Page 8 of Hot for the Dragon (Saltwater Grove #3)

8

ARCHER

T he autumn sun cast elongated shadows across Archer's driveway the following afternoon as Daphne's petite form approached his front door. Her presence stirred something inside him - a warmth he couldn't quite place. It unsettled him how quickly he'd grown accustomed to having her around.

"Ready for some undercover work?" Daphne's green eyes sparkled with excitement as she slid into the passenger seat of his Corvette.

"This isn't a game." He started the engine, trying to ignore how the leather seats seemed less empty with her there. "We need to find out if Adam's supplying Carmen."

"I know, I know. But we can still have fun with it, right?"

The corner of his mouth twitched. "You have an interesting definition of fun."

As they cruised through town, Archer's enhanced hearing picked up snippets of conversation from passersby - mostly gossip about the dragon attacks. A few blocks from Adam's store, he pulled into a side street and killed the engine.

He reached into the back seat and grabbed a baseball cap and sunglasses. "Can't have anyone recognizing me."

"Very incognito." Daphne grinned. "Though the whole tall, dark, and brooding thing might still give you away."

"I don't brood," he growled, adjusting the hat in the rearview mirror.

"Sure you don't." She patted his arm, sending an unexpected jolt through his entire body. "So, what's the plan?"

"We're going to pose as a couple looking for an engagement ring." The words came out before he could second-guess them. "It'll give us a reason to ask questions about his inventory and suppliers."

"Oh." A slight blush colored her cheeks. "That's... actually pretty clever."

"Try not to sound so surprised." He stepped out of the car, moving around to open her door. "Just follow my lead and don't get creative."

"When have I ever gotten creative?" She took his offered hand, her touch lingering longer than necessary.

"Would you like the list chronologically or alphabetically?"

Her laugh echoed down the street, and Archer found himself holding back a smile. What was it about this witch that made him feel so... different?

The bell above Adam's Jewelry Emporium chimed as Archer guided Daphne through the door, her arm linked through his. The contact sent an electric current up his spine that he desperately tried to ignore. Her floral scent - roses and something uniquely her - invaded his senses, making it harder to focus on their mission.

"Welcome, welcome!" Adam practically bounced over to them, his round face beaming. "Shopping for something special today?"

Archer tightened his grip on Daphne's arm, scanning the display cases while maintaining his cover. "Engagement rings."

"Oh, how wonderful!" Adam clapped his hands together. "I have some stunning pieces that would suit such a lovely couple."

While Adam bustled around pulling out trays of rings, Archer's enhanced vision swept the store. Behind the counter, boxes were stacked haphazardly - nothing unusual for a jewelry store, but something about their arrangement nagged at him. His nostrils flared, catching the faintest whiff of dragon scale oil - a substance dragons used to maintain their scales in human form.

"This one's beautiful," Daphne cooed, playing her part perfectly as she examined a diamond solitaire.

"Your taste is exquisite," Adam gushed. "Though perhaps something more unique for such a special couple?"

Archer's attention caught on a door behind the counter, slightly ajar. Through the crack, he glimpsed what looked like shipping manifests - far more than a small jewelry store should need.

"What do you think, darling?" Daphne's voice pulled him back, her fingers squeezing his arm.

He looked down at her upturned face, momentarily caught in those green eyes. "Whatever makes you happy, sweetheart." The endearment rolled off his tongue with surprising ease.

"The princess cut might suit you better," Adam suggested, pulling out another tray. "Though I just received some stunning raw gems that-" He caught himself and cleared his throat. "That is, some unique pieces..."

Archer's dragon instincts perked up at the slip. Raw gems were exactly the kind of valuable, easily transported goods that Carmen's wing would trade in.

Daphne leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Actually, I was hoping for something very specific. A princess cut diamond with emerald side stones, set in rose gold. The band needs to have a wheat pattern."

Archer fought back a smirk. Clever witch.

"Oh my." Adam's enthusiasm deflated slightly. "That's quite... particular. Let me check our inventory system in the back."

The moment Adam disappeared through the door, Archer's enhanced senses kicked into high gear. His nostrils flared again, catching the scent of dragon scale oil growing stronger near the counter.

"Keep watch," he murmured, moving behind the counter with fluid grace.

"Be careful," Daphne whispered, positioning herself where she could see the back door.

