The Dragon Finds Forever
She woke bright and early with a heavy mix of emotions on her heart. She’d never been happier in her life. And she’d never dreaded a day more than she did today.
Seeing her father would be, at best, unpleasant. At worst, it could turn into the biggest fight she’d ever had with him.
Either way, today would not be boring.
Since she planned to go by her apartment at the Shamrock before seeing him, she showered, did her hair and makeup, then just threw on jeans and a sweater. She’d change into something dressier before going to his office.
It was seven fifty-eight when she walked into the kitchen. Harlan was already there, scrambling eggs and cooking bacon. And also, apparently, grilling a couple of steaks. She dropped her bag by the door.
He gave her a quick smile. “Morning.”
“Morning. Is there coffee?”
“Absolutely.” He put down the whisk and took a step toward the sleek machine at the end of the countertop. “What would you like? Cappuccino? Latte?”
“Just plain old cream and sugar, and I’ll get it. You’ve got enough to take care of. Just tell me where the cups are.”
“Second cabinet in. Coffee is in the carafe, cream is in the fridge, and sugar is in that dispenser next to the coffeemaker.” He went back to whisking.
“Thanks.” She got a cup, filled it, doctored it with cream and sugar, then took a seat at the counter. “Is Van up yet?”
“Yep. He’s downstairs on the treadmill getting his miles in.” Harlan poured the eggs into a pan.
“Downstairs? I bet this place has a killer gym.”
“It probably does, but he’s literally downstairs. He owns the floor below this one too. Turned it into his personal gym. It’s where he trains.”
“Oh. How about that?” She sipped her coffee. Van certainly wasn’t the kind of guy to let anything stand in his way. She liked that about him so much. And while it was a trait he shared with her father, the way Van did things was night and day compared with Padraig. “I guess those steaks are for him.”
Harlan looked up from stirring the eggs. “You want one? I can make another one, no problem.”
“No, no. Just curious. The man brings new meaning to the word carnivore, doesn’t he?”
“He is a dragon.” Harlan shrugged. “And when he’s training, he needs the protein more than ever.”
“How did you guys meet?”
He got plates out and laughed. “I came to Vegas hoping to work in one of the shows here. I’m an amateur magician. But I’d like to be a professional. I figured I could get my feet wet working on one of the productions, maybe get to know some people, work my way up, that sort of thing.”
“Hey, that’s cool.”
He set the plates down, then with a flourish, flattened his hands, palms down, and crossed them over each other. He next flipped his hands over to show her they were empty. A quick snap of his fingers, a small puff of smoke, and he was holding the forks and knives.
“Wow.” She nodded. “I’m impressed.”
He chuckled. “Thanks. That’s kind of basic, but I’ve got some much bigger stuff. Anyway, the only job I could get was working as a bouncer at this high-end club called Ultra. Ivan was in one night, saw me deal with a couple of rowdy drunks, and asked me if I’d ever thought about fighting.”
“You said that wasn’t for you.”
“It’s not. But I am a gargoyle. Just because I don’t want to fight for a living doesn’t mean I don’t like to mix it up now and then. Sparring with Ivan is a good outlet. And he pays a helluva lot better than being a bouncer.”
A door opened and closed somewhere in the apartment.
She nodded. “That’s cool.”
“What is cool?” Van walked in wearing track pants and a tank top with a towel draped around his neck. He was dripping sweat and looking about as hot as Monalisa had ever seen him.
She turned to face him, crossing her legs as she took in the view. “Harlan was just telling me how you two met.” She drank her coffee, eyeballing him over the rim.
He seemed to notice her close study of him and took a slightly different posture, chest out, hands on hips. Judging from the gleam in his eyes, he enjoyed her ogling him. “You like what you see?”
“I do.” She put her cup down. “Very much.”
He spread his arms wide. “Maybe you would like a big hug.”
She laughed and squealed. “Not until you’ve showered.”
He walked toward her, grinning. “Why not now?”
“Because I am showered.” She put her hands up, giggling.
He stopped inches away, put his hands on the counter behind her, and leaned in. “Kiss me, or I will hug you anyway.” He waggled his brows. “Then you will need to shower again.”
“You drive a hard bargain.” She kissed him, tilting forward so that their mouths were all that touched. “How was your workout?”
“Good.” He straightened. “Now, I will shower and eat, then the next round begins in an hour. Sparring this time.”
“Steaks are almost ready,” Harlan said.
“I will shower fast.” Van started for his bedroom, then hesitated and turned around to look at her again. “Why is your bag by the door?”
“Because I’m going to swing by my apartment before I see my father. I need clean clothes. And I need to change into something professional.”