by Donna Grant
He drew in a breath and released it as he looked behind them. “Is it always so…” He waved his hand around, looking for the right word.
“Crazy? Insane? Nearly fanatical?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“Only when Dreagan is here.” Ms. Engel put the cap on her pen. “Before TVL, everyone just wanted a glimpse of those who were a part of Dreagan and get a taste of the whisky. After TVL, well, now they want to see what might happen.”
“TVL?” he asked, sorting through all sorts of words she might mean.
“The Video Leak.”
“Ah.” Well, that made sense. He turned his attention to her. “Did you see the video?”
“Of course.”
When she said nothing further, he asked, “What did you think?”
“It doesn’t matter, sir.”
With that prim British accent, he could almost hear a smile in her words. “You think it’s true.”
She gave a shrug, suddenly refusing to speak. Then Ms. Engel cleared her throat. “Nathan Jones will be the older gentleman with the hideous black glasses. Calvin Harris will be the overweight one, and Richard Glass will be the one who looks like he just graduated from university.”
“Thank you, Ms. Engel.”
“Oh, and they’re from America, sir,” she said when he went to open the door.
He gave a nod and walked inside.
The day went by in a blur. Asher was ushered from one meeting to another, from potential sellers to distributors. Everyone wanted a piece of Dreagan, and with it being the best-selling Scotch on the market for over a hundred years, he understood why.
He walked from his latest meeting, handing a report to Ms. Engel as he did.
“You’re five minutes late to your next event, sir.”
He saw a bathroom and turned toward it.
“Sir,” Ms. Engel began.
Stopping, he faced her. “Unless you want me to take a piss in a jug while I listen to the next group, then you’ll give me a minute to take care of business.”
“Of course,” she hurried to say, clearly embarrassed.
He turned to go into the restroom when something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. A woman with black hair pulled atop her head had her back to him.
There was something in the way she held her neck that gave him pause. When he saw the thumb ring on her right hand, he immediately thought of Rae.
And that brought a smile to his face.
He couldn’t wait until that evening when he hoped to see the enigmatic, beautiful Rae once more. She might wear the latest expensive fashions, but the woman had a serious mind for books.
Asher walked into the restroom and locked the door. Those precious few minutes went by in a blink. The next thing he knew, Ms. Engel hurried him along to the next event on his schedule.
All the while, his thoughts were on Rae. She had been an unexpected surprise. But he hadn’t forgotten what Ulrik and the Dark Fae had done to other women a Dragon King happened to show interest in.
A few barely got away with their lives. Though why focus on him when Ulrik had all those at Dreagan to screw around with, he didn’t know. But Asher was going to be prepared either way.
It was why he hadn’t wholeheartedly agreed to have Rae take him around the city. However, the idea of following other tourists to the sights of the city had its appeal.
When Ms. Engel took him into a large area where the noise was deafening, she hurried to say, “You just have to make an appearance.”
His steps slowed when he saw the stage where the double dragon logo of Dreagan filled the entire giant screen behind the table.
A table with one fucking chair.
He was going to kill Con.
“We’ll take a few questions,” Ms. Engel said as she hurried him to the steps that led to the stage.
As soon as the large, crowded room saw him, they began to clap and shout. He didn’t know whether to run away or bask in the glory of such attention. Then he recalled why everyone was so focused on anything to do with Dreagan. Showcased on either side of the table were some of the specialty bottles of whisky Dreagan produced.
He decided not to sit. He took the wireless microphone from the table and lifted it toward his mouth. “Hello.”
The crowd erupted, causing him to laugh. He looked over at Ms. Engel to find her smiling. He turned back to the crowd. The lights were dim over the audience, but there was still enough light for him to make out faces.
Once more he caught sight of a woman who reminded him of Rae. It took a moment for him to realize it was the one he’d seen outside the restrooms. She stood off by herself with her phone held up, recording him.
“I hear all of you lads and lasses like Dreagan,” he said with a grin.
The cheers grew louder. It seemed to take forever for the crowd to quiet down. Once everyone had taken their seats, he said, “I’m here to take a few questions.”
Out of nowhere were people with microphones walking the aisles. Hands shot up in the air. Then a woman’s voice with a French accent came over the speakers.
“I love your Scotch. I come every year to the WWC in order to hear what’s in store for Dreagan.”
“Thank you,” he replied. “We appreciate that.”
“I’m not the only one who is waiting for you to respond to the video that has gone viral.”
Of course this would be his first question. Asher made another mental note to kill Con a second time. He smiled at the woman. “I could pretend I doona know what video you speak of, but that wouldna be fair to all of you.”
“So you’re going to tell us the truth?” someone shouted from the very back.
Asher was going to have to give them an answer without actually giving them an answer. He didn’t want to lie, because he had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before the truth was out. So he had to come up with another way.
“We all love the fantastical stories whether they’re fantasy or paranormal. We all love the idea that J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth is actually real, even though it isna. If there were dragons, there would be some evidence to prove that fact, aye?”
