Chapter One
Frank
The vein above Frank’s right eye pulsed, as it always did when he was on the verge of a headache. He rubbed his forehead, trying to stave off the inevitable. He was having a crappy day.
It started early with clients not knowing how to keep up with what they spent and saved. It was simple. If they told him everything, he could get them in lower tax brackets and recommend investments, but he couldn’t do his job if they lied. Aside from client malfunctions, he also had an IRS audit, and they always seemed to pick the most inopportune time to show up.
As if that wasn’t enough, one of his computers was on the fritz. Frank wasn’t sure if one of the interns downloaded something they weren’t supposed to or were watching porn, but he was trying to keep smoke from pouring out of his nose. He was so close to quitting his entire practice that he didn’t check the caller ID when the phone rang.
“What?” he growled into the receiver. An awkward silence greeted him. “Hello,” he demanded, seconds from hanging up. He was in no mood to take calls. The call should have gone through Cathy, but since it didn’t, whoever had his personal phoneline’s number shouldn’t be too offended by his tone.
“Maybe I have the wrong number,” a soft voice said on the other line.
Frank didn’t recognize the voice on the other end, and he remembered everyone’s voice. He jolted upright in his seat, realizing he’d just given the worst first impression he could muster. But Frank was never one to backtrack, and he could only move forward if he got the soft-spoken woman to stay on the phone.
“Maybe you do. Maybe you don’t,” he said in a softer tone, his headache starting to fade. “Who were you calling for?”
“I was calling for a Frank Lodge. My friend Claire told me to give you a call. She had me under the impression… Well, it doesn’t matter what she said or implied. You sound quite busy, so I’ll just call someone else. Thank you. Have a nice day,” she said so fast Frank almost didn’t process what she said.
“Wait!” Frank didn’t know why he had screamed into the phone or why he cared so much about the person on the other end, but he could tell from the sound of her breathing that it worked. She hadn’t hung up.
“Yes?” She sounded so uncertain that he immediately felt guilty for snapping at her.
“You didn’t tell me your name,” he said.
“Violet.”
“Violet,” he repeated. He liked the sound of that.
“Yes. Violet Green,” she said.
He didn’t know what to say, but he didn’t want her to hang up, so he went with the first thing he could think of. “You found the man you were looking for. Is there something I can help you with? Any friend of Claire’s is a friend of mine.”
“So, you’ve known Claire for some time?” she asked in a suspicious tone.
He wondered why it mattered and hoped it wouldn’t be a problem. For some inexplicable reason, he hoped it wasn’t. “Yes. For some time now. She knows I’m always available to help any of her friends. Do you need an accountant?”
She paused, and for a moment, Frank wasn’t sure if she was still there.
“Yes,” she said after some time as if she had debated on hanging up.
“Tell me about your business,” he said, leaning back in his chair.
“Well, honestly, there’s not much to tell. I’m just a small business owner. I make and sell custom jewelry. On weekends, I teach jewelry-making workshops. I’ve been in business for a little over three years, and I’ve done it all alone. I don’t have any assistants or interns, just me. I use the jewels customers bring in, stones from my hiking trips, and other trinkets I buy for cheap online.”
She sounded proud of her business and Frank liked that. Not only did she work with her hands, but she did work she was proud of. Frank knew a lot about jewelry himself but now wasn’t the time to say that. He only hoped they got another opportunity to talk about it.
“You probably already know this, but Claire owns the store across the street from me, The Crystalline Aurora. It’s one of those new-age stores that sells incense, books on mythical creatures, spells, and stuff like that. Sometimes Claire hosts fortune-telling events with her tarot cards too. On those nights, I come over and sell some of my jewelry since the fortune-telling always brings a big crowd,” Violet said. “Aside from my Etsy shop online, most of my sells are custom orders based on jewelry the customer brings in.”
“You sound very passionate about it.” Frank leaned forward in his seat.
“I am. Jewelry can change people’s moods depending on the stone and who gave it. They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but there are plenty of other gems that are just as helpful and friendlier than diamonds without spending so much money,” she said.
Talking to her felt like talking to a friend. It was a great reprieve from his hectic day. Her voice was melodic, like rain on the roof at night. If he wanted, he could fall asleep just listening to her. She stopped talking to take a deep breath, having talked nonstop for several minutes.
“What’s the name of your business?” he asked.
