Dragon's Heat (City Dragons Book 1)

by Lisa Oliver

  Dragon’s Heat

  Book One of the City Dragon Series

  By Lisa Oliver

  Dragon’s Heat (City Dragon’s book 1)

  Copyright © Lisa Oliver, 2017

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Cover Design by Lisa Oliver

  Cover Model –courtesy of Paul Henry Serres Photography. License TS1_299

  Background image –Shutterstock.com

  First Edition September 2017

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author, Lisa Oliver. Yoursintuitively@gmail.com

  No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the internet or any other means, electronic or print, without permission from Lisa Oliver. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights and livelihood is appreciated.

  Dragon’s Heat is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Dragon's Heat - City Dragon's Book 1

  Jon Erskine had made a good life for himself as one of the top Forensic Accounts and Systems Analysts in the country. He doesn't mind working with paranormal clients - after all, he's a shifter himself. However, he could do without all the slurs and derogatory comments. Not all shifters are wolves, bears and moody predators. Still, his expertise and reputation is solid and Jon is more than capable of holding his own. That is until Dirk Hollingsworth runs from his office.

  Dirk is running out of time. He has to find out who's been stealing from his company before his father turns up for his wedding in three weeks’ time. Acting on the recommendation of a friend, Dirk turns to Jon, or at least thinks about it. That is, until he catches the man's scent in the doorway of his office and does a runner. Not the proudest moment for one of the proudest of all shifters, but Dirk has a responsibility to his clan and catching the tantalizing scent of a dog isn't going to change anything. Or so he thinks.

  Family betrayals, a strong-willed dragon spirit; all things collide as Jon and Dirk struggle to find common ground. Calling off the wedding is easy; staying alive might be that much harder.

  M/M, True Mates, Paranormal Romance. Warning: Adult situations included, R18.

  Dedication

  It might be my words on the page, but it takes a whole team of people to bring a book to fruition. A huge thank you to Thomas for his wonderful dragon pictures that started this journey. A giant shout out also for Avril who polished the text, Torhild and Leah who run my group for me while I’m in my cave writing and Phil for his words of wisdom and sexy pictures.

  And most importantly, thank you to my readers. You probably don’t think of the impact you have when you send me a message, or post a link on my page, but your comments, inspiration and continued support make me smile every single day.

  You mean the world to me.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty- Eight

  Other Books By Lisa Oliver

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  “What is it, Essie?” Jon Erskine didn’t bother looking up from the pages of figures on his desk. “There is something wrong here and I’m damned if I can put my finger on what it is. I said I didn’t want to be disturbed.”

  “Actually,” Essie’s pert tone made him look up. “What you said was, I don’t want to be disturbed until that big shot client Raoul fobbed off on me arrives. He’s arrived so I’m disturbing you.”

  “His appointment wasn’t until two o’clock.” Jon pushed his dark curls off his face to glare at his computer. It read 2.05.

  Shit, that means I’ve worked through lunch again.

  “I did leave your lunch on the side table as requested,” Essie added as though reading his mind. Jon often thought that his personal assistant had special powers. “I imagine it’s cold by now.”

  Or over-cooked, Jon thought with a sigh. His daily order of steak salad, hold the salad, was freshly made to his specific requirements. His stomach rumbled, letting him know what he was missing. “Please remove the tray and give me five minutes before letting Mr.…. Mr.…?”

  “Hollingsworth, Dirk Hollingsworth. Owner and Chief Financial Officer of Hollingsworth Holdings.”

  Of course he is, Jon thought crossly. He hated working with family firms. As a forensic accountant, it was his job to track down fraudsters and embezzlers. Finding criminals in a family owned enterprise was always fraught with danger, usually for the investigator, especially when it came to working with paranormal companies. As a dog shifter, Jon found working with paranormals easier than in the human world, but his shifted form was often an issue with clients. His German Shepherd, or Alsatian, depending on where you were from, was respectable enough among other dog packs, but not considered highly by the more exotic shifters.

  He idly wondered what paranormal family the Hollingsworth’s were affiliated with. All Raoul would say was they were high up in shifter circles. Not that it bothered him. While most shifters looked down on him because he didn’t shift into something predatory like a wolf or a bear, they soon changed their tune when they realized he was blessed with the keen intelligence, loyalty, and tenacity of his breed.

  Pulled from his thoughts by the sound of his office door closing and realizing he was on a five-minute countdown, Jon hurried to the small bathroom attached to his office. He’d been working on the Gordon account for over a week; usually falling asleep at his desk in the early hours. He’d found their missing money. That was the easy part. Finding how the money got stolen in the first place was proving more difficult. The fact that the owner, Vern Gordon, wasn’t interested in those details was suspicious enough. Jon’s gut told him Vern’s brother was responsible but he had to prove it first.

