“What are those unopened cans of primer doing up there? I specifically told you and Mike to not put those up on the high shelf. These shelves are old. They can’t hold the weight of full paint cans,” she said, eyes blazing as she turned to Tommy.
Tommy backed down instantly. “It wasn’t me. I think Mike put those there,” he stumbled.
“I don’t care who did it. Someone could have been killed. Just make sure both of you clean this up, and don’t do it again,” she said, finishing with a frustrated sigh.
Excusing himself, Tommy just ducked out of the room with a harried, “Yes, okay.”
Once he was out of the room, Lindy put her hands on her hips and appraised the mess, shaking her head.
“It’s really my fault. This place needed renovation years ago. We just don’t have the time or the money to make it happen right now. We’re just fortunate it wasn’t one of them under the shelf. The last thing I need is an injured worker when we’re already behind.”
“That could have been you under all those cans, you know,” Magnus said, dreading the possibility that something could have happened to her had he not been there.
“Yeah. Thank you for doing that. I’m already glad to have you around,” she said, looking up to him with a grateful grin. Seeing her smile made it all worth it.
Even if his new shirt was ruined.
Lindy gingerly stepped around the pile of metal and made her way past him toward another door on the opposite side. As he followed, he spotted a large object under a fabric tarp.
“What’s that?” Magnus asked, his curiosity piqued.
Lindy stopped for a second, deliberating, then scratched the back of her neck.
“Ah, what the hell? You haven’t been working for anyone I know. And since you just saved my life, I guess I owe you one.”
At that, she grabbed the tarp and pulled it off with a stiff yank as dust kicked up and permeated the already dank air around them.
Beneath it was a very old-fashioned-looking two-seater in a very faded light blue. Its design was both classy and powerful-looking, but he didn’t know the make or model off the top of his head.
“It’s a very rare, very hard to find car. Got it at an estate sale a year ago out in the middle of nowhere,” she said, beaming with pride as they both looked at the fancy old car desperately in need of a paint job and likely a dozen other major fixes before it would run.
“What’s so special about it?” Magnus asked, not catching on to its apparent significance.
“It’s worth a lot of money to the right collectors. In better shape, that is. I’d love to keep it, but that’s just not in the cards. My plan is to fix it up, top to bottom, complete restoration. Then I can sell it and hopefully get back on my feet with the money. I’ve already got some of the parts I need. I just have to retool the others, since they’re basically impossible to find. The only problem is it’s really time intensive. And free time isn’t a luxury I have right now,” she said, talking eagerly about her plans.
Magnus remembered the night he’d first seen her, how late it had been, how tired she’d looked. Did she always work that late?
“I’d say you’re doing all right, what with the work you have lined up already.”
“Yeah, but it’s a two steps forward, one step back kind of business. Or one step forward, three steps back at times. I guess it would just be nice to get ahead for once,” she said, the excitement in her voice dying down as she pulled the tarp up and began to lay it over the top of the car. Magnus helped, and she smiled at him for a moment, then diverted her eyes as she turned toward the door.
“Here, I’ll show you my office, and we can discuss what projects you’ll be working on today.”
But as he followed her, he looked over his shoulder once more at the taupe-colored tarp and the car it covered.
As a dragon, money would never be a problem for Magnus. But this project was important to Lindy. He could tell.
And if it was what Lindy wanted, then the iron dragon was going to make it happen.
4
Lindy sighed as she shut down the accounting software she was using and turned off the computer in her office, locking the door behind her as she went into the main garage. Between nearly being crushed by a broken shelf and having the thought of the wall of muscles that was her newest employee stuck in the back of her brain, it had been a pretty exciting day.
She went up to Mike and got an update on his work, asking about his wife and their new baby, before looking for Magnus. But the tire patching job and oil changes he’d been working on only a half hour ago were finished, according to Mike.
So where was the Rent-A-Dragon?
On a hunch, she went into the back garage. Maybe he was piddling around with something back there or reorganizing the shelves.
But as she came through the doorway, she saw the hood of the old, rare car open, with Magnus hunched under it, looking at something intently.
“What are you doing!” Lindy rushed over to the other side, heart racing at the possibility that Magnus had wrecked her one shot of not being poor forever.
Instantly, Magnus stood upright, bumping his head on the edge of the popped hood, then turning to face her, cool as a cucumber.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, oil stains on his hands. Under the hood, it appeared as though he’d just been replacing a few of the old rubber hoses, which had long ago worn out.
Nothing broken. Thank heavens.
“What’s wrong? You’re not supposed to be in here,” she said emphatically, though the longer she looked into his light-green eyes, the harder it became to hold on to her anger.
“I finished the other work you gave me, and Tommy didn’t want me helping him, so I figured I’d make myself useful,” he said, crossing his arms, making the muscles in his forearms and biceps bulge. Just a wall of muscle.
If it had been anyone else, she would have flown off the handle, just like her dad. But Magnus was a lethal combination of capable and hot. And that cocky grin he had as he looked down at her, that powerful jaw peppered with five-o’clock shadow that she wanted to run a hand over just to experience what it felt like.
