Silver(15)

That would get Citrine off his back for a minute.

All of this was completely ridiculous considering the things he could be doing in the world right now if he had his real powers.

But as it stood, the only power he possessed was the power to control his own reactions in the moment.

He pushed the door open for her and let her walk into the room first. He held a chair out and she sat, grinning at him. He took a chair across from her and took out his phone, clicking open a notepad.

“So what is your purpose in coming to Date-A-Dragon today?” he asked calmly, looking up at her.

The pure hunger in her eyes made a rock form in his stomach.

Dammit.

He took a long, steadying breath, determined not to let this affect him. “So you need an escort for an upcoming function?”

She scooted her chair forward until she was knee to knee with him. Then her hand wandered onto his leg, squeezing. “I need an escort, yes.” Her eyes met his suggestively.

He took another deep breath and scooted his chair back. The urge to react, to slap her hand away, to scream at her, rose in him like bile, but he pushed it down and focused back on his phone.

“If you could give me your scheduled date,” he said, keeping his tone neutral and professional. “Then I could…”

He trailed off as she shocked him by settling on his lap, moving suggestively. He jerked back, but her arms wound around his neck.

“Madam,” he said in a tight voice, too shocked by how far she was going to figure out exactly what he should do. He didn’t believe in hitting any female, but how exactly was he supposed to get out of this situation?

A vein twitched at his temple. Was this what happened when he tried to drop his prickly exterior and be polite to people? A snarl rose deep inside him as he glared at her face.

“Get off of me,” he said tightly.

“Oh, come on,” the woman said, again moving against him suggestively. He felt as if he would throw up. “A man like you, young, enterprising. I’m sure you have needs. Needs I can meet.”

“I highly doubt that,” he said drily, keeping his hands fisted at his sides. What was Citrine thinking about this? What did he expect him to do right now? Surely, this was the right time to yell and push someone off of him.

But given her position, he kind of wondered if he’d hurt her, trying to shove her off.

She reached toward his head. “And you’re injured. What a pity. Must be rough out there for a male escort. If you were mine, I’d keep you in only the best places. Nothing would ever happen to you.”

A snarl curved his lips. The idea of this human setting herself up as his protector when he was one of the most powerful beings on earth, despite his current situation, was completely disgusting.

“I’ll tell you just once more. Get off me,” he said tersely, keeping the last threads of his temper intact.

She reached her hand to his face, and he jerked back. “At least let me taste you before you make up your mind.”

Her lips came toward his, and as he jerked back as hard as he could, eyes wide as her grasping hands tried to jerk his face toward her, he heard the door slam open.

Thank heavens.

He looked over to yell at Citrine for taking so long but stopped when he saw Kelsey standing in the doorway, hands in fists, looking mad as hell.

What was she doing there?



Kelsey didn’t wait for anyone to tell her what was right. She didn’t need permission to pull this uppity bitch off the man who had rescued her.

The others might think whatever they wanted about Adrien, his snobbery, his cruelty.

But last night, he’d come to her rescue, and right now, she’d do the same for him.

She strode straight to the woman, who gave her only a bored glance before turning back to her quarry, and grabbed her by her Chanel-covered shoulders.

With a hard yank, she pulled her backward and off of Adrien. The woman shrieked and reached her hands back toward Kelsey, but Kelsey let go of her abruptly, and the woman lost her balance and hit the ground.

Kelsey brushed off her hands for dramatic effect as the woman glared up at her and then pushed herself to her feet. As she was about to gain purchase on her spindly heels, Kelsey stepped forward and planted her foot in the other woman’s stomach, making her fall back again with an, “Oof.”

“I suggest you stay down,” Kelsey said.

“This is outrageous,” the woman remarked, looking up at Adrien. “I could sue all of you. I could take your whole business.”

Adrien’s expression was implacable as he stared down at her, remaining on his chair.

“If you want us to hand over the tapes of your attempted assault, then sure,” Kelsey said, folding her arms and taking another step toward the cringing woman attempting to scoot backward away from her.