by Zoe Chant
“You can’t ask her after you’ve married her, you idiot,” Dylan called out among the laughter of their friends.
Raul gave him a quick grin, but then returned his eyes to Claire’s.
“Claire, you’ve given me so much more than I’d ever hoped to find,” he said. “My heart is yours, forever.”
Briefly, his eyes lingered where her belly hadn’t yet started to swell, but where even now, tiny as a snowflake, new life was beginning.
Through the bond, she felt his awe and tenderness. Even though they’d agreed to keep it a secret for now, she couldn’t keep herself from briefly resting her hand against her belly, lovingly whispering to the tiny spark within her, You’ll have the best daddy anyone could possibly have.
His eyes shone with the same overwhelmed joy she felt. For a moment, he reached out, covering her hand with his own.
I love you, little spark, he said tenderly.
Then he drew his hand away, looking up into her eyes.
“I’ve given you my ring, and I’ve given you my heart. But I also want you to have my dragon’s heart. It’s where it belongs. My heart has found its home with you. Forever.”
Gently, he pulled a necklace from his pocket and dropped it into her hand.
An excited murmur rose from the crowd, but Claire wasn’t able to look away from what was now resting on her palm.
It was a ruby—but not just any ruby. This was the jewel her hand had pulled from the pile of treasure. It was the uncut, dull gem that had saved their life, down in Alistair’s lair. It was the heart stone of Raul’s dragon.
But now it was no longer dull and lifeless. It had been cut and polished to perfection, so that every side of the jewel reflected the light in a myriad shades of red. It was like holding a living flame in her hand.
Against her skin, she could feel its warmth. She could also feel the power of Raul’s dragon concentrated within it, the fiery essence of him, his strength and unbridled passion—and the overwhelming love that kept him by her side.
She held the ruby back out to him, biting back tears of utter happiness as she thought of the great adventure of parenthood before them. “Will you put it on for me?”
She’d worn a simple necklace that had once belonged to his grandmother—but she thought that his grandmother would understand. After all, it was not every day that a dragon gave you his heart.
And this was the most special heart of all. Her Christmas Dragon’s heart.
And it was worth more to her than all the treasures in the world.
***
A note from Zoe Chant
Thank you for buying The Christmas Dragon’s Heart! I hope you enjoyed it. If you’re starting the series here and would like to know more about the dragon shifters of Snow Castle, the story of Henrik and Dara is told in The Christmas Dragon’s Mate.
Please click on the title to write a review of The Christmas Dragon’s Heart. I love hearing what my readers think!
If you’d like to be emailed when I release my next book, please click here to be added to my mailing list. You can also visit my webpage, or follow me on Facebook or Twitter.
And keep paging through to read a special sneak preview of another book I wrote, Mated to the Storm Dragon.
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More Paranormal Romance by Zoe Chant
The Christmas Dragon’s Mate. (Christmas Valley Shifters #1). A lonely bookkeeper in search of Christmas + a mysterious dragon shifter with a past full of pain + a beautiful snow castle hiding a ruthless enemy = one glittering Christmas romance!
Mated to the Storm Dragon. A curvy artist down on her luck + a dragon shifter running out of time + a powerful enemy with an ancient grudge = a romance as hot as dragon fire!
The Bear Comes Home For Christmas. A curvy woman who's alone at Christmas + a hard-working bear shifter who needs to get in touch with his animal side + a cozy cabin in the middle of nowhere = a red-hot holiday romance!
A Snow Leopards' Christmas. (Glacier Leopards #6). Christmas is coming, and everything is going wrong...
A Pinerock Bear Christmas. (Bears of Pinerock County #6). At Christmastime, anything is possible...
The Dragon Prince’s Baby Bargain. He's a dragon prince promised in an arranged marriage to a princess who's just disappeared. She's a lonely virgin on vacation who just happens to look exactly like the missing princess. Has he got an offer for her...
A Mate for the Dragon. A curvy woman with a broken heart + a hot dragon shifter with a haunted past + a deadly clan of evil dragons = one sizzling and suspenseful romance!
