She felt a stab of guilt at that—though there was no reason for her to. Emmeline was not the kind of person who had regrets.
Luke’s gaze dropped down to where her finger was still on his chest. He made as if to bite it and, horrified, she snatched her hand away.
He looked up and met her aghast expression with a wolfish smile. Her pulse quickened, blood pounding through her veins like the beating of a drum.
She was about to do something drastic when she heard a voice say, “Ah, Luke, there you are.”
Chapter 2
Luke Hayward didn’t know what he was doing at Genevieve Sterling’s birthday party, but he had come for two major reasons. The first was to speak to Emmeline, and that goal had come true.
She was as formidable and dangerous as any dragon and just as beautiful and thrilling. She was a ruthless businesswoman—successful, gorgeous, heartless. He didn’t care that she had broken his heart all those years ago.
He had seen her earlier—she was impossible not to notice, though she hadn’t noticed him. She was too busy running around, managing everything with efficiency.
He’d followed her upstairs to try and get her attention but then lost her, so he’d stopped to watch the snowfall before he’d heard the sound of heels clicking.
When he’d turned, there she had been, face blazing. She was stunning. It had taken him a moment to collect himself; even then, he’d done so with difficulty. She looked like she belonged in the pages of a magazine, or on a movie screen.
He couldn’t believe she was real until she was stalking over, and he inhaled the scent of jasmine from her skin, at once familiar and foreign.
He had said something to rile her—he loved the look on her face when he pissed her off. It felt like watching a lightning strike, and he didn’t care about how close he was to the danger.
Then he recalled the second reason he was here.
“Ah, Luke, there you are.”
Simultaneously, he and Emmeline turned to see an old lady approach them both, her wrinkled hand clasping an ornately carved cane. It was Anh, the eighty-year-old matriarch of the Trang family, the representative family for the azura breed of dragons on the Dragon Council.
While Luke didn’t know much about Drakkon politics, he did know that there were four members of the Dragon Council, one for each breed. Anh’s nephew was the representative for the azuras, while Emmeline’s uncle was the representative for the basaltas. The opala breed was represented by a Cartwright, and the garneta breed was represented by a Kiani.
Anh Trang was one of the richest women in Starshine Valley. She had a magic touch when it came to business, which was why Luke was interested in her.
He had been trying to get Anh to invest in his coffee-roasting company, Tempest, formonths. She had finally gotten back to him, but not to set up a meeting. Instead, she had asked if he would be her plus-one to a birthday party of a family friend, and he had agreed immediately, figuring he could at least get her to warm up to him. The birthday partybeing a Sterling’s was an added bonus, because he knew Emmeline would be here.
They had arrived late to the party, and he had spent most of the night trying to get on Anh’s good side to secure an investment for Tempest. Unfortunately, his business wasn’t doing well, but he had plans that could fix it. He just needed a chance.
It looked as if Anh had her own ideas, though.
“Anh!” Emmeline said, immediately straightening, her expression softening. She took a step back from Luke, holding a hand out for the old lady, who took it with a fond smile.
“Lovely to see you, darling,” Anh said, as Emmeline and she kissed cheeks. Anh was almost a foot shorter than Emmeline, but still she stood tall, her back straight and chin lifted.
“I haven’t seen you all night,” Emmeline said, still holding Anh’s hand. “Come, sit.” She led Anh to a couch, helping Anh get comfortable on a sofa.
Luke watched with curiosity, the way he had throughout the night. Emmeline took care of everyone. He wondered if there was anyone who took care of her. He hoped so.
But then the image of her having a lover to take care of her entered his mind, and he frowned.
Starshine Valley was small; he’d surely know if she was in a serious relationship. He knew that she had her flirtations, that she was considered a bit of a heartbreaker. Men got involved at their own risk.
A risk he wouldn’t mind taking, even if he had already been burned once before.
“Luke, dear, come join us,” Anh said, voice soft.
Mentally scolding himself, Luke focused on the situation at hand. With a nod, he went over and sat down on an armchair across from the sofa. Emmeline sat on an identical armchair.
Anh looked at both of them and smiled. “It has been some time since I have attended such a party,” she said, still holding her ornate cane in front of her. “I thought about killing two birds with one stone. My time is very precious, as you know.”