Magnus’s grin widened a little, and she turned away to hide her embarrassment.
The fact of the matter was she was paying Magnus a lot less than her full-time employees, and he was already doing twice the work they did in a day. So hot or not, Magnus was pretty amazing.
“At any rate, don’t do that again,” she muttered. “It’s my project. It needs to be worked on by someone who knows the car and can do it justice.”
Magnus closed the hood gingerly, then pulled the tarp over it, and Lindy tried not to imagine his muscles as she heard shuffling.
“It is just a car, you know. All cars work pretty much the same once you look closely enough,” Magnus said, sidling up beside her. She could practically feel the warmth emanating from him.
“It’s more than a car. It’s my future.”
It’s my hope.
She’d started to walk for the door when Magnus came in front of her, surprisingly quick for a man of his size.
“If that’s the case, I apologize. Let me make it up to you.”
He practically filled the doorway, and it was a wonder he didn’t knock his head on the doorframe he was so shockingly tall.
“I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“How about we go get dinner? I know a place that’s perfect.”
“What about the others? I need to make sure they’re on track,” she replied, feeling her resolve weaken beneath his gaze.
“Those guys are both in the middle of their work. They won’t be done anytime soon. And I’m sure they’d both jump at the opportunity to get home early,” Magnus said, not backing away even an inch. “And besides, I haven’t seen you eat anything all day. You must be starving,” he added, raising an eyebrow.
Lindy’s stomach growled lightly in response, and though she tried to keep any reaction from him, his mou
th cocked to the side in the slightest grin, as if to say, You’re not hiding anything.
Oh well. It couldn’t hurt, given that the alternative would be eating leftovers at home while Perky, her overactive Pekinese, took his evening siesta after barking at passing cars all day.
“Okay, but this is just me getting to know my employee-slash-coworker, right? Don’t go getting any ideas.”
Magnus just nodded and moved to let her through the door, following close behind her, and she told Mike and Tommy they could clean up and head out for the day. And as she locked up the place, she felt a tiny thrill go through her at the thought of going out with Magnus.
It wasn’t a date. It was just a work thing.
Right?
Magnus knew exactly where he wanted to take Lindy on their first “date.” Even if she saw it as just going out to eat with an employee, he saw it as so much more.
Their first chance to be truly alone, a chance for her to get to know him and maybe let him in just a little.
He’d never thought his mate would be so standoffish. Maybe he just had to get her away from work to get her to open up.
He opened the door to the tavern-style eatery that reminded him somewhat of rustic bars from his time, with its old-world decor, sailing paraphernalia, and real wood furnishings.
He liked to eat in the basement, where things got raucous, but with a woman on his arm, he supposed it would be better to take a table upstairs.
She sighed in relief as they stepped into the tavern, and he looked at her curiously.
“I was worried it would be somewhere fancy,” she said, fiddling with her casual button-up shirt. “I wouldn’t want to be out of place. Plus, I can’t afford anything nice, so—”
He gave her a sardonic glance. “What makes you think I would let you pay?”
She grimaced. “What makes you think I would let you pay?”
He ushered her to a booth where a waiter was setting down menus for them and sat across from her, despite his temptation to sit on the same side. “Fine, then. I’ll order my food, and you can order yours.”
“Fine,” she said, tight-lipped. She’d taken off her hat in the car, and her pretty blond hair was still in a ponytail. Her face was clean of smudges, and her gorgeous features were more obvious. Her stubborn little chin, small but full mouth, and soft, naturally flushed cheeks all made him want to look at her forever.
He couldn’t have designed a better mate.
When the waiter came, she nervously ordered a water and the smallest thing on the menu. A salad.
That wouldn’t do. Whether it was because she was watching her weight or her budget, he didn’t like her denying herself anyway, and he intended to see that she didn’t.
So he ordered nearly everything on the small menu, a wide grin on his face. The waiter seemed surprised but folded up the menus and left.
Magnus turned back to Lindy, who was gaping at him. “What the hell was that for?” she asked. “Are you that hungry?”
“Maybe,” he said, leaning back and putting his hands behind his head.
“This better not be some kind of backhanded way of buying food for me,” she muttered.
“And if it was?” he asked, leaning forward to look in her cautious blue eyes. “What’s wrong with trying to take care of you? What’s wrong with me changing your tire?”
She gave him a guilty look, and he realized she did remember him from that night, even if she hadn’t said so. “Thanks again for that.”
He felt somewhat pleased that his mate remembered him but unsure why she would try to hide it.
“Why do you hate it so much when people help you?” he asked.
She shrugged, avoiding his gaze as she drank the water the waiter had set in front of her.
Magnus sighed, wondering how long his mate would stay a locked vault. Would alcohol help? He noticed her glancing wistfully at the bar and decided maybe a stiff drink was just what was needed.