DefenderDragon. (Protection, Inc. # 2). A curvy backpacker who loses a shoe at a ball + a lonely dragon prince facing an arranged marriage to a princess he doesn’t love + magnificent castles and deadly assassins = one thrilling romance!
The Billionaire Dragon Shifter’s Christmas (Gray’s Hollow Dragon Shifters #3) A curvy newlywed wife + a dragon shifter mayor + a small town Christmas celebration = one snowy, sexy holiday romance!
Bear Cop. (Enforcer Bears #1). A BBW baker with a troubled past + a protective bear shifter cop with a secret of his own + an accident that leaves them stranded in the wilderness = one untamed romance!
Wedding Bear. (Enforcer Bears #3). A curvy librarian in desperate need of a date + a bear shifter in search of a home + the past that's pursuing him = one sweet and steamy small-town romance!
Bear Guard. (Enforcer Bears #5) A lonely secretary who doesn't know she's a shifter + a protective bear shifter guard + a mob attack = a small town romance that'll make you purr!
The Easter Bunny's Bear. A BBW bunny shifter with a pony farm + a lonely bear shifter hunting a dangerous werewolf + a criminal werewolf pack causing trouble = one steamy springtime romance!
TheBear’sChristmasBride. A BBW who's alone at Christmas + a lonely bear shifter searching for his mate + a crowded house full of relatives = a snowy yet sizzling holiday romance!
HollywoodShifters’ Christmas. (Hollywood Shifters # 4) Three hot Hollywood shifters+ three curvy mates = three holiday romances in one sizzling story!
And many more!
Zoe on Audio
Dancing Bearfoot – Audiobook - A single dad from the city + his daughter's BBW teacher + a surprise snow storm = a steamy story that will melt your heart.
KodiakMoment – Audiobook - Workaholic wildlife photographer + loner bear shifter + Alaskan wilderness = one warming and sensual story.
HeroBear - Audiobook - A wounded Marine who lost his bear + a BBW physical therapist with a secret + a small town full of gossips = a hot and healing romance!
***
If you love Zoe Chant, you’ll also love these books
The Billionbear's Winter Angel, by Annora Lynn. Curvy Ella meets handsome billionaire bear shifter Martin at a holiday fundraiser. When Ella is kidnapped, only Martin's polar bear can find her in the freezing cold of this snowy winter's night.
Billionbear Heir, by Annora Lynn. Curvy fashion designer Cat returns to her hometown—only to stumble straight into the arms of bear shifter Marius, heir to a fortune. Can Cat learn to love again, and can Marius protect his new-found mate and reclaim his father's legacy?
Laura’s Wolf, by Lia Silver. Werewolf Marine Roy Farrell, scarred in body and mind, thinks he has no future. Curvy con artist Laura Kaplan, running from danger and her own guilt, is desperate to escape her past. But together, they have all that they need to heal. A full-length novel.
The Christmas Tree Bear, by Rosie Lynne. Bear shifter Willis Barnett meets his fated match in Charlotte Caldwell when she hopes to earn extra money as Santa Helper’s on Willis’ family farm turned Christmas Tree Town for the holidays. A romantic comedy novella.
The Strength of the Pack, by Jorrie Spencer. Seth Kolski, a werewolf, hides his heritage and passes for normal. Until he meets Jamie.
Taming the Beast, by Honey Dover. Beauty is a paranormal investigator hired to deal with a man cursed to become a monstrous beast. Helping him recover his humanity will change her lif
e.
Claimed by the Wolf, by Candi Jackson. Zenobia Jones ends up pregnant after a night with a billionaire—and lands herself in a war between werewolf packs. A full-length novel.
The Right Bear's Arms, by Nora Eli. After a sizzling one night stand with bear shifter Jake, curvy Katie realizes her perfect man is everything she's tried to avoid. If they can both stop running from their pasts, they may find a destined future together.
