Lyssa walked down the stairs of Andor’s home, her eyes sweeping her opulent surroundings in search for him. Last night had taken on an unreal quality in the harsh light of the morning. She longed to see him again, if only to assure herself that she hadn’t dreamed what had happened in her room the night before. Had he really kissed her? Twice? How far would it have gone if Rickman had not knocked upon the door?

There was no sign of activity anywhere in the house. Had she been left alone to rattle around in this huge house? Perhaps Andor had gone to work? It must be a lucrative living to afford such a grand old home.

She walked through a formal drawing room and tried not to compare Andor’s living space with her more humble home. Even before Kevin had done his work, her home would never have been described as fancy. She gave her head a shake. Andor didn't seem bothered by her more modest house, so why was she letting it worry her?

She came into the kitchen, and small dart of relief went through her. At least she wasn’t alone here. Rickman, Andor’s driver, sat at an island in the middle of the kitchen reading something on a tablet.

“How did you sleep?” Rickman looked up at her and smiled. While he wasn’t as drop dead gorgeous as his boss, there was an open friendliness to him that Lyssa warmed to.

“I slept a lot better than I thought I would.” The kisses she’d shared with Andor were the reason she’d been spared nightmares of Kevin’s intrusion in her house. Her dreams had been filled with Andor, and her mind had left Kevin’s violence untouched upon. “Is Andor here?”

“He’s gone out for a while. I can make you some breakfast and drive you to work after if you’d like.” Rickman turned off his tablet and stood.

“I’m not going into work today. I called my boss and in light of what happened yesterday, she said I could take the day off.” She sat down near where Rickman had vacated his own seat. She’d been glad to have the day off, since she’d hoped it would afford her some time to get to know Andor. And with Kevin still on the loose, there was always the chance that he would be watching the gallery.

“What would you like to eat?” Rickman walked over to the fridge and opened it. “I have yogurt, some fruit and granola. I can make you a hot breakfast if you like.”

Lyssa wasn’t used to being waited on. And it was not something she should become accustomed to, since she would not be staying here for long. Despite what Andor said about her staying as long as she liked, she couldn’t impose on him any longer than necessary. As soon as Portia returned, she would stay with her. Hopefully Kevin would be in police custody by then. “I’ll just take yogurt and fruit.”

Rickman quickly prepared her some breakfast, and she smiled up at him gratefully when he placed the bowl with fruit and yogurt in front of her.

“Well, I’ll leave you to your breakfast.” Rickman picked up his tablet and prepared to leave the room. Lyssa reached out and put her hand on his arm to stop him.

“Stay and keep me company.” She took a bite of her breakfast as Rickman glanced nervously at the door. “You can tell me more about Andor while I eat.”

“You want me to talk about Andor?” Rickman swallowed as he slowly sat down. He had a funny look on his face. Lyssa frowned for a second. This was not the reaction she was expecting from him, given that he had seemed friendly and open to talking to her when she’d walked in.

“I’d like to know more about the man who has rescued me twice now. Where is he? Is he at work?”

“No, he’s not at work. He’s out, that’s all I know.” His words came out in a rush, and Lyssa’s frowned deepened. What was wrong with him?

Lyssa looked at him as he fidgeted with his tablet and wouldn’t meet her gaze. Was he trying to hide something? She knew nothing about Andor, and Rickman was reluctant to tell her anything about his employer. What could he be trying to hide?

Caution slowly seeped into her body. Rickman was acting like he was hiding something, and his demeanor was not at all what she would expect to see from the simple questions she had put to him. Andor may have come to her aid twice, but what did she really know about him? Had she let his handsome face blind her to something more sinister lying beneath?

Andor had wealth, could the source of his revenue be from something illegal? Had she made a mistake in coming here? Was Andor involved with something dangerous and was that why Rickman looked so uncomfortable talking about his boss?

Her stomach turned sour and the food turned to sawdust in her mouth. She swallowed it quickly and couldn’t eat any more. She shoved her bowl away in haste and stood up. She needed to get out of here. She’d just gotten away from a dangerous man. Had she been foolish enough to get mixed up with another one?

