by Donna Grant
“Perhaps we can dispense with your guards then?”
She hesitated, staring at him. Then she licked her lips. After another moment, she turned in her chair to address the men. “Why don’t you wait at the doors?”
“I don’t think that’s wise,” Paul said.
Tim, the shorter man with graying hair, quickly said, “As you wish.”
The four of them walked away. When Alex turned around, Paul shot Dorian a look that said the mortal couldn’t wait until he had Dorian alone.
And quite frankly, Dorian was looking forward to it. If the human wanted a fight, Dorian was definitely game. It wouldn’t be a fair battle, but anything to rid him of his pent-up anger would be a relief. And if—
“Why this restaurant?”
It took him a moment to realize that Alex was speaking to him. He’d been so engrossed in his thoughts about what he’d do to the bodyguard that he forgot what he was supposed to be doing.
He shrugged. “I heard the food was good.”
“You’re taking a chance then,” she said with a laugh.
To his shock, he smiled at the sound. “I am.”
“I can’t imagine that it was cheap to book the entire restaurant.”
He shrugged again and finished off his champagne. When the waiter tried to refill it, Dorian put his hand over the glass. “Bring the bottle of Dreagan.” Then he looked at Alex. “It’s just money, and I wanted some time with you without others about.”
“Thank you for this.” She leaned forward and reached for her glass, then took a long drink.
Once the bottle of Scotch and a tumbler were set before him, Dorian poured some of the alcohol in the glass and asked, “So why the bodyguards?”
A change came over her at the question, like a castle gate slamming shut. “There was an incident.”
“I gathered as much. Otherwise, why have four men protecting you? I understand if you doona wish to tell me.” Dorian knew he could get the information from Ryder, but he would find out what had happened.
Alex stared at the golden liquid in her glass. “When I was eight years old someone tried to kidnap me from school for ransom to my parents. One of the other parents foiled the plan. When I was fourteen, there was a second attempt. That’s when my parents hired a man to guard me at all times. Carlos went everywhere with me.”
Dorian watched the way her shoulders hunched up to her ears and her forehead puckered in a frown. The words were hard for her, but it was the parts she was leaving out that were causing the reaction. He didn’t press her for more. He got everything he needed just by watching and listening.
She blew out a breath and lifted her gaze to him. “There were times that Carlos was the only one between me and the slew of cameras with people trying to get a picture. There were a few times where people have tried to kill me simply because I come from money. There were at least ten death threats a week. He kept me safe through it all.”
“Until?” Dorian asked, recognizing that there was more.
“Until five years ago when my boyfriend refused to accept that we were over and tried to shoot me. Carlos jumped between me and the bullet.”
Dorian drank the Scotch and softly set the glass down. “That’s when you hired four guards?”
“I tried doing without for awhile, but it soon became apparent that I couldn’t go anywhere. So, yes, that’s when I hired Paul and Tim. Leon and Delroy came on about six months later.”
“That is no’ a verra good life.”
“Do you go out as you want?”
“Aye.”
She raised a brow. “I told you something about myself. It’s only fair you do the same.”
Dorian leaned forward and refilled his glass, giving him time to think. He couldn’t exactly tell her that he’d been sleeping for the last several million years.
“You don’t like to talk about yourself,” Alex said. She gave a nod. “I don’t either. I think I’m pretty boring, actually. I don’t do anything. I was just lucky enough to be born into a wealthy family.”
“You’re involved in charities,” Dorian pointed out.
She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I just think I need to give back. I feel it’s a responsibility. I don’t do anything like you do.”
“I do whatever Dreagan needs of me, and I always will. But I doona run the business. There are others for that.”
“Is it a large company? I know how big the business is, but how many employees do you have?”
Dorian wasn’t at all comfortable with this line of questioning. Then again, it was better than talking about himself. “Those we employ outside the family are few. We like to do the majority of things ourselves.”
“How big is your family?”
“Big,” he replied.
She crossed one long leg over the other. “I always heard that it wasn’t wise to work with family.”
“We wouldna have it any other way.”
“It allows you to keep things private.”
He grinned. “Aye, it does.”
“I admit, I always hate the auction because I’m always afraid of who I’ll have to spend a few hours with. But you intrigue me.”
“Oh?” he asked with a raised brow.
She licked her lips and glanced away, her expression shuttered as her face turned red. “I... Well, usually men are doing whatever they can to get me into their beds.”
Dorian realized she was embarrassed at the admission. And somehow he liked that. “How do you know I willna?”
Alex’s hazel eyes briefly met his, her face flaming red.
“You’re a beautiful woman. Is it any wonder men want you?”
She tucked her hair behind her ear, the pleasure of his words obvious in the way that her lips curved into a soft smile. “Yet most of those men want me only for my money.”
“If they can no’ see you for you, then they doona deserve you.”
Alex blinked and leaned her head to the side, staring at him. “That’s good advice.”
