Chapter Twenty-two

ALEX

I gave Margaret the heads-up that it would be helpful for me and Nate to have the house to ourselves sometime soon.

"Am I supposed to overlook the fact you didn't stop your shenanigans when I asked you to?" Her face was set in severe lines.

"Firstly, I don't know what shenanigans are. And secondly, don't you think we should know what Steven's got up his sleeve? He might have his own plans in addition to his father's."

She sighed. "Why do I have the feeling this burning desire to investigate is more about spending time with the Mortimer dragon than anything else?"

"It isn't," I said, almost sincerely. "If we weren't doing this, we'd just go for a coffee together. But Steven could be a loose cannon. In any case, the more information we have, the better we can strategize to keep ourselves safe when James makes his move and dragon society melts down."

"Alright, Alex. I can see not all my lessons have gone to waste. But be careful. I'll get them out of the house on Monday afternoon. Does that suit you?"

It did. I left her visiting the tourist information bureau—I suspected I wouldn't be allowed through the doors after the whole Jane Austen's aunt shoplifting thing—to find a group activity for Monday.

I waited for Nate at Sheila's. When I saw him push open the door, I was glad our reunion wasn't at the Fortescues', because I couldn't stop smiling at him. He was tall, he was gorgeous, and he was mine. My dragon was crooning with delight.

Nate crossed the room swiftly and pressed a kiss to my lips. It was short and chaste, but it was still good. God, I'd missed him.

"How was the trip?" I asked, once he'd ordered coffee and cake.

He rubbed his forehead. "You know that saying—to a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail? Well, to a man with a guilty conscience, everything looks like a trap. I don't think I gave anything away."

"D'you think they'll offer you a job?"

"Possibly. I might have messed up by refusing to sleep with Michel, if that was really the reason I was—"

"I'm sorry, what?" We were together. I'd thought that meant exclusive. With a sinking heart, I realised that not everyone saw a relationship that way.

"I couldn't tell him I had someone, because Tom was there, and I didn't want that getting back to James when you're supposed to be available for Ella," he explained.

My anger and panic ebbed away at how easily and naturally he'd said he had someone.

"It's not exactly client-pleasing behaviour," he added.

"I don't think you're expected to literally prostitute yourself for a client. Are you?" I suddenly realised I didn't know.

"You're right. I suppose I was trying a little too hard to please them because I want the job."

I didn't want him to get that job. The thought of him alone in Bristol, surrounded by dragons who would rip him apart if they suspected his intentions…

"Margaret's giving us a chance to search again on Monday," I said. Hopefully, we'd find something that would push Bim into action and Nate wouldn't have to go to Bristol.

"Which gives us a few days to fill." His eyes darkened as he looked at me.

"I could think of a thing or two we could do," I confessed.

It turned out, I could think of several things we could do, and we did almost all of them down by the river. Even when it began to rain, it didn't stop us.

Afterwards, the cold and wet weren't so easy to ignore.

"I know we can't go missing for an entire night again, but they've accepted we're in the habit of flying together a few times a week. Could we skip the flying some nights, get a hotel room and use it for an hour or so?" I asked.

"God, you're brilliant," Nate said, and kissed me, long and hard.

I firmly closed my mind to what Margaret would say if she knew Nate was renting a hotel room by the hour so he could screw me.

The problem was, if we were to have any future when we left Bath—and that was an open enough question—Margaret would need to approve of him. If she disapproved, she wouldn't allow him on our territory. Any relationship would become impossible because I couldn't leave, not when I was in line to be head of the family.

When she looked at Nate, she saw someone just like the Fortescues. And I didn't know how to change her mind.

NATE

I managed to catch up with Charlie on Saturday, thankfully before Mrs Fortescue had a chance to hound me. He was on his phone, on his bed, again.

With anyone else, I'd have suggested going out, but Charlie might misinterpret an invitation. I gave him the coffee I'd brought with me and settled in the chair by the window.

"What an honour, a Mortimer condescending to spend time with a Fortescue."

My brow furrowed as I stared at him. We'd always joked about our families, about how we were basically Romeo and Juliet without all the melodrama and death, but that jibe had been venomous.

"What's going on, Charlie? Steven's never liked me, but he can't stand the sight of me now, and he's been even more objectionable than usual about my family. Has something happened?"

"You don't know? Your grandfather poached our best client. Sweet-talked him and walked him out under Dad's nose." Charlie sat up, his eyes hot. "It's not enough that you have the entire City under your control. You have to take from everyone else as well."

If that was how it had happened, he had a point. We didn't need another client, however wealthy. I paused as the thought hit me. That—that was not what a dragon should think. But stealing from someone who had less than us felt unworthy. Even if they were the Fortescues.

"Charlie, I didn't know anything about it. When did this happen?"

"About three months ago. You're lucky Dad didn't flame you on sight when you showed up here."

Bim had sent me to the Fortescues without even a warning of how they might receive me. That was a very uncomfortable realisation.

"Oh, sod it." Charlie's voice broke into my thoughts. "D'you want to go out for a drink?"

"Good idea." It would get me out of this house. I shot Alex a quick text to let him know. I considered inviting him along, but only for a nanosecond. He and Charlie couldn't seem to stand the sight of one another.

We came back in time for supper, mellow from the beers we'd drunk, and Mrs Fortescue gave me an approving nod. I hoped I'd bought enough grace to spend more time with Alex.