The Dragon's Choice: A Dragon Shifter Romance (Bluewater Dragons Book 3) Read online

  Well, I didn’t mind if she stayed home or wanted to work. Whatever was fine. The family, the devotion. That’s what was important.

  “Porter!” An older man met me in the lobby. “Right on time.” He held out his hand and shook mine firmly. “Richard Gilbert. A pleasure to meet you.”

  The receptionist stood and opened the door for us, nodding at us both as we walked by. He was noticeably young, perhaps an intern. “Porter, I know we spoke on the phone about a position in our family law department, but after talking to your old partners and seeing your case history, I’d like to talk to you about something else.”

  He took me to a conference room where two other men sat chatting at the end of a big conference table. “Porter, meet my partners. My brother, Jeremiah Gilbert, and our third partner, Victor Fell.”

  It wasn’t really what I expected of an interview, but maybe they did things differently here. “Nice to meet you all. Thank you for having me.”

  I shook their hands and joined them at the table.

  “Porter, I’m going to get straight to it,” Richard said. “I’m retiring at the end of this year and we still haven’t found a suitable replacement. We’ve been interviewing but nobody fits the bill. I’m mighty impressed by you, son, and would like to talk to you about possibly becoming a partner.”

  I raised my eyebrows and looked at each of them in turn. “That’s quite an honor.”

  “This isn’t a job offer, you understand,” Mr. Fell said. “It’s more an invitation to spend more time with us and see if you might be a good fit.”

  I nodded dumbly. “That makes sense, you want your new partner to mesh with the two of you.”

  “Exactly,” Richard said.

  We spent some time discussing the caseloads, employee numbers, and other things firm partners had to concern themselves with. After a half-hour of talking, I knew I wasn’t ready for a position like this. “Gentlemen, as flattered as I am, I’m going to have to pass. I’m still very interested in your position in family law, and wouldn’t refuse you in the future, I don’t think. But I’m hoping to meet someone and start a family before too long. I’d hate to be putting in the kind of time a partner has to commit to with a young family at home.”

  Richard ducked his head. “I can respect that. We’ll pass our information to the hiring manager in that department. I don’t see any issue with adding you to the team there. And who knows? My brother is ten years younger than me. Maybe by the time he retires in a decade, you’ll be ready for the promotion.”

  I grinned widely. “That actually sounds amazing. Thank you.”

  Richard signaled to someone at the door and held up a finger to me. “Stay for lunch, son, we’ve already ordered it. I’d like to get to know you a bit better.” He stood. “Come on, they’re laying us out a big spread in the other conference room. And maybe by the time we eat, I might have you changing your mind.”

  Mr. Fell chuckled as we followed. “He’ll wear you down. He’s good at that. The best way you could’ve gotten a job offer from Rich is by refusing him.”

  I was sure I wasn’t ready for a partner position, but it was flattering all the same.

  As we walked into the hall, toward the left, a movement to our right caught my gaze. As soon as I turned my head, shock and revulsion filled my gut. What in the hell was she doing here?

  Kaylee spotted me seconds after, and her steps fumbled for a second. Of all the… Why was she there? She headed toward us wearing a somewhat-tasteful blue dress that flared at her knees. My eyes traveled down her shapely legs, unable to look away from her little feet in the matching blue shoes. Damn it.

  But then Richard noticed her. “Kaylee,” he said, her name a caress on his lips. He was obviously beyond thrilled to see her. He veered around and walked toward her. “You came.” He touched her shoulders gently and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.

  Oh, freaking gross. Of course, she had a client here. Now I couldn’t take this job. This woman, who shouldn’t have been anything to me, was showing up in the most unlikely places. I would’ve thought she was stalking me if Richard hadn’t clearly known her.

  Richard passed by the rest of us as we waited politely, with Kaylee on his arm. She glanced at me out of the corner of her eyes with her nose in the air.

  They led the way to the other conference room where wraps and other deli selections were spread out all over the conference table.

  “Excuse me,” Richard said. “I’ll be right back. Little boys’ room.” He headed back out into the hall and closed the door behind him.