“Excuse me. Back in a minute,” he said, standing and walking around the row of booths to the bartender. He didn’t know exactly what was good, not being much of a drinker himself, so he ordered a few different things, made a convincing excuse about not needing an ID (another reason he liked this somewhat shifty tavern; they seemed lax about rules) and carried the tray of drinks back to their table.
As he turned the corner, he saw a group of men right in front of the booth where his mate was sitting and let out a low growl.
He stormed up to the booth and set the tray down on the table, then positioned himself between the men and Lindy.
He folded his arms. “She’s taken.”
One of the men snorted. “As if we care.”
“Then get out of here,” Magnus said, surprised by the menace in his voice. He was generally a protective sort, but seeing other men around his mate took things to another level. “Now.”
“I got this, Magnus,” Lindy said, scooting to the edge of the booth and glaring at the men. “It takes three of you assholes to pick on one woman? Lame.”
Magnus bit back a grin as the men narrowed their eyes. He stepped forward, pushing them back before they could get any ideas. His mate was a feisty one, and he liked that, but she didn’t have much in the way of self-preservation, and that wasn’t a good thing.
“Whatever,” the guys said. “Not worth it.”
“We’ll get her later,” another said, making Magnus’s ears perk up. Later? What the hell was that about?
He waited until they walked out the front door, rudely slamming it behind them, and then sat across from her. It didn’t really matter what they said about later, because he was always going to be with her from now on.
With a dragon by her side, they didn’t stand a chance.
She was moping, resting her cheek in her hand as she stared at the tray of drinks.
He pushed it toward her. “I didn’t know what you’d like.”
She sighed. “Nothing.”
“Come on,” he said. “Don’t be rude. Let me at least buy you a drink. Or three.”
Her eyes widened. “Aren’t these for you?”
“I don’t drink,” he said.
“So you’re trying to get me drunk? That’s creepy.”
He cocked his head, letting his hair fall to the side. “I hadn’t thought of it that way. Does it make you more comfortable if I do?”
She nodded, so he grabbed a drink, tossed it back, and smiled at her. It was fairly impossible to get a dragon drunk, especially with modern liquor.
She grabbed a drink of her own and sipped it hesitantly, staring at him over it with suspicious eyes.
Somehow, everything his mate did was utterly adorable. Perhaps it was her smallness and chubbiness. Or the way she was so defensive, like a porcupine curling up with its spines out.
Regardless, he wanted to see the softness she was keeping inside.
When she finished her drink, he quietly pushed over a new one, and she drank it, much less hesitant now.
When she’d finished the second drink, she seemed much more relaxed and sank back in the booth with a sigh. She was a lightweight and already seemed slightly buzzed, probably because she didn’t drink very often.
“Thanks,” she said. “I know I can be a real bitch sometimes.”
“You aren’t a bitch,” he retorted, the word sounding ugly in his mouth. “A bit overly independent at times, but that’s all.”
She waved a hand. “I wasn’t always like this. Before my dad died, I was his princess. I loved working in his shop, making friends with the guys there. Everyone liked me more before I was the boss.”
“I’m sorry about your father,” he said. Dragons in his time left their families early to form crews with other dragons and get out and see the world, but he’d seen how close humans generally were to their family units, and he felt bad that something had happened to Lindy’s.
“It’s okay,” she said. “Shit happens. I just… yeah. I used to depend on someone a lot. And then I realiz
ed what a mistake that was, because eventually you end up alone.”
“What do you mean?”
“After my dad, there was a guy,” she said. “Someone who’d worked at the shop. I guess I was just out of it. He wanted to take care of me, and I was feeling really alone. My parents divorced when I was really young, and my dad was all I had. Anyway, this guy acted like he was going to make everything all right at a time I was feeling lonely.”
“Did he?” Magnus asked, already knowing the answer and wanting to know the bastard’s name so he could track him down and rid the world of him.
“No,” she said sullenly. “It was my fault, getting carried away and thinking he could really be interested in taking care of someone like me. What he really wanted was control of my dad’s business. I was overwhelmed with it anyway, and…”
“And?”
She flushed, looking as if it were painful to remember it. “He nearly ran the company into the ground. I didn’t notice until I went to withdraw from the company account that he’d been embezzling.” She shook her head. “At first, I thought it was a mistake. No one would do that, right? Not to the woman he was dating or the place he’d worked at for years. But he did.” She sighed. “I guess I look really stupid.”
Magnus was beginning to realize some humans could be more monstrous than shifters. “No. Not stupid. Trusting. I hate that he took that away from you.”
She gave him an embarrassed smile, one that melted his heart so it puddled down around his toes. “I can’t believe I’m telling you this. You’re an employee. No, not even an employee. Just someone working temporarily for me.”
“A friend,” he said. “Come on. I met you before you hired me. You could just call me a friend.”
The food came, and she stared as the waiter had to crowd the entire table with the wide variety of dishes. Magnus pulled one toward him. “I love the fish and chips here, so I ordered two of those in case you want to try it.” He took a bite and grinned. “I highly recommend it.”
Iron (Rent-A-Dragon Book 2) Page 3
