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

TWENTY THREE

Kivrayn

I manage to avoid Loren for the next two days. Nights hardly count. I spend those sleeping on the rooftop of her hotel.

It irks me that it’s giving her an advantage. No doubt she’s using the time wisely. Probably cozying up to Jenny.

I just don’t know how to control myself around her. So I avoid leaving my room completely.

The night in the bar, I had every intention of leaving her trembling with no orgasm at all. And when it came to it, when she was coming for me over and over and begging for my cocks as sweetly as any woman has ever begged me, I couldn’t resist.

At least I didn’t actually bite her. Didn’t give her both at once.

Fuck.

Just the thought has me throbbing. The other reason I haven’t left my room outside the cover of darkness is because my cocks refuse to go soft. I’ve been in a semi-constant state of need since that night.

When I’ve jerked off so often they’re both sore, they finally shrink to a size I can fit into human clothing. Deciding it’s time to emerge, I book a car to Gracebourne .

When I arrive, the butler greets me cooly at the door. “Ms. Burbage is entertaining another guest on the lawn.” He sniffs. “She left specific instructions that you should join her if you made it today, but for pity’s sake, please don’t start an argument. She’s fragile today.”

This gives me pause. Jenny seems like the last human on earth one would call fragile. I know she’s sick, but that’s not the same thing.

When Haris leads me around the house and out to the east lawn, I see instantly what he means, though. Jenny slumps in her wheelchair, her face paler than when I saw her last. Her hands look withered and veiny where they grip the handles. Behind the chair, Loren pushes, saying something to Jenny I can’t quite make out.

She looks mouthwatering. Her long dark hair is loose today, straight and shiny where it falls over her shoulders. It’s a softer look than I’m used to seeing on her. I think it suits her.

As they spot me, Loren says something to Jenny and the older woman cackles.

Not so fragile after all.

Wonderful. Now these two are best buddies and no doubt Loren has poisoned Jenny’s mind against me.

When I greet her, though, both Jenny and Loren smile at me. “I’m so glad you arrived in time for my exercise, such as it is,” Jenny says. “I get so bored now that I can’t get out much. My children never come to see me. I’m certain you two will liven things up, though.”

“Ms. Carandang always manages to keep things interesting. ”

Loren smirks at me from behind Jenny. “I could say the same about you.”

Of course, my mind is dragged all the way back to three nights ago, the moment when I buried my cock inside her pussy at the back of the bar.

I cough. “Yes. Well, perhaps I should come back another time. I would hate to be unsporting and interrupt Ms. Carandang’s chance to tell you all the reasons you shouldn’t choose me. I’m certain she’s been making you a list.”

Loren gives me a faux-innocent look.

Jenny laughs. “Could you blame her? Though I’m pleased to see you two getting along a little better today. Perhaps there’s hope for you. I was just asking Loren if you’ve come to an arrangement yet?”

“I see you haven’t gotten to know Loren as well as I thought,” I reply. “Getting her to agree to anything is a losing battle.”

Instead of biting back with an angry retort as I expect, Loren just smiles. “Oh, not true. I do sometimes agree to things. You just have to be more persuasive.”

She’s right, isn’t she? She was perfectly sweet with my fingers in her pussy. I begin to wonder if that tactic might not be the best approach in this too. If only I thought I could maintain any kind of self-control in that scenario.

“So offering to let you name your price still hasn’t persuaded you, Jenny?”

“Ha!” Jenny’s laughter is in danger of devolving into a wracking cough. After a moment, she takes a slow breath. “Money isn’t everything, Mr. Firestarter. And it won’t keep you warm in bed at night. ”

“I’ve no need of warmth,” I tell her frankly. “Dragons make our own heat.”

“Why do you want it so badly?” asks Loren. I see the way she watches me, like she’s trying to unscramble a puzzle.

“None of your business,” I snap back.

“Hmm. I think Ms. Carandang deserves to know exactly why she should give up this deal which could benefit her a lot. You have a lot to learn about manners.”

