Dragon in the Rough (Elders Enterprises Book 1)

by Jo Vanz

  “I thought you were fired this morning? I saw you pack up your desk.” Paul’s mind started to race and a knot started to form in his stomach. Something was wrong, and Paul had a feeling that the Elders were behind it.

  “I was not fired, so much as being transferred to work for Elder Enterprises.” Paul’s heart stopped beating before it started to pound in his chest.

  “Damn it!” Paul ran his fingers through his hair. “Katie, be careful,” he pleaded. “You really do not know what you are getting into. Please just keep your head down, and for the love of all that is holy, do not tell anyone that you are one of us.” Katie was about to walk into a lion’s den and there was not a thing he could do to stop her. He wanted to tell her that she was not allowed to go, but he did not have the right to do so. Even if he did, Paul knew that Katie would just ignore him. She was going to be his downfall.

  Katie looked annoyed. “I can take care of myself. Besides, if they are all dragons too then why can I not tell them that I may be one?” Paul wanted to tell her what would happen if the others found out about her, but knew that would not be a good idea right now.

  “Just trust me on this, Katie. I will explain everything tomorrow night, I promise. I will meet you here after you get off work.” With that, Paul turned and walked away. He wanted to stay with her, but he needed the time to clear his own thoughts now. He needed to figure out what he was going to do next. He could not just disappear now, he needed to protect Katie at all costs.

  Chapter 7

  Paul walked around aimlessly, confused as what to do. He did not want Katie walking into Elder Enterprises in the morning but what could he do? If she didn’t show up to work, they would just send someone out to look into the reasons why. Plus, it wasn’t like he had any right to ask her not to go. He had done everything he could by asking her to not reveal that she could be one of them. Maybe that would be enough right now to keep her safe. Paul knew the moment that he thought it, it was a lie. There was no way to protect her in that building.

  Paul stopped and sat down on an old worn bench. When had his life gotten so fucked up? He threw away everything when he had stolen that damn book. At the time he had thought that it was worth it, but now he was thinking that it was the stupidest thing he had done in his whole life. He had nothing to offer Katie right now. She deserved the world, yet he could not give it to her. He had to do something, anything that would make this whole mess seem better.

  Paul rubbed his eyes and finally looked around him. It took him a few minutes to realize where he was. He and his brother use to come here when they were training. The open field was good for running sprints and practicing their Martial arts. They would then have races to see who could climb the trees the fastest. Paul smiled as he remembered the grin Mark would get when he won. He missed his brother. He could really use his advice right now.

  Paul and Mark may be polar opposites, but it worked out well for them. When one did not have the answer, the other always did. They were like fire and ice. Each had their purpose but they were dynamite together and a force to be reckoned with.

  Paul thought about contacting his brother. Maybe if he could take the heat off of Katie, then she would be safe. Yes, that was what he needed to do - get his family to focus most of their energy on him instead of Katie’s first day of work. Now the question was, how was he going to do it? He had several options, but the best one would be through his mind. But it came with it’s own risks. Even though they could not trace it, if Paul and his brother stayed connected too long then his brother could read his thoughts. He would have to make sure that it was only a short conversation.

  Was it worth the risk? Yes, Paul thought it was. He may not truly be prepared to accept what was going on between him and Katie, but he did know that he was willing to lay down his life for hers. He would just have to keep the conversation brief. Get in, get out. Give them just enough so that Katie would be safe. Nothing else mattered anymore, not his life, not his past, and certainly not that stupid damn book. He would leverage it out to make sure she was safe.

  Paul shook his head. He knew that he had become quite lonely over the last few years. What he didn’t know was that it had gotten this bad where he would go bat shit crazy over the first woman that looked his way or thought he was sexy. He smiled at the thought of last night. He recalled how sexy Katie had been. The way she seemed too willing and welcoming to him. He was hard within seconds. He groaned as he readjusted himself. Now was not the time for those thoughts. He stood. Katie was ruining him bit by bit.

  It didn’t take him very long to make his way back to his apartment, his mind going in circles around Katie. As he stepped inside, a familiar sensation washed over him. This place may not be as nice as his condo on 5th Avenue, but he would give it all up to be this close to Katie. He stood there for a few moments until he heard Katie moving around above him. A smile touched his lips as he thought about all the things she could be doing up there. It took all of his strength to not go up there and knock on her door. Instead, he forced himself to kick off his worn boots, close his door, and head to his bedroom.

  Once Paul was laid down in his bed, he listened to Katie for a little while, working up his nerves to connect with his brother. He knew it was the right thing to do but he was not sure he was ready to answer for his crimes. Finally, he closed his eyes and reached out to his brother. It took him longer to connect with Mark than it did with Katie, which made Paul think that the connection with Katie was stronger than the one he had with his brother. Paul was just about to give up when his surroundings started to change. Everything went blurry before they started to become more focused again.

  Paul blinked as everything around him started to settle into place. He was now standing in a small room. He knew this room like the back of his hand, he and his brother had performed many interrogations here. The only difference was that he used to sit on the other side of the small table.

