Chapter 5

FIVE

K eir sat in his plush office chair, absentmindedly swirling the remnants of his third cup of coffee. The rich aroma failed to distract him from the constant, pulsing awareness of Cat’s presence just beyond his door. He glanced at the sleek digital clock on his desk, its glowing numbers mocking him. Only seven minutes had passed since his last “casual” stroll past her workstation.

“Get a grip,” he muttered to himself, running a hand through his blonde hair. Four hundred years of life, and here he was, reduced to a lovesick teenager counting the seconds until he could catch another glimpse of a woman he’d known for only a few weeks.

A knock at the door jolted him from his reverie. “Come in,” he called, straightening in his chair and attempting to look busy.

Beck Driscoll, his right-hand man and closest friend, sauntered in with a grin that could only be described as shit-eating. “Well, well,” he drawled, leaning against the doorframe. “I’m shocked to find you actually in your office,” Beck declared, dramatically clutching his chest. “What’s the matter? Cat’s desk not need checking for the millionth time today? Or did you run out of excuses to walk by? ‘Oh, Cat, I was just on my way to the water cooler... on the other side of the building... for the fifteenth time this hour.’”

Keir groaned, dropping his head into his hands. “Am I that obvious?”

“Obvious?” Beck chuckled, moving to flop into one of the chairs across from Keir’s desk. “My friend, you’re about as subtle as a dragon in a china shop. Which, come to think of it, isn’t far off from reality. I half expect to see a trail of scorch marks on the carpet between your office and her desk.”

“Damn it,” Keir sighed, leaning back in his chair. “I can’t help it, Beck. Every time I’m near her, it’s like... like my dragon is purring. And when I’m not, it’s clawing at me to get closer.”

Beck’s eyebrows shot up so high they nearly disappeared into his hairline. “Purring? Your dragon? The same beast that once roared so loudly, it caused an avalanche in the Highlands? What’s next? rea you going to start leaving dead sheep on her doorstep as courtship gifts?”

“I know. I know,” Keir grumbled, fighting the urge to laugh at the mental image. “It’s ridiculous. I’m the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, for fuck’s sake. I should be able to control myself around one woman.”

“Ah, but she’s not just any woman, is she?” Beck leaned forward, his teasing tone softening slightly. “Come on, Keir. I’ve known you for what, two hundred years now? I’ve never seen you like this. Not even when that Victoria’s Secret model practically threw herself at you last year. Why don’t you just ask Cat out?”

“Oh sure,” Keir snorted. “And how exactly do you suggest I do that? ‘Hey Cat, I noticed you have beautiful eyes. Also, I’m your boss and oh, by the way, I’m actually a fire-breathing mythical creature. Dinner?’”

Beck stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Well, maybe leave out the fire-breathing part for the first date. Save that for the bedroom, if you know what I mean.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Keir threw a pen at him, which Beck dodged with practiced ease. “I’m serious, Beck. I can’t just ask her out. It’s unprofessional and potentially illegal.”

“All right, all right,” Beck held up his hands in surrender. “Then maybe we need to get creative. How about I accidentally lock you two in the supply closet? Or I could spill coffee on her so you have an excuse to help her clean up? Ooh, I know! We could stage a fake fire drill and you could heroically carry her out of the building!”

Keir stared at him, a mix of amusement and exasperation on his face. “Has anyone ever told you that you watch too many romantic comedies?”

Beck grinned unabashedly. “Hey, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. Though I suppose with your dragon strength, you might actually knock down the supply closet door. Scratch that plan.”

“You’re impossible.” Keir chuckled, shaking his head.

“And you’re hopeless,” Beck retorted. “Seriously, Keir. I’ve seen you negotiate million-dollar deals without breaking a sweat. You once stared down a rival CEO so hard he actually wet himself. But one cute programmer has you tied up in knots? Where’s that dragon confidence, buddy?”

Keir sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know, Beck. This is... different. She’s not just some conquest. She’s brilliant and talented, and now she’s a key member of our team. I can’t risk making her uncomfortable or jeopardizing the project.”

