Page 16 of Hot for the Dragon

Archer went to sit next to Daphne on the couch, reaching for his laptop on the coffee table. They spent the next hour combing through records on Archer's laptop. Daphne's eyes were starting to cross when a name jumped out at her.

"Wait - Adam Jansen? The jewelry store owner?" She straightened up. "I believe his store got completely passed over during Carmen's attack."

"Go on." Archer said, his voice tinged with curiosity.

"Well, jewels are portable and valuable," she reasoned. "Perfect for funding a rebellion, right?"

"Not bad for a flower witch." A smile spread across his face that sent an unexpected shiver through her. "We'll start with him tomorrow."

"Was that almost a compliment?" Daphne pressed her hand to her chest in mock shock.

His only response was a low chuckle that made her heart skip a beat unexpectedly.

8

ARCHER

The autumn sun cast elongated shadows across Archer's driveway the following afternoon as Daphne's petite form approached his front door. Her presence stirred something inside him - a warmth he couldn't quite place. It unsettled him how quickly he'd grown accustomed to having her around.

"Ready for some undercover work?" Daphne's green eyes sparkled with excitement as she slid into the passenger seat of his Corvette.

"This isn't a game." He started the engine, trying to ignore how the leather seats seemed less empty with her there. "We need to find out if Adam's supplying Carmen."

"I know, I know. But we can still have fun with it, right?"

The corner of his mouth twitched. "You have an interesting definition of fun."

As they cruised through town, Archer's enhanced hearing picked up snippets of conversation from passersby - mostly gossip about the dragon attacks. A few blocks from Adam's store, he pulled into a side street and killed the engine.

He reached into the back seat and grabbed a baseball cap and sunglasses. "Can't have anyone recognizing me."

"Very incognito." Daphne grinned. "Though the whole tall, dark, and brooding thing might still give you away."

"I don't brood," he growled, adjusting the hat in the rearview mirror.

"Sure you don't." She patted his arm, sending an unexpected jolt through his entire body. "So, what's the plan?"

"We're going to pose as a couple looking for an engagement ring." The words came out before he could second-guess them. "It'll give us a reason to ask questions about his inventory and suppliers."

"Oh." A slight blush colored her cheeks. "That's... actually pretty clever."

"Try not to sound so surprised." He stepped out of the car, moving around to open her door. "Just follow my lead and don't get creative."

"When have I ever gotten creative?" She took his offered hand, her touch lingering longer than necessary.

"Would you like the list chronologically or alphabetically?"

Her laugh echoed down the street, and Archer found himself holding back a smile. What was it about this witch that made him feel so... different?

The bell above Adam's Jewelry Emporium chimed as Archer guided Daphne through the door, her arm linked through his. The contact sent an electric current up his spine that he desperately tried to ignore. Her floral scent - roses and something uniquely her - invaded his senses, making it harder to focus on their mission.

"Welcome, welcome!" Adam practically bounced over to them, his round face beaming. "Shopping for something special today?"

Archer tightened his grip on Daphne's arm, scanning the display cases while maintaining his cover. "Engagement rings."

"Oh, how wonderful!" Adam clapped his hands together. "I have some stunning pieces that would suit such a lovely couple."

While Adam bustled around pulling out trays of rings, Archer's enhanced vision swept the store. Behind the counter, boxes were stacked haphazardly - nothing unusual for a jewelry store, but something about their arrangement nagged at him. His nostrils flared, catching the faintest whiff of dragon scale oil - a substance dragons used to maintain their scales in human form.

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