“Crap. I’ve done all this talking, and I didn’t even tell you the name of my own business.” He imagined her on the other end of the phone blushing. “It’s called The Velvet Box.”
“That’s cute,” he said, not mentioning his first thought when he heard the name. “Does every item get placed into a velvet box?”
“Yes,” Violet said, and he could tell she was smiling. “How did you know?” She sighed. “Is that horribly cliched?”
“No. More like branding to me. I bet you let a lot of girls down doing that.”
Violet laughed aloud, and he found he wanted to make her do it again.
“You’re not wrong,” she said. “People see a small black box, and of course they think ring. That’s why the boxes are purple velvet with black trim.”
“I like it. And let me guess, it’s purple inside. Right?”
“Yea, it is. You got a problem with that?”
“No, ma’am. It’s your business. I’m just making conversation.”
“Good, because I like purple,” she said with a touch of defiance.
“It’s a great color.”
“Exactly,” she said. “The color of royalty.”
“Aside from your royal colors and you overworking yourself, how often do you think you’ll need my services?”
Frank had more than enough things on his plate right now. He really didn’t need another client, and he could tell Violet would gladly relent if he told her he was too busy to help. But he wanted to help her. Even if he didn’t owe Claire from a bet she won during a drunken night in a bar that they had promised never to bring up again.
“Part-time. Maybe ten hours a week,” she said.
“That’s hardly part-time,” he said, running a hand through his blond hair.
“Mister Lodge—” Violet started.
“Call me Frank please,” he said though he didn’t know why since they’d just met.
“Mr. Lodge, I don’t need much help. Most days are completely manageable. I got behind during the holidays, but I don’t imagine it would take me long to get caught up. Once I do, I’ll no longer be needing your services.”
Frank didn’t like how that made him feel. He didn’t even know the lady, but there was already a twinge of loneliness.
“Well, great. That works perfectly for both of us.” He grimaced, knowing he sounded like an asshole.
“Great. I really wouldn’t want to impose,” Violet said.
He wanted her to impose, but he couldn’t tell her that since he just said he was busy. “So, when do you want me to start?”
“As soon as possible, please. I imagine you’re a very busy man, but I have things I need to do, as well.”
“Well, come by my office tomorrow. We can sign the paperwork, and you can tell me a little more about your business,” Frank said.
She hesitated. It made more sense for him to go to her business but he didn’t want to be on her playing ground. He felt off kilter, and he needed to right that, by her coming to him. He needed to be in control of this situation, and being in his office would give him the upper hand.
“All right. Tomorrow then,” she confirmed.
“I’ll have my receptionist call you with the address and leave a valet ticket for your vehicle,” he said.
“That will do. Thank you. Goodbye.”
He waited until she hung up first, using the added seconds to replay her voice in his head. Violet. What a name. What a voice. Would the woman live up to it? He banished the thought from his mind as a knock sounded at his door.
A skinny man with glasses and gelled hair popped his head through the doorway without waiting for Frank’s permission.
Goddamn auditors.
“We’re done for the day,” the man said stepping into the office, dressed in a suit too large for him. He looked like a child masquerading as a businessman. “I need you to sign a few things then we’ll be on our way.”
Frank bit his tongue instead of saying where he thought the auditor could stick his reports, signed them quickly, and saw the auditors to the door. They would take weeks going through his files. He was the CEO of his own accounting firm. There was no way they would go through it in a day, and he knew that, but seeing them every day would be hell.
Privately, Frank called them Twerp Twins. They both looked like nerds drunk on power, black hair with too much gel, black-rimmed glasses, and a smile that said, “I want to ruin your day. Don’t test me.” In high school, he ate guys like that for lunch.
Glancing at the time, he decided to call the day quits. Frank was no stranger to hard work. Even though he didn’t need the money, he liked working. It kept him active so he that didn’t get lazy. It also helped him pass for normal and not draw attention to himself. Things learned over centuries of living never went out of style. Working made him blend in.
He tidied up his desk and double-checked all confidential work was locked in their proper cabinets. The sun was still high in the sky, and he had a nice view of the traffic outside. Arkala, New York was more of a downtown rural city when compared to New York City, and he liked that about it. It was near Albany but far enough away to stand on its own, which was another reason why Frank loved it so much.
“Bye, Cat,” he said to his receptionist who was currently more interested in the precise application of her lipstick than saying goodbye to him.
