Chapter 22
22
S teel
The male wraps his arms around Jen and hugs her tightly. It’s too close and lasts too damned long for my liking.
I am in charge of the human’s wellbeing. Of her safety. I start to step forward, getting ready to say something, when they pull away from each other. Jen is first, and Logan does so with reluctance.
“I’ve had such a good time,” he says. The male takes her hand as he speaks.
I would gag but hold it back. Holy fuck, but this is irritating to witness. This male is a huge fucking sap.
“Me, too.” Jen smiles.
He squeezes her hand. “I can’t believe how quickly time has flown by. Are you sure you have to go already? That you can’t stay a little longer?”
We’ve been here for hours and fucking hours. Enough already.
Jen nods. “I’m afraid I have to go. I’m sorry.” She looks like she means it, like she wishes she could stay. “It’s getting dark, and some of the staff need to get home to their families. If it were up to me…” She chews on her lip.
The male’s eyes move to her mouth. I don’t blame him for looking. Her lips are pink and lush. Jen is beautiful. Her mouth is one of my favorite things about her. I immediately think of her gasping for air when my fingers hit her G-spot. Of her mouth falling open as she came all over my hand. So fucking pretty.
Mine!
My dragon has decided that he wants her, but he can go to hell. I’m the one in charge. Not him! Dragons have no grasp of reality. Of what is possible and of what is not.
“I get it. I understand,” Logan says. “One thing before you go…”
“What is that?”
I roll my eyes. He’s going to kiss her. He’d better not kiss her. Not a fuck!
“Would it be okay if…?” He pulls on her hand, bringing her closer so that there is barely any space between them. “If I kissed you?” He’s looking at her mouth again and moving in.
“No.” I step forward. “No kissing is permitted, by order of the general,” I say, lying through my teeth. I immediately expect Logan to call me out on my bullshit, but he doesn’t.
“Oh!” His eyes widen for a moment. “I didn’t realize. He didn’t mention it…but yes, shit! Of course. I should have known.”
“Thank you for an amazing afternoon.” Jen stands up on her tippy toes and kisses Logan on the cheek.
My dragon gets restless. The bastard has been rearing his ugly head often since we saved Jen from the duke. He’s all kinds of possessive and protective. I wish he would stop already.
“I really hope I’ll see you again very soon,” the male says, making puppy dog eyes at Jen.
“You will.”
“I hope you pick me, Jen. We could have an amazing life together.” I’m pretty sure if he was in dragon form, his tail would be wagging, and he’d be drooling. “I know you have more candidates to meet. I’m not the wealthiest or the most powerful, but I would cherish you for all the rest of your days.”
I have to look away. It’s far too sappy. The male needs to grow a pair.
They say their goodbyes – at long fucking last – and we go to the vehicle. Logan trails behind us, staying ten feet back.
“Miss Harris,” I say, opening the door for her.
“Thank you, Steel.” She gets in.
We soon pull away. Jen waves at Logan. He walks behind our vehicle, waving like a complete asshole.
“He’s nice,” Jen says.
I grunt.
“You don’t think so?”
“It isn’t up to me, so what do you care what I think?” I practically bark at her.
“I value your opinion.”
“Well, then…” I rub my chin. “In that case, I think he’s… Actually, do you know what? Nice is a good word to describe him. That and soft…seriously fucking soft.” I’m being an asshole, but I can’t seem to help it.
“Logan isn’t soft. What’s soft about him?”
“Everything. He let you pick the movie. Big fucking mistake.” I shake my head.
“He’s a gentleman. A gentleman lets the lady pick on their first date.”
“Is that what this was? I thought it was a meet and greet. A date is different.” I sound like a jealous asshole. I’ve never been jealous. Not a day in my life. “For the record, the movie you picked was terrible. My eyes almost started bleeding. It was—”
She gasps. “‘50 First Dates’ is a classic. What are you talking about? Logan laughed his ass off. I knew he would enjoy it because he’s a nice guy.”
“You mean to tell me you’ve watched that movie before? You watched it, and you actually chose to watch it again? Like on purpose?”
“Yes, of course I’ve watched it before. I wanted him to watch it, too. I love Drew Barrymore; she’s one of my favorite actresses.”
