Dragon Hunts

A Total-E-Bound Publication

www.total-e-bound.com

Dragon Hunts

ISBN # 978-0-85715-919-9

©Copyright Lizzie Lynn Lee 2012

Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright March 2012

Edited by Rebecca Hill

Total-E-Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2012 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom.

Warning:

This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a
heat rating
of
Total-e-burning
and a
sexometer
of
2.

This story contains 65 pages, additionally there is also a
free excerpt
at the end of the book containing 7 pages.

DRAGON HUNTS

Lizzie Lynn Lee

Hot boss turns into a dragon? Jessica thinks she’s bitten off more than she can chew…

In ancient times, when a dragon needed a mate, he could just swoop down on a village and kidnap a maiden. In modern times, this has proven to be a dilemma. Declan, the eldest of the Cairne brothers, is due to claim a bride. As a Harvard graduate, CEO of a trading company and Versace-clad executive, he can’t just shift to his true form and kidnap a woman to claim her as his. A perfect woman is hard to find, since Declan thinks dating is overrated.

Plump single mother Jessica Knapp is running away from her past. Between struggling to make ends meet and keeping herself and her son under the radar of her deranged mafia ex, dating is the last thing ever to cross her mind. So when her new boss Declan sets his sights on her, Jessie thinks his attention is nothing but flattery.

But Declan is a determined dragon. He swears he will have her even if it means he has to show her his scales, wings, and talons.

The hunt is on…

Trademarks Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Versace: Gianni Versace

Harvard: Harvard University

Baskin-Robbins: Dunkin’ Brands

Target: Target Corporation Plc.

Louis Roederer 2004 Cristal Brut: Louis Roederer Cristal

Greyhound: Greyhound Lines, Inc.

Nintendo DS: Nintendo Co, Ltd.

Lunchables: Kraft Foods, Inc.

Four Seasons: Four Seasons Hotels, Inc.

SpongeBob: Nickelodeon

Chapter One

There should be a rule somewhere that bosses aren’t allowed to be this hot.

The resentful thoughts popped into my mind each time my new boss, Declan Cairne, was in my sight. It didn’t help that since the first day of my employment, Declan had been flirting with me. I wasn’t trying to delude myself by wondering why an utterly handsome, twenty-seven-year-old CEO of a high-profile financial firm would be interested in his thirty-four-year-old drabby secretary. I wasn’t a spring chicken but I hadn’t misread his signals.

Too bad, though.

I wasn’t in the market for a man and didn’t plan on getting one any time soon. If Declan had come into my life a decade sooner, I’d probably have swooned over him and welcomed him with open arms. But now I was just a single mother and currently on the run from the lunatic who’d fathered my son. I wished my ex was just another run-of-the-mill, mean, psychotic, woman-beating drunk. But Lorenzo Filocamo was a mean, psychotic, woman-beating drunk with money and power. It had taken a lot to gather my wits to leave everything behind to start a new life. Declan Cairne was a headache I didn’t need.

So I acted dumb whenever Declan made flirtatious remarks about me or my work. I didn’t want to jeopardise my only source of income. I bet at that point Declan must have thought I was the densest person he’d ever encountered. My intention of keeping the invisible wall between us didn’t waver, however. I needed the job. The pay was beyond average for someone with my skills. Every penny I could take home would be a great help.

“Do you have the MacMillan contracts with you, Ms Knapp?”

His voice startled me. I snatched my briefcase and rummaged through folders and papers. Without looking I knew that Declan was studying me, like he always did whenever I was within his reach. We were in the company limousine on our way to the airport. My boss had a company meeting overseas and, unfortunately, I had to accompany him for the whole seven-day trip. It had meant scrambling for a babysitter. I’d pleaded with Declan to take someone else, like one of his ever-eager assistants. Declan had killed my idea in a flash.

Miraculously, he had been able to come up with a last-minute solution. His brother, Curran, the company’s maths genius, had been able to take Bobby in. My son, who had always been hungry for a father figure, had been excited to spend time in the Cairnes’ family mansion. Curran had promised him a fishing trip at the weekend. Bobby loved boats. Somehow, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this whole thing was a set-up, part of Declan’s insidious machinations to get into my pants.

I found the contracts and pulled them off the stack.

“Here, sir.” I schooled my face into a perfectly blank look. It wasn’t easy, but after three months of working for him I was able to master a mask of impassiveness no matter how nervous I was. I might be a dull, mature secretary, but I was still a woman. Declan was one hell of an attractive man. His looks could stop traffic and his smile was guaranteed to melt arctic ice. No creature with a skirt was immune to his charms.

