Read Online Dragons Prefer Blondes by Candace Havens - Free Book Online
Authors: Candace Havens
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the way, but I think she wants to see every wedding dress in Manhattan before she decides. You know,” she lowered her voice to a whisper, “she’s annoying, but I feel kind of sorry for her. She’s so desperate in a way. She tried to buy my friendship with a Rolex and a customized Bentley. I told her I couldn’t tell time or drive, but how sad is that?”
I loved Penelope, and she’d hit it exactly. I couldn’t stand disappointing poor Aspen because, at the end of the day, she was just a sad little girl. Her father gave her everything she ever wanted except love. The man was as close to a robot as anyone I’d ever met. No warmth, no twinkle in the eye. Just a cold, hard businessman. “I’ll double your salary if you’ll hang with her the rest of the day.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you don’t have to do that. I get it. But if she takes me to Tiffany’s and wants to buy me diamonds, I’m probably going to give in.” She laughed.
“Diamond whore,” I joked.
“Look at the pot calling the kettle black.”
She had a point. I did have a special jones for all things bright and shiny. “True. Has she at least settled on a style?”
“Negatory on that one, Captain. Though we have it narrowed to Cinderella ball gown or slinky forties glam style. No beach. She doesn’t like the idea that weather could ruin her day. I also mentioned that most couples are doing big parties in the States and getting married in Europe. That it’s more exotic to fly all of your guests in to the location. So, she’s thinking one wedding now, and the best party evah.”
“You rock beyond belief, Pen. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Parties, even ones thrown by Aspen, were so much easier than weddings.
“I know. Well, that’s where we are so far.”
“Excellent, and I owe ya big. I promise I’ll make it up to you. And you stay with her; I’ll head out to Madrid.”
We rang off, and I finally had a chance to pull on some clothes. I’d be hitting Madrid at ultimate party time, so I picked a Phillip Lim belted dress and some satin twist sling-backs from Pucci.
It would be nice to deal with something that didn’t have a darn thing to do with dragons.
I stared at myself in the mirror for a moment. On the outside I looked just fine, but inside I felt the symptoms. I was nearing burnout mode.
That happened to me every four months or so. I always had so many balls in the air that I ran myself ragged. If it were any other time, I’d take a week off and chill on a beach somewhere or go ski the Alps. But with nasty dragons giving me fits, Aspen’s wedding a few weeks away, and evil trying to take over the universe, that wasn’t going to happen.
CHAPTER 7
SCOWL was rockin’. People in Madrid really do know how to party. It was a Wednesday night, and the crowds would only increase as the hour grew later. The bar was backed up a little, but not too bad. Lourdes and Claudio seemed to have it covered.
But something was off kilter. I took a hard look at the two of them. Lourdes had a big bruise under her left eye. She’d tried to cover it with makeup but wasn’t successful.
Crap.
I slipped behind her at the bar.
“Is that a black eye?”
She ignored me.
I touched her shoulder. “What happened?”
“Boss, we’re busy,” she said over her shoulder as she poured a couple of apple shooters.
“Lourdes, I need to know what’s going on.”
Claudio moved close to me and whispered, “He’s using again.”
“Silencio,” Lourdes hissed.
Oh, hell, Baron, not again. He was one of my projects. I had quite a few of them around the world—people who needed a second chance and I gave it to them. Baron had been a crackhead in his teens, a walking cliché with his baggy pants and rotten attitude. I met him while visiting another friend in rehab, but he’d been clean for more than seven years.
“I’m going upstairs.”
Lourdes didn’t look at me, but she shook her head. “You’ll only
I loved Penelope, and she’d hit it exactly. I couldn’t stand disappointing poor Aspen because, at the end of the day, she was just a sad little girl. Her father gave her everything she ever wanted except love. The man was as close to a robot as anyone I’d ever met. No warmth, no twinkle in the eye. Just a cold, hard businessman. “I’ll double your salary if you’ll hang with her the rest of the day.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you don’t have to do that. I get it. But if she takes me to Tiffany’s and wants to buy me diamonds, I’m probably going to give in.” She laughed.
“Diamond whore,” I joked.
“Look at the pot calling the kettle black.”
She had a point. I did have a special jones for all things bright and shiny. “True. Has she at least settled on a style?”
“Negatory on that one, Captain. Though we have it narrowed to Cinderella ball gown or slinky forties glam style. No beach. She doesn’t like the idea that weather could ruin her day. I also mentioned that most couples are doing big parties in the States and getting married in Europe. That it’s more exotic to fly all of your guests in to the location. So, she’s thinking one wedding now, and the best party evah.”
“You rock beyond belief, Pen. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Parties, even ones thrown by Aspen, were so much easier than weddings.
“I know. Well, that’s where we are so far.”
“Excellent, and I owe ya big. I promise I’ll make it up to you. And you stay with her; I’ll head out to Madrid.”
We rang off, and I finally had a chance to pull on some clothes. I’d be hitting Madrid at ultimate party time, so I picked a Phillip Lim belted dress and some satin twist sling-backs from Pucci.
It would be nice to deal with something that didn’t have a darn thing to do with dragons.
I stared at myself in the mirror for a moment. On the outside I looked just fine, but inside I felt the symptoms. I was nearing burnout mode.
That happened to me every four months or so. I always had so many balls in the air that I ran myself ragged. If it were any other time, I’d take a week off and chill on a beach somewhere or go ski the Alps. But with nasty dragons giving me fits, Aspen’s wedding a few weeks away, and evil trying to take over the universe, that wasn’t going to happen.
CHAPTER 7
SCOWL was rockin’. People in Madrid really do know how to party. It was a Wednesday night, and the crowds would only increase as the hour grew later. The bar was backed up a little, but not too bad. Lourdes and Claudio seemed to have it covered.
But something was off kilter. I took a hard look at the two of them. Lourdes had a big bruise under her left eye. She’d tried to cover it with makeup but wasn’t successful.
Crap.
I slipped behind her at the bar.
“Is that a black eye?”
She ignored me.
I touched her shoulder. “What happened?”
“Boss, we’re busy,” she said over her shoulder as she poured a couple of apple shooters.
“Lourdes, I need to know what’s going on.”
Claudio moved close to me and whispered, “He’s using again.”
“Silencio,” Lourdes hissed.
Oh, hell, Baron, not again. He was one of my projects. I had quite a few of them around the world—people who needed a second chance and I gave it to them. Baron had been a crackhead in his teens, a walking cliché with his baggy pants and rotten attitude. I met him while visiting another friend in rehab, but he’d been clean for more than seven years.
“I’m going upstairs.”
Lourdes didn’t look at me, but she shook her head. “You’ll only
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