Red Hot Dragons Steamy 10 Book Collection

by Lisa Daniels

  “I’m here. You can start it,” she said, flopping at his side and curling against his muscular body to watch the opening credits of “Con Lair.”

  Do I even want to see this? she wondered, but as she thought it, she knew she did. Yes, she had tried to put the crazy weeks of Andrew Blaise behind her, and for the most part, they had succeeded in doing exactly that.

  After their trip to Aruba, the couple had settled in Mexico as per the plan, but Maria hadn’t given up her profession as easily as she had thought she would.

  Instead, she had started a small practice in Playa del Carmen while Alex had begun rebuilding his construction company.

  Life was as good as Maria could have imagined it, but she would be lying if she said she didn’t think about Andrew and what had become of him.

  “Tonight on Con Lair,” Ty Comer’s voice piped out through the speakers. “Meet the convicts who are trying to turn their lives around. One house, three floors, eight residents, and endless problems. Will these men and women ever be functioning members of society?”

  Maria shuddered at the words, her eyes narrowing.

  “I should have known they would cheapen it,” she muttered, but Alex seemed enthralled by the events unfolding onscreen.

  “There he is!” Alex called excitedly and Maria felt a pang of sadness as she recognized the wistfulness in his voice.

  Indeed, Andrew’s face flashed onto the screen and Maria suddenly wondered how she had ever mistaken him for Alex.

  They are completely different animals, she thought, shaking her head. They’re nothing alike. Why did I ever think they were?

  Maria’s hand found its way onto his back and she gently rubbed Alex as he took in the drama unfolding on the screen.

  “They’re all dragons,” Alex explained. “I wonder if any of them gave themselves away onscreen.”

  Maria gaped at him.

  “They are?” she asked dubiously, leaning forward to stare closely at the players. Of course, she couldn’t tell the difference.

  She hadn’t known that the twins were dragons and she had known them both personally. How could she possibly glean who was who through the television?

  “That’s Simon,” Alex went on, pointing at a chubby guy lounging in the kitchen. “He’s an agitator.”

  “A what?”

  “He’s basically a shit disturber. He wasn’t even a con but they threw him in there to stir up trouble.”

  Maria eyed him warily.

  “How do you know so much about the show?” she asked slowly.

  Alex cast her a sidelong look before turning his eyes back to the screen. “Andrew told me,” he mumbled.

  “When?”

  “When we talked,” he muttered defensively and Maria’s heart swelled.

  “You’re talking again?” she breathed, squeezing his leg. “When did this happen?”

  Begrudgingly, Alex paused the show and turned to her, seeming sheepish.

  “For the past month or so,” he confessed.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Maria demanded.

  Alex shrugged and looked away guiltily. “I didn’t know what you’d say about it.”

  “Oh Alex…” she sighed, cupping his face in her open palms. “He’s your brother. Of course I’m happy about it. I just thought…”

  “He’s not mad,” Alex said quickly. “He actually sounds like he’s moving on with his life.”

  Hope welled in Maria’s heart. “Yeah?”

  “He’s taken over my company in Phoenix.”

  “What?! Alex, that’s incredible! I can’t believe you kept this from me!”

  He met her eyes again. “You’re not angry?”

  “Why would I be? Believe it or not, I only want what’s best for Andrew, even if he is an ass.”

  Relief colored Alex’s face and his broad shoulders sagged with relief.

  “I think Davis’ arrest put his vendetta to rest finally.”

  “Not to mention that civil suit he won against Rivers for harassment,” Maria snorted. “Not that Rivers didn’t deserve it.”

  Alex eyed her warily.

  “Are you ever going to tell me what happened with you and Rivers?”

  Maria blushed and she shook her head quickly.

  “Nothing happened,” she replied honestly. “I got suckered into a sob story is all.”

  Alex kissed her nose sweetly.

  “It’s all in the past now,” he told her. “Always forward, right?”

  She nodded and smiled, returning his kiss.

  “Always forward,” she agreed.

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  Book 4

  By: Mia Taylor

  Prologue

  The marketplace was overcrowded with all walks of life, the noblewomen accompanied by abigails, the servants afoot with baskets overflowing. There was nary a place to behold without a being in sight.

  Cypress sat in the trees beyond the line of wooden stands, watching with glowing aqua eyes as his target came into view. The immense groups made following such a person almost impossible but that did not stop him from looking about.

  “You must not move until you are certain,” his brother, Troy, whispered in his ear. “For once this is done, we must disappear. The market will be in chaos.”

  “I am well aware,” Cypress hissed back, annoyed by the reminder. “Must you stand so uncomfortably close?”

  “I do not trust you to act without thinking,” Troy retorted. “Father insisted I keep you at bay.”

  Resentment bubbled up inside him and Cypress eyed his brother with contempt. It seemed to Cypress that the opposite was true—that Troy was more apt to think without acting, but he held his opinion to himself.

  “Must you always do precisely as Father demands?” he growled, but Troy did not step away. His very nearness was enough to distract Cypress’ attention and he knew that would not fare well for their task.

  “Pay mind to our target, Cypress, and not to me. If you are not careful, Lord Helm will be here and gone without our notice.”

