Page 40 of Daddy Billionaire Dragon

“Well, I am going to be alone all of this week. But since I hardly go out, it shouldn’t matter, I think,” she says trying to appear nonchalant.

“No! You can’t stay alone! Move in with me for the week. I have the room.”

A myriad of emotions crosses her face. She walks forward and gently cups my cheeks.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea, Lex,” she says gently.

As much as it pains me, I know she is right. If we live under the same roof, there is no way I will be able to keep my hands away from her. If we continue sleeping together, I don’t think I will be able to stop myself from claiming her as my mate for very long.

I close my eyes and sigh, savoring the feel of her soft palm against my shadowed cheek.

“You’re right,” I murmur. “But promise me that you’ll keep the handbag on you at all times.”

“I promise,” she says with a small smile.

I nod and go to find TJ. I wish I could keep an eye on Nic every minute of the day. The notion that she might come to harm makes the blood run cold in my veins. That I might be responsible for the potential threat she faces from this unknown shifter stalker weighs heavily on my heart. All I can do now is try my very best to keep her safe.

With all that stress of the past few weeks, I am glad that we have the twenty-fifth-anniversary party coming up. Lord knows we need to have some fun. Besides, all our parents are flying in for the celebration. I can’t wait to see Mom and Dad.

Chapter 19 - Lex

Hosting the party at the newest and trendiest rooftop bar and restaurant was a great idea. The weather has been lovely all day. As daylight fades, the skies are still clear, promising a great night for an outdoor party. The rooftop venue looks marvelous. It is lit only by an abundance of fairy lights, lending it a surreal feel. The open bar is in the center, with the dance floor on one side and the buffet on the other. We decided to forgo the DJ since it is a formal event. Instead, a live orchestra is going to be providing the entertainment for the night. The staff insisted on a formal dress code, claiming that it would give them all an opportunity to dress up.

The guys and I had arrived early to ensure that everything was in place. This celebration is our way of thanking everybody who works at Druk Technologies. We have expressly forbidden all of our staff, including all our exec assistants, to work today. They have done an excellent job putting the event together. We want them to relax and have fun today. If something needs to be taken care of at the last minute, we have assured them that we will handle it. Most of them gave us dubious looks, but we insisted.

Soon, the guests start arriving. We greet many of them personally. Our respective parents should be arriving any minute now. Mom and Dad flew in yesterday. They are leaving directly after the party for their annual Paris trip which they’re taking early this year, so they insisted on staying at an airport hotel. I offered them the use of my private jet, but Mom especially likes to fly commercial. She is a people person. It gives her great pleasure to just to be amongst people. And Dad is more than happy to accommodate her. Two people more deeply in love I haven’t seen.

Thinking about them takes me back to the question Nic had asked me in Paris. Do I want what they have? Of course I do. It’s a pity that I can never have it. I wonder if Dad ever feared losing Mom. I wish I could talk to him about it. Of late, I have begun to wonder if my fear is irrational. But then I think of the Carnelian dragon who threw himself to his death. That is enough to bring me back to my senses.

I spot Mom and Dad getting out of the elevator into the well-lit corridor that leads to the rooftop. Having them here chases away all unwanted thoughts.

“Lex!” Mom rushes forward with outstretched arms.

“Mom!” I gather her up in my arms, lifting her high, making her laugh. She is a tiny little thing, my mom, but only an extremely foolish person would make the mistake of thinking that Mrs. Eva Hutchison is weak or helpless.

“Put me down!” she says, smacking my shoulder with her clutch.

“You look stunning,” I say, looking down at her petite figure encased in a classy copper gold gown that matches her hair. Her blue eyes are bright with unshed tears when she looks at me.

“Look at my handsome boy,” she says, cupping my cheek.

Dad is standing behind her with a huge grin on his face.

“Dad!” We hug briefly. My dad and I look almost exactly alike. His hair is graying at the temples and there are a few laugh lines around his mouth and eyes, but other than that, we could pass for twins. It might have something to do with the fact that we are both dragon shifters whereas Mom is a human.

“Uncle Alex! Aunt Eva!”

The guys soon surrounded us, and they are each hugged and kissed by my mom. Dad gives them all a one-armed guy hug. Although the guys are not related by blood to my parents, we have always addressed each others’ parents as aunt and uncle. We are family, after all.

Damon’s parents, Julie and Ethan Hunt, are the next to arrive. On the heels of the Amethysts, The Onyxes, namely Henrietta and Jude Cummins, Pat’s parents follow. There are hugs and kisses all around. The Agates: Rosa and Albert Rubens who are TJ’s parents, and the Citrines, Jane and Frederick Townsend, arrive shortly after. It feels amazing to have all my family around me. Well, almost all. The four of us, me, Damon, Liam, and TJ are the only children of our respective parents.

But Pat has a sister who has cut off all ties with him and his parents. There are identical expressions of longing mixed with pain on the faces of Pat and his parents. Liam looks out of sorts as well. But the momentary awkwardness is soon overcome by having all the people we love around us. Our fathers took over the reins of Druk Technologies from our grandfathers and grew it several folds. We, in turn, took over from our own fathers, and I am really, really proud of how far we have come.

Our parents, after their retirement, have bought retirement homes all across the country. My parents have a sweet place in the mountains of Virginia where they spend most of the year when they’re not traveling. Since they don’t meet as often as they’d like, our parents soon huddle off to a table in the corner. They have a lot of catching up to do.

The rooftop venue is soon getting filled with guests. But Nic isn’t here yet. I hope she didn’t change her mind about coming. My eyes keep darting between the elevator and the Rolex on my wrist every few minutes.

For the most part, things between Nic and I are now better. Though there is still a little of the awkwardness, we are getting along fine. But Nic is still feeling that she’s being watched and my gut feeling about the lurking danger has only strengthened. The guys are all feeling it as well. My dragon still keeps grumbling about Nic from time to time, but I remind him of the Carnelian. He doesn’t always see reason, but we have reached an agreement of sorts. I have also resorted to taking a herbal remedy to help me sleep better. And wonder of wonders, I am actually sleeping better. But the waking hours in the office when Nic is around me are still nothing short of torture. The creator, if there is one, has a twisted sense of humor. I have a great woman in my life who likes me, and I like her back, but we can never be together.

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