Lyssa put the finishing touches on her make up, and took one final look in the mirror. She had to admit that she looked good. She put a hand up to her mouth to stifle the nervous laugh that wanted to burst out of her.

She turned to the left and then the right, turned around and checked herself out from the back. The red silk dress that Andor had given her skimmed her full figure in a way that was more flattering than anything she’d ever owned. Red was not a color she would normally pick for herself, it was too flashy and drew too much attention but she had to admit that he’d known what he was doing when he’d said it would look good on her.

She turned away from the mirror and grabbed the tiny black leather clutch she would take with her. Nerves pressed in on the edges of her stomach, and she pushed a hand against it as she paused on the other side of her bedroom door.

She’d been to enough of these galas to know that the evening out was not the cause of her dancing stomach. She and Andor had never gone out to dinner when he’d asked her on the night of Kevin’s break in, so tonight could almost be viewed as a first date.

The smile on her face faltered for a moment. It was a first date that her ex boyfriend was in danger of crashing. She had to remember that this was an exercise in catching Kevin, not the night of her dreams. She blew out a breath and straightened her shoulders.

It didn’t matter what the reason for tonight, she was not going to let Kevin ruin it. She was wearing a beautiful dress, given to her generously by a gorgeous man who appeared to want to be with her, despite the baggage she brought along. She was going to enjoy herself, because chances were she was going back to her home and normal life tomorrow. The more she thought about it, the more she was certain that Kevin would not be able to resist the chance that tonight presented. He would see it as a perfect opportunity to prove to her once and for all that he could get to her any time he wanted, and that the restraining order she had against him wasn’t worth the paper it was written on.

She pulled open her bedroom door and walked toward the stairs with her head held high. Kevin had done enough damage already, he wasn’t going to do any more. If he came to the gala he would bring about his own misery, not hers. Tonight he would be going to jail, and she would move on.

She paused at the top of the stairs and looked down. Andor stood at the bottom of the steps, and her heart gave a flutter at the sight of him in his tuxedo. He wore it like he was born to it, and as he looked up and his eyes melded with hers, she had to stiffen her legs to keep from dissolving into a puddle. All thoughts of Kevin flew from her head and were replaced by the man who stood waiting for her in the foyer. She calmly walked down the stairs, and he kept his eyes on her. No man had ever looked at her with the intensity that Andor did. It was like no other woman existed when his gaze was upon her.

“How do I look?” She came to stand in front of him, and craned her neck up to look at him. He said nothing as his eyes devoured the sight of her, and after a moment she wondered if perhaps something was wrong. She smoothed a nervous hand over her hip and shifted in her high-heeled shoes. “Andor?”

“You look more beautiful than I have ever seen a woman look, but something is missing.” Andor reached into the inside breast pocket of his tuxedo jacket, and pulled out the flat jewelry case that lay inside. It rested on his palm as he held it out to her. “You only need one final touch.”

Lyssa’s eyes widened when she saw the case. She gave a small shake of her head. He’d already given her so much, helped her when she’d needed someone. He’d offered his home and protection to her when she’d had no one, and he’d done it without making a single demand on her in return. He didn’t need to give her gifts on top of all he’d already given her. Surely he knew she was here because she liked him.

“I don’t need any gifts. You’ve done so much for me already. You don’t need to buy things for me.”

“I know.” Andor opened the case, and inside was a thin gold chain with a dragon pendant made of tiny rubies. Her breath caught as the dragon sparkled in the light. “Kevin destroyed your dragon collection, and I thought you would like to start another one. This can be your first piece.”

“I don’t know what to say.” She swallowed hard as she looked from the pendant to him. The pendant reminded her of the dragon he’d bought for her when they’d first met, the one that she refused to take. The small pendant would not replace all that Kevin had destroyed, but it could the be start of a new collection. It could be a reminder of the beautiful man who had given it to her.

“Turn around and let me put it on you.” Andor smiled at her as he drew the necklace out of the box. Lyssa let out a breathy laugh as she turned. He was not going to take no for an answer, and if she was honest with herself, she didn’t want to refuse such a beautiful gift.

He brought the necklace around her neck and fastened it. She lifted it up and looked at it. The rubies shone in the light, and it was surprisingly heavy when she let it go to rest against her skin.

“It’s beautiful.” It was all the words she could manage to say and hardly did the pendant justice. “Thank you.”

