Griffin Drake

by Emilia Hartley

  Griffin would no longer have to play the role of the babysitter. He wouldn’t be a knight watching over a broken king. The woman wanted to hide, and that was her choice. He could no more find her than Jasper could. It would only whittle away at the hours of his day. There were other things he wanted to do.

  Like find Lilah.

  Chapter Five

  Lilah made it to town, but she was a blustery mess. The wind had tangled her hair, just as she’d thought. Her cheeks were rough and red from the same wind. They stung when she touched them, bringing a sigh to her lips. She would have cried, but it would have been a waste of energy. Instead, Lilah slumped on a bench and debated her options.

  Looking as she did, she could fill out some applications for low-paying positions. Some places cared little about presentation. All they wanted in an employee was at least two brain cells. Yet, Lilah had worked hard to climb the ranks in her last job. She’d moved from sales clerk to a potential promotion to night manager before her sister started dropping into her life.

  She drew her phone from her pocket and stared at the screen. Somehow, the card Griffin gave her had made its way back into her purse and clung to her phone from the static. The offer sounded sweeter and sweeter by the moment, but there was no way she could call him now. Nor did she want to walk all the way to the gold dragon’s manor. Not only was it a long walk, she didn’t dare disturb the gold dragon that had been rampaging through the mountain skies for months.

  The curse, she reminded herself, would only become much worse with a dragon.

  But, what else could she do? Lilah was near admitting defeat. She was close to allowing the curse to win, even if she didn’t know what that meant. Did it mean becoming homeless? The thought filled her gut with cold fear. She pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes.

  “Is this supposed to be some kind of art performance?” a male voice asked.

  Lilah peeled her hands from her eyes and immediately felt her cheeks warm. Griffin stood over her, hands in his pockets. His silver eyes took her in, roving over her face, her hair, and every other aspect. It took her a while to work through her embarrassment and notice the dark circles beneath his eyes. Immediately, the heat on her cheeks cooled and was replaced by concern.

  “Have you slept at all?” she asked, ignoring his previous question.

  His brows furrowed for only a second. “I think I fell asleep for a few minutes earlier.”

  She patted the seat beside her, but he shook his head. Disappointment dropped like a stone in her stomach. She should have known he wouldn’t be so friendly after the way she treated him. His offer had been…weird, but Griffin still seemed like a nice guy. Lilah mourned the space growing between them already.

  No matter how she reminded herself that she couldn’t allow herself to get mixed up with a dragon man because of the curse, she found herself gravitating toward Griffin. She wanted to be in his presence, wanted to see him smile.

  It was an unfounded desire. Lilah knew nothing about Griffin. They weren’t friends, let alone lovers. Wanting to make him smile wasn’t her place. Not when she had so many other things to worry about. Soon, there would be no roof over her head. Already, she had no way to move her things out of the apartment. What money she had left would go into fixing her car, stealing food from her plate.

  All of it hit Lilah so suddenly that exhaustion made her eyelids droop, despite the sun still in the sky. She rubbed her face with her hands.

  “I don’t want to go home yet,” Griffin said. “Would you mind joining me for lunch?”

  Lilah checked her watch. The hour hand was creeping toward five pm. She’d gotten up late, still working on her overnight shift schedule, and lost time walking to town. Swallowing a groan, she said, “It’s close to dinner time.”

  The groan Griffin let out was dramatic and brought a small smile to her lips. Lilah felt as though he only offered because he felt bad for her position. Shame pressed on her shoulders until she hunched.

  “You’re doing me a favor,” Griffin added. “If my cousins think I’m on a date, they won’t be as mad when they figure out I’m shirking my duties.”

  “What duties would that be?” Lilah asked out of true curiosity. She’d always imagined the metallic dragons living in the lap of luxury. In her head, they had models feeding them fruit off golden platters.

  That probably was not even close to the truth, but she couldn’t imagine what Griffin would be running away from. He was a beast with immeasurable strength, capable of anything. He was part of one of the biggest family-owned banks in the country. He didn’t have to worry about being evicted, about being able to feed himself.

  Anything else seemed trivial to Lilah.

  But, Griffin seemed to deflate as he thought of whatever it was he was escaping. Lilah became intrigued. The dark circles under his eyes suddenly held more than she’d first thought.

  “So? Food?” he asked again.

  While Lilah didn’t want his charity, she wanted to know more about him. The whole reason she’d come to town rose to the forefront of her mind, but when she looked around, she felt dread trying to creep up on her again. She shook her head to chase it away and stood to join Griffin.

  He held out his arm, like a gentleman of old. Lilah hesitated, but reached to accept his offer. His arm was solid beneath her grip. She knew he was strong, but feeling it for herself filled her core with a soft heat. Every step brought them closer, his hip brushing hers.

  She let her mind drift. It slowly unwrapped him, imagining what he looked like without the jacket or the shirt underneath. She wondered what his hair looked like unbound, if it was like a veil of silver or a rushing river of metal.

  No one would wonder the same things about her. Lilah knew she was boring and unattractive. Her hips excited no one. Men wanted wraith-like women who bent like young willow trees in their grasp, not sturdy oaks like Lilah.

