Page 6 of The Shapeshifter’s Secretary (Charmed Away Temp Agency #3)

CHAPTER SIX

Taron had to use every trick in his arsenal to maintain his composure. Of all the people he thought would volunteer, why did it have to be him? Taron would have thought the sky would fall before they willingly ran into each other again. He knew this was Taron’s company. Why would he get anywhere near the project?

An unsettled feeling swelled in his chest, feeling like an itch under his skin. Taron usually only got that feeling when he needed to make big changes to his form. He’d done that last year, so he knew it wasn’t that. He only made big changes every hundred years or so. It couldn’t be that. So what was making him feel so itchy?

“Uh, I like sushi, but I can’t really afford it. I brought my own lunch.”

Taron forced himself to focus on his new assistant. He didn’t want to come off as rude just because he was a little shell-shocked.

“Nonsense. It’s on me.”

Tony looked uncertain about that, his thick brows drawn together tightly. Taron wheedled him, sticking his bottom lip out in his signature pout.

“Come on, Tony. I didn't bring lunch, and I want to get to know you. Come eat with me.”

There it was again. Tony was fighting back a smile. This boded well for Taron. If his assistant found him amusing, he’d be less likely to run screaming once things got more chaotic. And if the pout worked, then maybe Taron wouldn’t get into trouble as often.

He prodded Tony’s shoulder, making his eyes bigger to emphasize the cute factor. Tony’s smile broke free, and he shook his head helplessly.

“People have trouble saying no to you, don’t they?”

Not at all, actually, but Taron wasn’t going to say that. He couldn’t anyway. He was too distracted. Tony’s smile completely transformed his face. He had an intimidation factor, with his build and the tension lines on his face. Not that humans were all that scary, but to other humans, he was probably a little intimidating. But that all washed away when he smiled.

“Goddess…” Taron murmured, entranced.

Tony’s smile disappeared, and he shifted uncomfortably, turning his face so Taron only saw his profile. It hid his scars, which reminded Taron that Tony didn’t like the staring. The realization shoved him out of his revelry and he sucked in a breath.

“Apologies. You should be careful. You could cause car accidents with a gorgeous smile like that.” He pressed his hand to his forehead, using a little dramatic flare to ease the tension. “I swear, I almost swooned.”

Startled, Tony’s gaze jerked to look at him again and in an adorable move, his cheeks flushed red. Well, that was fun. What else did Taron have to do to get a reaction like that?

Instead of continuing to torment his assistant, he pushed to his feet and stretched. “Come on. Lunch is on me.”

He was careful not to run off too quickly. He didn’t miss when Tony winced when he got out of the chair. His eyes narrowed on it, and he whipped out his phone, sending a quick text to Avery.

Taron: Who would I contact to get Tony a new chair?

Avery: What’s wrong with it?

Taron: Too small. It’s hurting him

Avery: Hmm… I’ll ask Collette. Is he doing okay?

Taron: So far. I’m taking him to lunch. Toodles.

Avery: Don’t scare him off!

Rude. He would do no such thing. He shoved his phone into his pocket, smiling brightly at Tony, who was finally on his feet with his cane to support him. Taron got the door for him and matched his stride, heading for the elevators. He was a naturally bouncy person and tended to be a few feet ahead of his companions, but he didn't want Tony to think he needed to rush, so he slowed himself down a bit. He didn’t want the man to get hurt. Not under Taron’s watch.

Normally, he’d take whatever elevator was first available to go down. He didn’t mind the long trips, and he usually always found someone to chat with on the ride. But he didn't want Tony standing around that long. He could tell the man was uncomfortable just walking short distances. Instead, he summoned an elevator to go up one floor. They’d take Ozen’s elevator to the lobby. It was significantly faster. He assumed Avery used the same tactic to get Tony up here because the man didn’t blink when they went up instead of down. They exited the elevator and ran directly into Avery and Ozen, who were waiting for the gold one to head down.

“Oh! Hello!” Taron said brightly.

Ozen narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously. Taron huffed.

“I didn’t do anything!”

Avery snickered, nudging his mate with his elbow. “Be nice. He looks like he’s fine.”

Tony tipped his head, that adorably confused frown on his face. So far, Taron hadn’t given him any reason to agree with the rude comments his friends kept pressing on him. He’d be well-behaved for Tony. At least for a little while.

Banishing the thought, Taron stepped aside and gestured to Ozen. “Tony, I don’t think you were properly introduced this morning. This is my dearest friend and life partner, Ozen.”

Avery rolled his eyes and scowled at him. “Work partner. He’s my life partner, not yours.”

Of course, he knew that. But Taron was the best wingman on the planet, proven by the heated look Ozen shot his mate. Ozen was naturally possessive, but Taron knew he liked to be reminded that his mate felt the same way.

