The Dragon's Gem (7 page)

***
Aurora
***

I wasn’t sure what was happening between Draco and me. My hand of its own accord had moved to his chest and once there I felt the beating of our hearts sync as one. I wanted to ask what was going on, but the words wouldn’t form and Draco had only managed to utter some nonsense about it being hot there in the atrium. The pounding of his heart reminded me that my hand was still on his chest. I pulled it back, embarrassed that I had let it sit so long, but before I could let it fall to my side he took it with his own hand and laced our fingers together, leaning in closer. I couldn’t see him clearly, but I was sure he was going to kiss me and instead of stopping him, as I knew I should, I leaned in too. Our lips met, barely brushing, when the sound of the doors sliding open had him quickly dropping my hand, and stepping away from me.

“Oh sweetheart
, there you are.” My father’s voice rang out behind us.

I turned quickly towards the sound of his voice, hoping I didn’t look as guilty as I felt. “Daddy,” I murmured, slightly disoriented by the fast turn and the bevy of emotions that were bombarding me, both Draco’s and mine.

He
hugged me close and chuckled. “Are you alright, you seem out of sorts?”

“Just overwhelmed by the heat
, I expect,” Draco said, covering for my distracted state. “How are you, sir?”

“Good, good,” he said
. “Your father’s man just told me that my daughter was here, so I thought I should say hello before we all meet for dinner.”

“That’s great
. I’ll give you two a moment alone.” He reached out and touched my shoulder. “Just let me know when you’re ready for the tour.”

The sound of his footsteps let me know he was leaving and I squeezed my father’s hand to get his attention. “So is dinner alright, because if it
’s not, I’m totally alright with just going home.” In fact, there was nothing I wanted more. I wasn’t sure how awkward it was going to be for Draco and myself now that we had shared an almost-kiss. I didn’t think either of us was prepared for the rush of emotion it had caused and I worried what it would do to our newly formed truce.

“Honey
, when the boss sends his man to ask you to dinner, he isn’t going to take no for an answer. As it turns out though, I was almost done for the day, so I will take my leave and finish, then meet you in the lobby at five-thirty.” He hugged me again and called to Draco, who took my hand immediately, letting me know he was there, and for the first time in my life I was able to see the man who raised me, albeit just a fuzzy, distorted shape, as he walked away.

Tears pricked my eyes and I swiped them with the back of my hand hoping Draco did not see. “So how about that tour you promised me?” I asked
, trying to get past the awkward moment.

“I’m a man of my word,” he answered
, putting my arm through his as he started his tour of the atrium.

Two hours later
, I was smiling happily, as he finished “showing” me around. He had been the perfect guide, explaining every flower and tree we passed. Everything was distorted and hard to distinguish, but for the first time I got a glimpse of what most people saw on a daily basis and that was the most precious gift he could have given me.

“I guess we better get moving
, our fathers are probably waiting on us,” he said, letting go of my hand momentarily to open the doors.

Neither
of us mentioned our near-kiss during the tour and I decided that until he did, I was going to pretend nothing had happened, which basically was true. Our lips had barely touched. It wasn’t like we really kissed at all. It had been a mistake, one I was sure he regretted, as did I, at least I think I did, but for the entire tour all I could think about was what might have happened if my father hadn’t shown up. If he would have followed through and kissed me as he would any other female he fancied. The air lock sounded and he took my hand again, escorting me from the warm, moist environment to the air-conditioned lobby. Immediately I shivered, the cool air against my skin after hours in such a warm climate bringing a chill to me.

“Give me a minute,” D
raco said, leaving me standing there alone. I heard the soft sound of his steps, then his voice as he spoke softly to someone before he came back and draped a jacket over my shoulders. “There, that should keep you warm.”

“Thanks,” I said
, realizing by the scent of the jacket that it was his. “Aren’t you cold?”

“Nah
, I don’t get cold.” He took my hand again and we walked a few more feet before I heard my father’s laughter followed by Max’s hearty voice.

“Ah
, here they are now,” Max said warmly. “I hope your tour was good.”

“It was,
thank you,” I assured him.

“Are you hungry
, sweetheart? You haven’t eaten much since the accident,” my father said, his hand taking my free one, leaving Draco little choice but to let go of the other one.

“I’m starving,”
I answered, feeling Draco’s eyes boring into my back.

“You
should have told me, I would have taken you to eat before we came today,” Draco said.

H
e sounded like a parent lecturing a child, which made me bristle. “I wasn’t hungry then,” I told him, resenting his tone.

“
Well, I for one am glad you are hungry now,” Max said, ending our childish banter. “The limo is outside, why don’t we get going.”

It took only
a few minutes for us to settle into the limo, then another fifteen to get to the restaurant, which by the smell of the patrons’ expensive cologne I knew had to be one of the better restaurants in the area. Immediately I felt self-conscious. I knew how I must stand out when I depended upon others to guide me and I felt as if everyone in the room were staring at me as we entered.

“
Ah, Mr. Pendragon, how good to see you again,” a jovial male voice called out. Pleasantries were exchanged and soon we were seated at a table, enjoying beverages as we waited for our meal to arrive.

“
So, I heard that your research has turned up some interesting prospects,” Max said.

I assumed he was talking to my father and was sur
prised when I heard Draco respond to his question.