  They passed by the diner, bringing a question to her lips. It was the cheapest place to eat in town. When she looked up to Griffin, there was a slightly embarrassed tilt to his lips. It was in the way they pressed together, the gleam in his eyes.

  “My cousin’s mate works at the diner,” he filled in after they’d passed. “I want to be able to talk without feeling like my family is hovering over my shoulder. I know it diminishes our options, but I’m sure there are other places to eat in town.”

  “That’s a feeling I know well,” Lilah said, the confession sliding free of her.

  He raised a single, elegant brow. Lilah enjoyed the lines of his face, letting her gaze follow the curve of his sharp cheekbones and the soft scar on his jaw before his meaning sunk in and she realized how much she’d just let slip.

  “Oh, well. I mean…family. Am I right?” Lilah nervously vomited the words one after another. They didn’t work as she’d wanted. “Ah, where did you want to eat then? I’m afraid I can’t afford anything too expensive.”

  He shook his head. “Do you really think I’d make you pay for your own food? I have money I’m willing to waste. It’s just sitting in a bank doing nothing for me. I might as well spend it on an evening out.”

  Lilah raised a brow. The kind of money the metallic dragon shifter was sitting on would easily pay for her late bills, a new security deposit, and any car repairs that were likely to surface. He was apparently eager to part with it, too. Once more, Lilah found herself considering Griffin’s offer to play the part of his girlfriend.

  As they were, walking down the street with her hand on his arm, they already looked the part. Though, why anyone would ask her to be a stand-in girlfriend was beyond her. Perhaps it was because her face would easily be forgotten when the right woman came along. Even his family would forget her.

  Lilah let out a breath, leaning into the idea more and more. She would just view the dinner as an interview. But, the way Griffin smiled down at her as the hostess gathered the menus filled Lilah’s heart with a sensation she wasn’t used to. The electric feeling crackled in her che
st, both hot and cold all at once.

  She struggled to breathe, only able to draw a full breath when Griffin looked away. She pressed her lips together, worried that if she entered into this agreement, then it would become more than that to her. She didn’t want to catch feelings for a man who would throw her away when another woman came along. Lilah had dealt with it far too often in her life and the pain wasn’t worth it.

  It meant she would have to draw firm lines that could not be crossed. Griffin would have to agree to them, too. If he refused, then there would be no deal. She would accept his dinner and then get back to collecting applications in town. The thought of going back outside made her want to groan in exhaustion.

  This had to work. It dawned on Lilah that she didn’t want to go back to clawing her way up the ranks of a company that was going nowhere. There was no satisfaction in working twice as hard as everyone else only to have her pay increase by mere cents. Over and over, it got her nowhere.

  Thoughts of the curse slipped into her mind, but she brushed them aside, now clinging to the idea of this arrangement. When they sat, she licked her lips and wondered how she could bring it up without sounding like a gold digger. It dawned on her that she was looking for a sugar daddy in Griffin. The thought was ludicrous and nearly made her laugh out loud.

  Across from her, Griffin raised a curious brow. Before he could say anything, she mentioned the ladies’ room and darted away from the table.

  Lilah caught a glimpse of herself in the bathroom mirror. Horrified that she’d completely forgotten about her disheveled appearance, she hurriedly tried to tame her tresses. There was nothing she could do about her wind-burnt cheeks save swipe some make-up over them. It did nothing to hide the awful bumps starting to form.

  This isn’t a date, she reminded herself. She didn’t have to look perfect. All they were doing was getting to know one another. As friends. Perhaps as employer and employee.

  Lilah would go back to the table and lay it all out for him. She would ask if the position was still open and if he would still consider her. Of course, she would have to apologize for her previous behavior and issue a promise that she would not react in such a heated manner again. If this was going to be a job, she would need to show that she could be level headed.

  Now, all she needed to do was make sure Griffin agreed. Even though he was the one to offer, Lilah worried that her chance had passed, and he’d already found someone to play the part. Or, that it had been a fleeting idea filled with naivety.

  Steeling herself, Lilah sucked in a breath, held it, and slowly let it out. Just as she reached for the door, it swung open. Lilah leapt back, startled. A dark-skinned woman with a cloud of dark hair stared back in wide-eyed surprise.

  “I’m so sorry!”

  Lilah let out a nervous laugh, the sudden adrenaline fading. “Don’t worry about it. These kinds of things happen all the time. Right?”

  The woman seemed to think about it before a smile slid over her lips and she nodded. She is beautiful, Lilah thought. Her form was svelte, wrists graced with dainty gold bracelets and eyes painted with a thin line of gold glitter. Lilah wished she could be more like her, but there was no way she could ever compete.

  The two said nothing more to one another, both going their own way without another thought.

  Back in the dining room, Griffin was staring down at the table, a scowl on his face as if it were the only way he knew how to look. His nostrils flared, and he looked up, his expression shifting to one of actual happiness. It suited him much more than the dour look he’d worn previously. His eyes were bright, and his lips were slightly parted, as if in expectation.

