Chapter 6
ADRIAN
I spent the next week circling back and forth between high and low points in my mood.
Typically, I woke up feeling low because my life wasn't going anywhere and I'd messed up my chances with a guy I'd never known I wanted.
By mid-afternoon, I usually convinced myself that I was being ridiculous and I didn't need that job anyway and I was going to find someone sooner or later.
And then my mood went back down while I lay awake at night because anxiety about everything kept me up.
Some nights I took care of that by jerking off. Which only served to make me feel worse in the end because I jerked off to thoughts of Tyrel and why the hell was I doing that?
I really had to get out of this funk. With every day that passed, it became less and less likely that I'd ever hear from the dragon again, and I couldn't spend the rest of my life pining over someone I'd met for barely ten minutes.
I'd run some searches on the Internet, trying to find information about dragon magic, but I hadn't found a lot of sources that seemed believable.
I had however found one site that wouldn't quite leave my mind, even though I'd discarded the information as unbelievable.
It had claimed that dragons were closer to the realm of the spiritual, the magical, than humans were.
That hadn't sounded too out there, but then the author had gone on to write that sometimes, dragons found themselves bound to their mates, whether they be human or dragon, by fate.
Connected by a higher power, their destinies inseparable.
It had sounded romantic. But it couldn't be true.
And it certainly couldn't be the reason I felt so attracted to Tyrel.
I shook my head at myself whenever my thoughts drifted to this kind of nonsense in the middle of the day. Still, I couldn't deny that by the time the week was over and I hadn't heard from Tyrel or his employees, I felt crushed.
I dragged myself out of bed Monday morning and greeted my brother at the kitchen table in a foul mood.
"What's got you so grumpy?" he asked. "Where's my waffles?"
You can stick your damn waffles up your ass, I thought, but I'd never say that out loud. Instead I said: "Be ready in a minute."
But before I could get my brother his waffles, my phone rang.
I answered the call without looking at the caller ID. "Adrian Lark."
"Adrian. Such a pleasure to talk to you again." I recognized that deep dark voice and a shudder went down my spine even before my brain could fully process who I was talking to.
"Tyrel," I breathed.
He was calling! I'd thought that if I heard at all, it'd be from some secretary, letting me know that they'd given the job to someone else.
He laughed into the phone, and even that sound was somehow threatening.
Why did I have such a hard-on for this guy?
"You sound surprised," he said.
"I am. I didn't think I'd hear from you again after…"
"After?"
"After I stormed off like that last time. It really wasn't much of an interview."
"But you've left quite the impression."
I felt a blush creep into my cheeks. God, had he told stories about me? Why was he calling now? To see if I'd do more funny things?
"I imagine you're wondering why I'm calling," he said, as if he could read my mind. "You're one of the lucky people I'd like to invite to our house here in the city."
He wanted to invite me! That meant I hadn't failed yet. I was moving a step up on the ladder—the ladder to having this dragon's baby.
Butterflies danced in my stomach as if they wanted to make room for a future inhabitant.
But what did he mean with 'one of the lucky people'….?
Slow down and listen, Adrian.
"How many others are you inviting?"
He made an amused noise and I pictured a grin on his face. "My mother hasn't quite decided yet whom of you I should like best."
"Have you decided?" I surprised myself by asking. I wasn't usually this bold.
"Maybe I have," he said in a teasing tone of voice. "But I'm not telling."
"Well. Why should I come to your house when I don't know if you even like me?"
"Silly Adrian. The same reason all of you applied. I'm dirty rich and you're after my family's money."
I looked out the kitchen window, watching the falling leaves as I listened to him. Was that really what he thought? "No," I said after a moment. "That's not why I applied."
"Really?" A hint of disbelief. A lot of curiosity. "Pray tell, why did you apply then?"
I smiled into the phone. "I'm not telling."
He laughed again, but this time, the sound had nothing threatening. "Is that how you want to play it?"
"It is."
"In that case, I'll give you another reason why you want to come to my house."
"Oh?"
"Because you want to kiss me." He said it like a simple, irrefutable fact, and for some reason, that made me shiver.
"Oh, do I?" Oh yes, I do. But even more than wanting to kiss Tyrel, I wanted him to kiss me.
Wanted him to pin me against a wall or any flat surface and take me for all I was worth.
But I wasn't going to tell him that over the phone.
If I had my wits about me, I wouldn't tell him anytime soon, if ever.
