Dating A Dragon (The Mating Game Book 2)

by Georgette St. Clair

  The Mating Game: Dating a Dragon

  Copyright 2016 by Georgette St. Clair

  This book is intended for readers 18 and older only, due to adult content. It is a work of fiction. All characters and locations in this book are products of the imagination of the author. No shifters were harmed during the creation of this book.

  License Statement

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Thanks so much for buying Dating a Dragon! For a free novelette full of sexy shifty goodness, and news about my latest releases, please sign up for my newsletter at http://mad.ly/signups/83835/join I blog regularly at www.georgettewrites.com, and my Facebook page is www.facebook.com/georgettewrites

  Chapter One

  Most of the time, Wynona Bennett loved owning a mating agency, but she was having one of those days. The heel on her new shoe had snapped off, the air conditioning was on the fritz, her very pregnant niece Daisy had just waddled in and needed to see her instantly about some urgent problem, and to top it all off, she’d just thrown a billionaire out of her office.

  Orion Garrison. Her richest client ever. Gone.

  She stood in her lobby and regretfully watched him stomp out the door of her office, thudding down the stairs. His broad back was rigid with anger, head held high. She could practically see the indignation radiating off him, right through his hand-tailored silk Italian suit. Now there was a guy who wasn’t used to hearing the word “no”.

  “Why are you throwing the hot guy out of your office?” Daisy asked her curiously. Yes, yes, he wasn’t just rich, he was gorgeous. Piercing amber eyes, silky black hair, sensual lips, cheekbones so sharp they could cut through glass.

  “He did indeed seem like an ideal mating prospect, based on physical appearance, at least,” her new executive assistant Gillian chimed in.

  Wynona scowled after him as the door to the street slammed. “Because he’s being a dick, excuse my French.”

  “That’s English. French would be ‘il est une bite’,” Gillian corrected Wynona, with flawless pronunciation and no sense of irony whatsoever.

  Wynona exchanged an amused glance with Daisy, who was sitting on the couch with her hands folded over her big pregnant tummy.

  Gillian was a dream of an executive secretary; punctual, highly educated, and relentlessly organized. But she wouldn’t recognize a joke if it bit her in the ass.

  Daisy glanced at the door. “He was so hot, though. On a scale of one to ten, he’s a twelve.” At Wynona’s raised eyebrow, she added, “What? I’m mated, not dead, for God’s sake.” Then she flashed a wicked smile and said, “And I didn’t say where Ryker fits on that scale.”

  “Where?” Wynona gave her niece a fond smile. Six months ago, she had arranged the mating between Daisy and Ryker Harrison.

  “Infinity.” Daisy patted her stomach with contentment. “You outdid yourself. Ryker is a keeper. Brought me breakfast in bed this morning before he left for work, as a matter of fact. And also did some other things I won’t mention in polite company. I meant Gillian, not you,” she added, directing that comment at Wynona. Then she looked at the door again. “Are you sure about kicking him out? There must be some lovelorn lady out there who’d be a good match for him.”

  “No, it just won’t work. He had a ridiculous list of demands, and he’s in no position to be so picky.”

  “But he’s so pretty,” Daisy protested.

  “He’s also a dragon.”

  “Ah.” Daisy nodded. “You’re right, he’s got a limited dating pool available. I’m surprised he even came here.”

  Most dragons kept to themselves, living with their clans in a big, wide open area of Nevada that the clans had collectively purchased so they’d have room to fly safely – their area of Nevada had been declared a no-fly zone for airplanes – and also because of their affinity for finding gold and jewels. They owned most of the gold, silver and opal mines in the state.

  “I guess he was getting pretty desperate. It’s not that easy for dragons to find a fertile mate,” Wynona said. “Plenty of women, but not that many who are able to carry dragonlings to term. As it so happens, I don’t even have any dragon females registered here. And I’m not going to look for any, because he’s a rude, entitled twat.”

