“Who is this other client?” Anger boiled in his voice, barely contained. “With whom do you ally yourself over me?”
I weighed what I wanted to say, versus saying nothing at all. If this treasure was as big of a deal as Richard had made it out to be, Pelletier might know something more about it. I’d take any intel I could get.
“We’ve been hired to retrieve the Vergoldet Fortune,” I said.
He gasped. Loudly. “It’s been found? The Vergoldet’s been discovered?”
“So, you’ve heard of it?” I asked.
“Heard of it? The Vergoldet Fortune is wet dream material,” Pelletier gushed. “I’ve wanted to run my fingers through the gold medallions, feel the hard diamonds against my bare skin, lick the pearls.”
And that got weird fast.
“You believe it’s a trove of riches,” I said.
“Of course I do,” he said. “That’s what it is. Treasure beyond your wildest dreams, sought after by shifters around the globe. Promise you’ll bring me back a piece. Something small, but elegant. Something unique and flashy.”
“I’ll try,” I said.
“I’m counting on you, Ariana,” he said. “You go collect that treasure, girl. You’ve got this.”
“Thanks.”
“Okay, well I have a gala to plan. Call me when you get back and we can talk security. And treasure. Kisses.” And with that, the line cut off. Pelletier was gone.
It appeared that Koenig had been telling the truth. Somewhere deep in a dark forest in the mountains of Germany was Slade’s father, and the Allencloths were hunting him for a stash of gold he’d stolen.
There was no time to waste. We had to prepare to hunt for Slade’s father.
If we didn’t find him, the Allencloths would. And no matter how conflicted Slade might be about the situation, his father’s death would wound him.
Chapter Seven
Quentin
Taylor and I sat next to each other at the conference table in Room C. I glanced at my watch. “She’s late.”
Taylor looked at the clock on the wall. “Your watch is fast.”
“Not early means late in an interview.”
He shook his head. “I’m glad I’m not interviewing for a position with you. You can be a douche, you know?”
Perhaps I could be a douche. I’d been irritable ever since our interrupted kiss with Ariana yesterday. We’d been close to something that had felt momentous, and it was a particular notion that I hadn’t yet been able to dismiss.
Momentous? A threesome?
It sounded preposterous when I thought of it that way, but at the time, I’d felt present in my own body, as well as beyond it. It had called me back to the strange dream I’d had—not a sexual dream, but a dream in which I’d flown at Ariana’s side, both of us in our dragon forms. The only problem was, in this dream we flew over an unfamiliar, war-torn land. The sunlight reflected strangely on my scales, rendering them brighter than usual. Ariana glanced over at me, happiness shining in her large dragon eyes. Then her gaze traveled to the ground beneath us, and she looked troubled.
For obvious reasons, I vastly preferred the sex dreams. Even if Slade insisted he’d had the same one, the sex dreams were easier to explain and much more pleasant to experience.
I had to put it all from my mind, otherwise I would go mad.
“While we’re waiting, let’s discuss yesterday’s interview,” I said.
“Maisie seemed bothered by it,” Taylor said.
“Bothered by the interviewee, or bothered by the fact that she’d walked in on us with Ariana’s skirt around her waist?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Fair point,” he said.
“I think Rourke would be an asset. He’s got experience and he had a sense of humor.”
“And I think Maisie was interested in him,” Taylor added. “He’s a tiger shifter like her.”
“Neither of those are valid reasons for hiring someone.”
He shrugged.
The door opened, and a gray-haired woman stepped inside. “My apologies for being late,” she said.
I glanced at my watch. She was still a full minute early. I liked her already.
“Hi, I’m Rhetta March,” she said, holding out her hand to Taylor, and then to me. She had a nice, firm handshake. I got the feeling this woman would never be ruffled.
Taylor and I introduced ourselves. “Please, have a seat,” I added.
