Her assistant stood by, closely watching them both – mute and quiet. Probably equally as stunned from witnessing the dragon shifter’s super quick reflexes.
How curious…
He mused to himself. There was more to this woman than met the eye, for sure. Clay was ancient enough to know that serendipitous encounters like what they’d just experienced were often the catalyst for something more important to occur or develop.
A fortuitous event, hidden by accident and revealed in luck.
Since she seemed okay and he didn’t want to distract or deter her from her work, he quickly exited the room again. Something inside him was stirring and he wasn’t certain that he wanted it to.
***
Tess watched Clay exit the room again, only this time – she’d gotten the vantage point she’d wanted. Never in a million years would she have anticipated him reappearing so quickly to literally catch her in his arms just as she fell from the ladder.
“Jay, I’m going to take a break.”
“I bet!” Jay said, clearly as stunned as her by what he’d just witnessed.
They looked at one another, a secret understanding passing between them.
Tess headed towards the entrance opposite the one that Clay had exited and went outside into the warm California sunshine. She quickly looked around, surveying for someplace private on the estate property where she could get her wits about herself.
What had just happened? Had she really almost fallen to her death or serious injury, only to land in her clients’ arms in the nick of time?
She saw a bench by a koi pond and headed to it, sitting down to catch her bearings. She wasn’t sure what had been more startling? The fall from the ladder or the effect of landing in Clay’s arms? She was lost in thinking about his eyes, the lightest green she’d ever seen. They were like the peridot gemstone. Brilliant and clear, like colored diamonds.
Her body was still tingling from the physical contact with him. As if she’d touched some type of live wire. One that zinged her with an intense sensuality…
Her inner core was aroused too. Way more than it had ever been with any man. There was definitely something otherworldly about this man. Something she couldn’t put her finger on.
Musing on what had just occurred and trying to make sense of it, she noticed that many of the koi and goldfish in the pond were rising to the surface of the water, watching her closely, and anticipating food.
She saw a feeder sitting close by and picked it up, rummaging out a few bits of food. She began to flick them into the water and watched the hungry, exotic fish eagerly eat the food.
Their scales glinted in the sunshine, flashes of orange, white and gold. She watched their bodies’ gleam, their simple beauty enchanting her. Tess had always loved the fish and reptile animal kingdoms. Unlike many women, she actually liked snakes and lizards. Found them to be beautiful and fascinating in their own way.
Just like she was finding this client to be fascinating…
What it would be like to touch his scales…
The thought passed through her head before she could even realize what she was thinking.
“What scales?” she said out loud to herself.
What a weird thought to be having?!
“Excuse me?” A man standing nearby in a gardener’s uniform responded, looking at her with a scowl on his face.
Startled, she stood. “I’m sorry… I was thinking out loud,” she stammered.
“Are you feeding Mr. Emmerick’s fish?” He asked.
Tess glanced down at the water and then opened her palm where a bit of the fish food remained. “Uh…” she stammered again, feeling silly. “I hope that’s okay, I was just admiring them. They’re very beautiful.”
The gardener looked at her disapprovingly. “He won’t like that. These are his fish. He is the only one who feeds them.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. My apologies.” Tess put the remaining fish food back in the feeder and stepped away from the pond. “I’ll leave now.”
“Good idea,” the gardener said, appearing relieved that she was departing. He resumed his work, watching her walk away.
***
Clay stood at a window of his private office, looking outside, watching the decorator. She was by his koi and goldfish pond, attempting to get her bearings after what had just occurred.
He watched as she found the fish food and begun to feed his collection before being interrupted by his gardener, who quickly chastised her. Clay’s staff knew how important the pond’s collection of koi and goldfish were to him and none ever interfered with his strict request that only he be the one to feed them.
Not that the decorator would have known this.
And for this, he forgave her.
Since he’d noticed how drawn to the fish she was. Which was very telling. Very revealing.
Who was this woman? And why was she having such a pronounced effect on him?
His phone rang and he answered it, “Clay speaking.”
He listened to one of his business partners on the other end of the call while continuing to watch the decorator. It occurred to him that he didn’t even know her name yet. He made a mental note of to ask his assistant what her name was and then another mental note to have his PI do a background check on her.
Clay watched her stroll away from the koi pond, an embarrassed look on her face. He smiled to himself, there was something sweet about knowing that she was feeling flustered. He knew that today wasn’t exactly going the way she’d probably anticipated that it would. He’d do his best to make it less awkward for her, somehow, some way.
For now, he needed to tend to business.
Later, he’d do some of his own research into her family history, heritage and lineage to see where her fae blood came from, because he was absolutely certain she had some in her…
***
The long day of work finally done at the Emmerick mansion, Tess drove home to her Santa Monica apartment lost in wonderment. Thankfully, the rest of the day had managed to pass without much incident and she was grateful for it.
While she’d worked, an idea about the decorations had settled on her. She wanted to shift the color theme a bit, to reflect the same color as Clay Emmerick’s stunning eyes. A shimmering light green instead of the darker green usually reserved for holiday decorating. As she worked on it in her mind, she felt another tingling sensation at the top of her head. A bit like static electricity, that felt as if it were buzzing a bit.