  Kaylee turned to me as soon as the other partners moseyed to the far end of the table and busied themselves with filling plates. “What are you doing here?” she hissed.

  “I’m here for a job interview.” I didn’t bother asking why she was here. It was obvious. “I guess you’re here to collect from your sugar daddy so you can steal my house from me. I’m guessing you’re the reason the realtor is dragging her feet?”

  She smirked and tossed her long, honey-blonde hair over her shoulder. “I don’t need a sugar daddy to buy my house.”

  The door opened and Richard came through. “Oh, so you know my granddaughter?” he asked when he saw us talking.

  His… granddaughter?

  Oh, fuck. Kaylee’s face spread into a big, smug grin. “Porter lives nearby in Bluewater, Gramps.”

  Shit. I’d really fucked this up.

  “Well, nice that you’ll have someone nearby to show you the area,” Richard said and beamed at Kaylee. “I’m sure my granddaughter would love to show you the sites.” He winked at her. “Porter here is in family law.”

  He pulled out a chair for her and made a plate as she sat and beamed at me. “That’s so interesting. What made you get into family law?”

  “Here, boy, make yourself a plate. I’d make one for you, too, but I don’t know what you like. I know my Kay-kay here.” He set a plate in front of her and she blew him a kiss.

  “Perfect, Gramps. Thanks.” She took a big bite of her wrap and continued smiling at me as she chewed.

  I grabbed a sandwich blindly and snatched a bottle of water before plopping down in the chair across from Kaylee. “This is nice, thank you. I don’t think I’ve ever been fed at a job interview.”

  Mr. Gilbert, who I supposed was Kaylee’s great-uncle, chuckled. “This is a bit out of the ordinary for us as well, but you’ve piqued Richard’s interests now.”

  Richard puffed up and patted his chest. “Oh, I’m just a nosy old man.” He made his own plate and told me about himself. “My son is Kaylee’s father. We had a falling out many, many years ago. I didn’t even know Kay-kay existed until she was eighteen. By then, she didn’t need a gramps. She’d been on her own too long.”

  She stared at me as he spoke, daring me to comment on that.

  I understood it too well. I judged her choice in careers, but I wouldn't judge her for a rough upbringing.

  “But I wore her down. And now I have a beautiful granddaughter in my life. I’m a lucky man.” He sat down and patted her hand. “I couldn’t ask for more.”

  Kaylee’s face softened as she looked at her grandfather. “Me too, Gramps. Love you.”

  Her glare returned when she looked back at me.

  I lowered my gaze. I wouldn’t challenge her here. She resented me, and even with the thought of having to run into her here at the office, I still wanted this job. I liked Richard and the other two partners. They seemed like fair men.

  We made small talk and I told the partners more about my case records as we ate. Eventually, though, Mr. Fell checked his watch. “Gentlemen, we have another appointment in five minutes.”

  They stood, and Kaylee and I followed quickly. “Excuse us,” Richard said as he squeezed Kaylee’s arms again. “I meant to walk you out, Porter, but Kaylee, can you do that for me? I’ve got to go grab some files for this next meeting.”

  “Of course, Gramps.” She beamed at him. “I’ll talk to you soon.”


  “Porter, boy, you expect a call from me soon,” Richard said with a significant look.

  They left and Kaylee’s entire demeanor changed. She stiffened and glared at me. “Don’t worry about your job. I wouldn’t rat you out to Gramps. But you do need to retract your bid on that house.”

  I recoiled. “Are you giving me an ultimatum?” That was pretty low, even for her.

  “I am. I want that house. Enough to fight dirty.” She raised her eyebrows and waited for me to meet the challenge. “Will you do it?”

  Damn. “Stop being a brat.” I seethed as I tried to think of a way to keep the house and the job… and get this bitch out of my life.

  “I’m not being a brat. I’m going after what I want, and you’re standing in my way.” She stepped closer, indicating she wouldn’t be backing down no matter what.

