by Lisa Oliver
“Well, I know you do.” Jon smiled as he shook Bryce’s hand. “I’ll reserve my opinion on your boss for another time. Let me show you out.”
By the time Jon walked Bryce to the elevator, he and his dog realized the case had just got a lot more complicated. He just hoped Bryce didn’t notice his erection and get the wrong idea. Helping a mate wasn’t an issue. Jon would have taken the case for free if he’d known. Helping a mate who was due to get married within a month was a different situation entirely. Jon was glad he’d already decided not to go to New York and at least now he knew why Mr. Dirk Hollingsworth hightailed it out of his offices. His dragon obviously had a sensitive nose.
He allowed himself a smirk as he recalled the look of horror that flashed over Dirk’s face when he ran. Unlike Jon, Dirk had probably never been with a man, especially one from another species. Oh, Jon knew he’d be hurting later; his dog was all keen to get out, track the man down, and mark him. But pushing his animal half aside was easy. Jon planned to work on the case and the Gordon mess so hard his animal side would be too tired to fret. Provided he kept from shifting until he was certain Dirk was back in New York, he shouldn’t have any problems. Even a loyal Shepherd couldn’t track a man on a plane.
Chapter Three
“Did he take the case?” Dirk asked angrily as he tossed back his glass of honey fire laced whiskey. As he poured himself another, he noticed half the bottle gone already. But it didn’t stop him pouring another hefty glassful. He needed something to quell his dragon heat and the cold bath he took hadn’t worked at all.
“It looks promising,” Bryce said brightly, throwing his keys on the small desk by the door. “I explained the situation, about why you couldn’t use a family contact for this. He’s going to look over the files and call me if he has any questions. He did ask about gaining remote access to our servers so at least you won’t be paying to put him up in New York. I think he’ll take the job.” He must have noticed the glass in Dirk’s hand. “What’s got you drinking before dinner?”
“These fucking thefts are worrying me sick. I’m not sure that guy’s the best man for the job.”
“What? You’ve got to find a way to stop these thefts. If you don’t, you’ll be ruined and your chances of marrying Celine will be nil.”
“I don’t see how a common dog can solve a dragon’s problem. Get me Raoul on the phone.”
“Now, hang on.” Bryce had been with him for over a hundred years and was the only one who would think of challenging him on anything he said. “You heard what Raoul said. If we use a company for this the chances of someone leaking information increases tenfold. The moment a hint of problems gets out, thanks to the internet, we’ll have your father breathing down our necks in no time. We asked for someone discreet and who was good at his job. Jon Erskine is the only one with the qualifications and experience.”
Bryce was right, but Dirk had to cut any contact with the hunky Mr. Erskine before he did something he’d regret, like claim the damn man. “I don’t care. Get me Raoul. I’ll offer him a million bucks if he’ll do the job himself.”
Muttering under his breath, Bryce did as he was told. Dirk would have called him on it, but he was too busy holding back his dragon, who’d decided a penthouse suite in a hotel was the perfect place to shift and fly back to cuddle with his doggy mate. Since when was my savage beast such a cuddle monkey? Since scenting fucking Erskine, that’s what’s caused this. At least his dragon was being sensible to a point. The suite was big enough to shift in and Dirk could afford any breakages, but he would not claim a dog for a mate no matter how good he smelled. He snatched the phone Bryce held out for him.
“Raoul? Dirk Hollingsworth here. I need you to recommend another forensic accountant.”
“Did Jon turn down the job? What did you do?” Raoul laughed.
Dirk glared at the phone before putting it back to his ear. “Nothing. I didn’t speak to him. Bryce handled the appointment. I just don’t think a dog….”
“Hold it right there,” Raoul warned. He was a powerful vampire and Dirk could swear there were icicles forming on his ear. “You did not bother me in the middle of a lovely meal to tell me you rejected my recommendation because Jon’s a canine? Surely, you wouldn’t be so stupid.”
