Her Dragon Lover

Her Dragon Lover - Chapter 6

"W-wait!" Ara exclaimed shakily when Emyr strolled to the door.

"Do you need something, Miss Gray?" Emyr turned and asked expectantly. His brow raised provocatively.

"I don't know the way to my r-room..." That sounded like an invitation, even to Ara's ears! "I mean, your house has too many corridors. I might take the wrong turn..." she finished lamely.

"Or the right turn," he rejoined teasingly. He was smiling lopsidedly at her discomfort.

"Please, sir! Stop t-teasing..." Every time his mega-watt smile took a peep on his firm lips, Ara's resolve weakened.

"Alright, Miss Gray," Emyr whispered throatily. His eyes were the only one staring at her seductively.

Ara prayed that her trembling knees did not fold as she walked along with Emyr.

"This way leads to the kitchen and the formal dining room. That is the way to your suite." He gave her a detailed tour of that part of the mansion. "Tomorrow, after dinner, I'll show other parts of the household."

"This is a very large place, sir. There must be a lot of people who clean every corner." Ara was overwhelmed. Jo's flat was small but it gathered tons of dust every month!

"Old Ponso sees to it," Emyr said with a shrug. "And also Mrs. Cleeve."

Ara noticed the statues of dragon with different poses. There were paintings of dragons.

"You are very fond of dragons, sir," she said in fascination.

"That is my favorite. Isn't he handsome?"

Ara gazed at the huge painting at the center. The dragon was splashing in the blue-green water as though he was playing. He was fearsome but... lovable?

She shook her head. She was having a silly imagination.

"Miss Gray?"

"Um, yes... He is handsome..." Ara was forced to reply.

Emyr nodded in agreement. "There is the door to your suite. Have a nice sleep. Sweet dreams!" He gave a salute and turned away.

"G-goodnight, sir!" she mouthed softly. She doubted if he heard her.

"Goodnight, Ara!" he replied after he turned the corner.

Ara glanced at the painting and stared. The dragon seemed alive! She blinked her eyes. Something wet spattered on the front of her shirt.

"Oh, no!" She looked up to see where the water came from. There was no leak in the ceiling!

Ara walked on hurriedly. When she reached her room, she closed the door and leaned on it. She was breathing fast.

"This is wet a moment ago!" She examined her t-shirt in the bathroom. She shook her head in wonder. "I must be having hallucination! The drug!"

Ara thought about Jo while washing her hands and her face. Her friend was detained by the police for drug use.

"Oh, Jo, what have you done with your life?" She could not do anything but grieve...

She had been right not to trust Jo. But why did she have confidence in Mrs. Cleeve and Emyr? Her years of being suspicious of anyone crumbled with no reason at all.

Or maybe, she just responded instinctively to the trustworthiness of these people.

Especially to Emyr Viceroy...

Her mind had scrambled the first time she saw him. She had a very bad case of infatuation at first sight. Why not? Emyr was the epitome of a successfully wealthy man. He was a billionaire. He owned the whole building where he had offices. It was rumored that he owned the whole block where other condominiums and business buildings stood side by side.

When Ara heard the gossips about the CEO of Viceroy Company circulating around, she was indifferent. She was busy in her own little world.

But when her eyes slapped on his magnetic stare, she was lost. She was navigating on a half-mast ever since. She was drowning...

"You are Ara Gray. You are just an employee. Emyr Viceroy is as far as the star in the galaxy. You can never reach him!" she scolded her reflection sternly. Her hand unconsciously stroked her left ear. She could still feel the hotness of his breath.

She remembered his provocative smiles and shook her head. "He is just flirting with you. Don't give any meaning to his gestures!"

What did he see in her? She was not beautiful. She never wore make-up because to buy expensive cosmetics was just a waste of money. Her clothing was neat but cheap. Her toiletries consisted of inexpensive shampoo and soap. No cologne or even perfume. She was a cheap person.

Every three months, she would examine all her things. She had two categories: to keep and to give to the needy. That way she did not accumulate more than the backpack could accommodate.

However, she lived expensively on the water she drank and the food she ate because she wanted to open them herself before consumption. And she preferred to eat alone.

"Tomorrow, I will discuss the food to Mrs. Cleeve!" she promised herself. It was not proper for her independent self to be dependent on someone for food.

She found her clothes were neatly folded inside the huge closet. Her toiletry bag sat forlornly at one corner.

"Oh, I forgot all about you!" Ara brought the toiletry bag in the bathroom. She was stunned to discover a bathtub behind a heavy waterproof curtain. She used the shower earlier. There was a washing machine and a dryer, too. The whole area of the bathroom could house four of Jo's flat!

Ara decided to investigate her quarters while combing her hair. She passed by a sitting room twice already but she only noticed the bar-like table with two stools beside the pick-up kitchen.

"Hmm, I like this. I will copy the plan for my future beach cottage!" She was pleasantly surprised when she opened the mini-refrigerator. It was full to the brim of bottled water and fresh fruits. "How much are these, Mrs. Cleeve?" she murmured as she turned the cap of one bottle.

When she reached the wide bed, the bottle was empty. She yawned. Her nightshirt was too shabby so she peeled it off. She would sleep in the raw. The door had double-locks. She had never felt secured.

She sighed deeply when her body lay flat on the soft mattress. The couch that she was sleeping on for years had never felt this comfortable. Her head laid down on a silky and fragrant pillow. Her feet were warm and cozy underneath the huge sheet.

When Ara fell into a deep sleep, she dreamt of a dragon...