“Everything looks good,
but I want to wait for the final results before I present it.” He sounded hesitant as if he didn't really want to talk about it, but his father pressed him for more information and soon all three men were involved in a debate about his research while I sat quietly, toying with the napkin on my lap. It was good to hear my father so animated and I was shocked how much Draco actually knew about the DNA research they were doing at his father’s facility. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know what they were talking about was very advanced and way out of the league of a high school student, which meant Draco, had to be some kind of a prodigy. Just another dimension to him I would have never have suspected.

We made it through dinner and were just getting ready for dessert when a business associate of Max’s came to the table and dragged him and my father away for a drink at the bar, leaving us alone. I fumbled for my fork, thinking he wouldn’t expect me to talk while I was eating, but when the waiter laid the plate down he must have moved it out of position because my hand met nothing but soft linen. Draco’s hand fell over mine, placing it over the cool metal handle, his fingers gently rubbing mine. Immediately my eyes moved to him, ready to thank him for his help, when a female voice behind me cut me off.

“Well
, isn’t that sweet, the mighty Draco and his perpetual damsel in distress,” Melinda said with a snicker.

“Melinda,” Draco growled with displeasure
, letting go of my hand.

“It must be very trying for you to take her out for a meal
. I mean she cannot even find the fork by herself. Do you have to help her eat too?”

Draco’s fist hit the table and I felt him rise next to me. The room became very warm, and my cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Apologize now,” he seethed next to me.

“For what, telling the truth?” she replied with a snarl.

“
Aurora is very self-sufficient, she can handle eating on her own, and she certainly has more manners than you,” he spat out angrily.

I had the feeling we
were attracting attention and to be honest I was humiliated by her words and just wanted it to end.

“My manners never bothered you before she showed up,” she purred. “You used to like everything I did, before she was found.”

I couldn’t see, but I could tell she was close to him by her overwhelming scent.

“Enough,” Draco ordered
, his voice more commanding than I had ever heard before. “I won’t have you belittling Aurora. She has done nothing to you and although I respect your right to be angry with me, I don’t expect you to take it out on her.” His hand fell upon my shoulder and I blinked back the tears that welled in my eyes. “She’s under my protection. If you continue to threaten her, I won’t let it pass unanswered.”

His protection? I wondered. What was he talking about?

Melinda never got to answer. Max’s voice cut off her reply. “Melinda, I just spoke with your father. He would like a word with you. Now!”

Draco’s hand slid from my shoulder and my father took the seat next to me as Max and his son spoke softly somewhere behind us. I only caught little bits and pieces of their conversatio
n. Max wanted to alert someone about Melinda’s behavior, but Draco feared that such an act would bring them to town, which he vehemently did not want. I didn’t understand it and I tried to hear more, but my father asked if I was ready to go, leaving me little choice but to agree. I nodded, allowing him to help me from my seat and we were at the front door when Max rejoined us, apologizing for Melinda’s outburst and explaining that Draco had taken a cab home so he could cool off.

I was hurt he had left without saying goodbye,
but I understood his need to vent. I certainly felt like I could go a few rounds with the punching bag myself and I vowed once I got home to do some venting myself. Max had told my father we should feel free to use anything on the property and I knew from the housekeeper we kept to help me when my father wasn’t around, that they had a state-of-the-art Gym, and that was where I headed right after I got home.

***
Draco
***

The incident with Melinda
left me quaking with anger. I couldn’t face Aurora or her father in such a state, so I flew home and after running for a few miles around the lake behind our home, I walked to the gym to work out the last of my stress. I entered and was met by the sounds of someone else working out, which was odd so late at night. Curious to see who was there, I walked into the main gym surprised to see Aurora working some martial arts moves while her nurse supervised from the bleachers. She was amazing, every move measured and controlled and I found myself enraptured by the soft poetic rhythm she maintained throughout her workout. The nurse looked my way and I placed my finger to my lips, not wanting to interrupt Aurora with my presence, and she nodded. Taking a seat at the far end of the bleachers I watched as she moved gracefully, but with deadly precision. I wondered how long she had been taking lessons. To achieve the kind of balance and Zen-like state she was in I knew it had to be a long time. It floored me to realize there was so much to her that I didn’t know and so much still to be discovered.

She finished her routine
and sat on the mat lost in meditation and I exited the gym, leaving her to finish in privacy. I found that I was calm, no longer in need of more physical exercise. I walked to the locker room, where I knew a warm shower would wash away all signs of my recent physical activity, and it wasn’t until I was dressing after my shower that I thought again about our almost-kiss in the atrium. Clearly, I hadn’t been thinking in that moment. I wasn’t ready to commit to her, or at least I hadn’t been until that moment when her hand fell upon my chest and our hearts began beating as one. I had heard stories of soul mates from others, but I had always thought they were just made-up tales to make themselves feel better about being forced together by nature. I mean, how could one man and one woman be destined for each other? It seemed ridiculous, or it had, up until that moment in the atrium. Never before had I felt so right with a female, felt so alive and eager to be close with them. Even now, I felt myself longing to see her, wanting to touch her soft skin, and brush her lips with my own. It was terrifying: I was not good for her, I was not human, and being involved with her would only draw her further into danger.

“She’s already in danger,” my father said, walking into the locker room.

“I hate wh
en you read my thoughts,” I snapped angrily.

“Your thoughts are bouncing off the walls of
this place. I thought I taught you better control.”

He was right
; it was the first thing we learned as youths, how to control our thoughts so others of our kind who were older and more experienced could not have access to them. “I’m sorry, it’s just so frustrating.”