  “Yeah, fair enough. No point in setting up a match that wouldn’t be happy.” Daisy glanced at Gillian. “Gillian, can you call in a derrick to hoist me off this couch, please?”

  “Oh, I’m sure that won’t be necessary,” Gillian reassured her. “You’re not that large. One or two strong males should be able to pull you to your feet, and realistically, there is no way to fit that type of equipment inside this building anyway. Shall I call for assistance? I believe the gentlemen in the office down the hall should—”

  “I got this,” Wynona interjected quickly. Gillian was actually about to call for help.

  Wynona flashed an exasperated look at her niece, grabbed her by the hand, and pulled her to her feet.

  “Must you?” she demanded of Daisy as she hustled her into her office and shut the door. “You did that on purpose. You know how literally she takes everything.”

  Daisy was shaking with laughter. “Yes, my dear aunt, I must. It’s part of the joy of visiting you.”

  “So other than that, why are you really here?” Wynona helped Daisy sink onto the couch that faced her desk, and then looked her over with an appraising eye. “Dear lord, are you ever pregnant, woman.”

  “Seriously? Get out. I thought my rack grew to a 40 double F cup because I’d prayed to the boobie fairy. Wait ’til I tell Ryker.” Daisy leaned back, accidentally knocking a pillow off the couch. “Ugh, I’m so clumsy these days. All right, down to business. I’m here because we’re setting Cadence up on a date. She needs cheering up.”

  Wynona looked at her skeptically.

  “Does Cadence know this yet?”

  Daisy waved a hand impatiently at the question. “Details, details. I’m swinging by her house in a bit, so I will inform her then. But you should get started now. She seems to prefer guys with dark hair, if that helps you narrow it down.”

  Wynona shook her head. “Daisy, remember, this is a mating agency, not a dating agency. I arrange for shifters to find their life mates. I don’t arrange casual hookups.”

  Daisy scowled. “Cadence really wants a family and a relationship, and she’s been totally depressed lately. She’s just losing her enthusiasm for everything. The other day I asked her to shift and go for a run with me, and she said she couldn’t. I said, okay, maybe tomorrow, and she said no, you don’t get it, I literally can’t. Then she got up and walked out of the room.”

  “That is odd, I admit,” Wynona acknowledged. “Strange thing to say. And I’ve never known her to be moody, either.”

  “It’s not work,” Daisy continued. “She loves working for that event planning company. She wants a mate. We just need to find her the right guy.”

  “I thought she said that she never wanted to settle down,” Wynona protested. “In fact, I specifically heard her say that.”

  “No, she said she that she is never going to settle down. Not that she doesn’t want to. When she comes to visit me and looks at the other families’ cubs, she gets this look on her face…she wants a family.”

  “But she hasn’t said that,” Wynona pointed out.


  “Cadence is my best friend.” Daisy got a stubborn look on her face. “Just because she hasn’t said it doesn’t mean she doesn’t want it.”

  Wynona just raised an eyebrow and stared at Daisy.

  “Seriously,” Daisy insisted.

  “Based on your gut feeling?” She shook her head decisively. “No. I would need to have her contact me and ask me. And then of course I’d be happy to help her search for a mate, assuming that’s what she wants. She’s cute, she’s fun, she’s a loyal friend, she can mix a mean margarita. Heck, if I weren’t heterosexual and determined to die single, I’d fix myself up with her.”

  “You do realize it’s weird to hear the founder of a mating agency say she’s going to die single.”

  “It was also weird to throw a surprise birthday party for my mate and find him in the kitchen getting mouth-to-dick resuscitation from my best friend. Former best friend. Boy, was I surprised.” Wynona’s brow wrinkled. “But just because my marriage went down in spectacular flames doesn’t mean I can’t help others find love.”

  “Like Cadence. Listen, it’s not just my gut feeling. I did a little snooping around.” Daisy assumed a self-righteous, determined expression. “Because I was worried about her.”

  “What have you done?” Wynona’s tone was sharp.

