“So what made you decide to come along with your boss to a dating agency, Vivienne?”
He liked the feel of her name on his tongue.
Vivienne.
He focused on her lips as she licked them quickly and murmured, “Moral support.”
“Ah,” he whispered, his gaze still lingering on those full, lipstick-free pouty lips. They were about the only thing she hadn’t been able to hide. Because she was trying to hide, wasn’t she?
Let’s see if he could rattle her.
“So I assume Julie knows I’m a shifter or she wouldn’t have reached out to Gerri for a date.” He perked a brow. “It’s not every day a girl’s interested in meeting a dragon.” He lowered his voice in light-hearted warning. “After all, we run a little aggressive in the bedroom.”
Vivienne swallowed, her voice suddenly husky. “I’m sure Julie knows what she’s doing.”
“But do you?” he nearly said as a slow grin crept onto his face. She liked what she heard. Yet there was still no scent of arousal. Strange. And telling.
This woman definitely wasn’t who she pretended to be.
“Of course she’s not,” Gerri declared on a chuckle as she and Julie returned. For a second he thought she was speaking to him, but she only offered him a wink before she looked at Vivienne. “Right, Vivienne? You’re not going to say no to a cupcake are you?”
“Actually, I’m not that hungry so—”
“I insist.” Gerri handed one over. A small smile hovered on her lips as her eyes flickered from Kage to Vivienne. “We’re all allowed our weak moments on occasion, right?”
Vivienne cleared her throat, murmured, “Thank you, Gerri,” and took a bite.
Gerri nodded. “Now then, I’d say it’s time to focus on the hot-as-hell man who just came into your life.” For a moment her now golden eyes lingered on Vivienne before they bypassed Julie and landed on him. “No pun intended.”
Right. Because he breathed fire.
“Yes, let’s focus on men.” Julie’s eyes widened on him as Gerri gave her a cupcake. “You that is.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of time before my next clients, but maybe you two would like to share something about yourselves to break the ice a little?” Gerri glanced at Kage. “Do you want to start?”
No. Not at all.
But he knew he had to say something.
“I like cupcakes,” he managed around a bite before he lifted his glass, toasted Julie then said, “And sweet tea,” before he drank.
Julie’s brows lifted ever-so-slightly and her lips rounded before she managed a weak, less-than-impressed, “Oh.”
It seemed he had moved past knocking Julie on her ass with his good looks. Yet he didn’t miss the spark of amusement coming from behind Vivienne’s thick bi-focal wannabes.
“Very informative, Kage,” Gerri said dryly before her eyes met Julie’s. “Tell me you’ve got something better, honey.”
“I...um…”
When Vivienne nudged Julie, he knew for certain that he and the redhead were not here to meet each other. His eyes went to Gerri. Did she know? Based on the speculative, yet amused way she kept eying Vivienne, she’d likely known since the moment they walked in. Maybe even sooner.
“I think what Julie means to say by, I…um…is that she’s available tonight.” Gerri grinned as she looked between Julie and Kage. “It’s Friday and early.”
“It is,” he agreed, matching Gerri’s grin as his eyes found Vivienne.
When Gerri headed for the door with her cupcakes, he was in swift pursuit and scooped another off the plate.
“I…well…” Julie mumbled as she followed, her voice a little shaky as they finally stood next to each other and her eyes rounded up at him. “I…we…what I mean to say is that we might have plans already. I’m sorry.”
He perked his brows at Julie as Gerri kept moving them along. “As in you and your assistant?” He shot Vivienne a playful you’re-not-getting-away-that-easy smile before he turned up the charm a few notches and met Julie’s eyes. “It’s a different approach to a first date, but I like the idea of being supervised if you’ll reconsider.”
Now that he was certain this set up had nothing to do with him and Julie hooking up, he wondered at their agenda. Was it all Vivienne’s idea? Both of them? Or perhaps even the enemy had his hands in this. Whatever the situation, he intended to get to the bottom of it.
