Authors: Mallory Hart
CHAPTER 2
Asher’s heart sank as he heard Claudia’s views on children and family. He had taken her to a quaint little French restaurant. There they had talked about life, and food, and the joy of following one’s dream. Asher had found out that it had been Claudia’s dream to be a gold medalist ever since she was three, and he loved and admired her work ethic. She saw something she wanted and went for it – the perfect trait to succeed in being a queen. However, when he told her of his wishes to have children, she regretfully informed him that it wasn’t in her plans to have a family anytime soon.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love children,” Claudia explained. “They’re a big part of my fan base, and I just adore them. But I simply can’t get pregnant now. Not to mention the fact that I don’t have the time to be a mother. Maybe someday after I retire, but for now there’s just no way.”
She saw sadness in Asher’s eyes and felt the strong urge to comfort him. She wasn’t sure why this man’s feelings were so important to her, but they were. She’d said this speech to countless other suitors she’s dated in the past, with some mixed reactions. It had never really mattered to her what their opinions were, but this time, it was different, and she felt a pang of regret seeing the look in Asher’s eyes.
“Just because I don’t want children yet doesn’t mean that we can’t continue seeing each other,” she said, hoping she hadn’t driven him away.
He only smiled at her.
“That’s a lovely dress you’re wearing tonight,” he said, changing the subject. “I should’ve mentioned that sooner. You look absolutely stunning.”
Claudia blushed. She was wearing a sexy red number with a very low neckline, a look she didn’t typically go for on first dates. She usually wore outfits that she felt would convey her seriousness and intelligence. She hoped tonight would go a little differently than other first dates, though. She took a peak at Asher’s piercing golden eyes appreciating her, making it difficult for her to breath, and she knew she made the right choice in her outfit.
By the end of the night, they had both tried their best to bring the date back to a lighter mood, but Claudia could feel that the tone had changed for good. The remark about children had made that look of sadness never quite leave Asher’s eyes.
After dinner, Asher took her hand in his and brought it up to his lips. They were even warmer than his hands, and the gentle brush of his mouth had sent delicious little shivers travelling to all of her most sacred places. Like a true gentleman, he offered to walk her home. Their conversation remained light and friendly as they walked down the darkened streets of the city, but Claudia was filled with regret as she walked up the steps to her door.
“Well, this is me,” she explained, pointing to her door. Out of her pocket, she pulled her keys and fumbled with them, hoping Asher would say something more.
“I hope to see you again,” she whispered vulnerably.
Asher’s fingers wrapped gently around her chin and tilted her face up to his. His golden eyes were full of heat and lust, and she felt desire lace through her veins.
“As do I,” he whispered, closing the distance between them. His lips sealed over hers as his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Immediately he felt her body go limp and press into his as his tongue swirled seductively around hers, hypnotizing her into a lust filled trance.
When he finally pulled away, Claudia swayed on her feet, not prepared for such a tantalizing kiss. Everything on her person seemed to feel as if it were on fire, and she knew that Asher could be the only person to put it out. She wanted him at that moment more than she ever wanted anything else.
“I hope to see you soon,” Asher told her as he stepped down from her stoop.
Claudia tried to call after him, but she couldn’t find her voice – or even her breath. It was several long moments before she trusted her body to move, and by then Asher had disappeared.
Yes, she thought, her hand going up to her burning cheek. I hope to see you soon too.
Unbeknownst to her, Asher’s heart had begun to pound viciously in his chest shortly after their kiss. It was full of passion and carnal wanting, and now he couldn’t get his heart to slow down. He staggered down the next alley over, hoping that Claudia didn’t see him falter. His chest suddenly felt as if there was a stone crushing it, and he couldn’t find his breath. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his cell phone and called Yosef. The older dragon picked up on the second ring
“Please hurry,” Asher gasped, his vision going black. “I need your help.”
CHAPTER 3
3 Months Later
Claudia raised a delicate eyebrow as she looked from the information on the piece of paper to the private detective she’d hired. It had been three months since she’d heard from Asher, and she didn’t know why, but she was extremely concerned. Though their date hadn’t been that great, there was still something there. She could feel it in both her heart and her brain. With no last name, finding him had been harder than she had originally thought. But, after tireless searching and hiring a private eye, she had finally found him. However, his address was not where she pictured him to be.
The way he had been dressed, along with his laid back nature, Claudia had imagined Asher as a mid-level worker. Someone who made maybe fifty or sixty grand a year doing banking stuff or managing a level. However, this was nowhere close to what she found.
“Are you sure about this?” Claudia asked, looking from the paper to the detective. The man nodded his head.
“You read it right, doll. The penthouse suite. Whoever this guy is, he’s rich. Extremely rich. Unfortunately, very sick as well.”
Claudia’s heart skipped a beat as the detective said the words.
“Excuse me?” She asked.
The detective picked up a pastry from the plate and inspected it.
“Yeah. Some sort of rare heart failure. One of the nurses that visits him daily was very chatty about it. Your guy is very handsome, but very grumpy now that his heart is giving out.”
Claudia thanked the detective for his time and threw the roll of bills onto the table for him. She didn’t need to hear any more; she just needed to see him. The address in a building she knew very well. It was an architectural treasure in the city, and she had done some photo shoots in the banquet hall there. To her delight, the doorman recognized her from her run at the Olympics and let her on the elevator without any questions.
As she rode the elevator up to the penthouse floor, she had to admit that being famous had its perks. When the elevator dinged she stepped off and went down the very short hallway to the only door. Before she could ring the doorbell, the door opened, and a young female nurse and an older male doctor stepped through.
“Oh, are you here to see Asher?” The doctor asked, looking over Claudia.
Immediately she nodded her head and plastered on a bright smile. “I’m here for the night shift. I’m one of the new nurses.”