Dragon’s Luck (Shifter Agents # 3) by Lauren Esker. Gecko shifter and infiltration expert Jen Cho teams up with sexy dragon-shifter gambler "Lucky" Lucado to win a high-stakes poker game. Now they're trapped on a cruise ship full of mobsters, mysterious enemy agents, and evil dragons! A full-length novel.
Discovering the Dragon, by Sofia Stone. When reporter Chloe Martin investigates Lancaster Gold, she finds herself tangled up with the oldest son—Isaac Lancaster, billionaire dragon shifter.
***
Mated to the Storm Dragon
By Zoe Chant
Special Sneak Preview
Trust Jeff Tyler to make use of any chance to get some publicity for his gallery.
Naomi blinked into the blinding flashes of the cameras, smiling nervously at the waiting reporters. Jeff had told her to dress nicely for Mr. Mysterious Billionaire—but Jeff had failed to mention that he’d invited the press.
Naomi had put on her favorite black cocktail dress for the occasion. These days, it was also her only nice dress, but it hugged all of her curves in just the right way. And the mysterious buyer wouldn’t know that it had lasted her five years already, after she got it on clearance.
“Smile, baby!” Jeff hissed in her ear, grinning triumphantly at the cameras.
It went on for way too long, but a moment later, she was saved from all the attention when a newcomer entered the gallery. Flashes went off again, and the man froze for a moment, a displeased look on his face.
Then he strode forward, disregarding the gathered journalists—coming straight towards where Naomi and Jeff were waiting.
That has to be the mysterious buyer.
Naomi felt her knees go weak. She didn’t know what she’d been expecting. Eccentric billionaires, in her mind, were old and feeble, with white hair and flashy glasses, spending their afternoons by a pool, where they made bids at art auctions from their phone.
But there was nothing old or eccentric about this man.
He had to be in his thirties, with the broad shoulders and incredible biceps of a man working at a construction site, and not someone who lazed around on a patio all day.
His hair was a peculiar color somewhere between blond and brown, as if he spent enough time outside that the sun had bleached strands to gleaming gold. It looked a little windswept, although surely someone rich enough to drop twenty thousand dollars on a painting wouldn’t walk here.
Perhaps he’d just stepped from the private jet that had brought him here—or a helicopter. She couldn’t quite pin it down, but there was something about him that made her think of gusts of wind tugging at his hair, and the warmth of a gentle summer breeze.
But right now, there was nothing gentle about his expression.
He strode forward with powerful steps, exuding an air of command. He stopped in front of Jeff, displeasure on the handsome, rugged face that made something inside Naomi tighten with unexpected need.
“I said I wanted to meet the artist,” the stranger said, his voice accompanied by an angry rumble in his chest. “I said nothing about reporters.”
“Now, now,” Jeff said breezily, turning to beam at the gathered reporters once more. “Just a bit of fun for the press, won’t take a minute, and then I’ll let you and Naomi have a chat.”
The stranger gave Jeff a disbelieving look, his eyes narrowing with obvious displeasure when another flash went off—and then he turned, and for the first time, Naomi looked straight into his eyes.
She felt as if lightning had struck her. As though someone had pulled the ground away from beneath her feet. She was falling, falling... and yet she was still aware of standing in the gallery, next to Jeff, looking at the stranger in front of her.
The stranger had her dragon’s eyes.
She gasped very softly. She couldn’t look away. His eyes were a light gray—the color of storm clouds, filled with the distant illumination of lightning.
She’d never seen anything like it. She’d never felt anything like it.
No, that wasn’t right. She’d felt it once—that one night of overwhelming inspiration, that final night before the constant worries and work drained away what was left of her creativity.
That entire night, she’d felt as though she was carried along by an incredible force—a storm that had picked her up and pulled her along. She’d imagined riding through thunder and clouds and laughing at lightning, filled with a deep, overwhelming joy at the powers of nature.
That had been the image she’d seen in her mind, the picture she’d painted with bold strokes and little dabs for detail: a dragon, master of the elements, a powerful creature commanding the wind.
Freedom.
