Dragon in the Rough (Elders Enterprises Book 1) Read online

  It had been a month since she had come home to this feeling. She had spent days searching her home for bugs or cameras, but found none, so she tried closing her curtains. Still, the feeling stayed. Now, she liked the feeling of it. Katie shook her head. She knew that it sounded crazy, but it made her feel more at home.

  Katie closed her door and made her way over to the kitchen table where she unloaded her stuff. She then turned on her heel and crossed the room to the refrigerator, yanking the door open and pulling out a bottle of wine. She quickly poured herself a glass, downed it and poured another. She then turned and headed toward her room. Katie stopped briefly by her bathroom door but shook her head. She could just take one in the morning, it would help wake her up.

  She walked over and set her glass of wine on her nightstand before she stripped off her clothes, climbing into bed and propping herself up against her headboard. As she finished her second glass of wine, Katie felt a pang of loneliness roll through her. She wished so badly that she had someone in her life. She really did not care if it was family, friends, or even a lover, she just wanted someone that she could spend time with. To relax and laugh with about the small things. Someone to hold her when she had a bad day.

  “That is never going to happen with the lifestyle you live,” Katie said to herself. If she truly wanted to have someone in her life then it would mean that she would have to cut back on work. That was not an option for her. She had made herself a promise years ago to do her part, to hunt down the criminals in this world. Sure, there were probably many others that could do it, but Katie wanted to do it herself. She needed to know that there was some good in the world. That she helped to make it a better place.

  Katie laughed at the thought as she rolled over and turned off her lamp. The last thought that ran through Katie’s head before she fell asleep was Paul. Starting tomorrow, she would go after him with everything she had. She would not allow herself to fail again. Paul was hers for the taking and nothing was going to stop her.

  ***

  Paul knew the moment that Katie fell into a deep sleep. He held the rock tightly in his left hand and reached out with his mind to connect with Katie. He was surprised when their minds fully connected. The rock was only supposed to give him access to her thoughts, not link their minds together. He started to get the feeling that something more was at play. Was Katie a dragon? Could she be his mate? Paul did not know but the way things were going, he was willing to bet that the answer was yes to both questions. The true question he had to ask himself was if he was truly ready for what was about to happen. He thought no, but did not want to stop. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and let his mind meld with Katie’s.

  When Paul opened his eyes again, he was standing in the middle of a foyer. It took him a moment to realize where he was. He looked up at a spiraling staircase as a long ago yearning swept over him. He knew this home like the back of his hand. He had lived here once with his family, had helped decorate the little pink bedroom that was at the top of the stairs. Paul shook his head. He could not allow himself to go down that road. Not now. He would not allow the heartbreak of the memories that threatened to break through.

  Paul took a long, slow breath to calm himself down. He took a step forward, heading toward the living room. He knew that once he turned the corner, he would be able to look out a wall of windows capturing the surrounding wheat fields that he dreamed about. To watch the waves roll through the fields as the wind blew away all your problems. Oh, how he longed to see it again.

  As Paul took another step forward and rounded the corner, his heart skipped a beat. Katlin stood there gazing out the window. Paul had thought that he had known beauty, but nothing compared to this. Katie’s silhouette against the wide open fields was breath taking. He could stand there and look at it forever. He never wanted to lose this memory, so he stuffed it into a box for admiring later on.

  Paul walked over toward Katie, careful not to make a sound. He wanted this moment to last as long as possible, even though he knew it would have to end. He needed answers and it looked as if the only way he was going to get them was to talk to Katie. To let her know that he was here. How would she react to seeing him? Paul pushed the question away. He really did not want to think about all the different ways she could react.

  Paul reached out and placed a hand on Katie’s shoulder. Her skin felt soft under his rough, weather worn hand. She did not jump, but she did go still beneath his touch. God, she wasn’t even breathing. She turned her head and looked over her shoulder. For a moment, Paul could have sworn that he saw pure hatred roll through her eyes. She blinked and it was replaced by confusion.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked in a tone that made Paul want to recoil.

  He pushed past his own fears that she would never be able to accept him for what he was. That all she would ever do was hate him. He wanted more than anything to just pull her into his arms and kiss her until she liked him. He smiled. Yeah, like that would do me any good, he thought. Paul cleared his throat. “How much do you know about me, Katlin?” A small part of him wanted her to know the truth but another part wanted to protect her from it. She could never go back to a normal life if she knew about the dragons.

  Katlin put her hands on her hips. “The only thing that matters is that my boss tells me I have to bring you in. Though I’m not sure even that matters right now.” Katlin shook her head. “This is all just a dream anyway. This is my mind telling me that I am so lonely, the only man I can dream about is you. Even if you are downright sexy, it still screams pathetic.”

  Paul smiled. “So you think I am sexy?” Katie blushed, which made him smile even more. He started unbuttoning his shirt slowly. Katie’s eyes followed the movement of his fingers. She licked her lips before pulling the bottom one into her mouth and biting it. That one little movement about sent Paul over the edge. He had planned to just get the information he needed, but that all went to hell when he found out that she thought he was sexy. Instinct told him he should play off of it, to see if she truly loved the way he looked. It gave him hope that she would not hate him forever.

