Silver(14)

But then the door opened, and her jaw dropped at the couple in front of her. The man was some kind of golden angel, with beautiful blond hair in all shades, a tall, muscular build, and sinful golden eyes that tilted up at the corners.

Definitely made sense as one of Adrien’s associates.

“This is Dante,” Robbie said, standing and welcoming them in. “He used to work here. He’s an old friend of Adrien and Sever.”

At Dante’s side was a businesslike woman with dark hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. She had a sharp look to her, but her smile at Kelsey was kind.

“I’m Ella.” She put out a hand for Kelsey to shake. “So you’re the one who caught Adrien’s eye. Congrats.”

“Is it such a big deal that he was nice to me?”

Dante looked at the monitors. “Damn. He really did get injured, didn’t he?” He turned to Kelsey. “And yes. Yes, it is a very big deal.”

Ella took a chair on the other side of Kelsey and kicked back, watching the screen. “Has the show started yet?”

“No,” Robbie said, grinning as she sat back in her chair. Dante sat on the other side of Ella, taking her hand. Kelsey noted the care he showed her with an odd feeling in her stomach.

What would it feel like to have a man act like that with her? Like the sun rose and set in her eyes?

She turned back to the screen because everyone else was watching avidly. What kind of business was this where even the manager and her friends were entertained by watching the men fail?

There was a lot here she didn’t understand.

She glanced up at the screen and saw Citrine go to the main club double doors and open it for two women to walk in. Kelsey sat up slightly, eyes narrowing, as she watched the two women walk toward Adrien and Sever.

One of them definitely had her eyes all over Adrien, and Kelsey didn’t like the way she was looking at him at all.

She heard popping noises from across the office and realized Dante had gotten up to make popcorn. When it was done, he poured it into multiple bowls and passed one over to her.

She munched it quietly, her eyes glued to the screen as the others laughed and chattered.

There was something about this situation that she just didn’t like.





Six





Adrien stared at the women in front of him with a growing sense of unease.

He didn’t like private appointments even on the best day, but after a hide-tearing speech by Citrine about his bad behavior, he was even less in the mood to deal with handsy human women.

And he recognized this one vaguely.

He didn’t know exactly when she’d been in here, but she had been, and a prickle ran up his back as she ogled him.

She was an older woman, middle-aged perhaps, and everything, from her carefully coiffed hair to her expensive handbag, bespoke money and what humans felt was class.

When she eyed him like a piece of meat, the predator in him reared up in outrage.

But right now he was defenseless, and if he didn’t please the powers that be, he would never get this ring off.

He detested everything about this situation.

What had he done in his past life, before being buried by an avalanche and waking up in this time, to deserve it?

It didn’t make it any easier that he knew Kelsey was watching in Robbie’s office. Dante liked to stay there with Ella and watch Adrien’s outbursts.

Today, Adrien was determined to behave.

He wouldn’t be mocked for an outburst, and he wouldn’t allow someone else’s classless behavior to make him lose his temper. After all, these were just human women. What could they do to a dragon, even one restrained as he was? For once, he would hold his tongue.

Part of him wanted to show Kelsey that he was better than the others thought he was.

Perhaps he had been a bit rude, a bit instantly judgmental with humans since awakening.

But when he and the other precious metal dragons had awakened, they’d been treated like trash by humanity. They’d had no idea how to survive, and without IDs and alone in a new world, they hadn’t been able to support themselves well. Even the precious metals they could produce seemed to only cause suspicion rather than appreciation.

Humans had looked at him as if they were better than him. As if he were nothing.

As a result, being forced to make nice with them while they tried to take advantage had been untenable.

Until now. Sending a smirk at the camera, he was determined to prove everyone wrong.

“Should we take this to another room?” Adrien asked, standing and extending a hand to the woman. She took it a little too long, trying to pull him forward slightly, though he held his ground.

She came forward to whisper in his ear.

“Yes. Another room, for certain.”

He jerked back, looking at her askance as he walked outside and down the hall with her. The room used for private appointments had a camera in it as well. Robbie allowed private appointments once a potential client had decided to hire a specific employee. He was almost positive he would turn her down after the consultation, but perhaps if he at least listened politely to her needs without any outbursts, he could get a good review from her.