  At her rebuking tone, Daisy had the good grace to look a little embarrassed. “Okay, I maybe shouldn’t have done this, but the other day when I was at her house, I was in the living room and she was in the kitchen. And I heard the mailman deliver the mail through the kitchen door, and she swore kind of quietly but, you know, I’ve got that shifter hearing. So maybe I sneaked a peek through a crack in her kitchen door.”

  Wynona’s frown lines deepened. “Because you were worried.”

  “Exactly!” Daisy beamed at her. “Right? See what I good friend I am? I saw her open an envelope, look at the letter, and stuff it into her trash bin. Really far down. She hid it.”

  “And? Then what did you do?”

  Daisy sighed. “When she went to the bathroom, I went in and dug the letter out of the trash and looked at it real quick. It was from a fertility clinic! It said that she was exceptionally fertile.” She looked at Wynona appealingly. “See? So obviously she wants cubs! Why else would she do fertility testing, at her age?”

  “Oh, Daisy, for heaven’s sake!” Wynona slapped her hands down on her desk. “Snooping on Cadence? Deciding that you’re a better judge of what she needs than she is? You sound like—”

  Daisy sat bolt upright. “Don’t say it!”

  “Harriet!” Wynona finished. Harriet was Daisy’s mother-in-law.

  Daisy absolutely adored her, but nobody could deny that Harriet was an interfering busybody when it came to her family. She’d been so eager to make sure that Ryker found the right mate and gave her grandcubs that she had nearly ruined Ryker’s courtship. She had followed Daisy and Ryker around all over pack property, crashing his seduction attempts and generally making a nuisance of herself.

  Daisy skewered her aunt with a narrow-eyed glare. “I. Will. Get. You. You’d better sleep with one eye open, woman. There will be revenge.”

  “Well, I guess I’m doomed, then. You know where to find me.” Wynona turned on her computer and made a big show of ignoring Daisy. Then she glanced back up at her. “Do you need help getting up?”

  “No, I do not.” Daisy grabbed the arm of the couch and used it for leverage. She climbed to her feet with wounded dignity, and no small amount of grunting and groaning. “I am coming back here with Cadence, and we will at least discuss having her set up an account here. You’ll see I’m right.”

  “Sure thing, Dirty Harriet,” Wynona muttered as Daisy stalked out.

  “I heard that!” Daisy yelled, and let the door slam shut behind her.

  * * * * *

  Orion glared at the pile of rare steaks in front of him and ignored the stares of the other diners. He knew that his choice of meal gave away what kind of shifter he was.

  He was at the most expensive restaurant in Cedar Park, and he had just ordered ten filet mignons, with a side of twenty bread baskets. That said two things about him. One, he was able to afford to drop a couple thousand dollars on lunch. Two, he had an immense appetite; dragons needed to eat a lot to fuel their flame.

  The diners were sneaking peeks that were a mix of fear and fascination. He had the ability to turn into a beast that was twenty feet long, and enough firepower to scorch a city block with one breath. So yeah, some humans and animal shifters were understandably a little nervous around dragons.

  But not all.

  He saw several women glancing his way speculatively. He ignored them, and to ensure that they didn’t approach him, he picked up a filet mignon with his hands and shoved it into his mouth, tearing into it with his teeth and devouring half of it in one gulp.

  Unfortunately, that didn’t work to discourage two women in body-hugging cocktail gowns, who were striding towards him from the bar.

  A brief glance showed that they were dressed to the nines and glaring hatred at each other.

  He didn’t have to inspect them any further to see that they had dollar signs in their eyes. They looked at him and saw a very appealing sugar daddy. Dragons were legendary for their sexual appetites and also, of course, for their treasure hoards.

  When they got closer to the table, he picked up his steak knife, stabbed it into a hunk of meat, and held it up for a brief moment before tearing into it.

  Not even that discouraged them.

  “Get away from him, whore, he’s mine,” the brunette snarled at the blonde.