  “I see you have finally come to your senses, brother.” Paul lifted his head so that he was looking Mark in the eyes. It was like looking into a mirror, except where Paul wore jeans and a t-shirt, Mark wore a custom tailored suit.

  “Yes, in some ways I have. But let me assure you that none of them are what you are thinking. We have a problem.” Paul watched as his brother threw his head back and laughed. It made him wish that he was back home and they were sitting around letting off steam from a long week of work.

  “Paul, if you have not noticed, you have caused a lot of problems lately.” Mark waved his hands around. “But we will get to that later. What is this new problem? It has to be something big, you would not risk everything if it was just a minor thing.”

  “I think I may have found another female dragon.” Paul tried to keep any and all emotions out of his voice. Though he knew he was failing, he hoped that his twin would not pick up on it.

  Paul watched as shock ran across Mark’s face. Then just as soon as it arrived, it was gone. “Impossible,” was all he said.

  “Not impossible. Do you not remember the woman from a few months ago?” Paul hated to think that Katie could share the woman’s fate if they were not careful.

  Mark nodded. “All right, then who is she?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. “If what you say is true then we need to get ahead of this.”

  “I am not going to tell you that. It has to be her decision to come out. Hell, she did not even know we existed until tonight.” Paul felt his hand tremble and knew he was losing control of his emotions, but that did not matter. All he could think of in that moment was the way Katie had looked tonight. When she ran out of the diner, she looked so lost and broken.

  “What are you not telling me, Paul?” Mark could always tell when Paul was holding back. As much as he wanted to hold everything in, he was losing the battle.

  All at once, Paul broke. His legs would no longer hold him and he fell to his knees. “Mark, I think I am falling for her.” Paul looked up at his brother, feeling tears threatening to spill out o
f his eyes. Mark looked at him with sympathy. “That’s not the worse part,” Paul croaked out, “I believe she is in danger and there is not a damn thing I can do to protect her. Hell, she has been alone her whole life, so I doubt she would even accept my help.”

  “Paul, tell me who she is. We can protect her. You do not have to do this on your own. Let me help you, brother.” Mark went silent as he stared at Paul’s forehead. “She was in foster care.” It was said more of a statement than a question.

  Paul’s heart started to race. He had let this conversation go on longer than he should have. He stood and started backing away. “No, I am sorry but I should not have come here.” Paul started to pull away back into his own mind.

  “You cannot run forever, Paul. We will find you and then we will find her,” Paul heard his brother promise as he severed the connection.

  Paul rolled out of bed, gasping for breath. What had he done? He hoped that his family never found out about Katie. He did not know why but he knew that he would not be able to live in a world that did not have her in it. She was like a fresh breath of air that he desperately needed. Even more so, he had a feeling that the dragon race itself needed her, which scared the shit out of him.

  Chapter 8

  Laying on the end of Katie’s bed was a plain white envelope. If she wanted answers then she knew she had to open it, she just could not bring herself to do it yet. She just sat there looking at it, like if she watched it long enough it would just tear itself open. Her music played softly in the background. Maroon 5 always calmed her, but not tonight. The now empty wine bottle sat on her night stand as further proof of how long she had been sitting there. No matter what she did, Paul’s voice echoed through her head. And with his voice came images. At first it was of him sitting across from her, running his finger through his hair. Then of him standing in front of her without a shirt, his strong arms wrapped around her, his tender lips pressed against hers. Katie moaned. God, she was horny. She wished that she could just pick up her phone and call him. Tell him to get his ass back over here, but it was probably best that she could not do so. Mixing work with pleasure never ended well for anyone involved.

  Katie leaned back against her pillow and let out a long sigh. Then it hit her. If Paul could connect to her mind, then just maybe she could connect with him. But how? She cleared her head of all things except for Paul. What he looked like. Smelled like. Sounded like. The way he felt as he held her.

  A small rope appeared in front of her. Katie did not know how but it felt like Paul’s very essence was weaved through it. She reached up and wrapped her hands around it, feeling his warmth wrap around her. She smiled and savored the moment a few seconds before she tugged as hard as she could.

  ***

  Paul finally had his breathing under control when he felt a strong tug at his mind. At first he thought it was his brother, because no one else had a connection with his mind. He did not want to talk to his brother again. He was about to sever the connection but stopped. “Paul?” came the sweet voice that sang to his soul in a way no one else ever could. “Are you there?” For a moment, he did not move. Then in a split second he was in his bed, laying back against his pillows. He closed his eyes and pulled on the connection. He needed to see her, to make sure she was okay.

  Everything started to change around him. At first it was a big colorful blob, then finally everything fell into place. Paul was now standing in a room very similar to his own bedroom. The only difference was that this one had a homey feel to it. The walls were painted a dark red and the furniture was black. He turned around slowly, taking everything in. When his eyes came to a stop at the bed, his heart skipped a beat at the sight in front of him.

  Katie was lying across her bed, wearing something that could barely be described as a night gown. It was bright red and hugged her every curve. “It worked!” she said with a huge grin on her face. Paul could not form any words with the images of what he wanted to do to Katie right now going through his head. He shook his head and tried to push those thoughts aside.

