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A total of twelve hours of driving and two motel stops later, Ava found herself in Houston, Texas. She had just decided to drive south on a whim and ended up in the large metropolis area of Houston. It was completely different from the small town she was coming from and that was a start. But what to do now? Her savings would probably get her a comfortable apartment in the city but she had to start working soon.
For some reason, she didn’t want to jump right back into nursing. Well, she couldn’t anyway. There was a process that she had to go through first, which involved taking the board exam to be licensed to work as a registered nurse in the state. While she went through that process, she could do something else in the meantime.
Ava’s mind swam with the possibilities. She could try her hand at waitressing. She’d never had that job in high school during summers like the majority of her school mates. She sat in her car, parked in the lot of a diner, wondering if she should go inside. Her eyes roamed the parts of the city visible through her window. Huge buildings stood close together, long lines of cars crawled through stop lights, and people littered the sidewalks. It was so lively, so colorful, such a far cry from what she was used to. It was a bit daunting.
“Okay, first thing is first, find somewhere to stay.” She picked up her phone and researched the cheapest motels. When she found one close to the city, she decided to go there and settle down. Tonight, she would go out for a few drinks and then begin the hunt for her temporary job tomorrow.
As she maneuvered through the streets of Houston, her eyes shifted intermittently to study the place. When she neared her destination, she drove past a one-story building that took up a wide expanse of land. It was surrounded by an open lot, and there were no other buildings close by. There was a huge sign standing on two metal posts. The Dragon. The images of scantily clad women surrounding the neon letters on the sign indicated that it was probably a bar or night club.
Ava decided immediately that she would pay The Dragon a visit in a few hours.
*****
THE MUSIC POUNDED, making the floor of the club vibrate. With his enhanced hearing, it was almost deafening to Zac. He had to turn down the volume in his head. He strolled through the crowded room, dodging the gyrating bodies of females. Some of them eyed the six foot four, broad shouldered giant with interest, some with wonder and some with unabashed lust. Most of them knew he was co-owner of The Dragon, the hottest bar that turned into a club at night so they saw dollar signs when they looked at him.
The Dragon was his pride and joy, same as it was for his business partner and best friend, Mason. They had worked hard to build the business and now it was the most popular night spot in Houston, probably all of Texas. There was one problem, running the club and watching humans party every night was getting dull. He supposed it had much to do with being alive for a hundred and fifty years. His kind was blessed with longevity, which was all good and well unless there was a major missing piece in his life. And there was something missing.
For him, it was love, something he had been searching for over the last century. He had given up hope that he would ever find that one woman made for him, his mate. He’d only ever heard those lucky enough to find their true mate talk about it. The utter joy, the feeling of being complete, he wanted to feel all of that too.
With a sigh, he headed up the stairs to where the private offices were located. He needed a break from the crowd. When he pushed the door to his office open, an expletive slipped past his lips. The two people intertwined on the big leather couch turned to him.
“What the hell, Mason. In my office?”
His best friend peered around the topless blonde straddling him. Mason wore his usual lazy grin. “Hey, man sorry.” He signaled for the woman to get up. She stood, reaching for her top and throwing it on before turning around.
Zac gritted his teeth when he recognized the woman as one of the new waitresses. He sent Mason a disapproving glare and he merely shrugged. “Get back to work, Aimee,” Zac growled. She ducked her head and rushed toward the door.
Mason rose to his feet and zipped up his pants. “Zac, if I knew you were going to come in tonight, I would have played with the girl in my own office. We sort of just ended up in here.”
Plopping down in his chair, Zac muttered. “You don’t have even a shred of decency, Mason. You didn’t care if you got caught or not. What is the matter with you? She just started working for us. You ever heard of a sexual harassment lawsuit?”
Mason fanned him off. “Please, our female employees literally throw themselves at us. There’s no need to worry about any lawsuits.”
Zac cocked a brow but didn’t respond. He and Mason had been best friends since they met over fifty years ago on the other side of the country and discovered they were both the same species of shifters. As much as he loved Mason, most of the time he wanted to beat some sense into the younger shifter.
“Right,” he murmured. “How about you focus more on business rather than the young, female employees from now on?”
Mason chuckled. “Haven’t you figured out our arrangement by now? You focus on business and I’m the human resource expert. I have to keep our workers happy, bro, especially the ladies.” With a wink, he exited Zac’s office.
The smirk on Mason’s face fell as he walked through the dimly lit passageway. He gave Zac so much grief because he was worried about him. Zac seemed more withdrawn, more depressed with each passing day, and Mason behaved like an ass most of the time to keep his friend’s mind on something other than his sorrow, which was lecturing him on his behavior. Running a business wasn’t keeping Zac occupied anymore and Mason was worried.
Unlike humans, dragons felt everything with greater intensity. That was why he focused on having fun any which way he could. But Zac, on the other hand, would be weighed down by his melancholy to epic proportions.
With a sigh, Mason leaned over the railing of the balcony and peered down at his and Zac’s handiwork. The place was packed as it was every night. Of course, he focused on the array of women. So many to choose from for his usual nightly carnal escapades.
“Located your prey yet?” Zac joined him, leaning over the rail.
“Why? Do you want to share tonight?” Mason eyed him with a hopeful grin. They had shared many women over the years. He hoped Zac agreed because that would mean he hadn’t completely lost interest in enjoying life.
“I’ll pass.”
Mason’s shoulders sagged. “Suit yourself.”
Zac snorted and stared out into the crowd.
Noticing his friend’s suddenly stunned expression, Mason frowned. “What is it?” Zac was staring at someone or something, transfixed.
Mason followed his gaze and saw her. He let out a low whistle. No wonder Zac was practically drooling. The woman stood in front of the entrance, glancing around with uncertainty. Honey blonde hair hung way past her shoulders in silky waves. She was on the curvier side, boasting a delicious hourglass figure, encased in a tight black dress and killer heels. “Just my type,” he murmured.
By the way Zac was staring at the woman, he would say his friend had the same thing in mind. This one they could definitely share. One night of wild sex with the sexy stranger would pull Zac from his gloom.
“Don’t even think about it,” Zac growled.
Mason’s eyes flew to him. “What?”
“I can see the wheels spinning in your devious mind. You’re not touching that one.”
Before Mason could respond, Zac stalked off, leaving him confused.