Dragon's MatchMate Agency: A Paranormal Romance Boxset

by Maia Star

  “Look at those eyes,” Sven says, waving at her. Felicity stares back at his hand, probably wondering what the heck he’s doing. Her eyes are light blue, sparkling in the sunlight. I look up at Hayden at the same time he looks up at me. We smile warmly at each other as Felicity begins to cry.

  “Oh, Felicity, everything’s okay. We’re here for you, all four of us!” I say, rocking her and bouncing her in my arms. “Shh, everything is fine. Relax.”

  Eventually, she does, stopping her crying and staring up at me, seemingly mesmerized.

  “Oh, she definitely loves you,” Reed says, grinning just as wide as I am. “I don’t think she’ll ever grow up to hate you. She’ll probably take out her frustrations on one of us.”

  Sven puffs out his chest. “She can pummel me all she wants with those tiny fists of hers. I’ll pretend every single time that she’s stronger than me by falling down and pleading for her to stop.”

  Hayden chuckles. “That just sounds horrifying.”

  Jumping to his feet, with Felicity watching him, Reed hurries over to the picnic basket. “We should take a picture!”

  “You’re always taking pictures,” I say.

  But Reed isn’t fazed. “One more picture can never hurt. Hurry up, you three, go stand by the pond and look pretty while I set this thing up on a timer.”

  All three of us groan in unison and then laugh. Felicity seems to groan along with us.

  With Sven and Hayden pulling me up to my feet, we all saunter over to the edge of the pond, the trickling waterfall in the background. I position myself in the middle, with Sven to my right and Hayden just behind me. Reed quickly sets up his camera on the ground, setting the timer and then rushing over to stand to my left. “Everybody, smile!”

  Hayden rests his hands on my left shoulder, and I briefly show him a smile before turning to the camera.

  The camera goes off, flashing, and Felicity cries out at the sudden bright lights.

  Reed rushes to check how the picture turned out, and Sven and Hayden help me calm our baby girl down.

  I don’t think I could have asked for a better life.¶

  Dragon Daddy’s MatchMate

  (Dragon’s Match Mate Agency)

  Book 4

  By Maia Starr

  Chapter One

  Scarlet

  When I open the door to my new apartment, I stand still and take in the view.

  My new place is on the first floor, overlooking one of the slantiest streets in San Francisco. Seriously, even just glancing out the street-facing window makes me a bit nauseous. But I’ve got to get used to that view eventually. I doubt any of my neighbors will be feeling nauseous like me.

  Smiling to myself, I place the cardboard box full of my clothes down on the glossy birch wood floor and plant my hands on my hips. My eyes glaze over the light gray couch and two loveseats, the Persian carpet decorating the floor, the multicolor painting on the wall, and the black blinds that cover most of the windows, save for the street window. I can’t believe it came almost completely furnished. It made moving easier, without a doubt.

  Finally, the stress of moving is beginning to lift off my shoulders, and as I move forward, my steps feel lighter, almost weightless. I grin and spin around, my arms out, letting my wavy, brunette hair out to whip around with me. Whistling as I go, I bump into one of the loveseats and knock over the red pillow that was precariously propped up on the armrest. Laughing, I bend down and pick up the pillow. It’s soft between my fingers, almost too soft.

  I smoosh my cheek against the pillow and eventually press my whole face into it. I stand there, the afternoon sunlight on my back, and I begin to cry. My tears are slow rolling, yet my face crunches up, nonetheless.

  “I’m finally here. I made it,” I whisper to no one.

  It’s silent in here. The silence is daunting, too powerful. A gaping hole opens in my heart...even though it’s always been there.

  Arthur, even now, you’re bothering me. Would you like this apartment? Would you be happy for me?

  “Mommy?”

  And suddenly, the silence is filled. I pull the pillow back and stare at my son in the doorway, holding his LEGO-themed backpack to his chest. Bright green eyes, a bit creased in confusion, hold my gaze. His blond hair is spiked, like a wave, just like his father used to wear his. I see Arthur in Kai’s face every time I look at him.

