Guardian of His Heart [Guardian 2] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove)

by Lacey Denair

  Guardian 2

  Guardian of His Heart

  Kelley Taylor-Jordan is a twenty-eight-year-old American who marches to a different beat and dreams of a dragon.

  King Frederico Dragonovic is an 869-year-old dragon who loves his country and people but longs for the mate he hasn't yet met. He dreams of her at night, but only sees her eyes and hair. Everything else is a bit fuzzy.

  When these two meet and discover they're mates, their worlds collide. Can two people from completely different cultures, attitudes, lifestyles, and who lack the ability to restrain their tempers, grow to love each other?

  Will a vengeful woman finally force these two opposites to cooperate? Can they work together long enough to survive and perhaps fall in love on their journey?

  Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal, Shape-shifter

  Length: 25,574 words

  GUARDIAN OF HIS HEART

  Guardian 2

  Lacey Denair

  EROTIC ROMANCE

  MANLOVE

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove

  GUARDIAN OF HIS HEART

  Copyright © 2013 by Lacey Denair

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-62242-137-4

  First E-book Publication: January 2013

  Cover design by Christine Kirchoff

  All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

  If you have purchased this copy of Guardian of His Heart by Lacey Denair from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

  Regarding E-book Piracy

  This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

  The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

  This is Lacey Denair’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Denair’s right to earn a living from her work.

  Amanda Hilton, Publisher

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  www.BookStrand.com

  DEDICATION

  Cam, you’ve always been a class act.

  Ric, vaya con Dios mi amigo.

  GUARDIAN OF HIS HEART

  Guardian 2

  LACEY DENAIR

  Copyright © 2013

  Chapter One

  “Baby, I’m gonna count every one of those freckles,” the drunk slurred as he stuffed a twenty into Kelley’s gold thong. He smiled at the drunk and then kept dancing.

  Yeah, that’s going to happen. Keep dreaming, sweetheart. Those beer goggles are on good and tight tonight, Kelley thought to himself. Since he was at work, he really couldn’t express his true feelings. Trying to control his temper with all these men who had crude remarks and grabbing hands was tedious at best and downright annoying most of the time. Too bad, he’d love to jump in their faces just once. As tired of this job as Kelley was, being a dancer kept him in shape and paid the bills. Working as an exotic dancer onstage was good money but a real grind after a while, pun intended. He figured the drunker men got, the better he looked, and with his natural good looks, by the end of the night he would look fantastic!

  Kelley Taylor-Jordan was one of seven siblings. Two girls and five boys. He had two dads, one a werewolf with dark-brown hair and almost-black eyes. Brian Jordan was huge, standing six foot five inches and weighing in at two hundred eighty pounds. His other dad, John Taylor, was human, having dark-blond hair and pale-green eyes. John was six foot and weighed two hundred twenty pounds. Like his wolf mate, John was solid muscle. Could Kelley look like either of them? Noooo. Unlike all the other Taylor-Jordan boys, he looked like his mom. He loved his mom to pieces, even with her flaming-red hair and pale-gray eyes. He loved the eyes. They were different, which suited Kelley’s personality perfectly. The hair was another story. Kelley had never been a fan of his hair color, but he learned to live with it.

  Marda Taylor-Jordan was a force of nature in a miniature package. She stood all of five feet nothing and weighed in at maybe one hundred pounds. Maybe, but he doubted it. As small as she was, his mom was the undisputed leader of the pack and didn’t take guff from anyone, including her mates.

  Marda’s family had some peculiar genetic traits. All the women of her line had two predestined mates. No one knew why exactly. They just did. Women were not werewolves, but they did carry the gene. For some reason, as far as Kelley was concerned, the Gods had decided to play yet another trick on his mother’s ancestral line. All the women of her line and their children had red hair. It varied in degree and could be anywhere from a beautiful, dark, almost-brown auburn to a brassy, gaudy, almost-orange color, which was the end Kelley got.

  At twenty-eight years of age, here stood Kelley, five foot five inches, one hundred twenty-five pounds with a dancer’s body and long legs for his size. Not fair, Kelley thought as he danced, making a sexy crawl on the stage floor like a cat. As if that weren’t bad enough, Kelley was fair skinned and really did have at least a million freckles. Why every guy he went out with wanted to count each and every one, he would never understand. But they did. With effeminate looks, Kelley had hair the color of fire, and it hung in thick waves to the middle of his back. His eyelashes were a woman’s dream, dark auburn, thick and long, and almost dusting his cheeks when shut. The voice completed the package. Husky, low, and just a touch masculine. Kelley was what every man wanted in a “twink.”

