by J. R Fox
© Copyright 2016 by J.R Fox-All rights reserved.
In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.
Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.
How to Love Your Dragon
MM Paranormal Romance
By: J.R Fox
Bonus 4-book paranormal romance bundle is included in this edition.
How to Love Your Dragon
The Dragon Omega’s Best Friend’s Baby
A Brace of Sapphires
The Wizard’s Enchanted Omega
The Lafie Clan’s New Omega
How to Love Your Dragon
MM Dragon Shifter Romance
Buttered popcorn, roasted peanuts, and cotton candy; the breeze carried the tantalizing scents to David’s nostrils. The circus was back in town. Every June, the company erected its tent on the high school football field across the street. A decade ago, David had played quarterback on that field. A lot -- and yet nothing -- had changed since then.
David’s physique was still pretty much the same. Only during his junior year of college did he fail to maintain his lean, muscular frame. But, hey, drinking and eating crappy take-out was a rite of passage during college. His quitting the football team that year didn’t help any either. It was the year he had met Jason, a theater major who regarded all sports as primitive play and their players Neanderthals.
There were days David regretted his decision to give up the sport, but back then he was blinded by love. And love, David learned, could make a guy do some really stupid shit. That lesson was one he had learned the hard way when, after seven years together, Jason revealed that he had been cheating on David for the past three. Not only had Jason cheated, but he had knocked up a guy who coached high school football. Oh, what irony.
Once the truth was out, David had no choice but to leave. That night, David had walked away with only the clothes on his back and his toothbrush. A few days later, he called Jason to arrange a time to pick up the rest of his things. Today was the day, and the experience had been painful. Sorting through seven years of a life spent with someone you should have been with forever was hard. Jason had been generous, and offered David much of what he owned, but David had refused to take any of Jason’s gifts with him. In the end, David left with only two small boxes of clothes, DVDs, and other random mementos. In hindsight, the paltry load was a good thing. Until he could find a place within his budget to rent, he would be confined to the cramped interior of his Honda Civic.
David shoved the second box onto the Civic’s back seat with a heavy sigh and slammed the car door. His eyes burned with unshed tears, and he rubbed them with clenched fists. Laughter rang out across the football field. A young boy riding an elephant smiled and waved down at his father, who was snapping photos on his phone. It was nice to see that sort of simple joy, even though David couldn’t feel it himself. He perched on the low stone wall that separated Jason’s front lawn from the sidewalk and watched the circus-goers, trying to recall the last time he had been to the circus. He hadn’t been in years; not since he was a child, and fascinated by the wonder of it all. A large sign near the entrance advertised tickets for five dollars. Five dollars was a small price to pay for a little diversion, which he sorely needed at the moment. David locked the Civic, then headed across the street to join the ticket queue.
David felt a rush of giddy excitement as he stepped into the yellow and red striped tent, a cone of fluffy, blue cotton candy clutched in his hand. He almost felt like a child again as he took a bite of the sticky confection, and savored the sweetness of pure sugar melting on his tongue. He found a seat in the fourth row from the center ring, and settled in to wait for the show to begin.
When the lights dimmed, the crowd cheered and whistled in excitement. A tall, broad-shouldered man in a red, cutaway coat and a top hat entered the center ring. With his swarthy complexion, flashing pale eyes, and neatly trimmed mustache, David found him quite handsome, in a rugged, slightly erotic sort of way. And when he addressed the crowd, his powerful baritone voice commanded attention.
“Ladies and gentlemen! You are here today to be thrilled and astounded. Magic, suspense, and terror! The thrill of death defying acts, and staring into the mouth of the beast. You are about to see things you’ve never before thought possible. And I guarantee that each and every one of you will be completely amazed before you leave here today.”
The ringmaster raised his arms and waved them in the air with a quick flourish. Instantly, he disappeared into a cloud of red smoke. David cheered and clapped along with the rest of the audience as a spotlight directed the crowd’s attention to the balancing act above the center ring.
Act followed act as the show continued: an animal parade; clowns; several trapeze acts; a magician. David wasn’t particularly amazed, despite the ringmaster’s promises. But he was enjoying the diversion from his breakup with Jason.
The ringmaster strode into the center ring to introduce the final act. “Ladies and gentleman, I promised terror and amazement today; it is now time to deliver. What you are about to see is a creature straight from mythology, a creature believed never to have existed. Today we will show that belief is in error. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I present to you the one and only Draco the dragon!”
David laughed along with the rest of the audience as he anticipated the appearance of either a large reptile of some sort, or what would be even worse, a humiliated elephant in costume. The ringmaster left the tent, and for several minutes, nothing happened as the lone spotlight shone on the empty ring. The tension mounted as the crowd shifted restlessly in anticipation. Across the ring, a child gasped and pointed towards the entrance to the tent, where a huge silhouette reared onto its hind legs, its head grazing the top of the tent. With every forward step it took, the ground quaked. Suddenly, an enormous winged reptile stepped into the light. Several people around David screamed, and the woman next to him fainted.
