by Juniper Hart
Finally, they arrived at the museum. When they climbed from the car, Nyle’s hand instinctively rested on the small of her back and guided her into the museum. He was sure that the board members thought he was just chasing a piece of tail since he was actually getting involved in the event planning, but Nyle didn’t care. As long as they didn’t feel compelled to tell his father, then they could think whatever they wanted. Since most of them were human, he didn’t see that being the case. It was his own kind he had to watch.
Once in the building, Daisy was the one to lead the way over to the information desk. Nyle watched as she put on a polite smile and spoke to an employee with warm eyes. “Hi there, I would like to speak to your events manager.”
The man behind the counter motioned to another man standing nearby. “That’s our events manager—you can talk to him.”
The events manager rolled his eyes, annoyed that he was being beckoned. Daisy was undeterred by his unwelcoming manner.
“I’m Daisy Maddow with Winslow Events, and this is Nyle Flamme. I was wondering if we could take a look at your event space.”
The events manager, with skin too tan to be natural and a golden name tag that read ‘Richard’, had looked underwhelmed until Nyle’s surname was uttered. Then his dull brown eyes brightened and ripped to Nyle with surprise.
“Welcome, sir. It’s an honor to have you here. Of course you can see the place. Please, follow me.”
And there it was—the typical human. They only cared about status and money, which worked out well for his clan, the Royal Dragons. In fact, it was a fundamental belief for the Royal Dragons to climb the social and economic ladders in the human world in order to rule over them in a subtle, but influential way.
Richard rounded the counter, motioning for them to follow him down a corridor. He glanced back at them with gleaming eyes.
“So what kind of event are you planning? A wedding?” he asked, his eyes faltering to the hand on Daisy’s back.
Nyle didn’t bother to respond, the corners of his lips tugging into a smirk. He watched as her fair skin turned scarlet in an instant, making the blues of her eyes stand out even more.
“No, not a wedding. A fundraiser gala,” she corrected the man.
“My apologies,” Richard said, looking forward.
He approached a set of French doors and grabbed the brass handles, pulling the massive, heavy doors open. They all stepped into a huge, open room. The room was beautiful with marble columns that stretched into the sky and the cathedral ceiling painted in a Renaissance style. Between each of the columns on two of the walls were glass doors that opened to the garden. Natural lighting poured into the enormous space, illuminating the white columns and the artwork.
Richard highlighted the venue’s features as he guided them through the ballroom. “There’s plenty of room to accommodate up to one-thousand guests, while still having enough room for the caterers and the stage. And as long as weather permits, our guests like to keep the doors to the garden open to make the room feel even bigger. Also, it allows guests to filter in and out for fresh air.”
Daisy expressed her approval and shared her ideas about the decorations she had in mind with Nyle. Her soft voice echoed quietly through the room, but she never made eye contact for more than a couple seconds. Nyle wondered if she was just shy, or perhaps it was evidence that she felt something, too. It was odd that an event planner could be shy, since the job required constant interaction and networking. Then again, the career didn’t seem to match her, at least from what he could sense. It was just a job to her, not a passion.
Nyle gave her one of his most charming grins. “Well, this didn’t take long at all.”
“What do you mean?” Daisy asked, her blue-gray eyes finding his.
“Finding a venue,” Nyle then turned to Richard. “We’ll book it. It’s in a month, right?” he asked Daisy.
Before she could answer, Richard interrupted, “A month? I’m sorry, sir. We’re booked for the next four months. It’s simply impossible.”
Nyle resisted the urge to scoff.
“Price isn’t an issue. Whatever is booked for that weekend, I’ll pay for another venue of their choosing and compensate them for moving the event. Do what you must to make it happen. Now, Miss Maddow, when is the event?”
When his eyes fell back on her, she was staring at him with a shocked expression on her face. He could practically read her thoughts from the look on her face. She hadn’t been expecting him to spend so much on a venue. Daisy had picked it, and the space was great for a gala, so Nyle thought the venue was perfect. The board of directors wouldn’t dare question him, since the money to fund the event was being provided by the La Flamme Corporation.
It took her a moment of blinking. “Four weeks from Saturday.”
“Perfect,” Nyle said and produced a business card from the pocket of his suit jacket, then handed it to Richard. “Send the paperwork and bills to me. We’ll take care of everything on our end.”
Richard looked even more shocked than Daisy, his eyes wide and jaw dropped. He nodded spastically, taking the card from him. “Very well. Thank you, sir. I will contact the other group and see if we can work something out.”
With that settled, Nyle smiled down to Daisy. “Let’s check out the garden.”
He watched her lips as her teeth nibbled on the lower one for a moment before releasing it and pulling them into a smile, giving him a nod. They paced through the massive room over to one of the doors leading outside. The vast lawn of emerald green grass had hedges in the shape of perfect circles, and circles within the circles, with wild flowers of pastel pinks and purples, soft whites and buttery yellows filling up the centers of the circles. Paved sidewalks weaved through the perimeters of the circles, some having little pathways that led to benches and well-groomed trees. The garden was beautiful, having a serene ambiance to it.