  I’m remembering when I met Arthur. It was at a party in the Nevada desert. An old friend of mine had a birthday, and she was rich enough to rent out a small square of the desert all day for us partygoers. Tents were thrown up. A makeshift pool had been dug out. Coolers with ice-cold beers and drinks were everywhere, just inches away from any free hands. Many of my friends had come with their husbands or wives, boyfriends or girlfriends. I was one of the few that was alone.

  When I saw Arthur by himself too, he was leaning against a red rock, sipping Coors Lite, his feral eyes latched onto me.

  I didn’t believe in love at first sight until that very moment. When I looked at him, took in his lean, v-shaped body, watched his gold locks sway with the wind, I knew he was the man I was looking for. At least physically.

  I had avoided him for around ten minutes, sure that I would screw up my first chance with him, waiting to see if he would come to me.

  Sure enough, he appeared behind me, whispered a hello in my ear, and smiled sweetly at me. He introduced himself as Arthur, a party crasher. He knew the invited guests and snuck in to find someone like me. After a few minutes of quiet chatting, we whisked ourselves away to an unoccupied tent in the back and went at it like a bunch of horny rabbits.

  Kai’s backpack slips out of his grasp, despite how tightly he’s holding it, and it plops onto the floor, snapping me back into the present. I quickly wipe away my tears as he leans down to scoop his pack up but stumbles and falls to his knees. He sighs, the heaviest I’ve ever heard a four-year-old sigh, and struggles to his feet. Laughing, I walk over to help him.

  “So, first impressions?” I say as I pick him and his backpack up. He blinks at me, his frown creasing. So I try again. “Do you like it here? I know you just walked in, but it’s a bit cozy already!”

  He blinks and looks around, pursing his lips as if he’s seriously considering my question. My adorable sensors are going off the charts.

  “It’s bright,” is all he says, staring at the street window.

  Laughing, I rise and walk over, pulling down the blinds so that it’s darker inside. “Can you flip the lights switch, sweetie? You can reach it.”

  By the door, Kai turns and reaches up to flip the switch, allowing the ceiling lights to flood the room. Our shadows stretch across the floor, and I march over and hold up my palm. He, with a deadpan face, high fives me as I congratulate him. Then a small smile breaks and I can’t help but feel my heart swell in pride. I want to scream, “Look at this boy! I created this! This cute, adorable little kid is my child!”

  But of course, I don’t. Instead, I plant two hands on his shoulders and steer him towards the couch that sits across from the wall-mounted tv. “How about I put on some Scooby-Doo for you as a reward for all your hard work? You deserve it. I’ll go bring in all the other boxes in the meantime.”

  He frowns again, his expression turning overly concerned. He’s still working on his facial expressions too. “I want to help!”

  “Help me by watching Scooby-Doo then,” I say. “Trust me; you’ll really enjoy it. Plus, you’ll be doing Mommy a favor by staying in one place where I can watch you.”

  Kai pouts and crosses his arms as he sits down but doesn’t object as I power on the tv and search for Scooby-Doo. Soon enough, his mild anger is dissolved by the talking dog and the gang of teenage mystery solvers.

  Leaving him to it, I walk back towards the front door. A flash of a memory hits me, though, and I pause in the doorway, looking back at Kai. I can’t help remembering the last time I saw Kai’s father, four years ago…

  Blocking the doorway, I threw
up my arms and kept Arthur from pushing past me. Hot tears streamed down my face, and I could barely think at the time. The man I loved, the man I was ready to live with for the rest of my life, was packing a duffel bag. His green gaze locked with mine, his lips parted, his back hunched over the bag. Straightening, he frowned and motioned at me to move. “Please don’t make this harder, Scarlet.”

  He was asking me to let him just walk away. I couldn’t let him do that. I wouldn’t.

  But then Arthur stood up straight and zipped up the duffle bag. He looped it over his shoulder, adjusted the strap. He sighed and marched over to me. I stayed rigid, ready to prevent him from trying to pry me out of the way. But instead of grabbing me and tossing me to the side, he pressed his palms to my cheeks and put his hot forehead against mine. He stared into my eyes, and I could see entire worlds in his. His gaze was magical.

