by Anthology
The End
About Candice Gilmer
USA Today and NY Times bestselling author Candice Gilmer leads a dangerous double life as a mommy and a writer. In between boo-boo healing and fixing broken toys, she writes stories to the tune of children's television. It keeps her very busy, but she wouldn't have it any other way. Well, maybe a little less children's television. http://candicegilmer.com
Claimed by the Dragon King by Dawn Michelle
Born to be a queen, raised to be a peasant.
Orphaned at birth and raised by a string of foster parents, Selena grew up knowing that nobody cared. The only light in her life was the flame she carried inside that made her believe everyone was wrong about her. Her life, however, seemed destined towards poverty until a brush with a strange man sparked that flame into something amazing. She began to see things she couldn't explain - men with scales and wings flying outside her window and gargoyles on buildings taking flight. Most amazing of all was the man's insistence that he needed her more than anything else in the world, and he'd pay any price to get her.
1
Selena's hand froze inches from the latch to the restroom stall door. Her breath caught in her throat and then slipped through parted lips. It was almost a sob and she knew it. It had not been a good day.
Selena transferred the balled up pantyhose to her left hand and tried the door again. She ignored the wall length mirror ahead of her, looking anywhere but at the reflection of herself. Her dress was too tight, her hair refused to stay put, and now she didn't have any pantyhose on. What's next, smudged makeup or a broken heel? At least she was the only one in the hotel's restroom.
Her heels clacked on the tile floor as she made her way to the built in trash receptacle on the counter. She dropped the ruined stockings in the white plastic lined bin and took another deep breath. It wasn't supposed to be like this. She'd graduated near the top of her class. Okay, maybe not the valedictorian...or even the dean's list. But she'd gotten her MBA and so far had nothing but looming student loan bills big enough to rival the national debt.
She needed a job. That's why she was here, the Las Vegas job fair. Well that, and there was no better time than December to get out of Ohio and into Las Vegas. Not only was the weather better, but she had no reason to celebrate the holidays. No family she knew of and she hated how her friends spent year after year trying to cheer her up and include her. They didn't get that she didn't need cheering up. She didn't need to be a third wheel at their family dinners.
There were more potential employers here than she could count, and that's why it was a three day affair. So far, she hadn't even made it in the conference hall before realizing her pantyhose had a run in them that no amount of fingernail polish would fix.
Selena pushed the thoughts away. Not now. Now she needed to put on a smile and convince somebody that she was perfect for their company. Anything would be better than flying back to her job as a Starbuck's barista in Columbus. She put her planner and her purse on the counter beside the sink and lifted her head.
Her eyes caught on her belly. She could see the dress was too tight. Her confidence started to crumble as she focused on the bulges. Were the seams stretching? She squeezed her eyes shut. "No," she whispered. "Stop it!"
She opened her eyes and focused on her face. Somehow her lipstick was still good. With the exception of a lock of hair that fell beside her face, her brown hair was pulled back into a french twist, allowing the natural red highlights to shine. That damned lock of hair never obeyed, so she'd given up trying. It was her style now, but outside of her friends nobody understood that... and none of her friends were here.
Her eyes still looked halfway decent, at least. Blended blue and green eye liner made her natural green eyes stand out. Her customers told her that her eyes were one of her best features. Mesmerizing, one guy had said. She was pretty sure he just wanted to get in her pants though.
Selena took another deep breath to try and force the butterflies in her tummy to calm down. Instead it drew her attention to her boobs. The forest green dress had a high neckline, leaving them fully covered. The tight material left no doubt they were large though. Large enough she reached up and gave them a gave them a tug and a shimmy to make sure they were where they were supposed to be.
The restroom door opened, shocking her out of her moment of privacy. She reached for her things and turned to see two women walk in. They were older than her but not matronly. Maybe early thirties? They walked past her until one stopped and knelt down.
"Is this yours?" the woman asked as she held out her hand.
Selena started and then looked at her hand. Her palm was down, hiding whatever she held. Selena frowned and reached out, uncertain of what the other woman held. Had she dropped something? She didn't think so.
The woman's fingers brushed her palm, sending spark that leapt up he arm. Selena yelped and drew her hand back, but not before she clutched the object the woman handed her.
"Sorry about that," the blond haired woman said.
Selena looked down at her palm. She held and earring without the back. It was small but glistened with tiny sapphires and diamonds. If they were real it was expensive. Definitely not hers! "No, it's not."
"Oh, keep it or leave it then, just trying to help."
Selena looked at it again before placing it on the counter. She smiled and studied the woman. Beneath her blond hair she had weathered skin that looked like she smoked too many cigarettes. "Thanks anyhow."
The blond smiled at her. "Are you hear for the job fair?"
Selena hesitated, distracted by how dark her eyes were. Selena was pretty sure they were brown, but she couldn't stop wondering if they weren't a little red too. "Yes," she managed when she realized how weird she was acting.
"Any luck?"
Selena blushed and shook her head. "Not yet."
The other woman, a blond with her hair gathered in the back, clucked her tongue and said, "Girl, pick your head up! Smile, you're beautiful. You can have the boys eating out of your hand in no time."
