Dragon Heat 2 - Red Hot Dragon

BOOK: Dragon Heat 2 - Red Hot Dragon
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Red Hot Dragon

Dragon Heat Book 2

Lolita Lopez

New York Boston

Begin Reading

Table of Contents

An Excerpt from
Dead Sexy Dragon

Newsletters

Copyright Page

In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading,

and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the

publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual

property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for

review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the

publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the

author’s rights.

Acknowledgments

On its journey to publication, this book passed through

many talented hands. Huge thanks to the team at Forever

Yours, especially Latoya Smith, for bringing Griffin and

Avani’s story to life.

Chapter One

Awash in adrenaline, Griffin Cadogan eyed his opponent

across the sparring cage. He danced from foot to foot as he

waited for Mad to make his move. The springy mat was

cool beneath his bare soles. Though they’d been at this for

nearly half an hour, it wasn’t the physical exertion making

him so hot. No, tonight his mating phase would begin.

Already his body was beginning to show the subtle signs

as his forced shifting approached.

Like a raging bull, Mad charged him. Griff stepped into

the oncoming assault but twisted his upper body just

enough to escape the brunt of his cousin’s impact. Griff

kneed him right in the stomach and slammed his elbow

into the other man’s back. But it wasn’t enough to slow

Mad down, and he wrapped his arms around Griffin’s

waist. They fell to the mat with so much force they

bounced.

Limbs entangled, they grappled and slapped. Anyone

who caught a glimpse of them fighting would have

assumed they were engaged in a death match. In fighting

without gloves or protective head gear, they were

breaking the rules of the mixed-martial-arts training

facility they owned, but since they had the place to

themselves for the afternoon no one would be the wiser.

Griff tried to get Mad in a headlock, but the other man

twisted and arched his back to avoid being pinned in a bad

position. Griff’s inner beast struggled to be set free. The

primal urge to destroy threatened to overwhelm him, but

he wasn’t worried about hurting Madoc. They’d been

fighting this way for centuries. If anyone had the strength

and skill to beat his ass when he was on the verge of going

into heat and unleashing his dragon, it was Mad.

But today his cousin seemed off his game. Quite out of

character, Mad let Griff get the upper hand. It was only a

fractional slip, but it was enough for Griff to wrap his legs

around Mad’s waist and clamp his arm around the other

man’s neck. Though Mad kicked and smacked, he couldn’t

break free. With a frustrated howl, Mad slapped Griff’s

forearm three times and tapped out.

Griff let go immediately and rolled Mad onto his back.

“You okay, man?’

Mad shot him the finger and dragged a long, shuddery

breath into his lungs.

Laughing, Griff plopped down on his backside and

stretched out his aching legs. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Leaning back on his hands, he studied his cousin. There

was no mistaking the tiredness in him, and it wasn’t just

from this fight. “Are you still having those dreams?”

Mad threw an arm over his eyes and breathed slow and

deep. “Yes.”

For the last three weeks, Mad had been experiencing

vivid dreams. At first, they had been fairly innocuous.

He’d dreamed of beautiful beaches, tequila-fueled nights,

and even a wild foam party in a warehouse-style

nightclub. They’d both assumed Mad was tapping into the

dream energy of a neighbor. It wasn’t uncommon for their

dragonkind to trespass into dreams.

But then the dreams had taken a darker, worrying turn.

“What did you dream last night?”

Mad didn’t answer straight away. Finally, he said, “I

was in a cage or a cell.”

“Like a prison?”

“Maybe,” he said uncertainly. “It was definitely

underground. I could feel the dampness on my skin and

smelled its musty wetness. And I was hungry, Griff. So

damn hungry. I woke up, stumbled downstairs, and tore

through all of the food in my refrigerator. I ate so much I

got sick,” he admitted softly. “But I couldn’t shake that

gnawing hunger clawing at my stomach.”

Concern rippled through him. “Have you talked to

Ignatius?”

“I did.”

“And?”

“And he told me sometimes we have to slay the beast.”

Griff rolled his eyes at their leader’s cryptic reply.

