Chapter 8 - TJ

I wake up with a huff.

My heart races as images of Taylor flash in my mind. Dreams of her eyes and lips drag across my memory.

My chest heaves as the dreams play back in my mind. I want to commit them to memory, but I cannot help but feel as if they will be forgotten once I get out of bed.

The dreams weren't X-rated by any means, but they were lovely. Taylor truly is a beauty. Our time last night taking care of Shane may not have been the most romantic, but it was nice being with her. Our banter keeps me on my toes, and it is something that I truly appreciate.

Most women cannot keep up with me, but Taylor's sass is on another level.

Getting out of bed, I stretch my limbs. They crack in the best way possible.

Everything feels freeing as I start my morning off with my usual set of weights. My dragon loves a good lifting session. Especially after an exciting night.

Staring at myself in the mirror of my home gym, I watch my muscles as I lift. Due to my dragon, I can lift more than an average human.

I lift for an hour before it's time to shower and go to work.

Work after a night out on the town is usually laid back and relaxed, but the air feels tense as I enter.

"Hey TJ, everyone's already here in the meeting room," Nic informs me.

My stomach drops at those words. Last time we had a meeting was with Taylor, and that did not go well.

Walking into the room, everyone is sitting there talking.

"She is trying to infiltrate us," Pat says.

They must be talking about Taylor.

"I mean, you have a point, she did show up at the Sitting Duck. It couldn't have been a coincidence," Damon adds.

"I don't think she's as sneaky as you all are making her out to be," I speak up, taking my usual seat.

All eyes are on me, and I swallow but don't hold back.

"Last night, when I took Taylor home, she was very concerned with her brother. I think she just showed up because he invited her."

I somewhat lie, but they don't need to know I'm the one who got him to invite her.

"Are you sure about that?" Lex grills me with his large hands splayed on the table. "It is strange that she just showed up last night."

"Guys, be reasonable, she is suing us. Why would she show up at a bar?"

"To watch us," Liam mutters.

My back stiffens.

Could he be right?

She was eager to leave last night; that isn't like someone who would stick around to watch us for her boss.

"Well, then, what should we do?"

Everyone is silent.

No one knows what to do, but an idea pops into my head.

"What if we invite her to a work dinner?" I suggest.

"That's not a bad idea," Lex says, sitting back.

"Ugh, we have to spend more time with her?" Damon complains.

"Hmmm," Lex thinks. "A one-on-one dinner might be better to find out her motives. That way she doesn't feel ambushed."

I swallow.

A one-on-one dinner with Taylor is something that is right up my alley, but I don't want to be the one to suggest I go.

"How about TJ goes? He's already smitten with her," Liam jokes.

I try and act inconspicuous, but I am dying for Lex's permission.

"TJ, is that okay with you?"

I take a moment to think before nodding my head. "I'll take one for the team."

Everyone seems satisfied, and my heart races so loudly I fear they can all hear it.

I don't know why just the thought of meeting with Taylor excites me, but it does. Getting her all to myself and hopefully getting to know her more makes my heart pump double-time.

"I'll set it up," Lex says.

The meeting ends and we each head back to our offices, but on the way back to mine, Damon stops me.

"What's with you and Taylor? You falling for the enemy?"

I shake his arm off from around my shoulder, "Of course not. I'm not blind, she's gorgeous, but she's suing us. There's nothing there."

I'm lying through my teeth and my dragon hates it.

She's the one, my dragon croons.

I ignore his antics and keep a straight face.

Damon looks into my eyes. "Good, keep it that way. We can't lose you to a lawyer, of all people."

I laugh at his words, but the laughter doesn't reach my eyes.

How would everyone react if they knew my dragon thought Taylor is its mate? I know if it's true, they will be welcoming, but if it's just a hunch they will make fun of me.

"You won't, brother. I swear it."

Damon beams at me and walks away.

I head into my brightly lit office.

My office gets the most light out of everyone's, as I have a corner unit, but it's also the smallest.

I have windows on two walls, and the other walls are glass, so my office is basically one huge window. My dragon and I love it.

Every time I stand in front of the windows facing the streets below, my dragon preens inside, wishing to be let out and fly.

She's out there somewhere. Without us, my dragon groans out.

We will see her soon. I promise it.

I hope she is thinking of us .

I wonder if she is.

