Dangerous Dreams: A Novella (Obsidian Flame Book 1) Read online

  The Astarot turned slowly. His power radiated out from him and licked her skin. Flowing over her body, his energy called to her own and sent heat racing through her veins.

  Lara stiffened.

  Her dragon pressed against the locked cage and moaned.

  Wanton harlot.

  “Miss Stone.” Midnight hair framed chiseled features. His striking dragon-green gaze smoldered as his power rolled over her in sensuous waves.

  “A bit tacky to feel up the help, don’t you think?” With a mental flick of her hand, Lara slapped his magic away. As a female dragon shifter, she possessed a significant amount of power herself.

  Luckily, magic was magic. All energy held its own taste, but the personality of the wielder determined the flavor, not his or her nature. All sorts of powerful entities inhabited the Victor area, existing somewhat peacefully among mundane humans. She posed as a simple mage and as long as Lara kept her dragon suppressed, no one—not even the big, bad Astarot—would deduce the true origin of her magic. As long as no one penetrated her defenses.

  Mmm. Let that man penetrate us.

  Praise for novels of J. C. McKenzie

  Shift Happens

  “SHIFT HAPPENS has excitement, intrigue and lots of danger. I love the whole cast of characters and how they played a part in the story” –Fresh Fiction

  Beast Coast

  “I loved this book as much as the first. There are secrets, surprises, and all manner of supernaturals.” –Paranormal Romance Guild

  Carpe Demon

  “The story keeps the adrenaline pumping and spine tingling tension building throughout the story with well written scenes full of vivid details that capture the imagination and make it easy for the reader to become engrossed...” –Literary Addicts Book Community

  Shift Work

  “It’s a terrific series and if you like supernatural reads, with a side of romance, the sort with solid and intense plots, gripping and very real dangers, hard choices, supernatural people some of whom can be selfish, cruel and bloodthirsty…You’ll be hooked.” –Jeannie Zelos Book Reviews

  Beast of All

  “This time out, J. C. McKenzie has outdone herself with high-velocity action, soul deep emotions and one of those finishes that you want to replay over and over!” –Tome Tender

  Dangerous Dreams

  “This new world promises to be an adventurous one full of snark, passion, thrills, romance, danger and wonderful characters and I can’t wait to read the next one.” –Stormy Vixen Reviews

  Dangerous Liaisons

  “Loved this story and loved Raf and strong, stubborn Lara and I can’t overlook Lara’s dragon who brought humor to this story.” –Paranormal Romance Guild

  The Good Griffin

  “THE GOOD GRIFFIN is as addictive as a double shot of espresso, only without any of the withdrawal symptoms.” –N. N. Light

  The Shucker’s Booktique

  “Is there anything sexier than a man who wants to do more than just twine his aura together with another woman? Because if there is I simply don’t know if I can handle that kind of blatant sexuality.” –Romance Novels For The Beach

  Be My Love

  “When this book ended I think I actually sighed. Not because I was happy it was over! No, it was just so darn sweet I couldn’t help it." –Romance Novels for the Beach

  Books by J. C. McKenzie

  The Night House

  Shift Happens

  Beast Coast

  Carpe Demon

  Shift Work

  Beast of All

  Dangerous Dreams

  Dangerous Liaisons

  The Good Griffin

  The Shucker’s Booktique

  Be My Love

  DANGEROUS DREAMS

  AN OBSIDIAN FLAME STORY

  J. C. McKENZIE

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Dangerous Dreams

  COPYRIGHT © 2016 by J. C. McKenzie

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: [email protected]

  Cover Art by Taurus Covers

  JCM Logo by J. C. McKenzie

  Publishing History:

  First Moon, Mist & Magic Edition, 2016

  First JCM Publications Edition, 2018

  ISBN-13: 978-1-7752251-0-2

  ISBN: 1-7752251-0-0

  To Lara

  Yes, you have a dragon.

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you to Maureen L. Bonatch, L.A. Kelley, Abigail Owen and Sharon Saracino. Your feedback and comradery has been immeasurable. Thank you to Abigail’s mom for her edits, and especially for helping me fix my excessive use of commas.

  Thank you to Lara Parker, my super fab editor from the Wild Rose Press. I can’t thank you enough for all your support and feedback with my projects. You’ve helped me grow into a stronger writer.

  Thank you to Jo-Ann Carson for the help with figuring out this self-publishing thing.

  Thank you to Taurus Covers for this beautiful cover.

  And finally, a big thank you to my beta readers: Charlotte Copper, Karilyn Bentley, Sandra Dailey, Jackelyn Ford, Nicki Flockton, and last, but certainly not least, Brianne Drake. Brianne also beta read “Be My Love,” and I erroneously forgot to thank her in the acknowledgements for that story. Not only did she not say a word about it, but she still talks to me, and even better, she’s still my friend.

  Chapter One

  The rigid chair grew warm under Lara’s leather-clad thighs. Her muscles twitched and begged to run from the opulent waiting room. The glorious taste of coffee coating her mouth earlier had long since turned sour.

  Waiting had never been one of her strong points.

