Prickly Romance: Single Dad AMBW (Billionaire Dads)

DEJONAE

“What are you doing here?” Jordan pins me with shocked blue eyes.

“Ummm…” I’m being held against my will by my sexy Asian boss-hole? I’m waiting for another sighting of Sazuki’s rare but beautiful dimples? I’m counting down the days until graduation?

“I’m working,” I say lamely.

But it’s not enough for Jordan because he juts a pale finger at the floor. “Working here?”

I nod to Sazuki. “Working with him.”

My ex’s eyes jump to Sazuki and he straightens like an arrow. “Mr. Sazuki.”

“You are?”

“Jordan Harrison, sir. I’m the new ASL interpreter.”

“Welcome to The Sazuki Foundation.”

“Thank you, sir.”

They shake hands.

“Uh,” Jordan’s face starts turning red, “you’ve got a… strong grip… sir.”

Sazuki releases Jordan’s hand with a chilly nod.

I wrap my arms around my middle.

Deep breaths, Deej.

Both of the men in front of me deserve a swift kick in the groin.

For different reasons, obviously.

Why the heck is Jordan here? Sazuki is already raising my blood pressure. I’m not in the mood to deal with my ex today.

I glance around the dark hallway. Is this some kind of haunted house? Everywhere I turn, there’s a monster popping out to haunt me.

“I haven’t taken the tour yet. If you don’t mind, I’d love to join you.” Jordan edges up to me.

Barely restraining my eye roll, I inch away from him.

Sazuki glances between the two of us. His expression looks more severe than ever when he nods and storms down the hallway.

“How have you been, Deej?” Jordan asks. He’s trying to be quiet, but his voice is too loud and it bounces against the wooden walls.

I clamp my mouth shut.

“Deej?”

My eyes narrow into annoyed slits.

“You look amazing.” Jordan tries again.

I’m sure Sazuki can hear everything he’s saying and that makes this moment ten times more annoying.

I walk ahead of my ex.

Jordan doesn’t get the hint and quickens his pace to keep up with me. “I’ve been trying to call you.”

“I’ve been trying to ignore you.”

“Don’t be like that, Deej.”

“Be like what?” I hiss.

“I hated the way we left things.”

“You didn’t seem to hate where your thing was when I caught you sending pictures of it to your ex-girlfriend.”

He blushes. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. What happened back then was a misunderstanding.”

I walk faster.

So does he. “Even though you were out of pocket for throwing my cell phone in a blender after we broke up, I totally understand why you did it and I forgive you.”

My eyes zip to Sazuki’s back. He’s wearing a sharp navy blue jacket over rigid shoulders. His trousers are impeccably tailored to long legs. Brown loafers complete the outfit. Despite how put-together he looks, there’s an extra sharpness to the swing of his arms. Like a bright and shining sword that can cut with a swipe.

“Now is not the time, Jordan,” I grumble.

“Does that mean you’ll grab coffee with me later and we can talk?” he asks hopefully.

“No,” I snap. His persistence used to be one of the qualities I loved about him. Now I just find it annoying.

“Deej, I miss you…”

“Ehem.” Suzuki cuts Jordan short. Eyes hard, he gestures to a classroom around the bended hallway.

I walk in first. The other men join me, but I’m barely paying them any attention. My eyes are too busy soaking in the luxurious music room, complete with soundproof walls, white carpets, and a sound booth.

Guitars hang on one wall. They’re designed to look like they’re floating and it makes an incredible effect. A drum set is encased in see-through glass panels. Sheet music and microphone stands cluster in a group like gossiping friends.

“Whoa. Are we allowed to walk in here?” I whisper. It’s so expensive-looking that I’m afraid my dirty sneakers will stain the carpet.

“Go in,” Sazuki encourages me.

I take a hesitant step.

“We’re calling this one the Mozart Suite. It is one of fifteen rooms.”

“F-fifteen?” My eyes whip to his. “One-five?”

His dimples make a quick appearance before they disappear behind his firm expression. “At night, the rooms can be rented out for classes, recording sessions, or band practices for traveling musicians and celebrities. During the day and in the evenings, they will be used for teaching.”

I take a deep breath, loving the smell of soundproofing foam. When I tip my chin up, I’m stunned to see that the soundproofing goes up to the walls. The entire ceiling is covered in expensive padding with custom, built-in lights.

