Lord of Rain (The Dragon Demigods Book 5)

by Charlene Hartnady

  Her eyes widen. “On a business trip? What do you do on these business trips?”

  “Whatever Bolt needs me to do.” I feel my cheeks heat as I think about all the things Bolt wants me to do to him…all the things he wants to do to me. All the things that will not happen. I clear my throat. “One of my duties is keeping women away from him. You wouldn’t believe how often they throw themselves at him.” I tell her all about what happened at The Black Swan, and about the article that came out.

  “What? There’s a picture of you with Bolt in Rave Magazine? How did I not know this?” She gets out her phone.

  “Don’t! It’s all a load of bull.” I shake my head.

  “You just told me that there’s a picture of you in a well-known magazine and—”

  “It’s a gossip magazine and all fabricated nonsense.”

  “Still…I—” She gasps and then laughs. “Oh, my god, you’re famous, Ash.”

  “I’m not! Thankfully, my name wasn’t published, although Bolt’s PR manager is going to release a statement so that everyone will know I’m an employee and not his flavor of the day.”

  “Oh, so there are a lot of women! I knew it.”

  I roll my eyes. “I didn’t say that. In fact, I believe I told you the opposite was true. Hence the need to help keep random women away, so that those sorts of articles are no longer possible. The paparazzi are ruthless.”

  She squints at the picture. “Does he have his hand on your back?”

  “I don’t remember. Maybe…it was crazy. All those flashes going off.”

  “So it has been exciting. You made out like it was dull.”

  “It was mostly dull. That story was a complete lie. All of it. We met with the board members of his newly acquired company. It was a fun evening but a work evening.”

  “With Bolt.”

  I frown. “No, I hit it off with one of the wives. I must say, they were a good bunch. It was cool.”

  “Doesn’t sound much like work.”

  “It was more of a meet-and-greet. Bolt wants me to get to know all of his exec members so that I know who I’m dealing with…work-wise. It’ll make things easier when I have to organize meetings and the like.”

  She looks at me funny, like she suspects something. “I guess that makes sense. So, no more fun stories, then?”

  I shake my head.

  “No more pictures of you in magazines?”

  I shake my head again. “Thankfully not. I’m putting my head down, trying hard to get a handle on things. Zeus Group encourages employees to take courses and to study further. They give fully paid leave days, and even cover half the cost of the tuition – provided you pass. I’m going to enroll in a typing course. Possibly even some business-related courses…business management maybe. I may as well learn while I’m there. I’m sure I would be able to use the knowledge at the bakery.” My heart sinks as I think of Buns and my dad.

  “How are things at Buns?” Candice takes a sip of her wine.

  I feel my shoulders slump even further.

  “That bad, huh?”

  I nod. “Worse. I asked Bolt for advice. I mean, he turns failing businesses around for a living. He’s fantastic at it.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He—”

  The doorbell rings. “That’s our supper. I’ll be back in a sec.”

  I nod. Thinking about the bakery makes me think of the cupcakes I made this morning. I still can’t believe Bolt actually ate them. My mind wanders back to the moment.

  I’d headed back to my desk, walking really slowly. The heels were a killer. My phone dinged with a message within a minute.

  Bolt: So, you made these especially for me? I believe you used the term ‘inspired’.

  Me: Don’t eat them!

  Bolt: Too late!

  Me: No! Why?

  I decided I was not going to apologize. Forget that! I told him not to eat them, and he didn’t listen.

  Bolt: Fiery hot, like you. Yum! The popping candy was a nice touch, as well.

  Me: OMG! I can’t believe you ate one! Shocked emoji

  Bolt: One…nope…try three. I saved two for later. Best I’ve ever had. You know me so well. Sweet and hot, all wrapped into one tasty bite with extra frosting.

  Gulp. I still feel my cheeks heat when I re-read his message. I know for sure he’s being flirtatious. I decided to ignore it and I’m still ignoring it. Instead, I answered:

  Me: Do you have any idea how much chili powder I put into those?