  “I am a single woman, why would I not find you attractive? I mean, just look at you.” She waved her hand over his body. “You look like a character from Magic Mike or maybe a stripper for The Dream Boys. I would have to be a nun to not think you are sexy. But then they might even turn away from the church for a man like you.” She paused and took a breath. “Damn, even in my dreams I jabber on.”

  Paul laughed. It felt so nice that it startled him. It had been years since he felt this kind of joy. “Well, if that is true and this is just a dream, then what is the harm in telling me what you know about me and my kind?” He added in a wink that had Katlin blushing again.

  Katlin looked to be deep in thought before she finally answered. “Well, I guess you do have a point there. No harm in talking things through with myself, so I will tell you.” She paused and bit her lip briefly. “But I have a stipulation first.”

  Paul raised his eyebrow. “What would you like, my lady? I will do just about anything for you.” Paul almost doubled over from the weight of how true that one little statement was. If she asked for the moon, he would do everything in his power to give it to her.

  “For every question you ask, you have to remove one piece of clothing.” A sexy smile spread across Katlin’s lips. “Oh, and stop calling me Katlin. It makes me feel old and stuffy. Katie will work just fine.”

  Paul laughed. He wondered if she was this brazen in real life or was it because she felt safe right now? “Okay, I can do that, but the same goes for you.” He took a step closer, watching the emotions play across Katie’s face. Over the last month that he had been watching Katie, he had noticed that she kept a tight lid on her emotions, never letting anyone know how she truly felt. But in this moment, there was no hiding. Paul’s heart melted. There was so much about Katie that he did not know. He realized then that he would do just about anything to figure out who sh
e was.

  “Fine,” she said as she eyed him. Paul felt as though she could see right into his soul.

  Paul pushed all other thoughts away. He needed information right now and he was not going to get it by standing around analyzing his feelings. “Okay,” he said as he slipped his shirt off of his shoulders and let it fall to the floor. “What do you know about me, Katie?” His voice was huskier than normal.

  “I was wrong,” Katie said as her eyes wandered over his bare chest, making Paul’s heart rate spike. He leaned his head in the silent question when her eyes met his. “You do not look like a stripper or an actor. More like a Gladiator, ripe and ready for battle.”

  Again, Paul laughed. This woman standing before him was very amusing. He was already hanging onto his self-control by a thread. He needed to get answers quickly, then he would let things play out between them. “That, my dear, is not an answer.”

  “Oh, right,” Katie said as blush painted her cheeks. “Well, honestly I do not know much. I was given your file, which is pointless because it’s heavily redacted. Tonight was just a chance run in.” She looked up into Paul’s eyes and tilted her head. “I honestly did not want to take your case. I thought it was going to be too easy and beneath me. Boy, was I wrong.” Katie looked down at her feet. “You are the first person to ever escape me.” She looked so disappointed.

  Paul put his finger under her chin and made her look up at him. “Do not be so hard on yourself.” He gave her a smile. “Did they not tell you what I am?”

  “No,” she replied. “And that counts as a question.” She raised her eyebrow in a challenge.

  “That is true.” Paul’s voice got deeper. He bent down and removed his shoes and socks. Setting them down out of the way, he looked up at Katie and growled. Katie was standing there, in touching distance, fully clothed and turning him on with all that lip biting.

  “So what are you?” she asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. “I know you are not human, you are too quick. Then there are vampires, but since you can go out in the sun I am guessing you are not one of them. You are something else entirely, but what?” Katie pulled her shirt up over her head and dropped it to the floor. “You also have silver eyes. I have never seen anyone with eyes like yours.”

  Paul was losing all self-control, ready to jump over the cliff at any moment. He could not stop himself, and really did not want to. “You are right,” he managed to get out as he stepped closer to Katie and pulled her into his arms. She felt so right up against him. “I am not a vampire. I am something much older. And if I am not mistaken, you are, too. So tell me, Katie, what are you?”

  Paul never let Katie answer. He dipped his head down and covered her lips with his. What started out as a slow, sensual kiss quickly turned deeper, the rhythm picking up pace. It was soon a battle of tongues and passion. It all just felt so right, like something that was once broken magically fixed itself. Paul wanted more. No, he needed it. Katie’s hands tangled in his short hair as he pulled her closer. Skin to skin. Soul to soul. This was what he needed. Nothing else mattered to him now. He needed to be with Katie.

  Just as quickly as the kiss started, it ended. Katie was gone. Paul screamed his frustration before he punched the wall next to him. Logically, he knew that something had woken Katie, but he did not care. He needed more. He lowered himself onto a nearby couch and tried to slow his breathing. He needed to get back to his body, then he would decide what to do next.

