“I love it. And I'll take this one.” His voice dropped to add, “The one you selected for me. Thank you, Lord Galin.”
“You're welcome, Your Majesty. But, I'm no longer a lord. I gave up my title to come here.”
“A lordship is more than a title, even if it is only bestowed upon you for joining a court.” He stroked the inkright before lifting it to put it into his vest. “It's a bearing, and you have it.”
“Wait, Your Majesty!” I grabbed his wrist. “You have to close it first.”
The Dragon King went still, but it was a watching stillness, that of a predator. Then he breathed in deeply and sighed. “Orange blossoms.”
“Excuse me?”
“You smell like orange blossoms,” he said. “A beautiful scent. Perfect for you.”
“Oh. Uh. Thank you.”
Then he shook his wrist, the one I was holding. “Now, you were saying?”
I cleared my throat, let go of his wrist, and took the inkright. “You close the inkright like so.” I showed him how to twist the shaft to seal the reservoir. “And now it's safe to put in your pocket.”
“Ah. Thank you.” He took it back and slid it into his vest.
“I didn't think you'd come,” I said abruptly.
The Dragon King grinned. “So you remember the look we shared.”
“It was quite a look. Very hard to forget.”
“Yes, it was.” His stare slid down my body and up again. “I would have come sooner, but I've had a lot of kingdom business to attend to.”
“I see.”
“Am I too late?”
“How so, Your Majesty?”
“To court you. Have you found a lover in the interim?” He grinned wickedly as he leaned over to the display toward me. “Not that I would let another man stop me from getting what I want.”
“You're in luck, Your Majesty,” I said breathlessly. “I recently ended my only romantic entanglement.”
Something flared in his eyes. “Just how entangled were you?”
“I don't see how that's any of your business.”
Dear Gods! I never would have been so bold before. Not in that way, telling a potential lover that he didn't have a right to know something about me. And a king at that. Who was I?
Whoever I was, the Dragon King liked me. He grinned broader. “You're right. It's not my business.” He paused, then added, “Yet.” Then he set his top hat on the case and slowly lifted his hand to stroke back a length of my hair, pushing it over my shoulder. “I'll be back for you at seven o'clock tonight. Wear your hair as it is now.”
Then he picked up his hat, turned on his polished boots, and walked out.
I watched the Dragon King leave, my heart racing, then looked down at my hands. They were trembling.
“Holy fucking fuck!” Arena screeched as she dashed out of the workroom. “You have a date with the Dragon King!”
Chapter Four
Standing in my apartment above the shop, I stared at my reflection in the dressing table's mirror. Tightly pulled back in a complicated braid, my hair fell down my back, out of sight. It put my face on sharp display, and I took a deep breath to survey what was there. Compared to the Dragon King, I looked delicate, with fine bones and full lips. My dark green eyes were framed by long lashes and had an upward tilt at the outer ends. They were enhanced by the green vest of my Sken suit. I smoothed the lapels, still getting used to this new mode of dressing. In Vix, the common dress for men consisted of belted tunics and trousers. Here, it was a bit more complicated.
I loved the complication. The layers of fabric gave a man the option of endless combinations. I loved the way the tailored garments fit my body, emphasizing my trim waist and lean legs. My shoulders were slim, but the jacket I wore gave even that, my worst feature, a nice line. I should have felt amazing.
