Fired by my Grumpy Dragon (Grumpy Monster Bosses #3)

EIGHT

Kivrayn

I can still taste Loren’s coffee-and-burnt-cinnamon scent on my tongue half an hour later when I leave the coffee shop. I didn’t know she frequents this place. I sure as hell didn’t follow her here like some kind of pathetic loser.

Will that stop me making this my new regular?

I sigh, rubbing at the base of my horns. Likely not, now that her scent is back in my nostrils. I thought I was doing well. Two weeks isn’t very long and it’s perfectly normal to be thinking about her regularly. At least it wasn’t every moment of the day.

Just every other moment.

In disgust, I throw my empty takeout cup in the trash and stalk onto the sidewalk. I will not follow her scent just to find out where she’s working now. There are only two options anyway. Heartstone has three auction houses, and one of them, Cartwrights, only deals with furniture and bulky items. I doubt she would have picked it. The way her scent trail points to the right, down the slope of the hill toward the harbor, tells me the answer anyway: Windhams.

Goddamn useless information seeing as I’m trying to avoid her, not chase her tail like some lovesick werewolf.

I shove my hands in my pockets and glare at my feet in front of me all the way to the glass facade high-rise of my office. Today is the day I stop thinking about her altogether. Turn my mind to other things.

For a while, I manage it, distracted by the morning's tasks, focused on making pleasant small talk in the office, checking in on my staff. The office seems quieter since Loren left. Everyone seems to be holding their breath, wondering if they’re next. Despite the story I gave everyone about her leaving to pursue other career goals, they all seem to know what happened.

It figures.

I bet she messaged her best buddy Simon on her way out the door of my estate.

I reach up to absently massage a tight spot on my neck. As if conjured by my black thoughts, Simon puts his head around the doorway to my office. “Hey, boss. Got a minute?”

I sigh. “Yes. Come in.”

He enters and sits at the chair in front of my large wooden desk. He clears his throat. “I have an update for you on the item you asked me to keep my eye on.”

I sit forward, interested. Is now the time I finally get my mother’s diamond necklace back?

“Ah, yeah,” Simon goes on, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “Seems like the seller isn’t interested in your offer. Wants to offer it for public sale.”

I curse. The offer I made was more than generous. Damn money-grabbing humans. I’m certain she smelled my obsession and knew this was an opportunity to extract more from me. She’s not wrong either.

“Yeah, sorry. I tried, but she was really firm on that. ”

I give Simon a nod. “Fine. Let me know when it’s listed, and I will make sure it’s mine. Is that all?”

He hesitates. “You know, I was thinking, sometimes a face-to-face meeting can be far more convincing than speaking with someone over the phone. What if I was to go to London to make the offer for you in person?”

I consider. My tail flicks against the leg of my chair. “That’s not a bad idea.”

Simon looks relieved.

“Perhaps I’ll go myself. Let me check with Orna and see if she can clear my schedule for a week or so. I think you have a busy month.”

Simon gives me a tight smile. “I do, but you know I’d be happy to help out.”

I try to soften my glower. It’s not his fault his face is oddly shaped and his voice annoys me. He really is a very good employee. I wish I liked him more.

I refuse to think about the fact that I liked him perfectly well before Loren started working here.

“Thank you. I appreciate your dedication.”

He leaves and I call my assistant in to look over my calendar with me. In the end, we clear a good portion of time, and I task her with finding me the next good flight. I’d rather fly myself, but Heartstone to London is a long way, and what with one thing and another, I’m a little out of practice. My wing muscles would be sore after a flight like that, and I’d rather avoid the lingering back pain if I can.

The best Orna can do in first class is next Monday. It’s later than I’d like, but since the necklace hasn’t actually gone up for sale, it might work. Even if it does, it is such a big-ticket item that whatever auction house they use will likely advertise it for a few weeks before the sale. There’s still time. And the seller can withdraw it from the auction even after it’s been listed, if I’m convincing enough.

I thank Orna and ask her to begin arranging my trip. It feels good to have this to keep my mind busy. That way I might be able to avoid obsessing about Loren.

It’s 8:30 a.m. and I am absolutely not lurking on the pavement outside her favorite coffee shop waiting to see if she turns up this morning. I tuck my phone into the inside pocket of my suit jacket with a little growl. This is pathetic. I promised myself I wouldn’t do it, but my feet sort of carried me here without my permission.

When I catch a glimpse of her coming around the corner, I duck out of sight, claws extending and wings flexing with agitation. This is a new low.

I’m considering how to watch her without revealing my presence once she goes inside when she stops in the doorway, an unreadable expression on her face.

An enormous orc ducks his head to exit and pauses, looking at Loren. I might not be able to read her expression, but I recognize the look on his beefy face all too fucking well. Struck dumb by her beauty. I hope to god I don’t look that damn stupid when I look at her.

“Loren!”

I growl under my breath when I hear him use her name. How does this lumbering beast know her ?

She steps out of his way, and I can’t see her face any longer. “Oh, Erik. Hi.”

The orc still doesn’t move. There’s a pause. “Hey, it’s lucky I ran into you. I was just thinking about you actually.” He lifts an enormous-sized takeout cup. “I was about to take this out, but we’re a bit early. Maybe I can stay and we can have our coffee together?”

“Maybe another time, Erik. I’m trying to be early this week. Make a good impression.”

He smiles, nodding slowly like his tiny brain is still parsing her words. “Oh sure. Good idea.” He steps aside and I think that’s the end of that, but as she enters the shop, he follows.

Smothering a curse, I race around to the back entrance, slipping in through the open door behind a harpy with a tall hairdo, hoping Loren doesn’t see me.

I’m safe. She’s too focused on her huge green friend.

I missed a chunk of their conversation, but he’s still standing too close to her, blocking my view. “...maybe tomorrow night?”

I hiss. What is tomorrow night? Did he just ask her on a date? Did she accept?

“Excuse me, sir. Were you waiting for a table?” A young waitress with choppy fringe and a septum piercing gives me a bright smile. I almost snap at her to get out of my way before I remember myself. “No. I’m just going to order a takeout. Thank you.”

She gestures toward the line, but I hang back. If I line up, I’ll have to do so right behind Loren.

“Sure. Sounds great,” Loren is saying.

What sounds great?

“Brilliant. We can go straight after work. I know a great little place by the water.”

The barista hands Loren a coffee and I glare as the two walk out the front entrance without looking around. What the hell just happened? Has this guy been on the scene for a while? He’s far too big and stupid for her. She’ll walk all over him. She deserves a male who can give her what she really needs: a good spanking to put her in her place.

Shaking off the needlessly erotic thoughts of turning her over my knee, I step up to the counter and order my coffee. It tastes like ash in my mouth, especially given I don’t especially like hot beverages. I should have ordered my usual iced latte, but I was too distracted with thoughts of Loren and read the first thing off the menu.

After taking two sips, I toss the damn thing in the trash somewhere on the walk to the office.

I need to get myself together.

I absolutely will not stalk her after work to find out what the hell is going on here. I will stay in my office until a reasonable hour and get my work done. The work I really need to get ahead on before my trip.

But when I get to the office, I stare distractedly out the window, dreaming about opening it up and flying out to lurk on the rooftop of Windhams warehouse, waiting for her just so I can follow her home and find out where she lives.

Which is stupid.

We have that information on file and I could find it in a second if I wanted it.

Which I don’t.