Dancing with Dragons Read online

  Dancing with Dragons

  By Lorenda Christensen

  If Carol Jenski knows anything, it’s fashion—and it’s not in fashion to consort with dragons, even though they’ve coexisted with humans since World War III. Still, she would never have agreed to take part in a plot against them. Now a dragon lord has called for her head, her boyfriend is MIA and she’s been abandoned in a foreign country.

  Only reporter Daniel Wallent is on Carol’s side...sort of. He offers his assistance if she helps him investigate his latest story. He’ll need Carol’s language skills to infiltrate an organization run by one of the most dangerous and secretive dragons in the world.

  Escaping one sociopathic dragon’s claws only to walk into another’s is an insane risk—and so is falling for Daniel. Posing as his blushing—and very affectionate—new bride as cover soon leads to an all-too-real attraction. But fighting off dragons and her desire for Daniel may be more of a challenge than Carol can handle....

  See how it all began in Never Deal with Dragons

  72,000 words

  Dear Reader,

  I know many of you have been waiting for the next installment of New York Times bestselling author Marie Force’s thrilling romantic suspense series. Fatal Jeopardy is finally here, and Nick and Sam are as good as ever!

  But that’s not all the great storytelling we have in store for you with the March releases. This month, we introduce debut author Matt Sheehan and a book that had the Carina Press acquisitions team in hysterics. Be sure to check out Helmut Saves the World, in which there’s magic, fistfights and one-liners with the best, most handsome and, of course, humble detective Helmut Haase and his apathetic sidekick Shamus O’Sheagan.

  If you’ve been longing for a great historical romance, we’ve got two this month. Juliana Ross finishes up her erotic Improper trilogy. In Improper Proposals, a lonely young widow learns to live—and love—again as she and her ambitious publisher, the most captivating man she has ever met, work on a forbidden guide to sexual pleasure. It’s An Heir of Uncertainty by Alyssa Everett and it’s also the answer to Colonel Win Vaughan’s prayers when he learns he’s the heir to the newly deceased Earl of Radbourne—but the beginning of a deadly mystery when he arrives to claim his inheritance, only to discover that the earl’s lovely widow is carrying a child who could displace him.

  If you’re looking for something hot, with an unusual hero, Solace Ames releases erotic romance The Submission Gift this month. A young husband offers his wife an unusual gift—to fulfill a fantasy she’d always set aside. But what starts out as a onetime session becomes something precious shared between three—one of them a male escort. Solace Ames brings something new to this story and if you love erotic romance, you’ll want to check this out.

  Also in the hot category is Up in Knots by Gillian Archer. Still bruised over the death of her boyfriend two years ago, Kyla Grant is determined to get back into the kinky dating scene, and bad-boy top Sawyer is just the man to help her. Joining Gillian, Juliana and Solace in the erotic romance category, Nico Rosso’s Slam Dance with the Devil, from his Demon Rock series, brings entertainment to a new level. Wild rock star Kent Gaol’s dark past goes back even further than private investigator Nona Harris could’ve imagined, and one night onstage surprises them both by slamming her into his supernatural world.

  March shapes up to be a good one for erotic romances because Emily Ryan-Davis brings us the follow-up to Ménage on 34th Street, which she coauthored with Elise Logan. In this next installment, Dial M for Ménage, it’s a new year and a new way of life for Katrina Holland, who started 2014 by waking up with two men in her bed. Now, she, Owen and Hunter struggle to define, and redefine, their relationships with one another after the first rush of newness fades.

  Paranormal romance author Lorenda Christensen follows up her funny, entertaining Never Deal with Dragons with the next in the series, Dancing with Dragons. If Carol Jenski knows anything, it’s fashion—and it’s in fashion to consort with dragons, even though they’ve coexisted with humans since WWIII. Still, she would never have agreed to take part in a plot against them. Now a dragon lord has called for her head, her boyfriend is MIA and she’s been abandoned in a foreign country.

  Stacy Gail’s paranormal romance miniseries, The Earth Angels, comes to an exciting conclusion in Dangerous Angel, where the heroes and heroines from all the previous books combine their efforts to avert a demonic apocalypse. In Kathleen Collins’s Death’s Daughter, Realm Walker Juliana Norris hunts a serial killer targeting Altered children while an enemy from her past closes in.

  This month we have two titles in the science-fiction genre. First, join the adventure At Star’s End! A galactic treasure hunter and an astro-archaeologist race across the galaxy in pursuit of the last remaining fragment of da Vinci’s Mona Lisa in this space opera romance from Anna Hackett.

  And we’re pleased to welcome T.D. Wilson with his debut, The Epherium Chronicles: Embrace. Set in the mid-twenty-second century, Embrace is the first book of an exciting new space opera series where Earth’s newest warship, the Armstrong, must make contact with fledgling colonies in nearby solar systems amid the threat of an alien attack.

  If you’re ready for a cozy mystery to keep you guessing as to whodunit, look no further than Julie Anne Lindsey’s latest release. Most islanders celebrate the reprieve of summer tourism with cider, mums and cocoa, but sharks, birders and a possible serial killer seem intent on ruining autumn for Patience when Murder Comes Ashore.

