by Juniper Hart
The man’s name was Ned Colfax, but he was so phony and pretentious that Nyle took solace in calling him by anything but Ned. It amused him to watch the man try and keep his resolve, but still, Ned remained determined to kiss Nyle’s ass. Ned wasn’t a part of the foundation to better the world; he was on the board to climb up the social ladder.
Ned paced over to him, extending a hand to shake. “Mr. Flamme, it’s good to see you this afternoon. So glad you could make it in today.”
Nyle reluctantly extended his hand. Even Ned’s voice grated Nyle. It was so chipper, and there was no way that he actually spoke like that. Why did humans feel compelled to make every person around them like them? It puzzled the hell out of Nyle.
“Nice to see you as well, Ted,” Nyle said flatly, withdrawing his hand as he walked toward the building. “So, what is going on today?” he questioned, wondering if they were planning an event.
“Actually, sir, it’s Ned. But it’s okay; I know you’re a busy man,” Ned grinned, hurrying to keep stride with Nyle.
Hah. Nyle wasn’t a busy man at all, unless avoiding his parents counted as business.
“You’ve actually come on a fantastic day. We just started working with a new organization that wants to clean up polluted rivers. We’re planning a black-tie gala to raise money. We’re actually in a meeting with the event planning company we hired right now. We would be so honored for you to join us.”
Event planners? Why in the hell was there an entire team of employees at his foundation dedicated to throwing fundraisers if they weren’t even going to plan the event themselves? It made the team unnecessary middle men, just so that the company could say they hosted the event.
“Sounds great, Tom,” Nyle called back to him as he stepped into the private elevator off to the side of the lobby.
2
Daisy was awestruck by La Flamme Corporation’s headquarters. The stunning architecture and sleek interior design were unlike anything she had ever seen. Daisy swore she could see her reflection on every surface. Everyone going about their business were dressed well and looked important. It felt like she was walking around the inside of a business magazine. She couldn’t believe her aunt landed her the job; it was honestly a little overwhelming. She figured she’d plan weddings, bar mitzvahs, and possibly some sales events. She had no idea she’d be organizing an event as grand as a La Flamme Foundation fundraiser.
Daisy told herself that it was just like any other party, no different from the other events she had organized, but she was too aware of that being a lie. She had never been surrounded by such an elite group, knowing everyone at that conference table had to be worth millions of dollars, if not more. The board members of the foundation were top-ranking executives from large international companies. Even the employees of the foundation seemed as if they were in the upper echelons of society. The amount of money they would raise at the event would be astronomical. Daisy couldn’t even wrap her mind around it.
In that moment, her biggest challenge was trying not to look out of place. She certainly looked the part, wearing a black and white sheath dress and heels. Her Aunt Chanel bought her a few nice outfits to wear for the job to make her comfortable, as well as serve as a congratulatory gift. While it helped, she felt almost like they could smell ‘middle-class’ on her. It wasn’t like Daisy was ashamed of her position in life; she was doing well for herself, even if she wasn’t a millionaire. However, she felt like a fish in a shark tank.
With that thought, her eyes shifted to Wren and Trey, curious to know if they were having the same thoughts, but they looked comfortable, calm, and collected. Wren was her manager, there to oversee the project since it was such an enormous contract, and Trey was her coworker.
“We would like the event to take place at a venue that is used to hosting extravagant galas, as our guests are used to the finer things in life. We want them to be comfortable and impressed. And of course, money isn’t an issue. We want to do this to the best of our abilities. The founder of the river clean-up non-profit is a good friend of the company,” a man near the head of the table explained, pulling Daisy back to reality.
She quickly jotted down what he said in her notebook. Her mind hadn’t actually processed it until the words were staring back at her from the page. Daisy noted everything that the businessmen called out: specifications about the location, the decorations, table layouts, catering, guest list, and on and on. Her team had to get every single detail right, or else they were going to be on the chopping block. There was no way they could keep their jobs if they disappointed a client as big as La Flamme Corporation.
