Her Trapped Dragon

Chapter 2

Louis

My empty water bottle clinked as I sat it down on the desk with a bored sigh. What was she doing right now? Had I crossed her mind, had Marcus?

I wondered if I could use this as an excuse to go to the break room. With the hope that I would run Amelia. I’d enjoyed the brief time I’d spent with her yesterday. Longing to be near her filled me as my dragon huffed at the thought.

The beast wanted to go to her.

Moving in front of my desk, I paced forward. Trying to keep from going to the elevator and heading up to the top office to see what she was doing. My steps measured and even as I looked down at the well-worn tile, looping around into the familiar pattern that was worn from many days of my pacing.

I knew that Marcus had a meeting with Maxwell. I hoped they didn’t scare away Amelia, I’d met him before. Maxwell could be a bit much for a submissive. His words holding that current that let you know he could pull you under. Make you feel things that would leave you craving his touch.

I wished to be a fly on the wall. To see how that interaction was going. The brief flash of anger moved over me as if it were my own, my hands clenched at my sides as I moved back to my desk. My dragon snarled.

With my mind made up, I snagged my water bottle off of my desk and jogged to the elevator. I’d go fill up my water. Maybe Marcus had already sent her for coffee and I could run into her?

I pressed the button for the elevator, bouncing on the balls of my feet as I waited. The doors chimed open andI walked inside. The doors closing behind me as I turned to the panel and pressed the button for the lobby. The ride up was short, the doors opened up. Making me squint at the sunlight that streamed through the windows and off the gleaming polished surfaces.

The soft scent of apples hit me and I realized that Amelia was leaving the building. I walked over to the exit, bursting through the doors. My eyes scanning the sidewalk as I caught sight of her auburn hair. The sun made it look like trapped fire.

She moved forward, weaving through the crowded sidewalk. Her pace was quick, even in her heels. I could smell her scent on the gentle breeze. I could feel my dragon coiled beneath my skin, watching her.

She turned, heading into a coffee shop. Biting back a smile before jogging forward. I gripped the curving metal door handle. “Let me.”

Turning, her face tilted up towards mine. Her cheeks had the barest hints of color from the brisk walk over. Raising an eyebrow, she smiled up at me. My name slipping from her lips made the butterflies flare to life in my stomach.

“Louis, how are you?”

“Good, just coming to get my coffee fix. You?”

“Marcus sent me for drinks.” She pressed her lips together before looking away. I wished I could tell her that she could tell me what ever she was thinking. We didn’t know each other well enough for me to say something like that.

“Want me to order?” I asked, as we moved to get into line.

“Do you know what Mr. Blackwell would like?” She asked, tilting her head to look up at the menu. She crossed her arms, bringing up a finger to rest on her chin as she studied the menu. She was cute when she focused like this. You wouldn’t have thought it was over something as small as coffee. Her brows knit together as she worried her lower lip.

“I have an idea about it.”

“Then yes, please. Because, I have no idea what any of them would like.” She said, not looking away from the menu. “What kind of coffee do you like?”

“Already planning for our mornings?” I asked as I moved closer to her, resting my hand on her lower back. My heart did a funny little jump at the thought that she might want to know more about me and the things that I liked. The idea of having coffee with her first thing in the morning made my dragon feel warm.

“You’re my only friend at work.” She said as she looked away from the menu.

I brought my hand to my chest, biting my lower lip as our gaze met. “Here I thought you were planning to woo me.”

“Louis,” She laughed, rolling her eyes, before she turned back to the board. “I think I’ll get a mocha.”

I wanted to hear more of that laughter. It made me feel tingly in the best way possible. “Mmm, sounds good.”

Her eyes flicked back over to mine, “So I was wondering, if you weren’t busy Fri-”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t let me finish.” She said with a pout.

“Whatever it is, as long as it’s with you. I’d love to.”

“So movie night?” She asked as we stepped closer to the counter.

“The lower the budget, the better.”

Her smile grew as she looked away from me, towards the counter as the person in front of us finished their order. Stepping up to the register, I ordered for us. We stepped to the side, I could feel her eyes on me. Straightening my shoulders, I looked over at her, licking my bottom lip and giving her my best come hither look.

She bumped her shoulder against mine, a slight blush staining the tops of her cheeks. “So how was your evening?”

The tops of my ears burned as I thought about how I should answer her question. Worried that the truth would scare her off. “I, I um.”

“A hot date, maybe?” She asked, her lips quirking up into a crooked half smile.