I seem to be thinking about her a lot lately. If she is thinking about us, I hope it is only positive thoughts.

***

"TJ, my office now." Lex appears in my doorway about an hour after our team meeting concluded.

At Lex's tone, I lift my head up from the keyboard.

"What's up, boss?"

"You heard me. Office, now."

With that, Lex walks out of my office, and I get up to follow.

Lex is our leader, and a damn good one at that, but he can be a softie. Even if now he is being mad intimidating.

We head into his office, and I take in all the books along his walls. I have never actually seen him read, but from this room, it is clear he enjoys it.

"Have a seat?" Lex points to the seat across from his office chair.

Gulping, I sit down and cross my right leg over the left one as I relax into the chair. If I put on an air of confidence, Lex is sure to not realize just how anxious I am. He doesn't often meet with us one-on-one, and when he does we are usually in a pickle.

"What can I do for you, boss?" I ask.

Lex looks me up and down.

"What is your deal with Taylor Montgomery?"

Lex leans his elbows against his desk. His hands are clasped and his chin is resting on them. I can feel my eye twitch at the question, but the rest of me remains neutral.

"What do you mean?"

I play dumb, which shouldn't be too hard for Lex to believe. They just think I'm the womanizer of the group, which isn't wrong, but they never see me as the brains of the operation. Which is usually to my benefit.

"You drove her home last night, and you are close with her brother. What can you tell me about her?"

I hold in a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, you all know Shane. We grew up together, and Taylor, it turns out, is his little sister."

"Go on," Lex sits back in his desk chair.

I try to read his expression, but he hides what he is thinking well.

"Well, Taylor and I never really got along too well, especially in our teen years. We butted heads at times. Then she turned eighteen and moved away, and you know the rest." Lex raises a brow. "She became some hotshot lawyer who is suing us."

Lex nods. "Right. Right. Well, you will be meeting her for dinner tomorrow night at that Mongolian place up the street around seven."

I swallow with anticipation.

"Do I have to?" I play it off as if I am not looking forward to it.

Lex tilts his head to the side, "I thought you already agreed to this. Would you rather I send Damon?"

I try not to decline too quickly, but there is no way that I will let Taylor spend a night alone with Damon. She already seems to hate me; I can't imagine what Damon would say to make her loathe me even more.

"Tomorrow at seven it is."

Tomorrow can't come soon enough , my dragon whispers, but I ignore him even though I am thinking the same thing.

"I expect you to deter her from continuing with this case. If you cannot do that, at least get as much information from her as possible."

"Yes, boss," I salute Lex.

Lex finally breaks his boss and laughs at my salute.

"You can leave now. I'm a busy guy and have got some important emails to read."

I leave his office feeling weird.

Half of me is ecstatic that I will be spending more time with Taylor, and the other half is terrified of feelings developing.

What am I to do when I look into her emerald eyes? Am I supposed to act like they don't affect me?

I shake my head from these thoughts.

There is no way I am letting Taylor Montgomery get to me.

Talking with her can't nearly be as intoxicating as dancing was.

I have a mission, and I swear I will accomplish it.

I will go to this dinner and smooth talk her into dropping the case.

***

The Mongolian restaurant has a chill atmosphere.

There are booth seats instead of tables, which will allow me to sit across from Taylor once she arrives. I usually prefer booths, as they're more comfortable and give you more room to spread out. At a table, it becomes a dilemma. Do I sit next to her or across? Do I pull her chair out or no? Booth seats solve those problems.

My hands sweat as I wipe them on my black slacks before straightening the collar of my dark green dress shirt.

I forwent wearing a suit jacket with the outfit, thinking that would be too formal for the restaurant, and I'm thankful I did since most people are wearing jeans or other casual attire. I might just be the best dressed person here, even if I am overdressed.

It's still ten till seven, and I wipe the perspiration from my brow as I stare at the door.

I got a seat in perfect view of the entrance so that Taylor will be able to easily spot me. This night is meant for us to be comfortable with one another and ultimately end on good terms. If I can get her to drop the case, great; if not, the least I can do is get on her good side. It'll be a bonus if I can get some information about the case as well.

Glancing at my watch, I see only thirty seconds have gone by since I last looked.

Relax. Our mate is coming , my dragon reassures me.

