Dragon Heartstring(22)

“Jeez. What’s got you in such a good mood?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve smiled at least three times and laughed twice since I walked into the gym. Who are you and what have you done with my ornery brother?”

I’d been teaching Moira body boxing since she was fifteen. Now at nearly twenty, she met me on a weekly basis. She was probably the closest friend I had, which wasn’t saying much for me. But one thing was for certain. She knew me well and sensed the obvious change in my mood.

“Am I really such a grouch?” I asked, grabbing my water bottle.

“Yes, you are,” she said, reaching for her own water.

I sat down on the bench and opened my gym bag. “I think we’re done for the day.”

“Oh, no you don’t. You’re hiding something.”

Unable to keep from smiling, I stripped off my sweaty T-shirt and pulled on a fresh one.

“Fourth smile. Okay, that’s enough. What gives? The only thing I can think of that would put that dopey look on a man is a woman.”

“Don’t you have an article to write or something?”

“Yep. It’s a woman. Who is she?”

I blew out a heavy sigh. “None of your business.”

“Sweet. That means she’s off-limits in some way.” She downed three more gulps from her water bottle, then her eyebrows shot up. “She’s a temp or something at the office and the boss can’t fraternize with the employees, right?”

“No.” I ran a towel over my face and sweat-drenched hair.

“I know. She’s newly divorced and her ex-husband is a cop, and you don’t want to piss him off because you’d have the whole Gladium Precinct breathing down your neck.”

“Where the hell do you get this stuff?”

She pulled on a hoodie and zipped it up over her workout tank. “I’m an investigative reporter. It’s my job to think of all possibilities.”

“Well, reporter, you’re wrong.”

She sucked in a deep breath that made me flinch and scan the room as if something had scared her, but there was nothing to alarm her. Then I caught the awfully big grin on her face.

“I know what it is. She’s a Morgon.”

My stomach rolled. And I’m sure my face grew pale while she jumped up and down in a giddy dance.

“Moira—”

“Don’t even try to tell me she isn’t. I can see it on your face. Who is she? What clan? Is she a Nightwing, too? Did you meet her at—”

“Calm down.”

“Tell me who your new girlfriend is, Demetrius!” she yelled with her face toward the door as if trying to announce it to the world.

“Fine. But shut up, will you?” I blew out a breath. “It’s Shakara Icewing.”

“Shakara?” she asked, her face falling into childlike adoration. “I love Shakara. She’s so sweet and nice and pretty, and how the hell did you convince her to date you?”

I hefted my bag onto my shoulder. “What do you mean? What’s wrong with me?”

“Nothing,” she said with a laugh. “You’re just so, I don’t know.”

“Ornery?”

“Yes. But I still find you adorable. And apparently, Shakara does, too.”

I shook my head. “You’re crazy. You jump to all sorts of conclusions without knowing any details.”

“I’m a reporter. It’s my job to fill in the holes.” She glanced at her watch. “Oh, shit! I’ve got a deadline. I’ve got to get to The Herald.”

“Good. Off with you.”

Then she did something utterly out of the norm. She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tight. “Demetrius, I know you’re stressing about this. But if she’s right for you, don’t let Father…well, you know.”

“I know,” I said, giving her a one-arm squeeze. “Now get back to campus and finish your article.”

“I’m off.” She skipped out of the second-floor gym in my parent’s house and was gone.

Father had let me convert this room into a workout gym when I was a teenager. And while growing up here had never been easy with the pressure of a father like Pritchard Cade, this place always brought me solace and focus. Today, after sparring with my sister, I realized how happy I’d been since I’d met Shakara.

Ever since the Children’s Hospital fundraiser, I couldn’t get her out of my mind. I’d daydream all day, getting little to no work done. I’d go to bed, remembering how soft and magnificent she felt against me. I’d fall asleep with her sweet moans filling my mind. And hell if I didn’t dream all night about her and then wake up with a hard-on and more than a little uncomfortable the next morning.

I’d never dated a woman. Ever. I’d had more than my share of one-night stands, but dating was never on my radar. Women were complicated and needy. And I never had the time to give. Or the inclination to sacrifice some of my own. I preferred to be on my own.

Until Shakara.

I ambled out of the gym and down the spiral staircase. Upon the last step, I heard the clink of glass on glass in the front parlor, the tell-tale sign of my father pouring himself an afternoon cocktail.

After our interlude on the rooftop of Spire Maiden, I’d had lunch with Shakara twice. We spoke of worldly and mundane events, everything and nothing, never speaking of our intimate moment overlooking Gladium. Though the silences said enough of our mutual desires when we both stole glances at one another. Today marked one full week since Julian’s birthday party. One week, that was all, and yet I felt like I’d known her all my life.