Daisy started getting a hand cramp from her active notetaking and had to put her pen down for a second to massage her hand. As she rubbed the space between her thumb and index finger, Daisy looked up to the men, trying to listen for any significant details. Just as she picked up her pen again, she noticed one of the men reaching for his phone. His eyes widened, turning quickly to the man speaking. The man stopped talking, taking a moment to listen to the other man’s whispers.
Turning back to Daisy and her team, the man cleared his throat. “I’m sorry about that. There will be a couple of others joining us shortly. Just to inform you, one is—”
The door to the room opened, and in walked a man with slicked back raven hair and a rather forced expression. Directly behind him followed another man, one with snowy white hair and a young, chiseled face. His cheekbones and jaw were dramatic and angular, which Daisy could notice from the other side of the room. The white-haired man was pale, though he practically looked tan in contrast to his hair color, having a slight golden hue to his skin. Nothing stood out more than his golden-brown eyes. Could they even be considered brown? Their color was rich in yellow, looking just like honey. His gaze was intense as he looked at the faces of the businessmen, all of them straightening their posture and putting on pleasant expressions for him.
The white-haired man radiated an aura that was palpable, leaving Daisy breathless. Even if it hadn’t been for the behavior of the other executives, she would have been able to sense he was powerful. It was astonishing coming from someone who looked just a few years older than her.
And then his gaze fell on Daisy. His golden hues burned through her like hot pokers, and she resisted the urge to squirm in her chair. He paused the instant their eyes locked, staring at her more intently than anyone ever had. Suddenly, the aura he was putting off felt more like magnetism, like the two halves of the room were going to fold into one another, just so they would be side by side. The room was silent for what felt like hours to Daisy, but it had only been a couple seconds. Then, his lips flickered into a small smirk, and he moved to sit at the head of the table. As soon as he sat, the whole room seemed to breathe. The men went back to discussing the gala.
Daisy’s eyes fell back down to her notebook, as she tried to listen to what they were saying over the sound of her heart pounding in her ears. She could feel how hot her cheeks were without even touching them. What in the hell was going on? Was the man really that powerful? Was it just an emotion accompanied by his overwhelming beauty? What in the world was he doing at a company like this?
After a couple minutes of collecting herself mentally, and diligently notating the meeting, Daisy finally got the courage to look up from her papers. Her eyes immediately went to the white-haired man to find that he was still staring her down, his fingers drumming against the tabletop. A small smile appeared on his face, which Daisy couldn’t help but mirror, butterflies soaring through the pit of her stomach.
“Shouldn’t I be introduced?” he suddenly announced, speaking over whomever was talking at the moment. His voice was raspy and low, reminding her of the growl of a lion, but it wasn’t a booming voice; it was easy on the ears. Too easy on Daisy’s.
The suits all looked around at one another before the one closest to him nodded a bit frantically, “Yes sir, so sorry about that. This is Wren Carmichael, Trey Blaine, and Daisy Maddow from Winslow Eve
nts. They will be helping us coordinate the Rollins River Clean-up event—of course, it is Paul Rollins’ organization. You remember Paul?” he let out a bout of nervous chuckles before looking over to the event planners. “And Winslow Events, this is Nyle Flamme. He’s the president of La Flamme Foundation.”
Daisy’s jaw dropped, having to snap her mouth shut before she made a fool of herself. No wonder he seems so powerful, he’s a Flamme, Daisy thought.
“Nice to meet all of you,” Nyle called over to them, but his eyes never left Daisy. After a bit of a pause, he spoke again, finally peeling his eyes away from her to look at his associates. “From what I’ve heard, it seems like you have all given them plenty of instructions. Let the Winslow team have a little bit of freedom, hmm? I say get to work,” Nyle said, eyes going back to the event planners.