Daisy’s heels quietly clacked against the pavement as they walked through the garden. They made their way to a bench beneath a cherry tree. A gentle breeze rolled through the garden, carrying scents of the fragrant blossoms and the aroma of the freshly cut grass.
Nyle leaned back against the wood of the bench, his ankle crossed over his knee and arms sprawled along the bench’s back. His golden eyes took in Daisy. The woman’s sparkling eyes were on the blossoms above them, watching as the branches bowed with each push of the breeze.
“You picked this place rather quickly. Have you wanted to do an event here for a while?” Nyle asked.
Daisy faced him, her pale face bringing a smile to his features. “Yeah, actually,” she admitted. “I love the museum and the cost to host an event here typically exceeds the budget of most of our clients. I figured this might be one of my only opportunities to plan a gala here. It’s perfect, don’t you think?”
“Obviously, I approve. I must admit, I’ve never been here before. Do you come here a lot?”
“Not lately, but as a teenager, definitely. I know this place like the back of my hand.”
“We’ll have to come back one day, and you can give me a tour,” he grinned, unable to resist himself.
Her eyes widened and face reddened, turning her cheek from him to try and hide. Nyle’s hand dropped on top of hers, her skin in comparison to his was cool and baby soft. The moment their skin touched, it felt like jolts of static electricity soared up his arm and through his chest. It was magical, even to him, to feel the presence of his soulmate. He had heard people talk about the energy between mates his entire life, and their words never made sense until that moment. It was like he gravitated to her and never wanted to leave her presence. But Nyle knew better than to be forward with it. Daisy was human, so if she didn’t feel it, it would probably frighten her if he shared the intensity of his feelings with her. Honestly, he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to court her. With dragons, when you met your soulmate, that was that. Generally, they married quickly, getting to know one another once their bond was made official. This was going
to be different. Nyle was going to have to get to know her first, which he was eager to do, even if he was impatient.
“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable…” he said to her, his thumb making one stroke against the back of her hand.
“You don’t make me uncomfortable,” Daisy said shyly.
“Oh?” Nyle questioned, his white brow lifting. “You’re rather quiet, and you keep blushing.”
He couldn’t help but prod a bit, needing to figure out how to make her open up and shift the relationship from professional to personal.
She stammered for a moment, at a loss for words, “I… I… I don’t know.”
Daisy’s eyes searched his face. It seemed she was trying to pull her thoughts together. His eyes stayed on hers, dying to know what was coming next. Could she really feel it too?
After another moment of silence, Daisy spoke again, “It’s not uncomfortable but…” She turned her face away from him, looking to the wildflowers surrounding them.
“But… what?” Nyle asked, his index finger and thumb catching her chin and turning it gently to make her look at him.
Daisy answered, “Overwhelming.”
His chest swelled at the word. So maybe she was feeling the connection? Maybe this would be an easier situation than he initially thought. He couldn’t help but smile.
“I don’t mean to overwhelm you,” he said, still holding her chin. “Strangely enough, you overwhelm me as well.”
“I do?” she asked, her eyes narrowing in confusion though her eyes gleamed with curiosity, but as quick as the gleam appeared, it dissipated, and she pulled her face away from his touch. “Are you teasing me or something?”
“Not in the slightest,” he assured her, his fingers interlacing with hers as his hand remained on hers. She hadn’t pulled it away yet.
“But… you’re a Flamme…” she let out in a hushed tone.
“And?” he challenged. “Does that make it unbelievable for me to be captivated by a beautiful woman?”
Daisy’s face sculpted into a look of disbelief.
He let out a deep, husky chuckle. “This may surprise you, Miss Maddow, but even as president of the foundation, I don’t get involved with the events other than attending them. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a venue beforehand. This isn’t about business for me, and I’m sorry if that’s forward, but there’s something very… special about you. I think that you feel the same way I do.” As he continued, his fingers left hers and began trailing up her arm gradually. “Overwhelmed, electric, confused, excited…”
“Nervous,” Daisy added, her eyes on his hand as it traveled her arm.
He smiled warmly. “Yes, and nervous.”
They locked eyes, the magnetism between the two at an all-time high. Nyle knew that she felt the same way he did. They were both shocked by the realization. No longer was it a theory, but a fact.
“What’s happening?” she asked in a shaky voice, as if wanting to understand the tension between them.
He hadn’t prepared himself for such a direct question. It wasn’t like he could tell Daisy the truth immediately, because he didn’t want to her to think he was crazy. It would be something that he would eventually have to explain to her, but when the time was right.
“I’m not sure, but I want to figure it out. Do you?” he asked.
Daisy nodded slowly.
He contemplated what to do next, but then he remembered his father’s words that morning.
‘Don’t miss your date tonight, Nylyrias. A driver will pick you up at the office at six o’clock’.
His eyes found his watch, cursing mentally at the time. He had to get back to the office soon and go on that damn date. How was Nyle meant to go through with it after finding his true mate? It didn’t feel right at all, but he had to play along with his parents until he figured out what to do about Daisy being his human soulmate.
“I have a meeting, but I don’t want to this to end yet. I want to get to know you. Would you like to come over to my place for a drink? At say, seven-thirty?”
