Page 8 of The Last Bachelor Dragon (Mysteries of Dragon’s Island #8)
CHAPTER 7
***MAX***
A sense of anticipation settled over Max as he walked out of the community center and took the path over to the restaurant. He told himself he was looking forward to finally seeing Nora fail at something, but deep down he knew that he was just excited to see her. Harassing her had become something he looked forward to, and just the thought of the way her blue eyes flashed when she was angry made a wave of desire flood his system. With a sigh, he pushed the feeling away, knowing that his attraction to her was unhealthy. He was supposed to be waiting for his soul mate, not messing around with a woman who didn’t even trust him enough to tell him her name.
Strengthening his resolve to get her off the island, he walked around the kitchen entrance, already rehearsing the rude things he’d say to her, but when he came around the corner, the dish pit was empty. Looking around the kitchen, annoyed that Nora was nowhere to be seen, he spotted Carla sitting at the little booth tucked into one corner of the huge room and marched over to her. She was working on a menu when he walked up and didn’t stop. She just raised a finger at him and then went back to jotting down notes on a scrap of paper.
He knew better than to interrupt her when she was in the zone, as she called it, but that didn’t stop the frustration from mounting as he waited. “Where the hell is Nora?” he demanded when Carla finally looked up at him. “She’s supposed to be washing dishes.”
“She already did her share. I think she’s in the dining room setting up for dinner,” Carla said, with a shrug of her shoulders that made him want to hit something. “She’s got a lot to learn if she’s going to be ready for special occasions.”
“Special occasions, you’ve got to be kidding, that’s one of the best jobs here,” he sputtered. “She’s supposed to be washing dishes, not living the good life. This is not what I wanted, I thought I made myself clear.”
“Oh, you did, but here’s the thing, this isn’t your restaurant, it’s mine,” Carla said, her voice very calm. “I make the decisions about the staff around here, and let’s clear something else up right now. We don’t have a dishwasher, we all do our share.”
“You could have told me that,” he said, realizing that he’d made a mistake. “You can’t be serious about putting Nora on special occasions, she can’t possibly have enough experience. It’s ridiculous.”
“I would have told you but you didn’t give me a chance to speak, you just made your demands and hung up on me,” Carla said. “The only reason I hired her was because I saw some potential in her. She’s a diamond in the rough, and with a little coaching she could become a valuable member of my team.”
“We don’t know anything about her, where she’s from, what she’s done,” he groused. “For all we know, she could be working with Adaloni. She could be a spy, and you’re letting her in just like everyone else. ”
Carla studied him for so long he began to feel uncomfortable. “You don’t really believe that,” she finally said. “If you did, she’d been gone by now. I think there’s more going on here, you just don’t want to face it.”
“I don’t know what you’re insinuating. I would like nothing more than to dump Nora off on the big island, but I can’t do that until I know that she’s going to be safe,” he said, wondering how many times he’d have to defend himself before someone actually listened. “Why is that so hard for everyone to understand?”
“I get it, it’s a shifter thing, but Max, I think you’re taking it too far,” Carla said. “There are a lot of ways to solve this that don’t involve you keeping her here on the island. Face it, cousin, you want her here, I’m just making it easier for you.”
“Don’t do me any favors,” he said, giving her a dirty look. “In case you’ve forgotten, I’ve got bigger problems to worry about. Carlos Adaloni isn’t going to give up, he’s going to come at us again, and we have to be ready.”
Carla registered the change in topic with a nod of her head. “Do you have a plan?” she asked. “We can’t let him have the island, this place is too special.”
“He’s not going to set foot on the island,” he said. “Harrison called in extra men before he left. We’ve been working on something when he’s had some free time. I called the rest of the boys, and they’re on the way.”
“How long do you think we have?” Carla asked. “I’d like to make a few preparations of my own. If this thing turns ugly, we have guests to think about.”
“Yeah, that’s what bothers me the most about this, innocent people could get hurt,” he said. “But the alternative is to just let him have the island, and there’s no guarantee he won’t hurt someone or worse. He was going to sell those women on the slave market.”
“Then we fight, it’s the only way. When the time comes, we’ll get the guests someplace safe,” Carla said. “I don’t know what we’ll tell them, but you can count on my help.”
“Thanks, we’re going to need all the help we can get,” he said, then shook his head. “I’m still mad at you about Nora, but it’s good to know that you’ve got my back.”
“And I always will,” Carla said. “You supported me when no one else in the family would, I won’t ever forget that.”
“Now, don’t be getting all sappy on me, you’ve got it pretty good here,” he said. “I rarely interfere with what goes on around here.”
Carla narrowed her eyes at him, “Why do I feel like there’s a but coming?” she asked. “You know my rules, Max.”
