Page 13 of Fired Up Love

She pushed forward before she lost her nerve. “The annual charity dinner for magical education is tonight at Highland Hall. My original guest canceled last-minute.” Her lioness paced restlessly beneath her skin, urging her to get to the point. “Since you’re new to the council position, I thought you might benefit from meeting local business owners in a less formal setting. Pure networking opportunity.”

The silence stretched so long, she wondered if the call had dropped.

“What time should I collect you?”

The question caught her off guard. She hadn’t considered he’d offer to pick her up. “The event starts at seven.”

“I’ll arrive at six-thirty.”

“That’s not nec—” She caught herself. Arriving together would look more intentional, more established. Better for her professional image. “That would be perfect. Thank you.”

“Until then, Ms. Parker.”

The call ended. Zina set her phone down carefully as if the conversation might shatter if handled too roughly.

A slow clap from the doorway made her jump.

“Bravo. Oscar-worthy performance.” Bryn leaned against the doorframe, her delicate bear-shifter features arranged in a knowing smirk. “The ‘networking opportunity’ line was especially convincing.”

Heat crawled up Zina’s neck. “How long have you been eavesdropping?”

“Long enough to witness that masterclass in self-deception.” Bryn sauntered into the breakroom and helped herself to a honey-lemon water from the mini-fridge. “You’ve been fascinated by him since he stepped through the door last week.”

“Nonsense,” Zina countered, though her lioness disagreed, purring at the mere memory of the dragon elder’s scent—cedar smoke and cloves with an underlying note of something ancient and powerful. “This is purely professional.”

Bryn’s eyebrow arched dramatically. “So why are your claws extending?”

Zina glanced down. Sure enough, her fingernails had lengthened and curved slightly—a telltale sign her inner lioness was stirred. She concentrated, retracting them with practiced control.

“Stress response,” she said dismissively. “Tonight’s event could make or break several potential business connections.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” Bryn checked her rose-gold watch. “Shouldn’t you be figuring out what to wear for this ‘purely professional’ networking opportunity?”

Zina glanced at the clock again. Only a few hours to transform herself from harried spa owner to polished businesswoman. “Can you handle closing up?”

Bryn’s grin widened. “Go. Prepare for your non-date with the dragon.”

Zina snatched her purse from under the counter. “I’m ignoring that comment.”

“You know what they say about dragons,” Bryn called after her. “The older they are, the hotter they burn!”

Zina’s traitorous mind latched onto the image as she hurried up the back stairs to her apartment above the spa. She imagined Xai’s carefully controlled exterior giving way to something more primal, more passionate?—

“Professional,” she reminded herself firmly, unlocking her apartment door. “This is strictly professional.”

Her lioness, unhelpfully, purred in disagreement.

TWELVE

Zina’s bedroom resembled a boutique explosion. Dresses draped over every surface—rejected for being too casual, too formal, too revealing, too conservative, too colorful, too dull. Shoes littered the floor in mismatched pairs. The discarded contents of her jewelry box glittered from atop her dresser.

She stood before the mirror in a burgundy wrap dress, turning sideways to evaluate the profile. “Too much?”

From her perch on the room’s only chair, Bryn scrolled through her phone, occasionally glancing up to offer judgment. “For the hundredth time, you look fine. Though I liked the blue one better.”

“The sapphire with the cowl neck?” Zina frowned at her reflection. The burgundy emphasized her curves more than she’d intended. “Too evening wear.”

“This from the woman who tried on the backless black number twenty minutes ago.”

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