Dragon Knight (The Collegium Book 3) Read Online Free
Author: Jenny Schwartz
public affection.”
“Gotcha.” Okay, even she knew she was smirking, but it was fantastic to finally see the austere president of the Collegium disconcerted. “Unfortunately, I do do public affection, so at a minimum, I expect hand-holding.”
“Are you sure that’s wise?”
She paused in the act of slinging her handbag over her shoulder. “What’s so dangerous about holding hands?” The challenge was out before she remembered her combustible response to him. Nothing to do but outstare him. She added an eyebrow quirk, as if he was being unreasonable, just to emphasize that holding his hand meant nothing to her.
Some other woman had had that instant and over-powering, insane rush of lust for him. Not Gina.
“Fine. Let me grab my jacket.” He did more than that. He shut down his computer, signed a couple of sheets of paper before tossing them into his outbox, and picked up his phone, sliding it into a pocket. Then he unrolled his shirt sleeves, took off his tie and threw it into a drawer, and shrugged on his jacket. He walked towards her still adjusting his shirt collar.
Good grief . His shoulders looked even broader in a suit.
“Here.” She stepped forward and tucked his shirt collar neatly. Standing close, she smelled his subtle cologne. It had a warm sandalwood base with a hint of citrus. Lickable.
She stepped back fast enough to bump her legs against the low armchair behind her.
He caught her elbow, steadying her. “All right?” The quiet tone of the question sounded intimate.
“Yes. Of course. I’m okay. I’m good.”
The faintest glimmer of a smile stirred and vanished in his dark eyes. He slid his hand from her elbow to her hand, curling his fingers around hers.
What had she been thinking, challenging him to hold her hand? He seemed completely unaffected, but her pulse was jumping.
Breathe . That’s all she had to remember. Just breathe .
Lewis opened the door and they walked into the outer office.
At his desk, Chad looked up. It was a bodyguard’s response to any change in the environment, a simple glance. Until his gaze snagged on their clasped hands.
“Something’s come up,” Lewis said.
Gina wondered if he heard the innuendo in his own statement.
“I’ll be in a bit later tomorrow.”
“Uh.” Apparently the experienced guardian was too shocked to form actual words.
Gina bit her lip to stop from giggling. She slanted a glance up at Lewis, one that contained more than a hint of told-you-so .
A wry lift to the right corner of his mouth acknowledged the impact of their joined hands.
She walked beside him to the elevator, rode down in silence, and crossed the Collegium headquarters’ foyer in equal silence.
Well, she and Lewis might have been silent, but as they crossed the foyer, ripples of shock eddied out and broke in murmurs and comment among the people present.
Lewis looked neither right nor left, acknowledging no one, and she took her cue from him. As the sliding glass doors to the street closed behind them, he finally spoke. “There’ll be a mad scramble to discover who you are and how they can use you. I’d forgotten that you might get caught up in the political chaos around here. We can cancel our deal.”
They walked slowly down the building’s steps.
“It’s okay. I anticipated the curiosity when I made the offer to be your cover story for meeting with Morag. I’ll survive it.”
On the sidewalk, he kept hold of her hand. “If anyone causes you trouble, tell me.”
She shrugged.
“Not good enough,” he said. “I want your promise.”
His insistence annoyed her. “I initiated the situation. The consequences are on me. You —” she tapped a finger on his chest— “are not responsible for me .”
“Tell me anyway.”
She looked away from his dark eyes. “No.”
“Then I’ll ask your dragon to get your promise for me.”
She spun towards him, but he started walking, pulling her along. “You can’t do that,” she
“Gotcha.” Okay, even she knew she was smirking, but it was fantastic to finally see the austere president of the Collegium disconcerted. “Unfortunately, I do do public affection, so at a minimum, I expect hand-holding.”
“Are you sure that’s wise?”
She paused in the act of slinging her handbag over her shoulder. “What’s so dangerous about holding hands?” The challenge was out before she remembered her combustible response to him. Nothing to do but outstare him. She added an eyebrow quirk, as if he was being unreasonable, just to emphasize that holding his hand meant nothing to her.
Some other woman had had that instant and over-powering, insane rush of lust for him. Not Gina.
“Fine. Let me grab my jacket.” He did more than that. He shut down his computer, signed a couple of sheets of paper before tossing them into his outbox, and picked up his phone, sliding it into a pocket. Then he unrolled his shirt sleeves, took off his tie and threw it into a drawer, and shrugged on his jacket. He walked towards her still adjusting his shirt collar.
Good grief . His shoulders looked even broader in a suit.
“Here.” She stepped forward and tucked his shirt collar neatly. Standing close, she smelled his subtle cologne. It had a warm sandalwood base with a hint of citrus. Lickable.
She stepped back fast enough to bump her legs against the low armchair behind her.
He caught her elbow, steadying her. “All right?” The quiet tone of the question sounded intimate.
“Yes. Of course. I’m okay. I’m good.”
The faintest glimmer of a smile stirred and vanished in his dark eyes. He slid his hand from her elbow to her hand, curling his fingers around hers.
What had she been thinking, challenging him to hold her hand? He seemed completely unaffected, but her pulse was jumping.
Breathe . That’s all she had to remember. Just breathe .
Lewis opened the door and they walked into the outer office.
At his desk, Chad looked up. It was a bodyguard’s response to any change in the environment, a simple glance. Until his gaze snagged on their clasped hands.
“Something’s come up,” Lewis said.
Gina wondered if he heard the innuendo in his own statement.
“I’ll be in a bit later tomorrow.”
“Uh.” Apparently the experienced guardian was too shocked to form actual words.
Gina bit her lip to stop from giggling. She slanted a glance up at Lewis, one that contained more than a hint of told-you-so .
A wry lift to the right corner of his mouth acknowledged the impact of their joined hands.
She walked beside him to the elevator, rode down in silence, and crossed the Collegium headquarters’ foyer in equal silence.
Well, she and Lewis might have been silent, but as they crossed the foyer, ripples of shock eddied out and broke in murmurs and comment among the people present.
Lewis looked neither right nor left, acknowledging no one, and she took her cue from him. As the sliding glass doors to the street closed behind them, he finally spoke. “There’ll be a mad scramble to discover who you are and how they can use you. I’d forgotten that you might get caught up in the political chaos around here. We can cancel our deal.”
They walked slowly down the building’s steps.
“It’s okay. I anticipated the curiosity when I made the offer to be your cover story for meeting with Morag. I’ll survive it.”
On the sidewalk, he kept hold of her hand. “If anyone causes you trouble, tell me.”
She shrugged.
“Not good enough,” he said. “I want your promise.”
His insistence annoyed her. “I initiated the situation. The consequences are on me. You —” she tapped a finger on his chest— “are not responsible for me .”
“Tell me anyway.”
She looked away from his dark eyes. “No.”
“Then I’ll ask your dragon to get your promise for me.”
She spun towards him, but he started walking, pulling her along. “You can’t do that,” she