  Men were immediately attracted to Kelley because of his looks. He was told many times he made great arm candy. However, men soon discovered he had a mind of his own and an iron will. Under all that brassy garishness, he had a temper to match his hair color, which made men tend to disappear. The
redhead was indeed lonely because of it.

  Kelley’s family had always called his act of being himself, “Being Kelley,” which meant he just did what he thought was right, whether the rest of the world understood or not.

  Kelley didn’t understand why no one could get into him. He wasn’t that bad, was he? As he danced and smiled when men stuffed his thong with money, he tried to analyze what it was that turned men off.

  Let’s see, what was Kelley Taylor-Jordan really like?

  He had to have his charcoal-colored eyeliner, lip gloss, and nail polish. He loved thigh-high lace stockings and women’s boots with four-inch heels, because they were off-the-charts sexy. He had a belly button ring and a large tattoo of a royal-blue dragon with emerald-green eyes on his left shoulder, which he got for his eighteenth birthday because he really had a thing for dragons. There was a slight curve to his hips, which gave Kelley a decided swish when he walked. That and a bubble butt really got men’s motors running, for a while anyway. He wore skintight pants that left nothing to the imagination with sheer, molded tops. Hey, Kelley was a firm believer if he had it, he should flaunt it. He loved to dress nicely, but always on his own dime. He refused to be beholden to anyone. He was very proud and always paid his own way. Besides, he found out early on in life that if men bought him something, they expected something in return with interest.

  He loved to cook, skydive, take bubble baths, and flirt outrageously. Was that so bad, really?

  Maybe it was his temper. Kelley tried to rein in his temper, really he did. It just seemed to run out of his mouth when he wasn’t looking. He’d blow up then feel much better about life, but by then men were running for the hills. To be honest, it had cost him more than one job. Truth be known, he liked to argue. It just got his juices flowing.

  He even tried to work on his gayness, as he called it. His brothers told him he was way too flamboyant. Some of them even called him a screaming queen to his face. Kelley liked the reaction he got from the world. It couldn’t be all that bad, as his siblings and parents all loved him.

  Even after being beaten several times by gay bashers, he refused to hide, choosing always to be himself whether people liked it or not. His brothers may not understand him, but they had been known to hand out extremely harsh punishment to those who mistreated their little brother. The last guy still wasn’t able to use his left arm and was packing some really nasty scars. Three of his brothers were wolves, and all were huge like his dads. They didn’t let anyone mess with Kelley, even though they didn’t always agree with him and were merciless when picking on him themselves.

  Perhaps Kelley needed to tone it down some. Or not. Oh well, there was always tomorrow.

  He dreamed of finding a dragon shifter, one that would love Kelley and let Kelley love him in return for the rest of their lives. He had researched dragons extensively over the last fifteen years. Kelley knew above all else, dragons were highly protective and possessive of their treasures. Dragons mated for life, and they all considered their mate to be their most prized treasure.

  His brothers, Bo and Jake, worked on Saber Ranch. Bo had married Kate. She was blonde with brown eyes and really pretty. Kate’s sister, Jaclynn, married Jake and was also a doll. The sisters were dragons and very nice ladies. Kelley adored them both.

  Maybe he should go visit them for a while. Jake and Jaclynn had one-month-old triplets! He had only seen them a few times, but as far as Kelley was concerned, they were to die for! He could play with the babies and perhaps give the new parents some time to themselves.

  Kelley’s friends, Saber and Ty, owned Saber Ranch and had a gorgeous set of twins. It was always so relaxing there, and he particularly enjoyed the twin boys, who were now three years of age. Wild and full of fun, they were always a real kick!

  When the two men discovered they were mates, it was instant love, and the two were devoted to each other. Ty and Saber had worked hard to get the place back to its original glory, even building houses for everyone that worked there, as they wanted everyone to feel at home.

  Saber was a prince! A real one. He went by his nickname, but his real name was Prince Domenic. His mate tickled Kelley no end. Ty was a pug shifter, a cute little dog. They had a huge wedding in Saibina, the country where Saber was from, but made sure the ranch stayed private. Of course, Kelley couldn’t tell anyone about Saber and Ty, as they liked their privacy. He could understand that.