She reached up to touch the top of her head, worried that a bee or some other insect had somehow gotten stuck in her hair. But there was nothing there?
The sensation continued then gently dissipated. As if it had never been there.
Am I going crazy?
Worried, she pulled into her parking spot and gathered her belongings. She realized she felt high, as if she was buzzed from drinking. Sort of giddy and goofy. She felt good, though. Nothing bad. Just, good.
Odd…
Tess made her way up to her apartment and was greeted joyfully by her dog, Rover. He wagged his tail furiously and whimpered happily at her return. Eager to go outside, he pawed at her pant leg, hoping to get her attention.
“Hang in there Rover, momma had a strange day. I need a few minutes…”
Tess put her stuff down and strode over to her hallway mirror, taking a good look at herself. The buzzing sensation at the top of her continued, confusing her. She felt okay. All things considered. Shrugging, she decided to not worry about it too much and dashed into her bathroom to pee before taking Rover outside so he could do his business too. As she buttoned up her jeans, she noticed a slight glow emanating around her and did a complete double-take. She turned on the light and sure enough, she wasn’t imagining it.
Peering into the bathroom mirror closer, she stared in awe. Just like in a fantasy or sci-fi movie, there was a warm, amber glow surrounding her body. Every inch of it covered. It was especially noticeable at the top of her head.
&
nbsp; I must be imagining this!?
Stupefied, she stood there, looking back and forth at her reflection in the mirror to peering down at her body. After a while, it began to diminish and fade away, leaving her to wonder if she was imagining the whole thing entirely?
Rover pawed at the bathroom door, whimpering a bit, informing his owner that he really needed to go outside for some relief. Tess opened the door, and Rover turned his head to the side, peering up at her, a look of curious confusion on his cute, dog face.
“Rover, can you see it too? Am I glowing?” Tess found herself asking her pet, mystified.
Rover let out a yip and then bowed down on his front forelegs in a gesture of animal submission. Tess laughed. He always cheered her up.
She crouched to pet him. “Such a good boy!” she said as she rubbed him down, scratching his head and making sure to give him some extra love around his ears.
Standing back up to grab his leash off the nearby hook in the hallway where she hung up her purses and jackets, she felt an intense sensation of energy rise from her feet, up through her body and to her head. As it rose, her spine tingled with a pleasurable sensation and she felt like she was on some sort of pain med.
As nice as the sensation was, she was still scared and worried.
Rover yipped again, expressing his urgency and need to go outside to his distracted owner. Tess pushed it all aside, clipped the leash to his collar and opened her front door. Just as she did, she found a man standing at her doorstep, his hand raised in the air as if he was just about to knock on the door.
“Oh! Hello…” Tess said, startled.
The man looked surprised too. He studied Tess’s face and then he looked down at Grover. A low growl came from Grover’s throat, immediately alerting Tess that he didn’t like the strange man at her door.
Concerned, Tess took a step back, mentally thinking where her purse was as it had a canister of mace inside of it.
“Tess Donovan?” The stranger asked.
“Yes…”
“My name is Jacob Altruit. I’m here on behalf of Mr. Emmerick, my employer.”
Tess knew something was off. She didn’t believe him and Grover’s growls weren’t getting any less, in fact she knew he was on the verge of barking and maybe even attacking. Whoever this man was, he was bad news and Tess had to figure out how to get rid of him.
She decided to feign ignorance.
“You’re here on the behalf of who?” she asked.
“Mr. Clay Emmerick. Your new client,” the man said as if she was stupid.
“So sorry, I don’t know anyone by that name.”
The strange man peered at her closely, deciding whether he believed her or not. Suddenly, Tess felt a surge of energy wrap around her body, almost knocking her over. And then the strangest thing in the world happened. A pulse of energy, like a mini-lightning bolt, zapped outwards from the golden, amber aura around her body, zinging and zapping the stranger.
The impact thrust him backwards, causing him to fall down. Tess heard his head bang against the railing as he fell and once he landed, it was obvious he was out cold.
Passed out.
Then she heard the voice. In her head. In her mind.
Tess, leave your home at once. You are in danger.
The voice was firm and strong. Commanding. She knew instantly who the voice belonged to. His voice. Clay’s voice.
Clay! Clay?
Yes, Tess. You are in danger. Leave now. Bring your dog, Grover. Come back to my estate… I’ll explain everything once you get here.
Muted, stunned and frozen in place, Tess looked down at the strange man. Had he done something to her? Was she imagining this voice in her head? Was she going insane? Did she have a brain tumor?
Tess, I’m not going to say it again. YOU. ARE. IN. DANGER. Leave your home at once. NOW!!
Tess jumped to action, grabbing her car keys, her purse and her jacket.
“Come on Rover…” she said, tugging on his leash as she led him outside of her apartment. Rover was still growling at the passed-out stranger. Once her door was locked, she quickly walked down the stairs to the parking spot where her car was.