Dirk was momentarily put off by the reference to Raoul feeding. It’s not as though vampires ate food for sustenance and the thought of the vampire with dripping fangs chatting on the phone like it was a normal thing made him shudder. “I’d feel more comfortable working with someone I’m familiar with. If no one else is qualified, I’d like you to investigate this for me; on the side, away from your firm. I’m willing to pay you a million dollars….”
“Stop. You’re wasting your breath. I’m not interested. In fact, after what you just said I wouldn’t take your money for this if I was homeless.” Fucking great, now I’ve upset one of the strongest vampires in existence. “Your entire hoard and those of your family wouldn’t be enough to convince me to betray my friend. Jon is unique in the shifter world. He’s loyal to a fault, friendly to work with, and he works tenaciously until he finds the answers his clients are looking for. He’s never had a case he couldn’t solve.”
Just like a pet dog, Dirk thought bitterly, but Raoul wasn’t finished. “If you consider someone like Jon beneath your notice simply because of his animal spirit, then you are not the man I thought I knew. Don’t bother calling me again until you’ve got your head screwed on straight.” The harsh dial tone let Dirk know Raoul had disconnected the call.
“Fuck it.” Dirk snarled as he hefted his phone against the wall before picking up his bottle again.
“I take it Raoul wasn’t impressed.” Bryce calmly collected the shattered pieces of phone from the floor. “I can’t say I blame him. You know wolves usually disdain anyone from a pet line, but I was impressed with the man. Mr. Erskine’s species has nothing to do with his ability to do the job. At least you know he hasn’t got a pack, herd, or coven he might spill secrets to. He couldn’t be more perfect.”
“Just get out.” Dirk’s heat increased every time he thought about the wretched man. He was going to have to take another cold shower. “Get out and don’t come back until I say so.”
Dropping the shattered phone into the nearest trash can, Bryce threw him a look he couldn’t decipher and calmly left the room. As soon as the door was closed, Dirk wrestled with his tie and collar. His damn suit, which he always considered a form of armor in the business world, was choking him. Throwing the clothes aside, he turned the shower on full cold and stepped under the water. The hissing steam that rose as the water hit his skin was his first warning sign. Looking down, Dirk groaned in horror as he saw a shining scale had appeared over his heart. The scale he would give a true mate.
Falling to his knees, Dirk’s mind went over his brief non-encounter with Erskine. Scented him. Check. Seen him. Check. Fuck. It’s too damn late. In five seconds flat he’d condemned himself to a life of misery. His dragon had seen and taken in the scent of his fated mate and from now on, no one else would do.
It didn’t matter that Dirk considered himself straight – dragons didn’t have any issues with gender or orientation. It didn’t matter that Jon wasn’t even the same species. Most dragons didn’t fret about that inconsequentiality when it came to mates. It was only the dragons in the ruling families that ensured they took a bond mate from the same species so they could continue the family bloodline; shunning the idea of a true mate.
But Dirk’s dragon didn’t care about centuries of tradition or anything else. The dragon wanted to curl up with his puppy mate; hunt for him, cover him in jewels, and keep him as his greatest treasure. And Dirk’s human half was going to keep on heating up until he caved. The seven circles of Dante’s hell had nothing on what Dirk was going to go through if he didn’t find a way out of this mating, fast.
Chapter Four
“Have dinner with me this evening.” Jon smiled at Raoul’s purr over the phone line. Th
e man was a born flirt and never expected anyone to turn down his advances. It’s what started their friendship – Jon said no and once he’d gotten over the shock, Raoul had proven to be a good friend. The fact they were in a similar line of work was only part of it.
“I don’t know,” Jon demurred although he was tempted. A steak might take his faithful dog half’s mind off his absent mate. “I’m close to cracking the Gordon case and I’ve still got the Hollingsworth file to go through.”
“All the more reason to take a break now. I’ll bet you the cost of the meal that you didn’t have lunch today.” Jon wasn’t going to take that bet. His stomach thought his throat had been cut. “I’ll send a car and I’ll have my driver drop you back at the office once we’re done. One hour. Come on. I’ve found a new chef in town that takes rare steak to an art form.”
Jon laughed. “Fair enough, but can you pretend to eat food when you’re with me? Your moaning companions tend to put me off my food.”
