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

FORTY

Kivrayn

Everything is going perfectly so far. Exactly to plan.

Loren looks sinful in the dress I selected. The way the fabric slides over her thick ass is almost enough to make me push her back into her apartment and insist she change, but I’m on my best behavior tonight.

I satisfy myself with the visceral thought of frying anyone who looks too long. I wouldn’t, but I can think about it, can’t I?

When we arrive at the first stop, however, there’s a hiccup.

“I’m sorry, sir. There’s been a delay. Our pilot phoned in sick, and we’ve had to call in a backup.” The young man pulls at his collar. I’m standing with my wing curled surreptitiously around behind Loren to prevent onlookers from the line spying on her.

I don’t personally keep a helicopter, so I had to hire one. My plan being to show Loren the skies and be able to talk to her at the same time.

This bodes ill.

I frown. “You couldn’t have sent a message to let me know?”

“Very sorry, sir.” The scrawny human shifts uncomfortably under my gaze. “There wasn’t time. ”

A puff of smoke escapes my nostril.

Loren pats my arm. “What if we come back later? Are we having dinner? We could eat early.”

I huff. “Our reservation at the restaurant isn’t for two hours. They won’t have our table ready.”

“We can try somewhere else.”

“No!” My tail flicks behind me. “That is not how I planned the evening.”

She laughs. “Best laid plans and all that.”

I’m flustered as I finally agree to return later for our flight. Of course, I don’t let Loren see. I get into the car beside her and phone the restaurant.

“Rooftop Bar and Brasserie, how may I help you?”

“Yes, I have a reservation tonight, I was hoping you might be able to help me. I need to bring it forward.”

“Certainly, sir. Let me take a look.” There’s pause. The woman hums. “Looks like we’re fully booked for our first seating tonight. What was the name, sir? I can see if anything comes free.”

My hand tightens around the phone. “No. No need. I’ll find somewhere else.” I hang up before I can give her my name to cancel the reservation, but in time to stop myself from being irrationally rude.

This date was supposed to be perfect. It was supposed to be the way I convince Loren we can get along together. I’m failing already.

“Where to, sir?” my driver asks.

Scowling down at my phone, I search the map for restaurants in the area. I choose the nearest one that looks half decent. The answer is the same there: booked out. The same at the next one too and the next.

“This is ridiculous,” I growl. “I should have kept you at my estate. We could have had my staff cook.”

Loren slides her small hand onto my thigh and the black smoke which had been drifting from me cuts off instantly. “There’s a great Thai place around the corner from here.”

I scoff. Hardly the sort of thing I had in mind. I wanted fancy. I wanted to impress her.

“What? Dragons don’t like Thai? Too hot for you?” she teases.

“Not too hot. We got all dressed up. I want to take you somewhere nice.” I point to the brand-new dress that looks like it was poured over her body. I can’t let my eyes linger or we won’t make it to dinner at all.

Goddamn it, why is this so hard?

While I’m still wrestling with myself, Loren gives my driver the instructions. When we pull up outside, I fold my arms across my chest. “We can do better than this. Let me take you back to Oak Haven.”

She takes my hand and pulls me from the car. “No. Come on. That will take too long. This will be great. This place has the best salt and pepper quail you’ve ever tasted. Besides, if I let you take me back home, I’ll never be able to resist you.”

I grumble but let her pull me toward the restaurant. “I fail to see the problem with that.”

Before she can answer, a young woman at the door of the restaurant greets us. “Good evening. Would you like to see our specials? Two dishes and rice for under thirty dollars. ”

I’m cringing internally, but Loren only smiles at her. “Table for two please.”

We’re seated straight away with no wait. That can’t be a good sign.

The lady brings a bowl of prawn crisps and a bottle of water, and Loren pours me a glass. “Listen, I know this place looks seedy, but they actually have really great food. I am normally the first to be a snob about things like this but trust me. You won’t regret it.”

Begrudgingly, I open the menu. Glancing over the options, I see lots of choice, but the prices leave me wondering how any of it can be as good as she claims.

