Emerald [Pyrate's Treasure 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

Pyrate's Treasure 2

Emerald

Past trauma has kept Emerald Pyrate hiding from the world on Pyrate Island for eight years. She has built a comfortable life working for the resort and writing her children's stories, which she makes no effort to try and publish. Then her mate arrives on the island and the wolf's attraction overrules her fear of humans.

Literary agent Nick Christopher discovered the most amazing children's author, but she refuses to come to his office to meet. When he arrives on Pyrate Island, he meets Emerald and quickly realizes he wants her, not just as an author to represent to the publishing community, but also as the woman in his life.

Will Emerald be able to overcome her past to leave her beloved island? If she cannot, will her mate leave her behind to go back to New York? Or will their love give her the strength to face the world again?

Genre:
Contemporary, Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves
Length:
22,492 words
 

Pyrate’s Treasure 2

Cooper McKenzie

EROTIC ROMANCE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED:
Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device.
You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book.
This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer.

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at

[email protected]

IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

EMERALD

Copyright © 2012 by Cooper McKenzie

E-book ISBN:
978-1-61926-734-3

First E-book Publication: June 2012

Cover design by Jinger Heaston

All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:
This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

If you have purchased this copy of
 
Emerald
 
by Cooper McKenzie from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy

This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

This is Cooper McKenzie’s livelihood.
 
It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. McKenzie’s right to earn a living from her work.

Amanda Hilton, Publisher

www.SirenPublishing.com

www.BookStrand.com

For Lena, Erin, Kelley and the crew at Siren. Thanks for all your hard work!!!

Pyrate’s Treasure 2

COOPER MCKENZIE

Copyright © 2012

“What the hell do you mean she refused the meeting?” Nick Christopher stared over his paper-covered desk at his assistant in disbelief.

Surely, Brittney, his assistant of the last three days, was mistaken. How could a young, never-been-published author turn down a meeting with him? Especially a meeting that could change her entire future? Was she insane?

Taking a deep breath to calm the nearly out of control rage that simmered too close to the surface these days, Nick fought to settle himself. He looked from his wide-eyed assistant, who appeared ready to bolt and not stop running until she was hiding under her bed in her apartment, to the corner of his desk. The six manuscripts he’d printed out were the most unique series of children’s stories he had read in his ten years of being in the publishing business.

“Doesn’t she realize she could be bigger than R.L. Stine? Bigger than Stephenie Meyer? Maybe even J. K. Rowling?”

Brittney looked at the computer tablet in her arm. “Her e-mail says, quote, ‘while I am flattered at your interest in my work, I do not travel. If you want to meet me in person, you will have to come here,’ unquote.”

“And where is she?” Nick pushed his chair back and stood then began to pace the space behind his desk.

“Pyrate Island, North Carolina.”

Nick frowned as he searched his memory. “Never heard of it.”

Brittney took a deep breath before answering. “It’s an island off the coast. Seems to be an adult-only resort.”

“Okay, well, if that’s what she wants, that’s what she’ll get. I want her signature on a representation contract.” Nick paused in his pacing. “Clear my schedule for Monday. Get me a flight to the closest airport to this Pyrate Island for Sunday with return Monday afternoon. Arrange for a rental car and a hotel for Sunday night. Then contact Miss Emerald Pyrate and schedule a meeting for Monday morning. Oh, and make sure I have all the paperwork in my briefcase before I leave for this Pyrate Island.”

“Yes, sir,” Brittany squeaked as she scribbled on her tablet. When she finished, she scurried from his office like a mouse having seen a hungry cat.

Throwing himself back into his chair, Nick reached for the phone. Dialing the number for human resources, he waited for the director to pick up. “Toni, this girl you sent me is a mouse. I need a tiger. You have to find me someone with some backbone. Yeah, I know, but there has to be someone out there who won’t run or cower the second I raise my voice.”

Hanging up, Nick turned to his computer. He pulled up the Internet and started learning everything he could about Pyrate Island and the elusive Miss Emerald Pyrate who lived there. He needed all his ducks in a row before he met this woman who was crazy enough to refuse to come to him for what could be a multimillion-dollar meeting that could make them both a fortune.

A half hour later, he swore as he closed down his computer. Before he informed Brittney of the changes he needed in his travel arrangements, he collapsed back in his chair and took several deep breaths to calm himself once again. The island was too isolated for him to stay just long to get Emerald Pyrate’s signature on a representation contract. The resort only booked guests for Friday to Sunday or Sunday to Friday stays.

Several adult magazines had articles talking about Pyrate Island as a sexual paradise. Maybe it was time to take the vacation he had been promising himself for the last six months. He could even write the trip off as a business expense since he would be meeting with a potential client. If he met a woman and got laid while he was there, that would just be a well-deserved bonus. It had been a long, sexless winter, and it was beginning to affect his temperament.

* * * *

“How do you expect to meet your mate if you refuse to leave the island?”

Emerald squeaked in surprise. Looking up from her computer, she stared at her cousin Silver. It took a moment to make sense of his words, but when she did, she frowned at his odd choice of conversation openers.

“Who says I want to meet my mate? Maybe I just want to spend my days working here, baking cookies for the guests, and writing my stories. Why would I need a mate to do that?”

Though she wanted to find her mate as her sister had just weeks earlier, she realized that unless he came to the island, she would never meet him. She had not left the island since the day after graduating from high school. The day after two classmates she had thought were friends had almost raped her.

They had been drunk on illegally obtained rum and decided they both wanted to have sex with her in celebration. It had taken everything in her to keep from shifting and exposing the Pyrate family secret. She had gotten away from them, but instead of going back to the house where they stayed while in high school, she went to the dock and hid on the ferry. She had never told anyone about that night. The next day when she returned to Pyrate Island, she vowed to remain on the island where she was safe and could avoid humans as much as possible.

She returned to the present when Silver stepped into her closet-sized office in the visitor’s center. He nudged the door closed then rested one hip on the corner of her desk. Then he watched her closely as she turned back to her computer and tried to focus on her work as the resort’s reservation clerk.

“You are so full of shit,” he said after nearly a minute of increasingly tense silence. “Every shape-shifter dreams of the day they meet and claim their mate. If you keep hiding from life, from the world, you may never meet him.”

Emerald stopped typing, but did not look away from the computer screen. “And if I don’t meet him, then I won’t get hurt or die,” she whispered so softly she hoped he did not hear her.

But, of course, he did. “What the hell does that mean?”

“Never mind.”

“No, but we’ll talk about it later. Oh, by the way, I have a guest coming on the Sunday ferry who will be staying at the house.”

Emerald swiveled in her chair to stare at her cousin. “A guest? Staying at the house? Who is it?”

“A businessman from New York City. Grandfather agreed he could stay at the house since the cottages are full up. He’ll be using Goldie’s room since she’s moved in with Caleb.”

Since she and Goldie shared a bathroom, a shiver of unease flashed through her. Would she be able to share her private space with a stranger?

“I guess that means I’ll have to clean the bathroom before he gets here, huh?”

“Yeah, that might be a good idea. Just don’t forget to hide the sex toys you’ve got stored under the sink.” Silver stood and opened her office door. His laughter faded away as he walked out and pulled the door shut.

Emerald’s eyes went wide. Her cheeks heated with embarrassment as she swiveled in her chair and stared at the closed door. “How the hell does he know about those?”