“Yes, sir. Thank you so much,” Wren nodded excitedly, standing from her chair and collecting her coat and bag.
Daisy’s eyes went to the foundation’s board members and employees. The men looked rather annoyed with being cut off so suddenly. However, they all followed Wren’s lead and collected their belongings to leave. Daisy stood up and headed to the door behind Trey. Daisy couldn’t resist looking over at Nyle one last time. He had remained in his seat, his eyes fixated forward, glazed over, as the man who came in with him rambled on about something.
Trey and Wren were already chatting lively about the next steps to plan the gala as they moved through the door. Daisy couldn’t focus on what they were talking about, her head totally clouded by thoughts of the intense, overwhelming Nyle Flamme. How was it possible for someone to have such…such an air of greatness about him? It kind of amazed her that Wren hadn’t said anything about it. Had they not been able to sense it? She contemplated the thought that she had imagined the entire thing. Maybe it had been just a strong reaction to his astounding good looks.
By the time they got to the elevator, Daisy had convinced herself that was all it had been. Her imagined connection to Nyle was in her head; he wouldn’t pay attention so someone like her. Stepping into the elevator with Wren and Trey, she pressed the ground floor button and then leaned against the wall. As the doors began to close, a shiver ran up her spine, that same feeling came over her that she had in the meeting. Just as the doors began to close, a pale hand darted into the gap.
The silver doors opened, and Nyle Flamme entered the elevator before the doors finally closed. Daisy’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes wide as she watched him. His golden eyes glanced over at her, a look of mischief burning in them.
There is no way I’m imagining this, Daisy thought.
Out of nervous habit, she nibbled on her lower lip and averted her eyes to the floor. She could see him out of the corner of her eye as he shuffled to stand next to her. He had an intoxicating musky aroma, an earthy scent blending well with whatever cologne he was wearing.
“Is there something we can help you with, sir?” Wren asked him in a cheerful tone, though Daisy knew she was confused as to why he was in the elevator.
“I’m overseeing the event, aren’t I? I’m coming along to supervise the planning.”
Daisy’s wide eyes looked up, shocked by what he had just said. He was coming along? The other men in the meeting said they would be left to handle it themselves and that they could hire any help they needed. So why was he coming?
“Oh… all right. Well, the first thing we plan on doing is scouting out some potential locations for the gala,” Wren informed him.
“Uh-huh,” was all Nyle let out, his attention clearly on something else.
The rest of the elevator ride was filled with Wren and Trey debating where to visit first. Daisy stayed in her spot, eyes fixated on the floor. His presence was overpowering, to put it lightly, making her too nervous to look him in the eye.
As the metal doors opened and they stepped outside, Nyle spoke again, cutting through Wren and Trey’s conversation. “It would be faster to split up and cover two places at once. Why don’t the two of you go to your top choices? Daisy and I can head out to some places she had in mind.” His hand then brushed against Daisy’s arm, a shiver running down her spine. “Does that work for you?”
Daisy pulled together the courage to look up at him as Nyle’s eyes went over to her coworkers.
“Whatever you like, sir. This is your function. We’re here to make your vision happen,” Wren assured him with a smile.
Then, Wren and Trey walked away without a word to Daisy. They were going to leave her like that? They always did everything as a group. Her gaze shifted back to Nyle, who glanced over to her with a grin.
“Daisy, right?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” she replied with a nod, her eyes scanning over his face.
He was unbelievably handsome, and he had the strangest stark-white hair she had ever seen. Something was different about this man, something incredibly enthralling, but Daisy couldn’t put her finger on it.
“While it’s quite nice to be called sir, you can call me Nyle,” the man said to her.
All she could do was nod in response.
“So, do you have any venues in mind?” he asked.
Daisy blinked rapidly, having to force herself to be grounded for a moment to come up with an intelligent response.
“Ah, there are some lovely ballrooms on the upper east side of town. There’s also the art museum. It has a lovely space for events with excellent lighting, and it’s adjacent to the botanical garden.”