  Bolt: I’d say a ton of the stuff. Again, I love heat. I devoured them. I’ll be eating the rest later, and I’ll think of you… Wink emoji

  I smiled when I read that, which irritated me. I should not have been smiling when he texted me things like that. Then it occurred to me that we should not have been texting each other at all.

  Me: No flirting!! I’m your PA. You are my boss! I need to get back to work.

  Bolt: Let me know if you change your mind.

  Me: I won’t!

  Bolt: That’s fine, but let me know if you do. Maybe you’ll sleep on it and feel differently.

  Me: I won’t! While we’re at it, we shouldn’t be texting. It isn’t…professional.

  Bolt: What if it’s business-related?

  Me: I guess that would be acceptable. Any other texting is a no-no.

  Bolt: Your wish is my command, Miss Shaw.

  I roll my eyes again and smile.

  “Pray, do tell what made you smile like that?” Candice asks. Her arms are full of takeout bags.

  “Oh, my goodness! How much did you order?”

  “Um…hello! It’s you we’re talking about. I ordered a feast. Unless you’ve forgotten, you eat a lot, and you like more than one thing.”

  I smile. “That’s very true. You are the best.”

  “I also happen to know that you eat more when you’re stressed.” She holds up the bags.

  “I love you so much.”

  She gives me kissy lips. “Now tell me all about that smile. Who is the text from? Bolt, perhaps?” She gets out plates and cutlery.

  “No,” I say a little too sharply. “Of course not. It was this silly meme on Facebook.”

  “Really? A meme brought out that smile?” She starts walking towards her kitchen.

  I get up to help with plates and cutlery, but she waves her hands at me once she’s offloaded the bags. “Stay there. I’ll manage. Tell me about Bolt’s advice.”

  The life drains out of me all over again. “He basically said that we need to find out everything we possibly can about our competition. That we won’t be able to formulate a plan to save Buns if we don’t know what we’re up against.”

  “And so?” she asks as she finishes unpacking the bags.

  “And so I went to Sweet Things last weekend.”

  “No!”

  Why is that so hard for people to believe? “I had to. I didn’t have a choice. I would never have found out about our competition without setting foot in the place.”

  “That makes sense.” She hands me a plate and some napkins. “Let’s dish up while it’s hot. I want to hear all about Sweet Things. I still can’t believe you went.”

  I pick up a spoon and start dishing. “It was the opposite of what I expected.” I tell her all about my visit. The decor, how busy it was, the coffee, the sandwiches…all of it. Then I tell her about the exchange I had with my father this morning. I don’t mention the statement I found about the foreclosure on their house.

  She finishes her wine. “That’s horrible. He wouldn’t even listen to you? Told you you’d bailed on Buns?”

  “I can’t take it personally. I think he’s scared. I think he’s petrified, and he doesn’t know how to handle it.”

  “What are you going to do? Burying their heads is not going to solve anything.”

  My thinking exactly. “I have no idea. I plan on trying to talk with him again. I’ve put a whole business plan together. I wish he’d implement a couple of easy fix
es for now, like a coffee station. I’m talking filter coffee, or one of those machines that takes pods. Something simple. There’s a lot we can do right now. I don’t know where we’re going to get the money to really make significant changes though. Ones we have to make if we want to stay relevant.”

  “No wonder you were so quiet when you got here. You also look like you might have lost a little weight. Your eyes are a bit bloodshot as well. You have this washed-out look.”

  I choke out a laugh. “Gee, thanks. In short, I look hideous.” I laugh some more.

  “You could never look hideous. I do think you could do with some fun.” She has this mischievous grin on her face.

  “I don’t like whatever your mind is cooking up.”

  “I mean it. I know you have a lot on your plate right now, with the new job and the bakery in trouble. You need one night just to let your hair down. It’s been close on a year since you and Sean split up. Quite frankly, you could do with getting laid.”

  I snort-laugh and suck in a breath. “You did not just say that!”