  Sweat pebbled on her nose. She clutched the sheath of her katana sword where it lay across her lap. The nearby clicking of the secretary’s fingers on a keyboard and the muted conversations of workers down the hall prevented true silence in the large space.

  The impressive office of the Astarot, leader of the entire dragon enclave, towered over the bustling downtown area of Victor. On the top floor, the building swayed in the strong winds constantly plaguing the area. Or maybe the room swayed because of her nerves.

  “Mr. Dragoi will see you now.” The secretary, with legs worthy of a runway model and a face to match, nodded her impeccably painted features and tight hairdo toward the double doors on the right.

  Lara gulped and stood. Her leather pants creaked. She tugged the knife strapped to her thigh and adjusted her gun belt. With her sheathed sword clutched in one hand, she walked toward the Astarot’s office.

  Mmmm, Lara’s dragon perked up. Huge building, large waiting room… I wonder what else is—

  Lara shoved her dragon deep into her core and slammed the door on her evil half’s wicked thoughts. She slung her sword onto her back and clasped the straps.

  No way would she let the Astarot know she was a dragon shifter like him. No way, no how.

  Dragon males were all the same. Bull-headed alphas thinking they knew best because of the dangling organ between their legs. Given their notorious superiority complexes and the lack of female dragons, the shifter scene resembled a shitstorm of testosterone fighting for the same prize. No subtlety.

  Nope. No interest in havi
ng a panting, horny alpha wanting her only for her dragon.

  When Lara’s supervisor, Herb, called and informed her of today’s appointment, she’d balked—the way a rabbit balked when shoved into a den of wolves.

  Did the Astarot know?

  She’d been so careful. She hadn’t shifted in almost half a year and always travelled north to a secluded area for the transformation. No one knew her as a dragon shifter, yet the Astarot had requested her by name. Said he wanted the best, and apparently Herb couldn’t convince him “the best” was someone else. For once, Lara appreciated Herb’s constant undervaluing of her skills.

  The large double doors loomed in front of her. Instead of grabbing the intricately designed dragon handles, she wrapped her knuckles against the smooth wood and took a deep breath.

  “Enter.”

  With her heart in her throat, Lara ran her hands along the smooth handles and pushed open the heavy door. She’d never met Rafael Dragoi, and had hoped to keep it that way. As the leader of not only the Obsidian Dragon Clan, but the whole enclave, he would be a fierce alpha—exhibiting the very best and worst traits of a shifter.

  Why had Rafael Dragoi requested her for a job? As far as anyone in her agency was concerned, she was a lowly mage.

  I can think of some jobs to do for him, purred her dragon.

  A tall man, with broad shoulders and powerful stature, faced the floor-to-ceiling windows with his hands clasped behind his back, presumably watching the world outside.

  “Astarot Dragoi,” Lara said formally.

  The Astarot turned slowly. His power radiated out from him and licked her skin. Flowing over her body, his energy called to her own and sent heat racing through her veins.

  Lara stiffened.

  Her dragon pressed against the locked cage and moaned.

  Wanton harlot.

  “Miss Stone.” Midnight hair framed chiseled features. His striking dragon-green gaze smoldered as his power rolled over her in sensuous waves.

  “A bit tacky to feel up the help, don’t you think?” With a mental flick of her hand, Lara slapped his magic away. As a female dragon shifter, she possessed a significant amount of power herself.

  Luckily, magic was magic. All energy held its own taste, but the personality of the wielder determined the flavor, not his or her nature. All sorts of powerful entities inhabited the Victor area, existing somewhat peacefully among mundane humans. She posed as a simple mage and as long as Lara kept her dragon suppressed, no one—not even the big, bad Astarot—would deduce the true origin of her magic. As long as no one penetrated her defenses.

  Mmm. Let that man penetrate us.

  Lara muzzled the horny beast inside her. Yup. Definitely too long since she let her dragon out. Increased libido was one of the side effects of a caged dragon. Between that and her dragon’s random and inappropriate comments, Lara might go a bit crazy if she didn’t get out of town soon to shift.

  Her dragon grumbled and curled up, sulking.

  “My apologies.” Rafael Dragoi’s deep rumbling voice interrupted Lara’s thoughts. The Astarot smirked. The resulting dimple showed he hadn’t died a slow death from regret for magically groping her. If Lara didn’t know better, she’d swear his crinkled eyes indicated he heard the entire exchange with her dragon.

  She froze.

  Had he? No way. No one had ever made it past her guard. She quickly checked her mental shield. It vibrated with hazy red vitality. Completely intact. No holes. No penetration.

  Her dragon whined again.

  Rafael waved an arm toward a chair. “Please, have a seat.”

  Sweat plastered the leather pants to her skin. Unease scurried along her spine like starving rodents. Sitting held no appeal. At all. “I’ll stand.”

  He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

  Lara’s muscles tensed under the scorching scrutiny of the Astarot. When did he plan to enlighten her on the assignment? The silence itched at her skin.

  “You requested me by name?” she prodded.

  “Yes.”

  She waited.

  He continued to study her.

  “Why?”