Selena gasped. Her face warmed up even more at the praise. "Thanks," she mumbled. "I'd better get back out there."
"Merry Christmas!" the second blond offered.
Selena nodded and started to head out of the restroom. She did a double take, realizing the second blond's eyes had looked just like the first one. Matching contacts? She couldn't tell, the woman had turned away from her. She wanted to say something else to check, but then remembered what she'd just done. They could look in the trash any second and see her pantyhose. They'd probably think she was trying to sleep her way into a job... or worse, that she was some kind of Vegas call girl. She suppressed a groan and hurry out of the restroom and turned towards the conference room.
"Excuse me, miss."
Selena yelped and jumped back as a porter with a sled full of luggage barely avoided her. She staggered, twisting her ankle as her heel came down wrong. She caught herself before running into the wall and making an even bigger fool of herself.
"I can't do this!" she whimpered. She looked around, wondering how many people had seen her. People were moving up and down the hall from the lobby to their rooms, the conference hall, or the many gambling floors of Caesar's Palace. None of them looked like they cared about her.
Her heart slowed and the ache in her neck eased up a little. She wasn't a public spectacle. Not yet, anyhow. Plenty of time left to make that happen. The safe bet would be to bail and return to her room. Between her hotel room and the dress she'd spent almost as much as she made in a month.
A man and a woman stepped around her and kept walking, reminding her that she might not be important, but she was still there. A speed bump, if nothing else, except obstructing traffic wasn't the reason she was there. She'd done the work to get an education, but without experience she was getting nowhere. This was her chance to get noticed, another thing she'd never tried before.
One step a time. That would get her there. The doorway w
as ahead on her right and it was already open. She just had to put one foot in front of the other. Her ankle had rolled but it wasn't twisted or sprained. She could do it. She would do it. And once she got inside, well, then she'd deal with what came next.
2
"On top of government contracts, on the books we're a woman-owned company," the man boasted. "That means preferential deals and tax breaks, on tops of other perks. We pass that on to the employees in terms of perks."
Selena squirmed. This guy, Mr. Hansen, was slimy. His company provided cyber security consulting. Well, not his company, but the figurehead on the books that owned the company. Probably some elderly woman in a nursing home with power of attorney signed over to an asshole just like this Hansen. "What kind of perks?"
He raised his eyebrow and let his gaze drop to her chest. It wasn't the first time he'd ogled her and, if he had his way, it wouldn't be the last. "A young woman such as yourself is obvious worried about fitness. We have a gym in our corporate offices and corporate discounts at many spas and other shops. Work hard and you can make your way up to a position in a couple of years that includes stipends for a company car and other benefits. I could even put you on the right path."
"Uh huh, I bet you could," she muttered.
"Sorry, what's that? So loud in here."
"I've got your card," Selena said.
"Smart young lady like yourself has a stack of resumes tucked away in that planner, I bet. Why not hand me one so I can look you over? Matter of fact, why not come by our afterhours holiday party. A little special eggnog never hurt anyone!"
Look her over? Hell no! "Thanks, but I only have so many. I have a few offers already so I'm being picky."
"Oh, is that right?" he smirked and shrugged. "Good luck then. Maybe I'll see you around."
Selena turned away and smiled. Getting away from him had been easy. Except there were no other offers. Nobody else showed much interest. There were hundreds of prettier girls around. Prettier and probably more experienced. The few that showed her any interest were men, usually overweight, and always with a gleam in their eye. There was a reason she tried not to stand out. A reason that involved pigs like them.
She'd had enough for one day. Five hours of walking from booth to booth and putting on a fake smile only to be reminded she wasn't anybody special. Selena flipped open her planner and looked at the bundle of single sheet resumes she'd agonized over. She'd spent hours formatting and editing, trying to get the perfect mix of buzzwords and flavor that would pique the interest of an employer. She'd given away two.
She spun around. Sure, Hansen guy was weird and a little creepy, but maybe she was reading too much into him? Cyber security wasn't very exciting, but it was becoming higher profile all the time. Maybe…
Mr. Hansen was busy. Not just busy, but leaning forward over the desk and almost drooling on the new girl that had stepped up to his booth. She had a white dress tighter than Selena's and blond hair. God— had he looked like a vulture about to feast when he'd talked to her?
Selena turned away with a fresh heat in her cheeks. Was that it? Did she need to risk letting her boobs fall out to get attention? No way. Not a chance. She was more than tits and ass in some sick male dominated fantasy. A woman. That's what she needed. A female gatekeeper, that would be her ticket to a real chance!
Selena turned slowly, studying the nearest booths. There were a few women here and there, but they were outnumbered by the men. Her eyes narrowed as she looked them over. Every one of them was pretty and dressed to perfection. And not a one of them was in charge of anything more important than getting coffee or handing out pamphlets.
Her shoulder dropped and a soft groan hissed through her lips. All the money and distance…for nothing. Unless she gave up on what she wanted. No, not what she wanted, more like her morals.
