Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

OGDEN

A week later, there were still no new leads. The Aspen Bay Police Department hadn't found anyone suspiciously skulking around The Drunken Drake . Wesley was still MIA . And being away from my hoard for so long under these circumstances was driving me bonkers.

The only good thing about the last seven days was spending time with Simon . In amongst watching a bunch of nature documentaries that Simon loved, there'd been a lot of online shopping, a lot of sexy fashion shows, and, of course, a lot of sex. Every time we came together, magic flowed around us like a warm updraft, lifting us higher and higher until all we could do was soar. I'd never experienced anything like it. It was addicting.

Maybe addicting wasn't the right word. It felt right. So , when Teague stopped by one day with Van and Gage and explained how he believed he could sever the bond between us, we'd asked for time to think about it. After they left, neither of us brought it up again.

Honestly , my current plan to return to Aspen Bay was leaving me feeling a little upside down. But it had to be done. The sooner I left to wrap things up there, the sooner I could return.

" I'll be back as soon as I can," I said to Simon .

" It isn't safe." Simon looked like he was trying not to hack up a hairball. His hand clasped something in his pocket, probably the whistle. He'd told me recently how he couldn't be without it after he found it, and now he didn't want to put it down anywhere it might get lost or stolen because it was connected to me. When we finally lived together, maybe he'd agree to put it in with my hoard—our hoard now.

" No one's seen Wesley in ages. And I won't take any longer than I have to. Just a quick trip." I hoped I wasn't being stupid. I hated it when I was stupid. At my age, stupidity wasn't becoming. " I have no desire to linger in Aspen Bay any longer than necessary."

That'd just be tempting fate.

But I had too many loose ends to tie up, and not everything could be organized over the phone. I needed to meet with the hoard movers, the furniture movers, the real estate agent, my employees, my tenants…

" Then I'm going with you." Simon folded his thick forearms over his chest in such a confident manner that it made my blood stir. Okay , well, it made my blood all rush south to my cock at any rate; it really wasn't stirring in any other direction.

" I will be perfectly safe," I said. " You don't need to come with me. No one will trick me so easily again. I am a full-grown dragon, not a hatchling. I've been around for many centuries. I know how to take care of myself."

" I'm going with you," he said with more force. He ended his statement with a frown.

My little kitty had a stubborn streak. And how could I refuse when he seemed as reluctant to be away from me as I was to be away from him?

" If you come with me, you'll miss breakfast with your parents. Your mother won't be happy."

" I'll go pack," Simon said.

And that was that.

A few hours later, we were standing in my apartment in Aspen Bay . It looked and smelled the same as when we'd left it a week ago.

" What do we need to do?" Simon asked as he patrolled the perimeter of the main room, looking out each window as he passed it, as if expecting Wesley and his accomplices to storm the building at any minute.

" I've set up a meeting with the local realtor in the morning. And the hoard movers will be here after lunch. They may even start hauling my treasure to a local temporary storage facility by the end of the week."

" A storage facility?" He spun to face me, shocked. " That won't be safe."

" It's fine," I said, waving my hand through the air. " There are few people I would trust with my hoard, but my sister owns the company. Her entire business is securing hoards and treasures for her clients."

" I've never heard of anything like that. "

" Well , they try to be discreet. It is an international company, catering to a very specific clientele."

" I suppose they would need to be secretive," he muttered, then resumed his route around the apartment. He brushed his hand over the furniture as he paced. I'm sure if he was in his cat form, his tail would be ticking back and forth, and his little ears would be twitching. Honestly , he was adorable.

And hot.

He was wearing one of the shirts I'd rush ordered for him. It looked delectable on him. I also loved him in the green shirt I'd given him to wear the first time we'd been here—the one that was so thin his nipples were on display. As soon as he'd pulled it on, I'd wanted to rub them to see if he'd squirm, and now, after having explored his body for a week, I knew he would.

We still had so many things to learn about one another, but I'd made significant progress in mapping out the most sensitive spots on his body. I'd discovered what made him arch and writhe against my touch. And I knew what would drive him to throw me down and strip off my clothes.

I shook my head. I wasn't meant to be thinking about sex right now. I eyed his shirt again. This blue one was a better fit than the one I'd loaned him. There was something scrumptiously sexy about a man wearing clothes that looked tailored for his body.

This one wasn't custom-made for him, but I had plans to add a few bespoke pieces to his wardrobe soon. I secretly wished I could toss everything in his wardrobe and start over, but that'd probably give my poor cat shifter a heart attack. Besides , he possessed a certain rugged appeal when he dressed in his worn jeans and faded T -shirts.

" Yes ," I agreed, pushing away my distracting thoughts. I needed to get to work. " Announcing to too many people that they secured treasure would only make them a target."

" This is all expensive, isn't it?" Simon was studying a 15 th century tapestry hanging at the far end of the drawing room.

When I'd moved into this building, I'd paid a mage a considerable sum to construct a protection ward around the tapestry, so I didn't have to hide it away in a dark, climate-controlled room. The mage's hefty fees had been worth it. I'd stared at it for hours, remembering the battle it depicted between my family and another powerful dragon family. It seemed impossible to imagine now that such a massive war between leagues of dragons had taken place, when there were so few of our kind remaining in the world. The Eternal Magic was much stronger back then. The very air had been vibrant and alive with it.

Willow Lake was the closest I'd come to feeling that type of power in centuries.