  A slow, knowing smile spread across his face. Lara normally wanted to swipe such a smug look off a man, but dammit if he didn’t make it sexy. The air around them grew thick and heavy. Her dragon hummed and a different kind of heat spread through her body.

  Rafael’s magic reached out again, like sweet sugared tendrils beckoning her energy to come and play.

  “You’re the best,” he said.

  Huh?

  Rafael tilted his head. “I requested the best.”

  “Try again.” Lara snorted and cocked a hip. Inside, her nerves quailed. Had he heard her thoughts?

  His perfect white teeth flashed. “You’re the best who’ll look good in a skirt.”

  Lara’s forehead tightened as her brows pinched in. Her cheeks warmed. She clenched her hands into fists. What the hell did that mean?

  Rafael chuckled.

  Oh crap! She’d definitely said that out loud.

  “It means I don’t need you to guard an employee or an artifact.”

  Her heart hammered against her breastbone, premonition casting an icy sheet over her nerves. Surely not. He couldn’t mean…

  The Astarot’s sexy smile disappeared. “I need you to guard me.”

  Chapter Two

  Lara’s gut clenched as acid bubbled up her throat. Spending day and night guarding the leader of her species while attempting to keep her dragon suppressed? And her legs closed?

  No. Just no.

  Rafael quirked an eyebrow. “No? But Miss Stone, your agency has already signed the contract.”

  Her belly flopped like a fish on the riverbank. She’d spoken her thoughts out loud without realizing it. Again. That was twice in his presence. Not good.

  Lara would have to pay to break a company contract. She didn’t have a lot of money. Posing as a lowly mage without the protection of a dragon clan had been a costly, but necessary, move.

  “Is there an issue?” Rafael asked. His suit swished as he moved from the window toward her.

  The scent of expensive cologne drifted ahead of him and soaked into her senses. Every instinct in Lara’s body screamed at her to turn and run as his powerful presence loomed closer. She locked her knees instead.

  Her horny dragon chose this moment to perk up, and start panting.

  “Why on Earth does the Astarot need a bodyguard?”

  Her words stopped him short, and his body tensed under his perfectly cut designer suit. He pulled at his cuffs and his gaze cut back to the view. The sunlight shone against his thick black hair.

  “Someone attacked me, magically, and you’re a mage.”

  Lara took in the tightness around his mouth and stiff posture. He held something back. Hell, he hadn’t given her much to work with.

  “Care to elaborate?” She pursed her lips and waited.

  His intense gaze crashed back, pupils elongating to dragon slits. In a flash, they returned to normal. “No.”

  “How am I to protect you, if you withhold pertinent information?”

  “If it’s pertinent, I’ll disclose it.”

  She tilted her head. Liar, liar, pants on fire.

  Her dragon moaned. Imagine what he looks like without pants.

  Lara squeezed her eyes shut at the scandalous image her dragon sent her and took a deep breath. “Can you at least elaborate on why you require a bodyguard in a skirt?”

  Rafael’s full lips twisted up again into that sexy smirk. Her body yearned to step forward and taste his mouth, inhale his manly scent—subtle sandalwood under expensive cologne—and see if his skills with his tongue matched his arrogance.

  “I don’t wish to alert the instigator of these…attacks…that I’m onto him, or her, or them.”

  Her brain fired signal after signal, sending the same message, but she didn’t like the answer one bit.

  Rafael’s smile broadened. “You’re to pose
as my girlfriend when we’re in public for the duration of your assignment.”

  Her jaw dropped.

  His dark brows rose. “Objections?”

  “Ummm,” she stammered. “Absolutely. Two objections.”

  Rafael stepped back to lean on the edge of his desk. He folded his arms across his broad chest. “Go on.”

  Lara flicked a finger up to count her objections. “One, if the headlines are true, you’ve never kept a woman around long enough to have a girlfriend.”

  “I find it interesting, Miss Stone, that you follow my dating habits.”

  Her face scrunched up. Follow his love life? How could she not? His chiseled face plastered every society page. Each time he had a different leggy blonde latched to his arm.

  “And two,” she continued. “I’m not your type.”

  Her five foot four frame was as close to “leggy” as her dark fiery mane was to platinum.

  Rafael pushed off the desk and closed the distance, his scorching gaze travelling over her body like a smooth caress. “I disagree, Miss Stone. You are precisely my type.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. She licked her lips. Rafael’s gaze intensely followed the movement. What did he mean by that?

  Did he know? Her heart hammered in her chest. Did he suspect?

  Goodbye freedom.

  And goodbye life. If the Astarot uncovered her true identity, it would a matter of nanoseconds before she became a target. Again. Her birth parents hadn’t died of natural causes, and if her adoptive parents hadn’t hidden her in plain sight with a new name and a mage identity, she would’ve suffered the same fate long ago.

  “I’m not blonde,” Lara blurted out.

  Rafael threw his head back and laughed, the sound deep, and luxurious, like the slow flow of thick liquid chocolate from a fondue tower.

  Her dragon whimpered and rolled over to expose her vulnerable neck and belly.

  Geez. It had been awhile since Lara had been with someone, but not that long. She never struggled to find a man for her bed. Wanting to keep him past morning, on the other hand, was an entirely different thing.