“I’m not sure now’s the time,” Julie started before Gerri interrupted with yet another grin and said, “I think now’s the perfect time. Get out of here and have some fun. All three of you.”
“Thank you, Gerri.” He kept smiling. “For everything.”
“My pleasure.” She handed the girls one more cupcake each. “I’ll be in touch later to see how everything went.”
Then she shut the door.
“I heard about a great bar nearby.” Kage put a hand on the small of Vivienne’s back and ushered them along. “What do you think? Just a drink or two?” He kept an easy grin. “A chance to get to know each other better?”
Protective clothing or not, the second he touched Vivienne, he knew he was in trouble. He felt it right down to his core. But what kind of trouble?
“No, I think we’ll probably call it a wrap,” Julie said before Vivienne tensed, shook her head, and made his life a whole lot easier.
“No, Jules.” Vivienne’s voice took on that husky octave again. “I’m available now, and I think it’s the perfect time for you to have a first date with Kage.”
“Great!” He made sure he flashed Vivienne the sort of smile that brought out his dimples. “You’re a good friend, Vivienne.”
“Call me, Viv,” she managed, her heartbeat increasing the longer he touched her.
“Viv it is, then.” His eyes returned to Julie. “You’ve got a good friend in Viv, Julie. I look forward to getting to know both of you better.”
He could only hope it was as simple as feminine interest on Viv’s part and her approach simply bashfulness. Because if either of them were affiliated with Hallstein and his minions, it would be a downright shame.
Chapter Three
“I DON’T KNOW the area very well.” Kage offered them a lazy, crooked grin as he swung onto his bike. “So who wants to ride with me?”
Something told Viv by the devilish look in his eyes and the Southern twang in his voice that wherever he was, he knew the area just fine. This man knew his way around, period.
“Just lead the way,” Julie said as she headed for her car. “We’ll follow.”
Viv didn’t know she was trailing behind and eying not only him but his motorcycle with a ‘just maybe’ look in her eyes until his gaze narrowed on her and his voice got bedroom soft. “Looks like your assistant might wanna ride with me, Julie.”
Yeah, her assistant seriously needed to snap out of it.
Especially if she hoped to use Kage to get closer to Hallstein.
She always figured the man of her dreams would be handsome in real life. And she was right. To a degree. Kage bypassed handsome and shot straight up the charts to smokin’ hot. Now that she could finally see his face beyond the snapshot images of her subconscious, she was trying hard to keep her temperature from skyrocketing. Her eyes again skirted to his face. From the almost square, stubbled jaw to the sensual roll of his lips, he was all male dragon. And his body. Hell. That long, lean, well-muscled body clad in black from head to toe just like she knew it would be. From the heavy boots to the fitted T-shirt.
So she was prepared.
Damn well prepared.
He wouldn’t catch her off guard. Not for a second.
Turns out she was a clueless idiot.
If his face weren’t already chiseled enough for a girl’s best wet dream, he had eyes so pale blue they would make Valhalla’s clear skies dull in comparison. When coupled with his thick black lashes and warm skin tone, it was nearly impossible to look away. She supposed humans couldn’t.
But d
ragons could.
Kind of.
Especially when their best friend was waving her hand in front of their face.
“Let’s go,” Julie said out of the corner of her mouth. “Now.”
Right. Now. Exactly. Time to follow Kage and finally get some answers. So she scribbled down her and Julie’s numbers, mumbling, “In case we get separated.”
Good thing she did because when Kage banked a right out of the parking lot, Julie turned left. She frowned and shook her head. “What are you doing, Jules?”
“What do you mean what am I doing?”
Viv pulled off her wig and twisted in her seat, desperate to keep Kage in sight as long as possible. “You should be following him!”
“God, seriously, Viv?” Julie shook her head. “Absolutely not.” She kept shaking her head, her eyes widening further when she saw how serious Viv was. “That guy’s nothing but trouble. Not gonna happen, cupcake.”