  Chapter 3

  Katie woke suddenly and out of breath. She wished that she could get back to sleep so that she could get back to the dream of Paul. It had all felt so real. She could still feel his body pressed up against hers, his hands running up and down her body, his mouth moving over hers. “Damn!” she yelled at the ceiling. “I think it is time for a cold shower.” She rolled over and sat up as her phone started to ring. She reached over and plucked it up off the nightstand. Looking down, she realized that this must have been what had woken her up. There were three missed calls from her boss. She wanted to throw it across the room but answered it anyways.

  “Yo, boss. What can I do for you at this hour?” she asked, sounding grumpy.

  “Oh good, you’re awake,” he said in a sarcastic tone. “I need you in the office within the hour. There are some people here that want to talk to you about your mishap last night.”

  He sounded mad, which had the hair on the back of Katie’s neck standing on end. In the three years that Katie had worked for Director Mole, he had never been mad at her. He was always happy to congratulate her on bringing in criminals single-handedly. He even bragged about her skills.

  Katie cleared her thoughts before she spoke again. “My…mishap?” she asked, hoping that he did not hear the croak in her voice.

  “Yes,” he replied, sounding annoyed. “Paul Ivers, why did you not bring him in last night?” Katie had hoped he would just ignore her report and not read it.

  “Ahhh, yes, that,” Katie’s heart started to race as she spoke. “I will explain everything when I get into the office. I will see you in thirty minutes.” Katie hung up the phone before the Director could say anything else. She really could not deal with him being disappointed in her or mad. She’d had a lifetime of that. Plus, no one was as mad as her. She let him get away and then had a sex dream about Paul. She had no one to blame but herself.

  Katie had moved up through the ranks of the vampire division quicker than anyone else. She knew that it was because of her special abilities that she kept moving up, but others believed she had she slept her way to the top. She only had to answer to the Director himself. She did not have a partner. Mostly because she did not want one, but also because everyone was scared of her.

  “Well, at least I do not need a cold shower now.” She chuckled to herself. Katie stood and walked over to her closet. As she got dressed, she decided that it was time to find someone to take care of her needs. Then maybe she would stop having fantasies about Paul.

  Katie was dressed and out of her apartment within ten minutes. It only took her another fifteen minutes to walk to the office, and she even stopped for coffee on the way. When she walked through the door, she realized that no one else was at their desks, which was weird. It was still dark outside so the vampire agents should still be here. She knew that Director Mole and whoever wanted to talk to her were in his office so she stopped at her desk and dropped off her bag and cup. She turned and walked slowly over to the Director’s office door.

  Katie wanted to turn and run but she forced herself to keep going. As she brought her hand up to knock, the door swung open to Director Mole standing before her. He was not very tall but he was one of the most intimidating people that Katie had ever met. Katie always thought that it was because he shaved his head, but now she truly understood. The look on his face told Katie that she should tread lightly because one misstep and he could probably kill her with his pinky.

  The Director stepped aside, revealing three men standing around his desk. “Please come in, Detective. Have a seat, we will begin in a moment,” The Director said. It took Katie a moment to force herself to move. Each man watched her like a hawk as she made her way to a chair that sat in front of a solid oak desk. Once she was sitting down, Katie allowed herself to look over the other three men in the office. The first was an older man with salt and pepper hair. He was tall and held himself in a way that told Katie no one even thought about going against him. The second man looked younger, by Katie’s guess he was around 35 years old. He had muscles but Katie did not find it attractive that he wore a shirt that looked to be two sizes too small. Then Katie looked at the third man and froze. She could feel the blood rush to her face. There, standing in front of her, was Paul.

  Katie stood. “What the Hell is he doing here?” Katie asked right before she jumped over the desk to tackle him. Before she could reach him, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her back. Katie knew that the man squeezed into a child shirt was the one that now held her.

>   The older gentleman cleared his throat. “Detective, I would like you to meet my son, Mark. He is Paul’s twin brother.” Katie went still for a moment to take in what she just heard. Then without another thought, Katie slammed her head against the man holding her. She used the momentum from that to flip him over her shoulder so that he landed on his back on top of the desk.

  “First off,” Katie raised her voice, “Don’t you think I should have known that Paul was a twin? What would have happened if I had seen Mark on the street? I would not have believed that he was Paul’s twin!” Katie paused to catch her breath. “Now, you,” she pointed to the man who had pulled her away from Mark “Men that wear kid’s shirts to make themselves feel better about the tiny muscles they have do not get to lay a hand on me. The next time, I will rip each and every finger that touches me off.”

  “Damn, Sam, I think that is a new record. The lady does not even know your name and she does not like you. Plus, she seems like she could make good on her threats.” Mark reached a hand out to Katie. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Detective. The name is Mark, this is my older brother, Sam,” he waved to the man climbing off the desk. “And this is our father, Fabian.” Katie looked up at the older gentleman as he stuck his hand out to shake her hand.

  “Miss Palmer, it is good to finally meet the lady that is helping to bring my son in. It became apparent to me tonight that you may not have received all the information about Paul.” He glanced over at the Director, causing him to bow his head. “So let’s all start over. We are known as the Elders.”