  Anne Marie Becker returns with another suspenseful installment in her romantic suspense series. In Dark Deeds, SSAM security expert Becca Haney is hiding a past that could hurt her ex-lover, NYPD detective Diego Sandoval—but the true threat comes from a “fan” whose conscience urges him to kill.

  Coming next month: contemporary romance Taken with You from New York Times bestselling author Shannon Stacey. Also, sports week and six irresistible sports romances!

  Here’s wishing you a wonderful month of books you love, remember and recommend.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Executive Editor, Carina Press

  Dedication

  For Nathan Patteson, because you’re the coolest ER dude I know.

  Acknowledgments

  There are some books that are easy to write, and there are some that you wish you could bury in the backyard and never see again. And then there is my editor, Kerri Buckley, who is willing and able to take those backyard books and turn them into something that people might want to read. Trust me when I say that even if Carina pays her ten million a year, she’s still not making enough. Thank you.

  To my Firebird sisters, thank you for the laughs, the support, and the brainstorming sessions. I couldn’t do this without you.

  To my sister-in-law, Jaria, thank you for loaning me the use of your house and keeping my kids alive while I sat in your guest bedroom and typed out the last half of this book. I owe you a kid-free trip to the spa. It’s in writing now. Take advantage.

  And finally, to my husband, who reads every book, even though he’d rather be watching football.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

 
Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  The pounding in my head kept perfect time with my footsteps as Richard pulled me by the hand through the wide hallways of Budapest’s most elegant hotel. Only minutes ago, I’d been in the middle of a more-than-minor disagreement with an enraged dragon who’d wanted to eat my best friend Myrna. The fact that I’d also just accused her of sleeping with my boyfriend seemed like a minor point, especially since said boyfriend and I were currently running from another dragon. Except this one was smarter, older, and held the title of Dragon Lord of North America.

  Unfortunately, I was in no condition to sprint; the spots dancing in my vision refused to get out of my way long enough for me to actually see where Richard was going.

  “Richard. I need to stop.” I was afraid I might throw up if we went much further.

  “Shhh. We’re almost outside.”

  A part of my brain, the part that hadn’t been slammed against a wall by a giant, scaly-clawed fist, was worried that the lights, floor and walls were bleeding together into one large blob. I put a hand on my stomach and gagged. Before I knew it, I’d shifted my body until my face was pressed against the most heavenly patch of carpet I’d ever had the privilege to lay upon.

  “Carol.” Richard gently shook my shoulder. I tried to turn my head toward his voice, but the carpet suddenly became much less heavenly as it scraped along the surface of my scalp.

  Richard grabbed for my wrist. “Oh God, Carol! You’re bleeding. A lot.” He sounded a little scared.

  Exhausted from the effort it had taken to raise my head, I forgot about the rubbing and simply blinked as Richard yanked a blindingly white handkerchief from inside his suit jacket and gave it a hard shake to unfold it.

  I tried to push him away when he pressed the cloth to my temple, because it made the single bongo playing against my skull turn into a full-fledged university drum line, complete with cymbals and gong. But I was dimly surprised to realize my hand wouldn’t obey me.

  “I’m okay.” A lie. But a necessary one. “We don’t have time to play doctor.” Play doctor. I chuckled at my own stupid joke, fully aware that the quip was guided by hysteria rather than humor. But I didn’t laugh for long. The motion made the drumming in my skull even worse, and I bit my lip against the pain.

  I managed to focus long enough to grip the door’s safety bar and haul myself up. I squinted at the green sign hanging from the ceiling, hoping it said EXIT, because the buzzing in my ear had upgraded to a ring. I fought another bout of nausea. “Just get me outside. We’ll worry about the blood in a sec.”

  Richard muttered something under his breath, but did as I asked. The cold wind slapped me in the face, and helped me refocus my muddied thoughts. Richard half carried, half dragged me toward a small maroon sedan and batted my clumsy hands away from the latch.

  “Here, let me do it.” His voice was quiet, but I heard the tremor underlying his words. I must be bleeding badly for it to scare Richard this much. He was used to working with dragons.

  Crumpling gratefully into the passenger seat, I put my head between my knees and tried to will away my dizziness. I felt something warm on my neck and I swiped at it, only to have my fingers come back covered in blood.

  “Richard, I’m not feeling so well...” I concentrated on holding the cloth to my head, my fear mounting as I realized the material was nearly soaked through.

  “Carol, baby, I need to you to stay awake for me. I’ll get you to a hospital, but I need to find one a bit further away from the hotel.”

  The car came to life with a shudder. When Richard pushed hard on the gas, we shot forward, jerking my body forward and causing me to groan.

  He glanced into the rearview mirror and winced at whatever he’d seen. “Sorry. I’m afraid I’ll be breaking some speed limits in the next few minutes.”

  Normally, I would have protested, but the roar of an angry dragon and the unmistakable thump as something slammed into the side of our car led me to admit that Richard might be right.

