Free Dragon Fever: A Dark Kings Novella by Donna Grant Page B

somehow pick up on what made him such a… man .
    What she wanted to tell them was that the thing that made him so special was singular to him alone. Anyone could put on a handmade suit and be driven around in expensive cars. But the swoon-worthy face, the heart-stopping grin, and those breathtaking eyes were his alone. Just like his compassion and patience.
    And she was doing it again. Sam’s warning of how the Kings seduced echoed in her mind. Asher and the rest of the Dragon Kings weren’t good beings. They were liars and monsters whose secret needed to be told so they couldn’t hide anymore.
    Except, when she saw Asher amid the humans, she didn’t see a beast. She saw a man who was taking time to give those who wanted a picture with him or answer questions. He could walk away like many of the other representatives did. But not Asher. He stayed until the last of the fans were finished with him.
    Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She looked around for whoever was watching her. Her gaze locked on Ms. Engel, who stood on the second floor of the building looking down at her.
    Someone slammed into Rachel, making her lose her balance. When she looked back up at the window, Ms. Engel was gone. But that feeling of being observed lingered. No matter where she looked, she couldn’t find who was watching her. But it left her feeling…exposed.
    She hurried to the taxi and got inside just as Asher finished taking the last picture. “Follow that Jaguar,” she told the driver.
    When they arrived at the swanky restaurant, she directed the taxi to drive ahead a little ways before he pulled over. Then she scooted to the edge of her seat and held up a wad of euros.
    He went to reach for it, but she jerked it back. “This is for you if you wait here for ten minutes.”
    The Frenchman smiled. “ Oui, mademoiselle .”
    Rachel tucked the money in the pocket of her purse, slung across her body, and exited the taxi. She walked with purpose down the busy sidewalk even as she watched Asher’s large frame unfold from the car and button his suit jacket.
    He wasn’t wearing a coat despite the frigid temperatures. Only then did she recall he hadn’t worn one the previous night either. Apparently, Dragon Kings weren’t affected by the cold.
    “Lucky them,” she murmured and stuck her hands in her coat pockets.
    She then pulled off her floppy hat and folded it to tuck in her large purse before she replaced it with a cream and gold beanie to cover her ears against the cold.
    Her steps slowed when she neared the restaurant. She peeked inside the windows and saw Asher being escorted to the back of the restaurant and behind closed doors. The doors opened long enough for her to see several of the other whisky distillers at the table. More business. She turned and retraced her steps to the taxi.
    It was time for her to return to the hotel and get ready for the night. As well as order some room service since she was starving. It also appeared as if a Dragon King didn’t need to eat since it was the second day that he’d gone without lunch and didn’t seem affected at all.
    Not so her. Her stomach growled and a headache was setting in. She paid the taxi the promised money when he let her off in front of the hotel. As soon as she was in her room, she picked up the phone to call room service.
    As she waited for the line to connect, she looked around her suite. Someone had been in there. Somebody besides the maid. Nothing was out of place, but she could still tell that someone had walked through her room and touched her things.
    She placed her order while she walked around the suite. She ended in her bedroom and disconnected the call. The food would arrive in thirty minutes. Plenty of time to get a shower and dry her hair.
    She set down the phone by her laptop and opened the computer. It was still turned off. And it was password protected. Even if someone had been inside, they wouldn’t have gotten anything off her