“Not as beautiful as you.” He slipped his arm around her so that his hand rested on her belly, and she felt his warm breath tickle her skin. His lips pressed against the crook of her neck, and she relaxed back against him. Her nipples tightened underneath the silk of the dress and the bra she wore. A shiver skated along her skin under the light caress of his lips.

“The car’s ready.” Rickman’s voice came from the doorway, and Lyssa jumped. The spell Andor wove over her was broken by the return of reality. She stepped away on shaky feet and gave a small laugh. From the moment his lips came in contact with her skin, she’d forgotten that they were supposed to go out. If Rickman had not called to them would she have remembered? Or would she have turned in his arms and pleaded with him to take her back upstairs and make love to her?

A blush burned hot on her cheeks as she suspect that the latter option would have been the likely outcome if he had continued to kiss her neck uninterrupted. Tonight was too important to miss, but for a fleeting moment she wished that it was just like any other night. She would have like to have spent her evening with Andor’s lips on her skin.

He offered her his arm, and she slipped her hand around the curve of his bicep. They walked out of the house, and into the car.

As the car pulled away, thoughts swirled in her head. What if Kevin didn’t show up? What if he did and caused a scene? She resisted the urge to bite her lip. She’d promised herself that she wasn’t going to let him ruin her evening, and already he was crowding into her head.

Andor took her hand and brought it to his lips as she looked over at him.

“What are you thinking about?”

“I just want this mess with Kevin to be over. What if he doesn’t come?” She worried her bottom lip with her teeth and he reached over to gently remove it from her teeth, stroking his thumb over it.

“If he does not come then we will think of something else. We have no control over what he chooses to do. I would like him to be in custody too, so that you do not have to worry over him any longer. Put Kevin from your mind and concentrate on enjoying our evening. If he comes, he will be dealt with.”

She wished it was that easy to push Kevin away from her thoughts, and maybe it was. She was going to an art show that she’d put a lot of time and effort into, in the company of the most gorgeous man she’d ever been with. She needed to focus on that instead of what Kevin might or might not do. He was right. They had no control over Kevin, and if he wasn’t caught tonight it only meant that she would have to stay at Andor’s home a little longer. That was hardly a hardship.

“Thank you.” She smiled at him as she took his hand and squeezed it. His body was solid and reassuring. He would be at her side for the duration of the evening, and she’d never felt safer than when she was with him. Tonight would be no different. “I’m not going to think about him again tonight. He’s occupied too many of my thoughts already, and I’m not going to give him any more of my time.”

“Whenever your thoughts stray to him, just remember that I am with you. I will not let anything happen to you. If you find yourself forgetting it, just touch your tiny dragon and know that I am by your side.”

Her hand went up to the necklace, and she stroked the dragon with her finger. This was one dragon she owned that Kevin would not have the opportunity to destroy. Andor put his arm around her shoulders and she snuggled against him as the car carried them toward the city and the gala at the gallery. His huge presence beside her assured her that everything would be fine and that Kevin couldn’t touch her. And she knew that if Andor had anything to do with it, he would make sure that Kevin would not get the opportunity to harm her again.

* * *

Andor kept Lyssa’s hand in his as they walked up the sidewalk to the gallery. A police car cruised by, and he was glad to see that police had kept their promise to have some sort of police presence on the street in front of the gallery. They could not provide an officer inside the gallery, but at least they would drive by periodically through out the evening to ensure that Kevin did not do too much damage. This was assuming that Kevin had not heeded the warning Andor had given his friend. With what little he knew about Lyssa’s ex-boyfriend, that was a distinct possibility.

He glanced at Lyssa from the corner of his eye. She was breathtaking in the dress he had given her, and she could not know how much it pleased him to see her in his color. The pendant around her neck sparkled in the street light, and it had been his way of claiming her. He’d wanted to shower her with jewels, but for now the tiny ruby dragon would have to be enough. She may not be aware of it yet, but the pendant around her neck proclaimed her as his, in his mind at least.

He put his hand on the small of her back as he led her inside the gallery. The event was in full swing when they walked in. People milled about, studying the art while drinking champagne and laughing. The gazes of some of the men in the room was not lost on him, and his jaw tightened for a moment.