His fingers traced along the shelves, scanning labels and manifests. A wrapped package caught his eye - elegant black paper with gold trim, addressed to "N.V." The scent of scale oil was strongest here.

"Ned Vance," he growled under his breath.

"Who's that?" Daphne's voice was barely audible.

"One of Carmen's lieutenants. Nasty piece of work." Archer's jaw clenched as memories of Ned's brutality surfaced. "He'll be here later to pick this up I’m guessing."

His dragon instincts screamed to confront Adam now, pin him against the wall and force answers out of him. The beast within him stirred, wanting justice - or perhaps revenge.

"We should grab Adam now," he said, already moving toward the back door. "Make him talk."

Daphne's hand caught his arm, her touch sending an unexpected wave of calm through him. "Wait. If we spook him now, we'll lose our chance to catch Ned. We might even tip off Carmen."

The rational part of his brain knew she was right, but his dragon nature bristled at backing down. Still, there was wisdom in her words. "Fine. But I don't like it."

"You don't like anything," she teased.

Archer then watched Daphne's face light up with an idea, her eyes sparkling in that way that usually meant trouble for him.

"We should stake out the shop," she whispered, leaning close enough that her floral scent invaded his senses again. "Wait for Ned to show up. We might learn something unexpected."

His first instinct was to refuse her idea - stakeouts were beneath him. He preferred direct confrontation, using his strength to get what he wanted. But damn if her logic wasn't sound. "Fine," he growled softly. "But we do this my way."

"Of course," she replied with that infuriating smile that suggested she knew she'd won. "Your way always."

The sound of footsteps from the back room had them both tensing. Adam emerged, clutching a tablet and wearing an apologetic expression. "I can special order that specific design you wanted. It would take about three weeks, if you're willing to wait?"

Archer's enhanced hearing picked up the slight tremor in Adam's voice - he was nervous about something. Probably the illegal package sitting behind his counter waiting to be picked up. The dragon within him really wanted to grab the jeweler by his expensive silk tie and squeeze the truth out of him.

But Daphne's hand found his arm again, her touch grounding him. When had he started relying on her calming presence? It was... unsettling how quickly she'd wormed her way past his defenses.

He glanced down at her, noting how perfectly she fit against his side. For their cover story, of course. Nothing more. Though the way her fingers traced small circles on his bicep was making it hard to focus on the mission.

The package to Ned sat heavily in his mind, but Daphne's plan made sense. Better to catch both conspirators rather than spook one into warning the other. Still, letting Adam think he'd gotten away with it grated against every alpha instinct he possessed.

Archer then watched with growing admiration as Daphne slipped effortlessly into her role, her delicate fingers trailing over another ring display.

"I don't know, honey." She turned those expressive green eyes up at him. "That specific design really meant something to me. It reminds me of my grandmother's ring."

The slight quiver in her voice was masterful. If Archer hadn't known better, he'd have believed her himself. His dragon instincts purred with approval at how naturally she played along with his plan.

"We should probably think about it more," Archer added, wrapping an arm around her waist. The contact sent electricity through him, her warmth seeping into his side. "That's a lot of money for something that isn't exactly what we want."

Adam's face fell, and Archer's enhanced senses picked up the jeweler's increased heart rate. "But I have so many other beautiful options! This cushion cut-"

"Thank you, but no." Archer let a hint of his dragon authority slip into his voice. "We'll take some time to consider the special order."

"At least let me show you the princess cuts we do have in stock-" Adam started toward another display case, his desperation to make a sale evident.

Daphne laid a gentle hand on Adam's arm. "You've been so helpful, but my heart is set on that specific design. We'll come back once we've discussed it more."

The bell chimed as they exited the shop, Archer keeping Daphne close until they were out of sight. He found himself reluctant to let go of her even then.

"That was..." He searched for the right word. "Impressive."

She beamed up at him. "You're not the only one who can be sneaky, you know. Though I think my grandmother's ring story might have been a bit much."

"No, it worked perfectly." He guided her around a corner, still maintaining their couple's facade in case anyone was watching. "You're full of surprises, witch."

"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment." Her eyes sparkled. "So, ready for a stakeout?"

Archer found himself fighting back a smile. When was the last time he had actually enjoyed working with someone?