Before they reached the front door, Sheryl flung it open and burst through. She carried several bags and juggled a flowerpot and her almost-empty vodka bottle. “I quit,” she snapped, belligerence radiating from her. “You can send my final wages to my post office box.”
Max considered several cutting remarks but bit his tongue. Sheryl beelined to her car, and Max couldn’t hold back any longer. “You can’t drive, Sheryl. You’re still drunk. At least let me call you a cab.” He enjoyed a beer or two himself, but drinking and driving were a hot button for him, even more so after his parents’ deaths.
“I don’t need a taxi,” Sheryl spat. “Your grandmother will learn you don’t have an au pair for Noel.” Nastiness and a hint of blackmail underscored her words.
Max admitted to a temper, and he hated people who embraced stupidity. Those like Sheryl, who blamed everyone else for their shortcomings. “Suit yourself.”
“Bastard,” Sheryl snarled. “I needed this job.”
“You quit,” Max countered. “I didn’t fire you.”
“I need a reference.”
“Go to hell,” Max said and placed his hand on Noel’s shoulder to guide him past Sheryl.
“Is this one of your birds? Wait until your grandmother hears you’re inviting them to the house now. This will thrill her.”
“Sasha is my fiancée,” Max said without a blink.
2 – An Awesome Adventure
“No one told me you’re engaged.” Sheryl aimed for belligerent but wavered from side to side and was in imminent danger of toppling on her arse. The woman was in no condition to drive. He’d call the cops the instant she left. Luckily, he lived on a private road with only two residents—him and a businessman from London. His closest neighbor was away in France at present, so Sheryl was only a danger to herself.
“Because you’re my employee, not my friend.” Max shunted Noel inside and turned back to Sasha, silently imploring her to step across the threshold and not utter a contradictory word until Sheryl departed. Sasha glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. The tiny tilt of her lips loosened his apprehension, and pleasure stomped out the rest when Sasha stepped boldly forward.
Sheryl cursed and stomped to her orange mini, although her swaying brought to mind a waddling penguin rather than a woman making a dramatic exit. She dropped her flowerpot while fumbling with the keys and swore again.
Max stepped farther inside, giving Sasha plenty of room should his proximity make her nervous. Her tilted lips grew to a sunshiny smile that lit her entire face and made her blue eyes glow. Then, she turned to shut the door, muting Sheryl’s cursing at him, her car, and at life.
A red-blooded male, he scanned Sasha’s form from the rear. He pursed his lips in a silent whistle of appreciation. She bore curves in all the right places. Well, hell. Why hadn’t he met her six months ago?
“Are we staying?” her dragon asked. Her dragon’s tattoo had moved around to Sasha’s back and peeked above the collar of her shirt.“Ooh! He likes us. He’s staring at your butt. I bet he’d like my pretty bronze scales too. He told that lady we’re betrothed to him. Why would he do that?”
“I’m not certain. The situation here is intriguing.”
“The Max man cares for Noel. You saw how worried he was when we arrived. The stomping lady failed to watch the child. She smelled of strong whisky. I think she drank instead of carrying out her duties.”
“We will stay,”Sasha said, trusting her instincts. Pleasure rushed through her along with a raft of goosebumps and awareness. Why couldn’t the dragon her parents picked for her look like Max instead of Bruceous? Granted, Bruceous wasn’t ugly and took care of his presentation and fitness. It was his slimy manner and his adherence to the old ways that made her long to flee in the opposite direction.
“If Max man has a forked tongue and creeping hands, we will deal with him.”
“We will,”Sasha agreed.“But it’s best if we maintain our two-legged form right now. We must learn more. Where are we? How did we get here? How do we get home?”
“I was wondering…”Her dragon paused and rearranged her form until she sprawled across Sasha’s chest and belly.“Even though we’re lost, this adventure might be beneficial. It’s perfect for an intrepid dragon like us. We can slowly investigate our plight while enjoying our freedom. The plants are different here, and we can learn more about what interests us. And, best of all, we will miss the meeting with Bruceous.”
“An attractive idea,”Sasha said.“The only part of this plan I don’t like is that Mother and Father will worry. Our brothers too. Even though they boss us around and give us little independence, they do love us.”
“But not to take advantage of this opportunity,”her dragon wheedled.
“You’re right.”
“I’m going to heat soup for Noel. Would you like a bowl? I have tomato and lentil.” He wrapped an apron around his waist.
“What’s lentil?”her dragon asked.“Never mind. I love to eat. Let’s try it!”
“Yes, please,” Sasha said.
“Can you set the table, please?” Max asked. “The white bowls are in that cupboard.” He pointed. “And the cutlery is in this drawer. Placemats in the drawer there.”