Their eyes roved over Lyssa, and he had to fight the urge to pulled her close to his side and hide her away from their eyes. To turn her around and take her back home, where no one would look upon her but him. It was his natural instinct to want to guard his treasures, and Lyssa was more precious to him than any gem. She was also a person, not an object to be hidden away from the world. He had to remind himself that he lived in a different world now, one where he had to relax the hold of his own jealousy. If he hid Lyssa away in his home, guarding her from anyone who would even look upon her, than he was no better than her last boyfriend.

“Lyssa, you made it.” An older woman came up to them and grasped Lyssa’s hands. It was the same woman who had been here when he had come earlier in the week to ask Lyssa to dinner, and she introduced herself as Joyce. “I know it’s a little early to tell, but you know I have a nose for this sort of thing. I think tonight is going to be a resounding success.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Lyssa leaned forward and pressed a kiss on the woman’s cheek.

“No. Everything is handled. Just mingled, rave about the art, and encourage people to spend money.” Joyce gave Lyssa bright smile as she patted her on the hand. Someone called to her from the other side of the room and she excused herself after shaking Andor’s hand.

For a good portion of the evening they spent their time mingling amongst the guests and looking at the art. It was not to Andor’s taste, but then he was not a good judge of what constituted art these days since his taste ran toward the medieval.

As the evening progressed, the press of people grew and Andor ran his finger inside the collar of his shirt. He was not the most social of creatures at the best of time, but as the gallery grew more crowded, the number of people moving about the room was starting to wear down his patience. He was tempted to go to Joyce and offer to buy everything, if only to get this party over with. He glanced at Lyssa, who for all appearances was still enjoying herself, and he resigned himself to putting in a few more hours at least. He blew out a sigh.

“Are you okay?” Lyssa put her hand on his arm and he looked down at her.

“I am not used to such crowds of people.” That was an understatement. He was not a herd animal by any stretch of the imagination, and any event that constituted more than ten people was a mob as far as he was concerned. He could feel the heat of the people around him, and the hotter he got, the more his temper frayed.

“If you want to take a break, go outside for some air. I’m sure I’ll be fine. I’m used to this sort of thing, and find it trying sometimes, so I can only imagine what it would be like for you.”

The relief of fresh air sounded tempting, but he did not like the notion of leaving her alone. So far there had been no sign of Kevin, but that did not mean that he would not show up.

“I do not like the thought of leaving you alone. I hate to remind you of it, but there still is the problem of Kevin.” The longer the evening went on, the more it looked like Kevin’s friend had delivered his message, and that Kevin had chosen to heed it.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll stay here, and stick close to Joyce. Kevin wouldn’t dare to do anything in such a crowded place. Go take a break. You can go out through the back.” She smiled at him as she gave him a little nudge.

He took the offered reprieve, and promised himself that he would only be outside for a few minutes. Just enough to cool off. He threaded his way through the throng of people, and went to the back room. There was a door there, and he opened it and walked out to the alley along the side of the building.

The cool evening air brushed against his heated skin, and he breathed a sigh of relief. A few minutes out here and he would be ready to face the rest of the evening. With any luck, the party would wind down soon and he could take Lyssa home. They would be alone, and he could finish what he had wanted to start when he had kissed her neck earlier.

The scuffle of a shoe against the pavement came from his left, and he knew without looking who it belonged to.

“I was wondering if you were going to grace us with your presence Kevin. It is so nice of you to join me on such a beautiful evening.”

His words were met with silence, but the shadows at the edge of the alley shifted, and Kevin stepped out of his hiding spot.

He wore dark clothes and a scowl on his face. Andor was not any more impressed with him as he had been the first time he had seen him. The urge to go after him and make good on the threat he had delivered via his friend was strong, but Andor held himself back.

“How did you know I was out here?”

“A lucky guess. I have to say that skulking around in the shadows suits you. It is almost as cowardly as breaking into a woman’s home and destroying her things.” Andor’s lip curled as he looked at Kevin like a rat who had crawled out his hole. It would be interesting to see if Kevin would scurry back to the shadows or if he would face him like a man. “Did your friend give you my message?”

“I know what you are.” Was it his imagination, or was there a tiny tremor in Kevin’s voice?

“And what exactly do you think I am?”

“My friend did give me your message, and he mentioned something else. He says your eyes turned weird, like they had flames inside. He’s chalking it up to the drugs he took that morning, but I know you’re a dragon.”