" What's the plan?" Simon asked, moving away from the tapestry.

" I suppose I should move the few treasures I have on display. Put them with the rest of the hoard."

One of the best things about living as long as I had was collecting amazing items along the way. Unlike newly turned vampires who aspired to live up to stereotypes about being wealthy, even if they were just turned a few decades ago, I did not need to plunder archaeological sites for beautiful, priceless artifacts. Most of my collection had been purchased as original works from the creators of the time. It was something I loved to do, even now. Sometimes the artist faded from collective memory, and sometimes they found fame. Either way, it didn't matter to me as long as I enjoyed the piece.

" I …" Simon's face paled, and he shook his head. " I don't think I should touch anything… uh… expensive."

" Whyever not?"

" What if I break something."

Oh , my darling kitty cat. He was such a worrier. " If it would make you more comfortable, why don't you pour us some wine? I can gather the art. Then we can decide about what to eat."

He nodded, but he didn't look any more comfortable with that.

" Or , if you prefer something else, dash downstairs. I'm sure I have something you'd like in the bar."

He worried his bottom lip between his teeth for a moment. " Will you be okay up here? By yourself?"

I lifted an eyebrow.

" Fine ," he said. " Just … Don't do anything while I'm gone. I'll be right back."

" I'm sure I'll be fine, kitten." He was so adorable to worry about me. I turned away from him so he wouldn't see my grin.

I waited until I heard him open the door and scurry down the steps before I lifted a 16 th century sculpture from its pedestal. I had lifted this piece countless times in the past. My sister couldn't understand why I moved my art and furniture around so often, but who wanted to live in the same space with the same things in the same places for months on end? How tedious.

But , as soon as I had it in my hands, I knew this time wouldn't be so easy. I grunted with the effort to balance the piece and haul it through the apartment. It'd never been this difficult. My arms ached by the time I set it on the floor in my closet. I shook them out, happy Simon wasn't here to see how difficult that'd been. He'd just worry even more than normal.

I slipped into my hoard room. The last time I was here, I'd just opened the smaller access door, which was the one I preferred, since the length of time my hoard was open and vulnerable was minimal. That wouldn't work this time. I needed the wider access.

From inside the room, using another series of secret levers that had to be triggered in a particular order, I opened a door that was almost the width and height of my closet wall. It made hauling the oversized pieces of my collection into the secured area so much easier. Each piece in my collection had a specific place to be housed in my hoard room.

I hadn't always been so meticulous—there was something marvelous about seeing heaps of jewels mounded all around you—but too many pieces became damaged that way. And no one enjoyed stepping on a gemstone in bare feet. That was almost as bad as LEGO pieces, or so I'd been told by my cousin. Her first hatchling, the only child in my family in a century, was about six years old now and had started stockpiling the little building blocks. It was their little one's first hoard, and my aunt and uncle were incredibly proud.

When the sculpture was in place, I heaved out a sigh and shook out my arms again. One down. Thankfully , none of the others were so heavy or awkward.

I heard Simon moving around in the other room, so I straightened my shoulders. I refused to show how weak I was in front of Simon . He'd blame himself for summoning me, even though he hadn't known what would happen. I would get stronger. I was already much stronger than I was when he'd first summoned me. My chest warmed with fire and electricity. Shooting sparks when I was angry was good too. Okay , it wasn't great that I was angry enough to lose control like that, but it meant my magic was healing. Another day or two and I should be at full strength again.

It couldn't come soon enough.

By the time I returned to the parlor, Simon was placing half a dozen beers in the fridge. The drinks people order could reveal a lot. The brand Simon had grabbed was a rather lackluster local beer, one that people who didn't really like the taste of beer usually drank.

" Is that your usual?"

Simon blushed prettily as he closed the fridge door. " Sometimes ."

" Do you like it?"

" Sure ."

I didn't want lies between us. I crossed the room to him. He looked surprised to see me so close. He took a step back, and I followed until his back was against the wall. " Tell me the truth. Do you like it? "

His cheeks darkened. " It is better than other things, I guess."

" Hmm …" I gently tugged his head down until I could whisper in his ear. His breath hitched as my breath cascaded over his skin. I loved how quickly he reacted to me; it was almost as fast as I reacted to him. " You know… I can make any drink you might like. I know at least twenty delicious cocktails made with cream."

He swallowed. Was it because I was pressed up against him, or did he really like the idea of a creamy cocktail? Ha ! And just thinking about the words creamy cocktail had my mind dropping into a lovely and decadent gutter.

" Uh … This is fine."

" But is it what you like?"

" Uh …"

" Simon ?"

He swallowed again and looked away.

" Don't be embarrassed by what you like, love. I thought we were past that," I said. " Whether it is a drink or something else. I only want to make you happy."

His gaze darted to mine before he looked away again. " I would like to try something like that. With cream," he said eventually. " But maybe not today? We have a lot to do, and I don't want to stay here any longer than necessary."

Always such a worrier.

" I'm going to fill your life with so many wonderful things. You'll see." I nipped at his earlobe, and he shivered.

I couldn't wait to be settled in Willow Lake with him. I wanted to spoil my little kitty. I wanted to give him everything, to ensure he knew he was safe with me, and to ease his worries and his self-doubt and his fears. He was already so much more confident and relaxed than he had been. I couldn't wait to see what he would be like in a year or twenty or a hundred.