Page 34 of Hot for the Dragon

His lips twitched. "I don't scowl."

"You're doing it right now," she said as she poked him, wondering if he'd be annoyed that she did that.

But Archer just chuckled. "Watch yourself, witch.

They reached the end of the pier, where fishing boats bobbed gently in their slips. A small patch of wildflowers had sprouted through the wooden planks. Without thinking, Daphne knelt down and touched them, making them grow fuller and stronger.

"Show-off," Archer muttered, but his tone held no bite.

"Says the man who can turn into a dragon."

He offered his hand to help her up, and Daphne's breath caught at the contact. His palm was warm, completely engulfing her smaller hand.

"We should head to the meeting," he said, but didn't immediately let go.

They walked to City Hall, their shoulders occasionally brushing. Daphne noticed how other pedestrians gave them a wide berth, but for once Archer's intimidating presence felt comforting rather than concerning.

The City Hall steps loomed before them all too soon. Archer pulled the heavy door open, his other hand settling briefly on her lower back as she passed through. The gesture felt oddly protective, making her skin tingle even through her jacket.

"Ready to face the firing squad?" she asked as they approached the meeting room.

"With you as my partner?" His dark eyes met hers, intense and unblinking. "I think I can manage."

Inside City Hall's grand meeting room, Daphne watched Archer command attention simply by standing. His presence radiated authority as he outlined their defense strategy to the packed room.

"We'll establish patrol zones," he said, his deep voice carrying to every corner. "Each area will have a mix of different abilities - witches, shifters, elementals."

Daphne stepped forward, offering a warm smile to balance Archer's intensity. "Think of it like a neighborhood watch, but with magic. We're stronger together than apart."

"And what if Carmen attacks while we're organizing?" someone called out.

"Then I'll handle her myself," Archer growled, drawing himself up to his full height.

Daphne touched his arm lightly. "What Archer means is, we already have temporary measures in place while we implement the full plan."

After the presentation, people gathered around them with questions. Daphne noticed how Archer tried to soften his usual scowl when speaking to a nervous young witch about protection spells. He was still intimidating, but there was something endearing about how he'd lower his voice and lean down slightly to seem less threatening.

"You're actually pretty good with people when you try," Daphne whispered to him between conversations.

"Don't sound so surprised." His lips quirked up. "I can be civilized."

"Could've fooled me," she teased, then immediately busied herself with a question from an elderly shifter to hide her blush. Since when did his half-smiles make her heart flutter?

An hour later, the crowd had thinned to just a few stragglers. Archer's jacket had come off, his sleeves rolled up to reveal strong forearms as he drew patrol routes on a map. Daphne forced herself to look away. This was strictly professional, she reminded herself firmly. Even if he did look unfairly attractive when he was being helpful.

"I think that went well," she said, focusing on organizing their notes.

"Better than expected," he agreed.

Hugo approached their table, his usual serious expression now softened by determination. Daphne's heart lifted at seeing her brother actually willing to work with Archer.

"I've been thinking about safe zones," Hugo said, spreading out a new map. "We could designate certain buildings as shelters, and reinforce them with protective spells."

Archer leaned over the map, his broad shoulders casting a shadow across the paper. "The old bank building on Main has thick walls. Easy to defend."

"And the community center," Daphne added, watching with barely concealed delight as the two men nodded in agreement. A small vine curled happily around her wrist, responding to her mood.

"We'll need evacuation routes," Hugo continued, drawing lines with his finger. "Multiple paths to each safe zone."

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