  Another family firm, Jon sighed as he splashed his face with water and looked at his reflection critically. His facial features hovered between pretty and handsome; his dark hair streaked with lighter shades that turned almost blond when he managed to spend time out of the office. Which wasn’t often. As the most highly qualified forensic accountant in the U.S., he was called in on cases that spanned the globe. Hollingsworth wasn’t exceptional, having traveled from New York to his office in
California. Some of his clients came from as far away as Australia.

  “I’d better make an effort to look the part.” Jon shrugged off his limp shirt, finding another hanging from the rack he kept for just such an occasion. His pants still held a crease and he eased his jacket over his reasonable shoulders, straightening his cuffs. Running his fingers through his hair, recognizing it was long overdue for a cut, Jon smiled at his reflection, then frowned, settling for an expression in between. “It’s not as though I need to be too friendly. These guys are asking for my help.”

  Reminding himself his shifter status had no bearing on his ability to do his job, Jon sauntered back into his office, taking the time to slide the papers on his desk into his drawer. It wouldn’t do to give his new clients the idea he was careless with confidential papers. Not that they were clients, yet. This was a preliminary interview so Jon could assess the case. If he didn’t want to take it, nobody could force him to. It was one of the perks he got for working privately.

  /~/~/~/~/

  Dirk Hollingsworth glared across the room at the pretty receptionist. Wolf shifter, if he wasn’t mistaken, and he was always right. Not that his glaring did any good. She was busily typing on her keyboard apparently uncaring he’d been waiting for ten minutes. Ten minutes! Didn’t she realize his time was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars a day?

  “I thought you promised to leave your temper at home,” Bryce, his personal assistant murmured. “This guy is the best in his field and I called in a lot of favors simply to get this appointment.”

  “I don’t deserve to be kept waiting. Doesn’t this guy know how much of an honor it is I am even in this cruddy office?” Okay, so he was being unfair about the decor. The office was decorated in understated chic designed to put clients at ease rather than overwhelming them with ostentatiousness. He’d been offered a variety of refreshments clearly designed to cater to any manner of paranormal. He wouldn’t have refused if he’d known he was going to be kept waiting.

  A discreet bell sounded and the perky receptionist stood. “Come on through, gentlemen. Mr. Erskine will see you now.” She headed down a long corridor barely wide enough to hold three people walking together. It was clear she took on a protective role – ensuring her boss wasn’t bothered with unwelcome intruders. Dirk privately admitted she was doing a good job. No amount of bluster and throwing his weight around got him in that office any faster.

  A strange heat climbed up his spine as he got closer to the dark wood doors at the end of the hallway. He sniffed. Essie’s scent was strongest, probably because she walked up and down the hallway ten times a day. But there was another scent, not as strong but a million times more alluring, until Dirk realized what it was. Dog? Male dog. Hell no!

  “I just remembered I have another meeting,” Dirk stammered as his dragon fought to get free. He’d be squashed if he attempted a shift here. Shoving his files in Bryce’s direction. “You take care of this. I’ll meet you back at the hotel.”

  “Dirk?” But Dirk was heading in the other direction. Essie had opened her boss’s door and Dirk got a quick glimpse of a strong man with the most appealing face he’d ever seen. Praying he’d caught his spirit in time, he sprinted down the hallway like a frightened rabbit.

  Chapter Two

  “Well, that was interesting,” Jon snapped as Essie let one man into the office. “Usually they wait until they get into the office before they start with the sneers and insults over my pedigree.”

  “I apologize for my boss.” The handsome wolf introduced as Bryce took the seat offered him and politely asked Essie for a cup of coffee. “I don’t know what got into him. He was desperate for this appointment. He’s given me the authority to fill you in on all the details of our situation and answer any questions you might have.”

  “No disrespect for all the hard work I am sure you do,” Jon said, scowling at his now closed office door. There was something fishy about the man’s hurried exit and his dog was keen to get out into the hallway and have a sniff around. “It’s just that I generally prefer to interview the man in charge. You’d be amazed at how many company directors and officers send in their underlings thinking I won’t investigate them personally. That’s why I insist on meeting the bosses first.”

  “I understand, I do.” Bryce reached over and placed a folder on Jon’s desk. “Can you at least look at our problem? If you can help, then I’ll see about dragging my boss’s sorry ass back in here.”

  There wasn’t anything sorry about the ass I saw leaving the building. “Why don’t you tell me about it?” Jon leaned back in his chair and even managed a smile for Essie as she came in bearing coffee. She’d arranged some dried dog treats on a plate for him, served on the same fancy plates as Bryce’s biscuits. She really was a gem, and Jon made a mental note to give her a day off.