  And then he kissed me. It was a long kiss, and I felt like I was swaying. It was morning; I had just woken up, and most of my body was still heavy from sleep. His lips gave me energy, allowing me to straighten, to drop my arms and my guard. I closed my eyes. He moved me to the side.

  Once he broke away, he stalked off, leaving me dazed. It was a few minutes before I came back to my senses and chased after him. I couldn’t find him anywhere.

  “Come back! Come back!” I remember shouting. “I’m pregnant! The kid’s yours!”

  Out in the hallway of my new apartment complex, I shut the front door to my unit and press my back to it. I slide down to the ground, my butt digging into the carpet. Even after four years, that memory doesn’t get any easier. I may not be crying over it anymore, but my heart still thumps painfully. For a few moments, I sit out here in silence, hoping none of my neighbors will come out of their apartments and see me like this.

  Shaking my head, I look out the door to the street and see the moving truck perched precariously on the slanted road. I smile softly as I remember my panic at having to drive up that street and park. I’m glad I didn’t screw up the parking job.

  Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my phone and stare at all the dating apps that line my home page. I’ve tried repeatedly to find a new partner over the years, but I’ve been unsuccessful. Mostly because no one I met could compare to Arthur. It’s why I stopped looking a year ago, but I never did get around to deleting all these apps. Maybe now would be a good time to try dating again. It couldn’t hurt, could it?

  My eyes zero in on a dating app I’ve yet to try. Fiery Hearts. I downloaded it a few days ago after hearing how successful it was. Reviews online said that, even though it was sponsored by the famous dragon shifter company Fiery Hearts Inc, the dating app was for humans only. It was one of the ways the company was trying to expand its clientele.

  Gulping down my apprehension, I open the app and create a profile. It takes me all of five minutes, and when I finish, I see how I’ll look to others on the app. I look good. Good enough to hopefully snag a date. I don’t look like I had a kid four years ago at all. I’m sure that’ll be a huge turnoff for a lot of guys once they find out, though.

  Dusting off my jeans, I climb to my feet and flip my hair out of the way, then walk out the front door. The San Francisco air is shockingly fresh by my apartment, and the way the sun hits my skin feels nice. I put on a smile for the strangers walking down the street as I climb into the back of the moving truck, even if I don’t feel like smiling.

  Chapter Two

  Arthur

  The woman I meet at the bar is gorgeous. Red hair down to her bare shoulders, hips to die for, a smile so alluring that even my drunk self can’t help but know that I’d love to date her.

  “So, whatcha drinking?” I ask as I lean back against the bar, my elbows propped up on the counter. My vision is a bit blurry, but I can see her turn towards me, her eyes lighting up at the sound of my voice.

  “Gin and tonic, usually,” she says. Her voice hooks me instantly. It’s mature, yet still playful. She’s been around the block. She grins at me. “But not tonight.”

  “Why not?” I say, leaning in. I get a good whiff of her perfume. Smells like vanilla. For a moment, my mind wanders, ignoring my inner dragon’s urge to focus entirely on the woman in front of me. A memory of a woman with bright, nearly golden eyes sparks, and I see her standing in front of a door, telling me not to go. She smelled like vanilla too.

  Shaking my head, I wink at the woman in front of me. “Nevermind. I know why. You were waiting to meet someone who would give you a fun time tonight, right? You don’t want to drink in case you get taken advantage of.”

  The woman raises a brow. “Wow, smart for a guy so drunk, he’s swaying on his stool.”

  I grip the bar to steady myself, though my grin only widens. “That guy can be me, you know. I promise I’m not bad. I’ll even give you my address so that when we go back to my place, you can let your friends know where you are exactly. Or we could go back to your place.” I lean in to whisper in her ear, my inner dragon getting worked up just looking at her. “Or, we could go to the bathroom right now...and have some fun in there.”

  The woman shivers. “You know, some women might find that creepy. Me?” She leans into my ear. “I’d rather go somewhere more private.”

  Her lips brush mine, leaving me at her will instantly. She smiles wickedly. “Your place sounds nice. I don’t want you knowing where I live.”

  “Fine by me!”

