Page 24 of The Dragon in the Corner Office (Monstrous New York #1)

Chapter 24

T he line trills in my ear as the call room door clicks shut behind me. Cellphone clutched to my ear, I pace the small space while I wait for Mr. O’Malley to pick up.

After our weekend away, Antoinette and I spent this week putting the final touches on the warehouse presentation.

The only piece missing is the old man’s signature. I’ve been procrastinating on this call because my gut tells me there’s a reason he hasn’t signed the contract yet.

Each floor of the building has a few closet-sized rooms designated for private calls. This particular room overlooks the river, and a tour boat passing in the distance catches my attention while my phone continues to ring.

“Aye.”

Finally ! “Mr. O’Malley?”

“Aye.”

Man of few words.

Clearing my throat, I continue pacing. “Good morning, sir. This is Cyrus Wilcox. I’m calling from Big York on behalf of Antoinette Bauer. Do you have a moment to chat?”

There’s a shuffling of papers, then a cough. “Aye, the dragon shifter.” He chuckles. “Real temper on that one.”

My eyebrows wing upward. “How did you—”

“I wasn’t born yesterday, laddie. I knew the lass had a dragon in her the second I laid eyes on her. Some supernaturals may be able to hide in plain sight, but you can’t hide from magic.”

“Magic?” I scratch the back of my head. This conversation is taking an unexpected turn.

“Ya see, us O’Malleys come from a long line of psychics, seers, and the like.”

“Is that why you haven’t signed the contract yet? Because Antoinette isn’t human? If that’s the case, you can shove—”

“Aye! You’ve got it all wrong, sonny. This warehouse is meant to be hers , not theirs .”

Well, if that’s not cryptic as fuck. “What the fu—heck does that mean?” I growl, trying to tamp down the anger in my veins because he’s still a client, and we still need his signature.

The whole project is riding on one measly signature. All of Antoinette’s brilliant ideas won’t mean anything without it.

If we lose this property, we’re both fucked.

If Andrews fires both of us, it’ll hurt for a second, but at least we’ll still have each other.

If he only fires Antoinette, there’s no way she’ll want to be with me.

My heart ricochets against my ribs at the thought of her rejecting me. I’m in too deep now; I love her.

“Sir, you have to sign those papers. This property is Antoinette’s biggest deal to date. All that’s standing in her way is your signature.”

“Don’t worry your pretty head, Mr. Wilcox. It will be hers when the time is right. Things always have a way of workin’ out. And laddie…”

“Hmm?” My ears perk up. Maybe he’s changed his mind.

“You best take care of that woman. Treat her like the princess she is. She deserves nothing but the best.”

Of that, I’m certain he’s one thousand percent correct .

With his cryptic message ringing in my ear, the line goes dead. The old man hung up on me.

“Fuck!” My voice echoes around the small room, and my phone thunks to the floor. Both hands thread through my hair, pulling at the strands until a rush of pain zips down my spine. “What am I gonna tell Antoinette?”

She’s already on edge from Andrews’s earlier threat. A perpetual cloud of smoke wafts behind her with the amount of stress she’s under to make this presentation perfect.

I don’t want to lie to her, but this could be the last straw before she breaks. She can’t take any bad news right now.

Sweat beads on my forehead, and I swallow back the bile crawling up my throat as I exit the call room and head back to my office. One way or another, this situation isn’t going to end well for me. I can already tell.

I just hope it doesn’t mean losing the woman I love.

Slowing my steps, I linger outside the office doorway, eavesdropping on Antoinette and Penelope while I calm my racing nerves.

“Annie, you have to breathe.” Penelope coughs. I’m sure she’s following Antoinette around the office with the red fire extinguisher clutched to her chest. “Everything will be fine. You and Cyrus have worked day in and day out on this presentation. You’re ready.”

Yeah, except we don’t have a signed contract with the property owner .

“What if they hate it? I was stupid to think this would work. I’m suggesting Big York take on an entirely new business venture. It’ll never work. They’re going to fire me.” Her voice doesn’t hold its usual confidence or fire, and my gut drops to the floor.

Bursting through the doorway, I lock eyes with Antoinette. “I don’t want to hear any more talk like that, princess.” Stepping in front of her, I grip her slender shoulders and pull her into my chest.

She melts against me, the familiar heat of her body washing away my earlier jitters.

“Your concept is amazing, Antoinette. If the board can’t see that, then it’s their loss. We can both quit and find some investors who will back your idea. Just say the word, and I’ll follow you out those doors.” I tip my chin toward the glass doors of our office.

Her head swivels back and forth, the soft strands of ebony gliding against my shirt.

Arching her neck, she meets my eyes as she speaks. “You’re right.” The fire returns to her brilliant golden irises, like glittering gemstones. “I’ve given this project everything I have.” She blows out a breath, fresh resolve cementing over her beautiful features. “I’m ready for tomorrow. I’m ready to knock them dead.”

“That’s my girl.” I smile, cupping her cheek.

“How did it go with O’Malley?” Expectantly, her eyebrows rise.

Before leaving for the privacy of the call room, I’d told both Antoinette and Pen that I was going to make the dreaded call to O’Malley.

Shit. It’s one tiny lie, Cyrus. It’ll be fine. O’Malley said the warehouse would be hers, so what’s the harm in protecting her for now?

The harm is that she finally trusts me, and this teeny tiny lie could ruin everything.

Rolling my shoulders back, I blow out a breath and slide my hands down to the sides of her neck. My thumb rests over her pulse, giving me the boost I need to tell her the truth. “Not as well as I’d hoped.”