“This must have cost a fortune,” I mutter, turning in a slow circle.

“It did,” he says matter-of-factly. “But it was important to me that we get it done quickly and well.”

I jump a little when I realize that Sazuki is closer to me than I expected. His sharp eyes linger on my face and I feel a strange tension crawling in the air between us. It’s more than just the usual ‘I want to stab your heart out’ energy. It’s something stickier. Something that stretches and moves like taffy.

My fingers quiver when his eyes drop to my lips. Heat washes over me and I curl my fingers against my jeans to keep from glancing away.

Jordan walks between us, cutting off our eye contact. He turns his nose up at the lavish room. “Isn’t this all a little unnecessary? They’re just kids. They don’t need all the bells and whistles to have a good time.”

“Your opinion is noted.” Sazuki slants Jordan a hard look. “Come this way.”

I follow Sazuki into a corner of the room. He presses a button and a mechanical whir fills the air. I squeak when the wall starts to spin.

“Be careful,” Sazuki says. He grips my wrist and tugs me backward, out of the way of the jutting platform. At the brush of his hand, my heartbeat skitters.

We both release our grip at the same time.

I focus on what the spinning wall revealed. It’s a raised stage. Orange, red, and yellow pallets cover the entirety of it.

“What are these?” I ask, pushing my fingers into the material.

Sazuki opens his mouth. “It’s—”

“It’s a sound floor,” Jordan rushes to fill in.

Sazuki gives him another cold look.

My ex shuts up.

I wish I had that superpower.

“It’s a vibrating wooden platform that allows hearing-impaired students to get a better sense of the music. When they stand on it, they can synchronize without having to rely on visual cues.”

“That’s amazing.” I’m genuinely excited. “Accessibility is always such an after-thought in community spaces like concerts or conferences. I love seeing it be prioritized like this.”

His eyes soften.

“May I?” I gesture to the stage.

He nods.

I take off my shoes and jump on the platform. It’s sturdy.

“Let me join you,” Jordan says, already starting to worm off his sneakers.

Sazuki holds out a hand, barring Jordan from taking a step.

My ex gives him a befuddled look.

“Have you reported to HR?”

“No.”’

“Then your tour ends here. You can look around after you’ve filed the necessary paperwork.”

“But…” Jordan slants me a pitiful look.

Sazuki clenches his jaw, daring Jordan to defy him.

Jordan gives up on arguing and pleads, “Deej, come find me later. Let’s grab lunch together.”

“Let’s not,” I say stiffly.

“Deej…”

Sazuki takes a small, threatening step forward. Jordan hurries out of the room, watching me with his puppy-dog eyes until he’s through the door.

Though he’s gone, his presence leaves behind a headache. I can’t believe my ex is working here at the foundation. I’m hoping his duties as an ASL interpreter keep him far, far away from me.

In the silence, my eyes catch on Sazuki’s. He folds his arms over his chest. “Would you like me to call him back?”

“Don’t you dare.” I hop off the stage.

Sazuki studies me.

I feel his inspection like a flame on my skin. “What?”

“Is your boyfriend working here truly a coincidence?”

I scowl. “He’s not my boyfriend. He gave up that position months ago.”

“He seems interested in reprising the role.”

“He can be interested in whatever he wants to be. It doesn’t mean I have to entertain him.”

Sazuki looks pleased. “How did you two meet?”

“Why should I tell you that?”

“Inter-office dating is not allowed.”

I snort. “You don’t have to worry about us getting back together.” I cross the room to the wall with the hanging guitars. “I don’t give cheaters second chances, so it’s never going to happen. Ever.”

Pushing up on my toes, I try to snatch the neck of the guitar. It’s about a hundred inches off the ground. My hands miss by a mile.

Frustrated, I turn around. “You should really drop these guitars lower. How do you expect children to…”

The rest of my words get clogged in my throat when Sazuki brushes against me. He leans forward and I duck my head like a turtle retreating into its shell. As tall as he is, he easily plucks the guitar from the hook and offers it to me.

My eyes widen. Every thought in my head vanishes.

He’s so close.

And he smells so good.

I gather my wits and take a deep breath before saying, “What are you doing?”

His eyes meet mine. “The point is to keep the expensive instruments out of children’s reach.”

“On behalf of all short-stacks, I object. Your design should have accounted for adults who are vertically challenged.”

