face Lydia. “This is amazing. I’m not sure what to do with all this space, but it is done really well.”

  “I’m sure you’ll find something. The building has a pool and a gym down on the ground floor, which you are free to use. If you take the elevator down to the ground floor, push the button for gym after putting in your code and it will open the elevator doors on the other side to give you access. It’s not overly large but it will suffice for what you might need.”

  “Thank you Lydia. I’m sure I’ll have lots of questions later on but for now I need to get ready for the movers to get here. I won’t need any furniture so it’s really just my belongings. My bed in my old apartment was Queen sized so I suppose I need to get new sheets and all that.”

  “John already gave me the heads up on that last night so I’ve ordered some that I think will go well in this room. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all, thank you. I really don’t like shopping so I’m glad I don’t have to.”

  “Excellent. I love shopping so anytime you need anything feel free to let me know. Now have you had breakfast?”

  “I had a banana so I’m fine.”

  “That’s not breakfast. Come on, I’ll fix you something. I have several batches of muffins and cookies and the like for the men once they get here, but you need something substantial. Once they are
here you likely won’t be able to stop and sit for a while. Do you like eggs? Bacon?”

  “Yes to both, but really I’m fine.”

  “Nonsense. So how did you meet Mr. Carren?”

  Lydia and Amy talked amicably as Amy sat at the breakfast bar in the kitchen while Lydia cooked, both about Lydia as well as Amy’s introduction to Mark. Amy hadn’t realized how much time had passed until the movers started showing up and they all got to work, which for Amy meant pointing to a room and for Lydia making sure the movers ate her baked goods. It was well into the afternoon when they finally finished, and the second Mark walked into the apartment Lydia and John also left.

  “What do you think of the apartment?” Mark asked as he looked around.

  “It’s very nice. Those movers were amazing, I didn’t even have to unpack! Lydia took care of unpacking my clothing so she’d know where everything was, or at least that’s what she said. I have much more space than I know what to do with. So I thought you worked all the time, what are you doing here?”

  “I came to see if you would like to have dinner with me? I gave Lydia the night off since she worked so hard to prepare for your arrival and while I have no doubt you can take care of yourself I’d like to take you out to dinner.”

  “I’m actually a terrible cook and microwave meals are my friend. So while we are here, are you my boss or are you simply the guy who lives above me?”

  “I’m your neighbor. Would you prefer somewhere casual or more fancy?”

  “Casual. I’m wearing jeans and a sweatshirt and have no intention of changing.”

  “Excellent. I know a Greek restaurant that I think you’ll like, it’s just around the corner. I’ll run upstairs and change out of my suit and I’ll meet you down in the lobby, sound good?”