“Thank you.” Declan smiled, flashing a row of perfect white teeth. He deliberately brushed his fingers over mine when he grabbed the contracts from my hand.

A shiver of lust coursed down my spine. My heart beat faster.

I looked outside the window, trying to tame the school-girl giddiness he’d caused in me. I rarely spoke to him unless I absolutely had to. I didn’t want to make a fool of myself, considering the effect he had on me. Our days were mostly spent with him stalking me for conversations and me honing my blank look. The limo shuddered to a stop at the traffic lights. A bike messenger skidded to a halt near the limo and gave me a wide grin. He wiggled his wrist by his ear, mimicking a phone call. Young cock. I was amused. I bet he dallied with every skirt he laid eyes on. I grinned back. My smile faded when I caught Declan’s reflection in the glass. His lips had turned into a hard line. His blue eyes were ice.

Declan didn’t like competition.

Chastised, I tucked my tail between my legs and pretended I was busy with my briefcase. A slow, whirring noise whispered between us and the driver. Declan had put up the privacy screen.

“You don’t like me, do you?” he asked.

The question ambushed me and I found myself gaping like an idiot.

His gaze skewered me, brimming with intensity, leaving the air around me thin.

“What? M—me? Don’t be ridiculous.”

“You’re generous with your smile except with me.”

The neurons in my brain short-circuited. “I smile,” I said defensively, a little too loud, “all the time.” He arched his lush golden eyebrow. “You’re my boss. I don’t want to look goofy in front of you.” My excuse was lame, but I didn’t know what to say. Why had he suddenly become over-sensitive about me smiling, anyway?

Declan echoed the word ‘goofy’ and reflected upon it. The contracts dangled from his fingers. He relaxed his posture, stretching his long legs out in the middle of the floor. We were sitting side by side. The limo was spacious enough to accommodate a dozen people, but he always chose to sit next to me whenever we were out.

My heart skipped a beat when he placed his hand on my knee and stroked it. His flirting had never extended beyond the verbal before. I was sure what he was doing was solid grounds for a sexual harassment suit, but I didn’t want to lose my job. Not in my situation. Not this time.

“You know, Jessie,” he began, no longer addressing me by my last name. “I don’t know how I could be more obvious about my interest in you. So I’m going to be blunt. I’m taken with you. You never object when I express my interest. But you don’t seem to give it a lot of consideration, either.”

Jeez, I wonder why. I’d like to keep my job, thank you very much.

“Jessie.”

I inhaled sharply.

Our gazes locked. My face heated.

“Are you afraid of losing your job? I’m not the kind of man who’d sink that low to get what I want,” he added, after a few seconds of silence.

I struggled to find the right words to say while he stroked his fingers upwards to my inner thigh. The contracts drifted near his ankles, abandoned.

Declan purred. “Although, your body doesn’t lie…”

He leaned closer. I froze. Our faces were only a hair’s breadth apart. Every cell in my body was petrified when he brushed his lips over mine. Declan took a light nibble at first, and when I didn’t refuse, he mashed his lips against mine and kissed me deeply. A low, hungry growl rumbled in his throat.

I gasped. “Mr Cairne…”

He slid his tongue in and engulfed me in one ferocious kiss. One that rendered me breathless and mindless. I instinctively grabbed the lapels of his suit, but I couldn’t decide whether I should push him away or pull him closer. I was lost, swimming in a thick torrent of heat. I burned. From the inside out.

The biggest part of me wanted his warmth.

Feeling his body against mine. Smelling his expensive, designer cologne. Him. Raw. A male so perfect that he made my heart ache.

But the rational part of me warned that what I was doing would carry hefty consequences.

Declan slipped his hand onto the side of my cheek. He brushed my jaw with his thumb. He slid his hand to the back of my head, fingers planted on my scalp, offering me no escape. He took possession of me. Completely.

He broke the kiss, examining my reaction.

“You have no idea how much I’ve wanted you ever since the first time I saw you enter my office.”

“W—what?” I slurred like a drunk. “Mr Cairne—”

“Declan.”

I felt weird about calling him by his first name.

He kissed me again. “Say it.”

I swallowed hard. “Declan.”

He pressed his lips against mine once more, in a tender kiss. They felt so warm. So addictive.

“Wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“Declan.” The name rolled smoothly off my tongue. I had to admit calling him that made me feel sexy and wanted. “I don’t think this is a good idea…”

“How come?”