  “I find that unlikely to occur,” Cypress countered. “Have I ever missed our mark?”

  “You have grown increasingly careless this past millennium,” Troy growled. “Why do you think Father has insisted you are accompanied?”

  Cypress chose to ignore his brother’s reminder and instead turned his eyes back on the scene before them.

  As they had anticipated, the Earl soon showed himself on the arm of his betrothed, Miss Rachel Morrison.

  “Are you quite certain about this, Troy?” Cypress asked, a slight chill of apprehension befalling him when he saw the young lady. “She does not seem the sort.”

  “It is Father’s request,” Troy replied, his eyes narrowing as he stared at his brother. “Since when do you question Father and with such contempt?”

  The siblings stared at one another without flinching until Cypress spoke again.

  “Since I believe his information is faulty. Look at her.”

  Cypress nodded toward the woman who was much closer now.

  “She is lovely,” Troy murmured. “Pity she has fallen so far from grace.”

  “But has she?”

  “If Father says she has—”

  “Father does not know everything!” Cypress barked back. “Think for yourself if only one time!”

  Troy gaped at him, disbelief coloring his face.

  “Father is the leader of our weyr,” he reminded Cypress as though the older brother could possibly forget, what with his constant reminding. “It is our duty to honor and respect his orders.”

  “He is lying to us, Troy. Look at her!”

  “I have seen her,” Troy growled. “You cannot tell a thing by merely looking—”

  “She does not have dragon blood. She has not strayed from her weyr. We cannot take her and kill the Earl for no go
od cause.”

  Cypress did not mention the others who would perish in the marketplace as collateral damage.

  “We must! We cannot return to the estate without her!”

  Cypress’ jaw twitched slightly at their dilemma. It was their task, after all, finding the woman and bringing her back to pay for the crime of treason against her weyr. Yet Cypress had never been so certain that they were being used to do something which they had no business doing.

  “I will not kidnap a mortal woman without knowing her purpose!” Cypress snapped, backing away from their spot. “You must not either!”

  Terror flooded Troy’s face and his mouth formed a fine line of discontent.

  “You must not leave me here, Cypress! I cannot do this alone!”

  “You will not do it at all!” the older boy insisted. “Come along and we will speak to Father together.”

  Troy stared at him for a long moment and Cypress was certain Troy was about to follow when suddenly, his brother morphed before him, his face shifting into a shimmering mass of grey-black scales. His body elongated, tail licking out to touch Cypress where he stood.

  “No! Troy, NO!” Cypress cried but it was far too late. Troy’s head fell back and his jaw dropped to unleash a spray of fire hotter than the flames of hell.

  Screams reverberated through Cypress’ head as he watched in horror, the marketplace engulfed in orange.

  Troy sprung forward, his wings expanding to fly above the havoc, but Cypress knew his brother had miscalculated his aim. He had not merely caused a distraction—he had wreaked death before his intention.

  One second later, Troy realized the same and he hovered in shock over the dispersing crowd who tried to escape the fire.

  Slowly, Troy looked toward Cypress, his eye wide with panic, before turning his eyes back toward the charred remains of Miss Morrison and Lord Helm.

  Have you proof enough now? Can you see she is not a dragon? Cypress wanted to howl, but it was neither the time nor place for such theatrics. Later, he would have heated words with his father and demand to know why they had been made to conduct such a task.

  “Move, you fool!” Cypress roared at his brother. “Move before they see you!”

  But it was too late.

  “DRAGON!” came the hoarse cry. “DRAGON!”

  Cypress knew he must run before he was caught alongside his brother.

  He turned to flee the remains of the marketplace, his heart hammering wildly, and only when he was safely afar did he turn back to see where Troy had gone.

  From the safety of the skies above, he surveyed the charred remains of the marketplace, his chest heavy.

  He saw no sign of his brother but the howls of the villagers still met his ears. Even if they did not capture and kill Troy, Cypress knew he would never again set eyes upon him. His father would never forgive Troy for such a mishap.

  His best prayer now is that he is taken by the villagers. There is nowhere he can go where he will escape the dragons, nowhere to be seen. Our numbers are not as great as they once were, but there is still nowhere on this earth that he can run.

  All he could do now was return to the estate and tell his father what had happened.

  There would be hell to pay for this, Cypress knew.

  And he would likely be the one to pay it.

  But the dragon did not care. His integrity was far too great for him to pay homage to the devil.

  Even if the world believed that was who they were.

  Chapter One

  Selling Out

  Cypress gaped at his agent in disbelief, thinking he had misheard Sam’s proposition.

  “No,” Cypress said, his tone flat. “Absolutely not.”

  “You’re not looking at the big picture,” Sam insisted. “Think about the ratings—”

  “I don’t care. I know what this means and I’m not doing it.”

  Sam sighed and sat back in his chair, shaking his head. He seemed to be considering his words carefully before he spoke again, knowing that the wrong words would send his client into an infamous rage.

  “I don’t know what to tell you, Cy. You need to do this. It’s the best shot for your career right now.”