  I cried out as he made a hard turn into a narrow alleyway, and my left arm was bashed against the car’s electronic window control. That was the point where my body decided I’d had enough, and the contents of my stomach landed in a wet heap right between my mismatched socks.

  “Oh, Richard! I’m so sorry!” The words, which had made perfect sense while still inside my head, tumbled from my mouth in a mix of unintelligible syllables.

  Richard’s fist hit my knee as he shoved the engine into a higher gear. “Hang on!”

  I’d barely had a chance to get my hands on the dashboard when the car’s tires squealed as we turned in another wild circle, and razor-sharp fangs appeared in the windshield right in front of me. My mind couldn’t make sense of what I was seeing, until I realized: the dragon’s face was upside down.

  Oh crap. He must be perched on the top of the car.

  That fact was confirmed when a giant orange claw slid through the gap in my window.

  Orange?

  “Who’s chasing us?” The dragon who’d attacked me and Myrna had been green, and had been pretty up front about the fact that he’d been sent by Hian-puo, the dragon lord of China. Hian-puo hadn’t exactly been fond of Myrna, since she’s the one who’d uncovered his plot to murder the rest of the world’s dragon lords with a bioweapon designed for just that purpose.

  I didn’t get a chance to think about it much longer, because the roof of our car made a metallic screech as the orange dragon tried to rip it off. Panicked, I finally located the window control and pushed. The dragon roared again, and our car fishtailed sideways as the claw disappeared and the dragon shifted its weight. I had a second to hope we’d managed to dislodge him, but my hopes were dashed when that same claw punched through the roof as if it were tin foil.

  Richard yelled as he punched the gas, and I heard a sickening thud of flesh on stone as we shot into a tunnel. I turned my head as quickly as I dared, just in time to see a dragon lying motionless on the road behind us.

  The movement made my stomach roll, and I closed my eyes in an attempt to hold the nausea at bay. “Richard, I think I’m going to...”

  I heard the faint sound of Richard screaming as I felt consciousness slip away.

  Chapter Two

  The beeping of the heart monitor was driving me insane. I’d been forced to listen to the sound for what felt like forever, and I couldn’t figure out why I was the only one who was bothered by its incessant squawking.

  I’d panicked a bit when I’d tried to tell someone to turn it off, because no matter how much I concentrated, I couldn’t seem to get air to push past my vocal cords. I wondered if this is what death felt like. Trapped in a body that no longer functioned.

  Except for my hearing, which I prayed would malfunction.

  Then again, at least it kept me awake. I’d started to dread sleep, because every time I succumbed to the urge, my memories of how I got here would come rushing back to swallow me whole. Well, at least they were partial memories.

  I think. Everything was really confusing lately.

  I remember being slightly buzzed, and I’d been climbing onto the enormous bed in Myrna’s room when a dragon had burst into the room.

  And I mean that literally. Even though the door had been several feet away, I’d instinctively ducked as large chunks of the hall-facing entry spewed toward my face. Myrna—who just forgiven me for accusing her of sleeping with Richard—did the same, and I must not have been moving as fast as I thought, because she was at my side and pulling me to the floor before I was able to do it myself.

  The bedframe dug into my hip, and my right elbow was bent rather uncomfortably against my stomach, but I didn’
t complain. The dragon was bigger than any I’d ever seen before.

  Even with the hole he’d blown in the wall, the green beast still filled the doorway, his thick scales scraping against the damaged construction and his clawed feet sinking into the plush carpet as he stepped fully into the room.

  The dragon paused and, as if he hadn’t just caused thousands of dollars of damage to the hotel room, took his time looking over the furnishings, like he was a prospective buyer looking for a new home. Or maybe he was just hoping to find something else to crush into bits. If his scars were anything to go by, the bruiser enjoyed that type of thing.

  Myrna and I had spent a week working around angry, human-hating dragons, and while the job was old hat to her, I still wasn’t used to the sight of their long pointed teeth and flaring nostrils.

  I tried to scoot further under the bed. No luck.

  My friend worked with dragons at Dragon Relations, Arbitration, and Cooperative Interspecies Mediation—DRACIM for short. She’d been working for the North American dragon lord, Nir Relobu, to try and negotiate the release of a team of scientists who had been detained by Lord Hian-puo of China, because they’d come too close to discovering the Chinese dragon lord’s plan to engage in biological warfare with his fellow dragon rulers.

  We’d gone in without knowing this important fact, and Myrna’s team, me included, had barely escaped with our lives. We were in Budapest to witness the Chinese dragon lord’s trial, and—based on how the proceedings went—likely his execution as well. Dragons really have no problem with the death penalty.

  And now it appeared that Chinese dragon lord had—perhaps rightfully—decided we were to blame for his current plight. The green dragon had made it very clear he wasn’t in Myrna’s hotel room by accident, and that Hian-puo of China had sent him there. We’d done our best to fend the creature off, but even with two of us, the odds were firmly in his favor. I made the mistake of trying to stop him from killing my friend, and he’d slung me against the wall in response.