Free Dragon Around by Zenina Masters Page B

are you a milk person?”
    “Coffee if you have it, sugar and cream.”
    Dira beckoned him into the dining room. “I have him, Tony. You are free to go. If he has any questions, I will answer them.”
    “Thanks, Dira. Behave, Mak. She will make sure you do if you don’t want to at first.”
    Mak looked a little befuddled, but he followed her into the dining room, and Dira knew it was because she was carrying the plate of cookies.
    She made the coffee in a French press, put it and two cups on a tray as well as a bowl of sugar and jug of cream.
    She stifled a laugh as she came in to see half the cookies gone and one rapidly disappearing into his mouth. “I will make more.”
    Dira set the coffee down and pressed the plunger before pouring a cup for him and one for her. “So, Mak, why are you here to find a mate?”
    He grimaced. “Because there are precious few unicorns around. We occur randomly in the population as you no doubt know.”
    She added two sugars and cream to her coffee, stirring it with a small spoon. He added four. “I have heard something like that. That mythical beasts occur infrequently and very rarely to parents who had that ancient form themselves.”
    He cocked his head at her. “What are you?”
    Dira blinked and leaned back. “None of your business. You are looking for a mate, and I just work here.”
    “You are mated?”
    She shook her head. “No, all mated pairs here wear the bracelets that you saw on Tony and Teal. It saves on confusion. I am merely a proprietress of a B and B. No more, no less.”
    He looked closely at her once again. “You won’t tell me what you are? I mean, I feel power, lots of power. More than any person I have ever seen in my life, so what are you?”
    Dira sighed and finished her coffee. “I am the person who will show you to your room. Breakfast will be served between seven and ten. There are three other guests on the floors above. You may fraternize as you wish.”
    “Thank you. Where may I go if I have need of a run?”
    “There is a path across the way leading to the shifter’s meadow. You can enter a changing room that will keep your clothing secure, shift and exit. The charm on your wrist will shift with you, so you don’t need to worry about losing it.” As she spoke, Dira got to her feet and lifted Mak’s bag.
    She retrieved his key from her desk and headed up the stairs. She didn’t need a key in her home, it was an extension of her. Her unconscious mind made up the rooms and changed the bedding faster than any living being could. She was very good at being a hostess.
     
    * * * *
     
    Mak followed Dira up the stairs, a stack of cookies in his hand. Her long black hair swished over the base of her spine and teased his gaze to the round curve of her buttocks. She looked back at him and the green eyes shifted to gold before she continued her walk up the second flight of stairs. She swayed down the hall with easy steps and paused in front of a door.
    He snorted when he saw the horseshoe mark on the brass plate next to the door. “Very nice. I won’t forget where I am supposed to be.”
    She handed him his key. “Would you like me to unpack for you?”
    “No, thank you. But, will you be available for me to ask questions?” He was tentative when he asked. He wasn’t used to women declaring him off limits the moment they saw him, but she had more than enough drawing power of her own to deter his charm.
    It was strange, and he felt unsettled at her lack of interest. Sure, she was lovely and spoke to him politely, but if he knew what she was, he could tailor a seduction to draw her in.
    He paused as he walked into the room and looked around to cover his shock. He wanted to seduce his hostess. His erection was pressing on the inside of his jeans, and his heartbeat was fast when he thought of her. Those two things combined astonished him.
    Imagine what he would be like if she actually turned him down cold.
    The door shut behind her and left him alone