  “The Hollingsworth company has been in family hands for generations,” Bryce explained as Jon nibbled on one of his snacks. “Dirk, the man who behaved so rudely earlier, is the sixth Hollingsworth to take over the company after his father retired last year.”

  “What breed of paranormal are the Hollingsworth family?” Knowing the paranormal type would help get a gauge on what was considered typical behavior. No matter how shifters, vampires, and fae all screamed they were individuals, most of those individuals resorted to commonalities when trouble occurred. Jon knew that because he was the same. The difference was he didn’t try and fight his nature. Instead, he used it to his advantage.

  “The Hollingsworth family are dragons. They arrived in the States three centuries ago from Europe. I am surprised you haven’t heard of them. They are one of the ruling families in Europe.”

  Snobby lot, Jon scribbled on his notepad. “Okay,” he said, “then I imagine we are dealing with theft. Dragons are notorious for being protective over their hoard.”

  “There are seven hoards involved.” Bryce’s face looked stricken. “Dirk is the oldest of three brothers. The other four hoards belong to his cousins. They have all been stolen from; considerable amounts.”

  “I can see why this is such a grave concern,” Jon admitted. Someone had balls of steel to steal from one dragon, let alone seven of them. “But I don’t see how I can be of any help. Most dragons collect their wealth in gold, gems and real estate. Surely the police would be more helpful if this is a physical theft?”

  “You are right in one respect. All of the dragons affected have half of their hoard hidden away somewhere,” Bryce admitted. “But when Dirk took over from his father, he insisted that his American family put half their money into investments; bonds, stocks, and term deposits. Each family member has their own trust account with the company. It’s that money that’s going missing.”

  “I see,” and Jon did see. Someone was out to ruin Dirk Hollingsworth’s reputation or possibly the Hollingsworth name. For dragons, protecting their hoard was a life’s mission. Every single treasure was strictly accounted for. He’d once seen a dragon throw a major fit over some lost coins. It turned out his son had been playing with them and dropped them in a lake. The dragon concerned had the lake drained so not only could he regain his lost treasure but also so it wouldn’t happen again.

  “Will you take a look at the file?” Bryce asked. “You come highly recommended. Your friend Raoul said you were the best in the country. Dirk needs to get that money back and find out who’s responsible.”

  For more reasons than one, Jon imagined. But he wasn’t sure he wanted the case. Dirk’s behavior was strange enough but dealing with dragons wasn’t something he enjoyed. The rare few he’d met socially epitomized their species – rude, arrogant, and treating everyone around them like servants. “You claim the family comes from Europe. Why hasn’t your boss contacted his father to send someone from there? Perhaps a family friend. I presume the older Mr. Hollingsworth still has a vested interest in the company?”

  Bryce scratched his chin and then fingered behind his ear. If he was in his wolf form, Jon wouldn’t have been
surprised to see the man’s foot thumping the floor. “Dirk’s father has been making a lot of noise about Dirk accepting his responsibilities to the clan. When he retired, Dirk took his position on the understanding he’d be married within the year. His bride-to-be is currently staying with Dirk’s father and is expected here within the month. That’s why solving this case is so urgent.”

  “Losing this money will make Dirk appear irresponsible among clan members? Surely his fiancée will stand by him?”

  “It’s an arranged marriage. Dirk knows of her, of course, but hasn’t spent any time with her. She’s from another wealthy family. But yes, if Dirk’s father finds out money entrusted to him has been stolen, he’ll be stripped of his position and probably lose his chance at making a good marriage as well. Dirk is trying to keep this as confidential as he can, but if the others find out, his father will learn of this situation within hours.”

  And if he lost his position and the merger between families through marriage, Dirk would be shunned and isolated; a kiss of death for a dragon.

  “I can’t promise anything,” Jon said reluctantly. “I will look over these files and see if I can see a pattern in the thefts. I assume I can be granted remote access to your company computers? If I agree to take the case.”

  “Well, yes, I suppose so. But won’t you need to be in New York? Interview people and see the offices concerned?”

  That would be helpful, Jon thought, but he had no interest in flying to New York to hobnob with snobby dragons, all of whom would see him as inferior. He loved how access to the right technology would allow him to conduct his search in the comfort of his own office.

  “I’ll be able to do it all from here, I imagine. If there are questions I need answered about individual access to files and accounts, I presume I can call you?”

  “Yes, my card and Dirk’s is in the folder I prepared for you.” Bryce stood and held out his hand. “We really appreciate this.”