The Dragon’s Aide (Charmed Away Temp Agency #2)

Chapter 40

CHAPTER FORTY

“You want to just sweep it all under the rug?” Mr. Brightbeak protested. “Mr. Van Buren has been volatile a lot longer than just after Mr. Silverbreeze showed up. And he threatened the life of a staff member!”

“A staff member who was making accusations about his mate and was recently found to be using the company card for personal luxuries. If she’s foolish enough to steal from the company and poke an angry dragon, she deserved the scare she got,” Taron commented.

Elijah nodded slowly in agreement. “Jade was uninjured, and no longer works here. She won’t be a problem anymore and Mr. Silverbreeze seems more than capable of handling his mate. Though, I suggest next time leaving together instead of jumping like that. I truly worried for your safety after the crash,” he added with a frown.

“That’s all I need to hear,” Mr. Hawksley said before Mr. Brightbeak could start arguing again. “Thank you, gentlemen.”

Elijah nodded politely and left. Mr. Brightbeak was less happy about it, but he followed, grumbling. Mr. Hawksley shot a pointed look at Taron, who pretended not to notice until Avery sighed.

“Taron, why don’t you come with me to the break room. I’m hungry and I’m sure you are, too.”

Taron beamed at him, pushing to his feet. “Excellent idea. Is it donut day? I love donuts.”

Ozen shook his head as he watched them go, amused. When he turned back to face them, Maverick’s grip tightened on Isaac’s and he held his breath. Ozen smiled at him.

“Relax. I didn’t invite you here to fire you. I wanted to have this meeting to see how you’ve progressed and if it was safe for you to return. You look better. More rested. Did your injuries heal alright?”

The relief hit him hard, and he slumped, which made Ozen and Isaac laugh. He didn’t care. He thought his career was over. Nothing would ever come close to working here, and he thought he’d be blacklisted after what happened anyway. Since it was all easily explained by the mating, it couldn’t be held against him.

“I’ll give him a minute. I’m assuming he’s doing well?” Ozen asked Isaac instead.

“Yes. He had a slight hiccup the day after because he shifted before he was ready, but the doctor said it was fine. And the only outburst he’s had since our mating was because my cousin is an asshole and totally deserved the reaming he got. I wouldn’t have been as nice about it if it’d been me dealing with him, honestly.”

Maverick snorted at that, lifting his head to smirk at his mate. “You really can’t stand him, can you?”

Isaac shrugged, unconcerned. “He kept flirting with you. I reserve the right to hurt him for that.”

While nowhere near as bad as Maverick, Isaac had his possessive moments, and Maverick thoroughly enjoyed them. He kissed his mate’s temple, breathing in the scent of strawberries and Isaac.

“So, when is it appropriate to say I told you so?” Ozen asked, a smug grin on his face when Maverick turned to face him.

Maverick rolled his eyes. “Unless you want me to start on you, I suggest you don’t. Are we done here? We have a lot of work to catch up on.”

“We?” Isaac asked, frowning at him.

Maverick frowned back. “Of course we. Why would you think otherwise?”

“I don’t know…” Isaac grimaced. “I mean, I was seriously reckless and I’m only a temp. I figured my contract would end after all that. I was going to go see Morana after you went back to work.”

His grip tightened on Isaac’s hand. “No.”

Isaac’s expression flattened. “That’s it? No. You can’t just say no, Maverick.”

Ozen chuckled, watching them argue. “Two lawyers in a relationship. You’re bound to butt heads often.” He raised an eyebrow at Maverick. “What do you suggest?”

“Make him a paid intern. He needs more training until he finishes his classes. Then we’ll hire him here. He’s formidable, even now. He’ll be a tyrant once he’s been certified.”

“Then we definitely want him on our side,” Ozen agreed. “I’ll have Colette start the paperwork. Are you sure you’re ready to come back today? You can have more time if you need it.”

Maverick shook his head. “I’m fine. But I’ll stay no later than five. Isaac has classes this evening and we need to start packing his apartment.”

“It took finding our mates for us to entertain the idea of a healthy work life balance,” Ozen chortled. “I’m glad. Take it easy coming back into it. We missed you around here, but you don’t need to destroy yourself to get the work done.”

He had no intention of pushing himself too hard again. He had a mate to focus on now. And once Isaac finished school, a partner he could trust to take on some of the work. He looked forward to it greatly.

The door to the apartment slammed so hard, the pictures on the walls shook. Maverick had been reading a book from Isaac’s shelf while waiting for his mate to return from his classes, but the wince from Isaac’s roommate told him the evening wouldn’t stay that peaceful. Isaac came into the room actually sparking, both flames and lightning popping off him like popcorn. Maverick was on his feet in an instant and at his mate’s side.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

He must have been too angry to speak because Isaac only shook his head, glaring so hard at the coffee table, Maverick was surprised it didn’t burst into flames.

“Larson?” Maeve asked.

That got them a sharp nod, but still no information. He got the feeling Isaac wouldn’t settle without a little help.