“I’ve already taken care of that side of things. It’ll just be you and me. The car will be there in fifteen minutes.” Raoul clicked off and Jon shook his head. Human’s never worried if they saw a vampire snacking on a neck at a restaurant. Paranormals had been out for decades and vampires were considered exotic and powerful. People lined up for the chance to be a donor. Jon didn’t mind watching a feeding, as such. He’d seen it before. It was just a vampire’s bite provided a highly erotic experience and most of Raoul’s companions couldn’t hide their pleasure. Listening to a young man, or woman for that matter, beg to be fucked while the dashing vampire sipped on their blood was not what Jon considered dinner entertainment. It wasn’t jealousy. Jon simply preferred a jazz accompaniment with his meal.
Locking his papers in his desk and then locking his office, Jon strolled through the empty building. He had Raoul to thank for his lovely space. The whole building was vampire owned and Jon got the place to himself for a nominal rent in exchange for helping Raoul out on cases when needed. It was an equitable arrangement that allowed Jon to be picky with the additional clients he took on. He hurried through the lobby, looking forward to discussing the Gordon case with his friend.
/~/~/~/~/
“You are sure that it’s Vern’s brother who’s doing the stealing, along with Vern’s wife, and he’s doing it to reduce the value of the stock? Is he trying to stage a coup and wipeout his brother?”
“That’s the only bit I don’t understand,” Jon said, carefully wiping his chin with his napkin. Raoul was right; the chef was amazing. Unfortunately, the huge rare steak put his animal spirit in a bouncy mood – keen to go and find his mate and play. Jon forced himself to concentrate on his work. “Vern was happy enough I got the money back for him, but he didn’t show a bit of interest in learning how the theft occurred, or why. Usually, that’s the first thing they want to know.”
“Did you tell him your suspicions? Maybe he wants to keep it a family matter? What breed are they? Lions, isn’t it?” Jon could tell Raoul was thinking about the ramifications.
“Yes, lions. I haven’t told Vern my results yet. I only found the link to how the money was being siphoned off this afternoon. Vern’s wife has an umbrella company and has been invoicing the firm for work that hasn’t been done; the payments are then approved by Vern’s brother, Horace. It was easy enough to pick up once I went back through the work orders, and noticed all the order numbers on the invoices were bogus. But for a company of that size, it’s not surprising it’s gone unnoticed until now.”
“Most companies prefer to hush up any signs of trouble in case it affects the stock market. I would simply email Vern a report of your findings and let them know you have a file for the police if he wishes to prosecute. Chances are Horace will find himself fired, or drummed out of the pride. Goodness knows what Vern will do about his wife. Either way, you’ve found the problem. It’s up to them to seek justice if they want to.”
“One of the joys of working with paranormal firms,” Jon agreed. He wasn’t going to tangle with a lion or a pride. Raoul’s advice was spot on, as usual.
“Now, tell me about Hollingsworth?” Jon jolted at hearing the name he’d been trying to forget. “Are you going to help them out?”
“I probably will. From the sounds of it, it’s electronic theft. It shouldn’t be hard to track down.”
“You’re not planning to fly to New York or anything silly like that, are you?”
Raoul seemed concerned about him and Jon couldn’t work out why. He’d recommended him for the job after all. “I told Bryce, the PA who filled me in, I could investigate from here. I didn’t think I needed to go there, no. Why are you worried? You recommended them to me. Is there something I should know about them that affects the case?”
“I got a call from Dirk this evening.” Raoul looked uncomfortable.
“Let me guess. He doesn’t want a dog working on his case. He wants you to find someone else.” Jon tried to hide the bitterness. He knew full well why Dirk didn’t want to have anything to do with him. As if he’d make a nuisance of himself with someone who clearly didn’t want him and saw him as a second-class citizen. Especially one who’d already had his fiancée picked out for him.
“You did meet him then?” Raoul seemed surprised.
“I saw the back end of him as he ran from my offices,” Jon’s laugh was hollow. “But he insisted Bryce continue with the meeting.” He shrugged. “It’s not a problem. It’s not as though I haven’t enough work on my plate as it is. Who did you want me to send the files too?”