“Yes, yes. Though technically, I’ve known him longer,” he teased because he couldn’t help himself.

Avery’s eyes narrowed, and he moved himself between Ozen and Taron. Feisty little human. Ozen was fighting back a smile and kept his mate tucked against him as he nodded politely to Tony.

“Nice to meet you. I hope you last longer than the last assistant. He didn’t even make it to midweek.”

“It wasn’t my fault!” Taron complained. They were going to turn his assistant against him. He could just see it now.

Tony shook his head, a small smile pulling at his lips. “Somehow, I don’t fully believe that. But I think I’ll be alright. I can’t afford to really be picky about my jobs with my limitations. Besides, he’s been fine so far.”

Taron shot his friends a pointed look. See? He could behave when he wanted to.

They all stepped into the golden elevator together, and Tony shuffled to the side, clinging to the rail to support himself. Taron grimaced.

“Yes, it takes some getting used to. But it’s faster than taking the regular elevators.”

Avery huffed out a laugh. “You’re not wrong. I tried to avoid it for a while because it upset my stomach, but it would take me sometimes three times as long to get to where I needed to go by taking the regular elevator. The gut-clenching feeling goes away after a while.”

Luckily, aside from a little discomfort, Tony seemed to handle it pretty well. Taron let him disembark first, holding the doors so he didn’t have to rush. As they headed through the turnstiles, a familiar flash of pink caught Taron’s attention and his smile widened.

“Isaac!”

Isaac’s head dropped back, and he sighed heavily. So cruel. Taron ignored it, tossing his arm over Isaac’s shoulders in a friendly manner.

“Hello, my friend! I’ve missed you!”

A sharp snarl made Taron’s hands come up in surrender, and he slowly backed away, a big grin on his face. “I thought being mated was supposed to settle you.”

Isaac rolled his eyes, leaning against Maverick’s chest like he was a wall, not a slightly terrifying dragon lawyer hell-bent on making Taron shit himself in fear. Technically, Maverick had settled a lot since his mating. He had better control of his temper and no longer filled meeting rooms with smoke unless someone truly fucked up. The one area where he was less than rational was when it came to Isaac. He didn’t even want people looking at his mate for too long. Out of all the mated pairs, dragons were the most possessive. Their mates were seen as part of their hoards, and no one was allowed to touch them without the dragon’s permission. Taron liked to push a little because he didn’t want Maverick to lash out at the wrong person. Better to do it around him. He could take it.

“Hey, Isaac!” Avery beamed. He was smart and kept a polite distance, even though those two had grown close since his arrival. Isaac lifted his chin in greeting.

“Hey. Where are you all headed?”

“Sushi,” Taron and Avery said together. Taron whipped his head around, beaming at Avery.

“Aww, we made the same plans! I guess we’ll all go together. Come on, Isaac. You and our resident grump can join us, too.”

Someone sighed behind him, and a large hand rested on his shoulder, carefully pulling him back a few feet. “Now I know why people keep calling you a troublemaker.”

Taron winked at his assistant as he settled beside him, who blushed prettily in response. He didn’t mind the man pulling him away. Avanna had always said he needed a keeper, and he knew better than to argue with her. Oh, which reminded him. He’d need to email her and let her know he found someone perfect. It had only been half a day, but Taron knew it’d work out.

Avery shook his head, taking charge of the group like only a seasoned assistant could. He clapped his hands together once to draw everyone’s attention and gestured to the front of the building. “Anyone who’s going to Fushimi, let’s head out. Isaac, will you and Maverick be joining us?”

Isaac looked back at his mate for confirmation before shrugging one shoulder. “Sure. But we’re flying there. We’ll grab a table.”

Taron couldn’t help but be a little jealous. Shifting to something with usable wings wasn’t his strong suit. He was better with land-based forms. He always wanted to learn to fly. And Maverick refused to take him. That was a privilege only his mate could enjoy.

Isaac and Maverick headed out first, and Taron enjoyed Tony’s wide-eyed wonder as he watched the massive black dragon shift in the empty parking lot nearby and hold out a claw for his mate to join him. Taron was glad he thought to keep Tony inside during the process, since the force of the wind from Maverick’s wings as they lifted off would have probably knocked the poor man over.

They followed Ozen outside, who gave his driver a break and took the keys so they could all fit in the company car without smushing themselves into the back. The back seat was spacious enough for Tony, and Taron wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to sit next to him, so he didn’t complain when Ozen ushered his mate into the front seat. It took Tony a second to lower himself, and he looked embarrassed about it, but Taron feigned a phone call to give the man time to settle, winking at Avery, who watched him curiously.

He wanted to make some inquiries about Tony’s injury, they were the leading company for supernatural accommodations after all, but he didn't know how to do that with no background information. He didn’t even know how extensive the injury was. And he thought it was rude to ask. But he didn't want to let the man suffer, either. Decisions, decisions.