“Nope, he didn’t enjoy it much at all. He watched you more than he did the movie. I caught him ogling your tits and your legs. That’s what he enjoyed watching. Not that movie. No fucking way.” I need to shut the hell up. I’m sounding more jealous by the second. I’m not! It isn’t that. Jen asked for my opinion and I’m giving it to her. I’m pointing out what she didn’t see.
She gasps again. “Bullshit! He was nice. Nice guys don’t…do things like that.” She shakes her head. Is she really this na?ve?
I laugh. “He might be nice, but that didn’t stop him from looking at you a whole hell of a lot. Oh, and that crap about enjoying ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’…” I shake my head. “That’s all bull.”
“No, it isn’t! He enjoyed the movies. Why would he say he enjoyed something when he didn’t?”
I snort, but it quickly turns into a barked-out laugh. “He told you that to get on your good side, namely between your legs.” I’m being blunt but honest. Surely, she knows all of this?
Our driver’s eyes shift to the rearview mirror. I narrow mine on him, telling him to mind his own fucking business, which he does.
Jen gasps loudly. Her eyes are wide. Her mouth stays open for a few seconds as she glares at me. “I can’t believe you said that. Actually, I can. I think we should drop this whole conversation and right now, please.”
I shrug. “You asked for my opinion.”
“Well, I’m very sorry that I did. I won’t be asking you again.”
“Good.” I realize that I haven’t been searching for Lake like I normally would be and turn my gaze outside where it belongs.
We finish the rest of the trip in silence. It doesn’t take long before we arrive at the palace.
Jen is already out of the vehicle by the time I get to her side. She doesn’t even look at me as we start walking. We go through the reception, which is busier than normal.
We’re about to go down the hallway that leads to the elevators when a familiar voice calls out to Jen.
“Hey! Jen! Wait up,” he says, jogging to us.
It’s Rex. No! Fuck! Not now. Actually, not ever.
His eyes are lit up. His gaze is firmly on the human. “I was hoping to run into you.” He pulls her into a hug.
I’m not sure where it comes from. Actually, I do…it’s my asshole dragon. He is done with all of these males touching what he considers to be his. It doesn’t matter how much I explain to him that Jen is not for us, he refuses to agree or to believe it.
Rex’s hand goes straight to her lower back as he pulls her in…all the fucking way in. He buries his face in her hair and inhales.
Hoping to run into us? More like waiting for us. I snarl. It isn’t overly loud, but it is warning enough to have Rex leap back. He lets the female go. His eyes are wide.
“Not today,” I tell him. “Miss Harris is late for an appointment.” I take her arm and march down the hallway.
“Sorry, Rex. Next time,” Jen says over her shoulder.
“No problem,” the male says, sounding a little shell-shocked, which is good. It appeases my dragon somewhat.
I feel like a grade-A prick. I need to stop this behavior. I need to dial it back by fifty damned notches.
I push the button three times in succession as we reach the elevator, and the doors open almost immediately, which I take as a win. The sooner we get to the apartment, the sooner I can calm the fuck down. I need to calm down. I’m being ridiculous and acting completely out of character.
“What was that?” Jen asks as we go inside. I can’t say I blame her for calling me out on my shitty attitude.
“Me doing my job,” I tell her as we start to go up. I know it probably won’t fly but I need her to drop it.
“That was mean and rude and… I don’t know what that was, Steel, only that I didn’t like it.”
“That’s too bad, Jen. I’m doing my job, and it is my job to get you safely back to the apartment. It’s my job to keep you safe, full-fucking-stop.”
“Rex wasn’t going to hurt me.”
“You are vulnerable in public places.”
We march down the hallway that takes us to the apartment.
“I thought it was your job to keep me from running away. What happened back there didn’t feel like you were keeping me safe. Rex is harmless.”
Harmless, my ass.
“My job is to keep you safe, even if that means keeping you safe from yourself.” I unlock the door, and she goes inside.
“What does that even mean? You can keep me safe without being an asshole, you know? What has gotten into you?” She turns and glares daggers at me. She’s beautiful when she’s mad. I think I might be screwed.