“Thanks for accommodating my crazy schedule,” she said as she sat down. “My grandkids got the flu, so I promised my daughter I would help her out.”
“No problem at all,” Taylor said, giving her a reassuring grin.
The next half hour went smoothly.
“Thanks so much for the interview,” she said. “If you have any further questions, my contact info is right there on my resume.”
We waved goodbye and watched her get into the elevators. As soon as she was safely inside, Taylor turned to me.
“Okay, I didn’t think I’d like her as much as Rourke, but she’s pretty awesome.”
“That she is,” I said, nodding. I started toward the other set of elevators. “Well, see you.”
“Where are you running off to?” Taylor asked.
I jabbed the elevator button. “I’m making lunch for Ariana.”
He leaned against the wall next to the doors. “Aren’t you the sweetest.”
“Perhaps. Or perhaps I just want to make sure that she eats. She’s been stressed lately, and when she’s nervous, she forgets her meals.”
“Sounds like something one mate would notice about another.”
His voice was casual enough, but the words held quite a lot of weight.
I shrugged. “I simply want to ensure she’s cared for.”
A sudden image invaded my mind, of Ariana straddling me and sinking onto my cock. I blinked it away. Then I looked again at Taylor, standing in front of me, his eyebrows raised in question.
That dream hadn’t started until his night with Ariana. Had I—somehow—been privy to their time together?
Preposterous.
Then again, Slade had experienced the same dream and images, as well. All three of us were well on our way to being in love with Ariana. We didn’t seem jealous of one another in any way.
Could we all be mates? Or, rather, not mates with each other, but could we all be Ariana’s mates? What one man experienced with her, the others would enjoy as well….
If I were completely honest with myself, I had to admit the idea intrigued and titillated me. I hadn’t heard of this happening before, but it was the only logical explanation.
The elevator doors chimed, and Taylor and I got in. I kept my new epiphany to myself for the time being.
Ariana’s office door was open a crack when I arrived shortly after noon. Balancing a covered tray on one hand, I pushed the door open, half hoping to witness her in a steamy embrace with Slade so that I might join in.
Alas, she was alone, typing at her laptop. She looked up as soon as the door moved, and her nostrils flared slightly as she took in my scent. A soft smile broke across her face.
“I smell food,” she said.
I held up the tray. “I wanted to make sure you ate lunch today. I know you skipped it yesterday.”
Her eyes softened as she smiled again. “So thoughtful.”
“I’d say it’s at least eighty percent selfish,” I said.
“Really?”
“Most certainly. It gives me an excuse to come see you.”
She stood up and met me at the front of her desk. Her outfit was much like the one she had worn yesterday, a pencil skirt and blouse. I recalled the feel of my lips against her neck, of her hand on my cock, the excitement of sharing.
Smoothing her hand over my bicep, she said, “You don’t need excuses to come see me.”
I set the tray down on her desk and grabbed her hips, tugging her toward me. An unwelcome thought entered my head: I wish Taylor was here, too, sta
nding right behind her, helping me lift her skirt. I shook my head slightly, trying to dislodge the thought. Then I bent to capture her lips in a kiss.
Her mouth opened for me immediately. She tasted like her vanilla chai—sweet and spicy. I ran my hands through her soft brown hair and she locked her arms around my shoulders, pressing her chest close. I reveled in the feeling of her full breasts mashed against me. I knew from experience that they were perfect handfuls and tipped with dusky pink nipples.
“Remember when Taylor was here with us yesterday?” I asked.
“Mm-hmm,” she said against my cheek.
“We nearly got you naked. We could have taken you here, on this desk. Did you want that?” I had to know if there was even a chance that we someday might do that together.
She didn’t respond, so I pulled back to look at her.
Those smooth cheeks of hers were pink with a blush.
I brought a hand up to cup one of her breasts, and I teased the nipple through the fabric of her silk blouse. “Well?” I prompted. “Did you want that?”