  Having her body so close to mine turned me on, and if I was honest, so did her challenging behavior. I was an alpha, with an alpha personality in all aspects of life. Nobody challenged me.

  The fact that she thought she could, and that it made me want her, royally pissed me off. She was being a brat and that’s all there was to it.

  “Recall your bid.” She turned with a flounce and walked out of the conference room, leaving me standing in an empty room full of leftover food, gaping at the spot she’d just stood.

  I made my way home, and by the time I walked back into my tiny fucking loft, my blood was boiling. My dislike for Kaylee grew every time I saw her.

  I had to figure out a way to bring her down a peg or two.

  5

  Kaylee

  My coffee cooled rapidly as I stared at the time on my phone. As soon as it turned over to 9:00 a.m., I was ready to hit the button and call Gazelle. I had to know if Porter did as I told him to do. I’d done special sessions all week and had several lined up. I’d had a great idea, doing sessions by invite only, at a premium price. That way the subscribers didn’t know the others had been invited and wouldn’t realize how many I was doing. I’d made a good bundle, but it wasn’t enough to get the loan. Not yet.

  The time shifted to 9:00, and I tapped the green button to call Gazelle, then tapped my manicured fingernails on my kitchen table as it rang.

  “Dawson Realty, this is Gazelle.” Her smooth, professional voice only made my gut clench harder. She had bad news for me. I just knew it as sure as I knew I needed to go for a bikini wax this week.

  “Hey, Gazelle.” My nervousness didn’t show up in my voice. “I just wanted to touch base about the house. Tell me I’m the only one with an offer in.” If it was just me, then I had time to get the rest of the down payment together, enough to put the total cost of the house down in the range the bank was willing to loan.

  The problem was that I’d made more money this year than last. And the banks didn’t care much what I made this year. They only cared what was on my tax returns. And I hadn’t made nearly as much the last two years as this one.

  Damn taxes. They were a beast. Always.

  Gazelle sighed. Damn it. My fears were well founded. She was about to give me bad news.

  “I’m sorry, Kaylee. Mr. Reed-Collins hasn’t retracted his offer.”

  My blood boiled. How dare he? He could’ve gotten any other home. And shit, he was going to be working an hour away. Why not get a home closer to his new job? This house wasn’t for him.

  It was for me.

  Maybe if I went to my grandfather, I could get him to put pressure on Porter or pay for the house in full. Then I could pay him back within a year. He was loaded. He’d be able to write a check, no problem.

  Gazelle was going on in my ear about how sorry she was, but I barely heard her. “It’s not your fault,” I muttered.

  There was no way I’d ask my grandfather for money. It was one thing to accept gifts from strangers for my job. But accepting money from him, for not being able to pay my own way… not an option.

  I’d worked hard all my life. And in one fell swoop, Porter was going to ruin what I’d dreamed about the whole time.

  It wasn’t like I hadn’t looked at other houses. None of them had spoken to me the way the big white house had. Something had clicked when I’d walked into that house.

  Asking my grandfather was tempting, but it just wasn’t how our relationship worked. He’d been heartbroken when he learned of my existence. He’d tried to make things up to me by buying me everything under the sun. But all I’d wanted was a relationship with him.

  At that time, I was so jaded by the world, I couldn’t have accepted even the smallest gift. It took a long time before I did.

  I wasn’t to the point of borrowing for a house, though. Not yet. Maybe in another decade.

  I sighed. “Gazelle.” She stopped yammering on her apologies. “How much was Porter’s bid?”

  Her sigh mimicked mine. “I’m sorry, Kaylee. I can’t tell you that.”

  Of course not.

  “All I can say is that it was more than yours.”

  Damn it! I was being totally ripped off, but what could I do about it? I’d be damned if a pompous asshole like Porter was going to take the house away from me. I wasn’t about to fold.

  I’d find a way to offer as much as possible to go along with what the bank would lend me so I could outbid him.

  “Keep stalling for me, Gazelle. I’m going to figure out how to come up with more money, okay?”

  “You got it, friend. I hope you do it, but I’m probably going to have to move forward on Monday.”