  Cypress tried to snort, but the sound that came from his mouth was not one of disdain. Instead, it sounded lost, like he was resigned already to what Sam was telling him.

  “Doing something like this is for the washed out,” Cypress growled. “Am I really that far gone?”

  “My concern is that you’re about to be,” Sam replied evenly, the words cutting into the actor with more pain than Cypress had expected. Sure, his last couple of movies had been less than a smash at the box office, but this? This he had not expected. He felt as though Sam had punched him squarely in the gut.

  “Sam…”

  “You can argue with me all you want, Cy, but you asked me to do something to boost your popularity with the Academy and this is it.”

  A heavy silence fell between them as Cypress considered what his agent had said.

  “Who else?” Cypress asked miserably after a few moments. “Who else is going to be there?”

  “The list isn’t finalized yet and you still have to audition.”

  Cypress’ mouth almost hit the floor from where he sat. This was getting more and more unbelievable.

  “Audition? I’m Cypress Landry! Are you kidding me right now?”

  Sam grunted, his eyes narrowing as he studied his client’s face carefully.

  “I don’t need to tell you that your name doesn’t carry the same weight it did ten years ago, Cy. If you don’t want to do this, maybe it’s time for you to bow out of the industry and try something else.”

  “No way!” Cypress retorted without hesitation. “I haven’t even hit my prime yet!”

  Sam didn’t respond but Cypress knew what he was thinking.

  “Cy, you can’t stay in Hollywood forever,” Sam finally said, mustering any sense of decorum he could. The agent wasn’t exactly known for his tact, after all. “Maybe this is the time to look into something else. You’re a dragon. You know what it means to ebb and flow with the weight of the world.”

  Cypress’ face burned with humiliation at the notion and he gritted his perfect teeth together, feeling the crunch as his gums throbbed in protest. He had not even been an actor for an entire career by anyone’s standards. Ten years was not a lifetime in the industry and Cypress would be damned if he bowed out now.

  Then again, he thought, what’s worse? Burning out or fading away? Wouldn’t I rather my fans remember me with a bang than as some reality TV star?

  Assuming he made it far enough to be a star at all.

  Was there anything more pathetic than an actor clinging to the remnants of his career?

  “The ratings for this kind of thing are incredible, Cy. Entertainment has changed,” Sam offered. “The public likes this reality stuff.”

  “Reality,” Cypress scoffed. “There’s nothing real about it and you know it.”

  “You know what I mean,” Sam sighed. “Why don’t you think about it? You have a couple days before the call-outs end.”

  Cypress blinked in shock.

  “I wasn’t invited?” he demanded, his bronze complexion waning. “I have to respond to a call-out?”

  Sam seemed embarrassed for the first time.

  “Just go home and think about it,” he insisted without answering the question. “You don’t have to answer me right now.”

  Cypress rose from his chair, his mind whirling almost dizzyingly.

  “I don’t really have a choice, do I?” Cypress muttered, the understanding almost slapping him in the face. “There’s nothing else for me.”

  It was devastating and yet Cypress knew he had to be a big boy and swallow his pride.

  He had been through much worse in his life but somehow this felt like the biggest punch in the throat he’d ever endured.

  “I can certainly keep looking for other parts,” Sam replied, but there was lit
tle conviction in his voice. “But I wouldn’t bring this up if I didn’t think this was your best shot at redemption.”

  The very word “redemption” made him cringe. How had it come to this?

  It seemed to Cypress that so many less-talented actors had done so much worse for their careers than bombing at the box office and yet still managed to stay afloat.

  What makes me so different?

  Outwardly, it was impossible to say. He was renowned as one of the sexiest men in Hollywood, his near-perfect features and full lips littering the cover of every magazine on all newsstands. Cypress couldn’t walk down the street without being bombarded by fans, women almost swooning at his very presence.

  He knew he had talent—generally speaking, the critics had been kind in their reviews, especially considering he had no formal training.

  “He’s an old soul with a new, smoldering look,” one item ran.

  “An actor with abs to sharpen your knives and a liquid tongue to make you believe,” read another.

  And yet here they were.

  “Wipe that look off your face,” Sam chuckled, trying to force some cheer into his voice. “It’s not like you’re Tom Cruise or something. People still adore you!”

  “Tom Cruise is still getting deals!” Cypress retorted. “And as far as I know, he hasn’t resorted to this!”

  Cypress was beginning to think that his agent might have something to do with it, but he shoved the notion out of his mind.

  “Think of it as developing an entirely new fanbase,” Sam cajoled in that way that only a cutthroat agent could. “You need to broaden your horizons, branch out. A good actor is nothing if not diverse.”

  Cypress rolled his eyes. As far as he knew, Sam had never stepped foot on any stage. Cypress wasn’t sure he wanted to take career advice from the tiny agent. It was difficult to believe that Sam was a dragon, too. He was unusually small but expectedly fierce, nonetheless.

  “Whatever,” he muttered, spinning to leave, his head in chaos.

  “Don’t take too much time to think about it,” Sam warned as Cypress reached for the door. “I have a feeling that the spots will book up a lot quicker than you might expect. Not everyone turns their nose up at a gig like this. Some people don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”