She nodded. “Yes. I did. Did you want it?”
“Oh, fuck yes,” I said. I wanted everything with Ariana.
But I also wanted to take care of her, and that meant ensuring that she ate. With a groan, I stepped back and tried to catch my breath. “You need lunch.”
“I can think of something good to eat,” she said, a sparkle in her eye.
I hadn’t thought it possible for my cock to get any harder, but it stiffened in response to the teasing note in her voice, her naughty words.
“But that smells like beef, and it would be a shame to put your culinary skills to waste,” she said, moving to the tray with a sigh. “Especially after Slade said how good of a cook you are.”
I moved beside her and pulled off the plate cover with a flourish.
Ariana’s coffee-brown eyes grew wide with greed. “You made me steak?”
“I hope you like it.”
“It smells so good,” she said. “There’s one problem, though.”
I looked at the platter in alarm. “What? Do you have food allergies or sensitivities? I should have asked—”
“No,” she said with a laugh. “There’s only one plate. Aren’t you joining me?”
“I didn’t want to distract you from your work.”
She shook her head and picked up the plate and cutlery. “Let’s sit somewhere more comfortable.”
A soft white couch faced a fireplace on the far end of the room, and I followed her there. She slid off her heels and sat with the plate on her lap. “We’ll share.”
“Only if you take the first bite,” I said. The whole point was to take care of her, and I was nervous that she might not like it.
She delicately cut a small bite of steak and then put it in her mouth. She chewed slowly and closed her eyes, savoring it. There were so many ways I could give her pleasure. I’d relish her reaction to every single one.
“Quentin, this is amazing.”
She held up the fork with another bite, and I allowed her to put it in my mouth. The bleu cheese rolled into the thinly sliced steak gave it a perfect flavor. I mentally patted myself on the back.
We alternated bites and talked for a while. I encouraged her to eat more of the meal because it was hers, after all. Finally, she set the plate down on the low table in front of the couch and leaned back with her hands on her belly.
“I’m absolutely stuffed,” she said.
I fell back into the couch cushions beside her. “Then my work here is done.”
She giggled and leaned against me. “Speaking of work, I wanted to let you know that we’re all going to Germany. I meant to tell you yesterday, but the day got away from me.”
“Germany? Does this have to do with Slade’s father?”
She nodded and began to wring her hands together. I placed a hand over hers, trying to help calm her down.
She said, “We had to turn down an event with Pelletier, but this is the right thing to do.”
“I agree. And bullet dodged, as far as I’m concerned.” Using Slade’s nickname for Pelletier, I added, “Pellets is a nightmare.”
She laughed. “True. So, how did the interviews go?”
“Fine, we’ve got two top choices.” I took her hand in mine and kissed it. She smiled in response, but her eyes were thoughtful and she seemed to be thinking about something else. “You’re nervous about Germany, though.”
She nodded and looked into my eyes. Her eyes were so dark brown, they were almost black, and they’d taken on a haunted look. “It’s the right thing to do,” she said. “I just hope it doesn’t break us.”
“Ariana?” I wasn’t sure what to say to get her out of her somber mood.
She smiled. “I don’t know what I’m talking about. It’s just I’ve been feeling so happy with all three of you—it feels too good to be true, you know?”
Yes, I did know.
“But it still feels new and fragile. I want to protect this gift of...of us. But I also want to protect Slade.”
“We will,” I said. “You know we’ll be here every step of the way, all four of us.”
She leaned her forehead against my chest. “We’ll be fine, really.”
I kissed the top of her head, then angled her face up so I could give her a chaste peck on the lips. “Of course we’ll be fine.”
But I had a feeling no number of kisses or reassurances could erase the haunted look in her eyes.
Chapter Eight
Slade
Cold air stabbed like needles in my eyes. My wings grew sore with fatigue. Fighting the wind, I forced my body forward, diving down over dark treetops, then back up into thick clouds.