Terror and excitement pulsed through David’s veins and kept him rooted him to his seat in fascination as he gazed upon what could only be a genuine dragon. “Holy shit,” he murmured breathlessly.
Below, the ringmaster was steering the dragon towards the center ring with what appeared to be an oversized cattle prod. When the beast was in place, the ringmaster shouted his commands. First, he had the monster spread his wings, revealing a wingspan nearly as wide as the tent itself. Then, he ordered the dragon to open his mouth, displaying an impressive collection of razor-sharp teeth. Most of the audience shifted uncomfortably, including David.
“Don’t be afraid,” the ringmaster said. “Draco only likes steak.”
The joke earned a chorus of laughter, and David felt the anxiety level in the tent diminish. The act continued with the dragon rolling over, fetching, and levitating a couple feet above the ground. When he performed his levitation trick, he lifted the entire tent with him, balancing it on his scaly gold head.
David had never imagined seeing a dragon, so he had no reference for comparison, but the huge beast before him was stunning. Iridescent scales in multiple shades of gold covered the massive body, except for the wings and belly, which were a brilliant crimson. The ridge of bony spikes that followed the spinal vertebrae from the base of the skull to the tip of the muscular tail were also crimson. The eyes were like two enormous emeralds set in gold, bright and brilliant, but there was sadness in them, too. No doubt, the sadness was due to the thick, iron shackles and chains that held the dragon p
risoner, David thought. Suddenly, the spectacle he was witnessing lost some of its appeal.
David turned his attention back to the ringmaster, who was announcing the finale of the show. “For Draco’s last trick, I must ask that everyone remain seated. As long as you do, I assure you, you will be completely safe.” The ringmaster prodded the dragon to one side of the tent, while on the other side a large hoop descended from the ceiling until it hung several feet from the floor. Inside the hoop was what appeared to be a thick slab of raw meat. There was a long, drawn-out drumroll The crowd inhaled, a single synchronized breath, and held it. The drum fell quiet. There was an instant of silent anticipation. The dragon’s breast expanded, and a fiery orb erupted from his mouth, blasting the slab of raw meat and cooking it to well-done perfection in an instant. The crowd cheered and whistled their appreciation.
Even the dragon looked pleased with himself. He sniffed the air hungrily, as though savoring the aroma of the cooked steak, and the audience roared with laughter. But it wasn’t the meat that had caught the dragon’s attention. He turned his massive golden head toward the audience, and his intense, emerald gaze settled directly on David. David’s breath caught in his throat, and a flame of awareness ignited in his belly, leaving him weak and wanting . . . something, but just what that something was, he didn’t know. The dragon broke eye contact as his handlers forced him from the ring and out of the tent. What the hell just happened? David wondered as he shook himself to clear his head. He had never experienced such an immediate and powerful connection with another living creature. It was almost frightening in its intensity.
Still shaken, David left the main circus tent and cruised the midway, stuffing himself with hot dogs and popcorn while he ignored the gaudy lure of the shrill sideshow barkers and game shills. Another youngster was taking a ride on the elephant that had first attracted his attention and drawn him across the street to the circus. He had never ridden an elephant and thought it might be fun to try. He had almost convinced himself to go for it, when he sensed a presence beside him. It was the ringmaster, now out of costume and looking even more handsome and virile than David had first imagined.
“So,” said the ringmaster. “Did you enjoy the show?”
David grinned. “Oh, yeah,” he said. “I haven’t been to the circus since I was a kid. It was kind of nice to indulge my inner child.”
The ringmaster gave him a genial slap on the back. “Wonderful! And what did you think of Draco?”
“He was magnificent,” David said. “I’ve never seen anything like him. Where did you find him?”
The ringmaster’s gray eyes twinkled as he laid his index finger beside his nose. “I’m afraid that’s my little secret, my friend.” He held out his hand. “I’m Cecil Tribiano, by the way. This is my show.”
“David Porter.” David grasped Tribiano’s extended hand and they shook.
“Listen, David. I don’t usually do this, but I’ve been watching you this afternoon.”
David raised his eyebrows. Was this a come on?
Tribiano hesitated, uncertain of how to continue. “Don’t get me wrong. What I mean is, I saw you earlier today.” He jerked his chin in the direction of David’s Honda. “Over there, across the street. You looked like you might be interested in a fresh start.”
David was uncomfortable with the idea that Tribiano might have noticed his red-eyed misery earlier and was about to offer him a pity hook-up. If so, David wasn’t interested. Not even with someone as attractive and pleasant as the ringmaster. “Sorry,” David said, trying to disengage from the conversation without seeming rude. “Bad breakup. Guess this just isn’t my day.”
“That’s just it,” Tribiano said. “Maybe this is your day, and mine, too. We’re short-handed right now. We need more guys to help set up, work behind the scenes, or fill a place on tickets or concessions when necessary. You’re young, seem strong and healthy enough. I think you’d be a good fit.”
“Wait,” David said. “You’re offering me a job?”
“The pay’s good, entertaining the audience is rewarding, and you get to travel all over the country. It’s a great gig,” Tribiano went on persuasively. “So what do you say? You interested?”
