Page 20 of Morel Dilemma

Dressed in a tidy white chef’s coat and black trousers, he looked up from stirring, chopping, and adding ingredients to a stockpot. “You will inform me if the landlord requires incineration.”

“I’ve already got someone else volunteering to throttle him, but I’ll come back and let you know if your services are needed.”

Jildarin sighed. “Alas, you jest. Such activities may not be performed in Tranquility.”

“Alas.”

He looked her up and down. Rylana resisted the urge to step in and twirl to model the dress for him. He probably thought the attire impractical—she herself felt the keen loss of her pockets.

“That color is not unappealing,” Jildarin said.

“The gnome tailor called it dusky sage.”

“It is similar to silver, which is a superior and satisfying hue.”

“And which happens to be the color of your scales?”

“Most satisfying. My brother and I were the only two silver-scaled dragons in our clutch, and his scales are more of a dark gray. Mine are like the precious metal used in jewelry making and gleam in the sun.”

“Your scales are quite nice.” Rylana had thought his hereditary dragon vanity mostly revolved around his cooking skills. Who knew he was proud of his looks?

“Yes,” Jildarin said agreeably, then pointed his spoon at her. “Do not forget my warning. Consume or imbibe nothing that my brother gives you. When it comes to females that he desires, he cannot be trusted. He schemes.” Jildarin shifted the spoon to point at his stockpot which was presumably simmering with the soup Zilek had requested.

“I don’t think he desires me. If anything, he’s going to be disappointed that I couldn’t get Sylin to come tonight. I’m going to leave now and hope to arrive and question Aztor or his wife before Zilek shows up.”

“His presence will not be required to gain entry?” Jildarin returned the spoon to the soup and stirred it.

“I’m hoping the wine conclave doesn’t have a bouncer at the door.”

“Perhaps you should take your bow.”

“My bow that’s tied with a tranquility ribbon that precludes it being strung?”

“As we’ve discussed before, a bow stave can be employed as a blunt weapon.”

“I think clubbing the patrons of a wine club is frowned upon and may make it difficult for me to chat up the people I need answers from.” Rylana turned toward the hallway but noticed Jildarin looking at her dress again.

Was it possible he found more than the color appealing?

Though the flowing material didn’t reveal a lot of bare skin, it hugged her breasts and hips nicely, accentuating them the way her typical trousers and tunics did not. Even if Jildarin didn’t believe in recreational mating and such things rarely tempted dragons, he was a human male at the moment. Wasn’t it possible shape-shifting into that form brought its biological urges and imperatives along with it?

“Do you want to come with me tonight?” Rylana caught herself asking.

She would much rather go on a date with Jildarin than his brother.

“For incineration?”

“No, for company.”

Jildarin tilted his head, his brow wrinkling slightly.

“Also, having a dragon along might help with the questioning of the landlord,” Rylana added, though she believed she might have better luck getting information without him looming beside her. Even in his human form, Jildarin could be intimidating, especially when he grew peeved and his powerful magic seemed to seep out along with his irritation.

“I’d planned to finish the dinner service and then practice mushroom dishes to draw the elven queen.” Jildarin walked closer to her, glancing at the front of her dress.

Rylana flushed with warmth, wanting his gaze upon her, maybe his hand upon her. And his lips, though she reminded herself that he hadn’t done anything the time she’d kissed him.

“I am not,” Jildarin added, “certain how close the flavor profile of an enchanted morel is to a normal morel, so I’m a little perplexed on how to approach the task until I’ve sampled one. I was trying to find tasting notes in the elven cookbook that mentioned them, but until one has touched a food to one’s tongue…” He lifted a hand toward her.