Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 78142 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78142 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
She’s still the most gorgeous creature I’ve ever laid eyes on.
I let myself stare since her back is to me.
But as she opens the door, she looks over her shoulder and meets my gaze. “For real, Dragon. The lock is just a precaution. Please don’t read anything into it. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Make yourself at home.”
I nod, leaning back on the couch.
I will myself not to feel weird about Diana’s lock.
If Griffin were still around, and she were staying with a man she hardly knew, I sure as hell would want her to have a lock on her door to keep him out at night.
Especially if…
I sigh.
Especially if it were a man like me.
Chapter Seven
Diana
I don’t drink.
I’m not an alcoholic, and I’m not a complete teetotaler. I’ll drink a glass of sparkling wine on special occasions, but for the most part, I stay away from the stuff.
I stay away from it because of something that happened to me when I was a freshman in high school.
It was the homecoming bonfire, and I was the freshman attendant on the homecoming court. I was giddy about everything—about finally being in high school, about attending my first bonfire, but mostly about catching the eyes of the hunky football players.
The bonfires were known for the lethal punch they called Hairy Buffalo. It was in a big plastic garbage can, and it was supposed to be a bunch of fruit juices mixed together.
Of course, the scuttlebutt was that someone always spiked it, so I couldn’t wait to try it.
That was a decision I would regret.
Not because of the alcohol in the punch—and it was a lot.
But mine was spiked with something else. I didn’t find out what until I woke up in the hospital, lucky to be alive.
So I don’t drink. I don’t keep alcohol at my place.
And of course I don’t do drugs.
Maybe that’s why Brianna and Jesse were so adamant that Dragon stay with me.
Maybe they think I’ll be a good influence on him.
But Dragon had maintained his sobriety for a while. In fact, according to Brianna, he even allowed himself to drink beer and smoke pot but stayed away from the hard stuff.
Until London, the night after the band’s first performance…
He blew it all.
Frankly, he shouldn’t have been smoking pot or drinking beer. From what I understand about addicts, they have to stay away from all of it.
But Dragon thought he could handle it, and according to Jesse, he did handle it for many years.
What happened in London?
Was it simple fear of success? The band was finally making it big, so he tried to sabotage it?
None of my business. I can’t concern myself with him. I’ve already made him feel weird about staying in my place now that he knows about the lock I’m installing.
No. He’s lucky to be staying with me, and if he feels weird about the lock, that’s not my problem. I need my head in the game with this new job. I’m so psyched about the project, and if I want to have my hands in it, I need to show the bosses right away that I’m serious about architecture and serious about their firm. Dragon’s feelings are the least of my worries.
I make it down to security. “Hey,” I say to Steve, the guard on duty.
“Ms. Steel. How can I help you?”
“I’m going to have someone staying at my place for a while, so I need to get him a couple of keys.”
Steve nods. “Ronnie is in today. She can help you in the office.”
“Thanks, Steve.”
He smiles. “Not a problem.”
I walk behind the counter where Steve is sitting and then to the office where I knock on the open door, waving to Ronnie.
“Diana, can I help you?” Ronnie asks.
“Yeah,” I say. “I have a…friend staying with me for a while. I need to get a couple of keys for him.”
“Okay,” she says. “I’m just going to need his name. I can give you a key for now, but have him stop by so I can get his ID.”
“Absolutely. Sorry, I would’ve done that. I guess I didn’t realize you needed it.”
“We take security very seriously here. But don’t worry. Just make sure he stops by in the next couple of days. In the meantime, I just need his name.”
“It’s Dragon. Dragon Locke. Lock with an e.”
She raises her eyebrows. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No, that’s his name. You’ll probably be hearing more about him. He’s a member of a rock band that’s on its way to making it big, I think.”
“What’s the name of the band?”
“Dragonlock.”
“No, the name of the band.”
I laugh. “They actually named the band after him. Dragonlock. All one word with no e on the end. But his name is Dragon, first name. Locke, last name.”
She types on her computer. “If you say so.” She laughs.