I don't want to listen to him, but I take a deep breath and glance at the drink menu. I want beer, but wine will be better for both of us, especially with the food. If I can get Taylor to loosen up, I will be able to get to know her better, and hopefully she won't want to work this case anymore.

At that thought, the bell to the restaurant dings, and as I look up,34 I spot Taylor.

She is dressed in a light blue dress that goes to her mid-calf and is lowcut, showing off ample cleavage, and it already is driving me crazy.

Her hair is held back by a white headband which matches her heels. Over her dress she is wearing a denim jacket that pairs well with the outfit.

I have no idea when I became such a fashionista, but I can tell Taylor put effort into her look tonight. Knowing that she wanted to look nice makes me extra aware of how I look. I hope she thinks I put in an effort as well.

She appears calm as she looks around the restaurant. Her eyes settle on me, and when I see the light in her eyes dim, my heart aches in my chest.

Why does she look annoyed?

I wave to her, and she ducks her head before making her way over to me.

"What are you doing here?" Taylor asks with a weird expression.

Her question takes me aback.

She knew she was meeting for a work dinner.

"I'm here for our work dinner…"

Taylor's face forms into a confused frown.

"I thought I was meeting with Lex, your boss," Taylor deadpans.

"I know who Lex is, but he asked me to come in his place."

Taylor stands at the table for a moment, considering her options.

She clearly doesn't want to be here with me, but leaving would be extremely rude.

It seems her mind is made up when she takes a seat across from me.

We stare at each other for a moment before Taylor looks away and glances around the establishment.

"This doesn't seem like a work dinner place," she points out, glancing at the buffet area.

"It's actually pretty cool. You fill up a bowl with the food you want and then they cook it over there." I point to the middle of the restaurant, where workers are flipping food on a big silver stovetop. "They cook it in front of you and then you bring it back here to eat it."

"Again, this doesn't seem like a work dinner."

"Since when did you become so privileged?" I ask, leaning my elbows on the table.

Taylor's eyes widen, and I can see she wants to flee. I might have overstepped with that question.

"What I mean is, are you too good for this type of place? I think it's pretty cool. Don't you?"

Taylor glances back at the buffet. "I guess I've just never been to a place like this before. Most work dinners are in skyrises with expensive and hard-to-pronounce menus."

Understanding what she meant, I nod. "Come on, let's get some food."

We stand and make our way over the buffet area.

Both of us get noodles, but that is where our similarities end.

I pile my bowl high with frozen pork, chicken, and beef while Taylor gets a few pieces of chicken and mostly vegetables. Then I get the hottest sauces added, while Taylor goes for the medium spiced sauces.

We make our way over to the area where they cook the food and watch as they cut, flip, and cook our food. I put a ten-dollar tip in the tip jar and ring the bell. I am met with thanks from the staff cooking.

Taylor, seeing my tip, puts a twenty in the jar and gets an even bigger thank you.

Most guys would be intimated by that action, but it intrigues me. She clearly wants to show me my place, but it just makes me appreciate her more.

Once our food is cooked and plated in front of us, we carry our plates back to the table. The red wine I decided to order is already sitting at the table in an ice bucket. All that is left is for us to pour the wine.

"Ladies first?" I hold out my hand for Taylor's glass.

She smiles as she hands it to me.

It doesn't go over my head that this is the first time she's smiled at me, and what a beautiful smile it is.

I fill her glass halfway before doing the same with my own.

"How was your day?" I ask.

"I'm sure Lex doesn't want you to know how my day was," Taylor points out.

"Work talk only, got it," I wink at Taylor.

I can see her neck flush, and I am not sure if it is from her sip of wine or from my wink. Wanting to see her flush even redder, I start flirting with her.

"You look nice, is that something you would normally wear to the office?"

Taylor rolls her eyes. "For a work dinner, yes, but obviously, I wouldn't wear this to the office. Though, I could defs pull it off with the right accessories."

"Is that a joke I detect?"

Taylor's cheeks turn a cute pink hue as she shrugs and takes a bite of food.

She clearly isn't used to being flirted with, but I can sense she has confidence in herself.

"I like seeing your whole face. You are quite gorgeous, especially for a lawyer."

Taylor just shakes her head, "You should see the lawyers in D.C. Everyone there is a looker."

I shrug. "That's what they say about New Yorkers, that we're a good-looking bunch, but you're definitely a ten among nines."