  Kelley wished he could turn into something cool like that. Anything! He thought shifters were awesome. He was envious of his brothers and Ty. They had all mated dragons. Kelley didn’t know why he was so enamored of all things dragon, but he even dreamed of them at night. Well, more specifically, just one. He could never see the man’s face clearly, but he knew the man had emerald-green eyes, and he knew he was huge. In his dreams, his fantasy dragon shifter would come to Kelley and tell him how much he loved him and couldn’t wait to find Kelley. Sometimes he had really hot X-rated sex in his dreams! He never told anyone about his dreams. The straight jacket would be dragged out, and he’d be locked up for sure.

  Kelley now had a plan. He’d go visit his brothers. Bo and Kate didn’t have any kids yet, as they wanted to wait awhile. He could stay with them. Jake and Jaclynn’s home was rather full now with two girls and a boy! He couldn’t wait to see them again. He just knew they would be totally adorable. They hadn’t come from the women of his family. What a relief, as Kelley wouldn’t wish his red hair on anyone.

  Jake and Jaclynn would have to wait until their kids went through puberty to see what they turned out to be, though. Jake was a wolf and Jaclynn a dragon. That would be interesting! Shifter children who had interspecies parents would be either like one or the other parent. There were no combinations, thank goodness. Flying wolves or furry dragons? He didn’t think so.

  As soon as Kelley got off work tonight, he’d go home, pack, and take off for his brother’s place. Saber had built Bo and Jake their own homes on the ranch, and Kelley had a standing invitation. Yup, he was on his way.

  Chapter Two

  His Royal Majesty King Frederico Domenic Tomas Dillon Dragonovic of Saibina knew the ambassador was dragging his heels. They always did when they weren’t getting their way. If the man thought he was going to be allowed to gouge anything out of his beautiful country, he could think again. There was no such thing as commercial mining in Saibina. He wouldn’t stand for his country to be desecrated that way. Neither would his people. The king wouldn’t even be in America but for other meetings here. Saibina was rich in minerals, gold, silver, platinum, and jewels of every kind. A dragon’s treasure trove. It was the main reason his ancestors had claimed the land in the first place. It was a miner’s dream, and people in his country did mine privately for their own use or to find something they could trade. But commercial mining? Never. Not in a billion years. Not if the good king had anything to do with it.

  King Frederico had already lived several centuries, as dragons were virtually immortal. Especially the royal line. He himself was 869 years of age. Young for a dragon. He had reigned for the last six hundred years. His father, King Swein, abdicated after his Fae mate died in a tragic accident, taking the king’s heart with her. Unfortunately, the king soon followed her, having pined away for his lost mate, leaving Frederico caretaker over a lush land.

  Saibina was a gorgeous place, a beautiful land with lush green valleys, meadows full of beautiful flowers, and magnificent mountains that reigned high above clouds. Birds of every kind flew proud, and dragons could be seen catching dinner for their families, flying down and capturing fish with their talons. There was livestock, wild horses, and pastures of wooly sheep that looked healthier than any animals he had ever seen. It was a fairy-tale land, and Frederico intended it to stay that way.

  The king loved his country and its people with a passion. He had devoted his life to it. As much as he wished it, the constant attention required to help preserve its way of life, never quite made up for the fact he had yet to find his t
rue predestined mate. Dragons matured at fifty years of age. From that time on, for 819 years, he had looked for his true mate. It was the dream every dragon carried in their heart.

  The only consolation he had at this point was Frederico now knew his mate lived, because of the mating dreams! All he had to do was find her. The dreams were a little confusing to him, as he never fully got to see her. He knew the woman had red hair the color of fire, and pale-gray eyes. He could clearly see her breathtaking eyes. She wore a charcoal color around them, which made the color stand out. He knew she had a viselike grip and felt like heaven when he entered her. These dreams had gone on for several years, in fact, and it frustrated him to no end that he couldn’t figure out where his mate was.

  She was a willow of a thing, virtually flat chested and small of stature, but Frederico didn’t mind. He had always preferred full-bodied women, as they could take a proper pounding in bed, but he would just have to learn to be gentle. After all, he didn’t want to break her, and he knew she was not a dragon. There were no female dragons ever built like that! The females of his kind were full-bodied and built sturdy. Besides, big boobs were overrated anyway. He just wanted to find her. He didn’t care at this point if she had warts with hair sticking out of them and was a troll! He was so tired of being alone. The women who came to his bed only wanted him because he was king, not for the man himself. What he would give to find his mate. He hoped she was fiery like her hair to challenge him. No one did anymore. It made life dull. What the king would give to spend eternity with her, laughing, fighting, and loving! To have her in his bed every night in his arms and waking with her and bathing with her. He secretly loved bubble baths! Would she as well?