by C J Matthew
“God, Heather. That sounds perfect to me. And to my sea dragon. He’s a black and white kind of guy and sometimes the teasing goes right over his head. And he pitches a fit because we haven’t made a commitment. But if you’re sure you love me…us…”
“I do. I love both of you, all of you. Could we possibly take a few steps forward? Help everyone to feel more secure?”
“You are the absolute best mate in the universe.”
“However, I’m a sea dragon’s mate who doesn’t know what the future steps are. For example, I accepted my first gift from the hoard, and I thought that went well. What’s next?”
“Okay, I see what you mean. Are you willing to be claimed? I’ll show you the hoard, drape you, and we’ll consummate with sex and then a ceremonial bite. Do you want to participate in those ceremonies with me?”
“One side question. When I nibbled on your tattoo, was that like a ceremonial bite? Is that why you reacted the way you did?”
“Yes. If you’d known what you were doing, it would have qualified as claiming. The whole thing made me so crazy. Did I—?”
“I love you even more when you’re crazy. So anytime you want to reenact our claiming, just speak up.”
“Believe me I will. Were you asking about the effects of claiming?”
“Yes, please.”
“You will be acknowledging we’re mates, for life. Gradually our aging rates will sync, you can very easily get pregnant, that will become my sea dragon’s only goal, and it would be almost a death sentence for one of us to leave the other.”
“I understand. And I want both of us to claim each other. Is now good?”
He roared with laughter, tossed her over his shoulder and started down the stairs.
“Wait,” she yelled. “Don’t I need a nice dress? At least comb my hair?”
“You’ll see, Treasure, when you and I spread out the hoard, we’ll have everything we need.”
* * *
Liam
Liam rested on his side, propped up on one elbow and watched his newly claimed mate sort loose rubies, lining up the stones by size. She was still naked and partially draped. Playing in the hoard had always had the same effect on him. A total lack of physical modesty shared by most shifters, and a child-like enjoyment of playing with priceless jewelry and antiques like they came from a junk bin.
He adjusted the pounded-metal, jewel-encrusted belt so it no longer dug into his side, and one of the many rings shoved on all his fingers slipped off. And triggered a memory. Where was Treasure’s engagement ring? He wanted to propose and talk about a human wedding.
“Heather? Do you remember where I put the backpack?”
“You left it in the middle of the upstairs hallway. Where I tripped over it.”
“I’m sorry. I was distracted by the thought of us in my shower. I’ll get—”
“The backpack isn’t there any longer. I moved it.”
“Where?”
“How about a little gratitude? That’s was the first and last time I ever pick up after you.”
“Are you trying to pick a fight?”
“I thought it was closer to nagging. Is it making you angry?”
“Absolutely. A test of my anger management skills?”
“I’d say you passed.”
“Then tell me where you put the backpack so I can get your ring.”
“What ring?”
He rolled his eyes at her, crossed to the door, and unzipped the backpack.
He came back to her, held up the ring and went down on one knee—on a pile of loose gem stones. “Ouch. I love you Heather Daniels, Will you—?”
“Wait,” she screeched. “I know this needs a lovely dress and maybe a restaurant, or a balmy beach. This part gets repeated at family gatherings in NY.
“‘Tell us how you met.’ ‘How did he propose?’ ‘How much did he pay for the diamond?’ ‘Retail?’”
Jeez. Where did she find her friends? “Family and friends are that nosey?”
“You have no idea. So do most sea dragon shifters propose on top of their hoards?”
“I’d never dream of asking them. Rude. Let’s plan to reenact this, just like the claiming. Tell me you’ll marry me, and let me give you a big wedding, and then we’ll do the proposal again tomorrow night.”
“I love you Liam. I will marry you and we’ll talk about who pays for my wedding later.”
He slid the ring on her finger. In the middle of the proposal acceptance kiss, he vowed to remember every amazing detail of this historic day for the rest of their long and happy lives together.
Thank you for reading this Celtic Zodiac Shifters romance.
A shifter’s mate is in the stars… Welcome to Celtic Zodiac Shifters, and Zodiac Shifters, two collections of books with an astrological spin on love. From Aries to Virgo… discover all-new tales of paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Zodiac Shifters features New York Times, USA Today, and other bestselling authors. Each month expect new releases based upon the twelve astrology signs. Happily Ever After… it’s our promise to you.
Learn more at http://zodiacshifters.com/
CJ Matthew’s release, Treasure, a Celtic Zodiac Shifters Book -Willow is her first contribution to the Celtic Zodiac Shifters series and also Book 3 in her ongoing Sea Dragon Shifter series which features an Irish clan of sea dragons posing as humans to run their international container shipping conglomerate, Muirdris.
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Did you miss the first two books in the Celtic Zodiac series?
Dragonstruck: A Celtic Zodiac Shifters Book: Paranormal Romance: Birch
Self-proclaimed science nerd and pharmaceutical botanist, Eilís Blair, finally landed her first field assignment, and not just any old research project—a year on Scotland’s Out Skerries studying plant life and ancient druidic healing practices. However, her nervous excitement is dampened when she’s seated beside a class-A jerk on her flight. Eilís is shocked when said jerk turns up on the same ferry as her and accuses her of stalking him!
Rock-star Harte Lawson has everything a man could want fame, fortune, and swarms of women he knows exactly how to satisfy. He also has a huge scaly secret—he’s a dragon-shifter. Once a year, under the moon of his birth sign, Harte returns to his ancestral home to guard the inhabitants of Draíochtia from outsiders. Especially ones claiming to be scientists.
