Page 52 of Hot for the Dragon

Terry's face broke into a relieved grin. "Does this mean you'll meet with the others?"

"Tonight," Archer decided.

Watching the two dragon shifters discuss the meeting specifics, Daphne felt like maybe they had a chance against Carmen after all.

The marble floors of City Hall echoed with their footsteps as Daphne hurried to keep up with Archer's long strides. His protective hovering had only intensified since this morning's revelation at the bakery, and she caught him scanning every corner they passed.

Hugo's office door stood open, sunlight streaming through the tall windows behind his desk. Her brother's face lit up at seeing her, then immediately turned serious when he spotted Archer.

"Three days," Daphne announced before Hugo could speak. "Carmen's moving up her timeline."

Hugo's pen clattered to his desk. "What? How do you know?"

"We have a new source," Daphne explained, perching on the edge of his desk. "A dragon shifter named Terry who wants to help us. He's already proved reliable - we caught one of Carmen's informants this morning."

"And now your sister wants to meet with more potential turncoats tonight," Archer growled from where he leaned against the doorframe.

Hugo's chair scraped back as he stood. "Absolutely not."

"Here we go again." Daphne rolled her eyes. "I'm not asking permission from either of you."

"It's too dangerous," Hugo insisted.

"More dangerous than letting Carmen attack with her full force in three days?" Daphne challenged. "We need allies, Hugo. These dragons want to help us."

"Or they want to eliminate you," Archer cut in. "I still don't like this plan."

"You've made that abundantly clear." Daphne fixed them both with her best determined stare. "But I'm going. This could be our chance to prevent a bloodbath."

Hugo ran a hand through his hair. "Daph-"

"No." She hopped off the desk. "I love you both for wanting to protect me, but I'm doing this. End of discussion."

A muscle twitched in Archer's jaw as he watched her, and Daphne felt a flutter in her stomach at the intensity of his gaze. But she refused to back down.

Hugo sighed. "At least tell me Archer's going with you?"

"Try and stop me," Archer rumbled.

"See?" Daphne grinned. "I'll have my very own grumpy dragon bodyguard. What could possibly go wrong?"

24

ARCHER

Archer sat in the corner booth of the Cauldron & Cup. His back was to the wall and his eyes scanned the room out of habit. Daphne sat across from him, absorbed in reviewing her notes about the upcoming meeting.

A server dropped off their order - his Dragon's Breath Hot Chocolate actually snapped at him as he lifted it, making him smirk.

His gaze drifted back to Daphne. His dragon instincts urged him to protect her, to keep her far away from any potential danger. And walking into a meeting with potentially hostile dragon shifters? That definitely qualified as danger.

But he'd promised to trust her judgment. Damn if that wasn't harder than he'd expected. The woman had no sense of self-preservation sometimes, rushing headfirst into situations that made his scales itch. Always seeing the best in everyone, even when they didn't deserve it.

Including him.

Archer watched as she absently created a small vine that crawled up her water glass, tiny flowers blooming along its length. She'd done the same thing to his life, he realized. Slowly but surely working her way in, making everything around her more vibrant, more alive, like him.

Before her, he'd been content in his isolation, crafting his wooden figures and avoiding any connection to the town or its people. Now here he sat in a public café, planning to help save the very community he'd turned his back on. All because this sunny, optimistic witch had waltzed into his life and made him want to be worthy of her smile.

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