Page 2 of The Virgin's Chosen Dragon

Max looked at him doubtfully. “Stranger things have happened, I suppose,” he finally said. “Have it your way. Your bags will be fine here; there’s no one on the island to steal anything.”

***Eden***

Eden watched the island getting bigger, her heart pounding with excitement and a little touch of fear, but she was determined to spread her wings, to enjoy the freedom she’d stolen from her parents for as long as it lasted. She couldn’t believe how everything had worked out, how an accident that could have ended her trip had instead given her the one thing she’d been craving for most of her life. A little twinge of guilt joined the rest of the crazy emotions flowing through her, but it wasn’t her fault that the companion her mother hired to come with her for the summer broke her leg.

It also wasn’t her fault that her replacement had a family emergency and had to cancel, nor did she have anything to do with the mix-up at the employment agency that resulted in them calling her instead of her mother. If she had anything to feel guilty about, it was pretending to be her mother and telling them to forget the whole thing. Still, she was a grown woman, completely capable of taking care of herself, and shewanted this trip before she had to start medical school in the fall.

Just the thought of what her life was going to be like for the next four years began to make her stomach hurt, and she quickly pushed thoughts to the back of her mind. Looking back out at the view, she was surprised to see they’d reached the island, and excitement replaced the ache in her stomach as a smile slowly spread across her face. For the first time in her life, she was alone, no parents keeping an eye on her and reminding her of everything that was expected of her, no old grumpy companion watching her every move and dictating every aspect of her daily life.

She could eat what she wanted, sleep when she wanted, leave a mess if she chose, and best of all, she didn’t have to study all summer. It would be the first time in her life that she didn’t have a textbook, a worksheet, or a paper to write, and she intended to fill the hours with all the things she could never do, including reading as many trashy romances as she could. A thrill of anticipation rushed through her, and she eagerly watched as the ropes were thrown to the man standing on the dock. Once the boat snugged up against the swaying platform, the captain shut down the engines, and the young man who’d met her at the dock in Barbados emerged from the cabin.

“Here we are,” he called. “Heart of the Ocean, the island of your dreams.”

She laughed, “You’re not far off the mark,” she said, then grabbed her heels from where she’d kicked them off when she got on board the boat. “I can’t wait to start exploring.”

“You might want to get settled first and change your clothes,” he said, pointing at the heels. “Those aren’t going to get you far in the sand.”

She blushed, realizing that everything she was wearingwas all wrong for a tropical island. “This is my first time staying anywhere like this,” she said. “I wasn’t quite prepared for all of……. this.”

“That’s okay. Most people take a few days to get the hang of island life, and you’ll get there,” he said. “Oh, look, there’s Mr. St. Clair. He owns the resort. I’m sure he’s come to welcome you. He’s really a great guy once you get past the gruff exterior.”

“Oh,” was all she could manage when she saw two extremely handsome men striding toward them. “Which one is he?”

“Mr. St. Clair is the one in the front,” he said. “I’m not sure who the other one is, must be a guest. I think one of his friends was supposed to visit this week, but he wasn’t my assignment. Lucky me, I’m stuck with you.”

She felt her cheeks turning pink. “Oh…I’m sorry…” she stammered, then realized he was flirting with her. “I mean, that’s okay with me.”

Zach grinned at her. “I’m glad. We’re going to have a lot of fun this summer,” he said. “Now, come on, I’ll help you out of the boat.”

A little off balance from the swaying of the boat in the waves, she carefully made her way out onto the swim platform on the back and looked over at the dock, telling herself it was just a small jump. One hand in Zack’s, she made a leap for the wooden planks, but just as she was suspended over the water, she realized that her skirt was too tight around her legs, and she wouldn’t be able to make it. Letting out a cry of panic, she started to fall towards the water, but just at the last minute, a pair of strong arms reached out and grabbed her.

She was pulled up against a rock-hard chest and looked up to find a pair of chocolate brown eyes filled with flecks of gold looking back at her. Her breath caught in her chest as herentire body filled with a sensation she’d never felt before, but recognized as desire. Letting out a shocked gasp, she could only stare up at the man, her brain telling her to move away, but her body had other plans, and her feet wouldn’t move.

“Are you okay?” he finally asked, his voice husky. “I thought you were going in there for a second.”

It took her a second to find her voice. “Me too,” she managed to say. “I guess this skirt wasn’t the wisest choice.”

“No, you might want to think about something a little less……binding if you’re going to be jumping on and off boats,” he said, smiling at her. “And I’d definitely put those heels away. You won’t get far in them.”

“Thanks for the advice,” she said, very aware that his arms were still firmly locked around her. “I think you can let me go now.”

“Oh, I guess so,” the man said, a look of surprise on his face, but he still didn’t let her go. “I’m Theo Mayhew, knight in shining armor at your service, my lady.”

Beginning to feel a little panicky when her body began to stir in ways it never had before and her nipples hardened against his chest, she untangled herself. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said, slightly breathless. “I’m Eden Bishop.”

“Ms. Bishop, please excuse my friend, he can’t seem to control himself around beautiful women,” the other man said, rushing over to them and shoving Theo out of the way. “Are you okay? I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help you. I’m Max St. Clair, your host. Let’s get you onto shore.”

CHAPTER 2

***THEO***

Theo stumbled back a couple of steps and watched Max put his arm around Eden to guide her off the dock, surprised by the rush of jealousy that filled him when he saw them together. Before he could get it under control, Eden pulled out of Max’s arms and ran back to him, stretched up on her tiptoes, and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

“Thank you for saving me, Theo,” she said, a blush spreading across her cheeks. “You are my knight in shining armor.”

She turned and ran back to Max before he could say a word, leaving him standing there with his lips tingling, his body suddenly awakened in a way it never had been before. Ignoring the urge that spread through him to follow them, he waited until they started up to the village before walking off the dock and down to the shore. After kicking off his shoes and rolling up his pant legs, he started down the beach, enjoying the feel of the water as it lapped at his feet and legs.

When the sun became too hot, he found some shade under a palm tree on the shore and sat down in the sand, watching the waves break on the sandy beach. It wasn’t long before histhoughts turned to his life, and he let out a long sigh, wishing he could banish the feelings of frustration and boredom he’d been fighting for months. He had a life that most people would kill to have, every luxury at his fingertips, staff to take care of his every need, and more than enough money to pay for all of it, plus more. He should have been grateful, but over the last few months he’d found himself feeling more and more unfulfilled.

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