Andor felt a jolt of surprise that he made sure Kevin could not see. He had been sure that his friend had noticed his eyes changed, and he should have counted on him telling Kevin. It did not matter, because the man in front of him could shout from the rooftops, proclaiming Andor was a dragon and no one would believe him. It proved Kevin was stupid if he thought he could face a dragon alone and come out of it unscathed.

“Lyssa did tell me that you were delusional, but I doubt even she realizes how far from reality you have gone. A dragon? That is the best you can come up with?” Andor took a step closer to him. He was going to enjoy this. For all his talk to Lyssa about being a dragon hunter, Andor was willing to wager that this was the first time Kevin had come face to face with a dragon.

“Stay back.” Kevin put his hands up in front of him, and there was a glint of metal in the light. Kevin held a knife in his hand. “I will hurt you if you don’t get out of my way. Lyssa is mine. We are meant to be together, we’re just going through a bad patch right now.”

“A bad patch? Is that what you call stalking and harassing her? So your breaking into her home, destroying her things and scrawling your filth on her walls was all one big misunderstanding? You really are delusional. Put the knife down before you get hurt.”

“You can’t hurt me.” Kevin slashed the air with his knife, and Andor stayed where he was. “You can’t take your dragon form in the alley. Get out of my way so I can talk to Lyssa. If she would only listen to me she’d see that I’ve been right all along. I have to protect her from you.”

Andor let out a laugh. “The only person she needs protecting from is you. She has made it very clear to you that she wants you out of her life. You are deluded if you think I am going to let you anywhere near her. In case you missed it the first time, I will give you my warning again. Lyssa is mine, and I protect what is mine. Do yourself a favor and get over your obsession with her, because she is not coming back to you.”

Kevin’s face contorted in his rage. “Have you fucked her? Has she spread her legs for you and let you use her like some dragon’s whore?”

Any calm Andor may have felt evaporated as the heat of anger rose inside him. Kevin could say whatever he wanted about him, but he would not allow him to insult Lyssa.

He charged at Kevin with a deep growl in his chest. Kevin slashed with his knife and it cut through the fabric covering Andor’s upper arm as Andor plowed into him.

He slammed Kevin against the brick wall behind them. Kevin let out a yelp, and drove the knife in his hand toward Andor. With an iron grip, Andor shackled Kevin’s wrist in his hand and slammed it into the wall, over and over until the knife clattered against the pavement.

“Let go of me.” Kevin struggled against Andor’s grip. Andor eased his hold and took a step back.

“Now that this fight is a little more fair, let’s see how you do.” Andor swept his foot out and the knife clattered farther away. “Are you brave enough to take on someone without a weapon, who is not smaller and weaker than you? Or would that be too much for a coward like you.”

“Shut up!” Kevin roared as he charged him, and Andor sidestepped him easily. Kevin fetched up against the other wall, and turned back around. He came back at Andor, and swung his fist.

His blow was easy to duck, and Andor threw a punch of his own, which landed in the middle of Kevin’s stomach. Kevin’s breath whooshed out of his body, and Andor took advantage of his struggle for air by throwing another punch, to his face this time. The crunch of bone under his fist was satisfying as blood poured out of Kevin’s nose.

“No so tough when you are not terrorizing a woman, are you?” Andor did not expect, nor did he receive, an answer. He punched Kevin one more time, and the other man dropped like a stone to the pavement. He was still awake and aware, but he must have thought better of getting up.

“If you think she’ll want you after she learns what you are, then you are the one who is deluded.”

“I think you have run your mouth enough for one evening.” Andor bent and gripped Kevin by his shirt and hauled him to his feet. He took his arm and pinned it behind his back, forcing him to move forward. With the police monitoring the building, there had to be a car going by soon. Luck was on Andor’s side as they came around to the front of the building, and a police car slowed and pulled up. One of the officer’s got out.

Andor leaned close to Kevin’s ear so his words would only be heard by him. “Lyssa is mine, and if I were what you claim I am, then you know that I guard what is mine. Stay away from her and I will let you live. Come near her again, and you are a dead man.”

Andor handed Kevin over to the waiting police officer. The fight in the alley had apparently taken all of his energy, because Kevin was as meek as a newborn lamb as the policeman cuffed him and put him into the back of the police car.

Andor turned away, pleased that Kevin would no longer be a problem. He straightened his jacket, and shoved aside the nagging doubt that Kevin had planted with the last thing he said to him. He would tell Lyssa that he was a dragon when the time was right, and she would accept him for what he truly was.