His lips curl up and he smiles.

Dimples.

Two of them.

They sink all the way into his cheeks.

Oh, Lord. My heart can’t stop flailing.

Sazuki arches a brow. “Are you going to hold it?”

“Hold what?” I blurt, my throat tightening.

“The guitar.”

“Oh.”

His smirk gets a little wider.

Struggling to breathe, I grip the guitar tightly and hurry to the stage. What was that? Why is Sazuki making me feel tingly inside?

Am I insane?

He’s bossy and annoying and way, way older than me.

I slide the strap of the guitar over my neck and catch all my runaway thoughts, shoving them into a box marked ‘do not enter’.

Sazuki stands back and observes me. “You know how to play?”

“Not as well as I know piano.” I give him a dirty look. “Although you would say that I don’t play that well either.”

He glances aside. At least he’s human enough to look sheepish. “I may have… overdone it at the gala.”

“You think?”

His eyes narrow at me. “But you should not make a habit of touching other people’s pianos.”

“I’m sorry,” I offer sincerely. “I didn’t realize you hadn’t given your permission for me to use your piano. If I knew you had a problem with it, I wouldn’t have played.”

He grunts.

I wait for him to return the apology.

He arches a brow. “Is there something else?”

“You don’t have anything more to say to me about the gala?”

“I said I might have overdone it.”

“Is that how you apologize in Japan? No ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘I was wrong’. Just an ‘I may have overdone it’ and a scolding about how the other person is to blame?”

“We generally apologize with our actions. Or with a meal.”

“Well, that’s a lot less direct.”

“Being direct is impolite.” He smirks. “You Americans say exactly what crosses your mind whether it is wise or not.”

“Should I start generalizing you Asians? Or is it only us Americans who are allowed to be the butt of jokes?”

His playful smile lingers a little longer. “Fair is fair.”

“You’re giving me a pass?” I say in mock astonishment.

He gestures for me to give it a go.

I shake my head because I know better than to fall into that trap. “I’ll be the mature one for a change and avoid any cheap shots about Asian stereotypes.” My eyes slide down his body unconsciously. “I bet you’d just shatter all those assumptions anyway.”

“Exactly which stereotype are you referring to, Miss Williams?” The way his tongue rolls over my name is ripe with sultry suggestion.

Heat surges through my stomach. “Not the one you’re thinking.”

“How do you know what I am thinking?”

My legs are trembling and the guitar is suddenly a heavy burden around my shoulders. With Sazuki staring at me like that, I lose my edge. There’s a frightening pull building between us, and I wonder if this is what it was like for Eve when she caught sight of the apple.

Rather than answer, I strum a chord on the guitar and close my eyes, focusing on the vibration at my feet. It’s subtle but clear.

“Not bad,” I murmur.

“It was designed by my engineer friend Adam. He made many improvements in all the rooms.”

“Each of the rooms are built for accessibility?”

“Accessibility was our main concern when designing the rooms. The Sazuki Foundation will mainly serve deaf and hearing impaired students. The use of projectors and holograph screens are Adam’s special touch, but our goal is to have plenty of visual cues as well as multiple contact points and translators in case a student needs to speak to someone.”

My mouth falls slightly open. “You’re kidding.”

“Did you agree to work here without doing your research?”

I scowl at him. “There was no agreement, remember?”

“Beside the point.” He offers his hand to help me off the stage.

I remember the electricity I felt between us earlier and jump off on my own, gripping the guitar so it doesn’t swing wildly.

He gives me a knowing look. “The Sazuki Foundation was created for students like Niko who have very few options. It took me a long time to find a music school in the US that catered to students who are fully deaf. And even though classes were available at the private music school, the monthly tuition is not accessible to the average family. I wanted a place where deaf people of all ages and walks of life could enjoy, create and learn music in an environment made for them.”

“What’s the price of a class?” I ask, thinking that maybe Yaya would be interested in a few lessons when she returns home.

“It’s free.”

I try not to expose my shock, but I can’t keep it in. “Completely?”

“The mission of the foundation is to offer music to every deaf child who wants to engage with it. Making classes free would provide the lowest barrier of entry.”

I look beyond him to the fancy room, fighting back tears.

His frigid expression holds a touch of concern. “Miss Williams?”

“I…” Emotions make my voice waver.