“Something like that.” Marcus was my hot date, that was close to the truth. I couldn’t tell her that he’d strapped me down to our bed and paddled my ass until I came thinking about her.

About hunting her.

About taking her.

“Oh, you’ll have to tell me about them Friday.” She said with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Amelia-”

Our order was called, stopping from telling her that it wasn’t anything like what she thought. We got our drinks and left the shop.

She sipped her iced mocha as we walked back to the office. I didn’t know what to say to her. If she were a shifter, she would have known that I belonged to Marcus. That he was my mate, my everything. It would have been an adjustment as she learned that she was ours. There was no doubt in my mind that she was meant to be ours.

Shifters moved fast, Marcus and I had mated the night that we first met. I had needed someone to belong to, he’d needed to be needed. I bore his sigil long before the sun rose. We hadn’t been apart since. She was human, and even though we lived in a more progressive time. It was ingrained in me to hide. To keep the side of me that craved his touch hidden, I’d been born during the Victorian era.

Being a shifter had given me more liberties with being able to choose my bed partners. The dragons as a whole were not bothered by things like two men falling in love. Humans were a whole different breed when it came to their mindsets on gender and pairings. How could you explain to them that your souls were knit to be together? That you felt them move through every fiber of you when you mated?

Wolves got it, they had fated mates. We dragons got to choose, but once the choice was made. It was forever binding, if Amelia couldn’t accept us. I would stay by her side even if from a distance, just as I knew Marcus would. Mourning as she went about her life. Dying on the inside as we watched her fall in love with some mortal. The thought made my heart clench as I thought about her smiling that soft smile at someone who wasn’t us. Having a little house with a white picket fence. Children that weren’t ours, that weren’t Marcus’.

“Louis?”

Her soft voice pulled me from my melancholy thoughts. I tilted my head, looking over at her as she chewed on her straw. “Yes?”

“What kind of movies do you like?” She asked, her shoulders were stiff as she tried to make conversation.

“I like horror movies, right now I’ve been binge watching this vampire show.”

“Oh, the one based on those books?”

“Yeah, Maberry’s one of my favorite authors.” I said with a smile, “I’ve got all of his books.”

“I liked his zombie ones.” She said, her shoulders relaxing as she let go of the straw.

“Me too, maybe we could read them together one weekend?” I wanted to know how she saw things. Did she enjoy the surfers in the books as much as I had? Did she cry when I did, laugh over the dark humor?

“I’m almost done with the book I was telling you about. How about we start his newest book next week?” She asked, worrying her lower lip.

“Talk nerdy to me, I’m in.” I said, looking at her through my lashes as I held open the door for her.

“You’re going to get us in trouble.” She said as we walked past me.

“Me?” I asked. Placing my hand on my chest in mock shock as I led her towards the boardroom. Smiling, my tongue pressed to the roof of my mouth.

“Yes, you. You big flirt.” She said, stepping closer to me, her lips twisted into a playful smirk.

“Join me for lunch again?” I wanted to close the distance between us as she batted her eyelashes at me.

“I can’t.” She said, “Maybe I can make it up to you.”

My breath caught in my throat as I felt the tips of my ears turn red, my pulse racing. Her warm brown eyes twinkled mischievously up at me. “Are you, are you teasing me?”

Her smile grew wider as she rocked back on her heels, “Who, me?”

“Oh, little one. You don’t know the fire that you’re playing with.” I said, closing the distance between us.

She looked up at me, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, “See, trouble.” She breathed out with a nervous chuckle.

“Make it up to me later?” I purred and her pupils dilated, her breath coming in a short pant. I breathed her in, the smell of the coffee barely hiding that delicious apple scent.

“Fine, I’ll let you pick the movie Friday.” She said.

My lips spread into a grin as I stepped back, “You should get back to work.”

“Go back to your basement,” she teased, her hand on the doorknob.

I watched her as she slipped into the meeting. The frosted glass door clicked behind her as it closed. With a smile, I leaned against the wall. Pulling out my cell phone, I swiped the screen open, sending a text to Marcus.

Friday, I had a date. I tucked my phone back into my pocket and turned, heading back towards my basement. Her fire made me crave her more than I already did. I couldn’t wait to see if it carried over into the bedroom, I’d take my time showing her that my flirting was real. That my feelings for her were real.

Walking towards my desk, I could smell the scent of Boston’s sickly sweet perfume before I saw her. I let out a sigh, closing the book in my hands. Her hip was propped against my desk, arms crossed under her breasts. She looked over at me, her full red lips pressed together. She’d be pretty if she wasn’t after my mate.

