Page 3 of Daddy Billionaire Dragon

We are not bored! Our work is exciting, fulfilling. We have a wonderful family, great friends! I counter.

We don’t have love, he sighs.

We don’t need love. We know what the price of that can potentially be, I remind my dragon.

But the inner dialogue has me feeling edgy. For the last few months, my dragon has been grumbling that we haven’t yet found our soul mate, but I never want to find my soul mate. He knows as well as I do the consequences of falling in love, of claiming a mate. Sure, I have needs, and do take a casual lover from time to time, but I have never been in a relationship. Neither do I plan to be in one ever.

“Lex! You coming?” TJ says as he pushes open the glass door of the barber shop, ignoring the ‘Closed’ sign on it. The guys must already be in The Sitting Duck as they’re nowhere to be seen. The shop is shrouded in darkness except for a thin sliver of light coming from the crack under the door at the extreme end of the shop. I hear the faint sound of soft rock coming from behind the closed door when I step in.

TJ pushes open the other door, and we both go in. The smell that I uniquely associate with The Sitting Duck, which is a mixture of cigar smoke, wood fire burning in the traditional red brick fireplace in the corner, alcohol, and leather, hits my nostrils. Comfortable armchairs and couches upholstered in soft brown leather are placed along the walls. The hardwood floor opposite the bar is devoid of any furniture, leaving an empty space in the center of the room. The more enthusiastic patrons sometimes use it as a dance floor, especially when they’re there with their significant others.

Thomas, the bartender, is at his usual place behind the polished wooden bar counter. He greets us with a wave and a grin. TJ and I wave back. Damon, Liam, and Pat are sitting at our usual spot in the corner. Pat waves the bottle of Dom he is holding at us. We hurry to our spot, and he pops the cork, filling the flutes with the bubbly, sparkling liquid.

As we clink our glasses and drink to our achievements, I tell myself and my dragon that this is exactly where I want to be. My life is exactly right. Some of the edginess I was feeling only moments earlier after my dragon voiced his thoughts vanishes as easy conversation flows.

But then I see her.

“Holy fuck!” TJ exclaims, letting out a low whistle. “Didn’t I tell you I was going to get lucky?” he smirks, staring at the two stunning women, a blonde and a redhead, who have just entered the room.

My eyes are instantly drawn to the redhead. She is wearing a little silver number that molds against her curves, stopping several inches above her thighs, displaying miles and miles of gorgeous, toned legs. The halter neck leaves her shoulders and the tops of her creamy white breasts bare. Her strappy, high-heeled sandals show off her candy pink nails. Soft red waves frame her oval face. I am unable to tear my gaze away from her.

She is grasping her little matching clutch like her life depends on it. She looks like a cornered animal, making me wonder if she’ll bolt. But the blonde, who is certainly the bolder of the two and quite pretty in her own way, grabs her hand and walks towards the bar. The redhead’s eyes are still darting all around the room, possibly scoping out escape routes, even when they’re seated at the bar.

Then her emerald green eyes meet mine. I feel an undeniable, strong tug in my belly. Before I know it, I am walking towards her. I am helpless against her magnetic pull.

TJ is right behind me. For some reason, that irritates me. I don’t want him putting his moves on her.

“You can be my wingman,” he teases, fixing an easy smile on his face.

“We are not going to hit on them,” I warn. “I just want to make sure they’re not trouble. We hardly see the likes of them here,” I say, knowing full well that I haven’t fooled him in the slightest.

“Yeah, yeah,” TJ mutters and rolls his eyes.

“Hello ladies,” he says, sliding on the stool next to the redhead, smiling his most charming smile, the kind that makes the ladies drool all over him. “Can we buy you a drink?”

He is smiling at them both, but his eyes keep getting drawn to the blonde.

“Switch places with me,” I whisper in his ear, standing behind him.

He smirks at me, but he doesn’t argue. Very smoothly, he steps around the redhead on the pretext of asking the blonde what she wants to drink.

I occupy the stool he just vacated; up close, she is even more stunning. She has milky white skin with a light dusting of freckles on the bridge of her nose. Her eyes are deep pools of green and I can see a slight hint of nervousness in them. She’s painted her lips a deep red. All I want to do is taste her. A hint of rose tinges her cheeks, and her eyes widen in what I think is alarm when she notices me staring unblinkingly.

She must think I’m a creep. I groan inwardly as I try to smile. I want to say something, anything, but my throat has gone bone dry. No woman has ever affected me like this.

“Hi,” she says, offering a tentative smile, breaking the silence.

“Haven’t seen you around here before,” I finally say.

“That’s because I’ve never been here,” she says, glancing at her blonde friend who has seemingly hit it off with TJ.

“So how did you hear about this place?” I ask, probably coming off more suspicious than I intend to. The fact is, she has me feeling off-balance. Never before have I felt this instant attraction towards anybody.

“Ask her,” she says, pointing at her friend. “She’s the one who dragged me here,” she says lightly, but her fingers are tightly interlaced on the counter.

I don’t know what I set out to do when I walked here, but intimidating her wasn’t the purpose, which I seem to be doing with my brusque and suspicious manner. I close my eyes for a brief moment and take a deep breath.

“Let’s try this again,” I say with an easier smile. “I’m Lex,” I say, extending my hand.

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