A handkerchief appears in front of me. I’m stunned that people still carry those around.

“Here.” Sazuki offers.

“I’m okay.” I try to hide my face from him.

He takes my hand and slips the cloth between my fingers. His touch is comforting and I’m surprised by the urge I have to hold on and give his hand a squeeze.

“My sister started losing her hearing when she was three and I’ve watched her fight to fit into a world that refused to make room for her.” I struggle to keep my voice from breaking. “I’m… I’m sure this place is going to change many lives.”

“This is the intention.”

My eyes dagger him. “You should have led with that. Maybe I wouldn’t have had to be dragged here kicking and screaming.”

“Perhaps. But what would have been the fun in that?”

I let out a stunned laugh.

He smiles back at me.

A loud sound shatters the moment.

It’s his ringing phone.

Sazuki glances down and a dark look cloaks his face. The change in his demeanor is quick. A slight raise of his chin. A tightening of his posture.

He adjusts his blazer with hooded eyes. Gone is the subtly playful smile. The dimples have been put back on their leashes.

“The tour is over for now,” he mutters. “You will need a pass and security clearance from HR. Wait for me at your desk.”

“What am I supposed to do until you come back?” I call to him.

“Homework.”

I’m rendered speechless.

He strides past me, a storm of steely fire. But he stops and flings a single, knife-like brown eye over his shoulder.

“Also, you will not be able to have lunch with anyone. You’ll be working through noon.”

His words are firm enough to jar me awake and remind me…

I really hate this man.

The HR people are nice enough, despite being a little frosty when I show up. They take me to a desk just outside Mr. Sazuki’s office.

No one says much to me, although a lot of whispers erupt when I leave the room. It’s clear the admin don’t understand why I’ve gotten my position or what I’m supposed to be doing there.

Honestly, I’m not sure either. Sazuki worked so hard to get me inside his foundation, but he hasn’t made it clear what my role is.

Teacher? Guinea pig? Consultant?

Now that I know the mission is to help deaf children learn music, I’m excited to get started. It sucks that I’m being benched.

I check my watch, bored out of my mind.

What if this is Sazuki’s revenge? Chaining me to a desk, wasting my time while I wait on the sidelines?

The bastard.

Steady footsteps prompt me to lift my head. The vampire lady who’d been on campus with Sazuki yesterday saunters toward me. She’s staring right into my soul. Without her sunglasses hiding her eyes, I can see the disapproval all over her. The closer she gets, the more her lips vanish into a thin line until there’s nothing but a red slit above her chin.

I shoot to my feet. “If you’re looking for Mr. Sazuki, he’s not back yet.”

“I’m well aware of Sazuki’s whereabouts,” she snaps.

Harsh. Okay, so… we’re not going to be best friends any time soon.

“Can I help you with something?” I ask tensely.

She gives me a cold look and then nods with barely hidden frustration. “What would you like to eat for lunch?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Lunch.” She emphasizes the word in her strong accent. “What would you like to eat?”

“Uh…” I blink rapidly.

Her voice climbs as if I’m the one who’s wasting her time by being puzzled. “I am in charge of Mr. Sazuki’s lunch and he expressed that I should get you both something today.”

“He did?” My voice climbs. Somehow, that’s more unbelievable than the fact that this entire foundation offers deaf students lessons for free.

The woman taps her foot.

I clear my throat. “I’ll get my own lunch. Thank you.”

She waves a hand. “Very well.”

I want to dismiss her, but I’ve seen how close she is to Niko. She seems to genuinely care about both Sazuki and his daughter. For Niko’s sake, I’d prefer to get along with her.

“Hey,” I stick my hand out when she starts to turn away, “I’m Dejonae Williams.”

She looks at my fingers like they’re tiny worms that can bite her. With clear reluctance, she takes the hand I offer. “Akira.”

“No last name?”

“You would not be able to pronounce it.”

Well then. “Niko said you were the one who taught her how to fight.”

She stares at me with an angry face and says nothing.

I lick my lips. “I get the impression that you’ve done a lot for her.”

“Of course. I am Niko’s family. Those ties cannot be broken.”

I don’t miss the stress on family, as if she thinks that I can’t care about Niko because I’m not related to her.

“Of course. Family and friends are what make life special.”

“Do you consider yourself family? A friend?” She arches a brow like a bull dog about to attack.