“What’s the matter?” Rickman’s eyebrows climbed his forehead as his head jerked toward her. “You hardly ate any of your breakfast.”

“I’m not that hungry. Can you take me home?” She wasn’t a prisoner here and she could leave any time she wanted. Andor had said she could stay as long as she wanted, and now she wanted to go home.

“I don’t know if it’s safe for you to go back there. Kevin hasn’t been caught yet. Besides, Andor will be back soon. I think you should wait for him to come home.”

She should just take the bull by the horns and ask Rickman outright if there was something she should be worried about. If she was foolishly jumping to the wrong conclusion, then she would only be hurting herself by leaving. He didn’t have a poker face if his discomfort at answering basic questions about Andor was any indication, so if she was frank with him, she would be able to tell if he was lying.

“What does Andor do for a living? Is he involved in illegal activities? Please be honest with me. I am already being stalked by a dangerous man, I don’t want to get tangled up in another mess.”

Rickman’s face went pale, and she could see the dawning horror on his face.

“Why would you think that? Andor isn’t involved with anything illegal. He inherited his money and does not need to work. That’s all there is to it. I’m sorry if I’ve given you the wrong impression.”

Relief went through Lyssa. Rickman looked too distressed over what she had thought to be lying.

“I’m sorry, but you’ve been acting funny since I asked you about Andor. You have to admit that it looks suspicious that you don’t want to tell me anything about your boss. And I only just met him, so I thought maybe I’d made a mistake in coming here.”

“Andor is very private, and anything you want to know about him you must ask him. He’s out but he will be back. You can talk to him all you want then. He is not involved in anything illegal. If he had been, do you think he would have been eager to call the police last night?”

He had a point. It was Andor who had suggested calling the police last night, and would he have wanted to come to the attention of the police if he was involved in illegal activities?

“And what do you do for him? Are you his driver only?”

“I do everything for him. I’m more than just his driver. I’m more like a private secretary. I take care of the things he needs taking care of. My family has been working for Andor’s family for a long time.” Rickman looked at his watch. “And I’m afraid I will have to leave you now. There are things that I need to take care of. Explore the house, and if I see Andor when he gets home, I’ll let him know you are looking for him.”

Rickman turned on his heel and quickly walked out of the kitchen. It seemed like he couldn’t wait to get away from her, but he had said there was something that he needed to take care of, so maybe that explained his haste. What a strange man.

With her appetite returned she pulled her breakfast toward her and finished it. She took her empty bowl to the sink. She cleaned the dishes she’d used, and it took some searching to find where they belonged.

The house was so big that it was hard to believe that only two men lived here. She set about exploring the house. Maybe if she looked around where Andor lived, she’d get more insight into who he was.

* * *

Andor soared high above the clouds, and looked down on his property with satisfaction. Lyssa was in his home, and it would not be long before he made her his. He needed to get back to the house, now that the restless energy he had woken with had been expended during his flight. The wind rushed over his ruby red scales as he dove down and the earth came rushing up to meet him. He landed softly on his feet, and he tucked his wings up close to his body. With a swirl of magic, he became a man again and straightened his coat.

The wind rustled the leaves, which were starting to transition from green to the burnt colors of autumn. The Hunter's Moon would be here soon, but he’d found her in time. There was no fear now that he would go mad, since Lyssa was now a part of his life. It was only a matter of time before she fell in love with him.

A smiled played on his mouth as he turned and walked in the direction of his house. When he had first woken in this modern world, and realized how little time he had to find his mate, he had been concerned. It was not a worry for him any longer. Lyssa was the woman that fate intended to be his, he was certain of it.

He strode toward the house and looked forward to seeing her again. The kisses they had shared last night had been everything he had expected them to be. She was so responsive and so sweet that it would only be a matter of time before she gave herself fully to him.

The falling leaves crunched under his feet as the house came into view. He hurried his pace. The two kisses they’d shared last night only made him hungry for more and he wanted to kiss her again.

