In a Dragon’s Dream by Riley Storm Page 0,20

ridiculous,” she admitted. “But now, I think I appreciate it. More than you know maybe.”

That came out wrong. He’s going to think I mean it differently. That I like having him around.

That was what she’d meant though, wasn’t it? His presence, his calm, it balanced out her nerves.

What happened when she grew bolder, however? What happened when she no longer feared the doorbell, or going into her office alone? Would he grow bored and leave?

Laura glanced over at Rakell only to find him staring at her, waiting for her next words, her next move. His attention was fixated entirely on her.

And she liked it.

“I hope you don’t think I’m nuts, by saying all that,” she said.

“Not at all,” he rumbled. He was still staring at her.

“Um, I guess time to get to work,” she said, biting her lip, then flashing him a smile.

How long are you going to stick around, Rakell Teres? And why do I find myself hoping it’s going to be awhile?

Chapter Twelve

Laura

With a mighty sigh she pushed herself back from her desk.

“Rakell,” she said, not bothering to hide the irritation in her voice.

“Yes? What is it?” the deep voice came from behind her left shoulder.

“This needs to stop. Like, now.”

She slowly rotated in her seat so that she could pin him to the rear wall of her office with her gaze.

“What needs to stop?” he asked, blinking his eyes slowly, face neutral.

Laura’s eyes tightened at the corners. Was he being serious? Could he be so completely oblivious to what she was talking about? Or perhaps, was he well aware of it, and choosing to feign ignorance? Either way, it didn’t matter. Laura was gonna tell him. Oooo she was gonna tell him.

“This,” she said, waving her hand up and down at him. “You. Here. A foot behind me. Breathing, flexing your fists. Coughing. Farting.”

The last one she threw out more as a taunt than anything. It helped distract her from his overbearing masculinity. She could smell him from where she sat, and it was a cloying, powerful male scent that was making it hard to focus.

“I have not done that,” he growled.

“Still. You’re distracting me,” she said forcefully, not directly acknowledging that he was right. “You’re too close.”

But I like you close.

She inhaled deeply, only realizing once his musk tickled her nostrils that it was a mistake. Her body liked it, and that was trouble she just didn’t quite need.

Why not?

Firmly telling the rebellious part of her brain to mind its own business, she refocused her attention on Rakell.

“I am your bodyguard,” Rakell said stubbornly. “I need to be close.”

She shook her head. “I’m not telling you to take a hike Rak—can I call you Rak?”

“Yes,” he said after a moment’s hesitation.

“Are…are you sure? You didn’t seem so confident there. I can keep calling you Rakell,” she said with a shrug.

“No, it’s fine,” he said, at last breaking out into a smile. “Nobody has ever called me Rak before, but…I like it.”

There was something left unsaid there, something he didn’t clarify, but Laura sensed that if she pushed, it would simply backfire on her. He didn’t want to share, whatever it was, and so she respected that privacy.

“Okay, well Rak, you can still be, well, here,” she said, waving at the office. “Just not, here-here. Is that cool? Like, maybe wait outside.”

“Front or back?” he asked. “I can’t be in both. What if someone comes in the other way?”

“Not outside the building,” she ground out. “Just outside the room. In the waiting area or something. Unless you think someone is going to come through the walls for me,” she joked.

Rakell looked back at her, his face serious.

“Nobody is going to come through the walls,” she said in response. “Trust me.”

“I do,” he said solemnly.

“Well, thank you for that,” she said, surprised at the serious tone he took, but flattered that he trusted her.

Well, almost trusted her. There was that one pesky little secret he was lying to her about.

Laura frowned internally. It was just the one secret, wasn’t it? There wasn’t more that he was hiding? How would she know? The only reason she knew he wasn’t being completely trusting of her, was that she’d known of the dragons beforehand. If she hadn’t, then right now she would think he was being completely sincere.

I can understand the dragon bit though. He’ll open up eventually, he just has to make sure that I’m not guessing, that I’m aware of it all.

“Will it make you more comfortable if I