It’s easy to tell that Akira is not my biggest fan, and that she’s extremely protective of Niko and Sazuki. I don’t blame her for wanting to keep them safe, since she seems to be their bodyguard, driver and personal security all rolled up into one. But what I don’t understand is why she hates me. It’s not like I played her piano at the Belle’s Beauty gala that night.

Akira takes a step toward my desk, her expression menacing. “Let me make one thing clear. Many like you have tried and failed to trap Sazuki with your games. They have learned the hard way that he is not a man to be trifled with. Whatever your schemes are, do not think that worming your way into Niko’s heart will draw you closer to her father. Sazuki has seen through every last one of you and this time is no different.”

My temper ignites. What the hell? “I have no interest in dating Sazuki. Whether you believe I’m a gold digger or not is none of my business. You can think of me what you will.” I step forward until I’m nose-to-nose, well, more like nose-to-chin, with her. “But you will not accuse me of using Niko to get to anything. She is precious and important to me and I will fight anyone who argues otherwise.”

Akira opens her mouth to answer—only to fall silent as Jordan’s voice intrudes from the doorway.

“Is everything okay here?”

Glaring goes back and forth between me and the lady vampire.

“Everything is fine,” Akira finally says. She whips around, almost lashing me in the face with her silky black ponytail.

While she storms off, my gaze staggers on Jordan.

“It’s lunch. I thought we could check out a diner nearby and talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you.” I take my seat, pull up a bunch of binders and flip through them.

Jordan approaches my desk. “Deej, please. You cleared out of my apartment, blocked me on social media and refused to speak to me for months.”

“Did you really expect us to have a peaceful breakup after I caught you sexting your ex-girlfriend?”

“I told you. I can explain.”

“And I told you,” I huff, “I’m not interested in an explanation.”

“Deej, I know you’re upset, but we can’t keep this cold war up. We have to work together every day. How productive are we going to be if we can’t at least have a pleasant working relationship?”

I drag my gaze away from him, hating that he has a point.

“One lunch. Once we clear the air, I won’t bother you anymore.”

I check my watch. “You have twenty minutes.”

“Lunch is an hour.”

“I’m not eating anything with you. You have twenty minutes to talk. Downstairs. In the little café on the first floor. Take it or leave it.”

“I’ll take it,” he says eagerly.

Already regretting this, I turn off my computer, grab my purse and follow him to the elevator.

“So… the reason I had those pictures of Annaliese on my phone, um…”

Jordan rubs the back of his neck and looks out toward the street. The café is just a few paces from the foundation’s lobby. The see-through panels that make up the walls invite lots of sunshine. Two baristas man the counter. Three tables are scattered around along with a few fake plants.

I sip my coffee which Jordan insisted on getting for me before we sat down. “You’ve repeated the same line three times already.”

“Deej,” he suddenly pounces on my hand, “I don’t understand why we have to keep going back to the past. What happened… happened. We should be adults about this.”

“Being an ‘adult’ means having a discussion about how your needs aren’t being met and you’ve started to look elsewhere. It means breaking up because you realize you’re still in love with someone else. That’s what being an adult means, Jordan.”

“I know I messed up.”

“If you know then why are we having this conversation?”

“Because you’re upset about it.”

The headache from earlier comes back and it’s even worse. “Why would I not be upset about my boyfriend sending and receiving sexy photos from another woman?”

“Honestly,” he throws his hands up, “I did it for you.”

I almost spit out my coffee. “Come again?”

“See, I knew you were going to do that.” His brows merge together. “This is why men aren’t honest, Deej. You women don’t want to hear the truth.”

I curl my fingers into fists. “And what is this truth that women can’t handle?”

“Every man has the urge to cheat. Every. Man. It’s inside you as a male to want variety.” He taps his chest like a proud peacock. As if he expects a medal for being total scum. “I had to go and make sure that I wouldn’t destroy what I had with you.”

“Rather than breaking up with me and doing all the dirty texting and sleeping around that you wanted, you did me a favor by cheating inside our relationship?”

I’m impressed at his ability to deliver that circular logic with a straight face.

“I needed to get it out of my system.” Jordan leans forward, his eyes imploring me to understand him. “But once I got back with Annaliese, I realized that she wasn’t you. She could never be you. And now I’m more sure than ever that I love you and no one else. Now, I’m ready to settle down. Have a family like we always spoke about.”