Selena shook her head. There was two more days of this event and her return ticket wasn't until the day after. She'd hoped to kill it on day one and have time to relax. It was Vegas and she'd heard the pools at Caesar's Palace were awesome. So much for killing it. More like a suicide. But she could still check out the pools.
Selena nodded and turned again, looking for an exit sign. She started walking, heading for the nearest wall and winding through the maze of booths and people. She saw an exit to her left and worked through the crowd towards it.
Getting out proved to be harder than getting in with so many people clogging up the aisles. She got hung up at one point and stood still, surrounded by people. They were talking and laughing and creating a buzz of conversation that threatened to swallow her up. Cologne and perfumes mixed together with sweat and body odor, forcing her to take short breaths through her lips. A strong musky scent filled her nose and reminded her of something leathery or…or… scaly. Yes, it reminded her of the reptile house at the Columbus zoo. She went the zoo as a kid all the time to escape her childhood.
She snorted through her nose, trying to push the odd smell out. Las Vegas was in the desert, they probably had lots of snakes, but she couldn't imagine them being in the hotel. Human snakes, sure, just not the slithery kind. It didn't matter, her nose stung and sweat was running between her boobs. She had to get out.
The line started moving again, letting her get away from a booth run by a company called New Node. The tickle in her nose faded as she moved, reassuring her she wasn't going to sneeze all over the back of the man in front of her. With her luck he would have been the CEO of her dream company, whatever that was.
Selena gasped in a full breath when she reached the open double doors. Freedom, at last! Except it was also freedom from employment. Just for today, she promised herself. Tomorrow she'd be back at it and, no matter what, she'd get a job.
But not now. Now she needed to get a shower and find the pools. And a drink. Actually, the drink sounded like a better idea. She could do a drink without a problem. Getting into her bathing suit in a place like Las Vegas was something else. It sounded good in her head, but with all the gorgeous women sure to running around in skimpy bikinis she'd end up looking like a sea cow.
Maybe after a drink she'd do the pool. Or a couple of drinks.
3
"How was the job fair? Any luck?"
Selena jumped and spilled some of her lemondrop martini on the bar. She turned, expecting a man the size of a grizzly bear based on his voice alone. She ended up not being disappointed, but for entirely different reasons. He was tall, but not grizzly bear tall. He had dark curly hair that was a touch lighter at the temples. Early gray, or did he color it? And speaking of color, his eyes… They were something between grey and blue, but very intense. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes came from the real smile on his lips. A real smile that revealed perfect white teeth.
"That good?"
She jerked again. "Oh! Um, me?"
He laughed. "Yes, you. I saw you wandering from booth to booth."
Selena raised her eyebrow. He had a very nice suit that fit on a body that looked like he kept himself in shape. Good teeth, good hair, good suit, and he was talking to her in a bar that was more than half full. "I'm not interested."
His eyes widened. "Not interested? I'm sorry, am I selling something?"
Selena took a sip from her drink. "Aren't you?"
He tilted his head but the sparkle never left his eyes. He glanced at the chair beside her at the bar and asked, "May I?"
"I can't stop you."
"You're feisty," he observed.
"It's been a rough day. And no, I'm not going to tell you about it."
"Your momma warned you about guys like me?"
"Yes, my mother warned me about handsome older men that look like they have money. Very dangerous."
He chuckled and sat down in the seat. "So I won't ask you about your day. Well, other than if you're still available."
She almost choked on her drink at the double meaning in his words. Was that how he wanted to play? Coy and subtle? "I haven't selected any posi— any jobs yet."
If he caught her slip he didn't notice it. "You didn't look like you had any offers."
Selena's eyes narrowed. That quick the conversation went from playful to alarming. "Were you following me?"
He hesitated and then shrugged. "Yes, I suppose I was."
She leaned back and glanced at her drink. He hadn't reached for it and put anything in it, had he? She looked back at him. "So what, you're a stalker?"
"That's an interesting question. I was watching several of you."
She glanced around as he talked, noting how many people were in the lounge area. It was public enough that she was safe, short of some Hollywood level conspiracy movie. Then again, getting that kind of attention would be flattering, even if it meant she was going to be cut up in little pieces. She banished the thought and turned back to see him watching her. "Your creep factor is going up, not down," she said.
"Understandable, but I want to make sure I pick wisely. There's something about you, something that makes me think you have a lot of potential."
"It better not be a potential for pain and suffering," she wise-cracked. She reached for her drink to drain the rest of it. Her hand stopped before she raised it all the way to her mouth. This was her third lemondrop and she was already tipsy enough to banter with a guy who'd all but confessed to being a stalker. Bonus points for confidence, but her natural talent at being a bitch was coming out too. Maybe another ounce of alcohol wasn't what she should be doing.
"No, it's— you're leaving already? I figured you had more natural curiosity than that."
Selena pulled her wallet out of her purse and snapped it open to pay for her drinks. "Sorry, I don't want to wake up in a hot tub full of ice without my kidneys. I'm sure you understand."
"Ouch," he joked. "Just so you know, that doesn't really happen. It's an urban legend."