“What the hell does that mean?”

“I don’t know,” Mad said, his voice filled with

resignation. “Maybe he means I’m literally supposed to go

out and hunt down whoever is filling my head with all

these crazy images.”

Griff grumbled softly. “I don’t think that’s such a good

idea. You could be walking into a trap. It wouldn’t be the

first time the Knights used a seer or someone with

empathic abilities to screw with a dragon’s head.”

“It doesn’t feel malicious.” He rubbed his chest. “It

feels desperate.” Mad let his arm fall back to the mat. He

met Griff’s gaze. “I can’t go on like this. I may not have a

choice.”

Griff could see what these dreams were doing to Mad,

and he agreed that they had to be stopped. Who would be

powerful enough to project dreams as a call for help? The

possibilities worried him, especially if Mad struck out on

his own. “Will you at least wait until I’ve finished this

mating phase? I’ll come with you.”

“Sure.”

He opened his mouth to ask him where they would start

their search but the wild vibration of an approaching

dragon gripped his gut. Every dragon of his acquaintance

had a specific feeling, but this one he didn’t recognize.

The vibrations filled him with a bright, trembling

sensation of excitement. The alien sensation was

unsettling.

Griff pushed off the mat and rose to his full height. Mad

was a little slower getting off the floor. They climbed out

of the ring and crossed the gym to the main entrance. The

vibrations in Griff’s stomach pushed into his chest. A

pulsing heat burned him. He rubbed the spot just over his

heart and glanced at Mad. His cousin didn’t seem to be the

least bit affected.

The double doors burst open and a woman appeared.

Her scent hit him like a ton of bricks. Swaying on his feet,

Griff backed up a step and tried to clear his hazy mind.

Alluringly sweet and spicy, the smell invaded his lungs.

His inner beast snapped with lust and need. This woman,

whoever she was, had ignited his desire.

Griff let his hungry gaze roam her petite frame. He’d

never seen a skirt look so good. The hip-hugging fabric

outlined her body in all the right ways. A fitted blouse

with the top buttons popped open displayed her curves.

She wore her jet-black hair coiled at the back of her head.

Emeralds dangled from her earlobes. The glimmering

green jewels accentuated her silky brown skin. His

fingertips buzzed as he wondered what it would be like to

stroke her face.

She turned her dark eyes on him. Something about her

was so familiar. When she waved her hand up and down,

he spotted the white handkerchief.
What in the hell?

“Griffin Cadogan?”

Her gentle voice spilled over him like sunshine. “Yes?”

“I’d like to request we put our family’s little blood feud

aside for the duration of my visit.”

Blood feud? The shock of her identity smacked him

right in the face. “Avani Monroe?”

Her lips curved in a teasing smile. “They told me you

were the smart one.”

Trying to ignore the needful pull tugging at him, Griff

narrowed his eyes. “You’re either very brave or very

stupid to come into our gym.”

“I assure you I’m neither stupid nor brave.” She took a

hesitant step closer. “No, it’s desperation that brought me

to my enemy’s door.”

Her somber tone struck a chord with him. Against his

better judgment, he asked, “What do you want?”

Her sexy, sinful grin knocked the air right out of his

lungs. “You.”

* * *

Feeling anything but confident, Avani ignored the

nervousness wobbling in her lower belly and tried to

maintain the cool, controlled façade that had served her so

well in business. Her gaze skipped to Ian Madoc. Griffin’s

cousin stared at her with amusement and interest. She

glanced back to the man she desperately needed to help

her.

Surprise spread across Griffin’s face. She spotted the

briefest flare of crimson in his pale blue irises as that

beastly Welsh Red tried to surface. Like her, he was only

hours away from going into heat. She figured that was the

reason the two cousins had been knocking the crap out of

one another. She preferred the more enlightened methods

of fasting and meditation to ease her transition, but

apparently these two dragons still clung to the older, more

barbaric customs.

She examined Griffin more closely. His size made her

nervous. She’d heard he was a big man, but she hadn’t

BOOK: Dragon Heat 2 - Red Hot Dragon
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