Nyle’s lips pulled into a grin then, “Museum it is, then.”
He then placed his hand gently on the small of her back as he guided her to a town car. Typically she would have stepped out of reach of a man putting hands on her so soon, but his touch wasn’t possessive or uncomfortable. And it left her wracked with nerves.
3
After letting her climb into the car first, Nyle slid in after her and shut the door. “Art museum,” was all he called to the driver before they were pulling out onto the road.
His golden eyes fell back on Daisy. Nyle hated that he had stared at her so much, not wanting to make her uncomfortable, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her beauty was something he knew had to be overlooked in the human world, or else there would have been a ring on her finger. It wasn’t a conventional beauty, Nyle was certain that most men would have found her to be ‘cute.’ Cute was such an understatement, but he wasn’t upset with human ignorance—he was grateful. The last thing he needed was the complication of his soulmate being married.
It was strange for him to label someone as such, but he knew that’s what she was—his soulmate. He felt her energy before he had even walked into the conference room; it wasn’t until Nyle laid eyes on her that he realized what the feeling meant. She was perfect. Her skin was fair and looked so soft, he already had to fight the urge to reach over and stroke her cheek. Daisy’s facial features were soft with apple cheeks and a sloped nose that turned up ever so slightly at the tip. His eyes were in a constant battle between looking at her plush rosy pink lips or her sparkling blue-gray eyes. They were like globes of stormy water, drawing him ever deeper into their depths. Her locks of wavy mocha hair were perfect, flowing all the way down to her mid-back. And while she was of average height for a female human and had a small frame, she had womanly curves that were accented well in the dress she was wearing. Daisy had only one flaw, and it was glaring: she was human.
Nyle couldn’t understand how it was physically possible for his soulmate to be a human. For as far back as the history of dragon-shifters went, there had never been a case—at least none that he knew—of a dragon finding a human soulmate. Eventually he would have to get to the bottom of that mystery, but for the time being, he just wanted to get to know her.
“Daisy, how long have you been with your company?” he asked, noticing she was a little younger than him.
It was rather impressive for someone her age to be working on such an important event. He knew La Flamme Foundation was a big
client for her company.
Daisy cleared her throat, her stormy eyes flickering over to Nyle before looking back out the window, “About eight months.”
Impressive. She must have been great at her job to have climbed so high in such a short amount of time. Admittedly, though, Nyle didn’t care much about her career advances. He just wanted to get a better insight on who she was as a person. He knew that if she truly was his soulmate, that event planning would become a distant memory.
Nyle couldn’t get over the terrible timing of meeting her. His parents would never approve of him dating a human or claiming she was his soulmate. Needing to soothe his thoughts, Nyle reached into the breast pocket of his suit jacket.
His eyes fell back on Daisy. “You don’t mind if I smoke, do you?” he asked, not wanting to make her sick or offend her.
“No, not at all,” she replied smoothly.
Her voice was magnificent and could probably calm Nyle’s woes better than the cigarette he was placing between his lips. It was velvety, quiet, and oh-so-sweet. She sounded like Jackie Kennedy, but not as breathy.
He waited until she turned her face to look out the window to quickly snap his fingers and light his cigarette. Cracking the window, he blew the smoke outside so he didn’t overpower her with the aroma. It surprised him that he was having such a hard time coming up with conversation. What was he supposed to say to his soulmate that wasn’t a dragon-shifter? Dragons could sense their soulmates, and he had no idea if humans could—or if she could because of him being a shifter. Not to mention, people were always trying to impress him and become his friend, so there was never much silence. But Daisy was different. Knowing he was a Flamme, she knew he had money and lots of it. She didn’t seem to care in the slightest. Daisy sat in her seat with her legs crossed at the ankles. Her eyes casually scanned the scenery passing by from the window, but looked over to him every so often. At the very least, Daisy was attracted to him.