Carnelian Dragons: Syenite: 7 Virgin Brides for 7 Weredragon Billionaires - Aristocrats, #1

By Starla Night

Evalina is bold. Sparkly. Human.

Her pink lips curve in easy, irresistible smiles. 

Her hips sway in soft lace and dark velvet.

She could have any male in this crowded bar, but she reaches her hand out to ultra-professional dragon shifter bodyguard Syen, inviting him, just for a moment, to forget himself.

But his enemies haven't forgotten. Loving Evalina puts her into danger--but she's also the key to freeing him once and for all.

 

This is a heartfelt standalone novella in the USA Today bestselling paranormal 7 Virgin Brides for 7 Weredragon Billionaires series. No cliffhangers, no cheating, and total dragon shifter satisfaction! Grab your favorite cocktail and settle in for a sexy tale of scales and sparkles.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wendy Lynn Clark Publishing
• Release date: May 11, 2018
• ISBN: 9798201979973

Book preview

ONE

Eva, someday, your prince will come .

Eva’s grandmother had repeated that fairytale every time Eva’s dad dropped her off and forgot about her for a month or ten. It was usually spoken while she painted Eva’s small nails with magical purple sparkles to help her feel special.

Just be patient, my dear.

Decades later, Eva eased through crowds of young, demure college students at the art-themed bar. Techno music pounded her skull.

She raised her rainbow-sparkle fingernails and caught the attention of Chloe, her friend and part-time bartender. One ‘Unicorn Farts’ cocktail, please.

Chloe cupped her ear and shouted. What?

Unicorn Farts! Eva shouted back. Extra glitter!

Chloe made the thumbs up, constructed the rainbow-colored drink, and slid it down to Eva. How about your date?

Something came up…

Chloe’s smile faltered. He stood you up? At dinner? Do you need something? I have a granola bar in my purse.

I ate by myself.

You should have called!

Eva waved her off. You were working. I wanted to try that restaurant, anyway.

But it’s your special day… You want me to find you someone?

No, no. Eva flubbed her lips. I’m not that desperate.

Sure? Chloe teased, then leaned across the wide bar and enfolded Eva in a more serious hug. In Eva’s ear, she could speak at a normal volume and still be heard. "You don’t have to take a guy home. Just be open to meeting new people. Not strangers on the internet who’ll ghost you instead of meeting. Not a guy you were friends with in high school who you know is emotionally unavailable. A real, live, physical person who’s new. Anything could happen."

Why do I need new people when I have good friends like you?

Chloe snorted and squeezed her again. "Well, I am pretty great…"

The other bar patrons waved to catch her eye.

She released Eva. Everybody’s out on the dance floor. I’ll see you on my break.

Eva lifted her credit card. Start my tab.

Forget that! Chloe waved and headed to serve the next customer. Happy thirtieth!

Thank you! Eva tried to smile and sipped her drink.

Apparently, unicorn farts were one part rose cream, one part cake vodka, one part banana liqueur, and one part peach Schnapps. Her tongue burned. That seemed fitting.

She meandered toward the bobbing dance floor.

It was funny that unicorns were popular this season after five solid years of dragons. Of course, dragons being popular as a theme was understandable since exactly five years ago dragon aliens from space had landed their spaceships on Earth soil and said, Surprise, you’re not alone!

In fact, dragons had surveyed Earth in the Middle Ages and decided it was a useless backwater planet with no valuable resources, so they’d gone on to ignore it for several hundred years.

Humans were the only species in the universe that couldn’t shift forms. Some genetically recessive trait only existed on Earth, probably due to the lack of valuable minerals.

It had been a big deal when they’d landed, with constant coverage on TV, but most of the Dragon Empire still thought Earth was useless and ignored them. Only a few hundred dragons ever even settled on Earth, they restricted their technology, and nobody got to voyage around the galaxy. One family had even settled right across the river in a field outside of Vancouver, Washington. But aside from the occasional spaceship that flew overhead, nothing much in Portland, Oregon had changed, and the news had just kind of faded away.

Like Eva’s dating opportunities.

Eva sipped her unicorn cocktail and studied the bar.

Chloe wasn’t wrong. Eva had a long record of picking guys who kept their distance. Her online therapist would say that made it easier to reinforce the narrative that there was something wrong with her, when in actuality, Eva had a lot going right.

She was big, which meant she could see over half the crowd to pick out her friends. She was heavy, which meant she’d be the last person targeted by a predator. And she was naturally blonde, which meant her hair took up any color she wanted—including the teal-magenta-violet ombré her stylist had given her shoulder-length locks this morning.

But shoving her way into the bouncing crowd to dance was so much work, and dangerous, too. Someone could throw an elbow. It was so much easier to lean against a black-painted building support column and wait for her friends to tire of dancing and find her. She was good at waiting, and she liked people watching.

Take the guy a few feet over, leaning against the next grungy black pillar.

He was hot, like molten lava hot, in a black-on-black tailored suit that accented his impossibly broad shoulders, bulging biceps, trim waist, and powerful thighs. And he was mysterious in a literal I-wear-my-sunglasses-at-night and leveled it up by wearing them indoors. Short brown hair and a chiseled jaw completed the spymaster look.

And he was looking at her.

Probably. The sunglasses made it hard to tell for sure, but it looked like he was staring straight at her. His lips parted as if in shock.

Tingling awareness flooded her private places, tightening her nipples and causing her pussy to clench with heat.

She gazed back, sipping her drink, testing how long he would stare.

He didn’t look away.

Heat crackled between them.

His nostrils flared as if he scented her. He was a dangerous male, and she was his chosen female.

Or she was mistaken, and he wasn’t looking at her. The sunglasses were completely opaque. His gaze could be fixed anywhere.

Eva drained her drink and stepped away to return the empty glass.

His face tilted to follow her movement.

Her breath caught.

He was staring at her. In a hard, attentive, mesmerized manner.

Or because something was wrong with her.

Eva rocked on her heels, caught between conflicting desires.

She didn’t have to take a guy home. She could just walk up, introduce herself, and talk to him. He might be waiting for a girlfriend. It only cost thirty seconds to find out.

Of course, after thirty seconds, she might say something stupid and be even more embarrassed and alone, whereas if she didn’t approach him, she could stretch out the magic of what-ifs and make-believe all night.

Just be patient, my dear.

Waiting was so much safer.

Eva squared her shoulders. She was already thirty. How much longer was she going to wait?

She wove through the crowd and stopped in front of him.

He oriented on her.

She clenched her purse. It was quieter next to the pillar. She wouldn’t have to scream in his face to be heard. Hi.

He tilted his head in subtle acknowledgment.

Um…I thought you were staring at me.

He gave another subtle nod.

You were? Is everything okay?

Yes.

His voice was a quiet, pleasant tenor, but his monosyllabic answer was functional and short.

This conversation was going nowhere. Eva slid a step backward, her body exiting before she was quite able to give up. Uh, why were you staring?

Because you are beautiful.

She had misheard. Huh?

You are beautiful.

Heat enveloped her in sudden shock, and her heart thumped. I? I am?

He nodded. Subtle, functional, short.

Um, thank you. Heat burned her cheeks and her heart continued to thump. Don’t get too excited. She swallowed her suddenly dry mouth and tried not to trace the impressive curve of his hard biceps. "Are you