Opal sat back at the desk next to her husband and opened her computer.
Kate could still feel Aegis staring and looked up into his venom-green eyes. There was something almost otherworldly about this place.
She almost stood to leave, overwhelmed by the weirdness, but she couldn’t shake the feeling she should stay. That it was meant to be. And she really did need help.
“So I see you need a lot done. Would you say it was more general labor or something needing specialized experience?”
“More just labor, and someone who has a good understanding of how to fix things.”
“All our dragons have that.”
“Oh, right, about that. Why are they called dragons?” Kate asked.
Opal’s eyes twinkled. “We wanted to stand out. Be different.”
“Well, yeah. That does. But why dragons?”
“Because dragons are awesome,” Aegis said, slightly defensive.
“Because the kind of service we can provide doesn’t exist elsewhere,” Citrine said smoothly. “Our workers are practically mythical beasts with their talents.”
“Um. Okay. So how does this work?”
“We’ll show your profile and what you want done to our workers and select one of them for the job.” Opal smiled softly. “That is if you still want to hire us.”
“I do,” she said. The other companies had bad reviews anyway, and she didn’t have time to go check out another one. And she’d gotten pretty far at work by following her gut, so she figured that was the right thing to do here as well.
“Okay,” Opal said, standing along with the others. “When would you like them to start?”
“As soon as possible,” Kate said. With her neighbor Davis breathing down her neck, she didn’t really have time to waste. “And wait. Them or just one of them?”
“One,” Opal said. “Unless you end up needing more.”
“That should be fine,” Kate said. If the “dragons” looked like these people, even having one on her property would be pretty overwhelming.
They walked out of the office, exchanging handshakes, and Citrine and Opal followed her to the door while Aegis stayed near the office.
As she said goodbye to the others, she heard the pounding of heavy footsteps, and she looked over to see maybe the tallest man so far storming up to talk to Aegis.
She couldn’t see his face, just his broad shoulders in a checked button-up shirt he was threatening to burst out of. And dark hair in loose waves that just hit the nape of his collar and fell around his ears and face.
Aegis just cocked his head, bored, and then said something, gesturing to her.
The tall man turned to face her, and time froze.
Handsome didn’t even begin to describe the masculine perfection in front of her. Jaw like it was cut from marble, straight, elegant nose, full lips, strong chin. High, arched brows. Long lashes and blue eyes like a deep ocean. Blue with a hint of teal.
He had an angry expression that faded to something else as he locked eyes with her. She could feel an electric current sparking between them.
She was the first to look away.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aegis stride over, his companion following behind him.
She quickly shook Citrine’s hand and tried to make a run for it, but Aegis jogged to catch up.
He pushed the door closed in front of her and gestured to the man beside him, who was a few inches taller. Maybe six and a half feet? She peered up at him, and he stared down at her with an intensity that made her knees weak for reasons she couldn’t even begin to explain.
“This is Liam,” Aegis said, a knowing look in his eyes. “He’ll be helping you. Is that all right?”
She gaped and shut her mouth with all her effort. “Um. Yes. He’ll do.” How was she supposed to reject such a beautiful man?
Liam nodded, looking pleased by that, and she edged to the door, pulling it from Aegis’s fingers.
“Sorry, I really do have to go. I’ll see you later, then, Liam,” she said nervously.
Damn, she did high-pressure things all day, but it was nothing compared to being around people like this.
As she practically ran back to her car, she couldn’t shake the feeling she’d been in another world, and a part of that world was coming to work for her.
She sighed as she started the car, casting one last look up at the open castle door. A shiver went down her shoulder as she saw Liam standing in front of it.
She’d just rented a “dragon.” Hopefully, when he showed up, she wouldn’t regret it.
3
Liam cursed and fumbled with the clutch as he shifted from neutral into first at the stoplight on the edge of town.
Aegis and the others had insisted he take the old truck, an off-white monster that was at least a decade old, to his first job because it would look more “authentic.”
The truck changed gears with a loud groan, then lurched forward toward the small development just outside the small city near the mansion.
Authentic.
The whole idea of being hired out as common laborers was preposterous. And despite Citrine’s insistence this would be a good way to potentially find a mate, Liam could think of a million things he’d rather be doing other than mending fences and roofs and whatnot.
Especially since the beautiful woman he’d been hired to work for was most likely taken.
Kate Hinton. Even with just a glance, he had noticed right away her curvaceous, feminine figure. Soft, light-brown hair. Hazel eyes with little flecks of gold and green. Tiny freckles scattered over a cute, upturned nose. A stubborn chin.
Yes, with raw physical beauty like hers and the confident, well-spoken manner she carried herself with, she must certainly have a mate. She wasn’t even nervous around Aegis, the most intimidating of all dragons.
It irked him to think there was probably some lazy-ass human male sitting around at home while his mate had to come looking for help at Rent-A-Dragon.
The tires screeched lightly as he came to an abrupt halt at a stop sign he’d almost missed, making the tools and various “how-to” manuals he’d stashed in the backseat of the truck rattle and shuffle.
Thankful that no one was around to see his questionable driving, he drove forward again. A moment later, his phone chirped.
“The destination is on your left,” the almost-human-sounding voice said.
The development he was in was indeed small but quaint. Dozens of small, well-kept houses with pretty little yards surrounded him, making Liam wonder what it must be like to be a mortal human living in one of these little caves they called home.
And then on his left, the aforementioned destination and supposed home of his client.
The property was an eyesore, entirely out of place amid the aging but maintained houses. Wild grass and weeds completely covered the land surrounding the small house. Amidst the overgrowth and bushes, discarded appliances and furniture dotted the small landscape.