Patience was not a emotion that he had ever been required to cultivate. In the past he had taken what he wanted, whether it was treasure or a willing woman. Lyssa was different. She was not a woman to be taken and discarded. If he was going to keep the curse he was under from destroying him and those around him, he needed to be as patient with her as his looming deadline allowed. She had to trust him, to love him, when he revealed his true nature. He did not know how he was going to broach the topic, but once the time was right, he would find a way. He couldn’t make her his mate unless she knew exactly what he was.

He walked up the path leading to the front steps, and Rickman came out the front door. His minion saw him, and relief crossed his face.

“Thank God you’re back.” Rickman he trotted up to him and there was a nervous look on his face.

Andor paused with his foot on the front step. What trouble had his minion gotten himself into now?

“Is there a problem?” Andor stared hard at his minion, and the young man shifted his eyes away.

“It’s all your fault, for not being here when she got up.” Rickman would not meet his eyes. Andor stood straighter and towered over his minion. What damage could he have possibly done in the short amount of time that Andor had been away from the house?

“Rickman?” Andor took a step closer. He focused on keeping calm, but if Rickman did not explain himself he did not know if he was going to be able to hold on to his temper.

“It’s not my fault. You didn’t tell me what I could and couldn’t tell her. She asked some questions about you and it didn’t go well.”

Andor’s patience snapped and he grabbed Rickman by the front of his denim jacket. He hauled him up so that only his toes touched the paved step under his feet. Rickman let out a startled yelp.

“What have you done?”

If he had caused Lyssa to leave, to abandon the notion of spending more time with him, then he was going to have to kill his minion. All the threats he had made to Rickman had done little to improve his behavior and if he was the cause of Andor losing Lyssa, there would be nothing that could save him from the fire of his wrath.

“I didn’t do anything. It’s not my fault that I don’t have a poker face, that you didn’t tell me what to tell her, and that when I was vague she jumped to the wrong conclusion about you.” Rickman struggled against his hold, but Andor held him fast.

“What did she assume about me?” There was no way she would assume that he was a dragon, since as far as she knew dragons didn’t exist. What then had Rickman made her think about him?

“She thought you were a criminal. I think for a moment there she thought you might be dangerous.”

Andor let him down, and slowly uncurled his finger so the crumpled denim escaped his grasp. Rickman straightened his clothes, still avoiding Andor’s eyes. It would have amused him how his minion could show meekness when he was in trouble if he had been in the mood for a joke.

“I am dangerous.” Andor scowled at his minion, he seemed to have forgotten that point.

“I know. I think I fixed it though, but if she asks what you do for a living, tell her that you don’t work and that you live off investments. Don’t kill me. This is your fault and I shouldn’t be punished for it.”

“Is she still here? She didn’t leave to go anywhere?”

“She’s still here. I think I assured her that you aren’t a bad guy, but I wanted to warn you so you would be prepared to deflect accusations of criminal activity.”

Rickman stared at the stone beneath his feet, and Andor sighed. It was his fault that she’d been given a false impression by Rickman, since he hadn’t been here when she woke. It would not happen again.

“Where is she now?”

“I told her that she was free to explore the house. I’m going out for a while.” Rickman took a step away and Andor caught his arm.

“Did you tell her that the basement was off limits?” If Lyssa explored the basement she might find some of the documents in the archives that proved the existence of dragons. She would learn that was the case eventually but she was not prepared for the truth right now. Rickman looked up at him, his face growing pale.

“I forgot.”

“You forgot? Did you at least remember to lock to the door after you were down there the last time.”

“No. Why would I lock the door when up until now it’s only been you and me here. What’s the big deal? If she sees your brothers she’s only going to think that they are statues anyway.”

Rickman pulled at his arm, and Andor tightened his grip.

“There is more down there than just my brothers. You are not going anywhere. I will need you to drive Lyssa and me to the police station, she still has to give her statement. You better hope that she has not made her way down there, and if she has, that she has not seen anything she should not.” Andor let go of Rickman and strode through the front door. He did not waste time trying to find her on the first floor. If she was in the basement, he needed to get down there to minimized any damage Rickman’s carelessness caused.