He gave a nod and brought his glass to his lips, letting the smooth taste of the whisky slide down his throat.
The next few minutes were taken up with ordering food. Dorian couldn’t stop looking at her. Alex wasn’t anything like he’d imagined she would be. She was cautious, reserved, and vulnerable—though she tried valiantly to hide it. But he knew what to look for.
Paul saw it as well, which was one reason her bodyguard was so protective.
“Do you have anyone close to you?” she suddenly asked.
Dorian hesitated as he thought of the other Kings. “I used to, but I’ve kept to myself for a long time now.”
“Why?” She then waved her hand, her face creased in regret. “I’m prying. Forget I asked.”
“I lost someone verra close to me.”
“I know all about loss.” She uncrossed her legs and leaned forward to put her arms on the table. “My parents were killed in a plane crash when I was fifteen. My grandfather died of heart failure two years later, and my grandmother I lost six years ago.”
Without thinking, Dorian reached over and put his hand atop hers. “I’m sorry.”
And to his shock, he really was. She had suffered many difficulties, and he knew exactly how that felt. The fact that they had something in common, something that pushed him to actually like her, wasn’t something he’d expected.
Their gazes locked for long moments.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Dorian spotted the arrival of the meal and removed his hand. They were silent as they ate, each absorbed in their food. He felt Alex’s gaze on him and knew she wanted to ask who he had lost.
Once more she had shared, and she wanted him to do the same. If only he had something else to give her, but he didn’t.
Finally, he set his fork down and leaned back.
“You don’t have to tell me,” Alex said. “I can see you still grieve deeply.”
“I’ll always mourn for her.”
“
Her. Oh,” Alex murmured.
Dorian inhaled and softly blew it out. “My sister was murdered.”
“Oh, God. That’s awful. I’m so sorry.” She reached out and placed a hand upon his arm in comfort. “Do you know who’s responsible?”
“Aye.”
“Have they been caught?”
He had to look away before his hatred consumed him. It rose swiftly, urging him to get retribution. It would be so easy. How could he answer her? He was sitting with one of the beings responsible for destroying everything, but he couldn’t say that.
Memories of the mob of mortals attacking his sister filled his mind. He heard her screams of pain, saw her tears.
Suddenly, it was too much. He wanted to kill, to maim, and to wipe away every remnant of human beings from the face of the planet. With every fiber of his being he wanted things back to the way they were before the mortals arrived, when he had his family and his dragons.
He pulled his arm from her, suddenly unable to bear being near her. He thrust back his chair as he got to his feet to walk to the glass wall behind him and the view everyone in New York seemed to appreciate.
Everyone, that is, except him.
There was no way he could be here. He knew how important the artifact was, but he held too much rage, too much anger to be able to do what Con wanted. If only he could’ve gone with his plan where he wouldn’t have to be around the mortals.
And he would after today. He just had to get through the rest of lunch, and then tonight he would take the object and return to Dreagan where he belonged.
A soft hand came to rest on his back between his shoulder blades and slowly slid to his arm as Alex moved to stand before him. Her eyes held a wealth of sadness that brought a rush of emotion that tightened his throat.
No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t look away from her. He was trapped, ensnared by her eyes that held sympathy and understanding.
“I’m so sorry, Dorian,” she whispered. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
He gave a shake of his head.
“I shouldn’t have pried. Please forgive me. I’m just curious about you. I knew you didn’t want to talk about it, and I pushed. It’s one of my many faults.”
He wanted to tell her that it was fine, but the words wouldn’t come. To his surprise, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his.
The feel of her warmth and her softness undid him. His anger evaporated, promptly replaced with need that surged through him with such force that he shook with it.
How could his body betray him like this? With his enemy? She was his foe, wasn’t she?
Dorian stopped thinking when her arms tightened and her breasts pressed against him. He inhaled deeply, pulling in the floral-citrus scent of perfume that didn’t smell like a false scent, but rather a part of Alex.
His eyes closed, and for just a moment, he allowed himself to take comfort in the arms of a mortal, to forget the ever-present anger and just...be.
Chapter Six
A sigh left Alex when Dorian’s arms finally came around her. His touch was light and hesitant, as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to hold her.
But then his hands splayed upon her back and he pulled her close, holding on as if she were the only thing keeping him from shattering into a million pieces.
She knew that feeling all too well. So many nights she had lain in bed wishing she had someone to hold her as she struggled to pick up the broken pieces of her heart—and her life.
Even though she embraced Dorian to give him support, his hold was giving her comfort as well.
Alex never had anyone treat her with such reverence, with such fervor that it made her eyes prick with tears. Not once had Dorian flaunted his money, attempted to get her in bed, or assumed anything.
In short, it was the best day in a long, long time.
She closed her eyes and stood enfolded in his brawny embrace. For just a few moments, she didn’t feel as if she had to stand against the world. No matter how briefly, it gave her battered soul a reprieve she hadn’t realized she needed.
