Tempting the Dragon by Karen Whiddon Read Free Book Online Page A

pressed the ignition. The engine came to life with a powerful rumble. When he glanced at her, she grinned. She dug a hair-thingy from her pocket and expertly put her hair up in a ponytail.
    “Nice ride,” she said. “Too bad it’s a rental.”
    Amused, he chuckled. “If that’s your attempt at a dig at me, it’s pretty weak.”
    She widened her eyes, the picture of innocence. “A dig? Why on earth would you think that? It’s just that this is such an awesome car, probably nothing like what you drive at home.”
    Instead of responding, he had the strongest urge to kiss her. This didn’t surprise him, not in the least. Jade Burnett was gorgeous, with her long sexy hair and those amazing green eyes. Not to mention the lush curves of her body. Rance liked women, all women, but until today he’d never really figured he had a type. But now he knew. That type would be Jade. Slender and perfectly shaped, gorgeous creamy skin, with a tiny dusting of freckles across her nose. Lips that were made for kissing and a body that begged for his touch.
    Yep. Jade was his type. He had the awful feeling that, forever after this, he’d be comparing other women to her.
    Astounded at this thought—after he’d lost his wife Violet and started drinking, he hadn’t ever thought of getting close to any other woman—he concentrated on the drive. He’d already taken a solo trip to Forestwood Lake, walked the trails, stood on top of the marbled stone cliffs. With the wealth of leafy trees and undergrowth all over the rolling hills, the area was pretty, but then so was every other lake or hiking trail in the Catskill Mountains. This part of the earth called to something primal, deep inside him.
    In fact, in his previous life, Rance had thought if he ever wanted to become a country guy, he’d buy some land and build a house here. Now, he knew he never would. He needed the fast pace of the city to distract him from everything he’d lost.
    “Take the next right,” she said, startling him out of his reverie.
    He did as she asked, turning onto the unmarked dirt road. Though there were occasional ruts and bumps, for the most part it seemed to be well maintained. As he drove, he noticed with a sense of amusement the way it wound through the forest in an apparently nonsensical pattern. Then they made one more turn and he slowed, awed despite himself.
    The lake spread out below them. From this vantage point, higher than any of the others he’d been to, the sparkling expanse of water was a dark, vibrant blue. He let the car coast to a stop, even though the road continued, and got out, grabbing his Nikon D4S out of the bag on the backseat. While he had several cameras and lenses, he liked this one the best for everyday use.
    He walked to the edge of an area that had apparently been set up for viewing purposes and stood still, marveling. A sense of rightness settled low in his chest. He’d only had this feeling a few times in his life—once in a remote area of Alaska, another on Vancouver Island and now here, on the opposite coast.
    Lifting the camera, he lost himself in his art.
    Jade came and stood by his side, silent, as if she understood. He appreciated that she didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with meaningless chatter.
    Once he’d taken his fill of pics, he lowered the Nikon and drank the scenery in with his eyes.
    As he soaked in the strange feeling of contentment, he reminded himself he’d come here for a reason. “The only thing that could make this better would be if the so-called lake monster would make an appearance,” he joked.
    She snorted, but when he cut a sideways glance her way, her intent expression as she stared at the water seemed far too serious.
    For maybe the eightieth time, he caught himself wondering if there really was such a creature. In his world, where shape-shifters walked the streets unnoticed alongside humans and vampires, who was he to even think to discredit such a possibility? Just because he’d