“You’re my boss.”

“And what does that have to do with me wanting you?”

Well…

I stiffened. Declan’s hand travelled further, touching the juncture of my thighs. I tried to close my legs but it was no use. He touched me in my most private place. I was wet. My panties had been soaked with arousal since he’d kissed me like a starving man.

A triumphant smile slowly spread on his face. He’d found hard evidence to support his claim—my body didn’t lie.

“Don’t tell me you don’t want me.”

“I…”

It should have been easy. Lie and everything would be back to normal. I didn’t need a man. I had a son to think about and a deranged ex I needed to hide from.

“Mr Cairne—”

He narrowed his eyes.

“Declan,” I corrected myself. It took all my will power not to moan the name. “It’s
too complicated.
You wouldn’t understand.
I’m not looking for a relationship at the moment.

I—”

“So you’d prefer something strictly sexual?”

I blushed. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh?”

“I mean, I’m nobody. And I’m a single mother. Meanwhile, you’re…you…” My words died out under his stare. I’ve never been eloquent with my speech. My parents had never encouraged free expression and during the years I’d spent with Lorenzo I’d kept my feelings bottled up.

His gaze softened. “I understand you have your reasons, but I don’t see why you have to be afraid of taking chances. You don’t even know how it will turn out. It could be good for us. And Bobby. All I’m asking from you is that you have a little faith and take a chance with me.”

I pondered that. Logically, he was right. But I still wasn’t sure. There was so much about me Declan didn’t know—like my true identity.

I’d walked out on Lorenzo with only the clothes on my back and my son in tow. A friend of mine had arranged to get me a new driver’s licence and social security number. Knapp was the name she’d invented. Bobby’s birth certificate and school records were also fakes. Building a relationship based on lies wasn’t something I wanted to venture into.

I felt like I would be cheating.

Declan blinked. His lush golden lashes swept down and back up. “Tell you what. We’ll settle this right here, right now. If you don’t want me, say you don’t want me. I will stop and we’ll get out of here as if nothing has happened. But if you want me”—the fire in his eyes blazed fiercely—“kiss me on my lips and show me just how much you want me.”

He enclosed me in his arms and settled his lips on mine, gaining an unfair advantage. How was I supposed to think? He was a man who really knew how to kiss like he meant it, body and soul, making me feel cherished and desirable. To make matters worse, he slipped his fingers into my panties, caressing my wet seam. It was hard to think straight when I had a man’s hand at my groin, petting me as if I was his favourite kitty cat.

I clenched my fingers on his suit lapels. I meant to push him away, to put some distance between us. But I found myself taking a nibble of his warm lips.

It seemed that was the only confirmation he needed. He kissed me in one long mind-numbing kiss. He only gave me the chance to gasp for breath when I was about to faint from lack of oxygen.

I panted. “I meant—I didn’t want you…”

His smile was cruel and haughty. “That’s not what you said, Jessie.” He hitched up my skirt. Unceremoniously, he wrenched my panties down to my ankles. With one swift move, as if he was shaking off an annoying dog, he yanked my panties from my heel. “You can’t deny the chemistry between us.”

Of course he was right. The man could make a woman wet in five seconds flat. Me especially. “But, Declan—”

He leant back. “Come here. Sit on my lap.”

Heaven and Stars!

I supposed I could ask for my panties back and salvage the situation by not following his order. But I’d have been lying to myself. Despite what logic told me, I wanted him. Lusted for this man. I was burning with need. I swallowed a chest full of resentment towards myself as I scooted down and straddled him like he asked.

Declan hissed. He seized my naked ass and pulled me closer until our groins met. He was hard. His cock made an impressive tent in his thousand-dollar designer slacks. He ground his hips as if it was his way of letting me know he wanted me just as badly. A jolt of pleasure shot down my spine as my pussy ground against his erection. I bit my lower lip. I noticed I wasn’t the only one panting.

“Sweet Jessie.” Declan cleared some stray hair from my face. “Take off your blouse.”

My hands were trembling as I unbuttoned the collar. Declan took my hands and brought them to his mouth. He kissed my knuckles and sucked a finger. I moaned.

“Let me do the honours, okay?”

I nodded like a loon.

He undid the buttons with great deftness. A strained groan escaped him when he saw my brassiere. “Red…”

I felt self-conscious in an instant. “You don’t like it?”

“I love it. I usually know the colour of the bra you’re wearing, but since you’re wearing a black blouse”—the haughty smile returned—“my guess was off.”