Free SavedDragon by QueenNicci Page B

child on an adventure, she descended the stairs to the lower level, practically tiptoeing as she went. “Hello?”
    Hell, I don’t know where I’m going and this place seems huge. I’ll be lost before I know it.
    A whiff of something smoky and delicious wafted past her nose. She tried to follow her nostrils toward the aroma of bacon by stepping into a corridor beside the elaborate staircase. It took her farther away from the smell.
    “Hello? Well fuck.”
    Chloe turned around to retrace her steps, but a tall woman stood behind her. Almond brown skin and glossy black hair were her key features, but her beautiful sapphire eyes were also very striking. She wore a gorgeous headscarf in ruby and black lace. Chloe envied her at once, then wondered who the fuck she was and why a strange woman wandered Saul’s home. It took about a minute to grasp complete understanding.
    “Oh! You must be Saul’s maid.” And not at all what Chloe expected. The tall woman brought to mind exotic models with her bronzed complexion, high cheekbones, and ebony hair. His maid belonged in an international beauty pageant.
    “Such is one of my duties, yes.”
    One of her duties? “What else do you do?”
    “Whatever Master Drakenstone needs,” the woman replied primly. “At this moment, he needed me to prepare a meal for you. Do you have a preference?”
    “No, not really. Whatever  causes you the least trouble, Miss… What do I call you?”
    “You may call me Mahasti, and it is no trouble. Please, make yourself comfortable in the solarium. The sunshine is at an optimal angle. I think you’ll enjoy it.”
    Chloe continued down the hall as directed. Artwork ranging from paintings to elaborately carved masks lined the walls, each piece capturing her attention in turn.
    Warm sunlight filled the solarium as promised. The large space occupied a top floor room at the front of the mountainside estate, facing out over the long drive and rolling hills. Glass created most of the front wall facing the open world outside. Giggling, Chloe imagined Saul curled up in dragon form like a cat to soak up the sun. The wide room provided more than enough room and the slate tile floor absorbed the heat.
    A small wrought iron table with two chairs sat in the room’s center, flanked by potted roses. It was both picturesque and romantic, and yet somehow lonely. She wished Saul were there to share the morning with her.
    “I trust you will enjoy this.”
    Holy shit, she moves around without a sound!
    Chloe spun about with a hand lifted to her heart. “Wow, I guess I must have lingered in the hall longer than I thought.” It was the only explanation behind her meal’s swift arrival.
    Mahasti’s lips curved in quiet smile. “If you have need of me, only call.”
    “Thank you.”
    Chloe’s stomach rumbled at the sight of the food. A large Belgian waffle claimed the entire porcelain plate beneath a pile of sliced strawberries, rhubarb, and whipped cream cheese. A second plate offered buttery fried eggs and crisp bacon. Cran-raspberry juice filled the tall champagne glass beside her plate.
    Every morsel could be considered one of Chloe’s favorites, and she had absolutely no idea how Saul or Mahasti had known. She devoured the meal in record time and even scraped the last crumbs from the two plates. Between the food in her belly to ease her hunger pangs, the warm sunshine, and her memories of bliss at Saul’s side, Chloe was in the best of moods.
    “You hair reminds me of snow beneath the sun.”
    “Saul!”
    She leapt up and flew across the room to throw herself in his arms. Saul caught her up and spun her around in a circle. Before her feet touched the ground Chloe grabbed his face and kissed him.
    Saul’s startled mumble against her lips charmed her as much as his other qualities. With extreme patience, Chloe guided him through the motions, slipping her tongue past his lips to explore his mouth. Her dragon learned quickly.
    In the space between one