The night before, I’d been worried about flying out over the city. Taylor had said no one would see, and when I’d come back and hidden out in my room, I hadn’t heard any reports of giant dragons taking to the skies. But even tonight, my second night out, I still preferred to fly over the forest.
Across the horizon, color formed, breaking the darkness. It was morning. I’d been out flying all night. I still wasn’t ready to go back. If I flew hard enough maybe I would feel a little better. Maybe I could get my dad out of my head. Maybe I could sleep.
Just a few more minutes.
Cold, thick moisture filled my nostrils. The fog blurred city lights and the rising sun. A little higher, and the cloud surrounded me. I breathed it in. I let the chill soak through my scales, deep into my bones. Then I dropped.
The wind pushed back against my long snout and stung my eyes. My wings held steady, the edges flapping with the force of the air. The fog faded. The blur of black below sharpened into treetops—balls of red and orange and green.
I raised my head before impact, forced my wings to adjust. The tallest branches scraped against my scales and broke off from the trees below. I rose up a little higher and headed back for the Arrow.
I couldn’t be out here during the day. There was no way to know how far Ariana’s cloaking charm would shield me.
Besides, she could be waiting, or she could need me to do something. I had to return to her.
Color spread along the skyline, bright and blinding. As I soared, I realized just how much my muscles ached. I’d been at it too long. I’d always been like this. It had always been hard to know when to quit.
When I reached the Arrow’s roof, I was greeted by the best scent in the world. It was like warm apple pie by an open fire. It was comfort, solace, more than any amount of exercise could give me. It was my Ariana.
The roof always carried her scent. It was her private space, and I was only borrowing it.
I touched my talons to the ledge and tucked in my wings.
I hadn’t expected anyone to be up here. But there she was, in her human form.
Her dark hair was pulled back and straightened. It looked smooth and silky, even more than it did when she wore it loose. I wanted to reach out and feel it on my fingertips.
I breath
ed her in and captured every detail as she walked closer.
She wore a black v-neck dress and red heels. Her neck was bare except for a small golden chain that rested in the nooks of her collarbones. In the center was a stone, nestled between her breasts. I wanted to touch those, too.
I closed my eyes and shifted back, letting go of the freedom of the sky in exchange for human hands, for the chance to talk, kiss, run my fingers over her skin.
The shift took maybe ten seconds, and I barely felt the pain and discomfort of my body rearranging itself. When I opened my human eyes, she was there, within reach.
A little line formed between her brows, and I wanted to make that concern go away.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi.”
“I’ve been looking for you.”
“Was it not okay to fly?” I asked. “I saw the sign about nobody allowed on the roof, but—”
“It’s okay,” she said, and wrapped her arms around my chest.
She fit perfectly beneath my chin, even with her tall red heels. She felt good, warm, like home. Her soft curves pressed against my bare skin, and I squeezed her closer in my arms.
“I wanted to see how you were,” she said.
“I’m okay.” It was true, kind of.
“I’m sorry about your dad,” she said. “Did Quentin tell you?”
“Did he tell me what?” I didn’t let go of her. For the past couple days, I’d been in and out of the suite I shared with the guys, but I’d timed it so that I didn’t have to talk to them. I wanted to be left alone. I wanted to fly, and not think about anything.
“We’re going to Germany,” she said. “All of us.”
“You don’t have to...I don’t want you to worry,” I said.
“We can afford the trip,” she said. “I’ve even lined up a client who will pay us to go.”
“I’m impressed.” I couldn’t help but smile back as she beamed up at me. The world was a little brighter when she was here. Everything felt a little better.
“It’s important,” she said.
It was. I couldn’t let him die. He was my dad, no matter how big of a jerk he was. I had to do what I could. And having Ariana there would make the whole thing more bearable. Quentin and Taylor, too.
Dragon Unbroken_A Reverse Harem Dragon Fantasy Romance Page 5