That was what the dragon had been—and that was what she also saw in the eyes of the stranger.
“I’m sorry,” he now said, his voice a little hoarse. “I’m Gregory Drago. You must be the artist.”
“Naomi Edwardson.” She gave him an overwhelmed smile.
Again a flash went off far too close, blinding her for a moment so that she flinched.
A heartbeat later, he’d taken hold of her elbow, shielding her from the cameras with his body. At the contact, another shiver went through her. For a moment, she could feel the wind on her face, taste the freedom that had seemed out of reach for so long now...
Then the reporters came forward, clearly overjoyed at the chance to get a picture of the mysterious billionaire protecting the artist.
“Jeff!” Naomi called out, frustrated by the way he’d yet again used her success to orchestrate this ridiculous PR event for his gallery.
But Jeff didn’t answer. As the reporters came crowding closer, she couldn’t even see him anymore. Hadn’t he been right beside her a moment ago?
“Wait a moment—here!” Gregory said triumphantly, still pressed so close that she could feel the heat of his body.
He reached out behind here. There was a sudden click—and then something opened, and she found herself pushed through into what was revealed to be a tiny storage room, crammed full of boxes.
Another storm of flashes was let loose, and Gregory firmly pulled the door close behind them.
And just like that, everything was dark.
She could still hear the sounds of the journalists outside. The door was rattling now, but fortunately there was a key on the inside, which Gregory used to lock it.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the room has a key because Jeff’s having an affair with that new secretary of his, Naomi thought, and then her mind fell silent when she became aware that she was trapped in a cramped space with the most incredibly handsome and charismatic man she’d ever seen.
A man who was forced to stand so close, thanks to the towering stacks of wooden boxes, that her breasts were brushing against his chest.
Naomi felt herself flush, glad of the darkness now.
“I’m sorry,” Gregory murmured. “That wasn’t how I imagined our meeting would go.”
“Oh?” she said lightly, trying to hide the fact that her heart was hammering in her chest. “And do you do this often? Spend ridiculous amounts of money on unsuspecting artists?”
He laughed softly. She shivered again at the way she could feel his breath against her cheek.
“I do collect... and you could say that I have a special interest in dragons. But it’s mostly the older masters. Medieval works too. You know, back when people still thought dragons were real.”
“So mine is an exception?” She swallowed, barely daring to breathe, simultaneously afraid and excited by the way her body kept brushing his in the tiny space.
“It is.” He spoke very softly, although his voice was earnest. “I don’t know how to explain it, but in your painting I saw the same emotion I see in those older paintings.”
“Back when people thought dragons were real.” She felt herself smile at the thought. “I guess you could say that for one night, that dragon was real for me. When I painted him, it was as if I saw him. His power. His joy. His command of the elements. There was something so primeval about him, something ancient. He was the storm. He was freedom.”
Gregory drew in a shuddering breath.
Then someone rattled at the door handle, and Naomi flinched instinctively. A moment later, she became aware of the heat of Gregory’s arm that had wrapped protectively around her shoulder. It was too dark to see him, but she could still feel the heat of his breath.
“Ignore them,” he murmured. “They’ll leave when they get bored.”
“I assume you’re very familiar with being stalked by reporters.” She didn’t move, her heart beating in her throat at the way his arm hadn’t dropped away either.
It was nice. More than nice. When was the last time a man had embraced her?
With the way her life had gone to hell, she hadn’t even thought about dating in quite a while. Perhaps she was only feeling like this because it had been so very long... But something about him felt strangely familiar.
The scent of the night air clung to him, something wild and daring and adventurous. And beneath it all, there was a warm sensuality that seemed to whisper that he would protect her from any storm.
Freedom. It felt like freedom, being held in his arms.
All of a sudden, she saw possibilities opening up again before her.
It wasn’t just the money. But with the money she could pay her rent, and she wouldn’t have to worry for at least a year. She could go out and see a movie with a friend if she wanted. She could paint again. She could even try and date.
But with Gregory so close, all she could think of was the way his body felt against hers.