I can feel my fires grow hotter as the two of them exchange an infuriating look.

“In fact, I think you and Loren should go out for a nice dinner. You can talk things through. You can explain to her what’s so important about a few trinkets. But you’d better be on your best behavior.” She actually wags a bony finger at me.

“Unacceptable.”

“Oh, come on. Why not?” There’s laughter in Loren’s eyes, even though her tone is innocent.

I growl. “It’s not happening.”

“Then perhaps I renege on my promise and let Ms. Carandang handle the sales with the express condition that you cannot be a buyer.”

My jaw drops open. Is she serious? “Over a dinner?”

Jenny gives me an enigmatic smile. “Over a dinner.”

There’s a long pause. How can you reason with two of the most willful, stubborn females on the planet?

Finally I throw up my hands. “Very well. I’ll take her to dinner. But don’t expect miracles. If there’s a single creature on earth more obstinate and headstrong than you, it’s Loren.”

I turn to go .

Laughter behind me makes a plume of smoke seethe from my nostrils.

“I expect to hear you were on your best behavior, Firestarter. Or the deal is hers.”

I stalk across the lawn toward the front of the building before I can say anything else unwise. Once again, I lost my cool.

Ha! As if dragons are ever cool. Only I’ve prided myself on being cooler headed than most in my adult years.

Or I was, until I met her.

Unfortunately, the cab I hired to get here isn’t where I left it. I find the driver behind the old stable building where most of Jenny’s cars are stored, smoking a cigarette and chatting with three other humans.

“I’m ready to leave now.”

“Right you are, sir.” He drops the cigarette to the ground and treads on it with one scuffed shoe.

“You couldn’t even let him finish his cigarette?”

My tail flicks.

I turn to find Loren leaning against the wall, smirking at me.

“Why are you humans all so determined to die more quickly than you already will?”

“Fucking morbid bastard, ain’t he?”

I don’t catch which of the humans mutters this. The group disperses, presumably to get back to whatever they should have been doing.

My cab driver walks back to his parked vehicle. Irritatingly, Loren follows me to the cab. “So where are you taking me?”

“What?”

“For dinner?”

I curse. They were serious then. “Can we not just tell her we went? We argued. We couldn’t work out an agreement. We could save so much time that way.”

I open the door, and she darts around and climbs into the cab as if I’ve opened it for her. “Nope. Sorry. I don’t lie to decent people.”

I follow her with a growl, trying to ignore the way her scent fills my senses as soon as the door is closed. It’s sweet and musky. Ripe and rich with need.

Must she be so fucking fertile?

“Oh, but to me it’s OK?”

The cab driver starts the engine and begins down the long gravel drive, but I hardly notice. I’m too focused on Loren.

“Excuse me, I’m always brutally honest with you.”

I let out a huff of air. “About the orc you weren’t dating?”

Loren laughs. “I’m not! We talked about that. God, it’s like you’re jealous or something.”

I fold my arms over my chest and glare out the window. “I’m not jealous.”

“Sure, sure.”

Why does she always feel the need to have the last word? “I’m not. No sane male would want you.”

I don’t catch the change of her expression. The subtle shift in her scent lets me know I hit a nerve, though. The rich muskiness switches to a peppery note. “You know what, fuck you. No one would want you either. ”

There’s a snort of laughter from the front seat that I choose to ignore.

“Good. Because I’m not hunting for a mate. Quite the opposite. Now let’s get this painful dinner over with so I can get on with my evening.” Addressing the cab driver, I say, “Where is the closest restaurant with anything decent on the menu?”

He taps the wheel. “Hmm. Depends what you folks think is decent. I’m guessing it’s not the local greasy spoon, right? Let’s see. There’s a place not too far from here that people rave about. Reckon it might be right up your alley. Brazilian BBQ joint.”

“Fine. Take us there.”

“Bit early, ain’t it?”

I glance down at my watch. It’s barely 5:00 p.m. “That doesn’t matter. I’m sure we all have better plans for this evening once this chore is done.”