* * * *
Rachel’s gaze was glued to Asher as she held her phone up to record him. He knew how to work a crowd even though he wasn’t at all happy about having to be up there. He made the best of the situation and worked the room like a professional. She didn’t want to admire him for it, but damn if she couldn’t seem to help herself.
Then came the first question. She waited for the lie, but that’s not what passed his lips. What the zealous crowd didn’t realize was that he answered their question with a question.
She had to give him props for not outright lying, but he hadn’t told the truth either. And to use books and movies that had captured the world only seemed to help him sell the non-answer.
“Are you a dragon?” someone yelled.
He looked down at himself. “I look pretty human to me.”
The Dragon Kings could be human or dragon, so again he hadn’t lied. But omission of a fact was as much as lying.
His gaze landed on her for a second time. She wasn’t worried about him noticing her. Not only was she in a pair of jeans and a bulky sweater, but her hair was up, she wore blue colored contacts, and she applied her makeup so that it appeared she didn’t have any on—when in fact it changed the shape of her nose, chin, and forehead.
She waited as Asher took a deep breath. He slowly released it and looked around the room. Maybe it was the way he stood or how his shoulders bunched slightly, but she knew he was about to say something big.
“I’m supposed to be up here talking about our whisky, but I can tell none of you are satisfied with my answers. So let me pose one to you,” Asher said. “Do you believe in dragons?”
There was a multitude of reactions varying from it was absolute nonsense to someone who swore they’d seen one. Rachel listened, but she kept her eyes on Asher.
He laughed as someone poin
ted out the dragons on the Dreagan whisky. “Dreagan is Gaelic for dragon. We’re Scots who like to acknowledge our ancestors. Of course we use dragons as our symbols.”
A man took a microphone from someone. He cleared his throat, then in a deep German accent asked, “Did Dreagan put out the video?”
“I wish we had,” Asher replied. “It would’ve been a great promotion, but I would’ve done things a bit differently. We obviously didna put out the video because it has drawn attention from media outlets and authorities of every division across all countries.”
“Is it affecting your sales?” asked another man.
Asher shook his head. “Dreagan sells itself. It doesna matter who runs the company or who stands up here answering questions. The whisky is the finest there is, and it proves that year after year.”
Murmurs of agreement ran through the room.
A woman took the mic next. “What are the authorities looking for?”
“Dragons,” he answered.
To her amazement, Asher remained on the stage for another half hour answering some of the same questions again and again. He remained polite and respectful through it all.
No one asked him again if Dreagan was really the home of dragons. His talk seemed to dissuade some who were disappointed he wasn’t a dragon.
She wondered what everyone would think if she could somehow make him shift in front of them. Most likely not even that would hurt Dreagan sales. In fact, it might make the sales double.
When he called an end to the questions, he quickly quieted the upset crowd by offering everyone a taste of two of Dreagan’s most expensive Scotches.
That was her cue to duck into the shadows moments before Asher came down the steps to join his assistant. He blew out a breath, laughing as the small woman fell in step with him.
“Good job, sir,” she replied.
Rachel counted to twenty before she followed them. All day she’d been on Asher’s heels, and he hadn’t even known it. She might not have been able to go into every meeting, but she knew where he was, who he met with, and how long he remained.
He hadn’t eaten a single bite. She’d stuffed half a sandwich in her mouth to calm her rumbling stomach, but all she’d seen Asher have was a bottle of water.
She snorted when a woman practically threw herself in front of him to get his attention. The woman ended up tripping over her own feet and falling on her face.
Rachel had a hard time not laughing out loud. He quickly went down on one knee and helped the woman to her feet, being a complete gentleman the entire time. He didn’t say a word when the woman handed him a piece of paper that most likely had her number on it.
He slid it in the inside pocket of his suit and gave her a smile as he walked off. That woman wasn’t the only one after Asher. There were few there that hadn’t set their sights on him.
She waited for him to flirt or take one back to the hotel with him, but he didn’t.
“You have ten minutes to get to your dinner, sir,” his assistant said as she motioned to the doors and the car waiting for him.
Rachel stilled when his gaze ran over her before jerking back to her face. He stared at her a second before walking out.
Perhaps she needed to ensure she looked nothing like Rae. The last thing she wanted was for him to learn Rae was actually Rachel.
Chapter Five
It felt like an eternity before Asher arrived at the hotel. He briefly contemplated going up to his room to change, but he wanted to see Rae too desperately.
He strode into the bar, his gaze sweeping the room. But he didn’t see her. The disappointment was swift and engulfing. It was looking forward to talking to Rae that had gotten him through the day. And now she wasn’t even there.
“Looking for someone?” a voice asked behind him.
He turned to find Rae. His mouth went dry when he saw the silvery off-the-shoulder sweater skimming her curves before flaring at her waist. Paired with black skinny pants that zipped at the ankle and black stilettos, she was a vision.
The expanse of creamy skin exposed made him long to touch her. He held himself back. Barely.