The doctor didn’t bother to question her. Instead, he merely wished her a good night and told her that his information was on the desk if she needed him to come back at all. Inside, Claudia balked at the fanciness of the suite. It was a mixture of old world and modern, just like Asher was himself. Though the place was massive, it didn’t take her long at all to find him.
Worry laced through her heart as she saw him in his king sized bed. He looked small and fragile hooked up to all of the machines, and she fought back the urge to cry. Asher must have heard her gasp because suddenly his golden eyes opened and he looked directly at her. A small smile spread across his lips as he looked at her.
“It’s you,” he murmured, lifting himself up into a sitting position.
Claudia laughed softly and shrugged her shoulders. She didn’t quite know what to say to explain how she had come to be there.
Asher shook his head and laughed quietly, and patted the large empty space beside him.
“The most dangerous woman to my heart… I was hoping to see you again, but this no good organ inside me had other ideas.” He looked up at her with his piercing gaze. “I’m glad you found me.”
“Me too,” Claudia whispered, reaching out to grab his hand. Just like she remembered, his temperature was running warm, near hot even. As long as his hands were this toasty, she thought, he was going to be okay.
“I was actually about to go out to my balcony for a little air. It’s nearly spring now, and I have a few cherry blossom trees out there I’ve been dying to see. Would you mind coming with me?”
Claudia nodded her head and began helping Asher into his wheelchair. To her surprise, he seemed pretty strong. He made it out of the bed and into the chair just fine. As she wheeled him to the patio doors, Claudia tried to wrap her head around the idea that she was actually seeing this man again, and that he hadn’t blown her off after all. She knew that hiring a detective had seemed a little crazy, but she was delighted that she had decided to go through with it.
Outside, the warm spring wind whirled around them, and Claudia took in the beauty of the city. On the top floor, Asher could do whatever he wanted with his space. He had decided to turn both rooftops into gardens, one for vegetables, which he donated to the local homeless shelter every harvest, and one for flowers, which were starting to bloom.
Through the middle of the garden were eight potted cherry blossom trees, all of them in full bloom. Their tiny pink leaves decorated the entire garden, making the space smell fresh and wonderfully pleasant. Feeling refreshed, Asher stood up and walked to the nearest tree.
“There are cherry blossoms at the lake where I practice, but I never get to see them look like this since skating season and cherry blossom season don’t quite meet in the middle.”
“Like star-crossed lovers,” Asher grinned.
“You could say that, but I was never into the whole Romeo and Juliette thing. I hate sad endings.”
Asher looked on with and air of pensiveness.
“Endings can be both happy and sad at the same time, I think,” he said after a long pause.
“Perhaps, but I’d rather have the happy kind.”
“I have a proposition for you,” Asher said, standing to pull off a small branch of the pink flowers.
“I’m listening,” Claudia said, watching as his movements slowly became more rigid. She stepped close, ready to pull him back into his chair if he collapsed. He had unhooked his machines before he had got out of bed, and she wasn’t sure how long he could stand without them.
“Why don’t you move in with me? As a friend. I want somebody here that I know, not just a bunch of chatty nurses. I want to get to know you better, and I don’t think you would have tracked me down if you didn’t want to get to know me better too. What do you say?”
Asher’s legs buckled, the excitement too much for him, and Claudia caught him and adeptly swung him back into the chair. He looked at her embarrassed, but all she could think about was the sudden proximity of their bodies. She took a shaky breath to calm the butterflies in her stomach. He held out the small twig of blossoms to her as a thank you, and she gratefully took it.
“I think I would love to get to know you better Asher,” she whispered, bringing the flower up to her nose. She vowed silently to herself that she’d do whatever it takes to help him regain his strength.
~
Claudia was given a room of her own in Asher’s penthouse – an incredibly spacious and beautiful one at that. It had sweeping views of the city, and it was conveniently right next door to Asher’s bedroom.
“I’d give you a key to the place if it was necessary, but it isn’t,” Asher told her apologetically. “I don’t keep the place locked anymore because the doctors and nurses go in and out as they please these days. The building’s security is top notch, so they only let in those that have been cleared by me.”
Claudia thought of how easily she was able to get in, and she looked at him skeptically.
“Speaking of doctors, Yosef should be here any minute now. He’s one of my main doctors, and a good friend. You’ll see him around a lot, so I encourage you to get to know him as well.”
Just then, Yosef announced himself with a slight knock at the door.
“Sire? Are you in there?”
“Speak of the devil…” Asher chuckled. “Yosef, come in. I want you to meet Claudia.”
Yosef walked in timidly and wore a surprised expression on his face.
“Hello, Yo – er… Dr. Yosef. I’m Claudia Taylor,” she said while holding out her hand. Yosef took it and gave it a weak shake.
“A
friend
, you say?” He peered around at Claudia’s luggage in the room, yet to be unpacked.
“That’s right, and she’s moving in for the time being,” Asher explained. “I thought it would be good for me to have some company with me. You know, company that’s prettier than you, no offense.”
Yosef smiled at him. “Yes, of course, sire.”
“Okay, what’s with this
sire
business?” Claudia asked. “Is that a pet nickname or something, or are you two into some kind of kinky role playing that I’d rather not know about?”
Asher snorted as Yosef looked nervously at Asher.
“Yosef can be a bit old fashioned, that’s all. You can drop the title when you address me from now on.”
Yosef smiled pleasantly.
“If you wish, Asher,” he said awkwardly.
Claudia raised her eyebrow at the exchange but decided to let it go.
“Come, it’s time for your dose,” Yosef said, leading Asher out of Claudia’s room. Claudia began to follow them, but Yosef turned around to face her.
“Miss Claudia, I must insist on a bit of privacy for a few minutes,” he said before closing the door in her face.