Under my hands, her skin heats to a scorching temperature, and I nearly pull away. But she needs support and reassurance right now. She needs to know she’s not alone in this. “He hasn’t signed the papers—but he did promise the warehouse would be yours.”

Eyes shuttering, she pulls from my grip and paces the small space between me and her desk. “No, no, no, no. This can’t be happening.” A plume of smoke trails behind her, and I wave my hand, clearing it from the air.

Maybe lying would have been easier. No . Suck it up, Cyrus. You can’t build a relationship on lies.

“Princess.”

Her heels click on the tile as she paces. I’ve seen her spiral like this once before, but this time is different. This time, I can be the comfort she needs .

“Princess.” My arm shoots out, stopping her path.

Gripping her chin between my forefinger and thumb, I swing her head toward me. With my free hand, I point at my eyes. “Look at me, Antoinette.”

She scowls, eyes blazing, but meets my gaze. An invisible presence ruffles the dark strands of hair as they hang around her shoulders. Black scales rip through the flesh of her cheeks and down her neck, dipping into the neckline of her blouse. She’s close to losing control, and I can’t let that happen.

Ignoring the lingering burn on my palms, I cup her scorching hot cheeks and dip closer. “This isn’t all on you. Okay? I’m in this with you until the end. No matter what happens. We’re partners on this project, so you focus on knocking this presentation out of the park, and I’ll deal with O’Malley. Yeah?”

She nods, her skin cools slightly, and the smoke between us dissipates.

“Now, what else can I do to help?”

“I don’t like waiting on O’Malley, but there’s nothing we can do this close to the presentation. Will you help me run through everything one more time?” Her fingers thread through mine. The sun streams in from the windows behind us, casting her in an ethereal glow. Her hair brushes her shoulders when she tips her head back, waiting for my reply.

“Of course. Lead the way.”

“ T hank you for staying with me tonight.” Antoinette stands in the doorway of her en-suite bathroom, dressed in a short, silky nightgown. Her hand glides up and down one arm, rubbing lotion into her olive-toned skin. Subtle notes of lavender waft to where I’m settled in her bed.

We spent the rest of the day running through the warehouse presentation over and over until she was satisfied. Once the sky began to darken with the first signs of sunset, I convinced her to spend the evening relaxing with some mindless TV and pizza.

Now, I want nothing more than to curl around her while she sleeps.

Tucking an arm behind my head, I sink into the pillows. “Not like it’s a hardship, princess. Your bed is a million times more comfortable than mine.” I sigh. “Like sleeping on a cloud.”

Her throaty laughter has me smirking. I love that sound.

Over the last week, her laughter has become more frequent. Is it because of me?

I’d like to think so.

I’d like to think Antoinette is freer now, more relaxed around me, and able to show all facets of her amazing personality.

She disappears into the bathroom, returning a few seconds later, and flips off the light before heading toward the bed. Sinking onto the mattress next to me, she lets out a groan that goes straight to my dick. “This bed is amazing. So much better than yours.”

I scoff. We’ve only spent one night at my place, and Antoinette was restless the entire time. Tossing and turning, like the mattress was made out of bricks.

It’s obvious she’s more comfortable in the nest she’s created here than my boring bachelor pad, so I don’t mind spending all my free time here, in her sanctuary. “Guess you’ll have to clear out some closet space for me, then.”

Flipping to her side, she searches my face, a crease forming between her eyebrows. Shit, I guess it’s too soon to bring up the topic of moving in together.

“You’d want to move in here? With me?”

I bite my tongue to stop the laugh from spilling free. But she looks so damn cute, flushed cheeks, lip caught between her fang, and hope-filled eyes.

“Yeah, princess. I told you before, but I’ll remind you again—you’re it for me, Antoinette Bauer.” My thumb sweeps across her lower lip, dislodging it from her biting grip. “And your place is way cooler than mine.” I wink .

A beaming smile sweeps across her face. “I have an extra key, and you can bring some things over tomorrow after the presentation…”

At the word presentation, her expression falls, morphing into one of dread. I’ve never seen her like this. She’s always so confident and sure of herself. My hand brushes to the side of her neck, thumb stroking over her racing pulse. “You’re nervous.”

She nods.

“Come here.” When I open my arms for her, she crawls over immediately and snuggles against my side. She’s so warm, and her sweet floral aroma calms my runaway emotions, grounding me to her. My fingers thread into her hair, massaging her scalp until she melts against me. “You’re ready, Antoinette. This project is your baby, and no one knows it like you do. Not even me. You know every little detail and all the ways to make it shine. You’re going to blow them away tomorrow, and I’ll be right there by your side.” After I wring O’Malley’s neck for waiting until the last minute to sign the damn contract.

“You’re right.” Her lips brush against my skin, like the soft caress of butterfly wings, pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts.

“Of course I am. You’re Antoinette Bauer. You don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. ”

She peers up at me, lips stretched in a weak smile. “Thank you for reminding me, Wilcox. I’m gonna make that presentation my bitch.”

Hauling her up my body, I seal my lips to hers. When I pull back, I murmur, “Damn straight, princess. Show ’em who’s boss.”

Before I can take her tantalizing lips in another kiss, she covers her mouth and yawns.

As much as I want to take things further, I know she needs a good night’s sleep before tomorrow, so my dick will have to wait. Once she’s tucked against my side again, I pull the blanket up around us and press my lips to the crown of her head. “You’re gonna do great.” A yawn slips from my mouth. “Sweet dreams, princess.”

Her answering soft snores lull me to sleep.