  Lilah’s stomach flipped. She still looked like hell, but the way Griffin looked at her made her feel like she’d just stepped off the catwalk. She imagined this was what her sister felt like all the time. Why Griffin reserved it just for Lilah, she didn’t understand.

  There was nothing special about her. She had the kind of face that could get lost in a crowd. It made her nearly anonymous, having to work twice as hard to get noticed by her managers when she craved to be seen. The only time fate turned its gaze upon her was when the curse was at work. Then it seemed like everyone was watching her stumble and fail.

  Lilah touched the menu before her but didn’t move to open it. Griffin paused to watch her as if he could tell something was up. Lilah tried to smile and organize her words, but she didn’t know how one went about accepting a sugar daddy offer. This was a direction she never once thought her life would lead.

  Vivienne would know how to handle the situation. Her sister had probably accepted dozens of offers like this, probably right before she wrecked a marriage and came running back to Lilah’s doorstep.

  Before she could speak, a waitress returned with two glasses of whiskey. Lilah let out a choked laugh and raised her glass to her lips. Only once the whiskey was gone could Lilah find the right words.

  “The offer from last night,” she said as she set the glass down. “Is it…is it still available?”

  She didn’t dare look up from the empty glass. His gaze was like fire over her face. She felt it sweep back and forth, begging her to look up. She wasn’t sure she would like what she saw on his face, rejection, infatuation, disappointment. All three filled her with nervous energy, so she kept her eyes down. As long as she didn’t look, she wouldn’t have to know.

  “Yes. I could still use your help.”

  She let out the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. Relief washed over her, perhaps too soon. Lilah didn’t know if he would accept her counter offer, yet.

  Finally, she dragged her gaze up to meet his. She found his eyes guarded. A shadow hovered over them. It gave her a little peace of mind. This situation was already so awkward, and every step forward was unfamiliar. She didn’t want to know what he thought of her as she stumbled her way forward.

  “I would like to accept your offer, but I have a few boundaries I would like to discuss before this becomes finalized.” Every word she spoke felt sterile, unemotional. Lilah wanted to keep it this way. If she allowed herself to even like him a little, then this could end in disaster for her. He would go about his life none the wiser, but she would be the one nursing heartbreak that could have been prevented. “I would also like to ask you a few interview questions. There are things we should know about one another before we get into this. That way no one can poke holes in our story.”

  Griffin didn’t look convinced. If anything, he looked slightly disappointed when his head turned, and the light touched his eyes. Lilah tried not to focus on that. She was providing a service and nothing more.

  “Let’s start with your ground rules, then.”

  She sat up straighter, moving further into the role of the professional. Once this was over, she would work on her devoted girlfriend act. Until then, she wanted to keep her head while they went over this part.

  “First, I want both of us to understand that this is not a real relationship.” Lilah faltered at the hurt that flickered over his face. He composed himself, and it was like it’d never been there. “Second, I will move in with you to make the act convincing, but I will require a separate sleeping place. Sleeping in the same bed is out of the question.”

  “I don’t know about that…” Griffin shook his head.

  “That’s a requirement. It’s non-negotiable.”

  “Do I get counter-offers? Am I allowed to bend the rules?”

  She sat back, slightly startled. Everything she was trying to put into place was to keep them from letting this agreement spiral out of control. It needed to be properly contained if she was going to make it out without a broken heart. She could have come out and said that, but she feared that look of hurt.

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “Well,” Griffin began, “there’s only one bedroom in the house. If someone comes in, which my family is likely to do, it would look like we’re fighting if one of us is sleeping on the couch. We need to make this con
vincing, and to do that we both need to sleep in the same room.”

  Lilah didn’t want to spend months sleeping on the floor, but she would have to if she was going to make this work. There was no way she could sleep in the same bed as Griffin. Not when just touching his arm filled her with desire. She’d been doing her best to ignore the way her body responded to him, trying to push it aside in favor of professionalism, but it would get the best of her if left unchecked.

  “Fine. I’ll bring a sleeping bag.”

  His brows flattened.

  “If you hear someone coming inside, then I’ll jump into the bed. You can’t tell me your hearing isn’t superhuman. You’re a dragon shifter.”

  The curse. It was a distant thought, but every time she acknowledged what Griffin was, it became a scream in her mind. There was no way she could avoid the curse if she went through with this. Yet, if she didn’t, the curse would take everything from her. She would lose not only her job and apartment, but Bumble.

  She wouldn’t let that happen. She would brave whatever the curse could throw at her before she let anyone take Bumble from her.

  ***

  Lilah’s demands planted a football field’s worth of space between them. The beast growled at each and every one, wanting to warn her that it would never work. Griffin had meant this offer to be a mutual agreement, but he was beginning to worry that he cared for her more than she would like.

  The dissonance crackled around him. He wanted to find a loophole in her demands. He wanted to punch through them and make this real, a date, a relationship.

  A possibility.

  But, he’d already gone too far. Now, he worried she would never feel for him the way he was starting to feel for her. It was only the beginning, though. He would follow it through, and the beast would move on. Griffin was still convinced fate had made no mate for him.

  He and Lilah would use each other, and his beast would get over her once she decided to leave. That was the way it had to be.