I am going to have to try again to organize a successful, romantic date and prove myself to her. Which means waiting even longer to have her move into my den permanently.

That feels unreasonably hard right now.

When we’re fighting over the last prawn in the red curry at the end of the meal, I’m forced to concede that she was right. I push the plate toward her. “Here. It’s yours. That pilot had better be ready by now. We gave them long enough.” A glance at my phone reveals we have twenty minutes to make it back to the Scene Flights desk.

“You could just fly me yourself,” Loren says with a smile.

“Not romantic, though, is it?”

She winks. “Better get me a saddle, then.”

I gape at her. “A saddle!?”

She presses her lips together as if she’s holding back laughter while I stare indignantly.

Ah, she’s doing this to get a rise from me. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? And a leash.”

Her brows lift.

“If you want a leash, little brat, there’s only one person at this table who will be wearing one, and it won’t be me.”

It’s not lost on me the way she squirms in her seat and the way her scent ripens. I file that piece of information away for later.

“No distracting me,” she says. “Besides, I happen to think our date has been romantic. You spoiled me with all these things.”

I grunt. “Not exactly appropriate for our destination in the end, though, were they?”

Loren shrugs. “I don’t mind being the fanciest one in the room.”

Of course she doesn’t. She looks amazing and she knows it. When she gets up from the table, I’m forced to stand directly behind her so the table nearby can’t ogle her ass.

I am pleased, though, by the strut in her step as we move to the counter to pay. I’d just like to set fire to the restaurant so no one else gets to see it.

When we arrive back at the Scenic Flights booth, they have a pilot ready, and my internal temperature goes down another level.

This will work out. She will accept the mating bond and come home with me. Perhaps we could make it all the way out to Oak Haven tonight if we hurry this along .

I take a deep breath and let it out, reminding myself she deserves better than a hurried helicopter flight to go along with a substandard dinner. I will not rush this.

As soon as we have our headsets on and the helicopter takes off, Loren’s hand creeps into mine and I find myself smiling. She’s looking out the window and not at me, but I don’t need to see her face to hear the smile in her voice, even through the speakers.

“Oh look. You can see all across the harbor already.”

I want to ask Loren about why she didn’t hate the cheap dinner when I know she likes expensive things. Or about being my mate, but the pilot is wired into our conversation through the headsets, so I wait. I listen to her chatter about the view and about her new jewelery, and I wish I’d bought her pretty things sooner. I like how much it lifts her mood.

Before we’re even halfway through our flight, I’m thoroughly sick of being cooped up in the cabin of the helicopter, and my wings ache to stretch out and feel the breeze.

I grit my teeth and bear it for her, though.

We land and I help her out. She stretches up on her toes to kiss my cheek, and I force myself to remain still rather than capture her mouth or wrap my hand around her neck and take what I need.

She pulls away with a smirk, as if she knows exactly what I’m thinking. “Thank you. I had a great time. Same time next week?”

My jaw drops. “Next week? You’ve got to be joking!”

Loren laughs. “Alright, I am. Tomorrow? ”

“Tomorrow? Does this mean you’re not coming home with me now?”

“Now?” She laughs again. “Oh no. What would that prove? I’ll just give in to you again, and I’m not doing that. Not until I’m sure.”

I ball my hand into a fist, my tail flicking the air. “If you’re playing with me, I promise I’ll be spanking every smirk from that pretty face later.”

She’s already hailed a cab. As it stops, I open the door for her automatically, and she slips past me and into the back seat. “Promises, promises.”

I shut the door and mutter to myself, “You’ll be the death of me, brat.”

I stand on the street until the vehicle rounds the corner. Then I shift, shedding my clothing and lifting into the sky.

The roof of her apartment complex is smaller than the hotel she stayed at in London. It takes me longer to find a spot to curl up. Even when I do, I find it difficult to get to sleep. My mind is full of her. Of her laughter, her scent, the way she held my hand to drag me from the car to the Thai restaurant.

How is it possible for me to have grown so sappy? Yet here we are, and the thought of leaving her even for a night makes a low rumble rise from my chest and my tail thump the ground.