Harte doesn’t know what to make of the woman who has his dragon rolling over and begging for belly rubs. Eilís is either a Hunter attempting to infiltrate his homeland or worse… his mate. One thing is for certain, he needs to put some distance between them and fast. When the woman falls into the North Sea, he has no choice but to break a sacred law and bring her across the magical boundary protecting Draíochtia. The druids will decide her fate…until then Harte must determine if she’s out to destroy his people or claim his heart.
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Dragonstruck-Celtic-Shifters-Paranormal-Romance-ebook/dp/B07KKY32D6
Slone's Bounty: A Celtic Zodiac Shifters Book: Paranormal Romance: Rowan
Sparks take hold and quickly a raging inferno burns everything away.
Naveen’s search for love comes to a halt when her mother’s death changes everything. On her last night in the human realm she meets another dragon, who sets a fire in her beast like no one ever before. But fate can be a bitch as she’s forced to face her family’s traditions head on and become a guardian for Draiochtia. As the protector she’ll have a target on her back, and someone is hell bent on taking her out.
Slone messed up when he gambled away a 60k loan. Now the bear shifter wants his money, and no one is offering any good paydays except for one questionable witch. She wants blood and she’s willing to pay some big bucks for the bounty. He never expecte
d his mate would be his bounty. The stakes get higher when his debt collector threatens his new mate if he doesn’t get paid. To protect her, he’ll have to take her blood and keep his secrets. With deception and lies surrounding him, he must find a way to clear everything up or lose it all.
Celtic Zodiac Shifters bring you Slone’s Bounty.
https://www.amazon.com/Slones-Bounty-Shifters-Paranormal-Romance-ebook/dp/B07KL5H1Y9
Read the first two books in CJ Matthew’s Sea Dragon Shifters Series:
Devlin: Sea Dragon Shifters Book 2
Elusive billionaire and sea dragon shifter, Murdoch Rudraige lives in the shadow of his successful twin and is tired of not being taken seriously within the Clan’s international shipping conglomerate.
Until Annalisa Bartello, an employee from California, crashes into the front gate of his seaside estate and assumes Murdoch is his twin brother. She is risking her life to bring them proof of a corporate traitor and he is lying to her.
Murdoch knows immediately that she's his mate - but how can she love him after she learns he’s the screw-up twin and a sea dragon?
Until it’s settled, Murdoch isn't willing to let her out of his sight. Not until he's certain she is safe, and he has had time to figure out how to explain dragon shifters to the curvy human.
Murdoch is book 1 of the Sea Dragon Shifters series. These stories contain mystery and action, feature strong heroines, sexy dragon heroes with love scenes intended for readers 18+
Each book can stand alone and ends in a Happily Ever After.
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Devlin-Sea-Dragon-Shifters-Book-book/dp/B07PZD6V9K
Devlin: Sea Dragon Shifters Book 2
Devlin’s predictable life was about to implode…
Thanks in part to a mystery woman’s New Year’s Eve kiss.
And a competitor’s unprecedented appeal for help.
Sea Dragon shifter Devlin was comfortable with the routine of his Tokyo-based shipping executive job and his solo existence. Until the unexpected events of New Year’s Eve tipped his entire life on edge. Was he ready for the challenges?
Was a crash course in drastic change a bad thing?
Like discovering the feisty human female is his fated mate?
And working with her, a virtual stranger, to track down a bomb toting madman?
You’ll love this book because everyone enjoys watching an odd couple become a team and work through their issues together.
Get it today from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Devlin-Sea-Dragon-Shifters-Book-ebook/dp/B07PZD6V9K
Also by CJ Matthew:
Sea Dragon Shifters
Murdoch
Devlin
Treasure: in Zodiac Shifters series
Kiernan – coming soon
Brogan – coming soon
The Colonel’s Daughters, A Quintet
A Major Seduction
A Major Affair
Compromising the Captain
The Paladin Group
Deadly Reboot
Survival Reboot
Maximum Reboot
Dolphin Shore Shifters Series
Blood Tide
Risky Tide
Dangerous Tide
Lethal Tide
Toxic Tide
Acknowledgements:
Thank you to my family for the years of unwavering support and encouragement.
A special thank you to my awesome editor Cheryl Barnes-Neff, who enforces all the rules of grammar, punctuation, etc. and still remains supportive and excited about my stories.
An extra thank you, Cheryl, for your enthusiastic advice on the fantasy aspects of this book.
Many thanks to the talented Sharon Lipman at Fantasia Cover Designs for my beautiful Sea Dragon Shifter series logo, and for each new gorgeous cover.
About the Author:
CJ Matthew, multi-published romance author, is introducing a new paranormal romance series, Sea Dragon Shifters for 2019. Book 1, Murdoch, introduces the Irish clan of sea dragons posing as humans and running their international conglomerate, Muirdris Shipping.
CJ grew up in an Air Force family that travelled all over the U.S. and around the world. She spent her high school and university years living in California, which inspired her love of marine life and the Pacific Ocean. And she loves to write about cities worldwide.
A member of Georgia Romance Writers (GRW) Romance Writers of America, CJ lives and writes near a lake in the woods northeast of Atlanta. When she isn't writing or reading romances, CJ likes to travel and to spend time with her two grown children, a brilliant grandson, and a feisty cat named Max.
Keep up with CJ Matthew:
Website: www.cjmatthew.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CJMatthew
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CJMatthewauthor
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/CJ-Matthew/e/B013PUB3NO/
Reminder: each book in every CJ series can stand alone, they don’t need to be read in any particular order, and there are never cliffhangers.
Treasure, Sea Dragon Shifters Book 3, Celtic Zodiac series - Willow
Published by All Huston Group, Inc.
Copyright 2019 by All Huston Group, Inc.
Cover copyright 2019 by Sharon Lipman at Fantasia Covers
ISBN: 978-0-9994640-4-5 epub
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
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