“Eck, enough with the cupcakes.” Viv narrowed her eyes on Julie and yanked out her cell phone. “Either you turn this car around and follow him or drop me off here and I’ll taxi my ass where I need to go.”
“Taxi your ass, eh?” Julie shook her head. “Are you really that desperate?” Her brows flew together in concern. “Because desperation doesn’t look good on you.”
“I am…” Viv clenched her teeth before she sighed. “It’s him, Jules. I just know it.”
“Yeah, I know.” Julie frowned. “He’s the guy you were dreaming about. Got that. But he’s…” She shook her head. “Handsome looks aside, he’s a little scary, Viv. He’s got deep, dark secrets under all that charm.” She cocked her head. “Don’t you sense it?”
Oh, she sensed it all right.
“Come on, he’s a Navy pilot,” Viv said. “How bad can he be?”
“We both know that’s a cover.” Julie shook her head again. “There’s far more to him.”
That’s right. A one way ticket to the enemy. But she wouldn’t tell Jules that.
“It doesn’t matter what Kage is,” Viv said softly. “Because he’s something I wasn’t sure existed.”
Julie’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I think you know exactly what I mean.”
Julie looked from the road to Viv several times before she finally pulled over and rounded her eyes. “You think he’s your actual dragon mate, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Why? I mean sure, you dreamt about him, but who knows what that means.”
There weren’t enough words to describe what she had felt back there. Not from the moment she laid eyes on him to the moment they separated. Then there was the way she felt when he put his hand on her back.
Just a single unknowing touch was all it took.
“But it wasn’t unknowing,” she murmured, lost in thought. If he were her actual mate, then nothing about what happened between them was unknowing, but fated. If folklore held true, he was a dragon she had known before and would know until the end of time. There was no other way. She bit back emotion and shook her head.
This was no time to get sentimental.
Well, actually, it was.
She was trying to sell a product here, and Julie needed to buy in.
“You just gotta go with me on this one, Jules,” she pleaded, trying to keep the whine out of her voice. “Do you have any idea what it feels like to lay eyes on your dragon mate again?”
Julie frowned. She already knew the full story. She knew exactly what it would mean if Kage was in fact, Viv’s mate. The unbelievable reconnection across time and space they would be making.
“This is big, Viv.” Julie held her hands apart. “Like huge big.” Her eyes searched Vivienne’s, truly concerned. “Why do you think he’s your dragon mate?” She sighed. “That’s a pretty monumental conclusion to jump to. How can you be so sure?”
“I don’t know.” She shook her head as a shiver went through her. “It’s unexplainable. Like everything inside me came alive at once. Things I haven’t felt for….” She didn’t finish her sentence. All that mattered was that she had felt far more than anticipated. “This is real. He’s real.”
“Yeah, he’s real all right.”
“And maybe not so scary really,” Viv pressed, needing Julie to turn the car around ASAP. “I mean, seriously, he was all about cupcakes and sweet tea.” She smirked, trying to downplay his dragon-biker-not-to-be-trusted side and upgrade his boy-next-door-sweet-tooth side. “Not very threatening.”
“Don’t try to screw with me because it won’t work,” Julie grumbled, yet Viv detected weakening.
Time to appeal to her logical side.
“Jules,” she reminded. “I went to Gerri’s wondering what I would find, and he proved to be a whole lot more. I have to see this through.” She did her best to keep from glancing back in his direction. “I need to find out if he’s at all connected with your friends in Winter Harbor…with your family.”
Because if he was, he might very well be connected with the tenth-century Sigdir clan.
Which made the fact he might be in league with the enemy even worse.
“Are you kidding me?” Julie said. “How would that even be possible? How would he know everyone in Maine?”
“I don’t know yet, but what if he does?” She gave Julie a pointed look. “If I dreamt about him beforehand, I’d say there’s a good chance he’s tied up in everything happening in Winter Harbor. Only makes sense. That means it’s our responsibility to get to the bottom of things.”
“You mean your responsibility because you want to see him again.”