  “Okay. Thanks, Gazelle. I owe you one.”

  I tapped the red circle to hang up and sighed. Time to up the ante.

  Moving to my computer, I set up a few things. First, I decided to be honest. I posted in my chat room that I needed to raise some funds for a down payment on a house and that I’d be doing some fun stuff this weekend.

  I set up an auction so the subscribers could bid on what I’d wear on my next live show, and then what I’d do on it.

  After that, I set up an auction for the top three bidders who would each get a private show. Doing multiple shows per day would be draining, but if it did the trick, I wasn’t going to complain.

  Tonight, I did a regular show, and reminded people to check the chat for the auctions. It went okay, but I definitely needed more. It was a good start.

  Saturday morning, I decided to do another live show, so before I went to bed, I emailed my followers to let them know I’d be on again. By the time I showered and was ready to roll, I had a good number of followers online.

  I gave them everything I had. Real orgasms. I even squirted, which was extremely difficult for me to make myself do. Everything I could think of from butt plugs to my suction-cup dildo. On and on until I was exhausted and had to stop. By the time I turned off the cameras, it had turned into my longest live yet.

  As tired as I was, I couldn’t resist a nap. Before I closed my eyes, I checked my account balance. When the total popped up on the screen, I gasped.

  I’d more than doubled what was in there, and that included last night plus a couple of extras I’d done during the week. It wasn’t enough, but it put me so much closer to my goal.

  My heart pounded with anticipation as I settled down and tried to relax. I was really going to do this.

  I ended up sleeping until well after dark. I got online and chatted with a few regular subscribers and checked on the auctions while I ate a sandwich, and then went back to sleep.

  Orgasms really took it out of me.

  The doorbell pulled me from a deep sleep. I’d woken up again in the night and did a little work, now I just wanted to sleep in.

  “Kaylee, open up! It’s Wayne.” He pounded on the door this time. “My hands are full.”

  Oh, shit. I’d totally forgotten he was coming. “Hang on!” I yelled. Launching from bed, I grabbed my terrycloth bathrobe and tied it on as I unbolted the door.

  Wayne Parsons stood at the top of the rickety stairs outside my apartment, looking irritated, one eyebrow
arched, and his arms crossed.

  He’d put down the bags of groceries, which was about three times as much as I would’ve been able to carry up. “You forgot again.”

  With an apologetic glance, I stepped outside and grabbed a handful of the reusable shopping bags surrounding my friend and personal chef. “No, I…”

  He sniffed and I stopped trying to defend myself.

  As I turned to carry in a small portion of the groceries he’d hefted up the long staircase, I sighed. “I’m sorry! I fell asleep early last night, and it slipped my mind.”

  “I forgive you,” he called through the doorway. I looked back to see him sliding his arms through all the bag handles again.

  His arms bulged as he lifted. Nice. Wayne was some lovely eye candy, which explained why he’d been so hard to hire. He stayed booked. I’d had to pay extra for weekend service.

  It wasn’t just his good looks that kept him busy. His food was damn amazing.

  As he unpacked a bunch of meals he’d prepared at home and stuck them in the freezer, I turned on the coffee maker and leaned against the counter to wait for it to brew. “Do you think you get better tips because you’re handsome?” I asked.

  Wayne paused with a foil tray in his hand. He’d written Low Carb Stir Fry on the top. He would cook big meals at home then divvy them up for his single clients who didn’t need large meals. Like me.

  Laughing, he shook his head as he continued toward my freezer with the prepared food. All I had to do was pop it in the oven. He even wrote the reheating instructions on the top of the foil. “I’d like to think it’s because of my skill.” He shut the freezer door and shrugged. “But it’s probably a lot like being a good-looking bartender. The drinks may be great, but the eye candy is a pretty good bonus.”

  “Can I ask something a little more personal?” I bit my lip, unsure if I should be asking him. But he’d been chatting with me every time he came, and we’d learned a lot about each other. If anyone would be tactfully honest with me, Wayne would.