Her long tresses were down once more. She wore no necklace this time. Her only jewelry was diamond stud earrings, a silver bangle, and her thumb ring.
“Still want that drink?” she asked.
He held out his arm for her. “I want your company more than anything.”
“Flattery?”
“Truth.”
Her brown eyes sparkled before she turned her head forward. Asher walked her inside and found a table in the back. In moments, they placed a drink order, but when he saw her glance at the food on the table next to them, he waved the waiter back to them and ordered several appetizers.
“How was your day?”
She shrugged and accepted her wine from the waiter. “Uneventful. Yours?”
“Long.”
She smiled at his choice of words. “And busy, I presume?”
“It nearly took an act of God to get my PA to allow me a few seconds to find a restroom.”
“What do you do to keep you on such a tight schedule?”
He took a long drink of his whisky while he regarded her. Everyone seemed to know who he was and where he was from. Could Rae be different? How refreshing.
“I’m here for the World Whisky Consortium.”
Her eyebrows shot up in her forehead. “Ah. Which explains why you love Scotch.”
“Aye.” He raised his glass to her and took another drink.
“Do you work for a distillery or a distributor?”
“Distillery.”
She leaned forward, placing one elbow on the table. “Do you like it?”
“I love it. I’ve been involved for as long as I can remember. There is something about taking part of the land and combining it to make something as savory as a good whisky.”
“What’s the brand? Would I have heard of it?”
He hesitated, wondering if she would change once she knew the truth. “Dreagan.”
“Oh,” she said with wide eyes. “I do recognize that brand. I’m not a whisky drinker myself.”
“You’re missing out.”
She smiled before bringing the wine to her lips. “Am I?”
“Aye.” His balls tightened at the lowering of her voice.
He was finding it harder and harder to keep his hands to himself and not lean forward and take her lips. Did she have any idea how he hungered for a taste of her?
The conversation was interrupted as the food arrived. Asher watched Rae immediately reach for one of the lobster bites. She was discreet and elegant, but there was no denying she was starving. He kept the talk light until she finally sat back with a satisfied smile.
She noticed him watching and wrinkled her nose. “I guess I was hungry.”
“Did you no’ eat dinner?”
“I had other things going on,” she replied and finished her wine.
“You should’ve told me.”
Rae waved away his words. “It’s fine. Thank you for ordering the food.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
“Want to get out of here?”
“And go where?” he asked, intrigued.
She smiled and rose to her feet. “Come with me.”
He let the bartender know they were done and to put the bill on his room, then he followed Rae into the lobby. A bellman was helping her into a long black coat. She buttoned and belted it before tucking her hands in the pockets with a smile directed at him.
It had been a long time since Asher felt so…exuberant. And it was all because of her. She captivated him in every way possible. She was elegant and enthusiastic, sophisticated and dynamic.
And she pulled it off effortlessly.
With his hand on her back, they walked from the hotel onto the sidewalk. He followed her as she turned and wandered seemingly with no destination in mind.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
She glanced at him
with a grin. “Does it matter?”
Actually it didn’t. Gone were the sounds of the bar and hotel. Out on the streets it was quieter, softer with the night around them.
“No,” he answered.
They walked for a time in the shadows and shine of the streetlights without talking. Asher was really seeing the city as he hadn’t while in the car. He listened to traffic as it zoomed by, watched as people walked past them, and smelled the many delicious scents of restaurants, bakeries, and cafés.
They stopped next to the Seine River and stared at the Eiffel Tower aglow with lights. He felt Rae’s gaze on him and turned to her.
“You’re having a good time.”
He was surprised that she was taken aback by that fact. “Aye. And happy about it. Thank you for this.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You got me out of the hotel. You allowed me to see, smell, hear, and feel the city as I couldna do any other way.”
His words seemed to flummox her as she glanced away. A second later, she had her composure back in place. “Tell me of Dreagan.”
“Dreagan,” he said, thinking of his home.
* * * *
Rae watched the way his eyes took a faraway look as he murmured the name of his home. The smile he wore bespoke of his love in ways words never could. She thought it would be a safe subject after seeing him enjoy their simple walk that had affected her so. How wrong she was.
But she couldn’t look away. Whatever thoughts she had to lead him about on a merry chase of desire and lust took a backseat somehow. She wasn’t sure how or when it happened.
If something like this had occurred in the past, she would’ve ended the night until she could set them back on course. Asher wasn’t just unexpected in every way, but he constantly astounded her. It was genuine delight she saw on his face and in his eyes as they walked. She loved the simple pleasures in life, and it appeared as if they had something else in common.
Rachel waited with baited breath. She told herself it was a part of her undercover work.
“Dreagan is Scotland,” Asher said. “The land draws you in a way you can no’ begin to understand. You feel the majesty and magic of the ancient land. From the tallest mountain to the lowest valley, in the leaves of the trees and in the currents of the streams, you feel an overwhelming and unshakable need to want to be a part of such a place. To want to belong.