I bit back frustration.“You’re certain?”
“Positive.”
My dragon snorted.She’s wrong.Tell her she’s our mate.
No, that couldn’t be right.It had to simply be chemistry.A strong reaction.
My dragon countered,Don’t be naive.
Bria sipped her drink—my rum.“Delicious.I’ll give you that.”
My gaze tracked her pretty little mouth on the rim of that glass, sipping my rum.
Focus.Business.Think.
I wouldn’t let her dismiss this instant and intense connection between us without exploring it further.And since I had a deal to land… Ideas spun like gears.I was a businessman, good at problem-solving.Surely there was an optimal solution here.
An idea clicked into place.Yes, it was perfect.
“I have a proposition for you, Bria,” I said, leaning forward slightly.
Her brow arched.“Like I’ve never heard that before,” she drawled and glanced away.
“I’m trying to land a business deal this week.”
“Oh, how thrilling for me,” she deadpanned and took another slow sip.
“Hear me out.It could help us both.”
“I’m listening, dragon.”She slowly turned back to me.
“It will give us time to figure out if this thing between us is real or not.”I motioned between us, heat curling in my chest.
“Ha!It’s not real,” she scoffed, but her gaze flicked to my mouth.“Just a little spell misfire.”She straightened.“Besides, I’m not interested in a mate.”
That rejection stunned me.A gut punch—but not a knockout.
“I’m not asking you to move in with me.I’m talking about a week.Seven days.I’ll treat you well, make it worth your time.”
She tilted her head slowly in a distinctively feline movement.“What are we talking about here, dragon?”
“Darius,” I said, voice dropping.“My name is Darius.”
She gave a low, dangerous laugh.“Okay, Darrr-ee-usss.”She purred it, and the way it rolled over her tongue lit every nerve ending in my body.“What do you want from me?”
Time to play my cards.If she said yes, I’d have a better chance of landing my deal—and an opportunity to explore this craving for her.
She’ll say yes,my dragon declared, assured.
I tipped my chin up.“I want you to pretend to be my girlfriend.”
CHAPTERTHREE
BRIA
The rum burned warm in my throat as I stared at the dragon shifter who’d just suggested the most unexpected arrangement.
Pretendto be his girlfriend?