  “You rang?” he asked, his voice noticeably lower than normal. Paul forced himself to stay right where he was until he found out what exactly Katie wanted.

  “I was lonely, I thought I would see if you wanted to keep me company for a little while,” Katie said with a look of innocence that played havoc on Paul.

  “Is that so?” he asked, taking a step forward. Paul had barely spoken those words before Katie was on her hands and knees, crawling toward him. “What would you like me to do about that?”

  “I want you to come over here and kiss me.” Katie sat up on her knees at the end of the bed, causing her boobs to threaten to pop out of her nightie. Paul wanted to moan at the sight. God, her nipples were already becoming little pebbles. She looked up at him while biting her lower lip.

  Paul’s cock jumped at the sight of her, threatening to explode out of his pants. He was not sure how he managed to just stand there. All he wanted to do was rush over and sweep Katie up into his arms, then make love to her all night long. Instead, he managed to say, “I made a promise earlier that I would not kiss you.” He watched as disappointment ran across her face. “I will, however, allow you to kiss me.”

  If Katie wanted to play games then so would he. Paul brought his hands up and let two fingers slip between two buttons. Then with ease, he gripped both sides of his shirt and ripped it open. He watched as Katie inched closer to the end of the bed, stepping down and making her way across the small room toward him. Paul wanted to meet her halfway but forced himself to stand still. This had to be Katie’s choice. He was not going to force himself onto her.

  When she finally made her way over to him, he stood as still as a statue. Paul sucked in a deep breath as Katie pushed herself up against his body, her hand roaming playfully across his chest. “What if I want more than just a kiss?” she asked before she started leaving a trail of kisses up his chest, then his neck, giving it a little nip. She stopped at his jaw. Paul figured that was more to do with the fact that she was already standing on her tip toes and could not get any higher.

  “Woman,” Paul hissed. “You are really starting to test my control.” He slid one hand down her spine and pulled her against him to the point he did not know where she began and he ended.

  “Good.” Katie reached up and pulled Paul’s face down until their lips met. At first it was a slow and sensual kiss, then it started to pick up into a frenzy of lips and hands roaming each other’s body. Paul had never experienced this with anyone else. It felt as though this woman was consuming him, and he just wanted more.

  Katie moaned when he broke the kiss, but he could not stand here anymore. The need to be inside her was too overwhelming. He reached down and cupped her ass, then lifted her up. He loved the fact that Katie’s legs wrapped around him almost instantly. “I need you now,” he managed to say as he laid Katie on her bed. Looking into her eyes, “Are you sure you want this?” With the last of his strength dwindling, he waited for her answer.

  “More than anything. I need you, Paul.” It sounded like a plea to his ears and he was happy to comply. Paul ran his rough hand up her thigh, only stopping when he found her thong. He let out a slight growl. Was there anything sexier? Probably not. He hooked one finger under the flimsy material and pulled. It snapped free, leaving her bare to him. He started rubbing her clit with one hand as his other worked to free his cock. It took him several attempts, and Katie was just so wet and ready for him. He was just about to rip his pants when his cock sprang free. He placed himself at her core and prepared himself to push into her. Paul looked into her eyes, savoring the moment.

  All of a sudden, everything around him started to change. He was no longer on top of that succulent woman, but instead laying in his own damn bed with a fucking throbbing cock! “Damn it!” he yelled, grabbing the closest thing to him and hurtling it across the room. The water glass he had thrown shattered against the wall, bringing him back to reality.

  Chapte
r 9

  Katie looked up at the ceiling, silently cursing. One moment, she was laying here with Paul on top her and the next thing she knew, she was all by herself. She closed her eyes just as her phone started ringing. Katie wanted to scream. She picked it up off of the nightstand and wanted to throw it across the room when she saw the two missed calls. This was the reason she woke up. Katie pressed the answer button and brought it up to her ear. “What?” she growled.

  “Katie?” The voice sounded so familiar but Katie could not remember why. “It’s Mark.” Katie sat up straight in her bed.

  “Is something wrong?” she asked with a quiver in her voice.

  “No, actually it is the opposite. We have hit a break in finding Paul. Can you come in now, please?” Katie could swear that she could hear him smiling.

  “Ummm, sure.” Katie glanced at her clock and noticing it was five in the morning, she groaned. “Give me about an hour and I will be in.” She knew she would be dragging after drinking so much last night and then the “dream” with Paul. Just the thought made her want to climb back into bed.

  “Good. We will see you in an hour.” Mark hung up the phone before Katie could say any more.

  Katie dragged herself to the bathroom and started the shower. She stripped off her clothes and was about to get in when a knock sounded at her door. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself before turning the water off and heading into the living room, wondering who could be at the door at this hour. Releasing a small sigh, Katie opened the door to see Paul standing there. All at once, the memory of what had been interrupted between the two of them came rushing back. Her body started to hum with anticipation and she could not move. Katie was surprised that he was even standing there.

  “Are you okay?” Paul asked with concern in his voice. “You just disappeared. I was worried something had happened to you.”