Taylor looks me dead in the eye. "I'm not sure what this has to do with work."

She must be a bit uncomfortable, so I change the subject. "How's the case going?"

"Fine."

"Think you're going to win?"

Taylor smirks. "I always win."

She's winning your heart, my dragon speaks up, and I shush him internally. I do not need him rearing his head at this moment.

"I've been doing my research on you, and unfortunately, that is a true statement. Which is no good for us."

Taylor's smirk grows into a full-blown smile. Her sharp white teeth on display.

Her smile isn't quite wolfish, but it is teetering on the edge.

"I know I'm good at my job," Taylor says before taking a sip of the wine. "And I know an easy win when I see it."

That comment makes me freeze.

I know she said before that she thinks she's going to win, but hearing it now starts to make me wonder just what KobiTech thinks they have on us.

We all know that Druk Technologies is innocent, but if KobiTech is so confident, they must have some reason why.

"If you're so confident you are going to win, then why agree to this dinner?"

"It's not often the accused want to have dinner with me. I can't turn down an offer to hear you plead your case."

From her tone, I can tell that she truly thinks I am here to beg her—which maybe I will someday, in a different circumstance.

"Well, if the case is already won, may we drink to my demise." I hold up my wine before taking a hearty sip.

To my surprise, Taylor joins me and drinks the rest of her glass in a couple of sips.

"I wouldn't have pegged you as a wine drinker," Taylor says after our second glass.

The color in her cheeks is richer, and she has removed her jacket, allowing me a view of her shoulders and breasts.

The view is quite good, and I try my best not to look, but I know that I am failing.

"We can switch to beer if you'd like. Whatever will make you keep smiling like that."

Taylor laughs and takes another sip. "Let's stick to wine."

"So, how's Mr. Taylor Montgomery feel about you being away from Washington D.C.?"

Her face scrunches up, "What does that even mean?"

"Your boyfriend," I deadpan as my dragon roars in my ear. "How is he, with you gone for work?"

"Oh. Well, I don't have a boyfriend."

My dragon perks up. That's because she is meant for us.

I smile at her words and lean in. "When's the last time you had one? I can't imagine a girl as gorgeous as you staying single for long."

Taylor takes a huge swig of wine.

"Honestly, I've never had a boyfriend. I've just been so busy with school and then work."

My mouth falls open in shock, but my dragon purrs.

She has never had a boyfriend. Does that mean she has never been touched, either?

We will be the first to touch her, my dragon decides.

I can tell she is starting to get shy as she looks around the bar.

"The right guy for you is out there. I'm sure he'll appreciate that you've waited for him," I say, knowing that is how I feel.

Taylor looks up at me with her big green eyes, and something in me breaks. I want nothing more than to make this woman mine.

"You've had a lot to drink, let me hail you a cab."

Taylor nods. "Thanks. It's best I stop before I get shitfaced over wine."

I laugh as she puts her jacket back on. She walks in front of me, and I glance up and down her body with a lick of my lips. There is nothing I want more than to show her everything I can do to her.

Once outside, the crisp air hits, and Taylor pulls her jacket tightly around her. Not thinking, I throw an arm around her as I pull her close and hold one arm out to call a cab.

Holding Taylor is like no other feeling. She is warm and shorter than me, so I have to lean down just a tiny bit. My dragon preens at the feeling, and even though she tenses up, I feel her relax pretty quickly.

A cab comes almost instantly, and I regret actually hailing it. I just want this night to continue. Holding Taylor like this feels like home.

Taylor breaks out of my arms and I pull the door open for her. She leans against the open doorway. "Thanks for getting the cab. Obviously, I suck at that."

Is she flirting with me?

I take the moment to get closer to her. "I'm here to help those who need it."

Taylor blinks, and I get distracted by how thick her eyelashes are. They are long and full, and I swear I can almost feel a gust of wind when she blinks up at me.

A lash falls onto her cheek, and I reach down and wipe it away. Taylor looks up at me, and her mouth opens just slightly, causing my eyes to glance down.

Something overcomes me, and I lean over. My mouth is a hair away from Taylor's, and my eyes go back to hers. She looks at me before shutting her eyes and I close the distance between us.

Our lips connect and electricity flows through my entire being. Something inside me snaps, and I grab Taylor into my arms. Her body fits firmly against my own, and colors flow behind my eyes at the sensation.