Daisy gave a small smile, pulling on his heart strings.
“Okay, sure.”
4
Nyle did his best not to have a miserable attitude, but it was hard when he was, in fact, miserable. He walked into the restaurant with a sullen expression on his face and glazed-over eyes. He just wanted to get the meeting over with and go to his penthouse where Daisy was meeting him in just an hour and a half. He was going to try and make the date as short as possible, while not doing anything too drastic that would upset his father. The end result would piss him off anyways, but Nyle figured it was best to play as carefully as possible for the time being.
As the host took him to the reserved table, his eyes found two women waiting for him. Anger brewed in the pit of his stomach. One of them was his sister, Erasina, and there was no doubt in Nyle’s mind that she was there to spy on him. Were his parents really stooping so low? His eyes narrowed as he approached the table and sat down next to his sister.
His eyes slid over to the woman sitting across from him. A Royal Dragon with ash-blonde hair in a perfectly sculpted bob, painted red lips, and a deep plunge dress, batted her long lashes at him. She was tall and had curves that could make a grown man whimper, her ivory skin seeming endless and welcoming.
“Nylyrias, it is so wonderful to meet you,” a low and sweet voice said from across the table.
Nyle had to admit, if he had met her that morning, things might have been a little different, but after meeting Daisy, the woman who sat across from him seemed more like a demon than a dragon.
She extended a long, slender hand with acrylic black nails, “Mylora Firebloom.”
Nyle gave her a bored look until she withdrew her hand, earning him an elbow in the ribs from his sister.
With a huff, he replied, “Nice to meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine,” Mylora purred.
As a waiter passed, Nyle spoke up to get his attention. “Excuse me, can I get a scotch, please?”
The waiter nodded and walked off to get his drink.
“We have a bottle of wine,” his sister said, gesturing to the chilled bottle in the center of the table.
“I’m not blind, Era,” Nyle said sternly.
He hated that his family was bringing out the worst of him on a regular basis. Nyle wasn’t normally a complete jerk, but being forced into a marriage brought out his bad side.
“So, Nyle, how was your day?” Mylora asked.
God, he didn’t want to be there. “It was fine.”
Erasina elbowed Nyle yet again, and whispered, “Give an actual effort, Nyle. I’m not here to just watch you blow off another date.”
“Why are you here, then?” he snapped. “To be an accomplice to ruining my life?”
“Don’t be dramatic, Nyle,” his sister warned.
“Do you want to get married so someone who isn’t your soulmate?”
“That isn’t what this is about.”
“Oh, it isn’t? Then tell me, what is it about?”
Before Erasina could open her mouth, a calm voice broke through the tension. “I’m sorry, Nyle. I don’t want it to be like that either. And while we may not be soulmates, maybe we can still fall in love and make the best of the situation.” Her hand reached over the table and placed itself on top of Nyle’s fist. “I think all this negative energy made us start off on the wrong foot. Can we restart?”
Nyle thought about leaving right then, not wanting to deal with it. After all, he had a good excuse to end it so soon with his little sister playing chaperone, but it was still a while before Daisy was meant to meet him, and he might as well have made it look like he was trying to go along with it.
“Fine,” he said under his breath.
The waiter returned with his scotch, and Nyle downed a gulp. It was going to be a dreadful hour.
Mylora rattled on the entire time, as though she were trying to fit her entire life story into one dinner. He didn
’t bother to pay attention; his eyes fixated on his food the whole time. The woman was as fake as plastic, with the depth of a puddle. Nyle wasn’t interested in her—or the charade she was putting on—in the slightest. As soon as their plates were cleared, Nyle requested the check.
“Oh, couldn’t we hang around a bit longer? Maybe get some desserts and drinks?” Mylora pouted at him.
“I have somewhere to be,” Nyle said plainly, his fingers drumming against the table out of habit until the waiter returned with the check.
He placed money, including a hefty tip, inside the black check presenter and gave it back to the waiter.
“I see,” she frowned. “Well, when do you think we can see each other again? Do you have anything going on tomorrow?”
“I do have something going on,” was all Nyle said, standing from his chair. “It was nice to meet you.” He nodded at her and then looked to his sister, “I’ll see you later, Era.”
He hoped it would serve as a subtle hint to Mylora that he didn’t want to pursue the arrangement. Leaving it at that, Nyle walked away from the table.
The moment he stepped outside the restaurant, his mind focused on seeing Daisy. It wasn’t as if he were anxious, knowing things were bound to work out if they truly were soulmates, but he was jittery from excitement. Since the moment they parted ways, he could feel the absence of her energy, and his body craved it. Getting into the town car, he ordered the driver to go to his apartment, looking down at his watch for the time. Shit. That had taken longer than expected; seven-thirty was only a couple minutes away.
Pulling out his phone, Nyle scrolled to Daisy’s contact, having swapped numbers before he left for dinner.
Hey, Daisy. Sorry, running a few minutes late. Be there shortly.
Daisy let out a sigh. She was waiting in the lobby of his high-end building. He had promised to meet her promptly at seven-thirty, but she arrived a few minutes early. It was a nervous habit of hers to arrive to appointments five minutes before the scheduled time. She hated being late.