  “Of course I did. I said it because I mean it.”

  ‘I’m not into casual sex. I don’t think it’s for me.”

  She looks at me like I’ve lost it. “What? Not for you? A good bout of hard, sweaty sex with someone cute is for everyone. Sometimes, that’s exactly what a person needs to set them off in the right direction. You, my dearest friend, have been floundering. You need direction. We’re going to that club that opened a few months ago. It’s called The Lagoon.”

  “The Lagoon?” I make a face. “What kind of name is that?”

  “It’s apparently gorgeous. The bar is made from solid ice. The walls have water running down them. The pillars are glass with water inside them. They send air bubbles through the pipes or something. Everything is water-themed but done in a super stylish way.”

  “Okay, okay.” I’m smiling. Maybe I should get out. I’m not going to meet anyone – certainly not to sleep with some stranger – but a night out couldn’t hurt. “It sounds lovely.”

  “You’re in?”

  “Let’s do this!”

  “Tomorrow night?” Candice lifts her brows. “It’s Friday.”

  “It’s a date.” I nod.

  “No going home early. You don’t have to be at the bakery the next day.” She wags a finger at me because that’s always my excuse. A bonafide one.

  “Deal!” I drink the last of my wine.

  She lifts a finger. “Make that, no going home early unless it’s with a hunky guy.” She breaks out in a huge smile.

  I laugh. Candice has always been so good for me. “That’s not going to happen.”

  “You never know.” She stacks our plates one on top of the other. “Can I pour you some more wine?”

  I cover my glass. “I have work in the morning. Let’s save it for tomorrow.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” She bobs her brows.

  23

  The next day…

  Bolt

  I’m late, but I don’t give a shit. I had work to do. I greet Shannon with a kiss on the cheek. “Where’s my favorite little girl?” I ask.

  Shannon’s whole demeanor softens. “In bed already. I told you last time you came around, you need to come earlier.”

  I scowl. “Work.”

  “They’re all in there already.” She points at the door leading to the boardroom. “No shouting, or you’ll wake up your goddaughter.” She tries to give me a hard look but fails dismally. Night lucked out with this woman. In a lot of ways, she reminds me of Miss Shaw. She’s a keeper.

  I feel everything in me soften and grow warm. “I’ll do my best, Shan, but I can’t make any promises.”

  She laughs but quickly turns serious. “It’s not her, is it?”

  “It’s not her,” I say.

  Her eyes narrow with concern. “And you know what you’re doing?”

  “I do.”

  She sighs. “Okay, then.” She touches the side of my arm and nods once.

  “That was easy. Why are they being so hard-assed?”

  “They’re your brothers, and they care. Ultimately, it’s their job.” She shrugs. “I happen to think that you’ve got this, for what it’s worth.”

  I smile. “Thanks.” She’s right, everything is under control. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Good luck.”

  I open the door, closing it behind me. “Good evening, gents.”

  They’re all just sitting there. “What, no drinks? It’s Friday.”

  “Start fucking talking,” Night growls.

  “What do you want me to say?” I ask Night, folding my arms across my chest. “I cannot believe you called a meeting over this bullshit,” I say, looking Lyre in the eyes.

  “It’s not bullshit!” Night replies.

  “Far from bullshit,” Forge adds. “Who is she? I agree with Lyre, she looks just like the harpy.”

  “I told Lyre that it’s not her. That should be enough.”

  “Excuse us for caring.” Night stands. “Okay, let’s just say she’s not the harpy. The problem is that she looks like her. Exactly like her. Carbon-fucking-copy! You don’t see the problem?”

  I feel a tic under my right eye. “Not at all.”

  “You’re fucking her,” Stephanus says.

  “Hell, yes!” Trident grins at me. “Got himself a harpy-lookalike to bang.”

  I point at Trident. “Shut the fuck up! You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Ooh, shit,” Stephanus says. “Might be more than just banging.” Stephan, Jarrod, and Trident are grinning. Everyone else, not so much.

