Page 50 of Raul
He nodded. “The scientists believe they used to swim between islands to find food and nesting sites. Now they do it for fun, I guess. It’s a vestigial behavior.”
“I’ve only seen them up in the mountains, so I had no idea they were so strongly amphibious.” The big lizard sauntered ashore on the other side of the pond, his wet skin glistening.
“This is the only place that I’ve seen them swim myself,” Ricardo admitted before he leaned his elbow on the railing to pivot toward her. “I heard from some folks in the Center that you’re interested in getting some dragon eggshells to include in a piece of art. That’s a cool idea.”
“Yes, but I’m not having any luck sourcing them.” Erica’s pulse sped up as she twisted her mouth in a disappointed grimace.
“I might be able to provide some. What size are you thinking?”
Now she let her excitement show. Maybe this was their guy. “My artist friend would like about two-inch fragments or bigger to make the color splash bold.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. When do you need them?”
“As soon as possible since it’s for a wedding gift, and the date is less than two weeks away.” She hesitated, wanting to make sure his offer was real. “But I don’t want to break any laws or anything. The Dragon Center folks seemed reluctant to help me.”
He held up his hands, palms toward her, his expression solemn. “I would never do anything illegal or hurtful to the dragons. Once the eggs hatch, the baby dragons leave them behind. The broken shells just lie around until they break down naturally. I’ve picked up a few as souvenirs that I’d be happy to offer to you.”
“That’s very generous of you. How much would you want for, say, five fragments?”
He named a figure that was high but not shocking. She had expected him to be greedier, given the rarity of what she sought. She pretended to think about his offer before saying, “I think it’s worth that to make my gift unique and special. How soon can I get them?”
“I prefer to be paid in cash, so would tomorrow morning give you enough time to get it?”
She made a show of glancing at her watch. “I can make it to the bank before it closes today. Shall we meet here again?”
“No.” His response was immediate. “How about on the viewing platform at the Acantilado Alto at nine?”
At nine o’clock, many people would be at church or breakfast, so the viewing platform on the famous cliffs wouldn’t be busy. She had a feeling he had done this kind of transaction before. Which didn’t mean that he was in the business of poachingunhatched eggs or dragon mothers, but he clearly wasn’t afraid of skating near ethical boundaries.
“I’ll be there. Shall we exchange phone numbers in case something comes up?” She pulled her phone out of her pocket.
“Not necessary. If you’re not there within half an hour, I’ll assume you’ve changed your mind.” He gave her a smile. “I hope you won’t. The bride and groom will be very happy with your thoughtful gift.”
“Gracias, señor!”she called as he walked away.
She forced herself not to text Raul immediately. Instead, she strolled to her car and drove to the closest branch of the bank she used, just in case St. Germain was following her. Walking inside, she got in line for the teller, whipped out her phone, and typed:Got a bite. Will stop by soon.
Raul’s response was almost instant.Buenissimo! Hasta pronto!
She stayed in line a little longer before grabbing one of the bank’s cash envelopes and heading back to her car. She reached for the ignition button but stopped before pushing it.
Should she go to Castillo Draconago now? Raul had said to come soon, but his family members might be visiting him. She didn’t want to meet the king right after she’d had sex with his son. That would feel weird.
Of course, Raul might be sitting on the sofa, bored to tears because his family was busy doing other things on a Saturday. Then she remembered the secret “entertain Raul” schedule that Gabriel had sent her a link to. Unfortunately, the king’s plans wouldn’t be on it because he was the king and answered to no one, but she could check on who else might be there.
She tapped the link, and the calendar opened on her phone. Queen Eve and Princess Grace were slotted in around lunchtime, and then the schedule was blank until dinner when it just saidFamily. So, she might get lucky and have Raul all toherself if she went now. That thought sent a flush of anticipation zinging through her.
Or the king might walk in.
“Don’t be a coward. You have legitimate business with the prince,” she told her reflection in the rearview mirror as she started the engine.
She forced herself to drive straight to the palace with no more debate, parking in the special family lot that Raul had given her access to. The guard who had verified her ID and opened the gate gestured her toward the private entrance. She checked her lipstick, smoothed back her ponytail, and climbed out of the car.
The door swung open as soon as she approached, and she looked up to see a security camera aimed directly at her.
“Bienvenida, señorita,”the guard holding the door said. “El principeis expecting you.”
She took a deep breath and walked up the stairs that led to the royal family’s apartments.