“Hang onto them.” Vampires were very good at hiding something, but Jon could scent something was up. “Do some of the preliminary work but hold off getting in touch with them until you hear from me. Dirk was in a bit of a mood when we spoke. I’ll call him again in the morning and see if he’s settled down.”
Jon’s dog snarled. “I don’t need you to protect me from him. The ass would never hurt me anyway. His animal wouldn’t let him.”
Shit. Jon snapped his lips together as Raoul’s eyes widened. The suave vampire leaned over the table, taking care not to let his tie dip in his coffee. “There’s only one person a dragon wouldn’t attack if he felt provoked. He’s your true mate?”
“Doesn’t make any difference if he is. Bryce explained in detail that the biggest reason Dirk want’s this matter solved is because his intended bride will be here within the month. And we already know his opinion on inferior species.” Jon didn’t bother hiding his bitterness now. “I’ll be fine. My dog might want to pant after him like a love-sick canine, but I have more pride than that.”
“Aww, sweetheart, you know I’d take you on in an instant. Dirk clearly hasn’t got the brains he was born with.”
Jon laughed in spite of himself. “I’m not being one of your many, Raoul,” he said as he patted Raoul’s hand. “I’ve told you that before. I’m a one-man dog and always will be.”
“Dirk does not deserve your loyal heart, my friend.” Jon knew Raoul was deadly serious. “He’s not going to be able to walk away that easily; not if his dragon has spotted you. Make sure he’s on his knees and groveling before you let him near you.”
Now there’s a fetching idea even if it is an unlikely one. “I have no intention of seeing the man again. I am sure if he’s got any sense at all, he’s already running back to his cave or mansion or wherever he lives. I would say I wish him well with his impending nuptials but I’m not going to lie. What I will say is I hope he gets everything he deserves.”
“Ooh, who knew such a happy puppy could hide an evil side,” Raoul chuckled. “If you’re sure you can continue working on his account, then I respect your decision. Take my advice though. Deal with Bryce or me, not Dirk. I’m sure the guy is already going through his personal version of hell.”
Jon desperately wanted to know what Raoul meant about Dirk’s “hell” but that would mean talking about a man he was determined to only help from afar. Suggesting Raoul call his driver so he could get
back to the office, Jon decided he’d send his report to Vern Gordon and then he’d start making headway into the Hollingsworth case. If he happened to do a spot of research on dragon mating habits while he was on his computer, he’d make sure he cleared his browsing history when he was done.
Chapter Five
Dirk was aware someone had come into the bathroom although it was impossible to see anything. Steam was pouring off his skin faster than a boiling jug although his teeth were chattering. “Help,” he croaked. Gods, he was so dry, but he’d been under the shower for over an hour. “Help.”
“Fuck, boss, what the hell is the matter with you? Get out of the shower.” A loudly wrenched tap and the pitiful excuse for cold water disappeared.
“Bryce?”
“Come on, let me help you. Fuck, you’re burning up. You need to shift.”
“Can’t. Erskine. Dragon wants Erskine.” Dirk collapsed on the bathroom tiles; their coolness giving him a relief for just a second before he felt his skin burn again. “Need Erskine. No, not Erskine. Don’t. No. Can’t.”
“You need a fucking doctor. Hang on, I’ll get help.”
No! Dirk knew he’d gone into heat, but it wasn’t the sexy heat authors put in their books. Oh no. He’d happily put up with a soggy ass and raging cock if that was all it was. But no. His dragon was angry with him. He wanted his precious puppy and the more Dirk resisted, the hotter his skin became. He struggled to stay conscious; fully aware that if he blacked out his dragon would take over and then he’d be mated to a dog whether he wanted it or not.
I can’t do this. I won’t do this. Dirk spent his entire life raised to eventually rule one of the dragon’s leading families. He’d known what was expected of him from the moment he could speak and he’d trained and worked hard for centuries to be a man his father could respect. His wedding was planned; his future running the American division of their company was assured. All he had to do was restore the depleted dragon hoards and show up for his wedding in a suitable tux.