  “Gold-digging bitch.”

  “Slut. I’ll cut you.”

  As luck would have it, they were both cat shifters. The two started circling each other, claws out.

  He glanced at them as he chewed, mildly curious to see what would happen next.

  Fortunately, the maître’ d hurried up and chased them both off. He returned his attention to the plate in front of him.

  Once upon a time, he’d dated that type of woman, to fill the emptiness inside him. It had satisfied both his superficial needs and theirs; he’d draped expensive baubles on them, and they’d helped to temporarily slake the ache that he felt deep inside.

  Not anymore.

  Orion was old. He was one hundred and fifty, although he looked no older than thirty. The craving for a life mate, a dragon to fly beside him, was bone deep now. That and dragonlings.

  Unfortunately, modern technology had proved to be hell on dragons. Pesticides, air pollution, water pollution, GMO crops…dragon eggs these days had such thin shells that few survived all the way to their hatching. And many dragon women suffered from low fertility. It took them years to conceive, and when they did, their hatchlings didn’t make it.

  He had finally accepted the bitter truth, that he was not going to have both – he wouldn’t find love and a fertile female dragon who could carry his eggs.

  That was what he had tried to convey to the woman at The Mating Game. He didn’t need love. He wanted a woman who could successfully bear his eggs to term. She didn’t even necessarily have to stick around to raise them afterwards; if she wasn’t maternal, he’d raise his dragonlings himself, and the woman would be very well compensated for her trouble.

  He’d begun reciting his list of requirements for the mother of his dragonlings – attractive (after all, he would have to have sex with her), intelligent, college degree, physically healthy, not a drug addict, no criminal history – and Wynona, the owner of the mating agency, had booted him out.

  Him. Orion Garrison.

  Dominus of the Garrison Clan, CEO of Garrison Gold Industries, one of the richest dragons in the world.

  He’d never been thrown out of anywhere.

  Was it something he’d said?

  Probably. He would be the first to admit that he was hot-tempered, and not always tactful.

  Well, he’d been stupid to come to North Carolina anyway. He’d
been stupid to hope.

  Because of the severe decline in the dragon population, all female dragons were required to undergo fertility testing when they were of age, and if they were fertile, they had to place their names on the Mating Registry to be paired with an appropriate male. Most female dragons in America lived in his area, but he knew that some were scattered across the country.

  He had heard great things about the success of The Mating Game in finding life-mates for shifters. He’d prayed that Wynona could find him a mate who wasn’t yet listed with the registry.

  Currently the registry had no eligible female dragons who were listed as fertile, of childbearing age, and not related to him.

  His phone rang, and he glanced at it. His mother, Cynthia. He hadn’t told her he was coming to North Carolina; she was probably wondering where he was. He wasn’t ready to discuss his utter failure with her just yet.

  Chapter Two

  Cadence stood in the living room of her small rented house, looking around with regret. She’d only moved in a few months ago. She had just finished decorating it and had gotten it exactly the way she wanted it. On her limited budget, she’d bought her furniture at thrift stores and painted it in bright sherbet colors and reupholstered the chairs in matching shades. She’d sewn curtains the color of lemon sherbet and added raspberry-colored pom-pom trim. She’d arranged plants throughout the house to give it a lush, tropical look.

  Now the results of her fertility test meant she was going to have to leave all of this behind. Quickly.

  “Goodbye, Petunia,” Cadence said with a heavy sigh. “Goodbye, Violet. I’ll miss you, but you can’t go where I’m going.” The landlady had agreed to take all her plants.

  “Who are Petunia and Violet?” Daisy called out. She had walked in the front door without Cadence noticing. “There’s nobody else here.”

  Once upon a time Cadence would have been able to scent her approach before she got there. Not anymore.

  “The plants,” Cadence said, gesturing at the two potted plants she’d been talking to. She pointed. “That one’s a petunia, that one’s a violet. Come on, Daisy, that’s basic botany.”