With each second that passed and they didn’t break apart, her spirit soared, her heart strengthened. Was this what it was for someone to like her for her and not her money or standing in society?
She reluctantly leaned back, putting a few inches between them, and looked up into Dorian’s soft brown eyes. His forehead was puckered in a small frown of consternation.
“You looked as if you needed a hug,” she said.
He swallowed, never breaking eye contact. “No one has ever done that before.”
“Then you’ve been around the wrong people.”
“I isolated myself.”
She let her hands slowly slide from his neck to his chest. “I remember doing that. It was getting out that made me see that the world moved on, indifferent and unsympathetic to my loss.”
“How long did you hide away?”
Alex was all too aware that his arms were still around her, still holding her. And she liked it. A lot. “A few months. How about you?”
“Considerably longer.”
That made her frown. “So you were close to your sister?”
“She was my only family. We were orphans, and she raised me. She sacrificed everything for me.”
That made Alex’s heart break even more. “There is nothing anyone can say that will dull the pain. I know loss well.”
There was a flash of something in his eyes, but he blinked and it was gone. She wished she knew what it was. But she also realized that Dorian wasn’t the type of man to spill his secrets easily.
If at all.
Perhaps that’s why she wanted to know more about him. Of all the men she knew, not a single one of them was as interesting or disarming as Dorian. Not to mention, he was easily the most handsome man she had ever seen—and that was saying something.
It suddenly became impossible to look in his eyes. She glanced away, then focused on a button of his shirt. The silence was deafening, and she searched for something, anything to fill it.
When she glanced up, he was staring at her. The longer their bodies remained touching, the more aware she was of a growing—and insistent—longing for his touch.
And a hunger for his kiss.
Her breasts swelled, her nipples puckered. Thank goodness her strapless bra was padded, otherwise he’d feel how needy she was.
“Where are the others?” Dorian asked.
She was so relieved to have something to say that her shoulders sagged. Besides, if she kept thinking about all the things she wanted to do with his body, she might lean up and kiss him.
“I sent them out when you rose from the table. I knew you needed privacy.”
“Why are you so kind?”
She was surprised at his question. “You ask that as if you expected something else.”
“I did. In my experience, people are no’ so pleasant.”
“Like I said earlier, you’ve been around the wrong people. Surely you’re not speaking of those at Dreagan.”
He gave a single shake of his head.
“You quite confound me,” she confessed. “When I look at you, I see someone who hasn’t just experienced great pain, but someone who is incredibly worldly. I used to think I was experienced, but then I met you.”
He quirked a blond brow. That one single action spoke volumes that words never could.
“I’ve traveled the world several times, but you’ve seen more,” she continued. “Haven’t you?”
His thumb slowly moved against her spine. “I suppose you could say that.”
“I dreaded today, but now I want to stop time so you won’t leave.” She couldn’t believe the words had left her mouth, but now that they were said, she was glad of it.
Surprise flickered in his eyes. “Then I’ll stay. Tell me when you’ve had enough, and I’ll leave.”
“Just like that?”
One side of his lips lifted in the slightest
of grins. “Aye, lass. Just like that.”
“I don’t suppose we can stand here in each other’s arms.”
“Why no’? Are you no’ comfortable?”
She was mesmerized by his seductive voice, his enthralling eyes, and his arousing touch. Somehow, during their conversation he had pulled her closer. It had been so gradual she didn’t realize it until her breasts were pressed against him.
“I didn’t say that,” she whispered.
He was going to kiss her. She could see it, feel it. And she wanted it. Desperately. She ached for it, yearned for it.
Then, he suddenly released her and took a step back. It was so unexpected that Alex found herself pitching forward so that he had to grab her. She was mortified. How could she have read that wrong? She’d seen the desire in his eyes, of that she was sure.
“What would you like to do?” Dorian asked after he’d steadied her.
Alex looked at the floor, wishing she hadn’t made such a fool of herself. “Umm...”
And then she couldn’t seem to talk. She didn’t know where her brain or ability to speak had gone, but she wished they’d return. She didn’t like whatever was happening to her, especially not with someone that she liked.
Damn. She did like him.
She should have recognized that when she said she didn’t want the day to end, but it had been so long since she wanted to be with a man that it had taken her by surprise.
“We could have dessert,” Dorian offered.
“Yes.”
He escorted her back to their table, then asked, “What kind of dessert do you usually eat?”
Once more, her brain went blank.
His blond brow rose again. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. I don’t normally eat sweets. Mostly because once I start, I can’t stop. So I don’t order them or stock anything in the house.”
He leaned his head to the side after he filled his glass with more whisky. “What’s wrong with eating something you enjoy?”
His question was so honest, so candid that she laughed. “The simple answer is to make sure I don’t gain weight.”
Dorian gave a shake of his head. “Who cares about that?”
“With every picture of me that is posted in the papers or social media, someone makes a comment about my hair, my makeup, my expression, or if I happen to be slouching, the size of my stomach.”