TWO
He glanced down at the address for his friend’s sister. It was in the city, not far from Jae’s penthouse suite at his NYC hotel. That would make it easier to send a messenger to bring the gift over. The Lair was one of the top five luxury hotels in New York City.
With a helipad, all junior suites themed after a historical time period and a spa featured in every travel magazine around the world, it redefined luxury. He’d send one of his bell people to bring the package over when he got to his hotel.
Traffic was pretty bad, even after rush hour. In New York, the city that never sleeps, there was always something to do and somewhere for people to be.
He pressed the button to lower the partition between him and the driver. “Hey, Gordon,” he said. “Drop me off at the next block. I can walk it. Don’t worry about it. Looks like something happened up ahead and you should already be on your way home before Nellie starts calling me asking why I’m keeping you from dinner.”
Gordon chuckled. “I think it’s someone important because the whole street looks to be blocked.”
Crap. If the president was in town he’d be stuck there forever. If the UN was having a meeting, that was going to slow everyone down.
“Then I’ll get out here. You go ahead and turn right at this corner and go home. Get out while you can.”
He had his coat on quickly and jumped out the moment Gordon stopped. Cold air slapped him in the face. Damn. He’d have to grow his beard again. He’d cut it while in Japan, but now he’d grow it again. It was too damn cold to feel it on his face.
With his Bottega Veneta cashmere and leather gloves in hand, he started walking as he put them on.
The cold didn’t bother his dragon, but when he wasn’t in his dragon skin, he felt the weather changes a lot more. He marched down the busy streets, glad for the heated sidewalks or his very inappropriate dress shoes would have him slipping and sliding down the street.
The doorman at his hotel greeted him with a smile. He strolled into the lobby with a sigh. He needed to get some rest. Twenty-four hours awake did nothing for him. As he approached the lobby, he saw what appeared to be a woman and a new employee at the reception in a dispute.
“Come on, sweetheart,” the guy at the desk whispered. Someone he didn’t recognize. “Give me your number and I promise to get your resume up to my boss,” he said. They were far enough away from him that had he not had enhanced hearing, he wouldn’t have been able to know what was being said.
The woman snorted. “I’ve come to the conclusion my resume is not going to make it to your boss’s hands,” she said in a soft but firm voice. “So I have no problem letting you know that you’re never getting my number. Maybe I’ll email the owners and let them know what a douche bag you are.”
The guy laughed. “Good luck. I’m employee of the month and I’ve only been here a few months. They’d never believe you.”
He could only see the woman from behind. She had a long, red wool coat on that accentuated her back and waist. Long, dark hair clung down her back in waves of browns, reds and blues. He strode for them when a man jumped in his way.
“Mr. Drachen,” Charles Quinn, general manager to the hotel, said with smile. He sensed the man’s nerves as well as his accelerated heart rate. “So great to have you back.”
“Thank you, Charles. How has everything been? Any problems?”
“There are some things I’d like to discuss that happened while you were gone,” Charles said. “Let’s go into my office for a moment.”
Jae glanced at the reception desk. The woman was gone. When he glanced to the entrance, she was already past the doorman and rushing out.
“Give me a few minutes. I’ll be right back,” he said, heading after the woman.
He didn’t know why it hit him so hard, but he felt the need to apologize for the clerk’s rude behavior. He stepped out into the street and saw her rushing down the block, turning into one of the side streets.
He marched after her, ignoring the cold and the thick flakes falling over his head. Something told him to hurry up. He broke into a run, not smart in his dress shoes, but he still did it. Around the corner, he caught a flash of her red coat as a man tried to pull her handbag from her shoulder.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” she yelled and yanked her bag back.
Jae readied to pull the fucker off her and toss him down the street, when he was stopped dead in his tracks.
She stomped on the guy’s foot and punched him on his jaw. The sound of her knuckles hitting his face made his eyes widen. The guy curled into himself, slapping both hands over his mouth and crying in pain. She continued past him as if nothing happened. Jae’s interest was more than piqued. Who was this woman?
He bypassed the man now walking the other way from her and from what he could tell, trying to get as far away from her as possible. Jae rushed up to her side and tried tapping her shoulder.
“Excuse me—”
He didn’t expect for her to grab his hand and try to do a move which would bend his wrist to the point it would almost pop. Luckily, he was a lot faster than she realized.