Rover hopped in and then Tess got in. She fired up her car, revving the engine, barely thinking and sped out of the parking lot, headed back to Beverly Hills where Clay Emmerick lived.
***
Clay knew it wasn’t fair, but he’d had no choice. Casting a mind-net so as to keep Tess safe involved ancient dragon magic that he rarely used on unsuspecting humans.
For now, she would just feel slightly energized and depending on how evolved her fae extrasensory gifts were, she might notice the energy as an amber-infused glow that surrounded her body and being. He hoped that it wouldn’t weird her out too much. Barely knowing anything about her, he was driving blind, so to speak.
The part that might truly frighten her was the way he could peer through her, and experience what she was doing. He could literally see, hear, feel and know everything. He’d even have access to her thoughts, her very mind.
Being as ancient as he was, he could push this constant stream of another’s experience to the background of his mind and keep watch from the sides, so to speak. Until he got the report back from his private investigator and could ascertain everything there was to know about Tess Donovan, her life, her world, her lineage and her heritage – he would need to keep tabs on her however he could.
Because Clay was a very powerful being, he had very powerful enemies.
Enemies who observed him, his life, his homes, his friends and family very closely.
Aware of this, he knew that Tess was likely a target just for the sheer fact that she had been inside his estate. Not that she would have any idea why that would put her at danger, but for now, he would need to watch over her and keep her safe.
Especially so, since sensing the fae blood within her.
If he had noticed it, then his enemies would too, naturally. So, even though their paths crossing was entirely serendipitous – it would likely not seem that way to those who wished him and those he cared for, ill will and harm.
The barrier he’d cast about and through her body would allow him to tune into and sense if danger was around. It could sense intent the way an animal’s instincts can sense it. If intent was harmful or malevolent, he would know it immediately.
He’d been in the middle of dinner when his inner alarms had started to ring.
Immediately, he zeroed in on Tess’s senses and slipped inside her mind, her world, her reality. Sure enough, she was in her bathroom, peering at herself in mystified awe, having noticed the warm glow of energy around her body, feeling it – especially on her head.
He’d chuckled to himself, before focusing outwards to what was in her perimeter, what was around her and her home.
Sure enough, he sensed the problem straight-away.
But it was too late, the enemy was already at her door, ready to knock.
Shit! Fuck!
Clay centered himself from within. What he was about to do would shock the life out of her, but he had no choice. He stayed with Tess in her mind while she leashed up her pet dog, Grover and then she opened her front door. Sure enough, there was the threat in disguise, just about to knock on her door.
As they interacted, Clay focused his dragon breath on protecting Tess and her body. He coiled his energy, allowing it to gather, waiting for his command to work through Tess’s body, like a conduit. The energy he coiled would reach out and strike the enemy and hopefully provide her a chance to make a getaway.
“So sorry, I don’t know anyone by that name,” he heard Tess say.
Good girl, Clay thought to himself. She was smart. In tune. Aware that this man was bad and his intentions, equally so.
It was now or never as Clay could sense the man had a weapon and was readying it to use on her. Clay released the coil of dragon energy and just as planned; it reached out, zapping the strange man and blasting him away from Tess.
> Thankfully, the threat was eliminated momentarily and Clay knew he needed to do what came next. A telepathic connection with Tess that would have her believing she was losing her mind, at best.
Tess, leave your home at once. You are in danger.
He waited. There was a bit of back and forth with her, but finally, he was able to convince her to do as he said. He sent a strong impression of protection to her, so that he could overpower her state of shock. For now, it was all he could do.
Satisfied that she was now in her car, headed in the direction of his home, he picked up his phone.
On the other end of the call, his security manager answered.
“Yes, sir. What can I do for you?”
“Jeff, I need a favor. A woman who has recently come into my employ needs immediate protection. She’s on her way to my home. Any chance I can give you her cell number and have you find her location?” Clay spoke quickly and commandingly, knowing that time was of the essence. Not that he need worry about lighting a fire under Jeff who was super responsive and took his role very seriously as protector of all things Clay-affiliated.
“Of course, sir. What’s the number? I’ll get someone on it straight away.”
Clay provided him Tess’s cell phone number and shared some details about the attempt by the stranger that he’d managed to help her thwart.
“I’m not sure if he was working alone or not, so there’s a chance that she’s already being followed and tracked. I need someone on her heels ASAP.”
“Sir, can you hone in on her? Do you know where she is at?”
Clay paused, pushing his way into Tess’s mind and he looked for local landmarks and street signs. She was passing under a freeway overpass and he managed to catch a glimpse of the large green signs that revealed how far an exit was in mileage. Inside her mind’s eye, he noted that she was on the 10 freeway and about 3 miles away from the 405 connection.
“She’s on the 10, coming up on the 405.”
“Good, that will give us a starting point. I’ll keep you updated, sir.”
“Thanks Jeff.”
Shifter Wonderland: Twelve BBW Paranormal Holiday Shape Shifter Romances Page 65