“This may be your restaurant, but it’s still my island,” he said, keeping his voice calm. “With everyone here, we’re going to need one of the back rooms for meals, and I want Nora to be in charge. If she’s as good as you say she is, that shouldn’t be a problem. We’ll need breakfast and lunch daily, we’ll handle our own dinners, and I don’t want anyone helping her unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
***Nora***
After using the soft white cloth on the last piece of silverware to bring out its shine, Nora set it down on the table, then stood back to admire her work, pleased with the mood she’d created. It had been a bit daunting when Shirley, the head of special occasions, explained what she needed to do, but once she got started, she realized that she was a bit of an expert on fancy dining. Years of being dragged to the top restaurants in the city had given her an education in the proper way to set a table, and although she couldn’t cook the food, presentation was just as important.
Imaging what the table would look like when darkness fell and the candles were lit, she let out a sigh, wondering if there would ever be someone she could share a meal like this with. Max instantly popped into her head, and she let out a frustrated groan; the man just wouldn’t leave her alone, even in the privacy of her head, and it was driving her crazy. Since the moment she’d arrived on the island, he’d done nothing but harass her and try to make her miserable. She should feel something very different than what she was feeling.
It was infuriating that she couldn’t control her reaction to him, couldn’t stop the warmth that spread through her, couldn’t ignore the desire that made her heart race and her palms sweat. Letting out another frustrated sigh, she forced her thoughts away from the man who had been haunting both her days and nights, the man who could end her freedom with just one phone call. All she should be thinking about was how to get off the island. Max was the enemy; she had to remember that even if her body had different ideas.
“Well, it looks like you’ve landed on your feet as usual,” Max said from behind her, making her let out a little scream as the silverware in her hand went tumbling to the floor. “I just don’t know how you do it.”
“You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that,” she said, giving him a dirty look, then crouching down to pick up the silverware. “You about gave me a heart attack.”
“You were just standing there staring into space when I walked in, I didn’t want to interrupt whatever scheme was brewing in that pretty little head of yours,” he said, walking toward her. “You never answered my question.”
“This wasn’t my idea. I showed up here this morning prepared to wash dishes,” she said, glaring at him. I didn’t ask to be put on special occasions; I was more than happy just waiting tables in the dining room. This was Carla’s idea. If you have a problem with it, I suggest you talk to her.”
“As a matter of fact, she and I just had a long talk,” he said, taking a few more steps toward her, the look of anticipation on his face making her heart sink. “We’ve come to an agreement that should make us all happy.”
Bracing herself, sure that he was going to tell her to get in the kitchen and wash dishes, she lifted her chin and stared up at him with as much defiance as she could, but didn’t say anything. He stared back at her, making the familiar warmth spread through her as her body began to tingle with the first pangs of desire, but she didn’t back down, just sucked in a deep breath when the feelings only got stronger.
Max finally broke eye contact, and she let out a sigh of relief. She was getting better at ignoring the need that always seemed to come to life when he was around. Soon, it might just go away. Deep down, she didn’t believe that, but when he was being a jerk, it was easy to tell herself that it was possible.
“I’ve asked Carla to assign you to a very special group of guests. They will have your undivided attention, and you will have no other duties but to cater to their every need,” he said, a triumphant smile slowly spreading across his face. “I expect you to be available every day for breakfast and lunch. The afternoons will be yours to do with as you please. Carla will help you with the food, but only you will wait on this group. They will be your responsibility and only yours. Do you understand?”
“Yes, but could you tell me a little more about them?” she said, knowing that she couldn’t trust him and that there had to be a catch.
“It might be more fun if it was a surprise, but Carla will probably tell you if I don’t,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “With your friend Carlos trying to take my island, I had to call in some reinforcements. My friends and their wives will all be arriving tomorrow. I want them shown every courtesy available. I want them to be treated like royalty while they’re here, anything they want is no trouble at all. ”
Her heart sank as a feeling of dread slowly settled over her. She’d been lucky so far that Max hadn’t figured out who she was. A group of his friends spelled disaster; one of them was sure to recognize her. But looking up at him, she realized there was no way to get out of it. He had her trapped. She could only hope that they were the rich, snotty kind of people who didn’t pay any attention to the help.
“I get the message,” she said, trying to hide her frustration. “You want me to fawn all over your rich, stuck-up friends, fine, I’ll do it. I don’t really have any choice, do I?”
“Nope, you don’t,” Max said, smiling triumphantly. I’ll see you bright and early for breakfast tomorrow. I expect you to be ready by eight o’clock when Simon and Kira get here.”
She wanted to slap the grin off his face, but kept her hands firmly at her side, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her lose her cool. “Yes, sir, anything you say, sir,” she sneered at him. “Will there be anything else?”
“Don’t push me, Nora,” he growled at her. “You might push me over the edge, and I don’t think you’d like that very much.”
“Try me,” she shot back, then took a step back when his eyes began to simmer with something that looked a lot like desire. Her heart suddenly pounded for a different reason.
Max closed the distance between them in only a few steps, then stood looking down at her, his entire body tense, then shook his head and backed away. “I think one of us needs to be the mature one and step back,” he said, his husky voice sending shivers up and down her spine. “Have a good evening, Nora.”