"Taylor. And…" I blew out a long breath. "Fine. I accept the offer."
Winnie audibly brightened. "Yay! I'll email you the contract and all the other information you need. You won't regret this, Taylor."
I didn't know why, but I was inclined to agree.
Four
Crimson
Today we were shootinga commercial for the Dragonfate Games. I couldn't think of anything I'd rather do less, but at least I got to riffle through my hoard and pick out a nice suit to show off to the world.
I strolled through the custom walk-in closet in my bedroom. Hundreds of quality suits hung on the racks surrounding me. My hand grazed over their fine fabrics as I walked by, the sensation of it calming me. If I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, I could smell the delicate aroma of the Merino wool.
This was my happy place. I could've sat in the middle of my hoard all day. Unfortunately, I'd been roped into this mind-boggling TV show and it was too late to escape.
"Let's see," I murmured to myself. I scanned the line of suits, wondering which one I wanted to feature. It was impossible to choose—they were all so beautiful.
"I wish those lizard brains chose a fashion show instead of a dating one," I grumbled.
"Still moping?"
Jade strolled in with a wry smile. Although the aisle was spacious, he was still careful not to brush against any of my suits. Despite the fact that we were brothers, it was considered deeply rude to touch another dragon's hoard without permission. I was even more anal about it than most dragons—just seeing Jade standing inside my closet made my skin itchy.
Fortunately, he was one of my more conscientious siblings. He must've seen the annoyance on my face and stepped back out of the closet.
"Sorry," Jade said. "They sent me to fetch you since you were taking so long."
I made a sour face. "I can't help it. How am I supposed to choose a suit? Look at them. They're all works of art."
Jade didn't comment on the peculiarity of my hoard. Every dragon's hoard was unique.
"Would it help if I picked one for you?" Jade suggested.
I squinted. "You're not going to touch it, are you?"
"No, grumpy pants. I'll point at it."
The childish name didn't sound so bad coming from him. On the other hand, if the golden twins had said it, I'd want to wring their little necks.
"Fine," I relented.
"Close your eyes. I'll surprise you."
I rolled my eyes for good measure before shutting them. "Like you're going to surprise me with a mate?"
"You know, if you really don't want to do it, just say so," Jade said patiently. "You're a big, bad fire-breathing dragon. We can't force you to do anything."
"So are the rest of you," I reminded him.
"You're right. We should all threaten to incinerate you if you don't comply."
"Are you making fun of me?"
Jade sounded amused. "No. I'd never do such a thing."
I huffed. Jade was so calm and down to earth that it was impossible to get annoyed at him. Admittedly, his presence was soothing. I was glad he showed up to help, otherwise I would've been trapped by indecision in this closet forever.
"And… this one," Jade said.
