Page 16 of Draco

“Draco, I?—”

“Stop talking!” He scowled once the door was shut. “You should’ve known better than to invite a man to my fucking shop!”

“He’s a client. I don’t see him in that way.”

Draco scoffed. “Obviously, he didn’t get that hint. I’m sure this isn’t the first time you’ve had to tell him to back off.”

He was right. Mason had tested my patience a few times. On the inside, I thought inviting him to the shop would make him behave long enough for me to make my money.

“Draco, I’m not saying you’re wrong for confronting him. I just think your actions were overboard. He’s an asshole, but he’s connected. I don’t want my reputation tainted.”

“Fuck your reputation!” Draco yelled. “What about your respect, Francesca? A woman shouldn’t have to compromise one for the other. Remember that.”

I whined like a spoiled child. “Just because you don’t want my services doesn’t mean other people don’t.”

“You heard what I said, woman. I could’ve ripped that man’s head off.” He jabbed a finger in my direction. “It would’ve been your fault. You’re the mate of an onyx. You’re about to be the wife of a S.O.E. If you haven’t realized you have to be more selective with who you associate with, we’ll have a bigger problem than you think you have now.”

I covered my chest with crossed arms. “Are you doing this because you’re jealous?”

“Why would I be jealous of a man that wants something that belongs to me?”

This time, I snarled. “Because just like with him, I didn’t choose you. I was forced to be here. This story was already written.”

When the words escaped my thoughts, I regretted it. I could see the instant they ripped Draco apart. There wasn’t an obvious change in his demeanor, but after observing him for days, I recognized when his mood shifted.

“I’ll be done in twenty minutes. We can leave after that,” he said while walking away.

I started to apologize. I wanted to keep talking to him, but I knew it wouldn’t change the impact of my words.

“Asshole,” I mumbled as I watched Draco walk up the stairs.

When I heard his bedroom door slam, I wandered into the kitchen. There was no one in sight, but as soon as I turned on the light, Draco’s dog followed behind me.

“Please, sit down and let me find food in peace.” I groaned at the idea of tussling with the beast. To my surprise, he settled near the backdoor and closed his eyes.

“Good boy. You’re much more obedient than your grumpy ass daddy.”

To my delight, the refrigerator had a little of everything.The freezer was filledwith zip-lock bags of red meat. One appeared different from the others, driving me to hold the bag up to the light. However, the doorbell interrupted my inspection.

For a few seconds, I stood still, listening for Draco to come downstairs. Yet, after a while, I dried my damp hands on my jeans and opened the door with the dog at my feet.

A pretty woman the shade of an acorn stood on the other side wearing a trench coat and high heels. She didn’t seem as fazed by my presence as I was hers.

“Hi. Can I help you?” I asked.

She freed a giggle coated in mean girl energy. “I don’t think so. I’m here to see Draco.”

She stepped forward, attempting to enter the house, but I blocked her path.

“You must be the new housekeeper.” She looked me up and down.

“I’m not a housekeeper. Actually, Draco doesn’t have a housekeeper. It’s obvious you didn’t know that, so I would say you don’t come here often. Why are you here now?”

She smirked while pulling her coat open, showcasing nothing but lace and skin.

“Why do you think? Go tell Draco that Tatiana is here.”

I wanted to snatch her up for being petty, but I thought about what Draco said about me making changes.

---