“Fair enough,” Beck conceded. “But you can’t keep going on like this either. The whole office is starting to notice your sudden interest in personally overseeing every aspect of Cat’s work. The past two weeks you’ve walked down to her desk more times than you have gone out of your office since we opened this place. I overheard Sarah from HR taking bets on how many times you’d walk by Cat’s desk today. Current over/under is at thirty-seven, by the way. Ask the woman out and quit stalling.”

Keir snorted. “Right. ‘Hey Cat, I know I just hired you and we’ve only known each other for a few weeks, but how about we go on a date? Oh, and by the way, I’m actually a 400-year-old dragon shifter who thinks you might be my fated mate.’ I’m sure that’ll go over brilliantly.”

Beck burst out laughing. “Again, leave out the dragon bit for now. But seriously, what’s the harm in asking her to grab a coffee or something? You’re both adults.”

“It’s not that simple.” Keir sighed, standing to pace behind his desk.

“Okay, I get it,” Beck conceded. “But you’re gonna need to change things up. You’re going to wear a path in the carpet between your office and her desk at this rate.”

Keir groaned again, collapsing back into his chair. “What am I supposed to do?”

As if on cue, his phone buzzed. Keir glanced at the screen to see a message from his sister, Amelia.

“Saved by the bell?” Beck quipped.

Keir shot him a look before answering the call. “Amelia, perfect timing. I need your advice.”

“Well, hello to you too, big brother,” Amelia’s voice came through, tinged with amusement. “Let me guess. This is about your mate and not being able to keep away from her?”

Keir felt his cheeks burn, grateful that at least his sister couldn’t see his face. “Is it that obvious?”

“Keir, darling, you’ve mentioned how Cat smiles, talks, walks, and how her eyes light up every day this week. I’m starting to think your Cat woman might actually be more interesting than your precious Guardian AI.”

Beck, who could clearly hear both sides of the conversation, snickered. Keir shot him a glare before focusing back on the call.

“I don’t know what to do, Amelia,” he admitted. “I can’t stop thinking about her, but I can’t just ask her out. She’s my employee, and I’m her boss. It’s... complicated.”

“Hmm,” Amelia mused. “What you need is a way to spend time with her outside of work, but in a setting that’s still work-related. Have you considered a team-building activity?”

Keir perked up. “Go on.”

“Well, there’s this new escape room place that just opened up downtown. Why don’t you organize a company outing? You could split everyone into teams, and make sure you and Cat end up working together.”

A slow smile spread across Keir’s face. “Amelia, you’re a genius.”

“I know,” she replied smugly. “Just remember this when it comes time to decide who gets to be the cool aunt to your future dragon babies.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Keir chuckled, even as his dragon rumbled happily at the thought. “I owe you one.”

As he hung up, Keir turned to Beck, who was watching him with raised eyebrows. “So, what’s the verdict?”

“We’re going to plan a team outing,” Keir announced, already reaching for his intercom to call his assistant. “Escape rooms. It’s perfect – we can split into teams, work on problem-solving skills, and I’ll have a legitimate reason to work closely with Cat without it seeming... weird.”

Beck grinned. “Smooth. And if you happen to get ‘accidentally’ locked in a room alone with her...”

“Beck,” Keir warned, though he couldn’t help but smile.

“What? I’m just saying, these things happen. Faulty locks and all that.”

Keir shook his head, chuckling despite himself. “Just... help me plan this, will you? We need to make sure it looks like a genuine team-building exercise, not some elaborate scheme for me to get close to Cat.”

“Even though that’s exactly what it is?” Beck teased.

“Shut up and start making calls,” Keir growled, but there was no real heat behind it.

As Beck left to start organizing the outing, Keir leaned back in his chair, allowing himself a moment of hopeful anticipation. Soon, he’d have a chance to spend time with Cat outside the confines of the office. To see how she approached problems, how she interacted with the team in a more relaxed setting. And maybe, just maybe, he’d find a way to bridge the gap between boss and... something more.

His dragon, for once, seemed content with this plan. It settled within him, no longer clawing to be near Cat, but purring with the promise of proximity.

Keir smiled to himself. For the first time in centuries, he found himself genuinely excited about the future. Whatever happened with Cat, whether she turned out to be his mate or not, he knew one thing for certain – life was about to get a lot more interesting.