"I know you do," he said. "I could sense it."
"When you used your magic on me, you mean?"
For a few seconds, he was quiet. Then he chuckled. "What magic?"
So he wasn't going to admit to it, was he?
"Let's say I do come to your house," I said, "how many others like me will be there?"
"Oh, no one quite like you, Adrian."
I tried not to roll my eyes at the obvious come-on. "I meant, how many other applicants?"
"Not many," he assured me. "I don't suffer fools easily, and there were a lot of those."
But he didn't think I was a fool for running out on him? Exactly what were his criteria?
"Give me a number," I said.
"Five, including you. You'll all stay for a week, after which a decision will be made."
"Yeah, some of us might decide we can't suffer you any longer."
"You amuse me, Adrian."
That was good, because I had no idea what I was saying.
I was used to keeping my head down and taking all insults thrown my way, but somehow, talking to Tyrel brought out a side of me that I wasn't familiar with.
I wasn't yet sure if I liked it, but I liked talking to him.
It was easy and made me feel… braver than I was, talking to the dangerous dragon who could use his magic on me, but not fearing him.
"I'll come to your house," I said. "But then I'll want more information about all of this."
"That's fine," Tyrel said. "We'll talk. I look forward to it."
So did I, because the way he said talk let me know that he was referring to something else entirely and I'd been wanting that from the moment I'd laid eyes on him.
After Tyrel had given me instructions on when to be where, I hung up and almost immediately, my brother started in on the questions.
"Was that the dragon boy?"
"Yes, that was the dragon. Tyrel," I said, because he had a name, and I wanted my brother to learn and use it. I almost shook my head at myself, realizing that I was already acting as if Tyrel was going to play an important part in my life and become a family member.
Hit the brakes, Adrian.
But maybe getting ahead of ourselves ran in the family, because now my brother said: "So when will the baby be born?"
I laughed. "I don't have the job yet. I might not even get it.
There's still competition." Of course, Tyrel had made it sound like he'd already picked a favorite, but I had no way of knowing who that was.
The best I could do was hope. I sighed. How was I going to take another week of everything hanging up in the air?
"I'm sure you'll get it. Just make sure to let him know what he's missing if he doesn't pick you."
"And what exactly is that?"
"I'm just saying." My brother gestured with his hands. "I'm not into guys, and I'm your brother, so ew, but I can see the way your ass looks in those tight jeans you like."
"Dude!"
"Just saying!" He smiled, and I couldn't be mad at him. My foul mood was gone. What a difference a simple telephone call could make.
After we'd eaten breakfast, I made another call, knowing that I would never be forgiven if I forgot to share the good news with my best friend.
Luca answered her phone quickly.
"I haven't heard from you all week!" she said before I could even greet her.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't feeling so well. But I got good news."
"What kind of news?" she asked, sounding vaguely hopeful.
I know she wanted to ask me if I'd heard from the man I'd been pining after, but at the same time, she was too careful to ask me outright, in case that wasn't what I was about to tell her at all.
This was why I loved her so much. No matter how well her own life was going, she never forgot that I had my own things going on, too.
But I was even happier that I could share my happiness with her when there were happy things to be shared.
"I heard from him," I told her. "I guess I didn't mess up quite so badly after all. At least, I mean, he's still interested in me."
"Oh that's great! I was really hoping for you, Adrian."
Her words made me smile. "I know it's not like I got the job yet, but it's like a weight has been lifted from my heart.
" It was funny. A week ago, I would have told her that I wasn't interested in getting with a stranger.
Now it felt like my luck in life depended on it.
Probably not a healthy attitude, but not something I wanted to do anything about for the time being.
For the first time in a long time, I felt hopeful.
"Give me details," she said. "I want to know everything."
"Well, he wants me to come live in his house for a week."
"Oh. Things could happen," she said in a sing-song voice. "You'll have to keep me updated. I want to know everything."
"I will." I laughed, then turned serious again. "But there'll be other people, too."
"Other people?"
"Other applicants."
"So, competition."
"Exactly."
"Do you want this man?"
Did I? I swallowed, turning the question over in my head even when I already knew the answer, when a resounding yes was beating through my body with every heartbeat.
I wanted his body on top of mine, his voice in my ear, his tongue on my lips and his seed where it could grow into a baby.
"I want him. I do." It was all way too fast, but it was true.
"Mh…" She began to sound thoughtful, then her tone of voice turned devious. "Let me help you pick clothes."