  “It’s none of your fucking business,” I growl.

  “You almost went over the edge,” Forge says. “You couldn’t stomach the sight of Lyre and Morgan for weeks. In fact, I’d go so far as to say you would have killed them if given half a chance. You couldn’t even hear Morgan’s name without going ballistic. You couldn’t work or eat.” Forge’s chest is rising and falling in quick succession. “You had a breakdown, man.” He speaks more softly, “I hated seeing you like that.”

  My chest pulls tight. “I admit that I was bad,” I speak softly too. I hate thinking back on those dark days. Nearly three weeks of hell. I’m shocked the B&H deal even happened, since I was MIA for so long.

  “Bad?” Forge snorts. “You were completely fucked up. We had to take turns looking after you.”

  Now I feel terrible. “I was filled with poison. I’m better now.”

  He scrutinizes me. “You’re better, but not cured. You’re not over this. I refuse to watch you fuck yourself up again. Why are you messing with this lookalike? It’s not healthy.”

  “Ashley is my PA, and I’m not fucking her, okay? Are you happy now?”

  “Your PA?” Night says. “The one you had to offer more money to get on board? No wonder you wanted her to work for you so badly. No wonder you—”

  “You were the one who talked me into it.” I point at Night.

  “I talked you into it?” He laughs. “I’ve never talked you into anything, my friend. I’ve never talked you out of anything, either. You are very much your own man. You made that decision all on your own. Now I know why. It makes more sense. Your new PA is a carbon copy of the woman who fucked you up. The woman you love, but can’t have.”

  “I’m much better. Ashley Shaw is not going to fuck me up. She’s nothing like Gabby. Sure, they look similar—”

  “The same!” Lyre says.

  “Not really. There are differences…” I stop talking. They don’t need to hear about her physical differences. I can see that my words aren’t registering, anyway. “She’s human, let’s start there. She’s nothing like that bitch. I won’t lie, I’m tempted to take things further with her.” If only they knew. “I’m slowly finding peace, and she’s helping me. It’s like I’m getting closure, in a way. We’ve…we’ve become friends,” I lie. Having said that, I do get along well with Miss Shaw. We’ve talked…I e
njoy her company, but no, we’re not friends. Let them think that!

  “You can’t take it further,” Night says, shaking his head.

  “I agree!” Forge says. “You’re playing with fire. Mess with fire, and you’ll get burned every time.”

  “I’m being careful. I can feel myself healing, and it’s all because of her.”

  “I wouldn’t normally get involved in this kind of a thing, but I agree with them,” Lyre points at Night and Forge and then looks me head-on, “you probably shouldn’t complicate things with sex.”

  I feel everything inside me bristle. Who does he think he is? Fucker! Look at him and Morgan. Talk about mixing business with pleasure. Talk about complications. It doesn’t matter that they’re together now. I clench my jaw and bite holes in my tongue to stop myself from saying anything. If I let it rip and say what’s on my mind, everyone will think I’ve gone off the handle. That I’m still harboring anger towards him and Morgan. It isn’t true.

  “I think you should just fuck her and get it done with. I know you want to,” Trident says, grinning.

  I level him with a stare that I’m hoping shoots daggers. Cocky little shit. “Fuck off, Tri!” He’s right, though. I can’t tell him that, either. Forge, Night, and Lyre will all give birth to cats if I do.

  Rage stands. “You’re old enough and ugly enough to make your own decisions. It looks to me like you’re over the worst. The situation is messed up, but that’s life.” Then he saunters out. The door doesn’t make so much as a sound as it closes behind him.

  “No…just no!” Forge shakes his head. “Don’t do it, bro! Don’t!”

  “You’re one to talk,” I tell Forge, getting pissed off at this point. “You did what you wanted with Ava, when all of us told you not to.”

  “That’s different!” Forge yells.

  “Quiet,” Night hisses. “Harley is sleeping. Shannon’s having dinner. My wife needs downtime.”