I snort and look away from him. If he keeps talking, I’m going to splash him in the face with steaming hot coffee and then I’ll have to fork out thousands in hospital bills.

“I know I hurt you, Deej. But I wouldn’t have been able to hurt you if you didn’t love me. And I know there’s some part of you that still feels the same way.”

“No, actually, there isn’t.”

“I don’t believe you.” He licks his lips. “We had great times together.”

“Jordan,” I set my coffee down, “I didn’t agree to this conversation to give you hope that we can get back together.”

He scrunches his nose. “Then why did you come?”

“Do you realize that you haven’t once said you’re sorry?”

His eyelashes flutter in shock.

I tap one finger firmly on the table. “You yelled at me for destroying your cell phone—which I would do again by the way—and then you got angry at me for ‘snooping’ through your stuff. You conveniently ignored what I’d found on your cell phone and went on and on about how there should be trust in a relationship. Trust. As if you hadn’t broken my trust by screwing your ex.”

“We never screwed,” Jordan says quickly.

“I don’t believe you.”

“It’s the honest truth, Deej. All we did was text a bit.”

“And share intimate pictures?”

Red creeps up his face and stains his neck. “You were busy with school and it felt like we were getting distant—”

I’m the fool for entertaining this conversation.

I grab my purse and jump to my feet.

Jordan stops me by clamping his fingers around my wrist. “Wait. Wait. You’re right.” He bows his head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have messed with Annaliese. I shouldn’t have picked up any of her phone calls or met her at the park…”

“You met her?” My eyes widen.

He realizes he let that information slip and blinks rapidly. “Only so she could return some of the things I’d left at her place. That’s all.”

My nostrils flare. “Get your hands off me, Jordan.”

He holds on. “I love you, Deej. I can’t live without you. Every time I turned around, I kept hoping you were behind me, but you weren’t. Now that we’ve met again like this, I feel like it’s the universe trying to tell us something.”

“If the ‘universe’ wants me to get back with a cheater, then it probably needs a spanking. Now let me go.” I pry at his fingers, trying to rip his hand off. But it’s like I’m wearing human shackles.

“Miss Williams.” A voice that cracks like thunder echoes through the cafeteria.

A chill runs down my spine when I see Sazuki stepping into the lobby. He makes a tall, intimidating figure standing with his hands tucked into his slacks and his eyes burning into me. Behind him, the afternoon sunlight brushes a halo of flames around his body. It makes his watch gleam and his skin look deep and tan.

Sazuki says nothing else, but when his eyes drop to the hand Jordan has around me, my ex releases me at once.

I’m not surprised.

Sazuki radiates absolute power.

Emperor of his territory, looking out over all that he owns.

I can’t explain why it makes me angry rather than grateful.

Why it sends my temperature spiking in my veins.

Maybe it’s because I’m within that territory and, by default, I’m also at his mercy. Whether he wants to destroy me or save me, it’s all within his hands.

Jordan rises to his feet. “We’ll continue this later, Deej.”

We will not.

My ex gives Sazuki a wide berth as he heads through the sliding glass doors. I’m left sitting at the table, feeling like a mouse in the presence of a dragon.

That annoys me too.

I’m not afraid of this man.

No matter how dangerous he is.

How dangerous he makes me feel.

His innate power makes me want to prove myself. Prove that he might own everything, but he doesn’t own me.

I don’t wait for him to call me over. I cross the giant lobby, diving headfirst into the thick energy that settles between our bodies.

“I told you to wait at your desk,” Sazuki growls.

“And I decided I wouldn’t do that.” I arch an eyebrow at him. “It’s lunch, Mr. Sazuki. My personal time. And I can do what I want within this hour.”

He steps a little closer to me, his gaze intensifying. “Are you trying to test me, Miss Williams?”

My chest rises and falls with every enraged breath. My heart thuds so hard it nearly drowns out the music pouring through the café speakers.

I stare up at him, refusing to back down. It doesn’t take me long to see the flash of annoyance in his gaze.

Rather than scare me, it energizes me. Anger is an emotion I can understand. One I can feed off of. He can’t hide behind a stern face. Quick flashes of dimples. Dry, cold words. The more I can get him to react, the more in control I’ll feel.

From now on, that’s my plan.

I’ll show the big, brooding dragon that he should never corner a mouse.