David looked over at his Honda Civic, his current home on four wheels, and considered his position. He had felt trapped for a long time. Trapped in this town, with nothing to keep him here except a dead-end job, and a relationship that he had sensed for months was coming apart at the seams. Well, now the worst had happened, and he was being offered an opportunity to break free and escape. There was nothing left to hold him back.
“What do I have to do?” David asked.
For the next hour, David toured the grounds and listened as Cecil Tribiano explained the ins and outs of the circus life. The job he was hiring David to do was relatively easy, he explained, but it could be strenuous and rough on the body. David assured him his body could handle it as he was in peak physical condition; his last visit to the doctor two months prior had confirmed that. At the end of the tour, Cecil introduced him to the crew he would be working with, one of whom David was surprised to learn, was a woman named Sina.
“I know that look,” Sina said when she saw David’s doubtful expression. “Yes, I have a vagina. And yes, I am more than capable of doing this job.” The rest of the crew laughed, and it was clear Sina had won their respect and their affection with her no-nonsense attitude. “You look like you can handle the workload,” she said, giving David a friendly wink.
“There’s one more person I want you to meet,” Cecil said after he and David left the setup crew to their work.
David followed the other man to a small travel trailer parked behind the circus tent. The tiny interior was neat and surprisingly efficient with a small kitchen area, a folding table, and a couple of chairs that did double duty for dining and relaxing. At the back of the trailer, there was a bunk bed built into the wall, and on the bottom bunk lay a man with his back turned toward his visitors. He wasn’t asleep, however. As soon as David and Cecil approached, he shot both men a startled, apprehensive look over his shoulder, his brilliant emerald eyes darting back and forth between them. When his gaze settled on David, David felt the same fiery desire he had felt in the presence of the dragon earlier. And still he had no idea what it meant.
“Sorry, Aiden,” said Cecil. “I didn’t mean to sneak up on you. This is David Porter. He’s thinking about joining the team, so I’m showing him around.” Cecil turned to David. “Aiden here is our dragon trainer. All those tricks you saw Draco perform today, this is the guy behind them.”
“Wow! That was an impressive act. Good to meet you, Aiden.” David offered his hand, and the two men shook. Aiden’s hand felt surprisingly warm, especially considering that he had been resting in an air conditioned room. When the two men locked eyes, David felt his own temperature rise as instant attraction, keen and compelling, overpowered him He had never been as attracted to anyone as he was to the stunningly beautiful young man gripping his hand as though it were a lifeline. David wanted to break the physical contact, to let go of Aiden’s hand, but he couldn’t seem to make himself do it. Men like Aiden intimidated David and brought all his insecurities to the surface. Not that he didn’t consider himself an attractive guy. He just wasn’t handsome in the classical sense that most men tried so hard to achieve. Aiden, on the other hand, had the face of an Olympian god framed by a mane of dark blond hair. And those brilliant green eyes caused more than David’s temperature to rise.
Leave. The word burst into David’s consciousness with such sudden clarity that he dropped Aiden’s hand as if he had been burned. He looked from Aiden to Cecil and back again, but neither man seemed to have heard the voice. Maybe his lack of sleep was finally catching up with him, David decided. Making him see and hear things that weren’t really there.
“Cecil, I need to talk to you outside.” Aiden shot David a look of intense dislike, which he didn’t bother to hide, and shoved rudely past him, d
isappearing through the open trailer door.
“Excuse us a minute, David,” Cecil said by way of apology. “Looks like somebody’s got a burr up his butt.” He patted David’s shoulder and followed Aiden out of the trailer.
The minute he was alone, David reached into his jeans to adjust his burgeoning erection, which felt like it was about to burst, and which was in danger of embarrassing him at any moment. What the hell was wrong with him today? He’d had a hard-on from the minute he looked into Aiden the Ass’s eyes, which was so not his style. After the weird way Aiden had taken an instant dislike to him, David’s inclination was to turn down the job offer and just get out. There was no way he could work with someone who hated him on sight. But as he started for the door to tell Cecil he was going to pass on the job, he caught the tail end of the conversation between Aiden and the ringmaster.
“I don’t want him here,” Aiden said.
“Well, that’s not your decision, is it? It’s mine. And I say he’s the perfect candidate. He’s young and healthy and strong. He’ll get the job done, and he’ll do it well.”
David didn’t know how he had made such a positive impression on Cecil, but he was grateful that Cecil was on his side. Screw Aiden. David needed a job, and this was the one he wanted. Too bad if one guy on the team didn’t like him. Everyone else seemed happy to have him on board. If Aiden had a problem with that, then it would just have to be Aiden’s problem, because David wasn’t backing down.
Leave. The voice echoed inside David’s head again.
“My apologies, David,” Cecil said as he and Aiden stepped back into the trailer. “Aiden has something he’d like to say to you.”
Aiden stepped forward, his head hanging in shame. “I’m sorry if I was rude, David.” He paused. “I just wasn’t sure that you were up to the job physically.”