She murmured, “Mhm,” to his back as he walked out the door into the hallway.
She looked like a model, and most people assumed she wasn’t fit for the job because of it, but she was more than capable. She had a degree in business and, shockingly ,paid attention to detail. Even though she came to work like she was possibly booking a modeling gig, she was a professional and one of the best receptionists he’d ever had. He had no complaints about her work ethic, though she could do for a personality upgrade.
Frank was glad he was the boss because it had its perks. For one, when he pressed the elevator button, it always came right to the eighth floor. He didn’t like to wait. Another reason was because he was able to make his own schedules. Frank couldn’t imagine working for someone else, or worse, punching a time-sheet. He winced just thinking about it. He liked to maintain his freedom in any way possible.
The soft elevator music faded into the background as he ran through his rolodex of things he still had to do. He was interested in Violet’s business since he had a jewelry collection of his own. He planned to look her up and see just how successful she was publicly before he went into her private files. He had a few emails to reply to, but he could do that from home, and he needed a midnight flying run. His back was achy, which meant he’d gone too long without flying.
As he walked through the lobby, his shoes clicking loudly on the golden tiles, he wondered what Violet was doing at that moment. He could imagine her working, creating beautiful items with her hands and the image intrigued him. He wanted to see it in person. Even though he had never met her, he was already envisioning it in his mind.
Frank climbed into his Mercedes and eased into the merging traffic. He was leaving at what was a normal time to most folks, but to him, it was early. He rarely left his office before seven. He was used to always being the last out of his office, making sure everything was finalized before leaving, but tonight, he needed a break.
The ebb and flow was cathartic, and Frank found himself thinking about Violet’s melodic voice. It was odd for him to be so intrigued by someone’s voice and, although they’d only talked about ten minutes, he found they had a lot in common. He had a jewelry collection—well, a hoard, but he would never call it that to her. It wasn’t a word that was typically brought up to people like her.
He was mad he couldn’t take his mind off her. After all, she was human. He could promise her nothing more than friendship.
Frank was one of those men who believed in the one, a mate. He liked women and wasn’t quite ready to settle down, but when the right one came along, he knew he would be ready. At least he hoped.
But Frank was a dragon. He stretched his shoulders while waiting at a red light in attempt to relieve the ache of his wings. The ache and his irritated mood were enough of a reminder that he wasn’t human. That alone was enough to reprimand his thinking.
He didn’t know why he was thinking about Violet at all. She was human. He wasn’t. That alone meant they couldn’t have a relationship. Not considering all the societal, cultural, and basic instinctual reasons that resided inside of him. There were so many reasons that he shouldn’t be interested, and yet, he was. And this was a problem.
Frank knew what he wanted in life. In his three hundred years of living, he’d always been sure. He wanted to be happy, find a mate, and have children. That simply couldn’t happen if he mated with Violet. They could have sex, but it would be meaningless. Somehow Frank couldn’t imagine Violet as the kind of woman into meaningless sex.
He could relinquish his dreams and mate her knowing they would never have children. But somehow, he doubted he could make that happen, either. He could never see himself settling down with a human. It was simple, really. Frank didn’t know why he was making it so hard.
So, it was settled. Violet was a client, nothing more and nothing less. Frank pulled up to his gate and punched in the code, waiting for it to give him passage to his twenty-acre home. The nearest neighbors were at least five miles out, and he liked that at times like this.
He climbed out of the car and stripped, right there in his driveway, until he was completely naked then walked out toward the open fields and shifted. A black dragon with blue eyes and almost blond spikes leaped into the air.
Frank had put more than enough security measures in place to make sure his dragon wasn’t unexpectedly sighted. He had enough problems without an accidental sighting from a human. There was an electric fence around his property plus security cameras, heat sensors, and motion detectors to alert him immediately should anything be amiss. All of the alerts were sent directly to his phone.
He needed to stop thinking about Violet. There were several things he should be thinking about instead. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was forgetting something. Lucky for him dragon thoughts were a bit primitive. He was more beast than human in his dragon form. They were more singular, one-worded, and focused on basic instincts or needs.
Like the need to fly. He needed to fly right now. At least when he was flying, he could focus on something aside from the sound of her voice. All of his thoughts were about keeping himself in the air, the setting sun reflecting off of his shimmering, black body.