“Excuse us for a moment,” Maverick said, scooping his mate off his feet and into his arms. He brought them to Isaac’s room, setting the mage beside the bed and urging him to sit. Maverick sat next to him, taking Isaac’s hands between his. Now that they were mated, Isaac’s magic didn’t hurt him, but the little sparks tingled on his skin. He ignored it, pressing a kiss to Isaac’s forehead.

“Tell me what’s wrong.”

It came at him like a flood, angry telepathic energy slamming into him as his mate lost his shit inside his head. He didn’t even hear all of it, because the buzzing from Isaac’s anger drowned part of it out. What little he did catch pissed him off.

“... He said he wasn’t required to accept my mating as an excuse to miss class and the mating precedents had no jurisdiction in his classroom. Since I missed over a week, he failed me and he said when I had to repeat his class, he’d make it several times harder just to make sure I learned my lesson.”

“That’s not legal. Being a teacher doesn’t give him the right to dismiss legal protections.”

“Try telling him that!” Isaac finally said out loud. He was still glaring, though never at Maverick. The floor was getting the brunt of his anger at the moment.

“I will.”

That seemed to startle him out of his seething, and Isaac looked up owlishly. “What?”

“I’ll speak to him. You said before that he likes to contradict actual law practice in favor of his own opinion. Let’s see how long that will work against an actual lawyer.”

He expected an argument, Isaac didn’t like it when anyone inferred he couldn’t protect himself, but Isaac must have felt out of his depth, because he accepted Maverick’s offer with an eager grin.

“Yes! Let’s do that! When? Tomorrow? Or my next class is on Wednesday. Are you going to sue him?”

He was practically bouncing with excitement. Maverick chuckled, drawing his mate into his lap. “I don’t think I’ll need to go that far. Bullies like him are usually cowards in real life. And I’m betting putting him in his place will be humiliation enough. I might meet with the school board, though. If they keep him employed even though he ignores legal protections, I’d be surprised.”

“Ha! I’d love to see that.” He bumped his forehead against Maverick’s, throwing his arms around his neck. “Thank you. I’ll admit, I felt a little trapped. I wouldn’t have known what to do to fix it myself. Not yet, anyway.”

“Whatever you need, my heart, it’s yours. Including my expertise. I’ve been in this career for a long time. I will bury him if I have to.” And he certainly wanted to after the man upset his mate. He was going to regret it severely once Maverick was through with him.

“I’ve got the sexiest mate on the planet. I wonder what’s the best way to say thank you,” Isaac purred.

“I’m sure we can think of something,” he teased with a suggestive growl. Isaac bit his lip, rocking his hips a little, teasing them both.

They didn’t need to discuss what was going to happen next. Out of respect for his roommate, Isaac put up a silencing charm on the room before throwing himself at Maverick and tackling him to the bed. Maverick flipped them with a growl, licking and sucking at Isaac’s neck while he stripped him. Isaac’s fingers were busy doing the same, tracking each spot he knew drove Maverick wild. He felt feral by the time they were both naked and Isaac was no better. Lightning danced on his skin, sending tingles through Maverick wherever he touched. He groaned at the feeling, digging his fingers into Isaac’s now bright pink hair. He took the time to fix it that morning before their meeting because he said he felt naked without the color and his makeup. Maverick had been intrigued and asked to join him. Sitting on the edge of the tub watching his mate get ready for the day was just as effective as meditating.

Their tongues tangled, fighting for dominance, and Isaac’s needy noises picked up considerably. He felt rather than saw Isaac reaching towards the nightstand, but he was too thoroughly trapped under Maverick to move enough to grab it. That thought made Maverick grin, and he kept them there for a minute, grinding his hips against Isaac’s just to tease him.

“Oh, you evil, evil dragon,” Isaac panted against his mouth. “Stop torturing me!”

“Stop making it so fun,” Maverick countered, skimming his lips down the slender column of his neck and farther down to his nipples. Isaac squirmed and whimpered, but he still never used his magic to push. He liked leaving Maverick in charge. Just another way his mate was perfect for him.

Just the reminder that the beautiful man was his mate kicked Maverick into high gear. He reared up, snagged the lube off the nightstand and set to work stretching his mate. Isaac eagerly snatched the bottle away, squirting some into his own palm so he could slick up Maverick’s cock at the same time. Maverick choked on a groan, thrusting his hips into the circle of Isaac’s grip in time with the movements of his fingers.

“Oh gods, oh fuck. Maverick, get in me. Please!”

“Not yet,” he gritted out. “You’re not ready…”

Ready or not, Isaac was done waiting. He shoved Maverick’s shoulder hard, knocking him onto his back, and straddled his thighs. Without a second of hesitation, he notched the head of Maverick’s dick against his hole and sank down, impaling himself on it. Maverick’s head flew back on a loud groan, his fingers digging into Isaac’s hips as he sank lower until his ass was flush against Maverick’s thighs.

They both shuddered from the extreme pleasure, pausing for a moment to give Isaac’s body time to adjust. When he relaxed, Maverick drew him down for a gentle kiss, reminding him that they were mates and this was forever. It always made Isaac smile. Sitting up, Isaac gave him a sultry look.

“Ready for me to ride my dragon?”

A wicked grin swept across Maverick’s face. “Always. Show me what you’ve got, little mage.”

Like always, Isaac had no problem meeting a challenge head on.