Page 8 of Shifting the Flame
Asher squared his shoulders, his Alpha nature rising to the challenge. Whatever happened next, he knew his life was about to change.
THREE
DANICA
Danica glanced up from her notebook, spotting Gerri's lime-green pantsuit gliding toward the gazebo. She lifted her hand in a friendly wave, then froze mid-gesture when she registered who accompanied the petite matchmaker.
Six-foot-something of pure masculine perfection walked alongside Gerri, moving with the confident ease of a man who owned every inch of ground beneath his feet. His crisp white button-down had the sleeves rolled up to reveal muscular forearms, and his black dress pants hugged thighs powerful enough to make her mouth go strangely dry. Dark brown hair, neatly trimmed beard, and eyes—were they green? From this distance, she couldn't quite tell, but they seemed to immediately lock onto her with laser-like intensity.
A hot flush crawled up Danica's neck. His gaze made her feel simultaneously exposed and embraced, a sensation unfamiliar enough to set off alarm bells in her usually composed mind.
"Get it together," she whispered to herself, her heart tapping an embarrassingly rapid cadence against her ribs. "He's just a man. An unreasonably attractive man. In a small town. Who happens to be walking straight toward you."
Gerri's arrival couldn't come soon enough. Danica launched into speech the moment the matchmaker was within earshot.
"Gerri! I've been cataloging the festival area—there's significant work needed but nothing unmanageable." The words tumbled out as she flipped pages in her notebook. "The stage needs reinforcing, the vendor stalls need assembly, and whoever ordered these decorations clearly didn't know what they were doing."
She took a breath, refusing to acknowledge how the man's eyes traced the curves beneath her tailored charcoal dress. The appreciative heat in his gaze wasn't predatory or disrespectful—it felt more like admiration, like he'd discovered an unexpected masterpiece and couldn't look away.
"I've drafted three potential layouts based on what I've seen so far." She flipped more notebook pages, determinedly professional despite the warmth spreading through her body. "With proper delegation, we can?—"
"Danica," Gerri interrupted with a knowing smile, "allow me to introduce Asher Ectorius, the town mayor."
Danica's stomach performed an acrobatic flip. The man wasn't just gorgeous, he was in charge here.
"And Alpha of the town's dragon clutch," Gerri added with a glint in her eye.
Dragon shifter. Mayor. Alpha. The combination sent an electric current zipping down Danica's spine.
"Asher, this is Danica Ulrich. She's orchestrated events for top local businesses, several celebrity shindigs, and once salvaged a wedding after a hurricane destroyed the venue—with six hours' notice."
Danica blinked at the effusive praise. "That's a bit of an exaggeration?—"
"It's not," Gerri insisted. "She's being modest. Danica is the finest event planner in the South, possibly the country. Hercreativity under pressure is legendary. You couldn't be in better hands for the Founders Festival."
The way Asher looked at her made Danica feel like she could organize the Olympics with a paperclip and dental floss. His eyes—definitely green, a deep forest shade that seemed almost luminous—studied her with an intensity that made her pulse flutter.
"Miss Ulrich." His voice was deep velvet that resonated in her chest. He extended his hand that dwarfed her own. "Your reputation precedes you."
The moment their fingers touched, a spark—not metaphorical, but an actual tiny static shock—jumped between them. Danica nearly jerked her hand back, but Asher's grip gently tightened, holding her in place for a heartbeat longer than courtesy required.
"I hope Gerri hasn't oversold my abilities," Danica managed, hyperaware of the warmth of his palm against hers. "Though I do love a challenge."
His mouth curved into a smile that transformed his already handsome face into something devastating. "I have a feeling Gerri understated them."
Wait. The pieces suddenly clicked together in her mind.
"Are you the current event planner?" she asked, glancing from him to the disaster zone behind him and Gerri.
Asher's shoulders—broad enough to block out the morning sun behind him—shifted in what might have been embarrassment.
"I excel at many things," he admitted, his gaze never leaving hers. "But festival planning isn't among them."
"Fortunately," Gerri interjected cheerfully, "complementary skills are the foundation of all great partnerships."
Danica caught the undercurrent in Gerri's words but focused on the task at hand. Working closely with this man wouldtest her concentration, but the challenge only heightened her determination. This was a professional opportunity—nothing more.
Even if her body seemed determined to remind her that it had been far too long, if ever, that she'd felt this immediate attraction to anyone.