  And then we are walking out the door. She lets me put my arm around her as we wait for an Uber, because I might slump to the ground otherwise. She talks while we wait, making me laugh, her voice carrying me to a gradual soberness. When we get in the car, we hurry off to my apartment.

  “I’m Mary, by the way,” she says, kissing my ear. “If this goes well, maybe we can be friends with benefits. You’re pretty hot.”

  “Right back at you.”

  In no time at all, we’re at my complex. Well, it felt like no time, but it was probably more like a twenty-minute drive. Time is funky when I’m under the influence.

  We climb out of the car, tip the driver, and make out as we walk to the elevator, laughing all the way. When we step in, though, Mary kisses me behind the ear and another memory flashes through my mind.

  The first time Scarlet kissed me, she kissed me behind the ear. It was unexpected and so unbelievably amazing. It was a tender kiss, something meant for me alone. I remember knowing from that moment that she was the one for me. Her lips had been so soft, so pretty, so gentle and caring. I remember never wanting her to stop kissing me.

  I wince in the elevator when Mary kisses me a second time behind the ear. She notices and blinks at me. “What? You don’t like it?”

  “Uh, no...sorry. Kiss me on the lips instead,” I say, turning her chin back to my mouth. We continue, our hands exploring each other’s bodies. When the elevator stops, we stumble out, still glued together. My door is right across from the elevator, so I fumble in my pockets for the keys. “Give me a second, Scar—”

  “My name is Mary,” she says without a beat.

  “Isn’t that what I said?”

  When we burst into my apartment, we’re already ripping each other’s clothes off. We’re half-naked when I find the switch and kick the door closed. We go wild, kissing each other’s necks, biting and caressing.

  I remember the first time Scarlet and I had sex. It was in a tent at someone’s birthday party. Her gasps had turned me on like no one else’s had.

  I’m slowing down to the point where Mary is doing all the work. Now that I’m shirtless, she’s fumbling with my belt buckle, her hot breath on my neck. “What’s the matter? Do you want to fuck me or not?”

  I stand, looking over her shoulder out the massive window. San Francisco is lit up. Over the past few years, there’s been a lot of commotion in the city, with shifters going wild, attacking each other. But it’s peaceful now. There’s no reason to hold back.

  “I’m a dragon shifter,” I blurt.

  Mary pauses. “So?”


  “That doesn’t turn you off?”

  “I’m not a bitch like that...uh, what’s your name again?”

  “Arthur.”

  She gazes up at me and probably sees the turmoil in my eyes. She backs off and crosses her arms. She’s clad in only her bra and panties. Any guy would have killed to be with her, but I just can’t bring myself to reach up and tear those clothes off. Scarlet won’t leave my mind.

  “It’s not happening, is it?” she asks, frowning. “Oh, damn it. I thought you’d be fun to sleep with. But you’re all mopey right now. What, are you thinking about some ex or something?”

  I shrug. “Something like that. And yeah, sorry, but I changed my mind. I want to be alone right now.”

  Letting out an exasperated sigh, Mary picks up her clothes, puts them on, gathers her things, and walks to the door. “Next time you see me at a club, don’t bother walking up to me. Got it?”

  “Fair enough,” I growl.

  The door slams behind her, and I’m all alone.

  My inner dragon goes wild, scolding me for letting such a beautiful woman go. Though it’s not like I can help it. Even after all these years, the decision to leave Scarlet still haunts me. Every woman I try to get with reminds me of her. I feel like I’m always on the brink of cheating. I’ve almost gone crazy a few times.

  Back then, I was scared. I wasn’t ready to settle down. I was younger, stupider. I couldn’t see what was right in front of me.

  Scratching my head, I grind my teeth and pace, spewing out little fires as I walk. I don’t think Scarlet will ever leave my mind. I can’t stop going over what could have been. Maybe Scarlet and I would have been happy out in Nevada if we’d stayed together.

  Walking over to my bed, I try to hold my anger back but fail. I punch my comforter a dozen times, wishing I could clock my old self from four years ago. But now I have no way of reaching her. I don’t know her new phone number. I’ve got to find a way to move on.