“If he’s tied in with Sean and his crowd up there then we both need to follow up on this,” Viv said, matter-of-factly. “And you know it.”
God, she needed Julie to come to a decision fast. The more distance that grew between her and Kage, the edgier she felt.
Still, the moment called for compassion.
“You know I’m sorry about everything you went through with Sean, right, Jules?” Viv squeezed her hand and met her eyes. It had been a long road for Julie. She’d been a pawn in games played by those more powerful than her. “You volunteered to take a back seat through so much with him.”
Sean O’Conner was a fisherman from Maine and Julie had more than once played a part in helping steer him in the right direction. One that didn’t end in love with her but another. Yet Julie helped to make sure he got there. That he found true love and happiness even if it meant her heart got bruised along the way.
“No worries,” Julie said softly, her eyes a little distant before they cleared. “I knew what I was getting into. And I know good things are ahead.”
“They are,” Vivienne assured, forever impressed by her perseverance. “For both of us.” Viv cocked her head until Julie met her eyes. “But only if we do this together.” Her front row ticket to the enemy was driving away. And, so it seemed, her long lost mate. But the truth was if Julie said no, she would have to let him go. She and Jules had been through too much. “Your call, sweetie. You decide which way we go now.”
“You’re putting an awful lot in my hands,” Julie murmured, her eyes still on Viv’s. “Are you sure you want to do that?”
Was she? Truly? Because it was a lot.
And she needed Julie to come to the right conclusion.
But heck, they’d been through thick and thin since the beginning and Julie had been willing to go into Gerri’s agency with false intentions. She had been willing to lie to help Viv. So there really wasn’t any decision to be made here.
Viv leaned back against the seat, relaxed, and nodded at Julie. “You take me where I need to go next, Jules.” She managed a smile and prayed like hell for a miracle. “I trust you.”
Chapter Four
KAGE SAT AT the bar and wondered if Viv and Julie were really going to show. He’d received a text saying that despite going in the wrong direction they were on their way.
Classic rock played. A few people danced. Most stay
ed in dimly lit corners chatting. It was an inconspicuous place. Somewhere nobody knew him. The perfect location to scope out someone, determine if they were in league with the enemy, and then deal with them without anyone being the wiser. He took a swig of beer and eyed the door again.
Would Viv look like herself this time? The real her?
Less than a minute later, he got his answer when she and Julie arrived. Damn. She was still bundled up in her disguise. If Erica were here, she’d say something cutting about him focusing on personality rather than looks. But then that would be based on what she knew of him. If his sister knew the real him, the person hidden beneath the thoughts he did share with her, she’d know better.
He plastered a grin on his face and waved Julie and Viv over.
“Glad you made it.” He offered yet another charming smile. “Do you want to sit at the bar or grab a table?”
Say ‘table.’ There were semi-circular booths so that meant he could get close to Viv.
“Bar,” Julie said as Viv mumbled, “Table.”
When his brows shot up in question, Julie and Viv exchanged a quick look that told him all he needed to know. Her mysterious assistant wanted to get closer to him too.
“A table it is,” Julie managed.
He grinned and led the way.
As it turned out, Julie dashed all hope of close contact with Viv when she sat between them. Soon after, the only waitress in the joint leaned over their table far enough to offer an ample view of her cleavage as she batted her lashes at him. “What’ll ya have, handsome?”
Kage gestured at the girls. “Ladies first.”
“Wine’s fine,” Julie said.
“Long Island Iced Tea, please,” Vivienne murmured. “Double the tequila.”
Interesting. Liquid courage?
Julie’s eyes widened on Viv before she spoke to the waitress. “Something to munch on too, please.”
“Sure.” The waitress tossed down a menu. Her eyes never left Kage. “And you, sweetheart?”
“Whatever you have on tap’s fine.” He winked just to see if Viv reacted. “The stronger, the better.”
Paranormal Dating Agency: Her Wounded Dragon (Viking Ancestors' Kin, Book 4.5) (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 2