“I’d like to ask Marcus on a date.”

There was no greeting with her, not that I’d expected one. Straight to the point and most of the time that was something I could appreciate. Now I just wanted her gone. Sitting the book on my desk, I crossed my arms over my chest. My fingers moving to the keyboard, “That’s something you’ll have to take up with Marcus.”

“You know he won’t take another more fitting mate, unless you approve it.” She said, turning to look at me more fully as she rested her hands on my desk. She wanted to intimidate me, it was clear in the way her eyes met mine. How she stood, her back ramrod straight, her face unreadable.

Not that I’d spent a lot of time studying her face, I tended to avoid women like Boston. I looked at her hands as she flexed her fingers. Her nails, long and red like talons. My gaze moving over her arms, the rippling beneath her skin let me know exactly what she thought of me. Of having to come and ask me if she could date Marcus.

She had to have known how he felt about her, he’d made it no secret when he’d dated other flock members. The few who were unmated, or even from other flocks.

My mate wanted someone that would love our flock just as we did. That would view them as family.

Boston didn’t look out for anyone’s best interest but her own. Blinking slowly, I tilted my head to the side. “If Marcus wants to date you, I won’t stop him.”

A smile spread over her face and I know she thought that she had won. Little did she know that we’d already found a more suitable choice. I couldn’t share that with her, Boston was spiteful and the rumor mill for office gossip was run by her.

“Good,” She said, brushing her shiny black hair over her shoulder as she batted her silver eyes at me. “I’ll remember this.”

“As will I.”

She looked at me, her cold eyes slitting. I pressed my lips together, waiting for her to say something else.

“If that is all.” I said, looking away from her towards the computer screen. She tapped her fingernails on my desk, the sound making me grit my teeth.

“For now, I’ll be seeing Marcus in a bit.” She turned away, heading towards the elevator. “Don’t wait up for him after work today.”

My throat tightened. There was no way that Marcus would want to be with someone like her. That didn’t stop the anxiety that pulsed through me. Making it hard to breathe. I turned to my chair and fell into it, dragging my hands through my hair before resting my elbows on my knees.

Today was shaping up to be a long day. My phone buzzed and I rolled closer to my desk. Reaching up, I pulled the phone down and swiped the screen open.

Marcus: What’s wrong?

My fingers moved over the screen as I typed out my reply. A single word.

Boston

Marcus: Don’t let her bother you.

Nodding to myself, I sat the phone down as I closed my eyes and leaned back. I don’t know why I let my insecurities get the best of me. I’d been with Marcus for so long, I knew his body better than my own. How his mind worked, the things that he enjoyed. The things that made him sad.

I could tell what he was thinking just from the way he pressed his lips together and lifted an eyebrow, his fingers steepled under his chin. Or the way he’d say ‘I love you’ without words. Him fixing my tie, his lips twisted into that soft half smile that made my knees weak and my heart beat flutter.

My dark dragon was taciturn, but it was there if you were searching for it.

Shaking my head, I pushed myself out of my chair. The blueberry muffin I’d snagged from the break room hadn’t been enough. My stomach rumbled at the thought of food as my phone chimed again.

I looked at the screen, the number was one that I hadn’t seen in a long time. Sure, I’d seen the demon since our time together, been in his bed as a trading of information. I knew that he wouldn’t hurt me. At least no more than I could take, I shivered at the thought of our last time together.

The stinging bite of his magic flowing over my skin as he did things to my body that left me craving his touch almost as badly as I craved Marcus. Picking up my phone, I swiped my thumb across the screen, holding it against my ear as I held my breath.

“Hello, Louis.” He purred, goosebumps moved over my skin as I felt fingernails trace over my skin. His magic had gotten stronger since the last time I’d talked to him.

“Sin, to what do I owe this pleasure?”

He chuckled. I shook, my c**k half hard in anticipation of what his touch could bring.

“The pleasure is all mine.” He said in that same, commanding purr. “Vega has requested a meeting with Marcus. Would you like to trade?”

My body shook as the nails dug deeper and I let out a moan.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

I nodded my head before realizing that he couldn’t see me. “Yes,” the word was a breathy moan.

“Good, Saturday?” He asked and I agreed. The line went silent as he hung up the phone, and I realized there would be no getting any lunch for some time. I couldn’t let anyone see me like this, my c**k tenting my slacks as my breath came in short pants.